Keith Richards fall out of Itunes tree

KEITH RICHARDS is re-releasing Run Rudolph Run as a single on Itunes in another move demonstrates rock stars’ canniness when it comes to seeing the opportunity to make a pound.

The Strolling Bone pushed out the tune in 1978 when seven-inch vinyl was king and Mageek was youngish, but the digitisation of music offers ample opportunities for repackaging as music marketers have discovered.

Keef’s people have pulled a clever stroke in offering the Christmassy tune bundled with a more recent effort, the great guitarist’s cover of the mighty Toots and the Maytals track Pressure Drop. It will be available from Tuesday.

Other cunning ruses to winkle cash from fans’ pockets include Apple’s U2 Ipod and disk-busting collection of Bob Dylan’s opus. µ