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Beatles on iTunes? Maybe Not Yet...
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Then let's put it in terms understandable in the current mindset: It will make someone a ton of money.
And no, it doesn't matter that their fans already own the music either on vinyl or CD, or that they can rip CDs to their iPod. Everyone already owned the hits but that didn't stop the "1" album from being the best-selling album of this decade so far.
A special Beatles iPod would be a hot item for birthdays and Christmas.
If the beatles do appear on itunes, lets hope they offer the music DRM Free otherwise the deal is a bust.
I wish Apple could get their music providers to release all of their titles at quality comparable to Amazon and drm free like Amazon.
The current CDs have been on the market now for 20 years, and have various problems. When issued on vinyl, the majority of the albums were avaialble in both stereo and mono versions, yet the CDs contain either the original mono mix, the original stereo mix or a 1987 remix. The singles tracks on the Past Masters compilations are often in stereo despite the original UK versions being in mono, but mono mixes did appear on the singles box set. It's even more complicated when you get to Magical Mystery Tour, which was not issued in LP form in the UK until 1976, and I wont enter into that here. There's also a few other mixes that appeared over the years on non-UK pressings and/or promo singles that have also not appeared on CD.
The catalogue was re-mastered some time ago, I gather, as I'm in contact with someone who managed to see pre-release internal EMI copies of some of the remastered albums before a previous release was cancelled. Apparently these contained both stereo and mono versions where applicable. Aside from some missing mixes, there's also the Live At The Hollywood Bowl album and fan club flexidiscs to take care of, as well as perhaps a few out-takes that did make the Anthology project.
As for the Michael Jackson issue, he acquired ATV music in the early 1980s. ATV had in in turn acquired Northern Songs, the Beatles publishing company, many years previous. Northern Songs owned the publishing rights to most of their own compositions. The exceptions being later George Harrison compositions, Ringo's two compositions, and both sides of the first two UK singles which were issued initially before Northern Songs was formed.
The catalogue was re-mastered some time ago, I gather, as I'm in contact with someone who managed to see pre-release internal EMI copies of some of the remastered albums before a previous release was cancelled. Apparently these contained both stereo and mono versions where applicable. Aside from some missing mixes, there's also the Live At The Hollywood Bowl album and fan club flexidiscs to take care of, as well as perhaps a few out-takes that did make the Anthology project.
As for the Michael Jackson issue, he acquired ATV music in the early 1980s. ATV had in in turn acquired Northern Songs, the Beatles publishing company, many years previous. Northern Songs owned the publishing rights to most of their own compositions. The exceptions being later George Harrison compositions, Ringo's two compositions, and both sides of the first two UK singles which were issued initially before Northern Songs was formed.
Right, and then Jackson later merged ATV with Sony's music catalog, so now both he and Sony own 50% of the publishing rights to those Beatles songs. Due to Jackson's continuing financial problems Sony is now in a position possibly to acquire an additional 25% of the ATV/Sony catalog from Jackson.
Some people are tired of news stories about music they aren't interested in buying. That's one reason we're taking a poll to learn how many of us have an interest in buying Beatles music.
So far, it's shows that 43% would buy at least some Beatles music from iTunes, and 57% would not.
Of those who would buy any Beatles music, 36% would buy a boxed set, while 64% would buy individual songs or albums, spread evenly over a range of few to many.
These results are based on a small sample size (51) and are probably skewed in favor of Beatles fans since they're more likely to vote in the polll.
Still selling elsewhere
Top 10 Billboard Catalog Sales - 90% Beatles
The Top 25:
Top 10 Billboard Catalog Sales - 90% Beatles
The Top 25:
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- Michael Jackson
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- Michael Jackson
- Michael Jackson
- The Beatles
- The Beatles
- MercyMe
- The Beatles
- Michael Jackson
- Journey
- Michael Jackson
- The Beatles
- Bob Marley