Podcast
Something About the Beatles
Hosted by Evergreen Podcasts · EN
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 the Fab Four.
49episodes
Episodes
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306: Beatles Olympiad - Glyn Johns' Get Back with Gary Wenstrup
Jun 13, 202501:36:54Summary readyIn 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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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305: Contentious Credits
May 25, 202502:15:55Summary readyIn 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Summary304: Badfinger's Head First with Bob Jackson
May 7, 202501:56:56Summary readyBeatle 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. In this conversation, Bob discusses his tenure in the band alongside Pete, Tommy, Mike Gibbins and the late Joey Molland, as well as his work with them through the years that followed as well as the lasting impact of the two tragedies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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303: John and Paul - A Love Story in Songs with Ian Leslie
Apr 22, 202501:23:45Summary readyMy 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
SummarySATB SPECIAL: ONE TO ONE with Gary Wenstrup
Apr 19, 202501:06:02Summary readyOn April 10, 2025, the film One To One: John and Yoko was released in US theaters. Gary Wenstrup (SATB Olympiad series) attended a screening, and in this SATB Special, have a discussion on what we saw: what was good - what we thought was less so - what was in it - what was not in it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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302: TeenSet and Rock Fan Magazines with Allison Bumsted
Apr 5, 202501:46:25Summary readyAn important part of understanding both rock history generally and The Beatles' history specifically is contained in a study of the fan magazines produced throughout the 50s and 60s. For the purposes of this discussion, Dr. Allison Bumsted's newly-published TeenSet, Teen Fan Magazines and Rock Journalism: Don't Let The Name Fool You is THE roadmap to understanding the role these journals played in both promoting artists and instilling a sense of community among fans, pre-internet and social media. Allison focuses much of her research on TeenSet, a groundbreaking magazine created by Capitol Records that began as one thing and ended as something else under the guidance of visionary editor Judith Sims. You can check out Allison's research and new articles at www.allisonbumsted.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Summary301: The Beatles' Bag of Tricks Volume 2 with Jack Petruzzelli and Cameron Greider
Mar 24, 202501:23:48Summary readyReturning guests Cameron Greider and Jack Petruzzelli (both of the RPM-School.com) are on hand to discuss more of what The Beatles used in their songcraft: 6th and minor 3rds. If ths sounds like indecipherable music theory, hang on - it isn't and once you become aware of it, you'll recognize it everywhere - how often and how artfully they used it, and to what effect. Also in the conversation: Neil Inness, and the topic of plagiarism. Jack, Cameron and I will all be on hand in upstate New York come June as part of the 3rd annual Magical Mystery Camp, along with Walter Everett and featured guests that include Peter Asher, Joan Osbourne, Steve Forbert, The Fab Faux, Ken Womack, Scott Freiman, and last but not least, Jerry Hammack. A full on days-long music immersion in learning and participating. Details: www.magicalmysterycamp.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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300: Something About The Beatles' 300th Episode
Feb 26, 202503:19:07Summary readyYOU 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):Christine Feldman-BarrettPattie BoydAllison BumstedLaura CortnerDennis DikenDuncan DriverElliot EastonDebbie GendlerGlenn GreenbergCameron GreiderJerry HammackRobert HeironimousTerri HemmertPeter Jackson John LeckieRamsey LewisKen MansfieldJeff MartinRichard MillsSibbie O'Sullivan Jack PetruzzelliDan RivkinEthan RussellLuther RussellArion SalazarPat SansoneSylvie SimmonsSusan ShumskyChris ThomasCarol TylerErin WeberGary Wenstrup Thanks to every one of my guests and to each and every listener. None of this would be possible without you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Summary299: Ringo's Beats and Threads with Gary Astridge
Feb 1, 202501:31:30Summary readyFor 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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SATB Extra: Magical Mystery Camp 2025
Jan 30, 202500:22:55Summary readyLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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