Podcasting

310: The Beatles’ Legacy with Sean Murphy    Why are we still talking about these guys? Does a band that stopped recording together over half a century ago have any relevance in the 21st century? Have we reached the bottom of the barrel yet in terms of exploring every aspect of their story? If you answered yes and no respectively to the last two questions, press on, because in this conversation with author Sean Murphy, we dive into the continued appeal and inspiration that The Beatles gave us, as potent in 2025 as it was in the ’60s. Check out Sean’s work here:  Twitter & Insta = bullmurph  FB = ⁠  / authorseanmurphy  ⁠  LinkedIn = ⁠  / sean-murphy-4986b41  ⁠  Substack = seanmurphy.live / ⁠https://murphlaw.substack.com Check out MY talk on HIS show here:https://murphlaw.substack.com/p/season-4-ep-6-robert-rodriguez-the Sean’s online Beatle writings: 

309: Some Fun Tonight with Chuck Gunderson    We are now sixty years on from the crest of The Beatles’ touring years, if you figure the August 15, 1965 Shea Stadium show that kicked off their second North American tour as “the top of the mountain,” as John Lennon once did.  Therefore, who better to talk about those three intense years and shows than Chuck Gunderson, author of Some Fun Tonight: The Backstage Story of How The Beatles Rocked America? It was published in 2014 in two slipcased volumes, richly illustrated with many never-before-seen photos of The Fabs onstage, as well as behind the scenes and of period ephemera. Chuck is the expert on those shows, and in this conversation – taped live in front of an audience at the 2025 Rosemont Fest For Beatles Fans – we convened to discuss Shea, Margies Candies, the Chicago mob, segregation, and how Brian handled the demands of sailing into uncharted waters.  Check out the book here: https://www.somefuntonight.com/

308: The Politics of Beatles with Candy Leonard.    In 2014, sociologist Candy Leonard published Beatleness: How the Beatles and Their Fans Remade The World. It was a groundbreaking work, representing a serious exploration into the phenomenon of fandom and the reciprocal relationship between artist and audience, and the impact that all of it had on lives – and the world – that reverberates ever onward even today, sixty years on.  Candy has twice been a guest on the show (155: 1968 and 180: “…I buried Paul…”) but for this conversation, we focused on the politics of Beatles: not their personal convictions per se but what they meant fresh out of the gate – what they represented and how they were received by fans and the establishment alike.    In this talk, we covered hair (as a statement) – drugs – evolution – One to One – Beatles ’64 – feminism – Taylor Swift – The Monkees.   Check out Candy’s site for her essays and more (https://www.candyleonard.com/beatleness ). 

307: Borrowed Time with Alan G. Parker   Alan G. Parker is a filmmaker and author renowned for his works centered on the UK punk scene, and he joins us today to unpack his latest documentary, Borrowed Time: Lennon’s Last Decade. We begin with Alan’s insights and inspirations for the film before learning about his background and how he became a die-hard Beatles fan. Then, we examine the short and long versions of Borrowed Time, other similar works, and how their Lennon portrayals influenced Alan’s depiction, how he found the right people to interview for the film, and the limitations and restrictions he faced making an unsanctioned documentary. We also learn how Alan gathered an abundance of never-seen-before Beatles footage, the Beatles stories he’s yet to share with the rest of us, how John Lennon’s persona meshed with the UK punk scene, and how Borrowed Time complements other Beatles films like One to One and The U.S. vs. John Lennon. To end, Alan details the journalistic differences between the UK and American media and how these discrepancies influenced John’s story and public image, the most accurate portrayals of Lennon’s depression, how John’s death affected younger Alan, and why and how his Beatles fandom never wavered even after the death of John Lennon.

306: Beatles Olympiad – Glyn Johns’ Get Back with Gary Wenstrup   In late May 1969, producer Glyn Johns turned in a draft album, culled from hours of tape recorded in January 1969 during the Get Back/Let It Be sessions. His work reflected the original concept: catching The Beatles as they really were in the studio, with off-the-cuff performances of oldies, warm-ups, false starts and blown takes. It would have made for a fine tie-in with the original cut of the Let It Be film, but ultimately, the group rejected the idea, instead moving back to their established productions values, with Abbey Road being the result. The tapes, handed off to Phil Spector, emerged in May 1970 with a new tie-in: the group’s break-up. Let It Be, the album, drew the worst reviews of their career, being a neither fish-nor-fowl collection of tunes bearing Spector’s worst impulses (choirs and lush orchestration) alongside vestiges of the original concept (studio chat and tossed off improvisations). In this episode, Robert and Olympiad partner Gary Wenstrup re-imagine the group’s history – what if Get Back HAD been accepted and released in spring 1969, the missing link between the “White Album” and Abbey Road? You can read Glyn’s account of things here https://people.com/music/long-winding… and hear the actual work here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jwl7… The artwork with track listing is here: https://images.genius.com/6b19f1c8e7b… www.somethingaboutthebeatles.com

305: Contentious Credits with Marcus Phelan and Andrew Shakespeare   In recent years, the quality of Beatles scholarship has risen considerably, and the old days of accepting and repeating any old data (even coming from sources that should be credible) – without examining it deeper to see if it really stands up – are long gone. With The Beatles, music is always at the heart of their story, and in particular, what they did in the studio. Examining how their recordings were produced tells us a ton about how the group operated, and therefore getting it right is pretty important to understanding what we’re hearing. My two guests – Marcus Phelan and Andrew Shakespeare – are 2nd-gen fans, hailing from Australia. Both are musicians who’ve been playing for decades and have been studying The Beatles’ music for just about as long. We selected a group of songs that have been disputed as to who is playing what and how the recordings were constructed for this first installment of Contentious Credits. Songs: “Every Little Thing” “I’m Looking Through You” “Fixing A Hole” “It’s All Too Much” “Hey Bulldog” “Dear Prudence” “Helter Skelter” “Old Brown Shoe” “Come Together”

304: Badfinger’s Head First with Bob Jackson   Beatle proteges Badfinger were an Apple band that simultaneously produced some of the finest pop/rock of their era while beset by management malfeasance leading directly to their decimation by suicide. It was fifty years ago that Pete Ham, their songwriter responsible for “No Matter What,” “Day After Day” and “Baby Blue” and co-writer with Tommy Evans of “Without You” took his life at 27. Only a few months before, he and the band recorded one final album (at Apple Studios), Head First. Multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Bob Jackson, the group’s newest addition, was fully on board with the project, which went unreleased at the time but through his determination, was tracked down and fully realized in late 2024.

303: John and Paul – A Love Story in Songs with Ian Leslie   My guest has produced one of those rare books in The Beatles’ literary canon not penned by an insider (or by someone named Lewisohn) that has arrived with a tidal wave of press; in advance and since. Ian Leslie, who in the past has written about psychology, has put together a thesis examining the singular personal and professional relationship between Lennon and McCartney, and how it manifested in their art. That’s a lot to unpack but we cover a lot of ground in our conversation.  

298: May the Second – The Found Weekend with May Pang   Returning guest May Pang has had a busy couple of years, both with the presentation of her story in the acclaimed documentary, The Lost Weekend: A Love Story, as well as her ongoing touring photographic exhibit of photos she took fifty years ago. In this conversation, we discuss a number of topics outside the doc, including Allan Klein, Dick Cavett, the Imagine film (1972), Badfinger, and the productive period where she was at John’s side, facilitating work that included three US chart-topping singles and collaborations with Mick Jagger, Phil Spector, Harry Nilsson, Ringo, David Bowie, Elton John (and almost…Paul).  

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…..

296: Exploring the evolving nature of Beatles fandom with Richard Mills   It’s here – SATB 296: The Beatles and Fandom with Richard Mills Don’t let the fact of my guest’s doctorate and his publisher (Bloomsbury) fool you – Richard’s excellent text and groundbreaking research make a compelling case for the evolving nature of Beatles fandom, shining light on their enduring popularity. Consider this conversation a hang with your favorite professor: though we boomerang from subject to subject (I nearly titled this one “Hey look! A squirrel!”), Richard is a thought-provoking Beatles scholar and I am looking forward to our next chat.

295: Beatles ’64 with David Tedeschi and Margaret Bodde   Many of you have by now seen the new doc, re-presenting the February 1964 footage of The Beatles’ two-week jaunt in NYC, Washington and Miami, shot by Albert and David Maysles. As you know, producer Martin Scorsese has a history of music documentaries (including Living on the Material World) but this one is directed by his associate, David Tedeschi and produced by Margaret Bodde, who have worked together many times on on many music films. I got a chance to talk with them about the making of this one and the intent behind it.  

294: White Album Olympiad with Gary Wenstrup   The Olympiad series picks up again, with music scholar Gary Wenstrup on board, picking up where we left off at episode 276, the Filmtrack Olympiad. Be sure to add your name to the [email protected] Newsletter list to enter the giveaway of the vinyl Beatles ’64 Mono Capitol albums. About “(Wild) Honey Pie”

293: Macca’s 80s   Viewed at one level, Paul’s 1980’s career was bookended by the album triumphs of Tug of War and Flowers In The Dirt. But that would be to overlook the January 1980 Tokyo drug bust, the dissolution of Wings, John’s murder, and then a period that may best be described as uneven: duets (of varying quality), the diminishing returns of Pipes of Peace, the lambasting that Give My Regards To Broad Street earned him, the “Frog Chorus,” Press To Play, the abandoned Phil Ramone sessions, and the public discord over the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Beatles induction. Plus litigation aplenty.   It was a time that saw his reputation eclipsed by his martyred bandmate and hit records harder to come by, all before he found his feet with a new collaborator (Elvis Costello) that seemed to rejuvenate him, setting the table for a return to world touring. All of this is discussed in my latest conversation with author Glenn Greenberg, where we examine the good and the bad during challenging times. 

292: The Comedy of The Beatles with Jeff Martin   An essential component of The Beatles’ appeal was their sense of humour, showcased not only in their two feature films (A Hard Day’s Night, Help!) but also their TV appearances, interviews and even their music. TV comedy writer Jeff Martin (Late Night with David Letterman, The Simpsons) returns to the show to discuss how this facet of their talents was not only exceptionally developed, but also an element that set them apart from their peers, as well as key to their enduring legacy.

291: December 8, 1980 with David Whelan   In the 44 years since John Lennon’s death, the trauma of that night is still as raw, so much so that, for most people, the facts of what went down are far too painful still to examine closely. But when one does, as returning guest David Whelan has, they depict somethng far more disturbing  and sinister than the story we thought we knew. Whelan’s research was presented in his book, Mind Games: The Assassination of John Lennon. Our earlier discussion this year (275) barely scratched the surface on what his research uncovered. Today’s discussion goes deeper, and is in part a response to the recent show with Robert Rosen (Nowhere Man). 

289: A Hard Day’s Night At 60   New to SATB guests Sarah Pleydell and Moya Luckett are joined by 1st-gen fans Carol Tyler, Debbie Gendler and Sibbie O’Sullivan for a panel of authors and fans with the standing to offer insights into the film that I guarantee you’ve never heard before.In this deep dive, we discuss the sociological, cultural, and class aspects depicted in the film, as well as an analysis of the humour and how…

288: Band On The Run (Hand Clapping) with Luca Perasi   With The Beatles’ film debut turning 60 this summer, the time was right for a deep dive into the cultural and cinematic significance of it all. Joining the conversation are two new guests: Sarah Pleydell and Moya Luckett. Both were born in the UK, one’s a first-gen fan, and both are authors and academics with cred particularly suited to the topic. Rounding out the talk are our three fave 1st-gen fans, Sibbie O’Sullivan, Carol Tyler and Debbie Gendler, authors all. 

SATB 287: The Historian and Get Back with Erin Weber   http://www.somethingaboutthebeatles.com/287 In the years since Peter Jackson’s epic re-imagining of the January 1969 saga landed, SATB has examined it through a number of angles: from Brits – women – musicians – authors – and so forth. But this will be the first time I have actually had a conversation about it with a professional historian, your friend and mine, Erin Weber. This conversation analyzes the film through the prism of (secondary) source material, and brings into focus how the work should be viewed by fans of a more serious scholarly bent. 

286: Nowhere Man ’24 with Robert Rosen    In this conversation, my returning guest (see episodes 189 – 245 – 266) discusses his recent visit to Spain, where a belated Beatlemania is in full swing. He also offers his insights on the recent May Pang documentary, The Lost Weekend: A Love Story, as well as his take on David Whelan’s investigation into John Lennon’s murder and the latter’s preoccupation with “lucid dreaming.” Check out Robert’s writings at https://www.robertrosennyc.com/index.htm Highlights of his evening in Sevilla (with Mary Lyn Maiscott) can be found here: 

286: Nowhere Man ’24 with Robert Ros285: Sixty Years Ago in America with Lee Abrams, Dennis Diken, and Elliot Eastonen    As part of the ongoing campaign in 2024 to look back at 1964, we present another conversation with first-gen fans, this time focusing on the Capitol issues as well as US Top 40 radio. Returning guests Elliot Easton and Dennis Diken (The Cars and The Smithereens respectively) are joined by Lee Abrams, radio visionary and co-founder of Sirius XM. We discuss their fandom as it unfolded in real time, the impact and influence of radio, as well as their takes on the US releases (and the Beach Boys too).  You can find Lee’s writings here: https://www.leeabramsmediavisions.com/blog Something About The Beatles is an Evergreen podcast. 

284: Sixty Years On with Ivor Davis    Returning guest (episodes 130 and 174) Ivor Davis is a British journalist who, in 1964, went on tour with The Beatles for the Daily Express, covering their North American dates while ghost-writing a column for George Harrison (having taken over the assignment from Derek Taylor). He did similar duties for the following year, and after which, he settled in California as west coast correspondent. His job saw him cover the Warren Commission findings, the gubernatorial campaign trail for Ronald Reagan (governor) and in 1968, Bobby Kennedy (whose murder Ivor was a witness to). The following year, Ivor was at the center of the Manson Family case when he became the first journalist to visit Spahn ranch, as well as the first writer to publish a book on the Tate-LaBianca murders, Five To Die. (We discussed this in the two previous shows.) In short, he’s been around.  He first published his memoir of The Beatles’ experience as The Beatles and Me On Tour ten years ago for the 50th; it’s now been expanded and republished for the 60th anniversary. In his conversation, Ivor offers his observations from the current perspective, post Get Back and “Now and Then,” as well as inner-circle personas he came to know along the way.  He also has a new true crime book out, The Devil in My Friend about a 1980s double murder in Malibu. You can find info on all at his website, https://ivordavisbooks.com/

283: Giles on Trial – The Reissues Critiqued with John Leckie and Jerry Hammack     

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.