Just found this!

Deal for Beatles on iTunes in works

The worldwide Beatles grapevine is buzzing over the distinct possibility that the long-awaited remastering of the Fab Four's United Kingdom CD back catalogue will finally see the light of day -- by June.

As per usual, Apple/EMI is presently mum, but sources with knowledge of the project say that two scenarios are possible for the release of the minimum 11 UK albums.

What's more, the long, heated court feud between the Beatles' Apple Corp. and Apple Computers over naming rights might finally have been resolved. The belief is that Beatles songs at long last will be available for downloading from Apple Computers' iTunes, as soon as next month.

As for the remasters, when CD versions of the Beatles' UK albums were first released some 20 years ago, they came out chronologically over a year, from their first LP, Please Please Me, to their final offering, Let It Be.

Sources say if a chronological release occurs this time, the timeframe would be much quicker, from March to June of this year.

The second strong possibility is that the entire state-of-the art, 24-bit remastered UK catalogue will hit stores the first week of June, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of what many call the Fabs' finest hour -- the release of their ground-breaking Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.

SPECIAL DEAL FOR PEPPER

Although there is a chance that Sgt. P will be given a special treatment -- in a box set, with both stereo and rare mono mixes -- little is being said about any extras for the other catalogue albums, other than that a compilation CD might be made available.

Even though EMI had a strong outing with the LOVE soundtrack in 5.1 Surround Sound last year, there's no word on whether any of the new UK remasters will have any multichannel content, which is highly coveted by die-hard fans and audiophiles.

As for the Apple vs. Apple battle, the buzz is that two companies apparently will finally collaborate on Beatles music -- for an exclusive three-month, restricted deal allowing Apple Computers' popular iTunes to offer downloaded, remastered Beatles songs, perhaps even before the CDs are made available.

Apple Computers plans a "special" announcement scheduled for a Super Bowl commercial on Feb. 4, which may give more indication as to where the new remastered CDs will debut first.

"I'm amazed at the possible Apple/Apple alliance," said Steve Marinucci, who runs the award-winning Abbey Rd website. "The Beatles can still surprise us after all these years."

I expect Apple to do the 'wrong' thing and release the mp3's first. I only hope that the downloads and the cd's have received separate treatment, and we're not going to get cd's full of horrible compressed sound.

As for the content, I'm quite happy with mono/stereo where applicable. As long as the remastering is good. The only albums I can see working in surround are Sgt. Pepper, and Abbey Road. As it sounds like there's a rumour about Sgt. Pepper in 5.1, maybe it'll be released as a separate package?

As for having both mono and stereo mixes, most albums could fit that on to a single disc, but the White Album would end up as a 4 disc set and I can't see Apple doing that.

And finally, we're going to discover what they do with Let It Be next!!! Having mistakenly (in my opinion) issued Let It Be...Naked, what happens now? Can they justify going back and reissuing the exact same album that they had presumably replaced? 'Naked' should have had bits of dialogue between songs, like a proper soundtrack, instead of that silly Fly On The Wall cd. I'll be waiting for them to release yet another version when the movie finally comes out!!

Found this:

Beatles to Celebrate Sgt. Peppers Anniversary



June 1 2007 will mark the 40th anniversary of the Beatles’ groundbreaking Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album, and to celebrate it’s birthday - all 11 of the fab four’s UK albums will be re-released.

The albums were originally released on CD in the late 80’s and the new versions are expected to feature each track re-mastered in a state-of-the art 24-bit sound as well as it’s original mono recording.

Exact details are to be confirmed but Rock Radio reports that the discs could be available as early as March and that iTunes, who are negotiating the digital rights, are to make a special announcement during the Super Bowl on February 4th.

Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band is the UK’s biggest selling album of all time; it has shifted nearly 5 million copies and spent a staggering 23 weeks at number one.

Quoted Text

the new versions are expected to feature each track re-mastered in a state-of-the art 24-bit sound as well as it’s original mono recording.

Squeeee! This is what I've been waiting for. See, it pays not to buy any Beatles records until... 40 years after they were published...  

Quoted from The End

the release of the minimum 11 UK albums.

Does that mean no MMT and Yellow Sub?

Quoted from zipp

Does that mean no MMT and Yellow Sub?

Yellow Submarine was done a few years back, and Magical Mystery Tour was never an album in the UK until they released the American version in the 70's.

My guess is that they're also going to release some kind of Past Masters type thing with all the rest on it. Maybe some kind of special double mini CD ep type thingy for MMT. But not until Xmas.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

Yellow Submarine was done a few years back, and Magical Mystery Tour was never an album in the UK until they released the American version in the 70's.

My guess is that they're also going to release some kind of Past Masters type thing with all the rest on it. Maybe some kind of special double mini CD ep type thingy for MMT. But not until Xmas.

Even without MMT there were thirteen original UK albums.The Yellow Sub Songtrack was not the original Yellow Sub and why are we forgetting Oldies...But Goldies?

As for the rest I think you're being optimistic.

Maybe in a few years we'll get a special MMT with record and DVD, but even there I'm not betting on it.

Quoted from zipp

Even without MMT there were thirteen original UK albums.The Yellow Sub Songtrack was not the original Yellow Sub and why are we forgetting Oldies...But Goldies?

Does anyone really want the GM instumentals from the original?

'Oldies' was never issued on CD in the first place. We'll have (eventually, at least) everything that's on it anyway.

Quoted from The End

Although there is a chance that Sgt. P will be given a special treatment -- in a box set, with both stereo and rare mono mixes -- little is being said about any extras for the other catalogue albums, other than that a compilation CD might be made available.

I hope so.  My old mono vinyl Sgt. Peppers is kinda scratchy.

Quoted from BlueMeanie

Does anyone really want the GM instumentals from the original?

'Oldies' was never issued on CD in the first place. We'll have (eventually, at least) everything that's on it anyway.

We're not talking about CDs.We're talking about what the article says : the original UK albums.
What they're saying is historically not true.

And there's nothing to say that you'll eventually get all the b sides etc that are on Past Masters.
It's weird to think that if MMT is not issued then you can have these eleven albums, ONE, the songtrack, and you STILL won't have Fool On The Hill or Strawberry Fields!

Well, this news is still not official, so details are given to us by journalists who may not exactly be experts in the field. We'll have to wait and see exactly what (if anything!) we get.

Good old EMI out to bleed the BEATLE fans yet again  

Quoted from zipp

It's weird to think that if MMT is not issued then you can have these eleven albums, ONE, the songtrack, and you STILL won't have Fool On The Hill or Strawberry Fields!

*pounds head with a rock*

Remastered albums would be nice, bit not absolutely essential.  For me, anyway.  Yes, the Love album sounds nice, but so do the other albums in their present state.  And that's the way the Beatles heard them in the studio at the time.  The Beatles collection can be digitally altered ad infinitum.

I'm happy I've maintained my old vinyl collection in nice condition (the mono Sgt. Pepper's is my sister's and that's why it's a mess.  I think she used it as a coaster).  There's a special warmth in listening to their works on vinyl which you really don't hear in the digital versions.

Quoted from Hello Goodbye

(the mono Sgt. Pepper's is my sister's and that's why it's a mess.  I think she used it as a coaster).

I loaned a vinyl album to my older sister, and I came in and found it naked on the floor jammed under one of the legs of her bed. How in the world do you accidentally drop a bed on an album?!?! Boggles the mind...