Speaking about his occasional musical partner, Sir Paul spoke warmly of Jackson's talent and "gentle soul".

 

The pair collaborated on tracks in the 1980s though the relationship was strained later by Jackson's ownership of much of the Beatles catalogue.

 

He said: "It's so sad and shocking. I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones.

 

"I send my deepest sympathy to his mother and the whole family and to his countless fans all around the world."

 

Sir Paul featured on Jackson's record-selling Thriller album, collaborating with the King of Pop on "The Girl is Mine".

 

Their relationship was affected in 1985 when Jackson beat a joint bid by Sir Paul and John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono to buy the rights to more than 200 Beatles songs.

 

Jackson sold half of the song catalogue to Sony in 1995, but is thought to have still earned £40 million a year from the remaining share.

 

It was reported earlier this year that Jackson planned to leave the rights to Sir Paul in his will.

 

Sir Paul and Jackson initially teamed up to record the songs Say Say Say - later a single - and The Man, which were to be included on the former Beatle's Pipes Of Peace solo album. Jackson stayed with the McCartney family during the recordings.

 

Say Say Say, which they recorded at Abbey Road studios, was a US number one but stalled at number two in the UK.

 

The pair teamed up again later for the track The Girl Is Mine on the US star's Thriller release.

 

Released prior to the earlier songs, it is widely seen as the weakest on the album, and features the pair ribbing each other over their rivalry for the affections of "the girl". Jackson notably tells his collaborator: "Paul, I think I told you, I'm a lover not a fighter."

 

It was during their recordings that Sir Paul is said to have pointed out to Jackson how lucrative his back catalogue had been. And it was Jackson's purchase of that Northern Songs catalogue for 47 million dollars (£28.5 million) - outbidding Sir Paul - in the mid-1980s which was to cause friction between them.

 

Despite Jackson's money problems over the past few years, his interest in the catalogue - and other publishing rights - has remained his biggest financial asset.

 

In the 1990s, Jackson merged his company with that of his label Sony's publishing wing and he has continued to hold a 50% stake in the Sony/ATV music catalogue. Jackson's interest is estimated to be worth in the region of £300 million.

 

There has been speculation that Jackson planned to eventually leave the rights to his one-time ally, but Sir Paul has claimed that some of the rights would revert to him in due course anyway.

 

In an interview in 2005, he said: "There are years approaching, there are dates approaching, that we never thought would approach, where things revert to me. So really, it's a waiting game rather than a big proactive buying game."

 

Source: Daily Telegraph

 

I was always annoyed when he bought the rights to the songs in the first place, he certainly pulled a fast one on Paul, I wonder what will happen to them now? Will they ever return To Paul?

Interestingly, one of the many myths about Michael Jackson was that he mugged McCartney of the rights to buy the Beatles Northern songs.

 

This old piece in the highly credible LA Times reprinted in the wake of his death shows Paul pulled out of the bidding fairly early on (although Paul has not exactly stopped the myth growing, and understandably, I can see why he remained mythed why MJ did not offer him and the Lennon estate a more favourable royalty rate, or offer each one song each free, as a present).

 

It appears that if MJ had not bought them, then media mogul Charles Kopplemann would have owned them instead.

 

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/...,0,452154.story

Still hard to believe he let them slip through his fingers, surely in the 1970's he had enough cash to buy them. Probably one of those things he meant to do but never got round to it. But the very fact he owns other artists songs but not his own, is quite incredible.

 

I read he owns Love me do and PS I love you. Not a lot really.

Still hard to believe he let them slip through his fingers, surely in the 1970's he had enough cash to buy them. Probably one of those things he meant to do but never got round to it. But the very fact he owns other artists songs but not his own, is quite incredible.

 

I read he owns Love me do and PS I love you. Not a lot really.

 

True,

 

But at least on his MPL Music Publishing website, they are available to play in 2009 Remasters quality:

http://www.mplcommunications.com/search.asp

What will Beatles songs add up to in Michael Jackson's estate?

 

By David Lieberman, USA TODAY

NEW YORK — The most important financial question facing Michael Jackson's estate, and the music business, following his death last week likely will be one of the toughest to answer.

 

They'll want to know how much Jackson's most valuable asset, his 50% stake in Sony/ATV Music Publishing, is worth. And "it will be one hell of a job" to put a price tag on it, even though it's "extraordinarily valuable," says Susan Butler, executive editor of Music Confidential.

 

The general view is that Sony/ATV, a joint venture formed in 1995, should be worth at least $2.1 billion, the amount Universal Music paid in 2006 for BMG Music Publishing.

 

But some of the most popular properties in music are in Sony/ATV's catalog of more than 750,000 copyrights — including 251 songs that John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote for The Beatles.

 

Jackson saw an unusual opportunity in 1986 to snap up the Beatles songs for $47.5 million, putting a chill into his relationship with Paul McCartney.

 

This should be interesting to find out the value.

Memories of Michael

http://www.paulmccartney.com/news.php#/1653/2009-07

 

I first heard from Michael when he phoned me over the Christmas holiday season in 1980 and my initial reaction was “who is this and how did he get my private telephone number?”. Michael laughed and explained who it was and, as we talked and I asked him why he was ringing, he said “Do you wanna make some hits?” and that was the start of our adventure together.

 

He came over to England with his close friend and minder, Billy and they visited our house in the country many times as Michael and I put together the ideas for our songs together. First of all, we came up with and finished an idea for a song I had started which became Say Say Say. We recorded in Air Studios, London with George Martin producing and eventually went to California to make the video for the song. Funnily enough, I was staying at the ranch that Michael later bought and made into Neverland.

 

My memories are of his great sense of humour and we seemed to spend most of the time playing around and having a laugh. He became very friendly with my family and we had lots of great times together. Although we drifted apart in later years I will always remember fondly the fun we had working and playing together. My family and I send our deepest condolences to his family and, like them, we know that his great talent will never be forgotten.

 

Paul McCartney 04/07/2009