Something About the Beatles

Latest Episodes:

167: Apple Jam May 25, 2019

Show notes

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 Beatle Track was released in 2009: 1. I'm In Love 2. Tip Of My Tongue 3. Love Of The Loved 4. You Know What To Do 5. I'll Be on My Way 6. I Don't Want To See You Again 7. Nobody I Know 8. I'll Keep You Satisfied 9. It's For You 10. Hello Little Girl 11. Like Dreamers Do 12. Bad To Me 13. A World Without Love 14. From A Window 15. One And One Is Two

Off The White Album was released in 2018: 1. Not Guilty

2. Child of Nature 3. Goodbye 4. Step Inside Love 5. The Rishi Kesh Song 6. Cosmically Conscious 7. India, India 8. Sour Milk Sea 9. What’s the New Mary Jane 10. Circles 11. Suicide https://applejamband.com/home

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166: The Magic of Collaboration Part One May 17, 2019

Show notes

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 with a deeper exploration soon...).

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164: George Martin's Sound Pictures with Ken Womack Apr 08, 2019

Show notes

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 Sir George Martin's other productions, as well as his curation of The Beatles' latter-day collections.

More about Sound Pictures: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin (The Later Years 1966 - 2016) here

More about Ken's new novel, I Am Lemonade Lucy here

Check out Ken's site here

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163: Fly On The Wall Moments with Jeff Martin Apr 02, 2019

Show notes

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, Facebook or on the site. We’ll take ’em up for a future show.

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162: A Conversation with Ethan Russell (part one) Mar 27, 2019

Show notes

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 Kickstarter campaign – check out EthanRussell.com for details.

In this first conversation, we present an overview of his life and career. More detailed Beatle-centric recollections will come in the second installment.

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161: January 1969 part two – Into the Nitty-Gritty with Dan Rivkin Mar 22, 2019

Show notes

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: https://theymaybeparted.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheyMayBeParted Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theymaybeparted/

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160: The Redhead on the Roof Mar 09, 2019

Show notes

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 Beatles as seen up-close from day-to-day through the eyes of a teenager.

“What a Beatle wants, a Beatle gets!”

Some links for Who’s The Redhead on the Roof?US: https://www.amazon.com/Whos-Redhead-Roof-life-Beatles-ebook/dp/B00XRCZDD2 UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whos-Redhead-Roof-life-Beatles-ebook/dp/B00XRCZDD2 plus https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KevinHarrington and https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/who-s-the-redhead-on-the-roof

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159: Eight Arms To Hold You Revisited Feb 24, 2019

Show notes

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 talked with Mark and Chip about the lay of the land, unreleased recording-wise; what else is out there and what we can make of what we have been given.

Eight Arms To Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium (2018 edition) can be found here.

Lennonology: A Scrapbook of Madness, by Chip and Scott Raile, can be found here.

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158: January 1969 part one – An Overview with Doug Sulpy Feb 12, 2019

Show notes

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 take a deeper dive in January 1969 part two.

The revised version of Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image can be found at dougsulpy.com

Check out Doug’s 910 newsletter here

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05: Fifty Years of US Releases Feb 06, 2019

Show notes

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.

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