Early, Early Beatles
2008-03-24

Early, Early Beatles
Compiled by LAWRENCE VAN GELDER

Lawyers for the Beatles are suing to thwart distribution of previously unreleased recordings supposedly made during Ringo Starr’s first performance with the band, at the Star Club in Hamburg, West Germany, in 1962, The Associated Press reported. Under the title “Jammin’ With the Beatles and Friends, Star Club, Hamburg, 1962,” the eight tracks are said to include Paul McCartney singing Hank Williams’s “Lovesick Blues” and Mr. McCartney and John Lennon singing “Ask Me Why.” Apple Corps, the London company formed by the Beatles, maintains that the songs were taped without their consent, and that Fuego Entertainment of Miami Lakes, Fla., and two sister companies have no right to distribute them. Apple’s lawsuit contends that the recordings are of poor quality and that circulating them “dilutes and tarnishes the extraordinarily valuable image associated with the Beatles.” Paul LiCalsi, a lawyer for Apple Corps, said, “This appears to us to be a garden-variety bootleg recording.” Hugo Cancio, the president of Fuego, said: “Don’t claim that these were just bootlegged. It’s not like today, that you just go in with a phone or BlackBerry and you record.” He added: “The world deserves to hear these tracks. The fact is that we have it, they don’t, and that is what’s bothering them.”.

the news come from :http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/24/arts/24arts-EARLYEARLYBE_BRF.html&OQ=_rQ3D1Q26refQ3Darts&OP=2d052697Q2Flq3tlQ2FcQ60iWccEMlM774l7HlM!lQ5CWEilM!Q5CWEi.1)ArY1)ArYQ7B1SQ7BAQ3EQ25_Eg0

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