The first image of a bag from the Beatles collection designed by Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons has been unveiled. The New York Timesreports that the apples on the bag pay homage to Apple Corps, the company that controls the licensing of the Beatles likeness and music. The Apple Corps green apple logo was also used for the design of the Beatles USB device. The Times says the polka dots on the bag are a favorite of designer Rei Kawakubo.
"I want to develop the 'Beatles by CDG' collection in a strong conceptual way," said Ms. Kawakubo through an interpreter. "Instead of making many unnecessary items that may come to resemble a Beatles souvenir shop, I think it is better to concentrate on one strong idea."
The Beatles by CDG collection will include bags, shirts and t-shirts. It will go on sale November 27th at Comme des Garcons' Tokyo and London stores and expand internationally next year. The bags will costs around $530, shirts around $367 and t-shirts about $117.
Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music have announced the release of a limited edition of 30,000 Beatles Stereo USB apples on December 8th. The USB apples contain the entire digitally remastered catalogue. Apple Corps is the company that owns and licenses the rights to the Beatles and not Apple, Inc. Beatles' songs are still not available on iTunes.
The apple-shaped USB drive is loaded with the re-mastered audio for The Bealtes' 14 stereo titles, as well as all of the re-mastered CDs' visual elements, including 13 mini-documentary films about the studio albums, replicated original UK art, rare photos and expanded liner notes. A specially designed Flash interface has been installed, and the 16GB USB's audio contents are compatible with PC and Mac.
The released date for the Beatles USB Apple is 12-8-09. It can be ordered here for $279.99.
Comme des Garcons to Launch Line of Beatles Handbags
WWDreports that Comme des Garcons has partnered with Apple Corps Ltd. - the company that handles licensing for the Beatles - to launch a new collection of The Beatles handbags designed by Rei Kawakubo. WWD says the first handbags will launch in November at "Dover Street Market, Kawakubo's multi-brand emporium in London, and Gyre in Tokyo." WWD says Comme des Garcons' licensing agreement with Apple Corps could expand to include other products, including T-shirts.
Remastered Beatles Catalog Quickly Sells 2.25 Million Copies
The Beatles have broken multiple chart records around the world following the September 9, 2009 release of their digitally remastered catalogue. In the music markets of North America, Japan and the UK, consumers purchased more than 2.25 million copies of The Beatles' remastered albums, individually and in two multiple-CD boxed sets, one in stereo and one in mono, during the first five days of release. The Beatles' original UK studio albums were remastered by a team of engineers at Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period. The Beatles Stereo Box Set is currently being sold for $199.99 at Amazon.com.
The release of the remastered Beatles albums coincided with the release of a Beatles version of the game Rock Band.
The Beatles Rock Band video game was released today for the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. The game allows up to six people to play and sing along with the Beatles. Over forty hit Beatles songs are included in the game.
Reviewers have been very enthusiastic about the game. The New York Timeswrites that it may the most important game ever made because of the different generations it will appeal to.
The Beatles: Rock Band is nothing less than a cultural watershed, one that may prove only slightly less influential than the band's famous appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964. By reinterpreting an essential symbol of one generation in the medium and technology of another, The Beatles: Rock Band provides a transformative entertainment experience.
In that sense it may be the most important video game yet made.
Never before has a video game had such intergenerational cultural resonance. The weakness of most games is that they are usually devoid of any connection to our actual life and times. There is usually no broader meaning, no greater message, in defeating aliens or zombies, or even in the cognitive gameplay of determining strategy or solving puzzles.
The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle retails for $249.99 and includes a Hofner bass controller and a Beatles drum controller. You can see the details for the Xbox 360 version of this bundle here on Amazon.com. The game can also be purchased without the special controllers for $59.99. The $59.99 game will work with all Rock Band and most Guitar Hero controllers and microphones.
The CBS Early Show anchors tried out the new game together. They look like they were having a lot of fun. Take a look:
John Lennon's Voice Returns in One Laptop Commercial
John Lennon's voice has been brought back twenty-eight years after his death using digital technology. Lennon's voice was brought back for a commercial for the One Laptop Per Child charity organization. The organization asks donors to pay $199 to buy a laptop for a Third World child or pay $399 for two laptops, one for a child living in the Third World and one for their own child.
In the commercial Lenon says, "Imagine every child no matter where in the world they were could access a universe of knowledge. They would have a chance to learn, to dream, to achieve anything they want. I tried to do it through my music, but now you can do it in a very different way. You can give a child a laptop and more than imagine, you can change the world."
Yoko Ono approved the commerical which debuted on Christmas Day. Take a look:
Paul McCartney says that attempts to get the Beatles albums on iTunes have stalled. About the albums being available on iTunes McCartney says, "I really hope it will happen because I think it should." The problem is that the Beatle's holding company named Apple Corps Ltd. continues to refuse to let iTunes and any other Internet music service sell Beatles music. Note: Apple Corps Ltd. is the band's holding company and Apple, Inc. is the iPod manufacturer and iTunes retailer.
The situation has been exacerbated by a long-running trademark dispute between Apple Corps and Apple Inc., which owns iTunes — a dispute that was resolved last year.
Record label EMI, which owns the Beatles recordings but needs Apple Corps' permission to release the music in new formats, said it was still trying to resolve the matter.
An EMI spokeswoman said: "We have been working hard to secure agreement with Apple Corps. to make the Beatles' legendary recording catalog available to fans in digital form. Unfortunately the various parties involved have been unable to reach agreement but we really hope everyone can make progress soon."
Blogs were buzzing that this was almost a done deal way back in March - see here, here, and here - but EMI has been unable to secure an agreement with Apple Corps. Wired's Listening Post's headline suggests there won't be deal for a while. Rolling Stone also has an article on the stalled deal.
Paul McCartney says that attempts to get the Beatles albums on iTunes have 
