FROM Apple Records to Strawberry Fields and now, coffee beans.
Starbucks Corp. said today former Beatle Paul McCartney would be the first musician to release an album on the coffee shop chain`s new Hear Music record label.
The announcement was made by Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz at the company`s annual meeting in Seattle.
McCartney, who appeared at the meeting from London via satellite, said his move reflected how the industry was changing as singers, bands and others look for new ways to sell CDs as record stores face competition from online outlets and digital downloads.
The former Beatle said he was aiming to release the as yet untitled album in early June.
Earlier this month, Starbucks formed the Hear Music record label to develop records and sell them in its coffee shops and through music retailers.
The Seattle company`s influence as a music retail outlet has grown in recent years due to success with albums by Ray Charles, Bob Dylan and others that have been sold in its stores. 
BRITNEY Spears has completed a month in rehab and left a luxury Malibu facility with a plea for privacy while she rebuilds her life with her two young children
