Something About the Beatles

297: All I Want Is The Truth with David Whelan and Robert Rosen   2024 winds down with the merging of two guests that have appeared on the show this year, in a spirited discussion of David Whelan’s investigation into John Lennon’s murder as presented in Mind Games. Robert Rosen (Nowhere Man) serves as skeptic in a conversation weaving together the bigger picture that converged on December 8, 1980, as well as the sketchy players surrounding the convicted killer both before and after. Joining the conversation is attorney Carole Krohn, presenting her own legal insights into the case.  If all of this is a bit heavy for you in general or at this time of year, by all means check out episode 298…..

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283a: We Didn’t Start The Fire – British Beatlemania with Mark Lewisohn (Part I)     YEAH YEAH YEAH, we’ve been waiting 88 episode for this and it’s finally here!! In the 60s, The Beatles’ rise to fame would change the landscape of pop music and fandom forever. People were so excited to watch them, they’d urinate and scream so loud you’d struggle to hear the music. No one had ever seen fan culture or heard music like it. So it’s no surprise that we’re absolutely ecstatic to chat to Mark Lewisohn, arguably the world’s LEADING authority on the Beatles! So ecstatic that we’ve made a two part episode, so make sure you listen to that once you’re done with this one.

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290: “Hey Jude” Reconstructed     In 2023, I hosted writer James Campion with Jeff Martin for a discussion of The Beatles’ 1968 mega-hit and Apple Records debut. This time, we’re drilling down deep for an analysis of the song’s composition (as well as possible sources of inspiration) with the musicologists of RPM School: Walter Everett (author of volumes one and two of The Beatles As Musicians) plus working musicians and recording artists Jack Petruzzelli and Cameron Greider. This is where we get deep into the weeds with musical theory and a breakdown of the song’s lyrical construction, as well as elements from other pieces of music that may have influenced the principal author, Paul McCartney.  RPM’s new semester (on Let It Be) begins soon – see their site for details: 

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303b: SATB Extra: Magical Mystery Camp 2025    

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299: Ringo’s Beats and Threads with Gary Astridge   For most whose lives were changed by The Beatles, it can only remain a dream that they would one day meet one, much less work alongside one and develop a key role in that Beatle’s life and develop a friendship. But Buffalo, New York native Gary Astridge was one exceptional fellow, whose passion for percussion, inspired by the 1964 Ed Sullivan Show debut, would impact his life in ways far beyond imagining. He took up drums and was so curious about the details of Ringo’s set-up that he made it a lifelong study. Then came the day that Ringo needed him to solve a problem, leading to projects and experiences few could conceive. As Ringo’s drum curator and historian, he found himself in non-stop demand in ways no one could have predicted. All of this led to his authorship of a lavish book depicting not only the history of Ringo’s drums but also the numerous iconic outfits he wore during The Beatles’ career. The results of this research have been published in a new book, Beats and Threads, available through Julien’s Auctions. Gary comes to the show sharing the stories of his journey and his one-of-a-kind experiences wit Ringo, at a time when the drummer is experiencing a career renaissance with his Look Up album of country music. Gary’s site: www.ringosbeatlekits.com Julien’s Auctions: https://store.juliensauctions.com/ShopCatalog?id=220

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300: Something About The Beatles’ 300th Episode   YOU the loyal listeners decided what your fave moments of the show were, and based on your input, SATB runs down moments from the past 7+ years, featuring only a sampling of the many guests we’ve had on the show. These include (alphabetically): Nancy Lee Andrews Christine Feldman-Barrett Pattie Boyd Allison Bumsted James Campion Laura Cortner Dennis Diken Duncan Driver Elliot Easton Debbie Gendler Glenn Greenberg Cameron Greider Jerry Hammack Robert Hieronimous Terri Hemmert Peter Jackson John Leckie Candy Leonard Ramsey Lewis Ken Mansfield Jeff Martin Richard Mills Chris O’Dell Sibbie O’Sullivan May Pang Jack Petruzzelli Dan Rivkin Ethan Russell Luther Russell Arion Salazar Pat Sansone Sylvie Simmons Susan Shumsky Chris Thomas Carol Tyler Erin Weber Gary Wenstrup Thanks to every one of my guests and to each and every listener. None of this would be possible without you.

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309a: SATB Special: Power To WHAT People?   This special episode is, in effect, a part two of episode 308 (The Politics of Beatles), again with Candy Leonard, as an examination of the decision made by Universal Music Group (with the tacit approval – if not agreement – of the Lennon estate) to reissue the 1972 John and Yoko album, Some Time In New York City, as a background component of the Power To The People set, showcasing the pair of One To One concerts and removing the lead off track, “Woman is the Nigger of the World” from both the parent album AND the concerts. We discuss the possible reasoning behind this call and whether this is one statue that needed to be torn down or not.

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309b: SATB Special: Ribbons of Rust Book Launch   Ribbons of Rust: The Beatles’ Recording History in Context is this first installment of a multi-volume series, building out the history of everything The Beatles did in the recording studio to reveal the influences around them and the world they created in. I (Robert Rodriguez)  am the author of or contributor to over half a dozen Beatles books, while Jerry Hammack is the creator of the five-volume Beatles Recording Reference Manual series. Both of us are award-winners as well. The book comes in standard mono(chrome) edition, richly illustrated in black and white, as well as the deluxe full colour edition. Both volumes are filed with QR codes, linking readers fo British Pathe newsreels, music and other sights and sounds of the era. The Beatles’ times are brought to life thusly for a fully immersive experience. To give a proper assessment of this first joint project, we convened:  two 1st-gen fans  two Brits two academics two beatles authors one woman one record producer one person who worked with all four ex-Beatles beginning the year of their break-up.  This all boiled down to three people: producer John Leckie (Radiohead – XTC – Stone Roses – Simple Minds – Dukes of Stratosphear – many more)  Sibbie O’Sullivan (author of My Private Lennon: Explorations for a fan Who Never Screamed) Richard Mills (author of The Beatles and Fandom and the just-published The Beatles and Black Music) We also included some “civilians” who’d read the book as well.  Here’s what they had to say. For more info (including a “look inside” and book trailer), visit http://www.ribbonsfrust.net 

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333: LenOno ’72   There were two John and Yoko documentaries produced in the last year that covered their political activism during their first year in New York, culminating in the pair of One To One concerts in August 1972. The first was a documentary detailing the context with the shows in the background; the other placed the show front and center. Author Erika White (Meat The Beatles!) and podcaster Gary Wenstrup (Classic Rock Album Olympics) join me in a discussion of the films One To One: John and Yoko and Power To The People.

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317-1: SATB SPECIAL: Badfinger/Iveys Reissue Series with Mark Strothmann   Beatles proteges Badfinger released six studio albums between 1970 and 1974. Two of their hits were produced by Beatles (“Come and Get It” by Paul, “Day After Day” by George) and another by The Beatles’ road manager (“No Matter What” was produced by Mal Evans). But their catalog is filled with rich, tuneful pop/rock for anyone who hasn’t already explored it. ALL FOUR members (Pete Ham – Tom Evans – Mike Gibbins – Joey Molland) were accomplished songwriters and since their demise, an astonishing array of releases has been pouring out, including several demo collections from Pete. Additionally, their earlier pre-Joey iteration as The Iveys has seen the commencement of five Anthology collections of demos and live material surface, including the newest, Miniskirts and Rainbows. 2024 saw the long-awaited issue of the final Badfinger album from 1974, Head First, featuring Pete, Tom and Mike with Bob Jackson.  For this conversation, I spoke with Mark Strothmann, who’s part of team that’s been working on getting these treasures to the public, as well as curating several YouTube channels featuring music and videos of The Iveys and Badfinger. It’s an overview of the ongoing labor of love keeping the group alive in the wake of Joey’s passing last year. 

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