In which this returning SATB fave (The Beatles and The Historians) and I expand from previous discussions focusing on books to cover the media specifically around the time of the break-up, and how the nonsensical "John vs Paul - who was the greater genius?" discussion got fueled and put forth into the world. The role of Allen Klein in their break-up is also discussed, in this two-hour conversation that drills deep into the dynamic between these two and hour the world viewed it. Learn more about ...
Sep 19, 2020•1 hr 58 min
For SATB's 200th episode (more or less), we're doing something special: returning with guest photographer/writer Ethan Russell, one of this most storied individuals in rock history through his iconic visual documentation of The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and The Who, to name three (scores more as well). Ethan was the official rock photographer of the Rock 'n' Roll Circus, the Let It Be sessions, the final Beatles group photo shoot, as well as behind tons of other classic images, most of which h...
Sep 11, 2020•1 hr 22 min
In which my returning guest and I discuss this: what if The Beatles' songwriting credits were more accurately apportioned to reflect actual significant contributions from not-credited bandmates? Their recording career began with a singular "McCartney-Harrison" credit for "In Spite of All The Danger" - one can make the case (and we do) that their career was book-ended by "I Me Mine," which might have rightfully have bore the same credit. Anyway, as always, it leads down many rabbit holes... Learn...
Aug 20, 2020•1 hr 20 min
Presented as forerunner of the inevitable show revisiting John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band to come later this year as part of the 50th anniversary, returning guest Chip Madinger (Eight Arms To Hold You, Lennonology) and I discuss some of the assorted odds and sods produced (or proposed) by John Lennon under the Plastic Ono Band brand circa 1969/1970. The POB debut year gave us the singles "Give Peace A Chance" and "Cold Turkey," but what about the other announced releases? ("Laughing"/"Whispers"; "Y...
Aug 13, 2020•1 hr 13 min
Previous guest Russ Lease returns with stories from the world of top end collecting: vehicles (including the Magical Mystery Tour bus), attire (shoes, boots, jackets), paper (a Brian Epstein contract) and vinyl. Russ was the founder of Beatles Suits, the go-to resource for Fab tailoring; he was also the auctions columnist for Beatleology magazine. Lastly: he is a partner in Fab Four Exhibitions, the traveling Beatles museum of artifacts. Russ has a lot to say about the back story on a lot of fam...
Jul 27, 2020•1 hr 15 min
In his return to the show, we discuss 1968 and the making of the "White Album" (mostly), as explored in his most recent work, The Beatles' Recording Reference Manual Volume 4. Joining us is another returning guest, recording artist/performer/producer Luther Russell (Those Pretty Wrongs, The Freewheelers, solo). Because we covered so much ground, I am presenting the conversation spread over two parts (the conclusion to follow later....) Check out Jerry's work here. Learn more about your ad choice...
Jul 11, 2020•1 hr 17 min
It seems particularly fitting at the time we find ourselves in to be discussing the art and career of rock pioneer Little Richard, who passed recently at 87. He represented a marginalized group in society, and his breakthrough, as unlikely as it was, carried with it resonance relevant to the present day. Add to that his absolutely key role in the development of The Beatles - going back to The Quarry Men days, really - and you can see why he is a subject worthy of a deep discussion. But the sprin...
Jun 07, 2020•1 hr 22 min
So an idea came up: who would SATB like to talk to in Beatle world and sit down for an interview? Qualifications: first, they have to be among the living (as of this taping); Second, they have to be completely honest and not fall back on deflection or "professional Beatle fan" chatter: stories they've entertained with for years that may or may not be factually accurate. Last, they have to be people on the inside who have either not told their stories at all or not told them to death. Though mort...
May 25, 2020•1 hr 52 min
Rock historian and radio interviewer Spencer Leigh has been chronicling the music scene generally and The Beatles specifically from his native Merseyside for decades. He has penned well over two dozen books, half of them on Beatles-specific subjects. In this conversation, we discuss an array of topics, including writing and researching The Beatles; Bob Wooler; Liverpool bands; Bob Dylan, and Ken Dodd, among other topics. Check out Spencer's work here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...
May 07, 2020•1 hr 17 min
The continuation of my conversation with musician/singer/songwriter/producer Luther Russell - whom you may recall (SATB 192) as one half of Those Pretty Wrongs, a duo with Jody Stephens (ex-Big Star). As a devout fan from birth and a drummer himself, Luther possesses considerable insight into what made Ringo the essential Beatle: how a combination of unique skills, background and chemistry with the others made him the band's most valuable player in a very real sense. This sprawling conversation ...
Apr 18, 2020•1 hr 4 min
My guest today is musician/singer/songwriter/producer Luther Russell - you may recall him (SATB 192) as one half of Those Pretty Wrongs, a duo with Jody Stephens (ex-Big Star). As a devout fan from birth and a drummer himself, Luther possesses considerable insight into what made Ringo the essential Beatle: how a combination of unique skills, background and chemistry with the others made him the band's most valuable player in a very real sense. This sprawling conversation addresses Ringo's singul...
Apr 17, 2020•1 hr 17 min
You may know her as the muse who inspired Donovan's "Jennifer Juniper"; maybe you know her as Pattie Boyd's sister who went to Rishikesh with The Beatles. She may be known to some as the one-time flat-mate of Magic Alex or the two-time wife of Mick Fleetwood, but above all, she was a perceptive observer with a ringside seat at some of the most momentous events in 60s youth culture; wise beyond her years but in tune with the zeitgeist as it shifted around her. Meet (Dr.) Jenny Boyd, author of the...
Mar 20, 2020•1 hr 21 min
The January 1969 sessions at Twickenham and Apple Studio are The Beatles gift that keeps on giving. Thoroughly taped and filmed, it is a rich vein of material to analyze, especially as it has been chronicled in such a bad light by the group themselves, at odds with much of the evidence that has surfaced. SATB has examined the subject numerous times, notably with the two part Winter of Discontent episodes but also two additional episodes featuring Doug Sulpy (author of the seminal Drugs, Divorce ...
Mar 08, 2020•1 hr 44 min
The January 1969 sessions at Twickenham and Apple Studio are The Beatles gift that keeps on giving. Thoroughly taped and filmed, it is a rich vein of material to analyze, especially as it has been chronicled in such a bad light by the group themselves, at odds with much of the evidence that has surfaced. SATB has examined the subject numerous times, notably with the two part Winter of Discontent episodes but also two additional episodes featuring Doug Sulpy (author of the seminal Drugs, Divorce ...
Mar 08, 2020•1 hr 37 min
My guest today is best known in Beatles world for having published Nowhere Man (originally in 2000 but since revised in 2015), a book in part drawn from Rosen's exclusive access to John Lennon's diaries. He is also the author of the newly-published memoir, Bobby in Naziland, a telling of his coming of age in Flatbush during the late 50s and early 60s. Rosen's work captures the essence of time and place, with an eye for detail and an ear for the rhythm; true for both of the aforementioned titles....
Feb 20, 2020•1 hr 43 min
In a follow-up to 171 (An Accidental Studio), I revisit the story of George Harrison: Filmmaker with Gary Wenstrup. Coming off the heels of the recent losses of both Neil Innes and Terry Jones, there was certainly more to discuss about George's relationship with the Pythons, encompassing Life of Brian as well as The Rutles and side issues like Dennis O'Brien (and his archetype, Allan Klein). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 14, 2020•1 hr 16 min
My (returning) guest is Andrew Grant Jackson, author of the newly-published 1973: Rock at the Crossroads. He makes the case for this period being a time of tremendous conflict: AM vs FM - 60s giants vs emerging upstarts - mainstream vs underground, all achieving levels of success whether at the time or in years later as influences. Against this backdrop, the four ex-Beatles issued five all albums of new material in total; all of which made the Top Ten (while three scored US number one hit single...
Jan 29, 2020•1 hr 15 min
In which SATB listener favorite Jeff Martin returns, and where we honor you, the listener, by running down nearly three hours' worth of your suggested events to revisit (as winged insects). Loads here covering The Beatles' career from start to finish - loads of music - and a nice way to spend holiday leisure time, while traveling or escaping boredom; posted in time to wrap up 2019 (and to salute Jeff's birthday, too). Thank you, each and every listener! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit me...
Dec 25, 2019•2 hr 30 min
My guests Alex Cain and Terry McCusker are back, presenting a discussion of their newest work, Ringo's White Album. Building on their previous work, Ringo Starr and The Beatles' Beat, this work examines in great detail what Ringo brought to these tumultuous 1968 sessions (which he did walk out of at one point), pushing the boundaries of his art with stylistic innovation as well as advanced studio technique. We also talked a bit about Ringo's work on Abbey Road, which will be the subject of their...
Dec 21, 2019•1 hr 13 min
2019's Danny Boyle rom-cam featuring a Beatles subtext has inspired a lot of discussion among fans this year, given the pretext of a struggling English musician apparently being the only person on Earth who can remember existence of the group. Most of the chatter was about the film itself, but I thought there were even richer discussions to be had, using the film's core idea as a springboard. The idea for this show was prompted by an article by my guest, Noah Berlatsky (I would encourage listene...
Dec 07, 2019•47 min
Special guests don't come much more special: today, a man who needs no introduction. His 1974 album, McGear, was produced with a little help from his big brother ("Our Kid" to you). It features contributions from members of a then-contemporary band, including Linda McCartney, Denny Laine and Jimmy McCulloch, and has often been spoked of as a "missing" Wings album. But Mike's artistry is all his own, making McGear, in a way, the album Paul never did make. This extended conversation covers not onl...
Nov 27, 2019•2 hr 3 min
In what will be an ongoing feature of SATBs going forward, I welcome to the show Gary Wenstrup. In addition to being a regular listener, Gary is a college-level teacher and lecturer, whose expertise encompasses an array of 1960s music acts. He saw an opportunity for following up shows to dig deeper, in ways that might not have been possible given time constraints. This episode uses as the starting off point my interview with Susan Shumsky, detailing The Beatles' 1968 visit to Rishikesh; but it a...
Nov 16, 2019•1 hr 35 min
It's the return of our favorite Fab historian. In this lengthy dialogue, we discuss an array of literature from the Beatles historical canon: among the works, Many Years From Now - The Love You Make - John Lennon: In My Life - Ray Coleman's bios of John and of Paul - Mike McCartney's The Macs: A Family Album, and others as well. As usual, Erin employs the methodology of a trained historian to assess how reliable these works are, in terms of presenting research and history that are worthy of our ...
Nov 04, 2019•2 hr 11 min
Last year - upon the 50th anniversary of the release of The Beatles; that eponymous double album issued as the group's Apple debut - a symposium was convened at Monmouth College in New Jersey, as many of you know. An ad hoc band performed some tunes from the record as the accompaniment to a discussion convened for the podcast featuring Jack Petruzelli, multi-instrumentalist/producer/recording artist best known for his membership in the Fab Faux. His insights as a musician who has performed these...
Oct 29, 2019•1 hr 3 min
Fifty years on and the "Paul is dead" hoax has lost none of its power to fascinate on so many levels. Perhaps the most compelling angle for examination is how did something so clearly nonsensical in the light of day get disseminated so widely and not just dismissed out of hand? It seems that a perfect storm of circumstance gave it traction and resonance, with both what was happening within The Beatles and within the community most receptive to believing that truth was not what authority figures ...
Oct 20, 2019•1 hr 6 min
What happens when the surviving member of a legendary American power pop band and a Los Angeles musician whose lineage includes two giants of the Great American Songbook, both steeped in Beatles, get together to make music? The result is now two albums deep in a band called Those Pretty Lies. Jody Stephens, formerly of Big Star and Golden Smog is a singer/songwriter/drummer and Luther Russell is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer, formerly of The Freewheelers. Their latest releas...
Oct 17, 2019•1 hr 45 min
The host of the longest running Beatles program on US radio, Carter's passion for The Beatles has taken many forms through the years: buying the records as a child - becoming a musician himself - getting involved in Beatlesque bands - taking on a job as a broadcaster. He has now hosted the Los Angeles franchise of Breakfast with the Beatles since 2001; since its inception in 2018, Chris has also hosted the program on the Sirius XM Beatles channel. Chris is also a producer and documentary filmmak...
Oct 08, 2019•1 hr 22 min
Anybody hear anything about a newly-revealed taped Apple meeting from September 1969 that's been public knowledge since the 1970s? You will now, with the return of journalist/writer Ray Connolly. Ray was tight in The Beatles' orbit during their final years; with John and Paul especially. He was the only one outside their inner circle to learn that John had "quit" the group - his bio of John, Being John Lennon: A Restless Life, is now out in paperback, as is his indispensable collection, The Ray ...
Sep 23, 2019•1 hr 7 min
This show represents a deep (3 hour) dive into examining the evolving language of rock criticism: the ideology employed - the fluid definitions of "rock" and "pop" - the application of "authenticity" as a value to an artist's work, in this specific case, Paul McCartney and Wings. The 1970s was a time when rock critics achieved nearly the status of rock icons themselves: everyone from John Mendelssohn and Jon Landau to Simon Frith and Lester Bangs. Paul's post-Beatle career stands as an example o...
Sep 13, 2019•1 hr 22 min
This show represents a deep (3 hour) dive into examining the evolving language of rock criticism: the ideology employed - the fluid definitions of "rock" and "pop" - the application of "authenticity" as a value to an artist's work, in this specific case, Paul McCartney and Wings. The 1970s was a time when rock critics achieved nearly the status of rock icons themselves: everyone from John Mendelssohn and Jon Landau to Simon Frith and Lester Bangs. Paul's post-Beatle career stands as an example o...
Sep 13, 2019•1 hr 22 min
