Should fans be allowed to hear a never before released Beatles track, or not be permitted because it isn’t owned by the Beatles?

That’s basically the dispute being described by the defendants Fuego Entertainment Inc. of Miami Lakes over not one, but SEVERAL, recordings the Beatles allegedly made during a performance at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany.

They were recorded in 1962 during Ringo Star’s first performance with the group. The tracks have never before been heard. Fuego wishes to release them. The Beatles’ lawyers file yesterday to prevent you from hearing it.

Who do you think is right?

We think fans should be allowed to hear to the tracks. Do you agree?

The dispute was filed Friday by Apple Corps Ltd., the London company protecting Beatles rights.

There are not one but eight tracks including Paul McCartney singing Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues” and McCartney and John Lennon singing “Ask Me Why.”

According to AP, Apple Corps claims that the songs were taped without the consent at the time of performance and hence Fuego and sister companies Echo-Fuego Music Group LLC and Echo-Vista Inc. have no distribution rights.

“This appears to us to be a garden-variety bootleg recording,” said Paul LiCalsi, an attorney for Apple Corps.

Apple moreover contends that the recordings are of poor quality and hence “dilutes and tarnishes the extraordinarily valuable image associated with the Beatles.”

But is that logical? We don’t think so. And we’ll tell you why.

That’s not logical. A fan that wants to hear a never heard track will accept poor quality to hear something from someone they love, and love the artist even more. Fans understand what is poor recording quality and what isn’t. Clearly the tracks were recorded not in a studio and fans could understand that.

Ironically, the defendants claim Apple was in negotations with them to release the tracks. “I’m surprised because up to a few weeks ago, we were in good-faith conversations with Apple,” said Fuego president Hugo Cancio to AP.

The songs were to be released as “Jammin’ with The Beatles and Friends, Star Club, Hamburg, 1962.”

“It’s unfair to millions of Beatles fans not to allow this recording to be put out. The world deserves to hear these tracks,” says Cancio “The fact is that we have it; they don’t, and that is what’s bothering them.”

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