[powerpress] An area heretofore unexplored on SATB is jazz: specifically, which artists took raw material from The Beatles and took it in a new direction. It is our good fortune to have within reach a true legend of the idiom: Ramsey Lewis, a multi-Grammy-winning keyboardist whose work spans decades and genres. In late 1968 - mere weeks after The Beatles' "White Album" was released - Ramsey issued a 10-song collection drawing from the Beatles' fresh work. Mother Nature's Son was hailed as a clas...
Aug 26, 2019•1 hr 3 min
[powerpress] 1969 was a tremendous year, in the world generally and with The Beatles as well. We find ourselves commemorating (if not celebrating) a number of 50th anniversaries this year, among them the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders; tangentially tied to the "White Album" by Charles Manson's (mis)reading of certain lyrics. That he was able to incite a bunch of confused misfits into sociopathy remains a fascinating area of study, and SATB has previously explored the purported ties between Charl...
Aug 18, 2019•58 min
Few professional scribes received access to The Beatles like Ray Connolly. As a journalist with the Evening Standard, he found himself in the right place at the right time to cover the group during their final years. (It was to him that John confided that he'd quit the group; it was to Ray that Paul divulged: "I didn't leave the Beatles - The Beatles left the Beatles.") He later scripted the films That'll Be The Day and Stardust; he also wrote radio plays and biographies. In 2018, he published B...
Aug 06, 2019•1 hr 26 min
Back in 2017, SATB first explored of Beatles collectors. This year, a terrific addition to Beatle literature arrived with the publication of Terry Crain's new book, NEMS and the Business of Selling Beatles Merchandise in the U.S. 1964-1966. Terry didn't merely catalog the merchandise of the period: instead, he methodically researched the history of the items marketed stateside, each of which tells a story itself. There's a ton of history to be gleaned from these ephemeral footnotes of the era - ...
Aug 02, 2019•1 hr 1 min
Beginning in 1978, George Harrison became drawn into a vocation he'd only dabbled in previously: filmmaker. HandMade Films came into being serendipitously, simply because he wanted to see Monty Python's Life of Brian get made. This "accidental studio" went on to produce work of staggeringly high quality, resulting in works ranging from Time Bandits and The Long Good Friday to Mona Lisa and Withnail and I. (Also: Shanghai Surprise.) The story of George's cinematic career has now been told, in a n...
Jul 17, 2019•1 hr 12 min
The full story of The Beatles' Rishikesh visit and their relationship with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had never been explored in detail and from the inside before - until now. Susan Shumsky spent over twenty years studying TM, including seven working directly with the Maharishi. The author of 14 books, her newest - Maharishi and Me: Seeking Enlightenment with the Beatles' Guru - sheds light on the Rishikesh experience and how it impacted The Beatles' lives and art. Years of misinformation is cleared ...
Jul 01, 2019•1 hr 5 min
In which I resume the conversation with engineer/producer Jerry Hammack, begun earlier this year. This time, our sounding board is writer/musician/engineer/producer/podcaster/returning guest Anthony Robustelli. We discuss the specifics of their studio work throughout 1967 and into 1968, encompassing Magical Mystery Tour and then some. Jerry's third volume of The Beatles' Recording Reference Manual series was recently published. My guests: https://www.beatlesrecordingreferencemanuals.com/ https:/...
Jun 22, 2019•1 hr 13 min
The first break-out star at Apple Records was, of course, Mary Hopkin with "Those Were The Days." A huge international hit, it typed her as a cheery ingénue, somewhat removed from her folk roots (and aspirations). Other hits followed, diverging from her preferred stylistic path, until her second Apple album, Earth Song / Ocean Song (produced by her future husband, Tony Visconti) at last gave her some artistic satisfaction. Her story - at Apple and beyond (including session work for David Bowie, ...
May 31, 2019•52 min
Apple Jam is a Seattle-based recording and performing outfit specializing in Beatles music; specifically, songs written by Lennon-McCartney and Harrison that, for the most part, went unrecorded/released as "Beatles" product. My guests today are Richard Lovrovich, Jaekal Tristram and Doug Kilishek. In this conversation, they discuss the curation of obscure Beatles material: the selection process (what makes the cut - and what doesn't), the recording and the performance of this music. Off The Beat...
May 25, 2019•47 min
It is not a unique observation to note that bandleader Duke Ellington and The Beatles shared some commonalities, creativity-wise. They were unclassifiable musically, and a great deal of what made their art magic came from the collaborative process, hardwired into their working method. My guest, musicologist Thomas Brothers, has written a terrific new book - Help: The Beatles, Duke Ellington and the Magic of Collaboration. This conversation provides an overview of his thesis (to be followed up wi...
May 17, 2019•59 min
Back in 2017, SATB featured a conversation with Ken Womack on the publication of volume one of his George Martin biography, Maximum Volume (here). In late 2018, volume two emerged, this one taking up the story where George Martin resumed production chores with The Beatles, this time as an independent contractor. It marked the era of their highest artistic achievement as well as an eventual erosion in relations between producer and proteges. This discussion also covers the post-Beatles years and ...
Apr 08, 2019•1 hr 2 min
He’s back, and with a terrific topic: each of us choosing 7 moments in the history of The Beatles that we would’ve liked to have been around to witness as a fly on the wall. The criteria being, occasions where the history is unclear, or simply moments that would’ve been amazing to witness. This ended up as an interesting Rorschach exercise, mapping out our respective concentrated areas of interest as well. You’ll hear ours but we want to hear yours: leave ’em for consideration on Twitter, Facebo...
Apr 02, 2019•2 hr 9 min
You know him as the photographer responsible for one Beatles album cover (two in the US); their last group photo shoot, and as the official photographer on the “Get Back” / Let It Be project (his photos filled the book packaged with the original issue). But Ethan Russell also produced iconic images for the Rolling Stones and The Who, as well as album covers and short films for an array of artists, plus wrote several books (including Dear Mr. Fantasy). His latest is in the works as part of a Kick...
Mar 27, 2019•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 162
This is the second part of a discussion begun with Doug Sulpy (co-author of Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image/Get Back), this time with blogger Dan Rivkin. His blog, They May Be Parted, is a detailed examination of the Nagra tapes of the “Get Back”/Let It Be project. Dan adds detail, analysis and context to the recordings, and we dive deep into what all there is to be gleaned from the extant record (and speculate on what to expect from Peter Jackson). Part one of January 1969 here. Dan’s blog:...
Mar 22, 2019•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 161
You know him as the human music stand kneeling before John Lennon for “Dig A Pony” during the rooftop session of January 1969. But Kevin Harrington was much more than that: coming into The Beatles’ orbit beginning in January 1966 as an office boy at NEMS; an employee of the Saville Theatre the following year, and lastly, a roadie/gofer at Apple from 1968 on, setting up their musical gear for recording sessions (and hanging out otherwise). Kevin’s stories are entertaining and insightful: The Beat...
Mar 09, 2019•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 160
Back in 2000, Chip Madinger and Mark Easter produced an exhaustive study of every extant recording of the solo Beatles, up to that very year: studio sessions, live concerts and broadcasts. Eight Arms To Hold You was a one-of-a-kind detailed examination of what the four ex-Beatles did musically, when and with whom. The book went out of print, but the good news is, it’s back (in PDF form) and updated with another 20,000 words, further detailing the ground covered (though it still ends at 2000). I ...
Feb 24, 2019•1 hr 10 min
Two words: Peter Jackson Remember the “Winter of Discontent”? My guest today is Doug Sulpy, co-author (with Ray Schweighardt) of Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image (AKA Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of the Beatles’ “Let It Be” Disaster.) With the announcement of the long-desired fresh look at the Let It Be project being in the works, we discuss what can be learned from a close study of the Nagra reels, and where the common perceptions have missed the mark. This episode is an overview: we...
Feb 12, 2019•1 hr 36 min
In this episode, Robert and Richard discuss some of the Beatle novelty recordings of fifty years ago, plus the new box set release of all their American albums. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 06, 2019•1 hr 8 min
It’s the return of Jerry Hammack – creator of the Beatles Recording Reference Manual series. Volume 3, covering the end of 1966 (“Strawberry Fields Forever”) through the whole of Sgt. Pepper (plus Magical Mystery Tour) has just been published. Producer Ben Rowling and I discuss the high level of studio innovation that typified the post-touring era, and though we didn’t get to Magical Mystery Tour in this conversation (part two to come), we did discuss elements of their work habits through the Wh...
Jan 24, 2019•1 hr 14 min
In a slight departure from the SATB norm, I present an account of the career of a Beatles peer: session guitarist Vic Flick, whose work appeared in 1960s music charts alongside The Beatles. Every Fab fan will know his soundtrack work on their first two United Artist films, but in addition to this, he contributed to a McCartney solo project, worked with George Martin (and Beatle acolytes Peter and Gordon), as well as scores of other “British Invasion” acts. And yes – it was he who played the icon...
Jan 13, 2019•1 hr 2 min
First off, listeners: kindly indulge the first 15 minutes, which represents an audio document of 1968 (January through end of August). It’s one thing to know what happened that year, but it’s quite another to hear the immediacy of actual sound, both news and music. 1968 was a convulsive stream of history and it is with that context in mind that we can come to a better understanding of the world The Beatles operated in. Second: this conversation was an attempt to discuss how the Beatles and their...
Jan 04, 2019•1 hr 55 min
The long-awaited conversation with producer Chris Thomas, recorded at the White Album Symposium in Monmouth University. Audio deficiencies with the sound due to the electrical system; deficiencies in my voice due to an ill-timed tribute to George’s Dark Horse Tour. Thanks to Ben Rowling Joe Rapolla, Dr. Kenneth Womack and everyone at Monmouth University. The post 154: IT’S CHRIS ThoMAS TIME! appeared first on Something About The Beatles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...
Dec 25, 2018•1 hr 1 min
In general, you can tell how well a conversation went by how long the show runs. At just past the two hour mark, you get an idea of how well things went with Lon Van Eaton, one-time Apple recording artist and protege of George Harrison. In addition to being one half of the Van Eaton brothers, who issued an album and single in the US in 1972, he did session work for Ringo beginning with the 1973 self-titled release (and performed live with him on TV), as well as other 1970s acts produced by Richa...
Dec 24, 2018•1 hr 36 min
As a sonic landscape to accompany your holiday season demands: driving places – online shopping – gift-wrapping, and so forth, SATB presents an end-of-year look at the highlights of this years’ shows. We had some terrific guests this year, ranging from notables like Randy Bachman and the Mona Lisa Twins to SATB favorites like Erin Weber and Jeff Martin. Tons of great discussions and explorations – more to come in the New Year. Special thanks to: Ben Rowling – Vinnie Zummo – Jeff Martin – Erin We...
Dec 08, 2018•1 hr 53 min
In the 2nd of a quartet of shows recorded (in part) at the White Album Symposium at Monmouth University (as well as the 2nd in a trio of shows covering Apple in its 50th year), I speak with my friend, Ken Mansfield: former manager of US operations of Apple, as well as author of several books, including two published this year: a novel, Philco and a memoir, The Roof: The Beatles’ Final Concert. Ken is a natural storyteller as well as a confidant of the Beatles, whose accomplishments include work ...
Nov 30, 2018•1 hr 20 min
In the first of what will be a series of shows originating from the White Album symposium held at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey, I am presenting my opening remarks, followed by a brief Q&A. For those who couldn’t attend, it gives you a good flavor of how these events go down. Asked to present on the Kinfauns recordings, newly remastered and issued as part of the 50th anniversary White Album package, I opted to offer my take on what the recording of these songs meant to ...
Nov 22, 2018•47 min
You may know his name from his years on tour and in the studio with Joe Jackson; possibly from his series of solo projects (Swinging Guitar Sounds of Young America Vol 1-3, plus The Coyote and two Christmas collections – find them here). But this multi-instrumentalist has been a lifelong Beatle fan, and as he says here, the group served as proxy tutors, as he learned ALL the instrumental parts of their records as they were released. This show began as an examination of George’s evolution as a gu...
Nov 05, 2018•1 hr 9 min
If all you know about this sister act out of Austria is an array of Beatles covers on Youtube, then you don’t know the Mona Lisa Twins. They are the present-day embodiment of the ripples of waves begun when the Beatles entered popular consciousness over half a century ago; a manifestation of what Geoff Baker called “a good way of looking at the world.” Lots of great artists emerged from the sixties and afterward, inspired by a force that The Beatles embodied and then set into motion. This puts t...
Oct 25, 2018•1 hr 3 min
There is no real perfection, a much-loved artist once sang. But in Beatle world, where excellence is the common consensus, the act of assessing how well they executed their art as distinguished by individual releases is – at the very least – ripe for a thoughtful discussion. Returning to the show is TV writer Jeff Martin (4th time around!), and new to SATB is sports reporter Andy Martino. It was his stray observation on the Shea Anything podcast that prompted this conversation. The post 147: The...
Oct 18, 2018•1 hr 14 min
Ever wonder what the lives of those screaming legions of fans were like? Wonder no more: today, I speak with award-winning cartoonist, Carol Tyler, whose memoir of her Beatles adoration, Fab 4 Mania: A Beatles Obsession and the Concert of a Lifetime, has just been published. The book builds on the diary that she kept as 13-year old, vividly chronicling her devotion with the art and journals she kept from back in the day. Her journey articulates the fan experience of someone who grew up with The ...
Oct 09, 2018•1 hr 27 min
