June 2025

Hello all, I guess from the number of this newsletter it means that we’re half a year in – doesn’t feel like six months at all, but maybe that’s because fun things tend to go by fast. I really enjoy putting these together, even if it’s later in the day than maybe you are expecting, but I am committed to Mondays (here) and so with your indulgence, sometimes it’ll be a late night thing. It’s been a busy week on my end, but we’re hours away from 304 dropping, which has taken a little longer than anticipated. Bob Jackson and I had a long conversation – well past two hours – but I like to keep the edits tight. It should hit by this time tomorrow, and then I have 305 to look forward to – that taping ran to three hours… Anyway, not a ton in the news this past week but a few things to note: first, not anything I would consider to be major news, but the cover for the upcoming book on Wings was released; different in North America than Europe. On the subject of books and McCartney, it was announced just today that the animated adaptation of Paul’s children’s book, High in the Clouds, will feature an all-star cast (including Ringo) for the voice casting. (Also cast: Himesh Patel of 2019’s Yesterday). As you hardcores will already know, Macca and children’s entertainment/animation goes way back, encompassing a number of projects that started with grand intentions before falling short of their initial ambitions (Bruce McMouse comes to mind, as does Rupert the Bear). Maybe third time’s the charm. In other film news, Alan G. Parker’s Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade is just out in the UK. I was told by Alan that he believes it will be out in the states in August; I expect we will talk sometime before…. As mentioned in the last newsletter, the main theme of this newsletter will be Badfinger as we observe the sad 50th anniversary of Pete Ham’s suicide. This is not to belabor tragedy but rather to offer recognition of one of rock’s unsung talents who left us far too soon. I am not sure how many of you are Badfinger fans or are necessarily interested in their story per se. In 304, I attempt a thumbnail history before my conversation with Bob Jackson begins (it runs about 10 minutes). If you want to skip that, this article catches things up pretty succinctly. There are also a few documentaries out there worth seeing if you really want to catch up on their music and story. I recommend this one; if you just have time to check out some music, here’s a nice Set of Six TV showcase from 1972 at what was probably their commercial peak, supporting the Straight Up album. Something I will likely be doing going forward: creating playlists to accompany shows. Here’s the one I did for 304, including several songs from Head First as well as footage from the Bob Jackson 1982 iteration of the band, one each of Pete and Tommy’s last songs (plus a pair of tunes Tommy wrote about their bad business goings on). Everyone here should be familiar with Richard DiLello or at least his 1972 book, The Longest Cocktail Party. The self-described “house hippie” at Apple, he worked in the press office longside Derek Taylor, who is largely the star of his memoir of those insane and all too brief years. While at Apple, he befriended Badfinger and was pressed into service to photograph them: he shot the cover of Straight Up as well as the gatefold portrait for No Dice. Richard went on to a career as a writer for TV, including the early 90s show Midnight Caller (that name is a song on the No Dice album and it’s hard not to see its use as a tribute of some sort). In 1975, after Pete’s death, Richard was a guest at the Los Angeles Beatlefest. While there, he delivered an absolutely blistering editorial against the music industry that he blamed for the tragedy. I don’t know if it appears anywhere in print, beyond perhaps the late Dan Matovina’s Without You Badfinger bio, but here it is transcribed: Last: a new month means a new installment of the Seederman Chronology: #7. This one runs from July 1976 to (sigh) December 1980… PS: Remember Gary Wenstrup, most recently heard in our One To One recap? I had alluded to an announcement he had up his sleeve and here it is…

Hello folks, First off, because you are all here and appreciated for the ongoing support, I want to present something cool that I’ve shared in the past, but not in the newsletter. In 1975 – 50 years ago – I was a very, very young Beatles fan. People around at that time will tell you that, beyond the limited books available on the group, imagine a world with no internet/YouTube or home video. (Arguably, HBO and local cable existed in some places but certainly was not accessible to all, least of all me). To see any video of The Beatles at that time, you had limited options. One was to trek out to a midnight showing of Beatle films when they came around (that was how I first saw Yellow Submarine, Magical Mystery Tour and Let It Be – thankfully on a big screen and with the added value/ambience of a room full of very vocal fans). Another was at the fan conventions beginning a year earlier, produced by Joe Pope or Mark Lapidos, but they were certainly not yet ubiquitous – Chicago didn’t get its first until 1977. These events hosted ballroom screenings of the Fab films, as well as the promo films in circulation. (For example, seeing Ringo’s “Hey! Baby” on a big screen amongst fans is an experience that anyone who’s ever had will never forget.) But for the most part, you were at the mercy of TV broadcasters to catch any form of Beatles, typically limited to whatever guest appearances they made (we’ve just passed the 50th of John’s Tomorrow show visit as well as the taping of the Sir Lew Grade tribute special – a time capsule if ever was). Around that same time, Ringo appeared on the reboot of The Smothers Brothers. George, apart from his 1971 Dick Cavett Show appearance, almost never came on US TV, until his 1976 blitz for Thirty-Three and 1/3rd. And Paul, excepting his curious 1973 TV special, didn’t really warm to the medium until later in the decade; in the ensuing years, he could be counted on for any number of chat show appearances (and the occasional SNL). Beyond this, there were periodic TV screenings of A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, which – while incredibly enjoyable – were scripted and not the same thing as seeing them in performance mode. (This did not stop me and my ilk at such times from running cassette recorders in front of the TV and angrily shushing anyone who happened into the room.) US late night TV in 1975 was dominated by Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. CBS ran their Late Movie while ABC struggled to compete against NBC’s juggernaut, offering a catch-all time block labeled ABC’s Wide World of Entertainment. This could encompass the occasional talk show (among them Geraldo Rivera’s Good Night America, where in March 1975 Robert Groden first presented the Zapruder film to the American public, therein stretching the word “entertainment” to its breaking point). Later in 1975, Americans got their first look at Monty Python’s Flying Circus in this ABC slot before it was then syndicated on PBS. On May 21, ABC turned the airtime over to David Frost and a special on the group, formally titled, A Salute To the Beatles: Once Upon A Time. I discussed this in detail in my Fab Four FAQ 2.0 book, but to sum up: it was a documentary hosted by Frost and comprised of footage ABC had at hand (ranging from various news segments to their appearance on Shindig! to the Al Brodax cartoon to various segments they controlled, like the 1973 Elliot Mintz interview with John on the beach or the 1972 footage of Wings rehearsing), as well as newly-taped interview segments with appropriate luminaries (George Martin – Mal Evans – Derek Taylor – Peter Brown) as well as, seemingly, anyone else who randomly wandered into camera range (David Essex, Bobby Vinton, Chuck Berry). For 1st-gen fans it was a sweet exercise in nostalgia, but for newly-minted young fans, it was a godsend. It was one thing to read about them in whatever books or magazines you could track down, but to actually see and hear them back then was an indescribable experience to those raised in an era where anyone interested is a few touches away on a smartphone from feasting their eyes and glutting their souls. The Shindig! footage (kinda-sorta live) was one thing, but seeing “Some Other Guy” at The Cavern was life-impacting at that time. So in short, it was something we never forgot, and now you too can revisit 1975 anytime you want. This was all before Tony Palmer’s Mighty Good, or The Rutles, or Compleat Beatles. While we know how 1995’s Anthology presentation stirred fandom among younger generations, I seriously wonder if May 21, 1975 had any lasting impact at all on anyone besides myself…. Other stuff: producer Roy Thomas Baker passed away on April 12, 2025 at 78 and I wanted to acknowledge it; not because he worked with any Beatles per se (though he did work at Trident Studios at the same time they were doing some work there, apparently) but because he did produce some acts we care about (Queen, The Cars, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick), as well as many others (Journey, Foreigner, Ron Wood, and so forth). Safe to say, there was no hotter producer on the planet circa 1978-1979 and it was at that time that he was in contention for what became the “comeback” album for Badfinger, Airwaves. He was their choice, and apparently declined due to scheduling conflicts. Had he (instead of Elektra house producer David Malloy) done the honors, would it have marked a return to their fortunes? It’s impossible to know, but remains a footnote. And speaking of Badfinger, episode 304 will feature my conversation with Bob Jackson, truly the last surviving member of the group to have recorded an album with Pete Ham. By way of setting the table, check out

Hello all, Welcome to the SATB Newsletter, to subscribers new and legacy. Who knew this would become the year of the drummer? 2025 started strong with Ringo in Nashville with Look Up, his shows and TV special, before news of the death of Blondie’s Clem Burke (also Judas Priest’s Les Binks), coinciding with the announced retirement of Pete Best. Then there was last week: the whiplash-quick termination and then reinstatement of Ringo’s firstborn, Zak Starkey, percussionist par excellence with The Who. He’s been on board since 1996 and his role was won not through nepotism but with talent. In 1995, Who bassist John Entwistle was a member of Ringo’s All-Starr Band, and it was there that he first met Zak, also among the entourage. The Who was drummer shopping at the time, having shed Kenney Jones after their 1988 performances. (Simon Phillips took the chair for the 1989 “Final”” tour.) Zak fit like a hand in a glove for their Quadrophenia shows in ’96 and stayed with them ever after, including the 2001 Concert for New York , Entwistle’s last stateside performance. (Here’s a Quadrophenia cut from happier times.) In March 2025, The Who played a Teen Cancer charity gig at the RAH, and that’s where the trouble started. There’s no need to re-litigate the details here, but when singer Roger Daltrey was having troubles onstage hearing himself, he blamed the drummer (rather than the tech who was in charge of the monitors). The news sparked outrage around the world, most of it directed at Roger, while others suggest that perhaps the band’s time had come and gone. The normally loquacious Pete Townshend stayed uncharacteristically silent, until breaking the news on the third day that Zak in fact was back in the fold, and all mis-communications remedied. (Pity that Mr. Best is newly-retired, since his commentary on a Starkey firing would’ve been so worth it.) In other news, One To One: John and Yoko has been playing to positive reviews in US theaters. Forbes announced this week that it will be made available for purchase and streaming: details here. As noted in newsletter #23, Gary Wenstrup and I produced a “reaction” video of sorts. It turned out well, so in addition to being posted as a YouTube video, I also dropped it into the feed for the usual audio/podcast access (though I consider it to be something less than an episode – consider it bonus content). The actual new episode is just out: 303, the conversation with Ian Leslie, author of John and Paul: A Love Story in Song. It’s gotten tons of attention and I am really looking forward to what you listeners/readers think about it. This wouldn’t be a SATB newsletter without a passing to note: in this case, deejay and TV personality Wink Martindale. He was a fixture in media ranging from radio to game shows (and even had a hit record himself). For our purposes, we remember him for his interview with the Fabs in Nassau, during the filming of Help! Wink was 91. In other stuff: that David Sheff bio of Yoko was the subject of an online essay by SATB guest Christine Feldman-Barrett. And whilst speaking of new books, newly-posted is my conversation with Joe Wisbey on the fab Beatles Books podcast. Last: I am sitting on a mountain of video and audio – most of it Beatles-related. If any of you have any requests for anything specific, let me know – I am happy to share! As noted last time, all past newsletters are now archived on the SATB site – just create a sign-in. Thanks for being here – all reviews are welcomed and encouraged – and tell your friends!

Hello folks and welcome to Monday! (Though I acknowledge that it’s already Tuesday in some places this is being read…) Not a ton of new news to report but a couple of things warrant attention. First, buried in the shock of Clem Burke’s passing was news about another drummer: Pete Best. On Sunday April 6, a statement was issued through his brother (Neil Aspinall’s son) Roag that effective immediately, Pete was retired from performing. No specifics were given, beyond a vague “personal circumstances,” which of course is a jarring enough declaration. The Pete Best Band had just finished their stint on the Flower Power Cruise, alongside other luminaries of the ’60s, a week before. The band had been gigging fairly regularly of late, including in the US (Maine, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, NY) and had an upcoming Liverpool gig in August (now canceled). To anyone who saw them, good on you, because it all appears to be a thing of the past. To anyone who hasn’t, check this out: I put together an mp3 file containing 1) two sides of a 1965 single by the Pete Best Combo, featuring a pair of tunes well known by their Beatles covers, followed by a 2024 gig in Liverpool by his most recent iteration. (Access it here). (The interesting thing about the 1965 single: first, it claims on the sleeve that he sings: maybe he did somewhere but not here. Second: the label, Cameo, later merged with Parkway and in 1967 was purchased by a certain Alan Klein, who renamed it ABKCO. Third: this PBC release came out the same year as another oddball US release from his former bandmates, pairing the same songs. Someone will need quite the argument to assure me this was a total coincidence.) I did try to get him on the show once but he didn’t bite. Nonetheless, interviews with him are plentiful on YouTube, including this one which is fairly typical (and brutal: did the interviewer really just make him watch a cinematic reenactment of the worst moment of his life?). He did pen a couple of books: a memoir (which can be found far cheaper than this if you look for it) and another that I recommend more highly. Pete Best is a guy who, while clearly not on a Beatles level of talent and vision (but who else is?), was dealt a bad hand in life. That he endured and was willing to share his story, presence and music with fans all over the world speaks well of him. Others would have suffered his fate with far less grace (and on that thought, why wouldn’t it be a good idea for he and Paul to share a drink and a talk some time?), and if only for enduring a lifetime of having a terrible blow thrown in your face over and over again, maybe there’s something admirable there. For anyone who hasn’t already seen it, this is a nice encapsulation of his story. Onward! The other big news is the stateside release of One To One: John and Yoko. Whatever else you may think/expect about this film, it is absolutely worth checking out on the big screen if you can, preferably IMAX. You’ll thank me, I am confident in saying. I’d reached out to the director, Kevin Macdonald, months ago for a conversation but never heard back and now I am certain he’s up to his eyeballs. Maybe someone connected with the film will manifest later, but in the meantime, here’s my quick-and-dirty YouTube reaction conversation with Gary Wenstrup to offer our take (and spoilers abound – be forewarned!). You can read more about what Mcdonald has to say about the film here. As I write this, I am reminded of the historic nature of April 14: Lincoln, Titanic, and in 1969, Katherine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand tied for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. But over in London on that last date, two Beatles convened to track an A-side for a new single, despite the fact of their latest such release, “Get Back”/”Don’t Let Me Down” having only been issued three days before. (It came as relief within the longest drought between singles: over seven months since “Hey Jude“/”Revolution.”) Nonetheless, just back from his honeymoon, John was raring to go with a newly-penned “journalistic” account of the experience, and therefore, like a newspaper account, wanted it out ASAP, notwithstanding the absence of two bandmates. The session went well, with Paul eager to facilitate John’s wishes, availing himself on bass, piano, maracas and drums. A holy grail of the day was described in print as the evocation of the two absent Beatles by the two present ones (“Go a bit faster, Ringo!” “Okay, George!”) but the 2019 Abbey Road set reveals something slightly diminished: John’s light-hearted critique of the drummer (Paul) – “It got a bit fast there, Ringo!” – followed by Paul’s apparent call out to their producer… In any event, someone once took the trouble of doing a random remix of the song, showcasing the censorship of the word “Christ” and various elements. Here it is, married to the official promo film, which was shown in the UK on Top of the Pops and in the US on Music Scene. (Yes, the synch between music and visual was always a bit loose.) The clip was notable for 1) being an early glimpse into the footage shot in January 1969 and 2) offering the illusion that the song was a full band performance (see 1). As has been noted elsewhere, it would be John’s last song issued as a Beatles A-side (though not the last one offered…) One year to the day later, the atmosphere was considerably chillier. To circle back to One To One: it would appear that the difficult decision of what to do with the remastered Some Time in New York City set, on the shelf since it occured to the powers that be that it could be problematic in

Hello folks;   Welcome to another week. I was hoping to make it two in a row without something sad to report but might as well get this out of the way now: the passing of drummer Clem Burke, best known for his work with Blondie (but he’s played with an astonishing array of artists nearly beyond measure). He was 70 and suffering from cancer. Clem was, in the parlance, a musician’s musician: he could drum with the maniacal energy of a Keith Moon but with control in place of complete abandon. His hyper-kinetic style was very much a defining element of his band’s sound. By all accounts, he was a sweet and humble guy, and best of all, he was one of us: belonging to that 1st-generation of US fans whose lives were transformed as one of the 73 million that tuned in that February night. He spoke often of his fandom and as he relates here, met three of his heroes (while the 4th, John, documented his fandom of Blondie). Also – he was a left-hander who played with a right-handed set-up. (Remind you of anyone?) His playing always made me smile and I know it must have for millions of other fans. Shine on! The big Beatles story of the week though was the announced casting of the four leads in director Sam Mendes’ four Beatles films, ETA 2028. Everyone of course had to weigh in, including tons of people who know nothing about acting or filmmaking. The reaction across social media was as though they’d announced the finalists in a look-alike contest. (You know: the kind of thing they did regularly back in the 1960s.) There was a time in my immaturity that I might have been inclined to agree with the curious choices made based on physical appearance alone, but – I think we’re past the point where looks are the primary driver in such situations. It’s a rare thing when someone looks the part and has acting chops (does anyone else think that Cillian Murphy in his youth would’ve made a splendid Klaus Voormann?), but usually the success of projects based on real life well-known personas is based more on the script and direction rather than the capacity to resemble their character. (Daniel Day-Lewis was a rare exception in a long line of Lincoln biopics where he really did nail performance and looks.) And David Bowie’s lack of resemblance to Joseph Merrick wasn’t a deal breaker either. I guess my point is that, before everyone loses their minds over this and starts hating on it frame-unseen, we should trust that Mendes knows what he’s doing. Here’s one reasoned response. In other news: a painting by the late Scottish artist John Patrick Byrne went up for auction. It has often been reported as commissioned by The Beatles at some point between A Doll’s House and the arrival of Richard Hamilton as the cover art for what we call the “White Album.” This is not true: what is is that it was commissioned by artist Alan Aldridge for use as a frontispiece to his Beatles Illustrated Lyrics book (1969), which indeed it was. (Apparently there was a small and a large version: this auction was of the smaller version, while the larger piece was used in 1980 for the cover of The Beatles Ballads compilation.) 302 arrived this weekend: a conversation with Allison Bumsted about her book, covering TeenSet magazine and teen lit generally, and where the Beatles specifically interacted with the publishers. Also discussed: the story of DateBook and the “more popular than Jesus” controversy. She’s got an article that will be published online for free at any moment now that can be accessed here. The Q&A portion of her book launch is posted here. Next up is my conversation with Ian Leslie, he of the recently published John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs. Like so much else, it too has stirred some strong reactions from people, possibly louder from those who haven’t actually read it yet. I would again suggest patience and give this talk a listen: I think it’s an important book that connects some dots and at the very least, can influence the way you will hear their music going forward. Don’t take my word though… David Sheff’s recently published Yoko biography has been mentioned here previously. I haven’t yet read it but fully intend to; nonetheless, the Guardian once again says in print what I am inclined to believe, based on the personas involved. Yoko (and John, and in fact, all of the Beatles…) are all worthy of balanced, fair-minded explorations in print, based on data and not specific agendas/reactions to other things going on. I am hoping that we get there someday, but it may take many more years, beyond the lifetimes of the subjects, for this to happen. In the meantime, this is a big deal. You can bet I will be checking it out. (On the subject of balance: I posted one review last time and here’s another.) On the subject of writers and the past: this week was the book launch for my latest (with Jerry Hammack), Ribbons of Rust. Video of the call, which included the esteemed John Leckie, Sibbie O’Sullivan and Richard Mills, plus a supporting cast of innocent bystanders, will be posted in due course. Rather, it was the announcement of the event that drew unasked for attention, from a name that will likely be familiar to all subscribers to this newsletter. Said correspondent had this to say: “Please…. I think you guys are about 30 years late to the Beatles book business” before adding: what I see is people who have an obsession for a rock band that broke up over 50 years ago. I got in in 1984. I wrote the books that I wrote. I had my relationship with the people involved from both the inner and outer circle and moved on. I find it remarkable that people are willing