When They Was Fab: Electric Arguments About the Beatles

2025.20 The Gab Four - Alternate albums from the Get Back Sessions! Part One

Gab Four together again.     Jon Stone, Lonnie Pena, Martin Quibell and myself sit down to consider alternate albums that might've come out of the January 1969 sessions.     Beware, the ripples through time extend well beyond a single record.    What happens to the film?    Abbey Road?    Do all roads lead to "For You Blue?"    George Martin, Glyn Johns and others guest.     More next week!

2025.19 George Harrison, David Bromberg, Jesse Ed Davis, Don Nix, Bobby Keys and Nicky Hopkins

George Harrison played with many associates of both Dylan and the Stones.    Bobby Keys was one of the most renowned sax men of rock and roll, Nicky Hopkins contributed to the buzz of "Revolution", and Jesse "Ed" Davis had his fingerprints all over early seventies solo Beatles.   This week, we consider some recordings, most made at Apple Studios, most featuring George Harrison on electric (usually slide) guitar.      Who knew George could compose Mexicali blues (as some call "The Holdup")

2025.18 McCartney Politics Part II (1972-present)

More of Paul McCartney and his political notions.    Animal Rights, Gun Violence, "No More Landmines", and the environment have been a big part of the "McCartney brand" for the last 30-35 years.     We continue from last week, as we touch on nearly a full album of political thought from "the cute Beatle", and how Paul's brand of radicalism was both similar and different to that of his bandmate John Lennon.

2025.17 McCartney Politics Part I (1964-1972)

Following on from "One to One", Martin and I spend this week and next discussing the politics of Paul (and Linda) McCartney.     This week, the Beatle years.    How Paul brought John into the peace movement (and possibly why he deserves that credit on "Give Peace a Chance"), McCartney and Bertrand Russell, Blackbird, Commonwealth and on through the early solo years.    Next week, a rundown on solo McCartney's political songs! #madeonzencastr

2025.16 John Lennon One to One in IMAX

Lonnie Pena and I (separately) saw "One to One: John & Yoko" in IMAX from Magnolia Pictures during it's recent run (it is still available in selected theaters, and pay streaming in May).     Our first thought?     They really should have emphasized that "Year in the Life" subtitle a bit more.    Other than that?     Tune in and find out!

2025.15 Olivia Arias, Los Angeles, the Knack, Harry and Holsteins!

More from Lonnie's Scrapbook as we shoot back to the late nineteen seventies and consider the Knack (the band, not the noun or the film), George Harrison's wedding to Olivia, the 1979 fire at Ringo's residence, the aftermath of Paul McCartney / January 1981, and  the farms of John and Yoko - including their Holstein cattle (Mango the cow!).

 

 

2025.14 Gab Four March - Beatles Character and Story Songwriting, Pt.2

More from the Gab Four!    Lonnie, Jon, Martin and I wander from Revolver through the Beatles era, passing by landmarks including "Teddy Boy", "Ms. L.", "Goodnight Vienna", "Lavatory Lil", Mr. Double-It-Up", and the "Dark Sweet Lady".    Stories and characters you know and love, and maybe some you should discover!    Who doesn't want two girls [or young men] in the back, calling them Daddy?

2025.13 Gab Four March - Beatles Character and Story Songwriting, Pt.1

A Gab Four spectacular!    Jon Stone, Lonnie Pena, Martin Quibell and I gathered to talk about the characters and stories in Beatles songs.     They started with covers of folks like Long Tall Sally, and this episode takes us through Rubber Soul, where the band gives us Michelle, the Nowhere Man, and asks about the possibility of exchanging golden rings in favor of getting behind the wheel to "Drive My Car!"

2025.12 George Harrison, Gary Wright and Billy Preston!

George was quite busy between "All Things Must Pass" and "The Concert for Bangladesh".      However, many of the things he played on were not under his own name!    We look at two projects where George was a significant contributer: Gary Wright's "Footprint", and Billy Preston's "I Wrote a Simple Song".      Excellent playing, and a link between George's Beatles guitar-playing, his work on "All Things Must Pass", and his turn on John Lennon's "Imagine" (when he finally turned back to his own projects with "Living in the Material World!")

2025.11 Ringo at the Ryman on CBS

Lonnie and I chat about the CBS version of "Ringo and Friends at the Ryman" which aired on Monday, March 10, 2025.     Jack White, Sheryl Crow, and even Larkin Poe honor the man, the music, the COUNTRY legend that is Ringo Starr.