Wu-Tang actually interpolates Beatles song, leaks mp3

UPDATE (Oct. 4):
It turns out that we had a lot of things wrong with the Wu-Tang/Beatles story when we first posted it a couple of days ago. First of all, the new Wu-Tang song is called "The Heart Gently Weeps," not "My People Gently Weeps," as was originally reported by Billboard and republished here. Much better title, we say. Perhaps more importantly, there is no actual "sample" of the original Beatles song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," as Wu-Tang's RZA clarified on the group's MySpace blog. It's just an "interpolation"... same chord progression, but performed live in the studio.

Need more clarification? Download the recently released mp3 of the cut here.

What follows is the original news item we published.

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Wu-Tang Clan's team of lawyers ain't nothin' to fuck wit. Who else could wrangle sample clearance on "My Guitar Gently Weeps" from the notoriously protective Apple Corps? Man, those dudes must have threatened to pull out Paul McCartney's tongue and stab it with a rusty screwdriver or something.

However they managed it, the Wu will premiere the George Harrison-informed "My People Gently Weeps" on its upcoming release, The 8 Diagrams. The album has been pushed back to Dec. 4 from its original November release date, due in part to the Beatles sample in question. "Gently Weeps" features an all-star assemblage of talent: Method Man and Ghostface Killah on the rhymes, John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers filling the role of Eric Clapton, and the late Harrison's son Dhani helping out. A Wu-Tang MySpace blog post also gives a shout-out to Erykah Badu for her assistance on the song.

This marks the first time that an artist has officially received a sampling license for a Beatles song. In light of this event and its recent agreement with that other Apple company, it appears as if the Beatles' Apple Records is starting to ease up its hard-line stance on song licensing to cope with the digital era. Will Danger Mouse soon receive a formal apology in the mail? After all, however well "My People Gently Weeps" turns out, it'll be hard-pressed to top Danger's reworking of the original.

Related links:
WuTang-Corp.com
Paste: Wu-Tang Clan spills details on new album
Paste: Having tackled the Stones, Scorsese moves on to a Beatle

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