Welcome To 09.09.09

Excitement For 09.09.09

TODAY, is SEPTEMBER 9th, 2009 -- often referred to as 09.09.09 -- and it will be a big day in the music business.

The Beatles Remasters

A new wave of Beatlemania could be felt around the world TODAY (9/9) as the FAB FOUR's digitally remastered albums were released. Fans lined up from TOKYO to LONDON to NEW YORK to get their hands on the rejuvenated and cleaned-up versions of all the legendary quartet's entire catalog.

"I've been here since 3a. I'm planning to spend 800 quid for the boxsets and the game," said ALAN HARRINGTON, 59, at the front of the line at the HMV record store on Oxford Street in CENTRAL LONDON.

In JAPAN, eager BEATLES fans came early to buy the new remastered box set, said KOZO SHIMODA, acting store manager at the HMV music store in the fashionable downtown GINZA shopping district.

"There has been people coming and going for THE BEATLES all day long," he said. "The customers are mainly men in their 40s, and a few in their 30s. They prefer to buy the box set. This year it will probably top the charts." 

Radio Ties In

CBS RADIO VP/Classic Hits Programming and Classic Hits WCBS-F/NEW YORK PD BRIAN THOMAS said the station is doing a "countdown of the Top 101 BEATLES songs from 9a-5p, based on sales, airplay and popularity, with BEATLES ROCK BAND and Remasters CD giveaways all day."

GARY BRYAN on CBS Classic Hits KRTH (K-EARTH 101)/LOS ANGELES will be doing a live remote at THE GROVE from 6-10a to honor the "Digitally Remastered BEATLES Catalogue". 

CLEAR CHANNEL Classic Rock WNRQ/NASHVILLE PD MUD tells ALL ACCESS, "To honor the greatest band ever on this historical day of 9/9/09, WNRQ/ will go all BEATLES IN MUSIC CITY! All day long, listeners will win tons of BEATLE catalogues -- stereo and mono -- and a gold BEATLE record is up for the winning as well as numbered lithographs."

The Game

"THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND" video game hits store shelves on TODAY, with many stores having opened at midnight to lines of fans waiting to buy the game which is packed with 45 songs for players to sing, strum and drum along with -- the industry hopes it will be the financial hit that retailers, publishers and console makers desperately need.

Developed by HARMONIX MUSIC SYSTEMS, published by VIACOM INC's MTV GAMES and distributed by ELECTRONIC ARTS INC, REUTERS reports "the game could sell 2 million units in the first month alone, according to analyst estimates."

"I think 'THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND' will be huge," said WEDBUSH MORGAN SECURITIES analyst MICHAEL PACHTER.

"With all due respect to Wii SPORTS, no video game has ever brought more parents together with their teenage and adult children than 'THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND' likely will in the months and years to come," The NEW YORK TIMES said.

And What's Up With Apple?

STEVE JOBS and APPLE have set TODAY (9/9) as "the date for its next music-themed product launch event in SAN FRANCISCO." Just last year, APPLE unveiled redesigned iPOD NANO music players at the FALL event.

This year, APPLE sent an invitation to journalists that read, "It's only rock and roll, but we like it," borrowed from a ROLLNG STONES lyric.

The online APPLE Store has closed down. raising expectations that new products will be unveiled and be put on sale after the presentation. Meanwhile, BLOOMBERG reports that STEVE JOBS, who used to be the presenter until stepping down from that role last year, has arrived at the showcase. Expect to see real-time updates from the APPLE showcase in ALL ACCESS in moments.

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