When They Was Fab: Electric Arguments About the Beatles

Thorsten Knublauch's new book ("The Beatles Mach Schau in Hamburg") and a deep dive into Lord Reith's "Executive Version") of Live at the Star Club inspired this week's topic - a look at the Beatles trips to Hamburg, We trip through the highlights of 1960, 1961 and 1962 and each of the trips John Paul George (and variously Pete, Stu and Ringo) would make along with figures including Bruno Koschmider, Peter Eckhorn and Horst Fascher.

Jon and I spend this week talking about Apple Corps Limited.     Publishing, Records, Retail, Manufacturing, Schools, Electronics and maybe even an island off the coast of Greece.    They even managed a Recording Studio at 3 Savile Row.      Even though the results were questionably successful, many of pieces would be resurrected in the form of Dark Horse Records, Handmade Films, LIPA and even to a certain extent MPL.

Jon and I move through the highlights of the remaining discs.     Out-Takes, Elements and raw studio mixes for each.    We talk through some of our favorite tracks, discuss the more (or less) significant items, and consider what we might have done different.      We then close with thoughts on what's coming next - quite possibly Sometime in NYC, and a mention of Dhani and All Things Must Pass.

The George Harrison Estate has announced the fiftieth anniversary edition of "All Things Must Pass", which includes the contents of the beloved "Beware of ABKCO" unofficial release.    This classic episode from 2020 features Lonnie Pena and myself reviewing that very disc.    Squint, and it might even sound like something from the future (if you ignore the McCartney III and Taylor Swift chat!)

 

A classic WTWF that has always been among the favorites of Lonnie Pena and myself.     Darin Murphy sat down behind a drum kit and demonstrated some of Ringo Starr's drum stylings and how Ringo's playing evolved through the years.

Part two of our visit with friend of the show Darin Murphy covering the Demos and Evolution documentaries from the John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band Ultimate Collection.    More of the three of us wandering around Beatles topics, while managing to talk about the business of demoing new songs for friends and family, and then turning those demos into the finished recordings we are all familiar with?    How well is that process represented in this box?   

The second part of Darin Murphy's first visit with WTWF from 2018.       New episode coming on schedule!

Darin Murphy returns for this week and next.    This week we catch up, wander through the discs and start considering the set from the perspective of a singer, songwriter and performer.        What surprised us in the demos, and do we think the evolution documentaries are a true representation of John, Yoko and friends in the studio working toward the finished singles (and "Mother")

WTWF classic.     The first appearance of friend of the show Darin Murphy (2005's Lennon: The Musical, Cotton Mather, Trish and Darin).     Originally released 2018.

We move on to disk 7 - the Jams.     John, Klaus, Ringo and Yoko have fun in the studio during the recording of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.       John leads the band through his favorites - predominantly, but not entirely classic rock and roll.