On Air: Live at the BBC 2

• Track Listing

It’s caused a lot of Anglo-anguish that this Beatles sequel took so long to get here. The first volume of the band’s live-at-the-BBC recordings, which is currently out as a remastered reissue, originally came out in ’94. But the sequel is finally here: 43 musical performances (37 of ’em previously unreleased) and 20 selections of on-air repartee that should prove just as compelling for fans of John, Paul, George and Ringo. None of these performances overlap with volume one; these 1963–64 BBC recordings include the hits and early album tracks you surely want to hear, and also songs you’ve most likely never heard the Beatles do—from Chuck Berry’s I’m Talking About You to Stephen Foster’s Beautiful Dreamer. You’ll encounter the ultra-rarity Happy Birthday Dear Saturday Club and listen in as the band chats up DJs Brian Matthew and Alan Freeman and also the hosts of the Pop Go the Beatles show. A 48-page booklet evocatively sets the scene in the studios, and Abbey Road provided the sparkling remastering of these performances: Please Please Me; Lucille; I Want to Hold Your Hand; Till There Was You; Roll Over Beethoven; Please Mr. Postman; Twist and Shout; I Saw Her Standing There; She Loves You; From Me to You; Long Tall Sally; If I Fell; I Got a Woman; And I Love Her; Money (That’s What I Want); Glad All Over; Memphis, Tennessee; Ask Me Why; The Hippy Hippy Shake; I’ll Follow the Sun; I’ll Get You; Chains; Boys; Misery, and more precious documents of the world’s most legendary rock band during their early ascent! Capitol.