Something About the Beatles

318: Oliver Murray’s Time Machine   If you don’t know the name then you certainly know his work: writer/director Oliver Murray was responsible for giving us that twelve-minute making of “Now and Then” video in 2023 that got everyone up to speed (and teary) about the “last” Beatles song. In 2025, he wrote and directed the 9th episode of the re-launched Beatles Anthology documentary series, quickly followed by the short film, “Free As A Bird” – A Song Reborn. But Oliver has also directed a number of other music videos and documentaries you may have seen, among them The Quiet One (2019), Ronnie’s (2020), They All Came Out To Montreux (2023), and The Story of Band Aid (2024). I was privileged to have a talk with an insider to discuss the presenting of The Beatles’ story and the delicate balancing act between educating new fans while satisfying the old ones.

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319: Beatles Olympiad Abbey Road   The Beatles’ Olympiad series of shows is nearing its end point, with Gary Wenstrup and myself assessing their final group project for Olympic honors. Where will the bronze, silver and gold land among the 17 tracks? You’ll have to tune in to find out (and discover some unexpected developments).

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329: A Hard Day’s Night Re-Examined with Samira Ahmed   Imagine having our world rocked by The Beatles as a 1st-gen fan living in New York City. You are a budding musician yourself, and with every release, they inspire you as they advance their art. You see them live – twice – the first time at a renowned event caught on film. One day, deciding to check out something you’ve heard, you knock on a door downtown and get invited in to interview for a job, working for them. Before you know it, you are swept up into their world, mentored by Derek Taylor and getting to know Mal Evans, Peter Brown, and becoming lifelong friends with Freda Kelly. Tommy Smothers takes an interest in you and guides you toward a career that sustains you ever on after The Beatles split up. But it is the one day in July 1969 where Derek secures you an invitation to witness the band at work on Abbey Road that might be the sweetest moment of all, as you spend time as a fly on the wall, with your camera in hand, as the greatest entertainment phenomenon of the 20th century works on their final collective project.  If you are Merle Frimark, this was your life, and you are here to tell the rest of us all about it.  Check out Merle’s articles here:https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/24/from-sorting-fan-mail-to-seeing-abbey-road-being-made-my-life-as-a-teenage-beatles-employee  https://www.culturesonar.com/looking-back-at-beatlemania-in-the-us-60-years/

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330: Working For The Beatles with Merle Frimark   Imagine having our world rocked by The Beatles as a 1st-gen fan living in New York City. You are a budding musician yourself, and with every release, they inspire you as they advance their art. You see them live – twice – the first time at a renowned event caught on film. One day, deciding to check out something you’ve heard, you knock on a door downtown and get invited in to interview for a job, working for them. Before you know it, you are swept up into their world, mentored by Derek Taylor and getting to know Mal Evans, Peter Brown, and becoming lifelong friends with Freda Kelly. Tommy Smothers takes an interest in you and guides you toward a career that sustains you ever on after The Beatles split up. But it is the one day in July 1969 where Derek secures you an invitation to witness the band at work on Abbey Road that might be the sweetest moment of all, as you spend time as a fly on the wall, with your camera in hand, as the greatest entertainment phenomenon of the 20th century works on their final collective project.  If you are Merle Frimark, this was your life, and you are here to tell the rest of us all about it.  Check out Merle’s articles here:https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/24/from-sorting-fan-mail-to-seeing-abbey-road-being-made-my-life-as-a-teenage-beatles-employee  https://www.culturesonar.com/looking-back-at-beatlemania-in-the-us-60-years/

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331: Full Cyrkle with Don Dannemann   To anyone familiar with ’60s Top 40 music, The Cyrkle remain a fond memory, notable for their two hits, 1966’s “Red Rubber Ball,” a Paul Simon co-write, and “Turn Down Day,” an exquisite piece of sunshine pop. They also possess a couple of other distinctions, being the only US act managed by Brian Epstein as well as being one of the supporting acts on The Beatles’ final tour, sixty years ago.  Don Dannemann was/is their lead singer. Along with his musical partner Tom Dawes, through talent and luck the group managed to hitch the ride of lifetime, making the transition from fans to traveling companions during the most challenging phase of The Beatles’ live career. After the hits stopped, both Dan and Tom pivoted into careers in the jingle industry, providing a further soundtrack for those of a certain age. Don has got the stories to tell as a witness to history at a time when popular music was evolving fast. Through happy circumstance, The Cyrkle are back, having recorded a new collection of songs and can be seen in live shows around the country. Visit their website for updates and their YouTube channel for loads of video, past and present.  https://thecyrkle.com/  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQf7trwEd-VZdyJjiPdupJw    

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332: Candlestick at 60 with Naomi Marcus   Imagine you’re a precocious 11 year-old Beatle fan in 1966, living in northern California. One of your neighborhood friends happens to be a very successful folk singer. This folk singer happens to be pals with the Beatles, of whom you are a big fan. One day out of the blue, your friend Joan Baez calls you up to tell you you’re coming with her to see the Beatles, and you may have a chance to meet them.This is the story that played out 60 years ago today, when Naomi Marcus got to witness the Beatles last concert appearance.  

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282: The Women’s Revolution (Or: The Beatles’ Effect)     My guests are three very special ladies who have all appeared on the show before, but this time, all three have memoirs out. Debbie Gendler was the first to appear on SATB (121: New York Stories) and her story as the 1st US fan (as far as I’m concerned) was initially laid out there. But now HER memoir has been published, I Saw Them Standing There: Adventures of an Original Fan During Beatlemania and Beyond. Debbie joins returning guests Carol Tyler (146: Fab 4 Mania) and Sibbie O’Sullivan (273: My Private Lennon) as they react to each other’s books. What ensued though was something bigger than what we anticipated, as the notion of collating their stories and those of other 1st-generation fans into something bigger and grander took shape. Something About The Beatles is now an Evergreen podcast.

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329: A Hard Day’s Night Re-Examined with Samira Ahmed Read More »

328: Meat – The Beatles with Erika White Read More »

327: Jim Marshall’s Beatles with Amelia Davis Read More »