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The Beatles Rumor Is Back

Posted by: Arik Hesseldahl on August 19, 2009

ys_car_beatles_wall.jpgOnce again The Beatles song catalog is figuring into the Apple rumor mill. As word of a an event for early September is all but officially confirmed, we’re back to wondering, once again if a deal to bring what is arguably the most important popular song catalog of the second half of the 20th century to the 21st century’s largest music retailer will at long, long last, be consummated. MacRumors has a nice roundup.

The lawsuits are over. Apple, the computer and electronics company owns the trademark rights to the Apple name, and has granted a perpetual license to the Apple Corps, the music company to use the name in connection with The Beatles.

The Beatles will be appearing soon in the eagerly anticipated video game “Rock Band” soon as well, and the entire catalog, now fully remastered, will be available on CD starting Sept. 9, the same day the video came is released.

I’m not going to speculate as to whether or not its true. I’ve been disappointed so many times, and frankly as a music consumer I no longer care. I’ve bought every commercially released Beatles CD there is except for the compilations (The Red, Blue and Number 1s albums I don’t care for…I prefer the originals myself) and I’ve even bought some of the unofficial CDs circulating, my favorite being The Abbey Road Companion. Personally I’ve spent about as much money as I care to on The Beatles, and so if their albums finally do come to iTunes, I probably won’t be buying.

But as I’ve argued before, its the legacy that I’m concerned with. As younger consumers gravitate more to digital formats, they’ll be less likely to be exposed to this music. Rock Band is right move: If you play it, you’re more likely to want the original music, and you can traipse down to Wal-Mart and get some Beatles CDs, or if you’re lucky, find them in the CD or record collections of your parents.

Meanwhile, the solo catalog of all four Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr are all available on iTunes. You can listen to Beatles Radio on Pandora. There’s even a streaming radio station called BeatlesRadio.com that’s actually quite good. And of course The Beatles are available from unofficial download sources via Bittorrent.

Dear Apple and Apple: If not now, when?

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Reader Comments

Rich

August 19, 2009 12:23 PM

It's a total mystery to me why Beatles albums aren't available on iTunes.

Dan

August 19, 2009 12:45 PM

I agree rich, you'd think they'd make a killing from itunes.
scaffold tower

halleluia

August 19, 2009 12:51 PM

(To Rich)

Simply because and despite a career of only 8 years - 1962.1970 - it's the most important popular song catalog of the second half of the 20th century to the 21st century’s

Chris

August 19, 2009 01:25 PM

I think they are still weary of the Apple Vs Apple issue...Apple Corps putting music on Apple Inc's Itunes, blurring the line. Of course, there may be issues with those owning the rights to the catalogue (sony group and michael jackson for example) that would have to approve the catologue being moved to a new medium.

Then there are people like me wh hate mp3's due to the sound degredation, even at 320 kbps....that wish to listen to the Beatles music as close to original Studio Recordings as possible.

Person

August 19, 2009 01:58 PM

I say who gives a rat's a*s. Sure the beatles were the most influential band of blah blah time for blah blah blah. As you can see I'm not a beatles fan :-) It's not really that big of a deal to go out and buy some real cd's and load them into your ipod is it?

blowfish

August 19, 2009 02:25 PM

Then there are people like me wh hate mp3's due to the sound degredation, even at 320 kbps....that wish to listen to the Beatles music as close to original Studio Recordings as possible


If u do the real comparison u can hear the real deal. The Dynamic range is so much better. And if u go to hear live u can hear an even bigger differences.
U get what u paid for.
Can u tell the difference from a Maybach to a Smart

dude

August 19, 2009 05:28 PM

You can still buy CDs?

barbara

August 19, 2009 08:51 PM

I only download when I'm impatient. For 9.99 you can buy almost any CD on Amazon and you have all the artwork, credits and a hard copy with better sound for your stereo system. They you upload the CD into iTunes and download it to your Ipod or mix it up with other songs for playlists.

barbara

August 19, 2009 08:51 PM

I only download when I'm impatient. For 9.99 you can buy almost any CD on Amazon and you have all the artwork, credits and a hard copy with better sound for your stereo system. They you upload the CD into iTunes and download it to your Ipod or mix it up with other songs for playlists.

barbara

August 19, 2009 08:51 PM

I only download when I'm impatient. For 9.99 you can buy almost any CD on Amazon and you have all the artwork, credits and a hard copy with better sound for your stereo system. They you upload the CD into iTunes and download it to your Ipod or mix it up with other songs for playlists.

barbara

August 19, 2009 08:51 PM

I only download when I'm impatient. For 9.99 you can buy almost any CD on Amazon and you have all the artwork, credits and a hard copy with better sound for your stereo system. They you upload the CD into iTunes and download it to your Ipod or mix it up with other songs for playlists.

barbara

August 19, 2009 08:51 PM

I only download when I'm impatient. For 9.99 you can buy almost any CD on Amazon and you have all the artwork, credits and a hard copy with better sound for your stereo system. They you upload the CD into iTunes and download it to your Ipod or mix it up with other songs for playlists.

barbara

August 19, 2009 08:51 PM

I only download when I'm impatient. For 9.99 you can buy almost any CD on Amazon and you have all the artwork, credits and a hard copy with better sound for your stereo system. They you upload the CD into iTunes and download it to your Ipod or mix it up with other songs for playlists.

Barbara

August 19, 2009 08:58 PM

I only download when I'm impatient or only want a few songs from one album. You can buy almost any CD for 9.99 on Amazon. Then you have a hard copy with all the artwork, credits, etc. and better sound quality for your stereo. Next, upload the CD into iTunes where you can download the entire album and multiple playlists into your iPod.

Moe Glitz

August 19, 2009 09:25 PM

Considering that with the exception of 'Love Me Do', which was recorded in 1962.
Plus the fact that songs from the 'Let It Be' album which were recorded in early 1969, but only eventually released in 1970.
Almost 99.9% of the Beatles music was written and recorded from 1963 to 1969.

Barbara

August 20, 2009 10:29 PM

I only download when I'm impatient or only want a few songs from one album. You can buy almost any CD for 9.99 on Amazon. Then you have a hard copy with all the artwork, credits, etc. and better sound quality for your stereo. Next, upload the CD into iTunes where you can download the entire album and multiple playlists into your iPod.

dbus

August 22, 2009 10:32 PM

So Barbara I get the impression your inpatient a LOT?

will

August 25, 2009 07:04 PM

it probably hasn't come out due to politics and red tape......there are tons of michael jackson songs like the singles he wrote for the 9/11 victims and tsunami victims that never came out either...........the more i read about the music industry, the more cut-throat is get the sense it is.......

chicago replacement windows

August 28, 2009 10:54 AM

its funny how apple copied the beatles name. http://semkoinc.com/

Gunnsy

September 8, 2009 10:30 AM

If you want a strange coincedance this whole beatles thing is happening on 909?

The last beatles song on let it be was one after 909

Graham

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A blog on the daily doings of Apple and the many companies in its orbit, with insight and analysis by two longtime Apple-watchers BusinessWeek Senior Writer Peter Burrows and BusinessWeek.com Senior Technology Writer Arik Hesseldahl.

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