Beatles Music Group

It may be time to sell that Beatles record stashed away in the attic. The release of "Free as a Bird," the John Lennon song that "reunited" the group for its first recording in 25 years, has reignited Beatlemania on both sides of the Atlantic. So now may be the time to cash in Fab Four mementos for top dollar. "They're probably the most collectible" of rock 'n' roll bands, said Jim Henke, chief curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.

The long and winding road that would allow music lovers to finally meet the Beatles via digital downloads still has a few miles to go despite a copyright settlement Monday that raised hopes it would happen soon. Although the Beatles' Apple Corps record label made peace with computer and digital media company Apple Inc. over their uses of the fruit as a logo, there are hurdles to clear before "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" can be purchased on iTunes.

Is this 1994 or 1964? That's what Beatles fans must be wondering after the news this week that Capitol Records is preparing to ship 30,000 vinyl collector's copies of "I Want to Hold Your Hand," the Fab Four's first U.S. hit single. The move represents the first salvo in Capitol's yearlong, 30th anniversary celebration, another of many Beatles efforts of the Hollywood-based record company.

What did the members of the Beatles do when they were traveling the world? For one, they sent postcards, often to each other when they weren't on tour together. Ringo Starr recently came across a stash of cards he received over the years from John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison and has assembled reproductions of 53 of them, with his comments on each, into a 112-page book.

Paul McCartney says the Beatles' hit "Got to Get You Into My Life" was a song about marijuana, "Day Tripper" was about LSD and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" was indeed about dropping acid. In a new interview in which he details his drug use while he was a member of the Fab Four, published this week in Uncut magazine, McCartney says he unknowingly tried heroin once and used cocaine for about a year around the time the group was working on its landmark 1967 album "Sgt.

Apple Computer Chairman John Sculley's visit to Japan has renewed speculation about a possible alliance between Apple and Sony Corp. or another Japanese consumer electronics company. Sculley reiterated Wednesday his desire to expand Apple's computer know-how to a broader array of consumer products, such as advanced TVs and compact disk players, possibly through a tie-up with a Japanese consumer electronics company.

"OK, that's it for today," a slightly weary Paul McCartney said, calling an end to a three-hour rehearsal with the six-piece band that will accompany him this fall on his first U.S. tour in 13 years. McCartney--a few wrinkles now etched in what remains one of the most famous faces ever in rock--laid down his left-handed bass guitar and began chatting idly with his wife, Linda, who plays keyboards in the band. Their son, James, 11, joined them. But two other band members started toying around with a few notes, working up enough of an exchange for the rest of the band--including Paul--to eventually join in a jam. After a few minutes, he started singing a slow, bluesy version of "Blue Suede Shoes," one of rock's early anthems.

Flat-out denials from representatives for Paul McCartney, John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and a Los Angeles recording studio have not persuaded the curator of an auction website that a tape box offered on the site is less than absolute proof that the Beatles held a secret reunion in 1976. "Anything other than denials from the Beatles camp would be shocking," says Gary Zimet of the Moments in Time website (www.momentsintime.com).

John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr wrote to Lee Eastman 36 years ago saying the lawyer wasn't authorized to act for them. The letter from three-quarters of the Beatles sold for $76,000 at a Christie's International auction in London. The letter from April 1969, documenting one of the quarrels that eventually dissolved the group, marked a break with Paul McCartney, who wanted Eastman, Linda McCartney's father, to run the Beatles' affairs.

The case of Apple versus Apple is a fight over forbidden fruit. A London court is hearing arguments this week over whether Apple Computer Inc. broke a long-standing deal with Apple Corps Ltd., the Beatles' record label, when it launched its popular iTunes Music Store. The core question: Does the Cupertino, Calif., computer maker's use of its Apple logo on the online store make people think it's backed by the Fab Four?