BC the Beatles

We’re back from our summer break and are so excited to welcome author Madeline Bocaro.

Madeline is a music journalist with a lifelong admiration for Yoko Ono. Her new book, In Your Mind - The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono, tells the story of her amazing life, struggles, art, activism, films and music in astounding detail. The book dives deep into Yoko’s life before, during, and after her relationship with John, highlighting her childhood in Japan during wartime, her art, films, music and work for peace and women's rights. It also explores the misunderstanding and undeserved negativity that Ono has received throughout her life as an Asian woman and as the wife of one of the Beatles.

The book has received rave reviews, with Spill magazine calling it, “The Bible on Ono.” It’s also earned a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame library and archives. But perhaps most telling are the comments from those close to Yoko herself. Elliot Mintz, Yoko’s longtime friend and former publicist said, “The book is a masterpiece… mandatory reading for anyone seeking insight into a woman like no other.” And Sean Lennon commented, “We love your book! It’s beautiful. Thank you for caring enough to be so meticulous.”

• Learn more about the book and get a signed hardcover copy at http://conceptualbooks.com

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We’re still on our summer break, so we’re bringing you a preview of our recent appearance on one of our favorite podcasts, Ranking the Beatles. This episode keeps the Let it Be vibes going and discusses "One after 909," ranked #85 on Ranking the Beatles' list.

Listen to the full episode and subscribe to Ranking the Beatles here.

About Ranking the Beatles: Musician and self-described Beatles fanatic Jonathan Pretus ranked the entire recorded catalog of the Beatles, because he's a big, big nerd. Then he decided to make a podcast to talk with other people and learn about their connection with The Beatles' music. In each episode, Jonathan and his co-host/wife Julia (a more level-headed, casual fan) invite guests on to discuss the rankings, what they think makes each song so great (or not-so-great), and see if it really is a fool's errand to try and rank the music of the greatest band of all time. 

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The month of August has historically been full of significant changes for the Beatles. In August 1962, Pete Best was fired, and Ringo joined the band, completing the lineup and creating the chemistry that propelled them to worldwide stardom. August 1966 brought the backlash against John’s “more popular than Jesus” comments and marked the end of their touring career. And the death of Brian Epstein, in August 1967, was a tragic loss that in many ways, signified the beginning of the end for the Beatles. 

But August of 1960 was more like the beginning of the beginning, with the Beatles heading off to Hamburg for the very first time. These intense experiences honed their skills and permanently transformed them as musicians and as people. This year represents incredible an incredible transition in the band, laying the groundwork for everything the band became in the coming years. 

We’re taking a couple of weeks off for the summer and we’ll be back with new episodes later this month. So in the meantime, and in honor of this transformative month in Beatles history, we're re-releasing an encore episode of Mach Schau: The Beatles in 1960. 

And there's still time to enter our giveaway to win your own copy of the new Mind Games remixes!

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It's part two of our Mind Games extravaganza, and we're going track-by-track on the new Mind Games Ultimate mix. Listen along with us as we dive into each song on this fabulous new release. 

And don't forget, enter our giveaway to win your own copy of Mind Games!

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We're going deep with a two-parter celebrating the new release of John Lennon's solo album, Mind Games.

In part one, we discuss the original album, the musicians who made up the "Plastic U.F.Ono Band," and the expansive offerings in this new set. And Erika tells Allison about the Mind Games Dolby Atmos listening event in New York City this month, which included a 50-year reunion of the entire Plastic U.F.Ono Band!

Plus, enter our giveaway to win your own copy of Mind Games.

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The trailer for 'Midas Man' — the new film about Beatles' manager Brian Epstein — dropped this week, and we couldn't be more excited!

Scheduled for release on August 29, 'Midas Man' follows Brian's career from 1963 through his death in 1967. It delves deep into Brian's family life, the Liverpool music scene, and his struggles as a closeted gay man in a world where homosexuality was still considered a felony.

After noticing how Brian's last name is pronounced in the film (hint: you get bleeped for saying it that way on our podcast), the second half of the show is an encore episode, where we presented our case for the RIGHT way to pronounce his name. Plus, we bring back one of our favorite listener contributions, a delightfully clever way to help us all remember it.

• Watch the 'Midas Man' trailer

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We celebrate Ringo's birthday by diving into the solo album that was almost a Beatles reunion: 1973's Ringo. With contributions from John, George, and Paul, Ringo gave fans hope that, although their breakup was acrimonious, the four Beatles might find a way back together. For Ringo, the album, his third, was a triumph after a shaky start to his solo career and produced some of his most beloved tracks thanks to his collaborations with not only the other three Beatles but also a host of who's-who musicians Ringo called friends.

Join us for an in-depth discussion of the Ringo album and what the Beatles were up to in 1973. We also chat about Allison's experience at Ringo's birthday parties in Beverly Hills and THE MAN HIMSELF!!! answers one of our burning questions.

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On July 3, 1966, the Beatles landed in Manila, The Philippines, for the final stop on the first leg of their world tour. But two days later, after a misunderstanding with the country's first family, the band and their entourage narrowly escaped with their lives. 

The third part of our touring years series dives into this harrowing moment — an event that would kick off a summer of strife, and reinforce the Beatles' determination to stop touring for good.

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This week, we’re re-releasing a double header of episodes (two-in-one!) that digs into pivotal moments from the Beatles' touring career. The first part is about their very first tour backing Johnny Gentle in 1960. Part two discusses the band’s Winter 1963 tour, opening for UK singing sensation Helen Shapiro — a tour that intersected directly with the rapid rise of British Beatlemania. 

These two episodes are the first two parts of a three-part series on the Beatles’ touring years. And next week we dive into the harrowing incident with the Beatles in the Philippines — the final installment of this series. 

• Johnny Gentle and The Beatles: First Ever Tour, by John Askew (Johnny Gentle)

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Today is Juneteenth, a day that has held significance for the Black community for many years and one that, for the past four, has become a national holiday in the United States. It’s a day for education, listening, learning, and increasing awareness of the Black experience. Though we are two white women who are still doing a lot of learning and listening ourselves, we wanted to celebrate Juneteenth by exploring the Beatles’ connection to civil rights, especially during their 1964 tour.  

1964 was time of continuing segregation and heightened racial tensions in America's southern states. But racial segregation, as it was in America, didn’t exist in England. The Beatles were famously appalled at the idea that any of their concerts would take place in front of audiences separated by race, and they refused to play to segregated crowds. John Lennon famously remarked, “We never play to segregated audiences and we aren’t going to start now. I’d sooner lose our appearance money.” The city was resistant but eventually relented, resulting in Jacksonville's first integrated concert.

Our guest today is Dr. Kitty Oliver, who has firsthand experience of this moment. As a Black Beatles fan growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Oliver jumped at the opportunity to attend the integrated concert; she was one of few Black teens in the audience. 

Beatles fans will recognize Dr. Oliver from her appearance in the Ron Howard-directed documentary Eight Days A Week: The Touring Years. She joins us today to recount her story of attending the first integrated concert in Jacksonville history, against the backdrop of growing up in a segregated city.

Dr. Oliver is a veteran journalist, an academic, an author, an oral historian, producer, and professional singer. She holds a PhD in Comparative Studies focusing on race and ethnic communication. She calls herself “a product of the civil rights era who came of age with integration in the US,” and is the founder of the cross-cultural Race and Change Oral History Archive, which is housed in Special Collections at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center. She has written and/or compiled three books focusing on race, change, and her own memories of growing up Black in the South. 

• Learn more about Dr. Oliver and follow her on Instagram

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