Something About the Beatles

By Evergreen PodcastsMusic Music Interviews Music History

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Typical duration
83 min
per episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

Something About the Beatles episodes

January 25, 2024 274: George, The Reluctant Beatle with Philip Norman
The author of Shout: The Beatles In Their Time has brought out his third Beatles individual biography, forty plus years after the publication of his group one. George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle was put together tapping Norman's body of old interviews (with witnesses now beyond reach) as well as fresh research and new conversations (including his star witness, Pattie Boyd). The complexity of the subject matter is matched by the complexity of the narrator, who through series of unforced errors has led many a Beatle fan to view him with scorn. But SATB has always been about opening doors rather than shutting them, and if one is prepared to listen without prejudice, one can make up one's own mind on the value of what he has to say about George in this book.

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1 hr 11 min
January 09, 2024 273: My Private Lennon with Sibbie O'Sullivan
We have discussed the insights of 1st gen fans who, frankly, were screamers in the presence of The Beatles (Debbie Gendler, author of this upcoming memoir and Carol Tyler, author of this one); see thisfor a detailed discussion. Then there's Sibbie O'Sullivan - a high schooler when Deb and Carol were middle-schoolers. She too was swept up in the wave of mania in her native Maryland; like Deb, she witnessed an in-person Ed Sullivan Show taping, but unlike many girls, she did not scream. Her book, My Private Lennon: Explorations From A Fan Who Never Screamed, offers a series of essays, rich with insight and perceptive observations about her very personal fandom and what The Beatles meant to her, then and now. Leading the discussion is Dr. Allison Bumsted, who is cultivating a specialty in examinations of Beatles fandom. An essay by Sibbie here. Allison's review of Sibbie's book here.

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1 hr 59 min
December 25, 2023 272: Born At The Right Time with Ray Connolly
This British journalist/author/screenwriter/playwright is a SATB fave and was heard most recently among the 21 guests in the "Now and Then" discussion. But here he is alone in the spotlight, recounting his fabulous life as a chronicler of creators and a creator himself. Check out his website for a full accounting of his works - https://www.rayconnolly.co.uk/ - and this show for a discussion of his 2023 memoir. Ray was friends with The Beatles and the screenwriter of THat'll Be The Day (1973), Ringo's finest film project. He discusses all and much more here.

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1 hr 18 min
December 08, 2023 271 Here and Now with "Now and Then": a SATB Special
The release of a new Beatle recording in our lifetime warrants a special approach. To that end, I assembled a group of some of your favorite podcast guests, plus a few new ones to discuss, critique, and analyze the new Beatle record. Folks representing a number of geographical and generational perspectives weigh in with their insights and observations. In alphabetical order, they are: Nancy Lee Andrews (Photographer and Author, A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll) Dr. Allison Bumsted Ray Connolly (British journalist and Beatles insider, author of Born At The Right Time and Being John Lennon, etc.) Richard Courtney (Beatles radio host and author, From Me To You) Dennis Diken (The Smithereens) Dr. Duncan Driver (University of Canberra) Dr. Christine Feldman-Barrett (Author, A Women's History of The Beatles) Debbie Gendler (Author, I Saw Them Standing There) Glenn Greenberg (Author of Beatles bookazines) Cameron Greider (Musician and musicologist, RPM-School.com ) Jerry Hammack Chip Madinger Skylar Moody Dr. Sibbie O'Sullivan Dan Rivkin Luther Russell Arion Salazar Pat Sansone Carol Tyler Erin Weber Gary Wenstrup

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4 hr 37 min
November 16, 2023270: Top Ten Most Important/Influential Beatles Sources with Erin Weber
The first half hour+ was taped live at The Fest in August 2023, as you can doubtless tell. The rest was done in the usual way, and you'll note we didn't necessarily cover everything we listed in great detail, but that's showbiz. Here's Erin's list: 1. A Hard Day's Night film 2 and 3. The Internet. Two slots because I see it impacting the historiography in two major ways: First, it has vastly increased accessibility to primary sources and research materials that in previous decades were extremely difficult to find. Second, its fundamentally changed the fandom experience thru podcasts, discussion boards, etc. 4. Hunter Davies: The Beatles - An Authorized Biography 5. Lennon Remembers/Rolling Stone 6. Mark Lewisohn: The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions 7. Philip Norman: Shout! 8. The Beatles Anthology (mainly the documentary, but the book, too). 9. Barry Miles: Many Years From Now 10. Christine Feldman Barrett's A Women's History of the Beatles Here's mine:
Influential

Red and Blue albums

The Beatles: An Illustrated Record by Roy Carr and Tony Tyler

Shout!

Lennon Remembers

Here, There and Everywhere by Geoff Emerick

Important

The Beatles and The Historians by Erin Torkelson Weber

Lewisohn Chronicles/Tune In

Love Me Do by Michael Braun

The Beatles: An Authorized Biography

A Women's History of The Beatles

What's your list look like?

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1 hr 55 min
November 01, 2023 269: George Harrison in the 70s with Eoghan Lyng
Between 1970 and 1979, George issued six studio albums (plus one triple-live one), followed by a second draft of his 1980 album the following year. Rock scribe Eoghan Lyng and I re-examine these works with fresh ears - we hope you will too. Eoghan's book: https://www.amazon.com/George-Harrison-70s-Eoghan-Lyng/dp/1789521742

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1 hr 3 min
October 20, 2023 268: Buddy Holly and The Beatles with Luther Russell
The Beatles were the end result of an array of confluences, circumstances and influences. On the short list near the very top (if not THE top) was American rocker Buddy Holly. In his short career, he wielded his influence on the budding Liverpool rockers in an array of ways, which returning guest Luther Russell and I discuss here. Though his time on earth was brief, the impact he made casts a long shadow, as he provided an unwitting blueprint on what a successful rock artist looked like, sounded like and could aspire to.

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1 hr 26 min
September 21, 2023 267: Sgt. Pepper's Guitars
Conversations about a familiar subject with guys who know what's what are invaluable, because the depth of knowledge shared will always shed new light and get you to listen with fresh ears. My guests are the returning trio of pro musicians and musicologists: Cameron Greider (Sean Lennon), Jack Petruzzelli (Fab Faux) and Walter Everett (The Beatles as Musicians Vol 1 and 2). You've heard their insights on previous shows, and this time they counter some myths that have grown about The Beatles' most acclaimed album, focusing on the guitars. Their Sgt. Pepper online class at RPM-School begins October 2 - you can see about registration and other details here.

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1 hr 15 min
September 17, 2023266: Nowhere Man '23 with Robert Rosen
The author of Nowhere Man (2000) returns for a conversation prompted by the book's recent re-publication, augmented with an array of new material and appendices. Robert will also be making a rare personal appearance in St Louis on October 4th in St. Louis - details here. Among the subjects we talked about this time round were:

May Pang

Fred Seaman

Early 1970s US politics and its coverage in Observation Post
His upcoming book, tentatively titled No Future

John's opinion of Double Fantasy

Jack Douglas

John's murder

The Manchurian Candidate Theory

Robert's purported role in John Lennon's murder
Robert's website and blog can be found here.

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1 hr 21 min
September 02, 2023265: EMI Days with John Leckie and Friends
Returning guest and renowned producer John Leckie is back on SATB and this time he brought his friends; colleagues from EMI with impressive credentials of their own, who also worked with The Beatles: Nick Webb and Roger Ferris. It was a real delight to be a fly-on-the-wall as three guys who've known each other for decades spun stories about working at the most famous recording facility on earth, and the clients they supported. Among the topics that came up:

What well-known event coincided with the day John Leckie interviewed for a position at EMI

Quick takes on George Martin - Norman Smith - Geoff Emerick - Ken Scott - Ken Townsend - Alan Parsons - Peter Bown and other EMI staffers

Stealing from Mick Jagger

Their takes on Get Back
The 1971 Wings Launch Party

Phil Spector

Sessions for "All You Need is Love" and "You Know My Name"
Seventeen Watts by the late Mo Foster

In the studio with Paul and Wings

IRA bomb scares of the 70s

John and Yoko's curry

plus loads more...

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1 hr 18 min

About Something About the Beatles

From the publisher's feed

Hosted by award-winning author Robert Rodriguez, Something About The Beatles is an intelligent but entertaining examination of The Beatles' music and career. Smart, funny and surprising - just like…