When They Was Fab: Electric Arguments About the Beatles

WTWF 2021-ish year end review.     Jon and I start last October (with the John Lennon "Gimme Some Truth" set), and carry through to Peter Jackson's "Get Back".    20+ discs of material: remixed, remastered and sometimes just plain new.   Happy Holidays!    All the best for 2022!

Lonnie Pena (and the one-time Mrs. Lonnie) return this week as we continue our look at Get Back.     George has returned to the band and the sessions are ready to begin in earnest at Apple Studios.    Billy Preston wanders down to the basement (after an invitation?), and is swept up into the world of the Fab Four.

The third week of our look at "Get Back".      This time, Martin ("Marv") Quibell of "Pods Like Us" and "P2 Podcast Blues" joins us for George Harrison's departure and eventual return to the Beatles.     (For those playing along at home, the end of Part one, and the beginning of Part two).    Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice?    Try Eric and Charlotte and George and Pattie.

This week, we continue our look at "Get Back" the film, but just begin the journey with "Get Back" the song.     While waiting for John, Paul strums the Hofner and comes up with a little bit of magic.     Three days (mosty) without arguments, although there is still some lingering thoughts of a trial separation between the rehearsals.     Special guest, Alan Doss - drummer of Galactic Cowboys and...

WTWF starts its deep dive into the new production from Disney+, Peter Jackson and the Beatles.    This week, the first three days as presented in part one of the new feature.   A new year, a soundstage (paid for by another production), four Beatles, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Glyn Johns and Mal Evans in search of some chairs.     Is it any wonder the disagreements move from subtext to screen.

Part two of the WTWF (and "Winter of Discontent") first look at Peter Jackson's: The Beatles - Get Back.     Stick around as Jon will soon return, and we will begin our deep dive into the days of their lives.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody.    Jon spent the holiday with family, so we will wait for the forthcoming "Deep Dive" to hear his thoughts.     In the meantime, I was joined by Nick Anthony of the "Winter of Discontent" podcast (Nagras, nagras and more nagras!) for our first impressions of the nearly eight hours that is "The Beatles: Get Back".     Part two will be arriving as soon as I can make it...

Jon and I talk a bit about the original Michael Lindsay-Hogg "Let It Be" and the comings and goings of the Beatles in the studio as Ringo began work on "The Magic Christian".     George Martin, Glyn Johns production and overdubs were the order of the day, making one wonder if they were continuing on from January, moving on to the next project or still figuring it all out.

Week 4 of the WTWF review of the Let It Be Superdeluxeedition.     This week, Disc 3:     Rehearsals and Apple Jams.      Quite different from George Harrison's "Apple Jams".     Eric Clapton is only whispered about here, John's safety net if George doesn't return.    Have a sit, pull up a bowl of cauliflower with cheese sauce, and let us know what you think of what we thing.     All through the d...

Week 3 of the WTWF look at the "Let It Be" SDE box.     This week, Apple Sessions.       Chat and sessions from January 1969.     The Beatles are working on their next project with the start date on filming for "The Magic Christian" looming.     Jams, recording sessions on EMI's portable in the basement and more!

Continuing our look at the "Let It Be" box set.     This week, a bit of recap on the history of the "Get Back" LP.     Glyn Johns mixes, radio airplay, bootlegs and other artifacts from 1969.     We then follow this up with a look at Disc 4.     We ponder the mystery of the "Japanese mixes", and discuss how an unreleased, unmastered tape went on to become something nearly as well-known as Phil Spe...

The "Giles Martin" Let It Be is finally here!     This week Jon and I start our dive into the project with the remix of the main record (*waving fist at Phil Spector*) and the EP.     More to come as we do our usual thorough job on the fun and excitement to be found within the bits of cardboard.

A repost of our first visit with Martin Quibell from 2019.     More ukuleles and banjoleles than you can shake a stick at!     Remember, The ukulele is a type of lute class that is quickly becoming the primary choice of instrument for musicians everywhere.

Kit O'Toole - the Queen of All Beatles Media (Talk More Talk), and Martin Quibell (Pods Like Us) join the show this week as we go deeper in-depth on the trailer to the forthcoming Peter Jackson's "The Beatles: Get Back" than some might have thought possible.    Roll on November!

A peek behind the scenes of A Hard Day's Night.     Richard Lester, Walter Shenson, Wilfrid Brambell, Alun Owen and many others came together at the behest of United Artists to shape a movie around the Beatles.     Owen and George Martin would even be nominated for an Academy Award in their respective areas.     A long way away from "Gutter Girls!"

Ringo released the "Change the World" EP on September 24.     This week, we dive into the songs, songwriters, and how these pieces fall together into the whole that is expected to hear next year.     We continue to "Rock Around the Clock" with a playlist of some of Ringo's pre-Beatlemania favorites that he has chosen to cover over the years.

Part two of our look at the singles of records.    Hits, misses and sounds that definitely fall in-between.     Would you believe Apple released a single on 78?    Even Allen Klein could not stop the multiple artists that Apple presented to the world during those years.     Say hello to Chris Hodge, everybody!

Week one of the "When They Was Fab" look at the singles on Apple Records.    This week:  Mary Hopkin, Jackie Lomax, Billy Preston, The Black Dyke Mills band and JOHNPAULGEORGE&RINGO - the foursome that started it all.      We discuss Richard DiLello delivering copies of this box set to Buckingham Palace, and the unique writing style of Derek Taylor.

The fifth (and final) week of our look at the fiftieth anniversary box set of "All Things Must Pass".     Sessions and jams.     Who is walking down lovers lane while "Those Wedding Bells" play?     Why could 2021 possibly be called "The Year of Get Back"?     All this and more on this edition of "When They Was Fab".

Week four of our look at ATMP.    This week, the day one demos.     Also a bit about the official announcement of the "Let It Be" box set, the songs Apple made available to the public, and Charlie Watts.    Hang on, only one more week before this (box set) too shall pass and we get some other topics before the year end rush of even more new product!    Om Hare Om!

We continue our graze through the "All Things Must Pass" box, and this time the wheel stops on LP2 and side 6 (aka "Apple Jam side 2").      We ponder the nature of life, the universe, "Jam Piece", fidelity (as used in both audio and marital terms) and the passing of one of the few remaining fifties rock legends.

Week two of our look at "All Things Must Pass".   This week, the first LP and side one of the "Apple Jams" box.     George, Eric, Bobby Whitlock and Friends galore.    What was George doing in 1970, and how did it end up as a three record set?

On August 6, 2021 UMe and George Harrison presented the fiftieth anniversay remix of "All Things Must Pass" in multiple versions.     This week, we look at disc four (better known as "Day 2" or "Beware of ABKCO") from the streaming, 5CD, 8LP and Uber editions of this set.      Nearly an hour of George Harrison, occsionally a bass player and Phil Spector listening in the booth.

Jon and I finish our review of the first series of McCartney 3 2 1.    You know the routine.    Paul, Rick Rubin, isolated tracks, stories both new and old - while we talk about their discussions, what they missed out on and where exactly the "Paperback Writer" bit from the trailer went!

Kit O'Toole tunes up for the B-side, as we present our review of episode 4 of McCartney 3 2 1