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Beatles catalog to be digitally remastered

By ROBERT BARR
Associated Press Writer


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LONDON (AP) -- Beatles fans will have a chance to add substantially to their collections when a digitally remastered version of the band's catalog becomes available in September.

Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music announced Tuesday that they will be releasing the new discs worldwide on Sept. 9, the same day as the release of a video game, "The Beatles: Rock Band."

The release continues a recent trend of repackaging and tweaking The Beatles' output, which fans may have thought ended in 1970 with "Let It Be."

Each of the dozen CDs will include the original U.K. album art and new, expanded liner notes, according to an announcement on The Beatles Web site. For a limited time, each CD will also be embedded with a brief documentary film about the album.

The collections "Past Masters Vol. I and II," including singles, out-takes, live versions and B-sides which weren't on the albums, will be reissued in one package.

In addition, Apple Corps and EMI will be releasing a boxed set named "The Beatles in Mono," with the original monaural versions of 10 albums plus two further discs of mono masters of early material. The mono versions of "Help!" and "Rubber Soul" also include the 1965 stereo mixes.

There has been no breakthrough yet on negotiations to get the Beatles' extensive catalog available for legal downloading.

"Discussions regarding the digital distribution of the catalog will continue," Apple Corps and EMI said.

The repackaging began in 1973 with "The Beatles/1962-1966" and "The Beatles/1967-1970."

Then came "Live at the BBC" in 1994, "Past Masters" in 1988, "Anthology 1" and 2 and 3 in 1996, "Yellow Submarine Songtrack" in 1999, "1" in 2000, "Let It Be ... Naked" in 2003 and "Love" in 2007.

Apple said the new package is the fruit of four years of work by engineers at the Abbey Road Studios.

The surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, played together at a charity benefit in New York several days ago.

Seems, finally, this is legit, and not another 'cry of wolf' for the release of the remasters. The two box sets sound intriquing as well. Long way until September.

For a sixties' group that only made twelve albums, I sure am having trouble keeping up with their output.

But I can't wait to hear how they sound. The eighties' disks didn't sound that hot compared with what they can do now.

More information here:

http://www.beatles.com/core/news/

Yup, I'll be lining up to buy both boxsets. I am a willing fool...and...loving it.

Then again, I'm still waiting for the Archives box set by Neil Young. And waiting.

And waiting.

I'm in for the upgrades...it's gonna be just as fun as the Rolling Stones reissues were a few years ago.

I better get the dough saved...remasters, here I come!

Coincidental, irony or planned, any way Lennon might have thought it unique. All of this remastered material is being released on 9/9/09.

buzfluhart wrote:Coincidental, irony or planned, any way Lennon might have thought it unique. All of this remastered material is being released on 9/9/09.

If I can't buy it that day I'll have to get it on the one after 9/9/09.

Number 9?

9-9-09 will also be my wife's and my 19th anniversary. We were married on 9-9-90, and our 9th anniversary was 9-9-99.

What a wonderful anniversary gift!

I'm in line. Shoot, waiting for Sept. 9, '09 is gonna be a snap for an ol' veteran of waiting like me.

JimK

lyle_from_minneapolis wrote:9-9-09 will also be my wife's and my 19th anniversary. We were married on 9-9-90, and our 9th anniversary was 9-9-99.

What a wonderful anniversary gift!

Or birthday gift for me.

In the New York Times this morning:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/arts/ ... &th&emc=th

For those in the UK, pre-orders are available aleady thru Amazon.com.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=amb_link_ ... _i=beatles

If the prices were in dollars, each disc would be about $18

Hear some teasers:

http://emusician.com/ms/beatle_tech/vid ... emastered/