The Beatles Channel (Ch. 18) is celebrating the new, expanded Special Edition of Rubber Soul with an entire week of exclusive programming devoted to the landmark 1965 album.
Tune in to the Rubber Soul Week programming below on car radios and the SiriusXM app from Monday, September 28 through Sunday, October 4, surrounding the Special Edition’s release on Friday, October 2. Listeners can hear brand-new specials exploring the album’s influences and legacy, rarities and alternate takes from the expanded collection, a celebrity track-by-track, and much more.
Originally released on December 3, 1965, Rubber Soul marked a pivotal moment in The Beatles’ evolution, with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr pushing beyond the conventions of pop music and embracing a more adventurous approach to songwriting and recording.
Bill Flanagan explores how The Beatles expanded their musical world on Rubber Soul, drawing inspiration from Bob Dylan, Motown, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, soul, folk, country, and Indian music. Hear how the sounds they were absorbing in 1965 helped shape one of the most important albums of their career.
Airs:
Friday, October 2 at 4pm ET
Saturday, October 3 at 12pm ET
Chris Carter celebrates the American version of Rubber Soul with a special dedicated to the landmark 1965 album. Hear it the way American fans first did.
Airs:
Friday, October 2 at 9pm ET
Sunday, October 4 at 12pm ET
Hear Rubber Soul from beginning to end, with a different celebrity guest DJ introducing each song along the way. It’s a track-by-track journey through one of The Beatles’ most groundbreaking albums.
Airs:
Friday, October 2 at 11am ET
Sunday, October 4 at 11pm ET
Beatles fans voted for their favourite songs from Rubber Soul. Meg Griffin counts down the results during a special edition of Eight Songs a Week.
Airs:
Friday, October 2 at 2pm ET
Saturday, October 3 at 7pm ET
Dennis Elsas, Bill Flanagan, and Tom Frangione welcome Giles Martin, who produced the new Rubber Soul Special Edition. Martin will premiere a previously unheard alternate take from the box set, and fans will call in to discuss the landmark album.
Airs:
Wednesday, September 30 at 9pm ET
Chris Carter features selections from the brand-new expanded Rubber Soul Special Edition.
Airs:
Friday, October 2 at 8am ET
Laura Cantrell celebrates the expanded Rubber Soul Special Edition by exploring George Harrison’s contributions to the album.
Airs:
Thursday, October 1 at 3pm ET
Saturday, October 3 at 10am ET
Sunday, October 4 at 4pm ET
Host Tom Frangione features rarities, alternate takes, and live versions from the new expanded Rubber Soul Special Edition.
Airs:
Monday, September 28, at 2pm ET
Tuesday, September 29, at 11pm ET
On the weekly show dedicated to the life and music of John Lennon, host Dennis Elsas looks at John’s contributions to Rubber Soul in celebration of the expanded Special Edition.
Airs:
Tuesday, September 29 at 4pm ET
Thursday, October 1 at 11pm ET
Saturday, October 3 at 1pm ET
Out Friday, October 2, the expanded Rubber Soul Special Edition features a new stereo mix by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell.
The collection opens the studio doors on the making of Rubber Soul with 24 early session recordings, including 20 previously unreleased takes and three previously unreleased home demos. It also brings together the album’s new stereo mix, original mono mix, original Capitol U.S. album version, and the contemporary “Day Tripper” / “We Can Work It Out” single.
The Rubber Soul Special Edition is available across multiple LP, CD, and Blu-ray formats.
Pre-order The Beatles’ Rubber Soul Special Edition
Ahead of the Special Edition’s release, The Beatles have shared “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Second Version – Take 2),” a rare alternate version that offers a glimpse into the evolution of one of Rubber Soul’s best-known songs.
The Beatles recorded the first version of what was then called “This Bird Has Flown” on the first day of sessions for Rubber Soul, featuring George Harrison’s newly discovered sitar. Unsatisfied with that version, the band returned to the song nine days later and recorded three more performances.
On the newly released take, John Lennon plays acoustic guitar, Paul McCartney plays bass, Ringo Starr is on drums, and Harrison plays sitar. Unlike the final recording, the alternate arrangement opens with double-tracked sitar playing the melody of the bridge.
Harrison had first encountered the sitar during the filming of Help! and later became increasingly interested in Indian music. After David Crosby of The Byrds introduced him to the music of Ravi Shankar, Harrison began exploring Shankar’s recordings.
“Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Second Version – Take 2)” follows the previously released “Michelle (Take 1)” and “Day Tripper (Songwriting Work Tape)” as previews of the expanded collection.
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