I remember sitting in a restaurant in Tenerife circa 1986. I was with my mum, dad and sister eating my usual Margarita pizza covered with tuna and onions. The chef was flambeing (I have no idea where the accent goes there) a steak beside us and generally all was well with the world. The “entertainment” for the night was the usual sort you get in Tenerife, Joe Schmo from Middlesex transports his sound equipment to southern climes, develops a tan, waits for the sweat to build up on his forehead and begins to murder popular songs. One of those songs I vividly remember was “Yesterday” by the Beatles and written by Paul (oops I was a silly old man) McCartney. I admit now that I enjoyed it. It may also have been my first introduction to the song. Its a big hit and has been covered in places more (and less) exotic that Tenerife and Middlesex. I enjoyed it. I admit it, it stuck with me, I maybe hummed it a few times over the next few tuna pizzas. But do I want to buy the original on iTunes?
Next Wednesday (5th September) Apple are putting on a media event entitled “the beat goes on” and the speculation is that this not only means the release of an entirely new generation of iPods but that wait for it … movies will be free from now on on iTunes.No, that wasn’t the big thing… it was that people are expecting the Beatles’ music to be released on iTunes store. Now I have had time to think about this… I asked a friend “what’s the big deal?” and we both decided that we didn’t give a Douglas Hurd if the Beatles were on iTunes. I mean I liked “Yesterday” and a bit of “Hey Jude” but do they EVER make my playlists, do I EVER think – I’ll put this on in the background at a dinner party – they’ll enjoy this – NOPE. Maybe somebody else cares (who already has their entire collection on DVD and ripped to their iPod anyhow) but it ain’t me and I don’t fully understand why anyone else should. Maybe it is a landmark muso-historical reason rather than a commercial reason. It matters to music execs and Liverpudlians and the executors of the two deceased Beatle’s wills.It don’t matter to me – tell me , does it matter to you?
On another note, if you want a laugh. Watch this then followed quickly by this.
Posted by beardy bastard on September 2, 2007 at 6:51 pm
i just find it sick that on the 10th anniversary of princess diana – the queen of hearts’ death, you choose to say that the beatles suck. what is wrong with the world?
Posted by David on September 2, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Totally agree ! Although The Beatles have been on my iTunes for years…. the band actually released CDs of their music in the past that work on iTunes.
Having said that if the 5th brings the new touch screen iPod then I will certainly be buying
Posted by Carrie O'Hara on September 5, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Hey Vox
I don’t even know where to begin…
The Beatles- transcend ridicule- four boys from Liverpool who altered popular music as we understand it. Where as a musician, is your sense of humility in the face of musical greatness?
Their range, their lyrics, the fact that their music is still listened to generations after Yoko worked her magic and John left the band…
I think that ‘All you need is love’ and that you need to take ‘the long and winding road’ ‘across the universe’ and learn when it comes to the Beatles: you simply have to ‘Imagine’ and ‘Let it Be.’
PS A Beatles song would have made a much greater audience pleaser than ‘Goodbye English Rose’- how I cringe for you and Lily the innocent bystander
Posted by Beatles are Lost, Gorillagate « on September 12, 2007 at 10:35 am
[...] We all breathed a sigh of relief last week when we realised that the rumours about Beatles music coming to iTunes passed without incident (I say this to wind Carrie O’Hara up). My wife and I are [...]