New Beatles Album Coming from Cirque du Soleil
A new Beatles album produced by George Martin and overseen by the surviving band members is underway, reports the BBC.
Unreleased Beatles tracks are to be reworked for a Las Vegas circus show soundtrack, with an accompanying album reported to be lined up for release. Producer Sir George Martin is making background music for the forthcoming Cirque du Soleil show by remastering unheard recordings by the band.
Variety says the band’s label Apple Corps plans to release an album of “completely new music” from the show.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are said to be overseeing the project. The families of George Harrison and John Lennon have also been involved.[…]
Sir George’s son Giles Martin, who is working on the project, told Variety they were trying to “achieve the same intimacy we get when listening to the master tapes at Abbey Road”. “I think we will achieve a real sense of drama with the music,” he said.
“The audience will feel as though they are actually in the room with the band.”
It is quite bizarre that, a quarter century after the band last recorded together, “new” music is being released. If “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” the singles unearthed and released as part of the Anthology promotion years back is any indication of the quality of the forthcoming material, I am not impressed.
I don’t blame Martin and the lads from trying to make some more money off the Beatles franchise, though.
Crossposted to Gone Hollywood
