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The Beatles Channel
On May 18, 2017, SiriusXM launched a Beatles Channel on channel 18. The channel's webpage says, "John, Paul, George and Ringo changed music forever. The songs, stories, influences and legacy of the Beatles - 24/8!" ("24/8," as in Eight Days A Week.)
http://www.siriusxm.com/thebeatleschannel
In addition to the Beatles songs and all the solo recordings of John, Paul, George & Ringo, the channel plays lots of live versions, demo versions, alternate takes and recordings made for the BBC. They also play other artists' versions of Beatles songs and the original versions of songs later recorded by the Beatles. The playlist makes sense except for the "influences." I have heard My Guy by Mary Wells, Let's Dance by Chris Montez, I'm A Believer by Neil Diamond, Can I Get A Witness by Marvin Gaye, I Get Around by the Beach Boys, Bye Bye Love by the Everly Brothers, and Yakety Yak and Charlie Brown by the Coasters.
Can anyone explain how Neil Diamond, Mary Wells, the Beach Boys and those others "influenced" the Beatles? I'm at a loss.
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The Beatles Channel is playing the Beatles' I'll Keep You Satisfied, recorded live at the BBC studios in 1963. Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas also recorded the song. It was the B-side of their first single, Do You Want To Know A Secret (another Beatles song), which was produced by George Martin and reached #2 in the UK but failed to chart in the US. Here is the Beatles' I'll Be On My Way:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq2nN1G-924
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The Beatles Channel just played Al Green's version of I Want To Hold Your Hand, which Pulse magazine in 2010 called the all-time best remake of a Beatles song. In 1969, it was released as a single (Hi 45-2159), backed with What Am I Gonna Do With Myself. The latter song appeared on Green's 1970 Green Is Blue album but I Want To Hold Your Hand was omitted. It finally appeared as one of four bonus tracks on a 2003 CD re-release of the album. It's on YouTube. Hurry and listen!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWuCgPu0Njo
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The Beatles Channel just played a version of Jet by Paul McCartney & Wings. It was one of several songs performed live at EMI studios in 1974 for the tv documentary One Hand Clapping. The sound track remained unreleased until a two-disc bootleg album came out in 1985 in the Netherlands. It was followed by bootleg releases in several other countries. In 2010, some of the songs from One Hand Clapping -- including Jet -- appeared on a remastered reissue of the Band On The Run album. Here is the song on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPrfGN5oOxo
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Tonight the channel played Never Without You, which Ringo Starr co-wrote with Mark Hudson and Gary Nicholson as a tribute to George Harrison, who had died in 2001. Mark and his brothers Brett and Bill recorded as The Hudson Brothers in the 1970s. They had hits with Rendezvous and So You Are A Star and hosted a short-lived CBS variety series in 1974. Mark has produced five studio albums and three live albums for Ringo. Gary has written hits for Vince Gill, Don't Williams, Charley Pride, Reba McEntire and many other country artists. Never Without You was released as a single in 2003 but failed to chart. Here is the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PjnOdHq-T8
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I don't understand why this channel plays Mary Wells and Neil Diamond and other singers who have no connection with the Beatles. Do you know who the program director is?
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It makes sense that the channel would play versions of Beatles songs by other artists. As for the non-Beatles songs by Wells and Diamond, an early press release said The Beatles Channel will feature "musicians who have inspired, and drawn inspiration from, the Beatles." I don't think Wells and Diamond fit either category.
The channel also plays Cream, Donovan, Tom Petty, the Beach Boys and the Four Seasons. The channel's definition of "inspired and drawn inspiration from" is pretty loose!
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I always heard that the Beach Boys' "Smile" album was inspired by "Sgt. Pepper" but then I found out that they started recording "Smile" in 1966, a year before "Sgt. Pepper" came out.
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The Beatles Channel played the Crosby Stills & Nash version of In My Life. You say you're not familiar with that version? I'm not surprised -- it appeared on their 1994 After The Storm album, which sold only around 170,000 copies and stalled at #98 on Billboard's album chart. Here is the song on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrc-oQshih8
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Another surprise: Marshall Crenshaw's version of Love Me Do from All Together Now: Beatles Stuff For Kids Of All Ages, an 11-track CD featuring guest artists and four children performing Beatles songs. (Couldn't the title have said "Songs" instead of "Stuff"?) It came out in 2006 and was available exclusively at Barnes & Noble for a few months before going into wide release. Crenshaw portrayed John Lennon in a touring production of Beatlemania, 1981-83, and Buddy Holly in the 1987 La Bamba movie. The Bangles reunited for the CD, singing Good Day Sunshine with Matthew Sweet -- and it's the only good song on the CD. Check out all the negative reviews on Amazon. Yikes!
https://www.amazon.com/All-Together-.../dp/B000NE6KP2