All Together Now: A Beatle Podcast

Erin and Karen discuss Philip Norman's latest biography about George Harrison. The book's relevance and contribution to Beatle historiography is critically examined.

In this podcast, Erin and Karen review the the only authorized biography of The Beatles, written by Hunter Davies and published in 1968.

We examine Davies' defense of his work throughout the decades, his continued support for and promotion of the work's key interpretations up through the present day, and The Authorized Biography's unique status in Beatles historiography as the last major work in which all four Beatles spoke with one voice. 

(Note: Davies met McCartney in 1966, not 1996).

Erin and Karen discuss Peter Jackson’s Get Back documentary in the context of its contemporary relevance in Beatles historiography and in comparison the the 1970 Let It Be Docmentary and other related works.

Part II. One of the more influential but under-the-radar books in Beatles historiography, Peter McCabe and Robert Schonfeld's Apple to the Core is a book whose chronological context is key, as Karen and Erin discuss in this two-part episode of "All Together Now." From the interviews given in the single most agenda-driven year in Beatles historiography, to omissions of contradictory evidence, to interpretations influenced by the era's establishment vs. countercultural split, this episode delves into the depiction of Allen Klein in the immediate aftermath of the Beatles' trial and how Apple to the Core contributed to the Lennon Remembers narrative.

Part I. One of the more influential but under-the-radar books in Beatles historiography, Peter McCabe and Robert Schonfeld's Apple to the Core is a book whose chronological context is key, as Karen and Erin discuss in this two-segment episode of "All Together Now." From the interviews given in the single most agenda-driven year in Beatles historiography, to omissions of contradictory evidence, to interpretations influenced by the era's establishment vs. countercultural split, this episode delves into the depiction of Allen Klein in the immediate aftermath of the Beatles' trial and how Apple to the Core contributed to the Lennon Remembers narrative.

It's safe to say that all Beatles books contain at least a few errors. But not all errors are created equal. In the most recent edition of their "All Together Now" podcast, Karen and Erin will use Larry Kane's "When They Were Boys" to discuss the different 'tiers' of errors authors make, from lazy but inconsequential mistakes to the deliberate misrepresentation of evidence. They will also discuss how crucial an author's understanding of the current state of their subject's historiography is to providing an accurate account, and why secondary works built on memoirs can be problematic. What value does Kane's work hold? Find out in this episode of All Together Now: A Beatles Podcast.

This brief episode is an extract from “Conversations With McCartney”, in which Erin briefly discusses our unique approach to the analysis and discussion of Beatle biography.  She explains that ATN will utilize the same approaches and methods employed in graduate school level reading seminars, methods which are applied by professors and students to examine subjects of great historical significance. Every podcast will provide analysis, by a trained historian, of a different book, examining its biases, stance on major debates, methodological flaws or strengths, and place in  Beatles historiography.

In this episode, Erin and Karen discuss “Conversations with McCartney" by Paul Du Noyer.  “Conversations With McCartney” is a compilation of interviews Du Noyer conducted with McCartney from 1979 to 2015.  An analysis of its methodology from a historical perspective and place in Beatle historiography is discussed.

Erin Torkelson Weber teaches American History at Newman University and is the author of The Beatles And The Historians, An Analysis Of Writings About The Fab Four.

Karen hold a Masters Degree in Psychology and is a retired mental health practitioner.