The partnership made in heaven finally happened; cash cow meets money spinner; The Beatles back catalogue finally appeared on Itunes to a fanfare of......very few people.The long running absence from Itunes, arising from a dispute between Apple and Apple Corps. (The Beatles label) was resolved for the benefit of both parties (and probably some fans) last week and I couldn't help but question the thinking behind this decision. The problem is that as more and more greatest hits are released and the saturation of the bands merchandise increases, their reputation and legacy decreases. Anyway, Hands up who doesn't already own the majority of the Fab Four's material already? Hmmmm, the majority of people I see.
"Quite what he (Lennon) would make of the latest development in The Beatles story we will never know, but I'm willing to put my neck on the line and say it wasn't part of his plan for world peace."
Poor taste (or cynical marketing?) also dictated that the launch of The Beatles on Itunes also roughly coincided with the anniversary of the murder of arguably their most influential member, John Lennon. Quite what he would make of the latest development in The Beatles story we will never know, but I'm willing to put my neck on the line and say it wasn't part of his plan for world peace.
An interesting point was made in the excellent film "The Social network". Why compromise the newly created sparks of Facebook with advertising "Mark Zuckerberg" pondered. Why lose the "cool" - the most defining characteristic the site had at that time - for the sake of an admittedly lucrative revenue stream? The team in charge of The Beatles legacy would do well to heed this lesson. Surely enough money has been made from The Beatles Brand to pass this opportunity up and create an allure and reason for future fans to dig around and discover the band on their own? The current TV advertisement for Itunes shows black and white stills of The Beatles in their prime with "Let it be" subtly playing over the top. Who said Irony was lost on Apple?
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