Beatles iTunes announcement set for Super Bowl?
The latest rumor regarding the Beatles' catalogue becoming available for digital download is that Apple Computers is planning a "special" iTunes announcement during the Super Bowl on February 4th.

The Toronto Sun has reported that the group's 11-album UK catalogue, which was first issued on CD in 1987 and 1988, will be re-released on CD in June to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' watershed album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on June 1st.

Other sources says that the reissue of the group's albums could begin as early as March, with iTunes scoring an exclusive three-month, restricted deal for the tracks before the CDs hit the market.

Although no specifics have been given for the new reissues, which will feature state-of-the art 24-bit sound, the Sgt. Pepper release may feature both the stereo and mono mixes of the album which vary greatly from track to track.

Although 5.1 stereo mixes were done for Beatles songs on the 1999 Yellow Submarine Songtrack compilation, The Beatles Anthology DVDs, and most recently the "mashup" album The Beatles LOVE, there has been no word whether the revamped catalogue will feature the new state-of-the art technology.

The new partnership comes as a surprise to many, seeing as how the Beatles' company Apple Corps and Apple Computers, Inc., have been battling for the past 18 years over the right to sell music under the "Apple" banner.

Renowned Beatles author Bruce Spizer told us that he'd like to see the Beatles' company Apple approve a multi-media definitive edition of each of the group's original albums: "What I would like to see happen is special editions of albums. Such as where you have a Sgt. Pepper's special edition that would be mono, stereo, outtakes, 5.1 surround, videos, promotional tapes - things of that nature. And I would like to see this for the entire Beatles catalogue."

In March, Spizer will publish his sixth and final Beatles book, The Beatles Swan Song: She Loves You And Other Records will examine albums released by labels other than Capitol, including MGM, Decca, United Artists, Atco, Polydor, and Swan.

The only way i can agree with the Beatles releasing to iTunes would be, if they were only available for a limited amount of time, and also that you could only purchase full albums not just one song from here and there. I dont think the Beatles should be reduced to a soundbyte to this generation. As for the cd reissues this is what is needed and should be the focus, people are looking for improvements in the sound, proper artwork, I think the Beatles would be better served doing "Expanded Editions" on all their albums, like the Motown reissues, or even like The Monkees Reissues of their albums, now if the Monkees can get expanded editions of their cds than the Beatles should get a proper package not a download.

lastdecember said:

...or, better yet, both.

Sdldawn said:

Reasonably exciting, because I love The White Album (of which I have nboth the mono and stereo versions on vinyl, which also differ quite substantially in places - namely Helter Skelter) and Abbey Road.

Shapeshifter said:

Yeah the catalog re-issue and expanded cd editions are what people have been looking for. Like i said my issue with iTunes is someone downloading 2-3 songs from the Beatles for .99 cents instead of full albums, if they dont sell the songs on their own i dont really have an issue with them going to iTunes, but if they sell start selling off like soundbytes then theres my issue.

their gonna be released on cd.. trust me.

the word is that like three months after the iTunes thing.. which is said to be limited.. they will re-issue the entire catelog

It's about time they were re-issued on cd. I was dissapointed when they were originally released because of their crappy booklets. They should be re-issued with big, detailed liner notes.

they should also dig out something that wasn't on the anthology for bonus tracks.. i know they still got interesting concepts, demo's and such that isn't bottom of the barrel stuff..


hopefully they held out on a handful of stuff specifically for this occasion


hope so

Sdldawn said:

Exactly and hopefully at some point LET IT BE will find its way to DVD, and their has to be tons of footage from the Abbey Road sessions, visual and audio

Sdldawn said:

Well, that demo of "Strawberry Fields Forever" on Love was new, right?

SalaciousCrumb said:

Bet you the White Album comes out in a numbered sleeve again.

Hopefully they'll do a good job with the remasters.Paul should be invoolved and approve the process.The thing with itunes is not a good idea though because that could mean highly compressed horrible sounding albums. Let's wait and see.

antichrist said:

Not necessarily. If the albums were remastered and then compressed, I think there's a chance they'd still sound better than what we have now.

AlexdeParis said:

Maybe it depends on who does them. If they're compressed too much then the bass etc will sound distorted and horrible.
If you put on taxman now and turn on your sub woofer it sounds great; if it was considerably louder it would distort and sound like when your turn the t.v right up.

I think a great reference point would be the bowie remestars; agree?

AlexdeParis said:

Nothing was "new" on Love.. everything has been released before.. the only difference is..
strawberry fields was a combination of three tracks from the Antholgoy demos.. which were released around 96 or so. it was a rehashed track, but it was tastefully done.

same with georges track..

Sdldawn said:

The only new part was the string part to While My Guitar Gently Weeps, composed by George Martin.