BC the Beatles

BC the Beatles episodes:

• 06.26.2024

  The Beatles' Early Tours: Johnny Gentle and Helen Shapiro [Encore]

  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...

  
• 06.19.2024

  The Beatles' Historic Stance Against Segregation, with Dr. Kitty Oliver

  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...

  
• 06.12.2024

  The Sound of ‘One Hand Clapping’ Track-By-Track, with Sam Whiles of the Paul Or Nothing Podcast

  Paul McCartney and Wings’ One Hand Clapping is one of the most bootlegged albums in rock history. Fifty years later, the album is being officially released for the first time, with a fabulous new mix by Steve Orchard (and Giles...

  
• 06.05.2024

  John’s Not-So-Lost Weekend, with May Pang

  Our guest today is the wonderful May Pang, who we’re so excited to welcome onto BC the Beatles! May began her career in the music industry at ABKCO and Apple Records before transitioning into being John and Yoko’s personal assistant....

  
• 05.29.2024

  The Beatles and Doctor Who: A Shared Timeline, with Ed Chen and James Ryan

  This month, two behemoths of British culture crashed into one another, when the new season of Doctor Who featured a much-anticipated Beatles episode called “The Devil’s Chord.” Both fandoms have been hoping for this crossover episode for years, and we...

  
• 05.22.2024

  The Redhead on the Roof, with Kevin Harrington

  Our very, very special guest today is the great Kevin Harrington, who most Beatles fans will recognize as the “redhead on the roof” in the Let It Be and Get Back films. At the time, Kevin was only 18 years...

  
• 05.15.2024

  A ‘Let It Be’ Roundtable with the Blotto Beatles, Ranking the Beatles, Fans on the Run, and Paul or Nothing Podcasts

  This week, Erika participated in a roundtable discussion of the newly-released Let it Be film with some of our favorite Beatles podcasters. Enjoy this supersized episode about all things Let it Be. And if you like what you hear, please...

  
• 05.08.2024

  ‘Let It Be’ Revisited with Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg

  We’re thrilled to welcome the incredible Michael Lindsay-Hogg to the podcast. Michael is, of course, the director of the Beatles’ film “Let it Be,” now fully restored and available worldwide on Disney Plus. Michael joined us to talk about his original...

  
• 05.01.2024

  A "Let it Be" Teaser with Giles Martin and a Track-by-Track Recap of the 2021 Remixes [Encore]

  The trailer for the restored version of Michael Lindsay-Hogg's "Let it Be" film dropped this week, and we couldn't be more excited! So in anticipation of the big day, we combined two of our favorite "Let it Be" episodes from...

  
• 04.24.2024

  Behind the Scenes at Abbey Road on the River, with Melissa Brumm

  This week, we welcome Melissa Brumm, Co-Producer and Creative Director for the Abbey Road on the River music festival. Abbey Road on the River (AROTR) is the world’s largest Beatles-inspired music festival (and is very close to Allison's heart!). Since 2002,...

  
• 04.17.2024

  Nutopia: John and Yoko's Conceptual Country

  In an April 1973 press conference, John Lennon and Yoko Ono declared the birth of Nutopia, a "conceptual country" founded in response to John's ongoing immigration struggles. In past weeks, Nutopia has resurfaced online through a new website. We look at...

  
• 04.10.2024

  Surprise, Surprise! It's a Cilla Black Episode!

  When we first started this podcast way back in 2018, one of the reasons we called it “BECAUSE the Beatles” was because we wanted to be able to not only talk about the Beatles, but anything adjacent to them in...

  
• 03.27.2024

  Podcast Preview: We Say Yeah!, a Cliff Richard Podcast with David “Ghosty” Wills

  This week, we're sharing an episode of one of our favorite Beatles-adjacent podcasts, We Say Yeah!, a show about Cliff Richard and the Shadows. This is one of the only — if not the only — podcasts exclusively about Cliff Richard,...

  
• 03.20.2024

  The Last Lennon Interview, with Author Laurie Kaye

  Today we're joined by Laurie Kaye, author of the new book, Confessions of a Rock 'N' Roll Name-Dropper: My Life Leading up to John Lennon’s Last Interview. As a young rock journalist, Laurie got the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend...

  
• 03.13.2024

  And the Award Goes To… Beatles Biopics

  Our excitement over the upcoming Sam Mendes Beatles biopics got us thinking about some of our favorite Beatles movies. From classics like Birth of the Beatles and Backbeat, to contemporary Beatles stories like Nowhere Boy and Yesterday, we look at...

  
• 03.06.2024

  Beatles Fan Clubs in North America, with author Sara Schmidt

  Sara Schmidt returns to the podcast to discuss her new book, Dear Beatle People: The Story of the Beatles North American Fan Club. Dear Beatle People: The Story of the Beatles’ North American Fan Club tells the stories of both the...

  
• 02.28.2024

  The New Beatles Biopics!! What We Know and What We Want

  Four new Beatles biopics are coming, and we're obsessed! Oscar- and TONY-award winning director Sam Mendes will direct the films, slated for 2027, with full life rights for all four Beatles. We break down what we know so far, speculate on...

  
• 02.21.2024

  Happy Birthday(s), George! [Encore Episode]

  This week marks what would have been George Harrison’s birthday… or is it birthdays? So we pulled one of our most popular episodes out of the archives in his honor. We’re looking at George’s early life in Liverpool, his all-encompassing...

  
• 02.14.2024

  Love Letters to the Beatles (and a Fest recap!)

  This Valentine's Day, we're reading some of the love letters fans sent to the Beatles 60 years ago this year, published in 1964's Love Letters to the Beatles. Plus a recap of the 2024 Fest for Beatles Fans at the...

  
• 02.07.2024

  A Really Big Show: How the Beatles Made It to ‘Ed Sullivan’

  It’s the 60th anniversary of the Beatles’ first American visit and their groundbreaking appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. We’re tracing the twists and turns that brought the Beatles to America, and opened the doors to a cultural revolution in...

  
• 01.31.2024

  Sex, Nostalgia, and Fanfiction: Beatles Fandom with Richard Mills

  This week, we welcome Dr. Richard Mills, author of the book The Beatles and Fandom: Sex, Death, and Progressive Nostalgia, as we discuss the intricacies of Beatles fandom in all its glory. From sex and death to slash fanfic and...

  
• 01.24.2024

  "Meat" the Beatles: The Butcher Cover Controversy

  The infamous "Butcher" cover inspired near-universal shock and disgust when it appeared as the original cover of The Beatles' Yesterday...and Today album. It was recalled after a single day, and albums with a butcher cover hidden underneath the replacement photo...

  
• 01.17.2024

  The Beatles as Fashion Icons with Deirdre Kelly

  This week, we're exploring the Beatles' fashion sense and influence with Deirdre Kelly, author of the new book Fashioning the Beatles: The Looks that Shook the World. Deirdre is a Canadian journalist, author and arts critic. Other books include the best-selling...

  
• 01.10.2024

  Before “Now and Then”: The First “New” Beatles Song, ”Free as a Bird”

  The Beatles’ Anthology yielded more than an audio trip through the group’s history, it also produced the first “new” Beatles song since the band’s breakup in 1970. Utilizing a demo recorded by John Lennon in the 1970s, “Free As a...

  
• 01.03.2024

  Encore: What If the Beatles Had Passed the (1962 Decca) Audition?

  For our last holiday hiatus episode, we’re going back to our archives again, to look at a New Year's day that may have been one of the most pivotal moments in the Beatles’ career. After just one month of being their...

  
• 12.27.2023

  A ’Now and Then’ Roundtable with Blotto Beatles and Ranking the Beatles

  For the last episode of 2023, we're re-living the most exciting thing to happen in the Beatles world this year: the release of "the last Beatles song," 'Now and Then.' When 'Now and Then' was released in November, Allison joined a...

  
• 12.20.2023

  Encore: Simply Having a … Happy Xmas (War is Over)

  We’re taking a break for the holiday season, so we pulled a fun and timely discussion from our back catalog. In this episode from December, 2018, we look at the two most famous—and most polarizing—holiday songs from the solo Beatles:...

  
• 12.13.2023

  The Mystery of Mal Evans feat. Gary Evans and Ken Womack

  Mal Evans is best known as the Beatles’ roadie, but he was much more: a trusted confidant, driver, Mr. Fix-It, drug procurer, and, most importantly, husband and father. Today, we’re joined by Mal’s son, Gary, and the author of the...

  
• 12.06.2023

  Designer David McGurk on the George and Giles Martin Action Figures

  Did you know that George and Giles Martin have their own action figures? When Giles Martin saw the action figure that designer David McGurk created of his father, George Martin, he liked it so much that he arranged for it...

  
• 11.29.2023

  Paul Muldoon on Paul McCartney: The Lyrics, 1956–Present

  We’re so excited to welcome poet and editor Paul Muldoon to the podcast, to talk about his work on Paul McCartney’s book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, and the companion podcast, Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics. Paul Muldoon has...

  
• 11.22.2023

  The Beatles’ ”Red” (1962–66) and ”Blue” (1967–70) Remixes: Track-by-Track (Part 2)

  We continue our track-by-track deep dive of the Beatles’ “Red” (1962–1966) and “Blue” (1967–1970) albums. In part two, we look at the second half of the Red album and the new tracks on Blue.  Fifty years after their original release, Giles...

  
• 11.15.2023

  The Beatles’ ”Red” (1962–66) and ”Blue” (1967–70) Remixes: Track-by-Track (Part 1)

  The newly-mixed Beatles’ “Red” (1962–66) and “Blue” (1967–70) albums are here! We start our two-part deep dive with the first half of the “Red” album.  Fifty years after their original release, Giles Martin has remixed these albums using the groundbreaking “MAL”...

  
• 11.10.2023

  Giles Martin on Completing the Beatles

  Beatles producer Giles Martin is back! Giles joins us to talk “Now and Then,” the new Red and Blue re-releases, and… his personalized action figure? About Giles: Giles Martin is the mastermind behind the recent remixes of Sgt Pepper, the White Album,...

  
• 11.02.2023

  Now and Then: The Last Beatles Song

  We’re back with our first impressions of the new “last Beatles song,” "Now and Then." ‘Now and Then’ began as one of three demo recordings John Lennon made in the ‘70s, which Yoko gifted to the three surviving Beatles during the...

  
• 10.28.2022

  The ‘Revolver’ Super Deluxe: Track-By-Track

  The happy day is finally here: the new Giles Martin remix of 'Revolver' is out, and we're breaking it all down. We go track-by-track, analyzing the new mixes, the Super Deluxe extras, and some of our favorite outtakes. Listen along...

  
• 10.10.2022

  The Beatles’ Early Tours, Part Two: Helen Shapiro

  We continue our look at some of the pivotal touring moments in The Beatles' early career. This time, we're looking at their February 1963 tour backing teenage singing sensation Helen Shapiro, which intersected with the beginnings of Beatlemania as we...

  
• 09.19.2022

  Her Majesty’s a Pretty Nice Girl: Queen Elizabeth II & The Beatles

  In remembrance of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, we’re taking a look back on the times when the Beatles—collectively and individually—met the Royal Family, including their Royal Command Performance in 1963, MBE ceremony in 1965, Paul and Ringo’s knighthoods, and...

  
• 09.07.2022

  A Remixed ‘Revolver’ Is Coming!

  After the HUGE announcement about the forthcoming ‘Revolver’ releases and Super Deluxe box sets, we had to discuss what we’ve got to look forward to: brand new Giles Martin remixes, outtakes, demos, rarities, and so much more! -------------------- Stream “Taxman” (New stereo...

  
• 08.15.2022

  The Beatles’ Early Tours, Part One: Johnny Gentle

  This episode, we're looking at the Beatles' earliest professional tour, a week-long gig backing singer Johnny Gentle, in 1960. We trace how this first professional tour was the first real step that put them on the trajectory to Beatlemania. We...

  
• 07.25.2022

  Meeting Ringo(!), Mailbag, and A Song About Brian Epstein

  Allison recounts her up-close-and-personal account of Ringo’s birthday celebration, plus a mailbag and speculation on some exciting Beatles-related news! ___________________ Episodes we mention! How to REALLY Pronounce Brian Epstein’s Last Name Talkin’ About “Freedom” (and Paul’s Concert for New York City) "A Women's History of...

  
• 06.18.2022

  BONUS: 80 Things We Love About Paul on his 80th Birthday

  They say it's his birthday! To celebrate Paul McCartney's milestone 80th birthday, we list 80 things we love most about him. Some funny, some poignant, plus one incredibly dirty joke. _________________ +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for photos, videos, and...

  
• 06.13.2022

  Caitlin Larkin, A Bright New Voice on SiriusXM’s Beatles Channel

  We welcome back one of our favorite Beatle People, Caitlin Larkin, now the newest host on SiriusXM's Beatles Channel. Caitlin tells us about the innovative TikTok campaign she staged that got the attention of SiriusXM and helped her land a top...

  
• 05.31.2022

  BONUS: Interview with Paul McCartney’s Russian Tutor, Aliona Muchinskaya

  In this special bonus episode, we return to Russia with Paul along with the incredible Aliona Muchinskaya. Aliona is a Russian-born journalist and event creator who served as Paul’s Russian tutor, translator, assistant, and “chaperone” during his time in Moscow...

  
• 05.23.2022

  CHOBA B CCCP: When Paul Met Putin

  As the Russia/Ukraine conflict continues to rage, we took a look back at the time Paul McCartney brought the Beatles' music to Russia on a groundbreaking gesture of musical goodwill—his 2003 concert in Red Square and accompanying documentary. We indulge...

  
• 05.16.2022

  BC The Beatles GOT BACK! + Paul Live!

  Just like Paul, we’ve GOT BACK! We’re talking all things Paul on tour, including Allison’s rundown of both Oakland shows, setlist spoilers, some off-the-cuff onstage shade from Paul himself, and one person who is glaringly absent this go-round. Plus, we...

  
• 12.03.2021

  Peter Jackson‘s ‘Get Back:‘ F**k Yeah!

  We break down our first impressions of the three-part "Get Back" epic (spoiler: we loved it). Plus, remembering George 20 years on, and a little obsessing over replica Beatle clothing and the latest Brian Epstein statue news. ------------------- +Follow us on Facebook,...

  
• 10.25.2021

  So Much You Don’t Know ’Bout Apple Scruffs feat. Sara Schmidt

  We remember the great, beloved Beatles fan and one of two girls who hung around outside EMI Studios who were asked to contribute vocals to a version of “Across the Universe,” Lizzie Bravo. Meet the Beatles for Real founder Sara...

  
• 10.19.2021

  The ‘Let it Be‘ Remixes: Track-by-Track

  It's finally here! We're discussing (and obsessing over) the new Giles Martin-produced Let it Be album and deluxe box set, track-by-track.  ------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re...

  
• 10.08.2021

  Talkin’ About “Freedom” (and Paul’s Concert for New York City)

  Last month marked 20 years since 9/11, and while observing the day itself is pretty grim, we couldn’t let the anniversary pass without talking about how Paul channeled that horrible event into some pretty massive (and divisive) musical moments. ------------------- +Follow us...

  
• 10.01.2021

  Remixing a #NextGen Let it Be Featuring Producer Giles Martin

  Now that October is upon us, we’re all gearing up for the Let It Be bonanza, starting with the newly remixed album and box sets on October 15. So, to give us the scoop on everything from making the Beatles...