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Ex-Wings frontman Paul McCartney is finally getting into the digital-music world: After long refusing to put any of his solo catalog online–a bummer to those of us who want to use “Say Say Say” as our ringtone–Billboard reports that he’ll make his forthcoming Memory Almost Full available for download.
As part of its digital marketing strategy, Starbucks plans to give “Memory Almost Full” prime positioning in its Hear Music area in the Apple iTunes Store. The digital distribution deal for McCartney is believed to pertain solely to the new album and not back catalog.
However, the pact signals increased willingness on the part of the former Beatles to make music available for consumption online. Music from the Beatles and the band’s former members has been conspicuously missing from digital distribution offerings, and a glaring content hole for operators of music download and subscription services.
Two purely speculative thoughts on this: 1) Steve Jobs will give a keynote speech at a Mac conference next month in San Francisco, which could be the perfect time to formally announce the Beatles deal; and 2) that “glaring content hole” line is going to draw a lot of confused late-night Googlers.
Exclusive: McCartney Goes Digital, Beatles ‘Virtually Settled’ [Billboard]
I would have thought a Fireman reissue would get the digi-nod.
“Ex-Wings frontman” — nice.
Didn’t he used to be married that one-legged girl that wrote ‘Hey Jude’?
as much as I like mccartney, i would think that the beatles digital holdout stopped being relevant years ago. it’s more like a joke now.
I have a feeling that that man’s never touched a computer in his whole life.
@JudgeFudge: I always pictured him as a Snood enthusiast.
It is funny to imagine McCartney, like, updating his AdAware
@RepentTokyo:
I can only agree-I never understood why people don’t just buy the stupid cds and put them into their iTunes themselves-are consumers really that helpless?
@Jupiter8: Actually, the Deputy Editor’s column in Billboard’s opinion section upfront basically says that: like I’m glad we got this exclusive story and everything, but is there anyone who really cares about this who didn’t rip Revolver years ago?
“Give My Regards to Broad Street” scribe Paul McCartney…