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4.45am
1 December 2009
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Have you heard this? As if there isn’t reason enough to hate Apple/iTunes, apparently after the 6th of the month, they won’t be offering “Back In The USSR ” for sale as a single anymore! It’s part of some political message they’re sending to Vladimir Putin’s Russia in protest of the Crimea/Ukraine thing. In short, they think the song title itself sends an unpleasant reminder of the enforced annexation of the Crimea, and to “show support” for the idea of economic sanctions against Russia, they’re going to make the song unavailable for purchase or download after 6 April.
Whether or not the decision makes any sense politically, it sounds like they’ve at least got their heart in the right place, right? Well, I haven’t mentioned the OTHER half of the story, a couple of “minor” additional details. First, although you won’t be able to purchase either the stereo or the mono single (which normally retails for $0.99 USD), they do have a little loophole where you can purchase BOTH versions…for a mere $2.99! (That’s a 50% markup btw.) And the second minor detail is that since the Ukraine crisis began last month, sales of the single have increased something like 14,500% over the same period last year. Over 650,000 downloads of “Back In The USSR ” have been paid for alone since Putin signed the annexation bill last week. In other words, iTunes knows they have an incredibly hot single on their hands, and want to keep the publicity high on it until they can jack the price waaay up (and force you to buy TWO versions of the damn song!) while sales are still peaking. Cynical money-grubbers, all of them! How can Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia not speak up about this?? If Apple REALLY wanted to make a statement, they should’ve rendered the song a FREE download. (That’s what John would’ve done, you can bank on that. Even if it meant losing mechanical royalties.)
Just watch, it’ll just be a matter of time before Paul’s own entire “Back In The USSR ” album similarly is taken down as a “gesture of solidarity”. (Although you’ll still be able to buy all of it’s single tracks individually, of course; each one marked up in price by at least 50%, of course. It’s all about the rubles, comrades. 
)
The following people thank vonbontee for this post:
Joe, parlance, Bungalow Bob, IveJustSeenAFaceo, fabfouremily, HeyTrud, Starr Shine?, Mr. MoonlightGEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
8.58am
31 March 2008
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It’s worse than that – they’re pulling it today, April 1st. Fools.
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parlance, DrBeatle, Starr Shine?, Von BonteeCan buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
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2.10pm
6 August 2013
Offline And that, Beatle peetles, is why I don’t mess with iTunes.
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Von Bontee"There's no such thing as bad student... only bad teacher."
2.38pm
16 September 2013
Offline vonbontee said
It’s all about the rubles, comrades.)
vonbontee, this was really well-thought out. Thanks for the laugh this morning. 
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Von Bontee3.00pm
Reviewers
1 November 2013
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Haha, this song was of course pulled because Paul is dead. They don’t want you to know so they’re steadily removing all later songs where you might notice!
The following people thank IveJustSeenAFaceo for this post:
Starr Shine?, Von Bontee, Mr. Kite(This signature brought to you by Net Boy and Net Girl. Putting messages in modems since 1996.)
6.36pm
3 May 2012
Offline Nice one, Von. You almost had me there.
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Von BonteeMoving along in our God given ways, safety is sat by the fire/Sanctuary from these feverish smiles, left with a mark on the door.
(Passover - I. Curtis)
7.26pm
14 December 2009
Offline Thanks! It was a stroke of luck that the time of the post is set at 10:45 on the night of the 31st (even though I actually posted it two hours after that). A posting date of April 1st looks more immediately suspicious…
The following people thank Von Bontee for this post:
Starr Shine?, fabfouremilyPaul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
1.49am
6 August 2013
Offline … I just got it.
Yes, I’m really that damn stupid.
The following people thank WETSRoosa for this post:
IveJustSeenAFaceo, vonbontee, Mr. Kite"There's no such thing as bad student... only bad teacher."
2.25am
1 December 2009
Offline lol don’t worry, wetsroosa! I do this almost yearly and have fooled a recent poster everytime!
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
2.32am
Reviewers
1 November 2013
Offline Interesting… the thanks is still registered as DEADBEATLES even though I changed my name back.
(This signature brought to you by Net Boy and Net Girl. Putting messages in modems since 1996.)
2.49am
1 December 2009
Offline IveJustSeenAFaceo said
Interesting… the thanks is still registered as DEADBEATLES even though I changed my name back.
OMG, I thought it was Heytrud who became DEADBEATLES!
MAKE THIS NAMECHANGING MADNESS STOP!!
The following people thank vonbontee for this post:
Starr Shine?, Mr. KiteGEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
4.47am
Reviewers
1 November 2013
Offline NOOO ANNA WHY WOULD YOU TAKE OVER THE SNIFFLEBOTTOM NAME
The following people thank IveJustSeenAFaceo for this post:
vonbontee, Starr Shine?(This signature brought to you by Net Boy and Net Girl. Putting messages in modems since 1996.)
4.59am
16 September 2013
Offline vonbontee said
…I do this almost yearly and have fooled a recent poster everytime!
vonbontee, I think this April Fools’ gag of yours is so good, that it deserves to be recognized by the Beatles Bible year-end awards. And I’m thrilled to hear that this is something you do on a nearly-yearly basis. So, I’m already looking forward to your next April Fools/Beatles prank. (No pressure or anything, you’ve got a whole year to think of a new one.)
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vonbontee5.35am
11 November 2010
Offline I fell for this until I actually read half of the first post and realized what date it is.
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vonbonteeI'm Necko. I'm like Ringo except I wear necklaces.
I'm also ewe2 on weekends.
Most likely to post things that make you go hmm... 2015, 2016, 2017. 
10.35am
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline vonbontee said
lol don’t worry, wetsroosa! I do this almost yearly and have fooled a recent poster everytime!
I have been around long enough to see a few of your AFD posts. You never cease to amaze, my friend. 
Well done!
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vonbonteeTo the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
8.43pm
Reviewers
4 February 2014
Offline I believed it because I’m a day late! And that sounds like the stupid kind of thing Apple would do!
Well done VB!
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vonbontee10.03pm
1 December 2009
Offline Thanks!
Hope I can think of a decent one for next year. And that there’ll be NEW MEMBERS to fall for it!
The following people thank vonbontee for this post:
Starr Shine?GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
9.44pm
Reviewers
4 February 2014
Offline vonbontee said
Thanks!Hope I can think of a decent one for next year. And that there’ll be NEW MEMBERS to fall for it!
Can’t wait! So much more fun to be in on it!
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