When They Was Fab: Electric Arguments About the Beatles

2024.40 One Hand Clapping (Theater) Review

Lonnie joins as we review the theatrical presentation of "One Hand Clapping", combined with the first ever appearance of the full (?) "Backyard" film.      Paul, Linda, Denny, Geoff and Jimmy.     Also in the studio were two other musicians, an orchestra and a dog. One of the musicians was called Howie Casey and played a saxophone. The other was called Del Newman and he conducted the orchestra. The dog was called Poppy and didn’t really do much at all. The studio at number 3 Abbey Road, London is where The Beatles recorded their first album Please Please Me in 1963 and the studio hasn’t been painted since then. Geoff Emerick, the recording engineer, said it would ruin the acoustics.

2024.39 Revival 69

Lonnie and I spend this week looking at the Ron Chapman film "Revival 69."      How much did we really know about the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival?     This fil goes into the nitty gritty of September 13, 1969 - and exactly how John Lennon ended up in Canada premiering "Cold Turkey".  

 

 

2024.38 Solo Beatles Number Ones in the 70s! Part 2!

Marv and I finish our look at the Seventies US number ones of John, Paul, George and Ringo.     Casey drops by, as do clips of John, Paul, Elton and Billy Preston.     Look for a bit of a Billy Revival as Jon Batiste portrays him in the forthcoming "SNL 1975" film.        With all these other films, the casting of Beatles incidentals is done for him!

2024.37 Solo Beatles Number Ones in the 70s! Part 1! + News.

While the four solo artists formerly known as the Beatles did not equal their illustrious previous decade, they did all show chart success in the Seventies.    Eleven total number ones.     This week we start our next multi-part series (hey, two counts as "multi") covering those chart toppers.    We partially go the Paul McCartney route ("we play the hits"), but also look back at how these songs were viewed in "real time".     Lots of news, and plenty of archival clips from Casey's coast to coast!

2024.36 Mind Games Ultimate Box Review (Disc Six - The Outtakes)

Marv and I are joined by Antony Rotunno (Glass Onion: On John Lennon), as we finish our look at the Mind Games Box Set with Disc Six - The Outtakes.     While we discuss the tracks, we also take a step back and consider Lennon the man.    The personal, political and psychological are all strongly represented in the lyrics found between the grooves.     

2024.35 Mind Games Ultimate Box Review (Disc Five - Raw Studio Mixes)

The return of friend of the show Darin Murphy (a man who portrayed John Lennon on Broadway, and played with Denny Laine, Todd Rundgren, Joey Molland, Micky Dolenz and more!) He pojoins us to discuss Disc Five of the Mind Games Box, the raw studio mixes.     Sean gives us plenty of material to consider, and we discuss how this album would influence artists as diverse as Meat Loaf, Tom Petty and possibly the Beats headphones!

2024.34 Live From the Fest 2024! (Featuring Dr. Kenneth Womack!)

Recorded Live in Chicago (with additional audio from Houston, Cleveland and more), this week we present "When They Was Fab" in front of a live audience.     Dr. Kenneth Womack ("Living the Beatles Legend", "Solid State", "John Lennon: 1980" and more) joins us as we look at the circumstances of 1960, 1961 and 1962 which would lead to a new drummer and a new era for everyone that is a fan of popular music!

2024.33 Reunion a Rock 'n Roll Fairy Tale (Discussion with author Gary Burr)

Marv, Lonnie and I sit with Nashville HOF songwriter, author and man who worked with a Beatle about his lifelong love of the Fabs, touring (and writing!) with Carole King, his Brian Epstein-themed song on the new Billy J. Kramer record, collaborating (and recording) with Ringo and the forthcoming Ringo country album.     We also dig into his new novel ("Reunion"), which imagines a universe where John Lennon's fate changed, and all four were still present when Paul (at the urging of his daughters) decides to approach the others, as "the right four people" is one of the ways he might be able to overcome his heartache.

2024.32 Mind Games Ultimate Box Review (Disc Four - The Evolution Mixes)

The "Mind Games" train rolls on.   Disc four, the evolution mixes.    Possibly the closest we will get to hearing the evolution of the "Mind Games" album.    Each track, from the earliest known demo through the various changes in the studio through to the near-complete version.    John, Yoko, Roy Cicala and all the musicians chime in at various times for a full look at just how the recording process worked for John Lennon in New York City in the early 1970's!

2024.31 Mind Games Ultimate Box Review (Disc Three - The Elements Mixes)

The Ultimate Box review continues!    This week we move on to the third disc - the elements mixes.     How many other (non-instrumental) albums have a disc not featuring lead vocals from the named artist?    This one does.      Marv and I talk about what we learned, and we extend the concept talking about Keltner, Gordon, Something Different, Sneaky Pete and the others that migrated from "Feeling the Space" over to "Mind Games".