“Paul McCartney said Monday negotiations on a long-awaited deal to make the Beatles’ catalog available on the online music service iTunes have stalled,” Meera Selva reports for The Associated Press. “‘The last word I got back was it’s stalled at the whole moment, the whole process,’ the former Beatle said. ‘I really hope it will happen because I think it should.'”
Selva reports, “McCartney, who was speaking at the launch of his new album, Electric Arguments, added: ‘It’s between EMI and the Beatles, I think.'”
“The band’s holding company, Apple Corps Ltd., has so far declined to allow the Fab Four’s music on any Internet music service, including iTunes… Record label EMI, which owns the Beatles recordings but needs Apple Corps’ permission to release the music in new formats, said it was still trying to resolve the matter,” Selva reports.
Full article here.
Mike Collett-White reports for Reuters that a spokeswoman for EMI said, “‘We have been working hard to secure agreement with Apple Corps to make the Beatles’ legendary recording catalog available to fans in digital form,’ said. ‘Unfortunately, the various parties involved have been unable to reach agreement, but we really hope everyone can make progress soon.'”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Matt R.” and “Mrsteve1” for the heads up.]
Whatever. This is plainly a neverending story and it’s years beyond joke stage. At this point, whatever Beatles tracks that most people want have long been digitized and are already on their iPods. The only ones missing out are new fans who don’t know what BitTorrent is – in other words, not a huge audience.
Chalk it all up to yet another opportunity blown long ago by Apple Corps’ ridiculous viscosity.
By the way, “Paul McCartney yesterday said that he ‘doesn’t mind’ illegal downloading, though he does have some problems understanding the concept,” as Jonny Evans reports for Distorted-Loop here.
well I for one, could use remastered versions, listening to the “fake stereo” versions on headphones is awful, gimmie those and I’m in for the entire catalogue (again).
Not Interest in this. Who is?
They disagree because someone is afraid they are not going to get enough money. Sad part is, beatles music has made all them more rich then they could ever dream. Sad what greed and money can do to some
F the beatles and their greedy heirs.
Does anyone really care about this anymore. As any kid under 20 are they would answer: “Paul who?” Is he in Fallout Boy??”
In the years all these people have been wrangling about money for these albums, I have successfully ripped/borrowed/copied all of The Beatles albums I could ask for.
What a dull, boring, and quite sad story this has turned out to be. Just release them £4.99 per album, and some people might buy them. It’s too little too late to expect anything else.
Greedy people always end up greedier.
So, who are “the Beatles” if not Paul and Ringo? Who is holding this up? Is it Yoko and Harrison’s heirs? Does Ringo have a problem with it?
But then they have always been a hypocritical band –
“I don’t care too much for money, money can’t buy me love…”
“Money can’t buy everything, it’s true, but what it can’t buy I can’t use, I want Money, that’s what I want!”
I wish John was here.
MDN MW: spirit.
@Wings2Sky:
Although the Beatles recorded ‘Money’, they didn’t write it. It was written – and originally recorded – by Barrett Strong who was on the Motown label back in the day when Motown was a force to be reckoned with.
Barrett Strong’s version was much, much better too.
Well, does anyone reallly care about Fallout Boy? Apple Corp. and EMI have been ridiculous about this issue, granted, but do you think anyone will care about Fallout Boy in, say, a decade? Let alone three plus decades?
I invite the Beatles to hawk their wares over at Zune Marketplace. Zunes are the must-have gift this holiday season making I-Tunes a dead end. Besides, Microsoft has historically demonstrated that they’re a really great group of folks to partner with.
I’m a PC.
Your potential. Our passion.™
Greed.
I hope all B fans will rip their CDs and give Apple Corps the middle finger once the catalog is available on iTunes.
I don’t own any Beatles music and I would by from iTunes, I will not buy CDs. But now, just to make a point, I will get it from other sources.
“Paul McCartney yesterday said that he ‘doesn’t mind’ illegal downloading…”
Here’s an idea: get every musician and record label executive to make a Statuary Declaration that they have “never stolen or illegally copied the music of any artist”. Then anyone who has signed can voice their opinion against piracy.
…crickets…
I think McCartney’s really starting to lose his mind.
“It’s between EMI and the Beatles, I think.”
(Isn’t he a Beatle?)
Paul McCartney yesterday said that he ‘doesn’t mind’ illegal downloading, though he does have some problems understanding the concept.
Really?-?-?
The real delay is in EMI’s court. They want it all wrapped in DRM but Apple Corp wants it available for any MP3 Player but via iTunes cos of market share. EMI doesn’t like this.
How do I know? A little birdie told me and I have lots of clients in the entertainment business.
The longer The Beatles take, the more likely people will get them off of torrents. Besides, I have already ripped my CDs.
Foolish on their part for dragging their heals.
Since I only buy music on iTunes, I have no idea who the Beatles are.
Wings2Sky,
you’re rather naive.
You could quote conflicting statements from Shakespeare’s characters and then claim that Shakespeare was hypocritical.
The Beatles, like other musicians, sang songs which expressed ideas, feelings, moods and states of mind.
All these things constantly change.
Ironically, the hold-up is between two sets of business suits. And the remaining Beatles are really not involved in any meaningful way. The hold-up is over how much money will be made by the people in these corporate entities; people which, for the most part, weren’t even born when Beatles retired as a band, and yet are fighting for their personal piece of the Beatles pie.
It just doesn’t get any sadder than that.
I am not into the Beatles’ arrival to iTunes because it has not happened. EMI and Apple feels that both companies are not on the same page.
Supposedly, EMI is remastering the entire Beatles catalogue for a new and complete re-issuing. The music wa poorly remastered for the the first round of CD re-issues. I’d guess that the re-re-issues are somehow involved.
It would be nice to get better re-mastered recordings. I’d still buy the CDs, though.
You’d think that they’d just get the deal done. They’re probably bickering over DRM vs. non-DRM re-issues.
They all want to milk the cow one more time, no doubt.
Incidentally, The record mentioned, “Electric Arguments”, is actually released under the moniker “The Fireman” which is an experimental collaboration between Sir Paul and Youth of Killing Joke fame. They have released two other records together over the past ten years.
The opening tune is a real barn-burner. “Nothing Too Much Just out of Sight” has the rough edge of “Helter-Skelter” and the Delta Blues delivery of Muddy Waters or Howlin’ Wolf. Check it out on YouTube.
Its about time too, Paul has a lot of work to do to make up for shlock like “Say, Say, Say”. . .
Ain’t Michael Jackson still involved with the rights to the Beatles? Or did he have to sell those off to pay for his legal defense and his exile to arabia?
Wade: Michael Jackson owns the publishing rights to half the Beatles music. That has nothing to do with the original Beatles recordings. That is why you here Beatles songs recorded by other artists in commercials now.
Seems McCartney continues to use the same judgment skills that led to his marriage with Heather Mills. I guess years of drug use are finally taking their toll. As John used to say “Paul is a dead man” and so is the Beatles music.
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I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say:
FSCK APPLE CORPS.
memo to Sir Paul and Apple Corps management:
Who cares anyway?
McCartney was always the dorky Beatle.
Ho hum. Most Beatles fans already have their work. The real news is on the Ruttles. Any word on when they’ll be in on iTunes?
I was a kid when I got my first Beatles album. I bought as many of the LPs as I could, including all the British versions, and then repeated the effort with CDs. Having a set of remastered British recordings would be worth it for me. Yes, I already have the music on my MBP, my iPhone, my iPod, my iTVs, in the car, etc. My kids, young and old, have grown up with it, and they actually like the Beatles. Is the audience that cares about this small? Maybe. But based on the “news factor” of this story, maybe not.
Interesting use of the word “viscosity” in the MDN take.
He’s a real nowhere Man,
Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
Doesn’t have a point of view,
Knows not where he’s going to,
Isn’t he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere Man, please listen,
You don’t know what you’re missin’,
Nowhere Man, the world is at your command.
He’s as blind as he can be,
Just sees what he wants to see,
Nowhere Man can you see me at all?
Nowhere Man, don’t worry,
Take your time, don’t hurry,
Leave it all ’till somebody else
lends you a hand.
Doesn’t have a point of view,
Knows not where he’s going to,
Isn’t he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere man please listen,
you don’t know what your missin’
Nowhere Man, the world is at your command
He’s a real Nowhere Man,
Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
To those who sarcastically ask “Who are the Beatles,” I pity you for your loss and ignorance and stupidity. But yes, I have absolutely every single Beatles release on CD, and remastered versions by George Martin and son Giles would certainly interest me. The Beatles are not meant to be heard as compressed MP3’s.. surround is more like it.
It is time for the Beatles to just STFU and go away.
All things must pass.
Beatles, Schmeatles.
Zune Tang is back! Hooray!
I don’t think it should happen, as it stands as I shining example of just how greedy and lame the beatles entity really is.
Most Beatle fans already have every one of their umpteenths repackages of CD/DVDs/Greatest Hits/Collectables (with better audio quality too), so what’s the big deal on iTunes?
I’m over 40 and not a Beatles fan so couldn’t care less, but it’s sad that an artist has no control over his own creation and has to leave it up to corporations to decide if Beatles are going to build a new fan base or whither in yesterday’s technology like lost phonographs and damaged music sheets.
To have a music/record “collection” WITHOUT the Beatles
Be it your own, or Apple’s iTunes “collection”
Is like having a library of books without – for example – Mark Twain
Or plays without Shakespeare
Or films without Citizen Kane
Yes, you’d have a “collection” or a library
But few who know History and Art would call it a “complete collection”
BC
If I understand this correctly… it’s not the Beatles (aka Apple Corp.) that are being greedy here, but EMI is the culprit. If Apple Corp. wants the music distributed without DRM, in MP3 compatible with all players, and also distributed via iTunesMS, it seems to me that if EMI is the holdout for DRM, we should be trashing them, not Sir Paul and company. Let’s hope the good guys win.
PS: Whether you respect the Beatles or not, or have even heard of them matters not one whit. It’s a simple matter of history that they are perhaps the most influential band of the last century. Even if some folks aren’t at all interested in who the Beatles were, they have a lot to thank them for… like bringing popular music into the 20th century and unleashing the age of modern rock. You won’t find one serious musician who doesn’t know this basic fact.
Zune Tang not only uses a PC… he IS a PC. What is obvious is that the PC that he uses is a Mac. (PC = personal computer; Mac = better personal computer.)
3 years ago, I was really excited about the prospect of The Beatles on iTunes and a Beatles iPod.
Now, even Beatles fans like me are at the point that we don’t care anymore.
Wish Capitol would release the third batch of CD’s. I need to complete that CD collection. I’d rather have that. And the packaging was cool.
A this point, I don’t really care.
> to make the Beatles’ legendary recording catalog available to fans in digital form
Isn’t CD a “digital form”? If the “spokeswoman for EMI” means downloadable form, I’ll bet that’s already “available to fans” too.
I read that it’s Yoko Ono holding up proceedings. She wants Apple to change the DRM so the tracks can’t be played backwards otherwise listeners will be hypnotized into saying ‘Yoko is fat’ whilst running down the street wearing nothing but one sock and holding a chicken aloft – vegetarians will hold up a root vegetable. Oh, and she wants a purple limousine with a 4mm yellow stripe on one side and some sushi prepared fresh waiting on a triangular plate when she gets in, if she gets in, she hasn’t decided yet.
It is true that the CDs sold in the 80s and 90s are horrible quality. They sound like home digitalization. The extreme stereo channel separation also makes the listening experience poor. With headphones, it’s like John and Paul sing into your right ear, and George into your left, with the drums to the far left. I usually switch into Mono mode.
Most of the master tapes should be Fe type and in good shape. Time for a state-of-the-art re-mixing and re-mastering.