"All You Need Is Love" will be the first Beatles song to be released as a download, and “Abbey Road” is scheduled to be the first Beatles album to be released digitally.
The song that first appeared in the U.S. on 1967’s “Magical Mystery Tour” will be released on Sept. 9 exclusively to Xbox 360 users in conjunction with “The Beatles: Rock Band” game. Proceeds from the sale of the single will benefit Doctors Without Borders.
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison appeared at Microsoft’s E3 Media & Business Summit presentation in Los Angeles on Monday.
The music of the Beatles has never been available as a download. Sept. 9 marks the roll-out of the remastered Beatles albums on CD. The catalogue has not been touched in more than 20 years, and the sound quality of the original releases has long been considered sub-par.
The game will include previously unreleased authentic voice recordings from John, Paul, George and Ringo chatting between takes during studio sessions recorded at Abbey Road more than four decades ago.
They unveiled a list of 10 of the 45 songs that will be included on the game: "I Saw Her Standing There," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "I Feel Fine," "Taxman," "Day Tripper," Back in the USSR," "I Am the Walrus," "Octopus’ Garden," "Here Comes the Sun" and "Get Back."
