A rocker’s guide to management

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The Beatles split up after a mere seven years at the top, while the Rolling Stones are still going. One startup flashed brightly and burned out; the other established itself as a long-running corporation From 1843mag

n his languidly titled autobiography, “Life”, Keith Richards tells a story that captures something about the workplace culture of the Rolling Stones and his decades as the band’s guitarist. It’s 1984 and the Stones are in Amsterdam for a meeting . That night, Richards and Mick Jagger go out for a drink and return to their hotel in the early hours, by which time Jagger is somewhat the worse for wear. “Give Mick a couple of glasses, he’s gone,” Richards writes, scornfully.

If rock groups are businesses, businesses are getting more like rock bands. Workplaces are far more informal than they used to be, with less emphasis on protocol, rank and authority. Many firms try to cultivate the creativity that can come from close collaboration. Employers attempt to engineer personal chemistry, hiring coaches to fine-tune team dynamics and sending staff on team-building exercises. Employees are encouraged to share lunch, play table tennis and generally hang out.

This wasn’t just spin. The Beatles had spent years in each other’s intimate company, in Liverpool, in Hamburg, in filthy bedsits, tiny dressing rooms and bone-shaking vans. They put thought into making the friendship four-way: on tour, Lennon would room with George Harrison, and McCartney with Ringo Starr, so that the Lennon-McCartney partnership didn’t unbalance the group.

By 1970, the Beatles were racked by financial, legal and personal disputes. Apple Corps, the company they founded in 1967, had become an unholy mess of money-sucking misadventures. Lennon was finding more inspiration from his new wife, Yoko Ono, than from his co-workers, and insisted on taking her into work. Harrison was increasingly frustrated with his limited role. Meanwhile McCartney had recorded a solo album, “McCartney”, which he wantedto release as quickly as possible.

When I asked Zanes if Petty’s decision was cynical, he demurred. “Bands start off as exercises in us-against-the-world idealism, in which success lifts all to equal heights. The ones that don’t break up before they reach a recording studio are the ones that adjust their philosophy in order to become a business. A redistribution of power is necessary.” Petty’s decision was hard for everyone, he said.

The democratic model depends on individual members believing that each has the group’s interest at heart, not just their own. Morrissey’s and Marr’s policy made it hard for the band’s members to trust each other;’s decision-making process meant they exhibited confidence in each other every day. There must also be a belief in each other’s competence. Tony Fletcher, the biographer of, says that “usually in a band there’s someone the others think isn’t good enough, or isn’t pulling their weight.

 

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1843mag Interestingly, Beatles’ impact was and still is significantly bigger

1843mag Rolling Stones are just ROLLING STONES

1843mag Wow, Mick Is really hideous.

1843mag wow

keithbaldrey 1843mag The Stones haven't been relevant since the Some Girls album in '76. Anything after that was just astute management of their brand.

1843mag Beatles had more hits in a shorter period. ✌🐸

1843mag Best line in Almost Famous ' if you think Mick Jagger is still going to be Rocking and Rolling at age 50 you are sadly mistaken. Saw them in 81 and last year.

1843mag Unusual article for the Economist, but really good. Some interesting thoughts there. Thanks.

1843mag You gotta feel for the surviving guys from the Beatles who disappeared into poverty and obscurity after their brief time at the top... Pour one out for Rango and McCarthy. WhereAreTheyNow

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