If you value independent local news, become a sustainer today. Your gift could help unlock a $1M challenge.
'The Beatles on Apple Records'
Listen
0:00
Listen
'The Beatles on Apple Records'
Cover for the book <i>The Beatles on Apple Records</i> (Dimensions, 2003)
(
/
)
The hit song "Hey Jude" was a first for The Beatles. At 7 minutes, 11 seconds, it was the longest number-one single ever. The song was also the first record on the group's own new label, Apple Records.
A generation later, Apple continues to be in the news. This week, record label executives announced that a new version of The Beatles album Let It Be will be released in November.
The new version will be closer to the intent of the original project -- to move away from the studio techniques the group had pioneered, and get back to their rock 'n' roll roots. That means an album shorn of the strings and choirs added by producer Phil Spector.
The history of Apple Records is -- to borrow a phrase -- a long and winding road. A new book by Bruce Spizer, The Beatles on Apple Records, documents this history in exacting detail -- including discographies, recording session details and a history of the label itself, which the group began more as a tax shelter than a creative outlet.
NPR's Michele Norris talks with Spizer about his book and about the other artists signed to the Apple label -- some of whom went on to fame and fortune, and others who became one-hit wonders.
Sponsored message
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
