Personally, I’d gladly accept an announcement of an archive release that’s coming early next year. Toss up an audio teaser or two, and we all exit the year relatively happy.
Surely there would be a decent number of people who would gladly accept a pre order for the next Archive release(s) as their Christmas present, seems like a great idea to me to announce now!
Well as has been stated earlier, that is exactly what happened with "Flowers in the Dirt" archive box set two years ago!
So if it is not an Archive release, what else could it be? Some new compilation of previously released tracks? Something that has been worked on for years but is now finally getting released---like that Guitar Concerto thing? A live album? More colored vinyl LPs? Anyone want to venture an educated guess?
****! ****! ****! I've been waiting for the Archive release! Again postponed the release so as not to interfere with Let It Be? ****! *******! ****! In that case, the Let It Be edition should be damn chic.
I don't believe that any date has been officially stated or even hinted. However, as you say, many people are assuming that it will be May so as to match the exact 50th anniversary date.
But there's no definite lack of Archives yet! For all we know, Macca could announce a March 2020 Archives next week!
I think the release of the Archive series has been postponed until autumn... I'd be glad to be wrong.