Starting with the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Apple have gifted us deluxe boxed sets of the White Album, Abbey Road, Let It Be and most recently Revolver. Therefore it was assumed as 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of both Help! and Rubber Soul. That this year Beatles fan would gift one or both of these titles the super deluxe treatment.

But this was not to be. Instead Apple decided to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Anthology. A worthy release, but not the deep dive into the vault we fans were expecting.

In this weeks episode we take a deep dive into both Help1 and Rubber Soul and ask the question, is Rubber Soul The Beatles first masterpiece?.

Welcome to episode 34 of Fixing A Hole. The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed.

 If you’re a fan of the podcast, or you like to be a guest on an episode, we’d love to hear from you.
 
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For George, it must have been a double edged sword being a member of the worlds biggest band, with two of the greatest song writers. On the one hand George the budding songwriter was finding it difficult to get his compositions included on a Beatles record. But on the other hand he had two great mentors to learn from.

By 1969 he had matured into a great composer. While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Here cones The Sun are classics, while Something is the equal of the best of John and Paul.

By January 1969 George had built of a large reserve of unreleased material, that he can be seen in Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary talking to John about recording a solo album. Fast forward 12 months and George gifted us All Things Must Pass. A triple album box set.

In this weeks episode we take a deep dive into Georges solo masterpiece.

Welcome to episode 33 of Fixing A Hole. The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed.

 If you’re a fan of the podcast, or you like to be a guest on an episode, we’d love to hear from you.
 
Visit our new patreon channel at patreon.com/fixingahole its currently free to join with new and exclusive material being added from 1 September.
 

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In last week’s episode we took a deep dive into 1962. The final year of John, Paul, George and Ringo’s musical apprenticeship.

This week we look at the first year of the second phase of their career, 1963. In particular, we delve into their live appearances. As this was the year when they moved out of the clubs and halls and entered the world of the package tour circuit. It was also a transition period with regard their fame. As they were no longer the property of a small group of Merseyside teenagers, but now Beatlemania was a nationwide phenomenon.

 Welcome to episode 32 of Fixing A Hole. The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed.

 If you’re a fan of the podcast, or you like to be a guest on an episode, we’d love to hear from you.
 
Visit our new patreon channel at patreon.com/fixingahole its currently free to join with new and exclusive material being added from 1 September.
 

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By December 1962 John, Paul, George and Ringo had completed their apprenticeship. All the hard work they had put in slogging around the night spots of Liverpool and Hamburg had started to pay off. 

The year had begun with an audition for Decca and a single released in the UK from Polydor. National radio for the BBC soon followed. While by the end of the year they had a regional TV broadcast under their belt. Plus. Love Me Do, their first official UK single release reached number 17 in the charts.

In this weeks episode we take a deep dive into 1962. We look at what The Beatles did that year and why it marks the end of the first phase of their career. We also look at what still exists among collectors.

Welcome to episode 31 of Fixing A Hole. The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed.

If you’re a fan of the podcast, or you like to be a guest on an episode, we’d love to hear from you.
 
Visit our new patreon channel at patreon.com/fixingahole its currently free to join with new and exclusive material being added from 1 September.
 

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In 1966 plans were hatched to commission an animated feature based on The Beatles song, Yellow Submarine.

However, with a production team which included the maker of 200 'Popeye' cartoon shorts. John, Paul, George and Ringo wanted nothing to do with it. In fact, The Beatles voices were recreated by a by an ensemble of British character actors and comedians!

However, by the time the production was complete and the group watched this psychedelic jukebox of a film, they were 100% behind it.

In this week’s episode we tell the story of this one of a kind animated film. Who was behind it, the music, the voice over artists, its premiere and the merchandise. In fact, the complete story. So settle down with a coffee (or tea) and listen to

Welcome to episode 30 of Fixing A Hole. The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed.

If you’re a fan of the podcast, or you like to be a guest on an episode, we’d love to hear from you.
 
 Visit our new patreon channel at patreon.com/fixingahole its currently free to join with new and exclusive material being added from 1 September.
 

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When did The Beatles creativity peak?

For me the answer is 1967.

Why 1967?

That’s what Mark and I discuss in this week episode. We look at John, Paul, George and Ringo output in this pivotal year. A year of not just new music, Penny Lane, Sgt. Pepper’s, Hello Goodbye. But also, film making an equally creative statement, Magical Mystery tour, Our World and of course the Strawberry Fields Forever promotional film.

Do you agree?

Listen to this weeks episode to hear Pauls’ argument for 1967 being peak Beatles! 

Welcome to episode 29 of Fixing A Hole. The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed.

If you’re a fan of the podcast, or you like to be a guest on an episode, we’d love to hear from you.
 
 Visit our new patreon channel at patreon.com/fixingahole its currently free to join with new and exclusive material being added from 1 September.
 

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In April 1966 The Beatles released their 12th UK single 'Paperback Writer'. A Paul composition which tells the story of a budding author who wants to get his book published.

In 1968, journalist and author Hunter Davies published the first authorised biography of John, Paul, George and Ringo. 

Since then the floodgates have opened and their have been an avalanche of Beatles books about many different aspects of the bands career. Books about the record releases, television and radio broadcasts, their live concerts and much more.

In this weeks episode Paul takes a deep dive into his Beatles library and selects 10 volumes which Beatles fans should own.

Welcome to episode 28 of Fixing A Hole. The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed.

If you’re a fan of the podcast, or you like to be a guest on an episode, we’d love to hear from you.
 
 Visit our new patreon channel at patreon.com/fixingahole its currently free to join with new and exclusive material being added from 1 September.
 

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April 1971 marked the first anniversary of Paul's statement that he was leaving The Beatles.

During those 12 months the music landscape had changed. The loss of The Beatles was old news. T-Rex were literary riding high in the singles chart with Ride A White Song. Rod The Mod - Rod Stewart was about to hit number one in both the singles and album charts simultaneously in the UK and USA with Maggie May from his album Every Picture Tells A Story. Albums were now big business for record companies, as Led Zeppelin would prove. Plus Slade, Sweet and of course the legend that is David Bowie were waiting in the wings. Ready to dominate the early 70's charts.

So was the solo work of John, Paul, George and Ringo relevant to music fans of the 1970's?

In this weeks weeks episode we try to answer that question, By looking at the UK singles chart of 18 April 1971.

Welcome to episode 27 of Fixing A Hole. The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed.

If you’re a fan of the podcast, or you like to be a guest on an episode, we’d love to hear from you.
 
 Visit our new patreon channel at patreon.com/fixingahole its currently free to join with new and exclusive material being added from 1 September.
 

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By the end of 1970, John had released 4 albums outside of The Beatles. Two Virgins, Life With The Lions and The Wedding Album were Avant Garde pieces which had more in common with Revolution 9 rather than Strawberry Fields Forever. While Live Peace in Toronto was a record of a live concert performed as the Plastic Ono Band.

Clearly Johns album output away form his band mates did not have the commercial appeal of Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, or Abbey Road. However, his solo singles fared much better on the charts. Give Peace A Chance, Cold Turkey and Instant Karma were all major hits.

Then just before 1970 came to a close. John gave his masterpiece. John Lennon Plastic Ono Band, was a stripped back John, baring his soul about family, relationships and The Beatles.

Imagine might be his most played song, but John Lennon Plastic Ono Band is the real john Lennon, laid bare. 

Welcome to episode 26 of Fixing A Hole. The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed.

If you’re a fan of the podcast, or you like to be a guest on an episode, we’d love to hear from you.
 
 Visit our new patreon channel at patreon.com/fixingahole its currently free to join with new and exclusive material being added from 1 September.
 

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