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PODCAST

Something About the Beatles

Evergreen Podcasts

Hosted by award-winning author Robert Rodriguez, Something About The Beatles is an intelligent but entertaining examination of The Beatles" music and career. Smart, funny and surprising - just like the Fab Four.

music music history

All Episodes

01:35:54

198: Chip Madinger/Plastic Ono Band

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/08/13

Presented as forerunner of the inevitable show revisiting John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band to come later this year as part of the 50th anniversary, returning guest Chip Madinger (Eight Arms To Hold You, Lennonology) and I discuss some of the assorted odds and sods produced (or proposed) by John Lennon under the Plastic Ono Band brand circa 1969/1970. The POB debut year gave us the singles "Give Peace A Chance" and "Cold Turkey," but what about the other announced releases? ("Laughing"/"Whispers"; "You

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01:21:02

197: Collecting The Beatles Part Three

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/07/27

Previous guest Russ Lease returns with stories from the world of top end collecting: vehicles (including the Magical Mystery Tour bus), attire (shoes, boots, jackets), paper (a Brian Epstein contract) and vinyl. Russ was the founder of Beatles Suits, the go-to resource for Fab tailoring; he was also the auctions columnist for Beatleology magazine. Lastly: he is a partner in Fab Four Exhibitions, the traveling Beatles museum of artifacts. Russ has a lot to say about the back story on a lot of

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01:46:42

196: In The Studio 1968 w/ Jerry Hammack Part One

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/07/11

In his return to the show, we discuss 1968 and the making of the "White Album" (mostly), as explored in his most recent work, The Beatles' Recording Reference Manual Volume 4. Joining us is another returning guest, recording artist/performer/producer Luther Russell (Those Pretty Wrongs, The Freewheelers, solo). Because we covered so much ground, I am presenting the conversation spread over two parts (the conclusion to follow later....) Check out Jerry's work here.

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01:43:35

195: Little Richard Remembered

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/06/07

It seems particularly fitting at the time we find ourselves in to be discussing the art and career of rock pioneer Little Richard, who passed recently at 87. He represented a marginalized group in society, and his breakthrough, as unlikely as it was, carried with it resonance relevant to the present day. Add to that his absolutely key role in the development of The Beatles - going back to The Quarry Men days, really - and you can see why he is a subject worthy of a deep discussion. But the

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02:04:12

194: The Guest List Part 1

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/05/25

So an idea came up: who would SATB like to talk to in Beatle world and sit down for an interview? Qualifications: first, they have to be among the living (as of this taping); Second, they have to be completely honest and not fall back on deflection or "professional Beatle fan" chatter: stories they've entertained with for years that may or may not be factually accurate. Last, they have to be people on the inside who have either not told their stories at all or not told them to death. Though

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01:40:41

193: On The Beat with Spencer Leigh

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/05/07

Rock historian and radio interviewer Spencer Leigh has been chronicling the music scene generally and The Beatles specifically from his native Merseyside for decades. He has penned well over two dozen books, half of them on Beatles-specific subjects. In this conversation, we discuss an array of topics, including writing and researching The Beatles; Bob Wooler; Liverpool bands; Bob Dylan, and Ken Dodd, among other topics. Check out Spencer's work here.

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01:35:53

192B: Ringo Forensics Part Two

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/04/18

The continuation of my conversation with musician/singer/songwriter/producer Luther Russell - whom you may recall (SATB 192) as one half of Those Pretty Wrongs, a duo with Jody Stephens (ex-Big Star). As a devout fan from birth and a drummer himself, Luther possesses considerable insight into what made Ringo the essential Beatle: how a combination of unique skills, background and chemistry with the others made him the band's most valuable player in a very real sense. This sprawling conversation

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01:39:49

192 Part One: Ringo Forensics

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/04/17

My guest today is musician/singer/songwriter/producer Luther Russell - you may recall him (SATB 192) as one half of Those Pretty Wrongs, a duo with Jody Stephens (ex-Big Star). As a devout fan from birth and a drummer himself, Luther possesses considerable insight into what made Ringo the essential Beatle: how a combination of unique skills, background and chemistry with the others made him the band's most valuable player in a very real sense. This sprawling conversation addresses Ringo's singular

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01:35:21

191: Jenny Boyd

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/03/20

You may know her as the muse who inspired Donovan's "Jennifer Juniper"; maybe you know her as Pattie Boyd's sister who went to Rishikesh with The Beatles. She may be known to some as the one-time flat-mate of Magic Alex or the two-time wife of Mick Fleetwood, but above all, she was a perceptive observer with a ringside seat at some of the most momentous events in 60s youth culture; wise beyond her years but in tune with the zeitgeist as it shifted around her. Meet (Dr.) Jenny Boyd, author of the

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01:48:42

190B: Memo To Peter Jackson Part Two

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/03/08

The January 1969 sessions at Twickenham and Apple Studio are The Beatles gift that keeps on giving. Thoroughly taped and filmed, it is a rich vein of material to analyze, especially as it has been chronicled in such a bad light by the group themselves, at odds with much of the evidence that has surfaced. SATB has examined the subject numerous times, notably with the two part Winter of Discontent episodes but also two additional episodes featuring Doug Sulpy (author of the seminal Drugs, Divorce and

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01:35:59

190A: Memo To Peter Jackson Part One

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/03/08

The January 1969 sessions at Twickenham and Apple Studio are The Beatles gift that keeps on giving. Thoroughly taped and filmed, it is a rich vein of material to analyze, especially as it has been chronicled in such a bad light by the group themselves, at odds with much of the evidence that has surfaced. SATB has examined the subject numerous times, notably with the two part Winter of Discontent episodes but also two additional episodes featuring Doug Sulpy (author of the seminal Drugs, Divorce and

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01:54:34

189: A Conversation with Robert Rosen

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/02/20

My guest today is best known in Beatles world for having published Nowhere Man (originally in 2000 but since revised in 2015), a book in part drawn from Rosen's exclusive access to John Lennon's diaries. He is also the author of the newly-published memoir, Bobby in Naziland, a telling of his coming of age in Flatbush during the late 50s and early 60s. Rosen's work captures the essence of time and place, with an eye for detail and an ear for the rhythm; true for both of the aforementioned titles.

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01:25:40

188: HandMade Redux

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/02/14

In a follow-up to 171 (An Accidental Studio), I revisit the story of George Harrison: Filmmaker with Gary Wenstrup. Coming off the heels of the recent losses of both Neil Innes and Terry Jones, there was certainly more to discuss about George's relationship with the Pythons, encompassing Life of Brian as well as The Rutles and side issues like Dennis O'Brien (and his archetype, Allan Klein).

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01:44:25

187: 1973

Something About the Beatles ·

2020/01/29

My (returning) guest is Andrew Grant Jackson, author of the newly-published 1973: Rock at the Crossroads. He makes the case for this period being a time of tremendous conflict: AM vs FM - 60s giants vs emerging upstarts - mainstream vs underground, all achieving levels of success whether at the time or in years later as influences. Against this backdrop, the four ex-Beatles issued five all albums of new material in total; all of which made the Top Ten (while three scored US number one hit singles,

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02:53:11

186: Fly on the Wall Two: Holiday Edition

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/12/25

In which SATB listener favorite Jeff Martin returns, and where we honor you, the listener, by running down nearly three hours' worth of your suggested events to revisit (as winged insects). Loads here covering The Beatles' career from start to finish - loads of music - and a nice way to spend holiday leisure time, while traveling or escaping boredom; posted in time to wrap up 2019 (and to salute Jeff's birthday, too). Thank you, each and every listener!

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01:37:39

185: Ringo's White Album

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/12/21

My guests Alex Cain and Terry McCusker are back, presenting a discussion of their newest work, Ringo's White Album. Building on their previous work, Ringo Starr and The Beatles' Beat, this work examines in great detail what Ringo brought to these tumultuous 1968 sessions (which he did walk out of at one point), pushing the boundaries of his art with stylistic innovation as well as advanced studio technique. We also talked a bit about Ringo's work on Abbey Road, which will be the subject of their

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01:11:46

184: "Yesterday" and the Myth of Meritocracy

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/12/07

2019's Danny Boyle rom-cam featuring a Beatles subtext has inspired a lot of discussion among fans this year, given the pretext of a struggling English musician apparently being the only person on Earth who can remember existence of the group. Most of the chatter was about the film itself, but I thought there were even richer discussions to be had, using the film's core idea as a springboard. The idea for this show was prompted by an article by my guest, Noah Berlatsky (I would encourage listeners

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02:31:46

183: McGear with Mike McCartney

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/11/27

Special guests don't come much more special: today, a man who needs no introduction. His 1974 album, McGear, was produced with a little help from his big brother ("Our Kid" to you). It features contributions from members of a then-contemporary band, including Linda McCartney, Denny Laine and Jimmy McCulloch, and has often been spoked of as a "missing" Wings album. But Mike's artistry is all his own, making McGear, in a way, the album Paul never did make. This extended conversation covers not only

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01:55:59

182: Here We Go Again (1)

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/11/16

In what will be an ongoing feature of SATBs going forward, I welcome to the show Gary Wenstrup. In addition to being a regular listener, Gary is a college-level teacher and lecturer, whose expertise encompasses an array of 1960s music acts. He saw an opportunity for following up shows to dig deeper, in ways that might not have been possible given time constraints. This episode uses as the starting off point my interview with Susan Shumsky, detailing The Beatles' 1968 visit to Rishikesh; but it also

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02:18:24

181: Erin Weber and The Beatles

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/11/04

It's the return of our favorite Fab historian. In this lengthy dialogue, we discuss an array of literature from the Beatles historical canon: among the works, Many Years From Now - The Love You Make - John Lennon: In My Life - Ray Coleman's bios of John and of Paul - Mike McCartney's The Macs: A Family Album, and others as well. As usual, Erin employs the methodology of a trained historian to assess how reliable these works are, in terms of presenting research and history that are worthy of our time

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339 results

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