London, U.K. — Well, that didn’t take long. Steve Jobs’ bold effort to bring the The Beatles catalog to iTunes has apparently come to a screeching halt. In a letter delivered to the Apple CEO Saturday morning, Yoko Ono makes it clear that she is not feeling the love Steve had intended by recording his Beatles tribute CD.
In fact, Yoko does not mince words when she tells Steve that this particular long and winding road has reached its end. (See Yoko’s letter below.)
So that’s it. Now that Steve has made his overture — and possibly because of it — it’s clear that The Beatles on iTunes is about as likely as Gandhi on Broadway. And the finger-pointing has already begun.
“Steve is sure it’s all because of the mix. He thinks the bass was way too hot on at least half the tracks,” says our source inside Apple. “The producer is history.”
Yoko's response to Steve Jobs wasn't exactly what he'd hoped for (click to read)
An engineer in the studio confirms that Steve and producer Eric Einholm nearly came to blows over the mix, which Steve insisted be done on the 99-cent iPhone app, Sound Mixer.
“Excuse me for doing my job,” Einholm says, stung by the project’s failure, “I’m used to working with maybe a $20 setup?”
Apple’s next steps remain ambiguous, though it is pointed out that Steve continues to take drum lessons on Saturday mornings from a highly regarded Palo Alto musician.
Relax, Ringo. If Steve’s past performance is any indication, your job is not in jeopardy.
