When They Was Fab: Electric Arguments About The Beatles

This week, Lonnie Pena and I are joined by Nashville Hall of Fame songwriter Kent Blazy.     We discuss his recent trip to Liverpool, and how visiting the Beatles sites inspired him to write and record his new collection: "From the Beatles To the Bluebird."     We also touch on his thoughts on fame (one of his frequent collaborators is country superstar Garth Brooks), the uniqueness of the 12-string, and how he frequently tries to channel Lennon/McCartney when he starts a new project.

A very special live edition of When They Was Fab.     I am joined by "The Co-Pips" - Dr. Kit O'Toole (Queen of all Beatles Media, Talk More Talk, Toppermost of the Poppermost) and Dr. Kenneth Womack (Everything Fab Four, the keeper of Mal Evans' flame, and author of more books than you can shake a stick at).     Our topic:    "Alpha Omega", "Red and Blue", "Original Greatest Hits", "20 Greatest Hits", a bit about "Now and Then" (nothing new, unfortunately) and somehow the Star Club Tapes.

August 11, new show!    Kit O'Toole and Martin Quibell join me to preview our various appearances at Fest for Beatles Fans Chicago!    Tune in, turn on, and join us as we do live renditions of this very show (Red and Blue in 2023), "Toppermost of the Poppermost", and various other panels.    We'll have Fun, Fun, Fun! (oops, wrong band)

Frequent and beloved guest Darin Murphy (Skyrocket, HeartByrne, Cotton Mather) joins us to obsess a bit more on the guitars that The Beatles used on "The Beatles" (aka: "The White Album").     Diversions into the Fender VI (bass), Ringo and his attempt at using a double bass kit, and even a bit of Andy Summers, Eric Clapton and the "Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton" (aka: "The Beano Album")

Aubrey "Po" Powell and Storm Thorgerson were once known as "Hipgnosis".     It is not an exaggeration to say that their collective was responsible for much of the significant album cover artwork of the 1970's.     This includes Wings from "Band on the Run" through "Back to the Egg", and Aubrey Powell would continue on-and-off with McCartney through "Off the Ground" and his 1992 World Tour.

Martin and I sit down to go through the rest of Paul McCartney's "1964: Eyes of the Storm".     Liverpool, London, Paris, New York, DC and Miami.     A Beatle's eye view of a much too serious world.     We also get a brief drop-in from Kit O'Toole as we discuss the news - Penn Jillete's revelations concerning the "new" Beatles single, Paul McCartney and Paul Muldoon's forthcoming podcast, and some mumblings on Shankar Family and Friends, the lack of an announcement of the next "Archive Edition" from Paul McCartney and Wings, and more...

Stuart Sutcliffe is remembered as the one-time bass player of the Beatles, and artist who happened to die under tragic circumstances, but is that all their is to the young man?    Jon Stone and I look at a BBC Four Documentary from 2005 (a decade after the story was fictionalized in "Backbeat") which features interviews with many of the participants telling Stuart's story in their own words.

Paul McCartney has done two major interviews supporting his show at the National Portrait Gallery in London, and the global release of "1964: Eyes of the Storm"    We look at the highlights of his program with Stanley Tucci, and the Tribeca Film Festival interview with Conan O'Brien (now available in audio in full from the "Conan O'Brien needs a Friend" podcast.

Ringo Starr hits 83.      Download this episode and start it at 11:45 AM local time and we will guide you to the big moment at noon on July 7!

Ringo Starr,  Rod Argent, Sheila E, Billy Squier, Edgar Winter, Hamish Stuart.    On July 16, 2006 Ringo and the All-Starrs joined the High Rollers at the Mohegan Sun, transforming another Sunday night at the tables into a bit of rock and roll history.          Martin Quibell joins the co-host roster officially, and we talk about this tour, the assembled talent, and eighties MTV pretty boys.

Lonnie Pena co-host as we discuss (mostly) Beatles fathers and father figures.    "It Takes a Village", and John, Paul, and Ringo are examples of what that phrase means.    Jim, Johnny, Charles, Richard, Freddie, Harry, Harry, Henry, and Harold as well as several others!

One, Two, Three, Four.    Can I have a little more?     Yes, you can.      Jon Stone, Lonnie Pena and Martin "Marv" Quibell are all here for the start of WTWF, Mk. IV (or is it V?).     We chat about a number of things in Beatle-land, and settle on some lightly edited "as nature intended" chat!

People don't necessarily think of the role of keyboard instruments in the Beatles beyond Billy Preston and a few other obvious examples.   This week, we dive a little deeper, starting with Roy Young, through the harmonium, the mellotron, the moog onto the synthesizer revolution and "Band on the Run."

Filmmaker Jon Lefkovitz has just released his 2014 SXSW film "Rubber Soul" on YouTube.    Jon and I review.    Quoting his description: "In December 1970, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were interviewed for "Rolling Stone" prior to the release of their "Plastic Ono Band" albums. Ten years later, in September 1980, the couple granted their first in-depth interview in five years to "Playboy" while they were in the process of recording "Double Fantasy". RUBBER SOUL reconstructs portions of these two historical interviews based on available transcripts and audio, juxtaposing them in order to explore the dynamic nature of identity over time."

John Lennon did two major interviews acting as bookends to the 1970's.    This week, we look at Rolling Stone, Playboy and their relationship to John Lennon, Yoko Ono (and to a lesser extent Paul McCartney).    Did Jann Wenner have any ulterior motives?    Did David Sheff?    Do any of us?

Capitol spent much of the seventies repackaging the Beatles under a variety of concepts and song orders.    As we pass the fiftieth anniverary of the first (and possibly the best), 1962-1966 and 1967-1970; we take the time to look at those collections, and propose our own!

1964 was the year the Beatles took over the world.    However, the foundations for that were laid in 1963.    The Beatles visited Sweden and planned trips to France, Australia, New Zealand and the United States before anyone knew for certain there was gold to be found.    This week we tune in to a documentary covering their June 1964 visit to New Zealand, from its origins in the summer of 1963 to the run of shows and their eventual return to the UK.

Disc six of Lord Reith's "Live at the BBC" series.  Saturday Club, Two episodes of "Pop Go The Beatles" and more.    We contemplate Decca, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, Bernie Andrews, Ian Grant, Phil Tate and consider "The Mersey Sound and the life of being several hairdressers."

AI.   Nothing to get hung about, the beginning of something else, or just another piece in the puzzle of change and progress that the Beatles were always striving for, and usually succeeded in driving to the mainstream.    This week, the real Jon Stone and I (AI versions are under development) discuss the possibilities, think on ChatGPT, and are virtually joined by the Queen of All Beatles Media, Martin Quibell, and another, different version of me (alas, done the old-fashioned way, no AI or multiverse here)

May Pang's film finally hit theaters (for a day in most places) on April 13, 2023.     Lonnie Pena and I were among those who attended the screening, and we review the project in this week's WTWF.     Is this another retelling of a story available for over forty years, or is there something new and insightful among the clips and classic interviews?