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The Beatles on iTunes…revealed too early?

For a while now, everyone has been wondering if the music of The Beatles would make its way to iTunes and be a part of Steve Jobs’ musical kingdom. Talks between Apple and EMI have been ongoing and there have been slivers of hope that just maybe this one of a kind deal might actually go down and Jobs would make the announcement of the decade. But someone may have accidentally beaten him to the punch. That someone? Yoko Ono. Why am I not surprised?

Ono spoke to Britain’s Sky News and told them that The Beatles would indeed be a part of the iTunes library. However as soon as Sky News published the story it was taken down almost immediately. Why the removal of such huge news? Did Sky print something that isn’t true? Did Apple step in and make them take it down so they could make the announcement? My guess is Apple said something so they could “officially” break the news.

Now because this story broke, many people are suggesting that Apple will make the announcement on 9/9/09 which is the day The Beatles: Rock Band and all of the Fab Four’s albums are re-issued as digital re-masters. Seems like it would be a good idea, right? However, according to EMI global catalog president Ernesto Schmitt, he says that “Conversations between Apple and EMI are ongoing and we look forward to the day when we can make the music available digitally. But it’s not tomorrow.”

So what gives? Did Yoko, who’s already not liked very much by the Beatle faithful, intentionally leak this information truth or just something to raise the hopes of millions of people who are hoping to download copies of Revolver onto their iPod’s? 9to5Mac.com says that a Sky News employee told them they had to cut the story immediately and it was a directive “that came from the top.”

Apple isn’t saying anything but they plan on holding an invitation-only conference on 9/9/09 to talk about new iPod and iTunes updates. But if the Beatles do indeed pop up on iTunes tomorrow then get to downloading. As for Yoko Ono? I’m still not a fan but thanks, I guess, for ruining a potential surprise.