The Beatles won't be appearing on iTunes anytime soon. Or on any download platform for that matter. And it's all EMI's fault. Obviously.
Paul McCartney has been speaking about when the Fab Four, one of the few hang outs from legit download stores, would finally appear online. He confirmed that the hold up is in the negotiations between the band's former label EMI and Beatles company Apple Corps, whose original label-biased record deal wouldn't have mentioned anything as crazy as digital rights.
Macca was asked about The Beatles going digital at a media launch for his latest and previously reported Fireman album. According to Billboard, he told reporters: "[Making the Beatles catalogue digital] is constantly being talked of, we'd like to do it. What happens is, when something's as big as The Beatles, it's heavy negotiations. We are very for it, we've been pushing it. But there are a couple of sticking points, I understand. So the last word I got back was that it had stalled, the whole process. They [EMI] want something we're not prepared to give them. Hey, sounds like the music business. It's between EMI and The Beatles. What else is new".
Relations between EMI and Apple Corps have never been great, despite John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison releasing many of their solo albums via the major. It's long been assumed that wranglings between EMI and the Beatles' Apple company was the main reason behind the delay in getting the band's catalogue onto iTunes, rather than any disagreements between EMI/Apple and the other Apple - the two Apples having now settled their dispute over the use of the name in the music space. That said, this is the first time I can remember a former Beatle being quite so specific about EMI's role in the delay.
Commenting on Macca's remarks, an EMI spokesperson said yesterday: "We have been working very hard to secure an agreement with Apple Corps to make The Beatles' legendary recording catalogue available to fans in digital form. Unfortunately the various parties involved have so far been unable to reach agreement, but we really hope that everyone can make progress soon".
Having got into EMI-dissing mode, McCartney, who continues to work with the major on his classical projects but who chose to release his most recent pop album via the now defunct Starbucks record company, told reporters: "I think the majors at the moment - I'm not dissing them - but I don't think they really know what's going on. With the download culture, they are floundering a little bit".