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.
