“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.