I'm welcoming Richard Mills back to the pod today, this time to talk about his book 'The Beatles ad Black Music'.

Beginning with the grand narrative of British colonial history pre-Beatles, Richard's book covers the influence of Black music and culture on the Beatles' teenage years in the 1950s, their association with Lord Woodbine, their love of American Rhythm and Blues in the mid-1960s, and extends to a discussion of post-colonial British identity and the lasting effect Black music has had on the Beatles' legacy and continues to have on the solo careers of Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney.

My guest for this episode is the brilliant Stuart Maconie who is here to discuss his book 'With A Little Help From Their Friends'. 

Stuart's book tells the story of 100 fascinating members of The Beatles' supporting cast - people they encountered during their career either in a major or minor way. 

Split into 3 sections, Before The Beatles, With the Beatles and Beyond the Beatles,  Stuart  tells the epic tale of the people who made the band who made Britain, and along the way adds his own experiences, encounters and conversations to further illuminate the story.

My guest today is Jonathan Gould who joins me to discuss his 2007 book 'Can't Buy Me Love'. More than just a group biography, 'Can't Buy Me Love' tells the social history of Britain and America in the 1960's and provides a sharp musical analysis of The Beatles songs.

He also tells us about his new book on Talking Heads, 'Burning Down The House' which tells the story of one of Rock's most influential groups and the New York scene that they came from.

My guest for this episode is Robert Rodriguez who joins me to discuss the book he co- wrote with Jerry Hammack, 'Ribbons of Rust - The Beatles' Recording History in Context: Volume 1 - July 1954 - January 1963.

Robert and Jerry's book tells The Beatles thrilling early story in context, describing the sights and sounds of that time creating an effect that feels like you are you are in the room with The Beatles, from the first Liverpool recording at the Percy Phillips facility to Forthlin Road, their Hamburg sessions with Tony Sheridan, Decca and Parlophone. 

I'm welcoming the journalist and writer John Harris back to the pod today, this time for a special bonus episode on his book 'Maybe I'm Amazed -  A Story of Love and Connection in Ten Songs'.

When John's son James was born, and three years later diagnosed with autism, music became a source of precious connection and endless wonder for both of them.

James connected with so much music, but one of his strongest passions was The Beatles. As a Beatle obsessive himself, John talks about his own relationship with the band and tells us how watching his son discover and explore The Beatles became a source of inspiration for them both.

My guest for todays episode is Ian Leslie, who joins me to discuss his brilliant book on John and Paul - 'A Love Story in Songs'.

Ian's book traces the twists and turns of their relationship through the music it produced and offers rich insights into the nature of creativity, collaboration and human connection.

My guest for todays episode is Allison Bumstead who is here to to discuss her brilliant book on Teen fan magazines. She focuses mainly on Teenset which under the stewardship of the remarkable Judith Sims was one of the most forward thinking and exciting pop publications of the 60's.

We talk about how The Beatles were portrayed in these magazines and how essential their existence was to the first generation Beatles fan.

My guest today is Seth Rogovoy who is here to discuss his book 'Within You Without You - Listening to George Harrison'

Seth's book is a highly personal exploration of George's essential contributions to the Beatles and his solo work, as well as his significant role as a Western proponent of Indian music and beliefs.

I'm delighted to welcome Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair back to the pod to discuss Volume 2 of their McCartney Legacy series.

Volume 2 covers Paul's life from1974 up until the start of 1980 and is researched in the same fascinating detail as Volume 1 was - for this conversation I wanted to focus on what happened to Paul and Wings after their 1976 World Tour concluded, he'd reached the top of the mountain again - what happened next? 

My very special guest for this episode is Elliot Mintz who first encountered John and Yoko in his role as a late night radio host in 1971.

A strong bond between the three of them formed after these interviews, and soon Elliot became an almost daily part of their lives. His book tells the story of this friendship, from the breakup of The Beatles to the birth of Sean, from John’s death and beyond, Elliot was there through it all, either to witness it or as a friendly voice at the end of the phone.