500 Beatles lost tapes were recovered by police

LONDON, UK (Beatles Fans Website) - Some 500 Beatles recording session tapes stolen in the 1970s were recovered on Friday (January 10) by police in England and the Netherlands, many including never-released tracks.

The tapes were recorded in 1969 and have been known as the "Get Back Sessions," and several of the songs on the tapes surfaced on the Beatles' album Let It Be. Some of the material found on the tapes has surfaced over the past three decades on various bootleg records throughout Europe and the U.S.

British police called the tapes "priceless," and Dutch authorities, who concurred, are still going through the recordings. "We're currently investigating whether they really are the originals, but it appears to be so," said Amsterdam prosecutor spokesman Robert Meulenbroek. "There are about 500 tapes, so there's quite a bit to research."

Five people were arrested in separate police raids in England and Holland, and the names of the suspects were not immediately released. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry led the investigation, with assistance from London detectives.