Paul McCartney
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Listen to the 'final' Beatles song, 'Now and Then,' made with help from AI
The Beatles are back with a new-ish song featuring the late John Lennon on vocals and the equally late George Harrison playing some guitar. The song is called “Now and Then” and was made using some machine-learning AI provided by Peter Jackson.
Paul McCartney is using AI to create a final song for The Beatles
Paul McCartney is using AI to turn a John Lennon demo into one last song for The Beatles.
Paul McCartney's adventure novel for kids is becoming a Netflix movie
Paul McCartney is about to have much more of a presence on Netflix than the occasional documentary or Beatles homage. Netflix and Gaumont are producing an animated movie based on McCartney's children's adventure novel High in the Clouds, which was also written by Philip Ardagh and Geoff Dunbar. The book follows the tale of a teenage squirrel who lands in a group of rebels after he inadvertently makes enemies with a tyrannical owl.
Jukebox Heroes: Destiny's soundtrack
Is there any MMO soundtrack that arrived with such incredible expectations and baggage as Destiny? If so, I can't recall it. We have not only the legacy of Halo's scores (which are for some gamers the only soundtrack they know and revere) but also the saga of Composer Martin O'Donnell's firing and the boon of picking up (of all people) Paul McCartney -- because when you think "space epic video game," you of course think "former Beatles septuagenarian." However, here on Jukebox Heroes, we do not give preference to a soundtrack's pedigree, the game's popularity, or how many members of the Beatles it boasts. We listen to the music for what it is. And what Destiny's score is... is above-average. It's a good, but not great, orchestral album that's heavy on action and Star Wars influences. I was hoping for a little more when I listened to it, but upon a second evaluation, I found myself appreciating more what it does as a whole to construct a solar system under siege.
Paul McCartney, the hologram, in Destiny music video
Holograms are generally reserved for dead artists and sci-fi depictions of AI, but Paul McCartney has no use for society's limited definitions of advanced technology. The music video for McCartney's Destiny song features him as a hologram, roaming the same lands as our Guardians.
Google Cardboard app immerses you in a Paul McCartney concert
Google took the VR world by surprise when it introduced its $20 DIY headset, Cardboard. Still, to this day, there's only so much anyone can do with it. Thankfully, there are third-party developers like Jaunt, which recently created a virtual reality experience that lets you share the stage with none other than Paul McCartney. With the app for Google Cardboard, you'll have the chance to immerse yourself in a performance of "Live and Let Die" from the legendary musician, featuring a 360-degree view, stereo 3D and deeply engaging audio. Jaunt states this is its first cinematic VR experience released to the public, adding that it will soon be bringing it to the Oculus Rift. Oh, and did we mention the app is free?
Paul McCartney didn't receive a check for his Destiny work
Paul McCartney contributed to Destiny's soundtrack, but he didn't do it for the money – because there was none, Bungie Community Manager Eric Osbourne told Vulture. "There was no check involved, big or otherwise," Osbourne said. "He's in it for the creativity. He got a wonderful opportunity to reach an audience that wouldn't typically be immersed in Paul McCartney. They might hear the name – of course he's everywhere, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics, obviously he's touring and recording nonstop – but he sees it as a way to reach a new audience that might not otherwise hear his music." McCartney contributed orchestral elements to Destiny's soundtrack and he wrote the single that plays over the credits, though a team of composers scored the game and they "put in a lot of work," Osbourne said. Osbourne also touched on Activision CEO Bobby Kotick's claim that the company is "making a $500 million" bet on Destiny. "None of that is true," Osbourne said. "You really have to get a quote from Bobby to fully understand it, but I suppose what he was getting at was what Activision was willing to invest in the project and the IP over its life. There's no P&L statement anywhere where all these numbers add up to $500 million. It's not even close at this point, for development and marketing." As we noted when that number first emerged, Activision has a 10-year plan for Destiny and the company is proficient at cultivating long-standing franchises. [Image: Activision]
Paul McCartney assists with Destiny's soundtrack
Destiny will have another prestigous feather in its cap when it launches on September 9th: ex-Beatles musician Paul McCartney as one of the composers. McCartney joined the project in 2010, joining Composer Marty O'Donnell in creating the score for the game. He claimed to be intrigued by the challenge of writing music for this type of game and met with O'Donnell at London's Abbey Road Studios to work on it. In fact, the theme song for Destiny is a Paul McCartney original and will be released as a single following the game's launch. The title of the theme song has not been revealed, but its theme is about "hope."
Paul McCartney plans to release his Destiny theme as a single
Bungie house composer Marty O'Donnell's contributions to Destiny concluded with his abrupt termination in March, but you can't really fire Paul McCartney. It was announced in 2012 that The Beatles bandmate had been collaborating with O'Donnell on Destiny, and now a report from The New York Times notes that McCartney's contributions include a theme song for the game, which will arrive shortly after the moon wizards. The information comes from Lev Chapelsky, general manger of Blindlight, a company that helps game developers contact and work with members of Hollywood's talent pool. Chapelsky said McCartney's single is due to debut "soon after the game is released," and since we're a month away from Destiny's September 9 release, there shouldn't be much of a wait left. The NYT reports that McCartney's fully-orchestrated single was recorded at Abbey Road, with Giles Martin directing a 120-piece ensemble. Lady Gaga and U2 producer Mark Stent also handled the song's sessions. We'll all have to sit tight to hear what it actually sounds like, but we imagine any potential lyrics might go something like this: Yesterday, alien life seemed so far away Now I must convince them not to stay With a laser blast to the face [Image: Bungie]
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for July 17, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. Be sure that your podcast software is set up to subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Sir Paul McCartney re-releases five albums as $7.99 iPad apps
With streaming options like YouTube and Spotify making new music something that is more often rented than purchased, catalog sales are more important than ever. Classic titles are still strong sellers, but there are always new ways to ramp up sales. So Paul McCartney is joining the ranks of Bjork, Radiohead, and DeadMau5 by releasing iPad apps to promote his music. The rock legend and former Beatle has released five of his albums for sale as advanced multimedia iPad apps, featuring the complete records and bonus content. Each album includes remastered tracks, interviews, rare photos, alongside live videos and documentary footage. Each title represents the height of McCartney's post-Beatles career: Band on the Run with Wings, Ram with Linda McCartney, Wings over America with Wings, McCartney, and McCartney II. Best of all for budget minded McCartney fans, the iPad apps are actually cheaper than buying the records on iTunes at the moment. Each app will set you back $7.99, while buying the albums off iTunes usually costs $12.99. Each of the albums is currently available for download in the App Store.
Sir Paul McCartney writing music for Bungie
Remember back in January, when all our troubles seemed so far away Sir Paul McCartney announced that he was composing music for some kind of video game? Well, either the knight's composing schedule is very busy, or the unnamed recipient of his work is actually Bungie."I'm really excited to be working on writing music with @bungie, the studio that made Halo," reads a tweet from McCartney's verified Twitter account. The attached image (above) most likely shows McCartney and resident Bungie composer Martin O'Donnell discussing the number of zeroes that will be added to the end of McCartney's paycheck.We've reached out to Bungie for more information about what project(s) McCartney is lending his talents to.
Paul McCartney: 'You can keep free streaming for the birds and bees, now give me money'
A wise man once told Engadget that streaming and bought music services could live side-by-side like a piano keyboard. It looks like impoverished multi-millionaire Sir Paul McCartney didn't hear that particular song, as he's withdrawn all of his music from streaming service Rhapsody, after doing the same to Spotify some time ago. He's the latest in a long line of impecunious artists including Adele, Coldplay and Tom Waits, who have done the same as they feel they're not getting fair compensation for their labors. It would be cynical to point out that McCartney's move comes just ahead of a live performance that's exclusively streamed on the iTunes music store and Apple TV, so we won't.
Apple to stream live Paul McCartney Concert to iTunes, Apple TV
Good news for Beatles and music fans. Later this week, Apple is hosting a free live stream of a Paul McCartney concert. McCartney will be performing from Capitol Studios in an event that celebrates the release of McCartney's latest album, Kisses on the Bottom. You'll need to fire up iTunes or your Apple TV on Thursday, February 9 at 7 p.m. PST, if you want to catch the concert while it happens. The concert is exciting, but the bigger news is the inclusion of the Apple TV as a target device for this stream. It's nice to see Apple finally using the media device to deliver exclusive, live show. Let's hope this is not a one-time thing and Apple continues to bring new content to its self-proclaimed hobby. [Via MacRumors]
Paul McCartney working on music for video game
Paul McCartney, legendary recording artist of the band Wings, is apparently working on music for a video game -- and, no, it doesn't appear to be Beatles Rock Band 2. In an interview with Germany's Die Zeit, McCartney was asked if he'd consider writing music for a video game. He responded that he's already working on it.McCartney said he finds the video game market fascinating and was excited by the opportunity to work on a game project. He noted that growing up, he only had radio and records, but now music is everywhere. He feels that by writing music for a game that it may be the first time his music will be heard by the next generation.There's also the business of music. McCartney said, "A new computer game is selling these days so much better than a new CD. And you reach a different audience." Might we suggest Paul of Duty, a music shooter. It worked out well for Aerosmith.
Rock Band Weekly: Paul McCartney, Inhabited, Siouxsie and The Banshees
The post-Yule Rock Band DLC update from the newly-reindependent Harmonix will celebrate with tracks from Paul McCartney and Wings' 1973 album "Band on the Run," which was remastered earlier this year by the same team that did the Beatles' catalog. There will also be songs from Inhabited and Siouxsie and The Banshees released. The update will be available next week on Xbox 360 and Wii, while PS3 updates go on hiatus until January 4. Run on past the break for the complete DLC details.
Rock Band Weekly: A little bit country (plus A Beatle: Rock Band in January)
Rock Band DLC is taking some time off for the holidays, with no tracks scheduled for release until December 29 on Xbox 360 and Wii, and January 7 on PS3. Take the time to reflect on the tracks you do have, and appreciate time spent with them this holiday season. When Rock Band DLC does return, it''ll bring a seven-pack of songs from the Rock Band: Country disc, followed by a three-pack of live Paul McCartney songs from his performance at New York's Citi Field. Check the list after the break, and then you can forget about all that other garbage you've downloaded!
Get your hands on The Beatles: Rock Band today at Best Buy
Sure, you could sit on your butt today, thinking about how The Beatles: Rock Band won't be available until September 9. Instead, why not head to a participating Best Buy store today between noon and 3:30PM (EST) to check out the game early? Harmonix and MTV Games are offering a chance to play an in-store demo build of the game for today only before it hits retailers in a few weeks. There's even "special hosted demo events" at certain stores "where you can ask questions about the game, learn some tips-and-tricks, and more" -- we're hoping the "and more" is sensual massages from Sir Paul McCartney himself. Peep the whole list of participating stores right here.[Thanks, JD!]
McCartney's replica Rock Band bass looks awesome, backwards
Regardless of your feelings towards the mop-topped British rock sensation upon which the next Rock Band game is based, you have to admit -- The Beatles had them some lovely instruments. Two of these six-strings, Lennon and Harrison's Rickenbacker 325 and Gretsch Duo Jet, will be coming as $99 add-ons to The Beatles: Rock Band -- however, a third replica guitar will be coming in the game's Limited Edition Premium Bundle: Paul McCartney's Höfner bass guitar, pictured above.According to a recent Harmonix press release, this wireless periph will work with all versions of Rock Band. It certainly looks gorgeous, but as our well-read colleagues at Engadget point out, this Höfner controller was designed for a right-handed player. McCartney, of course, was a Southpaw. Man, the game isn't even out yet, and already Harmonix is taking outrageous liberties with history. Unbelievable.[Thanks, MarkHawk!]
Rock Band Beatles footage spotted at Coachella [update]
If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times: Sneaking cameras into concerts is illegal, folks. And so it's with sheer bravado that we've posted the Paul McCartney performance from two days ago at Coachella in California, playing "Got to Get You Into My Life," above. You'll understand though -- we had to -- as you'll see on the Beatles-sized screen behind Mr. McCartney some awfully interesting Rock Band-esque characters backing him up. Though we can't confirm anything, and there certainly aren't any streaming note charts in sight, we're going all the way out on a limb here and guessing the footage may be our first glimpse at The Beatles: Rock Band (again, sans gameplay). We've asked publisher MTV Games for confirmation and will update this post when we hear back.Update: Thanks to commenter Comtar for pointing out official confirmation of The Beatles: Rock Band video during Mr. McCartney's set at Coachella, via McCartney's website: "It was a night of firsts and was the unexpected, unannounced world premiere of the images from the coming Beatle Rock Band game which played on vast screens throughout "Got To Get You Into My Life." Looks like it wasn't a rumor after all![Thanks, Adam!]
