Paul McCartney radio station launches

Photo courtesy of XM Radio

Paul McCartney's "Band on the Run" satellite radio station took over The Bridge on Sirius XM at 3 p.m. EST today.

The commercial-free station will remain on Sirius Channel 33, XM Channel 27 and XM Online Channel 90 until Dec. 26.

According to xmradio.com, the station will include music from McCartney's solo records, Wings albums and songs he recorded with The Beatles.

"The month-long channel will also feature a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this landmark album, hosted by McCartney himself, as well as newly discovered live performances of Wings tracks recorded at Abbey Road Studios from The Paul McCartney Archive," the website reported.

In addition, Band on the Run Radio will be one of six channels broadcasting McCartney's live performance at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, N.Y. on Dec. 13.

Paul McCartney to play exclusive Apollo Theater show for Sirius subscribers

A contest is being held for Sirius XM Satellite radio subscribers to win tickets to Paul McCartney's Harlem, N.Y. appearance at the Apollo Theater Dec. 13.

The invitation-only, private subscriber event will be broadcast on satellite radio live.

According to the website, "One Grand Prize winner will be awarded a paid trip to New York City for four people, two nights lodging, four tickets to this exclusive concert, a subscription to 'Everything Plus The Best Of' Sirius or XM in a Lifetime Plan, good for the lifetime of your radio, and an autographed copy of the just-released Band on the Run Deluxe Edition box set. One hundred twenty-five First Prize winners will be awarded two tickets to the exclusive concert."

The contest is open only to those who have been a Sirius XM subscriber before Nov. 15.

Applications for the small prizes will be accepted until midnight, Nov. 21., followed by a drawing Nov. 22. The grand prize contest closes Nov. 28. and a winner will be drawn Nov. 29.

More details, including the official rules, can be found here.

The Beatles come to iTunes

Photo by Kurt Strazdins

For the first time, The Beatles' catalog is available for purchase via Apple's iTunes Store.

Paul McCartney said, "We're really excited to bring the Beatles' music to iTunes. It's fantastic to see the songs we originally released on vinyl receive as much love in the digital world as they did the first time around."

According to Fox Business, each album comes with iTunes LP, which features additional content including lyrics, photos and album art. A digital version of the Fab Four's entire body of work is also available for download for $149, and that comes with exclusive access to a video of the band's first U.S. concert, "Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964." Single albums are priced at $12.99, double albums at $19.99. Songs will cost $1.29 each.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said gaining this content was a personal victory, since The Beatles were one of the most prominent holdouts from his online music empire.

"We love the Beatles and are honored and thrilled to welcome them to iTunes," said Jobs in a press release today. "It has been a long and winding road to get here. Thanks to the Beatles and EMI, we are now realizing a dream we've had since we launched iTunes ten years ago."

Apple hyped up the announcement over the last 24 hours on its website, promising "tomorrow is just another day. That you'll never forget."

After several hours of tech news sites like Cnet News buzzing about what the company could have in store, The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple would finally announce and agreement to offer The Beatles' music.

Other representatives speak out

Ringo Starr: "I am particularly glad to no longer be asked when the Beatles are coming to iTunes. At last, if you want it--you can get it now--The Beatles from Liverpool to now! Peace and Love, Ringo."

Yoko Ono Lennon: "In the joyful spirit of Give Peace A Chance, I think it is so appropriate that we are doing this on John's 70th birthday year."

Olivia Harrison: "The Beatles on iTunes--Bravo!"

REVIEW: 'Band on the Run' remastered

Photo by Linda McCartney

The deluxe edition of the reissue of "Band On the Run" is lavish.

Complete with four CDs, the content is enough to keep any Paul McCartney mega-fan occupied for weeks.

The first CD provides the original nine tracks from the 1973 album, but remastered in Abbey Road Studios for an extra sense of clarity. The crisp quality may lack the personality - and the added hisses and pops - of a vinyl record, but it's a fair trade to feel like Paul, Linda McCartney and Denny Laine are jamming right next to you.

The second CD features nine more tracks, bonus audio chock-full of raw vocals and roaring guitar licks. The album kicks off with "Helen Wheels/Country Dreamer," a nice single worthy of double A-sides. But after that comes the real treasure: Seven live tracks from the "One Hand Clapping" movie, shot live in the EMI studios in the fall of 1974. A goosebumps-inducing version of "Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five" manifests with Paul at the piano for the first half of the song, and roaring through the lyrics during the next half, not forgetting to stop for a puff of a cigarette (see screenshot).

The DVD is a mixed bag - nearly 85 minutes of rare footage, classic music videos and the aforementioned "One Hand Clapping" film.

The footage begins with a 15-minute clip of the making of the "Band on the Run" album cover and, consequently, the band actually posing for the picture (see screenshot). This footage had previously been shown on big screens during McCartney's performance on the title track on his "Up and Coming" tour.

Following the cover shoot is three minutes of Wings in Lagos, where the album was recorded. The home movies offer a behind-the-scenes perspective at the then family of five. The clips are dubbed over with an Eastern-style version of "Band on the Run." The transformation makes the tune sound like a completely different song.

Best of all, however, is the 50-minute "One Hand Clapping" movie, which had never been released on DVD before. Aside from the album tracks, the film includes "Soily," "Little Woman Love," "C Moon" and "I'll Give You a Ring." The video quality is not always great, but it's easily overlooked in exchange for the intimate, uncut portrayal of McCartney.

I have seen Paul McCartney in concert seven times within the past year or so and, generally within the first half of the show, he plays mostly Wings or solo music, including five of the nine original "Band on the Run" tracks.

Particularly, when he played "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five," the emotion seeped through his fingers and onto the piano keys. My favorite memory is of that song. Of course, aside from being on stage, hugging Paul McCartney.


Take a virtual tour of "Band on the Run" [Deluxe Edition]:

McCartney: Kings of Leon are 'really cool'

Photo by MJ Kim / The Sun

Tom Meighan of Kasabian and Paul McCartney in a photoshoot mimicking the 1973 cover art for "Band on the Run."

The reissue of Wings' "Band on the Run" hits stores today and in an interview with The Sun, Paul McCartney said music is just as good, if not better, than it was four decades ago.

"I think there's a lot of great music around, I really do," he said. "You get someone going, 'Oh, it's not like it was in my day!' I say, 'No, it's different. It isn't like it was in your day. And actually some of it is better.' I like Kings Of Leon, I think they're really cool. I like Plan B, he's good. He has really got it, you know, a good singer, man."

The original artwork for Wings' 1973 album featured McCartney and bandmates Denny Laine and Linda McCartney caught in a prison searchlight with six other familiar faces at the time: chat show host Michael Parkinson, actor Kenny Lynch, actor James Coburn, columnist Clement Freud, actor Christopher Lee and boxer John Conteh.

When asked who he would like to include on an updated version of the iconic "Band on the Run" cover, McCartney mentioned a few choice favorites.

"Tom from Kasabian," he said. "Then next to him Beyonce Knowles, looking a bit sort of scared. Then we'd have to get Bob Dylan. And Neil Young. We could have Ricky Gervais. I need a sportsman - Usain Bolt? I'd have to have Barack Obama too. I'd give him a ring."

The "Band on the Run" reissue is available in stores today.

Paul McCartney teams up with David Beckham

Photo by Frederic Nebinger/Corinne Dubreuil/ABACAPRESS.COM

Paul McCartney and David Beckham have invested in Irish Castle Leslie, where McCartney married Heather Mills in 2002.

Although the marriage ended in a bitter divorce much publicized by the media, McCartney has expressed admiration for the castle located in Glaslough, Ireland.

MSN news reported that columnist Cindy Adams said McCartney and soccer star Beckham invested in the 17th century land.

"I now report Paul is the new part owner," Adams said. "He's invested in the joint. Also David Beckham. How much they shoved in, who knows? Put it this way - each owns his own turret."

Beckham's reason for involvement in the estate is still unknown.