Something About the Beatles

Latest Episodes:

221: Lennon in Montreal Aug 29, 2021

Show notes

In 1969, Bill Rotari was Regional Managing Director with Capitol Records in Quebec when he received word that John and Yoko were coming. As label rep, it was his job to see to it that John's needs were met; ultimately this included securing recording gear for tracking the first Plastic Ono Band record, "Give Peace A Chance." Bill has led an interesting life; as record company executive, recording artist...and minor league pitching prospect for the Atlanta Braves. His group, The Favorites, recorded for London during the 1950s, and later, as Managing Director of CBS/Sony Records in Montreal, he was directly responsible for signing Celine Dion and getting her first English language recordings produced. Bill tells all about the Montreal Bed-In, as well as his life and career in music (encompassing Paul and George, the Rolling Stones, Petula Clark, Pink Floyd, Leonard Cohen, Tony Bennett and others).

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220: Get Back to Peter Jackson Aug 02, 2021

Show notes

In June and again in July, the director of the upcoming The Beatles: Get Back series gave interviews - in Vanity Fair and in GQ - holding forth on what to expect from his re-tooling of the Beatles Let It Be project. Though there was a certain amount of rehashing what had already been said, there were also things that provided much to discuss and analyze as we approach the countdown to broadcast. I therefore reconvened Dr Duncan Driver and Dan Rivkin (They May Be Parted blog) for a discussion on the latest and how what Peter Jackson had to say - and didn't say - suggests where the project is going and what to expect.

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219: John - George - Eric & Layla Jul 17, 2021

Show notes

In late summer 2020, my guest Kyle Driscoll penned this wonderful analysis of the three 1970 releases by three artists whose paths had intertwined and who, as it happened, all found themselves at similar crossroads at the time. You can read it here (which I strongly urge you do) and then listen to the deeper discussion we had on these artists and their impact on each other's work.

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218: Beatles on Guitar Jul 03, 2021

Show notes

You may recall my returning guest from his first appearance in late 2020: Mike Pachelli is an accomplished jazz guitarist and recording/performing artist, as well as a major Beatles fan. His series of popular Youtube videos deconstruct Beatle songs and show each guitar and vocal component. He's back now with a new release: 16 Beatles songs performed instrumentally, Beatles on Guitar. In this conversation, he details his insights into the challenges of selecting and presenting their music and doing it justice without vocals.

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217: It's All In The Mind Jun 25, 2021

Show notes

Back in 2018, I had a conversation with Dr. Robert Hieronimus and Laura Cortner, authors of Inside the Yellow Submarine: The Making of the Beatles' Animated Classic - the definitive history of the 1968 film. But they are back with a sequel, delving deeper into the story: profiling others who made the vision a reality as well as exploring the greater context of the times and the deeper meanings to be gleaned from the film in It's All In The Mind: Inside The Beatles' Yellow Submarine. This newly-published follow-up is richly illustrated in full color and presents new stories from the creative minds who made the project a reality, despite considerable odds. It also illustrates how what shouldn't have worked did, and what meanings can be found, drawing upon classic myth.

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216: Dear Friend Jun 05, 2021

Show notes

There's been loads of speculation as to the exact nature of the friendship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney; during and after The Beatles. And when I say "loads," it runs the gamut from former bandmates who recalled each other fondly from a distance to something encompassing a physical nature. What does seem clear is that between the two of them, while Paul's descriptions of their relationship stayed pretty constant, John's went from demonizing Paul in print and song to describing him as his best (male) friend. Somewhere in there lies a truth, and to help unearth it, my guest today is journalist and author Glenn Greenberg, who recently penned an 80th birthday magabook on John.

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215: Four Sides of a Square May 04, 2021

Show notes

In this discussion, Dr. Duncan Driver (SATB 205, Fab4ConJam, One Sweet Dream podcast) springboard off of the title Paul McCartney quote, in which he asserted that each Beatle was as important as another to the group's success. We explore the shifting power dynamics within the group and the question of leadership; we also discuss Duncan's thesis of the four distinctive elements of the Beatles collective identity: live performers - singles makers - album makers - songwriters.

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214: Beatle Production Apr 25, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, we examine the process of a song becoming a record, as heard through the ears of those in the producer's chair. Luther Russell, previous SATB guest and Fab4ConJam star, has operated as a composer, performer, collaborator, engineer and producer and is therefore more than qualified to offer his insights as a musical idea gets transformed into a production and how creative decisions are made along the way.

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213: John Lennon's 1980 Playlist Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

My guest Tim English (Sounds Like Teen Spirit, Popology) discuss his newest book, examining the artists that John was listening to in the last few years of his life and how certain artists and records influenced the recordings he (and Yoko) made during the summer of 1980. Some of the acts we've known about for awhile (B-52s, Lene Lovich, etc) but many others were less obvious (The Selecter, Christopher Cross, The Doobie Brothers). John Lennon: 1980 Playlist is out now.

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212: Countdown To Break-Up II Mar 12, 2021

Show notes

Back in SATB 205, Dr. Duncan Driver (showcased 2+xs at Fab4ConJam) and discussed his article on the timeline to The Beatles break-up. In this episode, returning guest Gary Wenstrup and I dissect the subject further: when exactly did The Beatles - or individual members within - decide they were quits exactly? The answer - like so much else in Fab history - is not as straightforward as you might think.

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