Beatles top 100 on SiriusXM

[Steve Carlton]

Through Tuesday midnight the SiriusXM Beatles channel 18 is doing a countdown over and over of the top 100 songs as voted by the listeners. What's cool about it is Peter Asher is hosting and throwing in a lot of interesting trivia on each song. Things about what makes a particular song interesting, who wrote it/where it came from, what it was about, and instrument details. I'm finding it fascinating and listen whenever I'm in the car.

[Jon B]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

What's cool about it is Peter Asher is hosting and throwing in a lot of interesting trivia on each song...

Jane and Peter were there for most of it. Many songs were written at the Asher's house, where Paul lived from 63 through 66.

[stevej37]

Ever since SiriusXM started the Beatles channel...I have been tuned in almost every day.
Great new info learned from Peter Asher and the other hosts.
Highly recommend listening to it. The only bad part...some of the songs stick in your head for a full day or more!

[dad911]

Thanks for the heads up. I don't know why but I can stream from the sirius site w/o paying (so far)

[dad911]

Silly fact...... although I've listened the 60's, I didn't know a "Helter Skelter" is actually an amusement park slide until a few years ago.......

[Jon B]

Originally Posted by dad911

Silly fact...... I didn't know a "Helter Skelter" is actually an amusement park slide.......

Unfortunately, neither did Charlie M :-(

Or another song about a box of Mackintosh's chocolates... Creme Tangerine, or Montelimart?

[rcooled]

SiriusXM has done this 'top 100' show at least once before. I had the good fortune to have it as the soundtrack for a road trip I was on at the time. Loved all the insights and anecdotes from Peter Asher and the music made the miles just fly right along.

If anyone cares to find out more behind-the-scenes stuff about the Beatles, check out a series of films by Scott Freiman called "Deconstructing the Beatles". Each film focuses on one Beatles album and thoroughly explores it, one song at a time. The films get into how the tracks were recorded and how they evolved into the songs we all know so well today. We get to hear some never-before-heard studio outtakes of these familiar tunes and learn what inspired the Beatles to write them. Each film also touches on what was going on in the Beatles' career and personal lives at the time the album was recorded.

I just saw the one dealing with Abbey Road, side 2 and found it to be really interesting. Abby Road is explored in two separate films so that the side 2 medley can be peeled back in greater detail.

A couple of tidbits from the film: Paul's 23 sec. ditty, Her Majesty, was originally placed between Mean Mr. Mustard and Polythene Pam. Paul didn't think it sounded quite right there and had it deleted. It was a studio tech that attached it to the end of the master tape with a length of leader, resulting in the 14 seconds of silence between it and The End. Paul heard it that way, loved it, and decided it should stay. The End is officially the last song on Abby Road (Her Majesty is un-credited) and on it, John, Paul & George all play guitar solos. It was decided that Ringo should also do a drum solo but he wasn't keen on the idea and didn't like doing solos anyway. But after much persuading, he agreed to give it a go. If you listen closely to his solo on The End, you'll see where Ringo got his inspiration...it's almost identical to parts of the mind-numbing drum solo on that Iron Butterfly classic, In a Gadda da Vida.

The "Deconstructing the Beatles" films are available on Amazon and some may be also be viewable on Netflix.
About the Lectures — deconstructing the Beatles

[Steve Carlton]

Awesome post, Gort! I'm thoroughly enjoying "All Together Now 3," the third version they've done of the top 100. I'm in awe of the depth and variety of their music, and learning about the story behind the music makes it that much better. I'll be checking out the movies you mentioned- thanks for the heads up on them!

Darn- not free on Amazon and not on Netflix. I went ahead and ordered the Deconstructing- early years. I was wondering what I was going to do when the top 100 show ended...

[dad911]

Quite a few Beatles/McCartney/US vs John Lennon etc. on demand on Pluto TV. Free streaming.

[Steve Carlton]

The 2020 version of the Top 100 is playing now through May 30th.

[craigster59]

I'm more of a Stones fan, but this is one of my favorite Beatles songs..

[KFC911]

I had many "fun" arguments in my youth with buddies who were hardcore Beatles fans....and I wuz Stoned . We all loved both bands tho'....

Which song is numero uno?

[Steve Carlton]

This year it's "Yesterday." I bet the movie helped it.

[stevej37]

Around the holidays, I'll bet the funnest place to be is at Ringo's home.
Him and his brother-in -law Joe Walsh would provide a very good time...lots of laughs.

[stevej37]

Does he look 79?

[Crowbob]

Ringo was bedridden (or confined to his house) for about a year because he was sick. Ringo was a sickly kid. He was the last to join and the first to go. His quitting was unofficial but that was the first real crack in the group. Ringo got tired of John and Paul’s bickering.

He was the least full of himself and is actually a pretty funny guy. Mostly because he was the least talented. Back in the days of Mods, Rockers, Hoods and Greasers a hot babe TV interviewer asked if he was a Mod or a Rocker.

‘Neither. I’m a mocker.’

The girl at first had no idea what he just said.

Some of his drum work was actually very innovative but most was bare-essential-simple. He himself said it wasn’t because he’s a great drummer. it was because he never studied drums beyond providing the bones and structure to a song. At one point, he was considered a genius but he poo-pooed that idea, he just never learned to go around the drums in both directions.

Sometimes Paul would demonstrate what he wanted Ringo to play. He actually got behind the kit. As soon as Ringo understood it was a go. That was the genius behind the group. The sum was way, way more than the individual parts.