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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

01:30:20

176A: Critiquing The Critics - A Case Study with Wings

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/09/13

This show represents a deep (3 hour) dive into examining the evolving language of rock criticism: the ideology employed - the fluid definitions of "rock" and "pop" - the application of "authenticity" as a value to an artist's work, in this specific case, Paul McCartney and Wings. The 1970s was a time when rock critics achieved nearly the status of rock icons themselves: everyone from John Mendelssohn and Jon Landau to Simon Frith and Lester Bangs. Paul's post-Beatle career stands as an example of an

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01:38:41

175 Beatle Jazz with Ramsey Lewis

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/08/26

[powerpress] An area heretofore unexplored on SATB is jazz: specifically, which artists took raw material from The Beatles and took it in a new direction. It is our good fortune to have within reach a true legend of the idiom: Ramsey Lewis, a multi-Grammy-winning keyboardist whose work spans decades and genres. In late 1968 - mere weeks after The Beatles' "White Album" was released - Ramsey issued a 10-song collection drawing from the Beatles' fresh work. Mother Nature's Son was hailed as a

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01:08:21

174: Once Upon A Time with Ivor Davis

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/08/18

[powerpress] 1969 was a tremendous year, in the world generally and with The Beatles as well. We find ourselves commemorating (if not celebrating) a number of 50th anniversaries this year, among them the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders; tangentially tied to the "White Album" by Charles Manson's (mis)reading of certain lyrics. That he was able to incite a bunch of confused misfits into sociopathy remains a fascinating area of study, and SATB has previously explored the purported ties between

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01:36:46

173: Being Ray Connolly

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/08/06

Few professional scribes received access to The Beatles like Ray Connolly. As a journalist with the Evening Standard, he found himself in the right place at the right time to cover the group during their final years. (It was to him that John confided that he'd quit the group; it was to Ray that Paul divulged: "I didn't leave the Beatles - The Beatles left the Beatles.") He later scripted the films That'll Be The Day and Stardust; he also wrote radio plays and biographies. In 2018, he published

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01:05:42

172: Collecting The Beatles Part Two with Terry Crain

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/08/02

Back in 2017, SATB first explored of Beatles collectors. This year, a terrific addition to Beatle literature arrived with the publication of Terry Crain's new book, NEMS and the Business of Selling Beatles Merchandise in the U.S. 1964-1966. Terry didn't merely catalog the merchandise of the period: instead, he methodically researched the history of the items marketed stateside, each of which tells a story itself. There's a ton of history to be gleaned from these ephemeral footnotes of the era -

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01:24:21

171: An Accidental Studio - George's HandMade Films

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/07/17

Beginning in 1978, George Harrison became drawn into a vocation he'd only dabbled in previously: filmmaker. HandMade Films came into being serendipitously, simply because he wanted to see Monty Python's Life of Brian get made. This "accidental studio" went on to produce work of staggeringly high quality, resulting in works ranging from Time Bandits and The Long Good Friday to Mona Lisa and Withnail and I. (Also: Shanghai Surprise.) The story of George's cinematic career has now been told, in a

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01:27:42

170: The Maharishi and The Beatles

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/07/01

The full story of The Beatles' Rishikesh visit and their relationship with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had never been explored in detail and from the inside before - until now. Susan Shumsky spent over twenty years studying TM, including seven working directly with the Maharishi. The author of 14 books, her newest - Maharishi and Me: Seeking Enlightenment with the Beatles' Guru - sheds light on the Rishikesh experience and how it impacted The Beatles' lives and art. Years of misinformation is cleared

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01:39:31

169: In The Studio; 1967 part two, plus

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/06/22

In which I resume the conversation with engineer/producer Jerry Hammack, begun earlier this year. This time, our sounding board is writer/musician/engineer/producer/podcaster/returning guest Anthony Robustelli. We discuss the specifics of their studio work throughout 1967 and into 1968, encompassing Magical Mystery Tour and then some. Jerry's third volume of The Beatles' Recording Reference Manual series was recently published. My guests: https://www.beatlesrecordingreferencemanuals.com/

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01:28:19

168: Mary Hopkin

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/05/31

The first break-out star at Apple Records was, of course, Mary Hopkin with "Those Were The Days." A huge international hit, it typed her as a cheery ingénue, somewhat removed from her folk roots (and aspirations). Other hits followed, diverging from her preferred stylistic path, until her second Apple album, Earth Song / Ocean Song (produced by her future husband, Tony Visconti) at last gave her some artistic satisfaction. Her story - at Apple and beyond (including session work for David Bowie,

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01:13:27

167: Apple Jam

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/05/25

Apple Jam is a Seattle-based recording and performing outfit specializing in Beatles music; specifically, songs written by Lennon-McCartney and Harrison that, for the most part, went unrecorded/released as "Beatles" product. My guests today are Richard Lovrovich, Jaekal Tristram and Doug Kilishek. In this conversation, they discuss the curation of obscure Beatles material: the selection process (what makes the cut - and what doesn't), the recording and the performance of this music. Off The Beatle

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01:26:54

166: The Magic of Collaboration Part One

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/05/17

It is not a unique observation to note that bandleader Duke Ellington and The Beatles shared some commonalities, creativity-wise. They were unclassifiable musically, and a great deal of what made their art magic came from the collaborative process, hardwired into their working method. My guest, musicologist Thomas Brothers, has written a terrific new book - Help: The Beatles, Duke Ellington and the Magic of Collaboration. This conversation provides an overview of his thesis (to be followed up with a

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01:24:51

164: George Martin's Sound Pictures with Ken Womack

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/04/08

Back in 2017, SATB featured a conversation with Ken Womack on the publication of volume one of his George Martin biography, Maximum Volume (here). In late 2018, volume two emerged, this one taking up the story where George Martin resumed production chores with The Beatles, this time as an independent contractor. It marked the era of their highest artistic achievement as well as an eventual erosion in relations between producer and proteges. This discussion also covers the post-Beatles years and Sir

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02:21:45

163: Fly On The Wall Moments with Jeff Martin

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/04/02

He’s back, and with a terrific topic: each of us choosing 7 moments in the history of The Beatles that we would’ve liked to have been around to witness as a fly on the wall. The criteria being, occasions where the history is unclear, or simply moments that would’ve been amazing to witness. This ended up as an interesting Rorschach exercise, mapping out our respective concentrated areas of interest as well. You’ll hear ours but we want to hear yours: leave ’em for consideration on Twitter,

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01:31:34

162: A Conversation with Ethan Russell (part one)

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/03/27

You know him as the photographer responsible for one Beatles album cover (two in the US); their last group photo shoot, and as the official photographer on the “Get Back” / Let It Be project (his photos filled the book packaged with the original issue). But Ethan Russell also produced iconic images for the Rolling Stones and The Who, as well as album covers and short films for an array of artists, plus wrote several books (including Dear Mr. Fantasy). His latest is in the works as part of a

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02:03:06

161: January 1969 part two – Into the Nitty-Gritty...

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/03/22

This is the second part of a discussion begun with Doug Sulpy (co-author of Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image/Get Back), this time with blogger Dan Rivkin. His blog, They May Be Parted, is a detailed examination of the Nagra tapes of the “Get Back”/Let It Be project. Dan adds detail, analysis and context to the recordings, and we dive deep into what all there is to be gleaned from the extant record (and speculate on what to expect from Peter Jackson). Part one of January 1969 here. Dan’s

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01:52:13

160: The Redhead on the Roof

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/03/09

You know him as the human music stand kneeling before John Lennon for “Dig A Pony” during the rooftop session of January 1969. But Kevin Harrington was much more than that: coming into The Beatles’ orbit beginning in January 1966 as an office boy at NEMS; an employee of the Saville Theatre the following year, and lastly, a roadie/gofer at Apple from 1968 on, setting up their musical gear for recording sessions (and hanging out otherwise). Kevin’s stories are entertaining and insightful: The

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01:49:09

159: Eight Arms To Hold You Revisited

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/02/24

Back in 2000, Chip Madinger and Mark Easter produced an exhaustive study of every extant recording of the solo Beatles, up to that very year: studio sessions, live concerts and broadcasts. Eight Arms To Hold You was a one-of-a-kind detailed examination of what the four ex-Beatles did musically, when and with whom. The book went out of print, but the good news is, it’s back (in PDF form) and updated with another 20,000 words, further detailing the ground covered (though it still ends at 2000). I

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01:39:04

158: January 1969 part one – An Overview with Doug Sulpy

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/02/12

Two words: Peter Jackson Remember the “Winter of Discontent”? My guest today is Doug Sulpy, co-author (with Ray Schweighardt) of Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image (AKA Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of the Beatles’ “Let It Be” Disaster.) With the announcement of the long-desired fresh look at the Let It Be project being in the works, we discuss what can be learned from a close study of the Nagra reels, and where the common perceptions have missed the mark. This episode is an overview: we

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01:05:17

05: Fifty Years of US Releases

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/02/06

In this episode, Robert and Richard discuss some of the Beatle novelty recordings of fifty years ago, plus the new box set release of all their American albums.

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01:35:59

157: In the Studio; 1967 (The Ben and Jerry Show)

Something About the Beatles ·

2019/01/24

It’s the return of Jerry Hammack – creator of the Beatles Recording Reference Manual series. Volume 3, covering the end of 1966 (“Strawberry Fields Forever”) through the whole of Sgt. Pepper (plus Magical Mystery Tour) has just been published. Producer Ben Rowling and I discuss the high level of studio innovation that typified the post-touring era, and though we didn’t get to Magical Mystery Tour in this conversation (part two to come), we did discuss elements of their work habits through the

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333 results

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