Macca positive on Beatles download deal with iTunes
Saturday, 08 Mar 2008 18:46
The Beatles are expected to rocket up the charts after the release
The Beatles back-catalogue is set to be released for download thanks to a deal between Sir Paul McCartney and iTunes, according to reports.
A deal believed to be worth around £200 million would be split between Macca, Ringo Starr and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison.
EMI, Sony and Michael Jackson would also all be entitled to a cut as they own part of the publishing rights, but McCartney would still be in for a substantial windfall.
Some of the less sensitive newspapers point out the money could be used to fund his divorce settlement with Heather Mills-McCartney. She is expected to get between £20 million and £30 million but, with future earnings taken into account, that could increase further.
Macca was in upbeat mood nonetheless, saying of the iTunes deal: "It's all happening soon. The whole thing is primed, ready to go."
Bets are now being taken about which Beatles track will top the download charts as a result, with Yesterday and Hey Jude among the favourites.
Let's hope We Can Work It Out doesn't feature too prominently, or journalists may go into sarcasm overload.