The Beatles in this week's Billboard

In the Sept. 2-15 issue of Billboard magazine that hit the stands Thursday, the Beatles make a few appearances. In the Top Rock Albums chart, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" sits at #23, up from #25 the previous week. In Top Album Sales, "Sgt. Pepper" ranks at #34, up from #43.  And on the Billboard Top 200, "Sgt. Pepper" rates at #125, down from #124, while "Abbey Road" sits at #149, up from #167 and "The Beatles 1" is at #147, up from #165.

Then there's the full page ad above from SiriusXM promoting the open listening for the Beatles Channel and the rest of the Sirius lineup now going on through Sept. 5.

And don't miss the best Beatles talk on the internet with this week's edition of "Things We Said Today," with yours truly, Allan Kozinn and Ken Michaels. It's available on for download on Podbean and iTunes and streaming on YouTube and theTune In Radio app.

Beatles internet station honored

Matt Burley of Fab4Radio.com tells us the station has been selected to be a featured station by Stream Licensing Inc. in its oldies category. Fab4Radio.com airs our "Things We Said Today" program on the weekends. 

"We take pride in the selection of featured stations, and you should as well as it is a great accomplishment and it stands as proof of your hard work and dedication to this craft and is recognized by your industry peers," they said.

Congratulations to Fab4Radio.com. 

Sirius/XM announces Beatles channel -- the official announcement

The Beatles Channel - Coming May 18 - Exclusively on SiriusXM

- First ever Beatles-backed radio channel to feature exclusive programming, spanning the songs, stories, influences and legacy of The Fab Four

- The Beatles Channel launch to be celebrated with SiriusXM's free listening preview program, offering 24/7 listening on inactive satellite radios

NEW YORK, May 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SiriusXM is pleased to announce The Beatles Channel, launching May 18 at 9:09 am ET exclusively on SiriusXM channel 18. Celebrating popular music's most legendary and influential band, The Beatles Channel has been created by SiriusXM to present unique and exclusive programming in collaboration with and fully authorized by The Beatles' Apple Corps Ltd. The Beatles Channel will also be available online and through the SiriusXM app.
The Beatles Channel will showcase all-things-Beatles with regular and special programming spanning the history-making careers of the band and its members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The channel will explore The Beatles' entire career including their hits and deeper tracks, live recordings, rarities, and solo albums, while also spotlighting musicians who have inspired, and have drawn inspiration from, The Beatles.

Paul McCartney said, "I still remember the thrill of when we first heard our music on the radio, but I don't think any of us would have imagined that we'd have our very own Beatles radio channel more than 50 years later. The SiriusXM channel will have it all, 8 Days a Week."

Ringo Starr added, "Great news, The Beatles will have their own channel on SiriusXM. Now you can listen to The Beatles, Any Time at All. Peace & Love."

"We are so proud to announce the most popular band in history has joined us for their own SiriusXM channel," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer of SiriusXM. "We've worked with The Beatles and Apple Corps Ltd. to create a channel that is as vital today as when the band's music was first recorded. The channel will be all-things-Beatles, 24/7. The soundtrack of our world, made by John, Paul, George and Ringo."

The Beatles Channel will launch at exactly 9:09 am ET on Thursday May 18, and will be celebrated as part of SiriusXM's free listening preview program, offering 24/7 listening on inactive SiriusXM radios from May 17 to May 30.

The Beatles Channel will present a curated mix of music tailored to a wide range of Beatles fans, along with a variety of regular shows and specials, including:

• Breakfast with The Beatles: A daily morning show hosted by musician and lifelong Beatles aficionado, Chris Carter, featuring music, stories and all things Beatles.
• A Day in the Life: A daily feature noting milestones in the lives and career of The Beatles.
• My Fab Four: A daily guest DJ session, hosted by musicians influenced by The Beatles, celebrities, and super fan listeners, each playing their four favorite Beatles songs.
• Beatle Bites: A daily "name the song" quiz featuring a short snippet of a Beatles recording.
• Dedicated Phone: # 844-999-BEATLES, for fans to make requests and share their Beatles stories.
• The Fab Fourum: A live weekly call-in roundtable show hosted by veteran broadcaster Dennis Elsas; TV producer and author, Bill Flanagan; and panelists including authors, musicians and fans.
• Peter Asher: From Me To You: He sang Beatles compositions as a member of Peter & Gordon, was part of the formation of Apple Records and went on to become a multiple Grammy-winning producer and much more. Now, his stories come to life in this exclusive weekly series.
• Magical Mini Concert: A weekly fantasy concert featuring live music from The Beatles and their solo works.
• Northern Songs with Bill Flanagan: A regular show from TV producer and author Flanagan, focusing on themes that tell the story of The Beatles, their music and the effect it had on generations of fans.
• Get Back: The Beatles in Britain: A monthly show recorded in and around London and Liverpool that offers the UK perspective of the Beatles phenomenon, hosted by Geoff Lloyd.

On June 1, The Beatles Channel will celebrate "Pepper Day" on the 50th Anniversary of the band's acclaimed Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, playing the album's new Anniversary Edition stereo mix in its entirety. The album spotlight will be accompanied by commentary by the album's original producer, the late George Martin, and by his son, Giles Martin, who produced the album's new stereo and 5.1 surround mixes from The Beatles' session tapes, guided by his father's original, Beatles-preferred mono album mix. Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe will release 'Sgt. Pepper' in several Anniversary Edition configurations on May 26.

www.thebeatles.com
siriusxm.com/thebeatles
www.siriusxm.com

Be sure to explore our That's What I Want Beatles store, That's What I Want UK Beatles store and our That's What I Want Monkees store for almost everything you could ever want at the very best prices.

Everything you've ever wanted to hear by this British Invasion band

If you were a first generation Beatles fan in 1965, the Unit 4+2 and their hit song "Concrete & Clay" surely caught your attention. Now, RPM Records has released "Unit 4+2: Concrete & Clay: The Complete Recordings," a two-disc, 43-track set available from Amazon.co.uk that has everything the band released between 1964 and 1969, including their work from Decca Records, and later Fontana Records. "Concrete & Clay" peaked at #28 in 1965 on the Billboard charts. The group had one other chart hit, "You've Never Been In Love Like This Before," which hit #95 on the singles charts two months after "Concrete & Clay." (You can get both songs as digital downloads together from Amazon.com in the U.S. in one purchase at this link.)

The set, which has their 14 singles, an EP and two albums, is as musically diverse as the song "Concrete & Clay" suggests. These guys weren't a one-note group. Their music had a wide range, which you can gather just from some of the songs they covered -- "La Bamba," "500 Miles," "Butterfly" (by the Bee Gees), "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" (who didn't cover or imitate Dylan?) and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." On stage, the group also performed songs by the Beach Boys, Doris Troy, the Everly Brothers and the Temptations. In their later years, they tackled psychedelic pop

The group included Russ Ballard pre-Argent. It was Ballard and another musician from whom the monicker "+2" on the group's name came from. The booklet has  new interviews, vintage pics and graphics and a detailed history. In short, "Unit 4+2: Concrete & Clay: The Complete Recordings" is a great look back at the complete legacy of a group that most Americans knew for only the one song that stuck in a lot of people's heads (it did ours) then and now.  

Countdown to the Beatles "1" DVD/CD - What's in store, part 5 of 7: "Eight Days a Week"

Apple Corps Ltd. 

With the release date of the "Beatles 1" and "1+" DVDs coming this Friday, this is the fifth of seven advance looks of what you'll find. (To catch up on the rest of this series and all of our coverage of the new release at this link.)

When the "1" and "1+" release was announced, it was mentioned that the "Eight Days a Week" was assembled from Shea Stadium footage. What they didn't say was how great that footage looks. We mean fantastic! Wait till you see it. It will certainly make more people want it.

You can order the DVD,CD or both, which comes out Nov. 6 around the world, at this link. Versions for the U.S., the UK, Germany, Japan and Canada can be ordered. And be sure to catch up on the rest of our coverage of the Beatles "1" and "1+" DVD/CD set at the "Beatles 101" link at the right. 

And a little bit of news for everyone asking: The vinyl release will be Dec. 4 globally. Remember, you heard it here first. 

Oh, and Ringo tweeted this on Monday (with the picture):

Copyright Apple Corps Ltd.

123 if you love the Beatles you need this because it's great. Peace and love 😎✌️🌟💖 pic.twitter.com/fJDqgfpg1g

— Ringo Starr (@ringostarrmusic) November 3, 2015

Countdown to the Beatles "1" CD/DVD: What's in store, part 4 of 7: "Rain" and "Paperback Writer"

Copyright Capitol Records.

With the release date of the "Beatles 1" and "1+" DVDs coming this Friday, this is the fourth of seven advance looks of what you'll find. (See the rest of this series and all of our coverage of the new release at this link.)

Anyone who saw the broadcast of the videos for "Paperback Writer" and "Rain" on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on June 5, 1966, as we did, will remember the message to Ed Sullivan and the humorous introduction done for the videos by Ringo Starr, who said the Beatles couldn't be on the show in person because "everybody's busy these days with the washing and the cooking." That intro is included on the "1+ disc (aka disc 2), just before the second version of "Paperback Writer" on the set (there's one on disc one). There are also two versions of "Rain," one in color and the other, a rarely seen black-and-white version, on disc 2. 

And another restored video should be out today (Monday) if it isn't already. 

Order the DVD or CD, which comes out Nov. 6 around the world at this link. You can order for the versions for the U.S., the UK, Germany, Japan and Canada. And catch up on the rest of our coverage of the Beatles "1" and "1+" DVD/CD set at the "Beatles 101" link at the right. 

Beatles radio program notes for 9/18/15 through 9/20/15

First and foremost, "Things We Said Today" is back and we discuss the new Beatles "1" DVD, with all our thoughts about how good the new release is and what should be in it (and maybe wasn't.) You can hear it first on Fab 4 Radio.com at noon ET Saturday. You'll be able to hear it on iTunes and YouTube after that, plus our Podbean website.

Jude Southerland Kessler's "The John Lennon Hour" features Ivor Davis, author of "The Beatles and Me On Tour," as guest. Listen to it here.

Coming up this weekend on “Dennis Mitchell’s Breakfast With The Beatles,” the show will mark 50 years since the premiere of the Beatles Cartoons on ABC-TV. Mitchell's guest will be cartoon series authority author Mitch Axelrod of "Fab 4 Free 4 All." The show will also feature audio of the very first Beatles bootleg album, and how it found its way to radio stations in September of 1969. The show can be heard on over 70 radio stations worldwide and the latest edition will be made available as a podcast via iTunes starting Sunday.

On Edd Raineri's "The Beatledd Fab Four Hour" at 7 p.m. ET Sept. 18 (Friday), Grahame Critcher, drummer for the Scottish tribute band Them Beatles will be guest. The show airs on WRKC-FM in Pennsylvania and online at http://wrkc.kings.edu.

The latest "Something About the Beatles" is "The Solo Creative Peaks of Lennon and McCartney."

The latest "I've Got a Beatles" is about Paul McCartney's basses.

The latest Fab 4 Free 4 All is "Rarities U.S. and UK: Analysis and Review."

Chris Carter told us on his "Breakfast With the Beatles" show on KLOS-FM in Los Angeles he hopes to have a "Beach Boys-type guest."

And please be sure to visit our "That's What I Want Beatles Store" for over 50 pages of categories of Beatles items at great prices!