When They Was Fab: Electric Arguments About the Beatles - podcast cover

When They Was Fab: Electric Arguments About the Beatles

Ed Chen and Jon Stone, Lonnie Pena, Martin Quibellwhentheywasfab.podbean.com
Talk, more talk, chat, more chat - We’re happy to do it for you (Beatles)
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Episodes

2024.27 The Lonnie Pena Scrapbook

The Last Houston storm resulted in Lonnie Pena uncovering his Seventies Beatles scrapbook. Festival Seating in the Houston Summit! Ringo, "I Dream of" Jeannie, Jim Backus and one of the hippest looking sexagenarians captured in a photograph. Also, more "Got Back 2024" dates, preparations for the "Mind Games" box, and the wonder of AI "Get Back Sessions".

Jul 07, 20241 hr 11 minEp. 190

2024.b01 Peace and Love 2024

The annual "Peace and Love" bonus episode of Fab. Fire it up precisely at 11:45 local time on Sunday July 7, and join our shows in wishing Ringo "All the Best" and the world "Peace and Love" as we celebrate Richard, Richie, "Ringo-Starrtime" Starkey.

Jul 05, 202417 minEp. 189

2024.26 One Hand Clapping (Disc Two + Vinyl EP Review - Overview)

Marv and I review the second disc of the "One Hand Clapping' set, and the contents of the vinyl EP. It is becoming popular for many internet types to claim that this collection is now amongst their favorite Wings albums. That might be a bit of hyperbole, and it might be recency bias, but even so, this new mix and official release of the 1974 Paul McCartney and Wings bootleg favorite is at a minimum, quality product from Sir Macca and MPL.

Jul 01, 20241 hr 13 minEp. 188

2024.25 One Hand Clapping (Disc One Review - Overview)

Lonnie and I review the first disc of the "One Hand Clapping' set (available on Vinyl, Vinyl + single, CD and streaming), the new mix of the 1974 Paul McCartney and Wings Favorite. Just how good a drummer was Geoff Britton?

Jun 23, 20241 hr 6 minEp. 187

2024.24 You Are Here (Lennon Video) and more.

Lonnie and I discuss the new Mind Games-related "You Are Here" video with new footage of John and Yoko from the Robert Fraser Gallery, talking about the WWF (not the wrestling one), balloons, charity boxes and tiny badges. We also discuss Ringo's summer 2024 tour (and Lonnie's visit to Hidalgo, TX), the McCartney 2024 tour, the Blue plaque at 12 Arnold Grove and several other items from the news bucket.

Jun 16, 20241 hr 7 minEp. 186

2024.23 Life in Lyrics Season 2 - episodes 11 and 12

Marv and I finish up our review/overview of the McCartney "Life in Lyrics" podcast with episodes 11 and 12 ("Michelle" and "The End"). We then briefly overview the series to date, and talk about some of the things we noticed (both positive and negative) through the twenty-four episodes. No full episode on any song after "Here Today" and the Tug of War album? That's a shame. Despite the long odds, our fingers are crossed for at least one more series to cover more of the post-Wings output....

Jun 09, 20241 hr 8 minEp. 185

2024.22 The Lewisohn Kerfuffle

This week I am joined by the host of Fans on the Run and our own Chas Newby (and the guy who made that really neat graphic of "Rocky"), Ethan Alexanian. He joins us to discuss the Mark Lewisohn kerfuffle. For those who don't know, here is the dictionary definition of Kerfuffle: a commotion or fuss , especially one caused by conflicting views. "there was a kerfuffle over the chairmanship"...

Jun 03, 202452 minEp. 184

2024.21 The Beatles and Doctor Who - The Devil's Chord (Disney+, 2024)

WHO is talking? You might not know, as we get a quick flyby from "Toppermost of the Poppermost" hosts "Queen of All Beatles Media" Kit O'Toole and "Yeah, he is also among the co-hosts of the show" Martin Quibell. (In baseball terms, they are "openers"). The bulk of the show features BC the Beatles co-host Erika White, and "Writer, Occasional Troublemaker and Full-Time Whovian" Jim Ryan. We talk the intersections of "Doctor Who" and the Beatles (who knew Brian Epstein hung with Verity Lambert), a...

May 26, 20241 hr 36 minEp. 183

2024.20 Let It Be (Disney+, 2024)

As with practically every other Beatles podcast in the multiverse, the topic of the week is the 2024 release of "Let It Be" on Disney+. Lonnie Pena and I sit down, discuss the VHS, Laserdisc, new streaming version and more.

May 19, 20241 hr 23 minEp. 182

2024.19 Mind Games EP, McCartney Life in Lyrics 9-10

Marv, Lonnie and I talk the new Record Store Day Mind Games EP and two more episodes from the "Life In Lyrics" podcast. A nice preview of the box set coming later this summer, and we return to Paul McCartney's Life in Lyrics podcast for episodes covering "Here There and Everywhere" and "Give Ireland Back to the Irish."

May 13, 20241 hr 7 minEp. 181

2024.18 The Lagos Tape and Crooked Boy!

A review of the Geoff Emerick Lagos tape as auctioned off last September. Two high-profile "Dutch Imports" have hit the market recently (confusingly, each coming from a different dub of the Emerick masters). The variants were classified, artifacts removed and a single "good" copy of the tape exists, and we review it! How does it compare to the "underdubbed" release? We also review Linda Perry and the new Ringo EP "Crooked Boy".

May 05, 20241 hr 10 minEp. 180

2024.17 Around the Beatles

Kit O'Toole joins the show this week as we run through the voluminous Beatles news from the past week (Record Store Day, Ringo, Let It Be) and discuss the Beatles portion of "Around the Beatles." Costumes, Shakespeare, Trevor Peacock and some kicking rock and roll.

Apr 28, 20241 hr 13 minEp. 179

2024.16 Wings in Kampuchea - December 29, 1979

Lonnie Pena and I discuss Wings at the Hammersmith Odeon - the Concert(s) for the People of Kampuchea. Through circumstance, December 29, 1979 would end up being the final Wings concert ever. Got to Get You Into My Life, Coming Up, Maybe I'm Amazed, Mull of Kintyre and Let It Be. One-Two-Three-Four!

Apr 21, 20241 hr 8 minEp. 178

2024.15 Oops - all Ringo! (and Rob Sheffields list)

Marv and I sit down and chat about the Ringo selections on Rob Sheffield's "100 Best Solo Beatles Songs" list. As Dana Carvey might say, "isn't it conveeeeenient" that each claims one of the top four. More seriously, we discuss the nature of such lists, how, when and why - and we talk about the thirteen selections. Does Ringo deserve 25% of the take? Is thirteen too little?

Apr 14, 20241 hr 4 minEp. 177

2024.14 Life in Lyrics Season 2 - episodes 6_7 and_8

More of our thoughts on the "Life in Lyrics" podcast. Martin Quibell and I discuss Episodes 6, 7, and 8. The episodes are entitled "Silly Love Songs", "A Day in the Life" and "Hey Jude". However, roughly fifteen different songs get covered within the three episodes...

Apr 08, 20241 hr 9 minEp. 176

2024.13 The Beatles Forever (not that one) - 1977

A Beatles special you might not know about. In 1977, NBC purchased "The Beatles Forever", a variety-entertainment special from ITC Entertainment (aka: The company led by Sir Lew Grade). The Toppermost gang "comes together" to discuss this Thanksgiving spectacular!

Mar 31, 20241 hr 12 minEp. 175

2024.12 Wings in Newcastle - July 10, 1973

Martin Quibell and Sam Whiles (Paul or Nothing) join to discuss the final Wings show of the summer 1973 tour. If your experience of Wings Live begins with Jimmy McCulloch, you are in for quite a different experience. Excerpts have been available for years (and are now on the official McCartney YouTube channel), but we are discussing and describing the full show, including "Turkey in the Straw."

Mar 25, 20241 hr 18 minEp. 174

2024.11 Red Rose Speedway (sort-of Underdubbed)

Martin Quibell joins this week as we discuss the recent "fan mixed" Underdubbed version of "Red Rose Speedway". Sorry Paul, the term still is not going to catch on among the general public. This mix is probably more accurately referred to as an "Elements" or (to borrow a term from the Lennon camp), a "stripped" mix - it is not something that ever existed for Paul, or that he used to make decisions on future directions, but it *is* a reflection of the stages these songs passed through....

Mar 18, 20241 hr 7 minEp. 173

2024.10 Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session

Welll...It's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready now go cat go! George "Don't Call It a Comeback" Harrison joined his buddy Carl Perkins and his other buddies Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton to pay tribute to their friend and mentor Carl Perkins in a Cinemax special filmed in 1985 and aired in the UK (and later in the US) in 1986. Lonnie Pena co-hosts.

Mar 11, 20241 hr 8 minEp. 172

2024.09 Life in Lyrics Season 2 - episodes 3_4 and_5

A grand old painter died last night. I must've done something wrong. More life, more lyrics from McCartney and Muldoon. Lonnie Pena and I run through three more episodes of the "Life in Lyrics" podcast, talking about their talking, but also presenting some general chat about "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", "Yesterday" and "Picasso's Last Words."

Mar 04, 20241 hr 14 minEp. 171

2024.09 Life in Lyrics Season 2 - episodes 1 and 2

Paul McCartney and Paul Muldoon return for the second season of the "Life in Lyrics" podcast. We sit down to consider the first two episodes of the new season ("Love Me Do" and "Band on the Run"), and talk about the slight stylistic change between the two seasons. We also talk a bit about the return of Paul McCartney's 1961 Hofner, and the Apple-approved, Sam Mendes directed quartet of biopics planned for 2027 release!

Feb 26, 20241 hr 11 minEp. 170

2024.08 The Ed Sullivan Show, Feb 9 and 16

It was Sixty Years Ago Today... Beatlemania finished its reach as the Fab Four use New York City, Miami Beach and the Ed Sullivan Show to broadcast across the United States. We not discuss the Fab Four, but Fred Kaps, Mitzi Gaynor, Rossi and Allen, Pillsbury, Aero Shave (Wet, Wet, Wet!) and Kent Cigarettes, and even manage a bit of Davy Jones and Leonard Nimoy.

Feb 19, 20241 hr 7 minEp. 169

2024.07 Band on the Run Underdubbed (Review/Overview)

Before he jetted off to New York, and then Vegas, Sir Paul and his team dropped the fiftieth anniversary release of "Band on the Run", highlighted by the "Underdubbed edition." This week we consider the new release and look at what is under the orchestra and horns.

Feb 12, 20241 hr 7 minEp. 168

2024.06 Beatles and the BBC (review/overview)

Lonnie Pena and I consider the recent production "The Beatles and the BBC". An interesting collection of BBC clips ranging the Beatles years and beyond with some effort putting the "Threetles" in the historic context of the band they once were.

Feb 05, 20241 hr 7 minEp. 167

2024.05 Muldoon and McCartney, Life in Lyrics Podcast episodes 9-12

Marv and I finish our review of episodes nine to twelve of the McCartney "Life and Lyrics" podcast and look forward to what we might find in the second series which is expected in the coming weeks! Magical Mystery Tour (roll up), The Birds of McCartney (not Linda or Nancy), Too Many People and Helter Skelter

Jan 29, 20241 hr 20 minEp. 166

2024.04 John Lennon - Life in Ten Pictures (review)

Lonnie Pena and I sit down to consider the John Lennon episode of "A Life in Ten Pictures". One hour is barely enough time to give an overview of a "regular person's" life, much less a complex superstar. How well did the BBC accomplish that task, and are the photos chosen really representative of a chameleon-figure like John Lennon?

Jan 22, 20241 hr 5 minEp. 165

2024.03 Muldoon and McCartney, Life in Lyrics Podcast episodes 5-8

More from the Muldoon and McCartney Life in Lyrics podcast. "Penny Lane", "Here Today", "Uncle Albert" and "Live and Let Die". A study in how Paul McCartney thinks about characters, both his own and those given to him for a song. Martin Quibell co-hosts, which only seems proper.

Jan 15, 20241 hr 15 minEp. 164

2024.02 2023 in Review (July - December) and upcoming for 2024.

Time continues to march on as Jon Stone, Martin Quibell and I (Naturally!) move through the latter half of 2023. Not just "Now and Then", but a number of tremendous books, a new Ringo EP, more touring from Sir Ringo and Sir Paul and collaborations with Dolly Parton and the Rolling Stones,.

Jan 08, 20241 hr 5 minEp. 163

2024.01 2023 in Review (Jan - June)

The "Gab Four" are together again for the first show of 2024. A lot of Ringo, some chat on Beatle books from the first half of the year and "in memoriam" to folks like Royston Ellis, Chas Newby and Caroline Buckman.

Jan 01, 20241 hr 1 minEp. 162

2023.52 The Beatmas (review)

This week: The "When They Was Fab" Christmas spectacular. Three of the "Gab Four" review the 1995 "Rubber Band" album from Dutch band the Beatmas (featuring Soren Dahlberg). The Fab Four were not the first to do Beatles-styled Christmas Carols. Tune in for XMAS! fun.

Dec 25, 202356 minEp. 161
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