Copyright Changes Force Beatles Bootlegs Release

Due to recent changes to European Copyright law, a collection of The Beatles rare recordings and bootlegs will be released through Apple’s iTunes on Tuesday, 17th December. They include outtakes, demos and live BBC radio performances.

The Guardian reports, 59 Beatles songs are being “reluctantly” released next week by Apple Records. The collection includes 44 unreleased songs recorded for BBC programmes in 1963, added to those released earlier in the year, unused takes from recording sessions and demos of songs the band recorded and then gave to other artists, including Bad To Me, a number 1 hit for Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas.

According to The Guardian, the record company’s hand was forced by recent changes in copyright law that now deems unreleased material to be free of copyright, and therefore available in the public domain, 50 years after it has been recorded, which means this release could be a prelude to future distribution of previously locked away recordings.

But uber fan Stormo who runs the “WogBlog – all things Beatle” blog says the release is underwhelming for hardcore Beatles fans.

“They are only releasing what they know is floating about and they are keeping the rest for their vaults – they are kind of doing the fans a bit. It’s only material that people already have in their bootleg collections … we’re getting the least possible material,” writes Stormo.

The iTunes’ parent company Apple Inc and The Beatles’ company Apple Corps along with record label, EMI have been involved in protracted lawsuits over each other’s brand name and logo use since 1978. The major dispute was brought to an end in 2010 when a deal was struck allowing The Beatles’ back catalogue to become available on iTunes for the first time.

Verified tracklist of the Beatles’ 1963 Bootleg Recordings via NME

‘There’s A Place’ – Takes 5, 6

‘There’s A Place’ – Take 8

‘There’s A Place’ – Take 9

‘Do You Want To Known A Secret’ – Track 2, Take 7

‘A Taste Of Honey’ – Track 2, Take 6.

‘I Saw Her Standing There’ – Take 2

‘Misery’ – Take 1

‘Misery’ – Take 7

‘From Me To You’ – Take 1 & 2

‘From Me To You’ – Take 5

‘Thank You Girl’ – Take 1

‘Thank You Girl’ – Take 5

‘One After 909’ – Take 1 & 2

‘Hold Me Tight” – Take 21

‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ – RM 7 Undubbed

‘Some Other Guy’ – Live At BBC For ‘Saturday Club’, 26th January, 1963

‘Love Me Do’ – Live At BBC For ‘Saturday Club’, 26th January, 1963

‘Too Much Monkey Business’ – Live At BBC For ‘Saturday Club’, 16th March, 1963

‘I Saw Her Standing There’ – Live At BBC For ‘Saturday Club’, 16th March, 1963

‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’ – Live At BBC For ‘Saturday Club’, 25th May, 1963

‘From Me To You’ – Live At BBC For ‘Saturday Club’, 26th May, 1963

‘I Got To Find My Baby’ – Live At BBC For ‘Saturday Club’, 26th January, 1963

‘Roll Over Beethoven’ – Live At BBC For ‘Saturday Club’, 29th June, 1963

‘A Taste Of Honey’ – Live At BBC For ‘Easy Beat’, 23rd June, 1963

‘Love Me Do’ – Live At BBC For ‘Easy Beat’, 20th October, 1963

‘Please Please Me’ – Live At BBC For ‘Easy Beat’, 20th October, 1963

‘She Loves You’ – Live At BBC For ‘Easy Beat’, 20th October, 1963

‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ – Live At BBC For ‘Saturday Club’, 21st December, 1963

‘Till There Was You’ – Live At BBC For ‘Saturday Club’, 21st December, 1963

‘Roll Over Beethoveen’ – Live At BBC For ‘Saturday Club’, 21st December, 1963

‘You Really Got A Hold On Me’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 4th June, 1963

‘The Hippy Hippy Shake’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 4th June, 1963

‘Till There Was You’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 11th June, 1963

‘A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 18th June, 1963

‘A Taste Of Honey’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 18th June, 1963

‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 18th June, 1963

‘Anna’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 25th June, 1963

‘Love Me Do’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 10th September, 1963

‘She Loves You’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 24th September, 1963

‘I’ll Get You’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 10th September, 1963

‘A Taste Of Honey’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 10th September, 1963

‘Boys’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 17th September, 1963

‘Chains’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 17th September, 1963

‘You Really Got A Hold On Me’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 17th September, 1963

‘I Saw Her Standing There’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 24th September, 1963

‘She Loves You’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 10th September, 1963

‘Twist And Shout’ – Live At BBC For ‘Pop Go The Beatles’, 24th September, 1963

‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’ – Live At BBC For ‘Here We Go’, 12th March, 1963

‘Please Please Me’ – Live At BBC For ‘Here We Go’, 12th March, 1963

‘Long Tall Sally’ – Live At BBC For ‘Side By Side’, 13th May, 1963

‘Chains’ – Live At BBC For ‘Side By Side’, 13th May, 1963

‘Boys’ – Live At BBC For ‘Side By Side’, 13th May, 1963

‘A Taste Of Honey’ – Live At BBC For ‘Side By Side’, 13th May, 1963

‘Roll Over Beethoven’ – Live At BBC For ‘From Us To You’, 26th December, 1963

‘All My Loving’ – Live At BBC For ‘From Us To You’, 26th December, 1963

‘She Loves You’ – Live At BBC For “From Us To You”, 26th December, 1963

‘Till There Was You’ – Live At BBC For “From Us To You”, 26th December, 1963

‘Bad To Me’ – Demo

‘I’m In Love’ – Demo

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