Who was the last act to sign with The Beatles’ record label?

Posted On February 7, 2025February 7, 2025

All the love in the world to The Beatles but to call Apple Records a record label is something of a stretch. The Fabs, as was their way, had the right idea. Their good ideas were normally matched or merely copied by other artists though. Whereas the idea for an artist to have a vanity label that would release the bands and artists they loved would be improved on by everyone from Dr Dre to Pheobe Bridgers. The idea of releasing records by other artists on it was one that the band pursued. However, this was more of a lark to give their mates a chance than a genuine business plan.

Put it this way, Chris Hodge released two singles on Apple Records. He was signed to the label because he once had a chat with Ringo Starr about UFOs. The record given the catalogue number Apple 1 was a recording of Frank Sinatra singing a version of ‘The Lady Is A Tramp’ rewritten to be ‘Maureen Is A Champ’, as a birthday gift to Starr’s wife Maureen.

All this to say, Apple Records wasn’t exactly big business. However, it wasn’t all birthday presents and handouts given to acquaintances. James Taylor’s big break came from releasing his debut album on Apple. Ronnie Spector, Hot Chocolate and Billy Preston were all on the label for a cup of coffee. Badfinger were poised for big things as the first band signed to the label, but what of the last? After all, the label did spend at least a few years active after the dissolution of The Beatles.

The newly solo Fabs funnelled their various discoveries through Apple despite releasing their own music elsewhere. To date, the last band signed to the label were a George Harrison discovery, after two brothers dropped their demo tape off at the New York City offices of Apple Corps. Lon and Derrek Van Eaton had established some hype for themselves playing in the band Jacobs Creek, but after securing a record deal with Columbia, their debut album was released to crickets, and they split shortly afterwards.

The brothers retreated back to their family home in Trenton, New Jersey, where they decided to reframe themselves as a Simon & Garfunkel-style songwriting duo. They recorded a set of demos in the house, playing all the instruments themselves and using various surfaces of the house as percussion. After that demo found its way to Apple, Harrison played the tape and loved what he heard, their spiritually minded songwriting chiming with Harrison’s fascination with all things mystical.

By 1971, the brothers were signed to Apple and flown to England to record their first album. In an almost comically overblown show of support, the band’s first destination after touching down at Heathrow was George’s mansion at Friar Park. Upon arriving, the brothers found Harrison sitting on the lawn, playing their song ‘Sweet Music’ on a guitar.

While the brothers were never the success Harrison thought they could be, I’m sure that experience of having a literal Beatle adore your work and throw his weight behind your music was enough. It’s the kind of break that you can only get with a project like Apple Records, where signings aren’t made for the commercial gains, they’re made for the love of the music. Fortunately, though, as the likes of Communion and Saddest Factory Records are showing, this is one of the few Beatles ideas that have been improved over time.

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