'Fifth Beatle' Aspinall Dies at 66

Fab Four's iconic catalog was noted holdout

(NEWSER) - Fab Four fans, rejoice: Or at least hold your breath, because the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Steve Jobs' pending iTunes news is that Apple is nearing a deal to bring the Beatles' catalog at long last onboard. Apple is readying an announcement, anonymous insiders say, while also warning that plans could still change at the last minute. The Journal notes that an agreement would end decades of tension between the two giants; the Beatles originally sued Apple in 1978 for copyright infringement on their Apple Records and Apple Corp. Ltd. More»

CDs showcase Fab Four as they were meant to be heard

(NEWSER) - The Beatles just got better: every one of their original albums and a batch of collected singles has been remastered, boosting the quality to the level “the Beatles themselves would have heard and intended,” writes Matt Hurwitz in the Washington Post. The stereo CDs remind us that the Beatles were a “rock band”: these recordings pack a punch not heard on the older discs. More»

New interview tapes reveal Lennon as engineer of Beatles' break up

(NEWSER) - Long-forgotten interviews with the Beatles emerged today when rock journalist Ray Connelly dug out reels of tape he'd stored away in a forgotten suitcase. On the 40th anniversary of the band's descent into dissolution, Connelly reveals new information upending some impressions that Paul McCartney was responsible for the split. More»

(NEWSER) - The Beatles are getting a long-awaited makeover. The group's entire music collection, including all 12 studio albums released in stereo, is being digitally remastered for release in September, the UK Times reports. It will be the first time the first four Beatles albums will be available in their entirety on CD, notes CNN. The release will coincide with the issue of a Rock Band video game, in which fans will get to play along. More»

Long-lost experimental track was once vetoed by the other three

(NEWSER) - Paul McCartney says it's time to release an avant-garde Beatles track that features gargles, shouts, and distorted guitar, the Guardian reports. Recorded during Penny Lane sessions in 1967, the 14-minute Carnival of Light was played publicly only once at an electronic music festival. McCartney, who is releasing his third avant-garde record, says "the time has come for it to get its moment." More»