Something About the Beatles

As a follow-on to my last conversation with author Glenn Greenberg, we sat down to explore the Harrison-Lennon dynamic. A couple of things referenced in the show can be found below:    Here's John's 1974 note to George.    Here's John's 1976 Q&A.    Glenn Greenberg's Making of the White Album bookazine can be found here.     "I Know It's True" (end song) by Iamaphoney can be found here.  Learn mor...

Journalist Steve Matteo has a new book out - Act Naturally: The Beatles on Film.  It's an all-encompassing volume detailing and contextualizing the making of every one of their cinematic projects, including a few that didn't actually get filmed.  For this first discussion, we focused on their first two, both directed for United Artists by Richard Lester and produced by Walter Shenson.  Learn more...

My guest today has recently completed the first volume of an exhaustive study of Paul's body of work in Paul McCartney: Music is Ideas 1970 - 1989. Luca Perasi is a Beatles historian who specializes in the group's bassist, post-split. He was a consultant hired by MPL for the recent 7" single box set, as well as the Italian translator for Paul's The Lyrics book.  For our first discussion, we focuse...

Hired as a tape op by EMI in February 1970, Leckie quickly found himself among rock royalty when his career began with work on Ringo's Sentimental Journey, followed quickly after with McCartney. But his major immersion with the cream of rock's musicians soon came with the All Things Must Pass project, placing him at the service of George Harrison and Phil Spector and with a team that included Ring...

Tony King was general manager of Apple US in the early 70s, but thereafter worked directly with John and Ringo, promoting their work from 1973 through 1975. Beyond that, he was a true British rock Zelig figure, partying with The Beatles the night before they flew to America for their 1964 Ed Sullivan Show debut; working with Andrew Oldham and the Stones during their "Satisfaction" heyday; thereaft...

The series with professor/lecturer Gary Wenstrup continues as we rate tracks on each Beatles album in Olympic style: Gold - Silver - Bronze. This episode introduces a modification, adding in for consideration the singles that bookended the 1967 release: "Strawberry Fields Forever"/"Penny Lane" and "All You Need Is Love"/"Baby You're A Rich Man."  Check out Gary's upcoming lectures at garywenstrup....

"The Lost Weekend" was the handle John implemented (picked up by subsequent narrators) to describe the period of his separation from Yoko, during which time a romantic relationship began with his 22 year-old personal assistant, May Pang. Once the couple reconciled, May's impact on his life was swept under the rug in all sanctioned tellings, in the service of a narrative propping up the John and Yo...

I asked for your questions last summer and you responded, so here you go! Aided by Gary Wenstrup (SATB regular of Olympiad series fame), we tackle the following subjects:  The "aaahs" on "A Day in the Life" The end of touring Beatles '76 Live Aid A psychological exam of John and Paul's relationship Mimi Smith's parenting The "Come Together" lawsuit George on Sgt. Pepper Where were you December 8,...

Fifty years on, Ringo's third solo album (or first, as he counted it in 1977) remains a stunning achievement, not just for the near-Beatles reunion but also on its own musical merits. With Richard Perry in the producer's chair, an array of talent was rallied in support of the beloved ex-Beatle, resulting in something greater than the sum of its parts. At Perry's side was engineer Bill Schnee, who'...

No one on the planet knows more about the contents of The Beatles' Nagra reels than Beatle scholars Doug Sulpy (Drugs, Divorce and A Slipping Image) and Dan Rivkin (They May Be Parted blog). We convened to review the Get Back film and discuss how well it depicted the events revealed by the extant audio.    Doug's works can be found at www.dougsulpy.com   Dan's blog is here: https://theymaybeparted...

Returning guest Glenn Greenberg (216 Dear Friend; 223 The Beatles 1971 - 1973; 235 Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson at 80) is back for another discussion, this one examining the complex relations between George and Paul - the longest running friendship in the band.    This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Go to betterhelp.com/satb for 10% off your first month of treatment.   Learn more about you...

This show was taped a month ago, in conversation with Yardbirds/Renaissance/Illusion founding member Jim McCarty, in an effort to widen the lens exploring the world of 60s British rock that The Beatles operated in. Sadly we find ourselves now memorializing his friend and bandmate, Jeff Beck - a giant of guitar whose boundless brilliance we were privileged to witness. So it is in the spirit of cele...

Author Susan Shumsky first appeared on SATB in 2019, upon the publication of her memoir, The Maharishi and Me, which detailed her twenty years living at his ashram (including six years working directly for his organization). We discussed her knowledge of The Beatles' Rishikesh sabbatical then, but with her new book, The Inner Light, she goes deep with an exploration of how their interactions with...

Musicologist Walter Everett joins professional musicians Cameron Greider and Jack Petruzzelli in a return visit to discuss the latest Beatles reissue set. Revolver is analyzed through the prism of its poetry as well as its musical maturity and what the new set reveals in terms of The Beatles' major artistic advance.     Check out the upcoming Revolver class here: http://www.rpm-school.com    This...

Between 1963 and 1969, The Beatles issued ephemeral holiday greetings to members of their fan club on flexidiscs. These were collected onto an LP in 1970, but for the most part, escaped a proper issue for the masses (excepting the 2017 limited edition set).  In this holiday edition of SATB, Gary Wenstrup (Beatles Olympiad shows) and I take a deep dive into the history of these recordings, providin...

Returning SATB guest favorite Ray Connolly (journalist, Beatles insider, screenwriter) penned what remains the finest Lennon bio in print, Being John Lennon: A Restless Life. On this, his 82nd birthday, we celebrate John's life and Ray's as well as we discuss a wide array of topics with someone who knew John well: a journalist friend and confidant. In this far-reaching conversation, we touch on to...

An entire book dedicated to a single song may strike some as bewildering, but not if the song in question is both The Beatles' longest single (in length) as well as one of their most successful (quadruple platinum): 1968's "Hey Jude." Deceptively simple and universally appealing, the Apple Records debut marked an astonishing launch to their label while serving as an anthem of healing during a tumu...

In which the worlds of three returning guests collide to discuss 1) is there (or should there be) a common starting point for all critiques of art and 2) the world of rock criticism generally - what's the purpose and where does it go wrong?  Dr. Allison Bumsted is a popular music scholar, specializing in teen magazines (Teen Set in particular) and has written extensively on rock criticism on the 6...

Are you Get Back-ed out yet? No? Good, because there are still plenty of avenues to explore within the scope of January 1969. Featured today is something from the vaults: the conversation reuniting three witnesses to the events on Savile Row on 30 January, 1969: Apple press office deputy Chris O'Dell, Beatles equipment manager Kevin Harrington, and EMI tape operator Alan Parsons; yes, the eventual...

Returning guest Robert Rosen (Nowhere Man) penned an essay last year discussing a phenomenon called "catch-and-kill," wherein the powerful who wish to keep unflattering stories from reaching the public exert pressure and influence to keep media companies from publishing them. In the instances he wrote about, a pair of book projects detailing life at the Dakota during John Lennon's final five years...

Luther Russell and I roll into the next hour of discussion and analysis of the intent behind Double Fantasy; about Yoko's standing in the rock world, and how The Beatles might better have dealt with her entry into their world. The album is ripe for a fresh listen, and no matter how you may rank it in the canon, is certainly worthy of an extended discussion as a release so heavy with meaning.    En...

Given the unique circumstance of Double Fantasy - John Lennon's first work in five years and his slaying within a few short weeks of its release - it is hard to assess the final work issued during his lifetime; a joint effort with his wife, Yoko Ono. Its initial tepid reception gave way to it serving as a place for mourners worldwide to project their grief, and has, for some, grown to status as pe...

In which Gary Wenstrup and I continue the discussion of Revolver, followed by a thorough analysis of the group's OTHER 1966 UK release, A Collection of Beatles Oldies (But Goldies!).  This podcast is sponsored by Betterhelp. Go to betterhelp.com/SATB for 10% off your first month of treatment.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taking a detour from some of the heavier SATB topics of late for end-of-summer light entertainment, Gary Wenstrup and I return to the series of gold, silver and bronze rankings of Beatle cuts through their catalog. We're at the halfway point now as The Beatles turned the page from a touring to a studio band, but not before a final blast of nostalgia by years' end.  Learn more about your ad choices...

Returning guest Terry Zobeck (234: Paul McCartney Lyrics ) spent his career studying drug addiction and its effects. With a PhD in anthropology besides, this Beatles scholar is uniquely qualified to discuss the Joe Goodenn's book, Riding So High: The Beatles and Drugs. (Here's Erin Weber's review.)    Our conversation covers a lot of ground, but mostly concerns itself with an informed perspective...