One of the great things this podcast has given over so far is a chance to re-examine songs you've heard hundreds of times. Through that, "There's A Place" revealed itself to be the roots of the introspective and sensitive Lennon who goes on the bring us songs like "Nowhere Man," "Strawberry Fields Forever," all the way to "Watching The Wheels." And it's brave as hell to put a song that low-key is commentary on mental health on your debut album in 1963, a time when those things weren't really dis...
Dec 22, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Every holiday season from 1963-1969, members of the Official Beatles Fan Club would receive a special present from the Fab Four: a limited edition, fan-club-only flexidisc record, made just for them. What started out as a brilliant turn of PR, scripted to strengthen the appeal and bond between band and fan turned into an outlet for the boys to create whimsey and weirdness without consideration of commerciality. As they got turned on, so did the Christmas records. Bringing in elements of their be...
Dec 15, 2020•1 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 27
At the onset of the Get Back/Let It B e project, John had a dilemma: he was short on songs. Paul and George had them falling out of their back pockets, but John was...going through some things, and didn't have a ton of material. He looked to the past, as the rest did, to old Lennon/McCartney tunes, rock & roll standards, covers, and old folk songs, like " Maggie Mae ," a tale-as-old-as-time story about a prostitute robbing her...John. This tune, with's it's equally odd history, shows up betw...
Dec 08, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 26
One of the first songs T he Beatles worked on for their fourth record, Beatles for Sale , ended up being one of the last ones they finished, and along the way, I argue, the create the blueprint for what becomes power-pop. A catchy, repeating guitar riff on a jangly 12-string, a signature drum part, earnest, powerful, heart-on-the-sleeve vocals, and MELODY MELODY MELODY. "What You're Doing" may not be the high-water mark on the album, but it's impact on bands would be felt for generations to come...
Dec 01, 2020•1 hr 50 min•Season 1Ep. 25
The White Album is definitely a high water mark for The Beatles . This expansive, now-classic album lifts off with the Chuck Berry-meets-The Beach Boys flavored rocker "Back In The USSR." The rocking Beatles are back from their psychedelic trips, and the gang's all here...except for Ringo, who walked out during the recording of this track. Paul takes over on the drums, adequately, and the original Threetles create a classic Beatles tune. But it's also the first time they look backwards, and it's...
Nov 24, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 24
"When I Get Home" is a great example of peak early-period John Lennon. It's a raucous track with interesting harmonies, an amazing vocal delivered with all the attitude and swagger of someone who'd dared to take on the world and won. It's a brutal, rocking punch that found it's way to the second half of the "A Hard Day's Night" album. It's really got nothing going against it, other than it's maybe the most "throwaway" of John's early peak. Well, that, and maybe one of the worst bits of lyric the...
Nov 17, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 23
There's always been something about The Beatles that made them really shine on screen. Their charisma and ease on camera seems to come from a rounded appreciation of the arts, including literature and theatre. That they only ever released one cover of a Broadway tune is interesting, especially when you consider it's kind of what got them their shot with George Martin, but that's what happened with "Til There Was You." They really nail it on this song from The Music Man , despite John's own misgi...
Nov 10, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 22
As a musician, I couldn't ever imagine having the world hear the first song I ever wrote...or have the guts to put that first song on a record that's expected to sell millions of copies. But that's just what happens with #198, George's "Don't Bother Me." It checks all the 60's early rock boxes, all while in a minor key! Impressive? George called it "not a great song," and maybe he's not wrong, but its not awful, and it certainly shows a better beginning than anything I ever wrote. #197, "Ask Me ...
Nov 03, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Few can dispute the fact that The Beatles were masters at the craft of songwriting. Melding music and lyrics was literally THEIR THING. They were GREAT at it. So it's an odd move for them to undertake recording a Memphis R&B styled instrumental during the sessions for Rubber Soul . A track owing more than just a tip-of-the-cap to Booker T. & The MGs ' " Green Onions ," "12 Bar Original" finds the band doing their best to step WAY out of their lane. The track gets tossed into the archives...
Oct 27, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Country music always played a part in The Beatles' story, more so than it probably gets credit for. Cavern and Hamburg sets featured covers of songs from the likes of Chet Atkins and Carl Perkins, while George's early lead style is massively influenced by them as well, all the way down to his choice of guitar. Ringo's love of country ends up with him doing a full on country album with studio giants in 1971 in Nashville, but before that, he dips his toes in the the country pool with his own songs...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 19
This episode drops into the contentious White Album sessions. Paul's perfectionism can be such a blessing, but also a curse. In trying to craft the joy and fun of #202 "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da," he ends up infuriating other band members and fighting with George Martin. Not the easiest way to get to a happy, silly, family friendly song. But then again, happy and family friendly are nowhere on the docket when John and Yoko enlist George and Mal Evans on the auditory equivalent of a bad acid trip, #201, ...
Oct 13, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 18
There's a reason The Beatles are so associated with the word "love." While they wrote a huge amount of songs about romantic love, they became the flag-bearers for love as a universal cause. #204 "The Word" marks the first time we see the Fabs stepping into that spokesperson role, espousing the power of love and peace. Just two years later, on the heels of telling the world love was all they needed, they found a way to turn the most simple melody into an absurdly catchy instrumental for a spaced ...
Oct 06, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Buddy Holly was one of the biggest influence on the Beatles, particularly John and Paul. They covered at least 13 of his songs during their early days. He inspired them to be both singers AND songwriters. So it's kind of surprising they only released Buddy Holly cover. As much as I enjoy " Words of Love ," it feels like it's never gotten above the "that's nice" level for me. It's a track that struggles to stand out in an album that struggles to standout amongst the best of the Fabs. It's not tha...
Sep 29, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Under the gun for material to complete Rubber Soul, the Beatles dusted off an old Quarrymen-era tune, sprinkled a bit of Buck Owens on it, and gave Ringo his vocal turn with #207, "What Goes On." An earlier version was considered as a single to follow up "Please Please Me," but it found it's home as a nice bit of album filler in 1965. Featuring nice guitar and bass work, a solid vocal, and done in one take, it lands as not a bad song, not a great song, but good enough. #206, "A Taste of Honey," ...
Sep 22, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Paul McCartney and John Lennon are, inarguably, two of the greatest songwriters of all time. On this episode, we tackle what may be the most inconsequential songs they penned during their time as Beatles. These songs also show the different paths they'd found themselves on in 1969...Paul, able to be fully self-sufficient on his own, creating on whim; John, searching for something while in the throws of addiction, and pulling the band behind him to try and manufacture inspirado. We're joined this...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 14
It's our first ever crossover episode! We're putting our heads together with Tommy, Scotty, and Becker, the hosts of Blotto Beatles, a podcast where they discuss a different Beatles song over a handful of adult beverages, then decide where it should rank in their personal rankings. Great minds think alike! In this episode, we discuss "I'll Get You," the b-side to the "She Loves You" single. It's a song that really has no downside to it, it shows the Fabs already learning how to work the crowd, e...
Sep 08, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Ancient philosophers once wrote "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." No, wait, sorry, that was Semisonic. It's true though. Beginnings and endings are fascinating because of what comes from both. "Love Me Do" was the beginning for the Beatles, but the end of the proverbial black & white life society was living in. Boom! Color. "The Long and Winding Road" marked the end of the Beatles, but the beginning of their respective solo careers, and the beginning of the hindsig...
Sep 01, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 12
You know how when a puppy's paws get big, and they get real clumsy and don't know what to do with them, and it's super cute, but they need to grow into their paws? That's how Jonathan sees "That Means A Lot," a song from the "Help!" album sessions, shelved until the Anthology release in the 90s. We're joined this week by drummer and classical pianist Andre Bohren to discuss this song, as well as "Tell Me What You See," a song that features a lyric Andre calls "unforgivable." GASP! We also discus...
Aug 18, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 11
This week we travel back to 1963 and 1965 via 1995 with previously unreleased tracks from The Beatles Anthology. The Fabs had a great knack for self-editing and knowing when something wasn't quite working. In the case of "If You've Got Trouble," that knack helps when your song has got "stupid words" and is "the naffest song" (George said so himself. This shelved Ringo vocal from the "Help!" session is a perfect example. He's GOT to have a song on the record, but this one just never really connec...
Aug 11, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Heads up, Faith No More fans: this ain't your guy, and yes he's heard all the jokes. Power-pop songwriter and dj/music curator Mike Patton joins us as we continue counting down our ranking of all the Beatle songs. At #218, Hold Me Tight is, as Macca describes it, " an attempt at writing a single that didn't quite work out." Sure is snappy though! Mike tells Jonathan why he's way off base with it at #218. Following that is George's "You Like Me Too Much," a song that, once listened to with modern...
Aug 04, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Sorry if we offended anyone by approaching something from Revolver so quickly, but alas, here we are. George's first full-on excursion into Eastern music may be one of the more significant and important songs in the Beatles catalog. That doesn't mean it's my favorite of his songs though. I've got it ranked at #219, but music writer/critic Alex Rawls totally disagrees with me. We talk about Alex's history with Beatles music, Christmas music...all kinds of music! Check out Alex's site www.myspiltm...
Jul 28, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 8
The b-side to the Fabs' debut single has never been my cuppa. It's always seemed a bit too wimpy and lightweight. Yet beneath the surface, might there be the an early sign of a new direction? Dave Pomerlau seems to think so, and does his best to convince Jonathan that this song is maybe trickier than originally thought. We also explore how The Beatles' helped provide healing times for New Orleans musicians post-Hurricane Katrina, Julia establishes the podcast as a Wings-friendly zone, and briefl...
Jul 21, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Not quite the caboose, but close! At #221, Mr. Moonlight ranks as my 3rd least favorite Beatles song. We’re joined on this episode by engineer/producer Adam Hill (Big Star, Jack White, Klaus Voorman and more). In this epidode, we discuss how a band so known for it’s brilliance could lay such an egg as this. We also discuss Adam’s work with Klaus Voorman on his solo album “A Sideman’s Journey" (with some great Hamburg stories re-told), how the Beatles influenced the work that went into making the...
Jul 14, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 6
And we're off! Counting down Jonathan's own personal ranking of the entire Beatles catalog. Our guest on this episode is musician Kyle Melancon, drummer for Emmy-award winning Disney stars The Imagination Movers and formerly of Louisiana Music Hall of Fame rock band Dash Rip Rock. We get in to the brass tacks of why these songs are where they are on the list, a bit of history and why these songs were made, as well as Kyle's personal Beatles history and how it's impacted his career as a musician....
Jul 07, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Out of boredom during COVID quarantine, I decided to rank 224 songs recorded by my all time favorite band, The Beatles. My own opinions, my own $.02. Long story short, all my friends had opinions, and they weren't afraid to share them. They also shared how that music has effected their lives in different ways. It turns out, everyone has a Beatles story. This is a place to share and experience those stories.
Jun 16, 2020•2 min•Season 1Ep. 4
"There's a great woman behind every idiot." - John Lennon. This is super true. When the idea came of having a co-host, I wanted someone who didn't share my same obsession with The Beatles, someone who could help keep my scattered brain organized, someone who could make me laugh and was easy to talk to. Also, someone who was, you know, available? We're still under quarantine and all. I just so happen to be married to a woman who checks all those boxes, and was surprisingly willing to follow me do...
Jun 14, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Hi! I'm Jonathan, and I'm a Beatles nut. I have been ever since I was a little kid. I've bought all the records (and cds and tapes and download), read all the books, poured over the boxsets, the hours and hours and hours of outtakes and isolated tracks and live tracks, made the pilgrimage to Abbey Road, The Cavern, Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane. I've spent what my parents always called "an exorbitant amount of time" on this band. They've always been my musical companion, through good and bad. So...
Jun 14, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Get ready to dive into a total fool's errand....
Jun 14, 2020•46 sec•Season 1Ep. 1
