Music Banter - Apple Announces Digital Remastering of Entire Beatle Catalog

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Apple Announces Digital Remastering of Entire Beatle Catalog

This press release from Apple was in my mailbox on Friday:

Quote:

THE BEATLES’ ENTIRE ORIGINAL RECORDED CATALOG REMASTERED BY APPLE CORPS LTD. AND EMI MUSIC FOR WORLDWIDE RELEASE ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 (09-09-09)

London, England – April 7, 2009 – Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music are delighted to announce the release of the original Beatles catalog, which has been digitally remastered for the first time, for worldwide CD release on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 (09-09-09), the same date as the release of the widely anticipated videogame The Beatles: Rock Band.

Each of the CDs is packaged with replicated original U.K. album art, including expanded booklets containing original and newly written liner notes and rare photos. For a limited period, each CD will also be embedded with a brief documentary film about the album. On the same date, two new Beatles boxed CD collections will also be released.

The albums have been remastered by a dedicated team of engineers at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios in London over a 4-year period, utilizing state-of-the-art recording technology alongside vintage studio equipment, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analog recordings. The result of this painstaking process is the highest fidelity the catalog has seen since its original release.

The collection comprises all 12 Beatles albums in stereo, with track listings and artwork as originally released in the U.K., and Magical Mystery Tour, which became part of the Beatles’ core catalog when the CDs were first released in 1987. In addition, the collections Past Masters Vol. I and II are now combined as one title, for a total of 14 titles over 16 discs. This will mark the first time that the first four Beatles albums will be available in stereo in their entirety on CD. These 14 albums, along with a DVD collection of the documentaries, will also be available for purchase together in a stereo boxed set.

this can either be really good or really bad......

Will make Apple millions and be forgotten.

Hmm, I always thought Michael Jackson was a PC.

heard about this, excellent news.
I don't care how much richer I make some already-astronomically-rich people, all my Beatles albums are the same masters that were released in the 80's, they've always sounded crap and and i'm going to SPENDSPENDSPENDSPEND

So what's the deal with this mono/stereo thing? Because I love 60's classics in mono. If there aren't going to be two-disc versions (one mono, one stereo) available, thus forcing the consumer to choose or buy both, I will be none too pleased.

mono/stereo is a completely different ballpark than analog/digital, and it has to do with how many channels the music is recorded onto. i believe every Beatles record was recorded in stereo (but i'm sure there are lingering monaural versions out there).

from NY Times:
''Apple Corps and EMI said that two new Beatles boxed CD collections of the material would also be released, one comprising all 14 CDs plus a DVD documentary collection, the other consisting of 10 albums’ original mono mixes plus two additional CDs of mono masters.''

Individually they are only being released in stereo, apparently. I was only interested in the prospect of mono for their records because most people only had one speaker back then anyway, and Pet Sounds for example was recorded in mono and originally intended by Wilson that it would sound the same anywhere you sat in the room... From what i've read the B's accounted for stereo in the mixdown but I would still love to hear it in mono, I like a good condensed sixties album. I don't want to be surrounded by the Beatles ffs, I want them to sound good from the kitchen while i'm having tea and toast

So, I assume the whole Carnival of Light thing still isn't settled yet? Bleh.

Anybody here read Bob Lefsetz?

From his blog (lefsetz.com):

Quote:

What’s next, Beatle ringles? Chrome cassettes?

It’s hard to believe that the Beatles used to be first, paving the way for other artists. Now they’re so far behind the curve as to be laughable. Sure, I’d like to hear the new product, there will be a revenue-generating event, but Sony should have licensed Beatle albums for the introduction of SACD. Just like Sirius overpaid Howard Stern to avoid bankruptcy (you may have forgotten that Sirius was fading before it hired the King Of All Media, ultimately, Sirius purchased XM).

The Beatles should sell these same remastered files in a lossless format online. The Beatles should be the act selling subscriptions at the iTunes Store. The Beatles can lead, they’re the number one brand in popular music, but so afraid of ****ing up their reputation, they’ve become followers. Not only does it tarnish the brand, it doesn’t generate enough revenue.

Quote:

Quote:
What’s next, Beatle ringles? Chrome cassettes?

It’s hard to believe that the Beatles used to be first, paving the way for other artists. Now they’re so far behind the curve as to be laughable. Sure, I’d like to hear the new product, there will be a revenue-generating event, but Sony should have licensed Beatle albums for the introduction of SACD. Just like Sirius overpaid Howard Stern to avoid bankruptcy (you may have forgotten that Sirius was fading before it hired the King Of All Media, ultimately, Sirius purchased XM).

The Beatles should sell these same remastered files in a lossless format online. The Beatles should be the act selling subscriptions at the iTunes Store. The Beatles can lead, they’re the number one brand in popular music, but so afraid of ****ing up their reputation, they’ve become followers. Not only does it tarnish the brand, it doesn’t generate enough revenue.

The legacy of Howard Stern or the financial dilemma of Sirius Radio is in no way relevant to the management of the Beatles. Making Beatles songs available in the looseless format, so iTunes can make a bundle, is not a big priority for the four principal trustees who govern the Beatle's financial trust.

Bob Lefsetz has his head his ass when he tells us about what a great "revenue generating event" it would have been for Sony to gain licensing rights to the Beatle's catalog for SCAD. Bob, please... The Beatles and their heirs aren't the least bit interested in the pathetic attempts of Sony Inc. to stage "revenue generating events" on their behalf. The Beatles are capable of staging revenue generating events, without Sony or iTunes. The Beatles started Apple Corp. to protect the artistic integrity of their creative legacy from "revenue generating events."

Bobby Boy also says "The Beatles should be the act selling subscriptions at the iTunes Store." It's as if Bob thinks selling iTunes subscriptions is in the same humanitarian category as the Concert for Bangeladesh or Farm Aid. Sheesh...

Let remind Bob that the Beatles's musical legacy will eclipse any creative endeavors of Steve Jobs, iTunes and Apple Computer. The Beatles waged legal warfare on Apple Computer for 25 years to stop Steve Jobs from using both the Apple Corp. name and logo on their computer products. The primary talent of Steve Jobs has been convincing a lot of stupid people that he's a genius. The Beatle's genius speaks for itself.

So tell me Bob... Why should Apple Corp even be the least bit interested with doing business with the egomanical jerk who stole their creative name brand to sell a bunch of overpriced computers?

Musicians are under no moral or ethical obligation to bow to the demands of the marketplace. What frustrates free market musical entrepreneurs, like Bob, is the Beatles refuse to place a price tag on the value of their artistic product.