Welcome to the Fab Fourum!

I love the podcast guys, reminds me of Christmas morning everytime a new episode downloads in iTunes. Listening to the Love Songs show now as I type this.

Nice site and cool to actually finally put faces to the voices.

Keep up the great work!

Hey Sean, nice post you made there. I guess it is just the TWO OF US here. Perhaps you and I can make a Beatle podcast and call it the Fab Twosome! Ha!

Hey Tony!

Nice of you to stop by your own blog! HaHaHa

I grew up listening to the stereo versions and have tried, I mean TRIED, real hard to listen to the monos and I have such a tough time doing it. I mean, the only reason I like to hear them is for the differences. In terms of being better than stereo??? Not in my book. But to each his own.

Keep up the good work Tony and looking forward to your next show...The Perfect White Album! wink

Hey David ...

Have you been sneaking around our studio? LOL ...

Hmm ...

Peace,
Tony

Hi guys,

Thanks for joining the blog. We have big contest news coming up soon!!!! And David, we think you will be very happy tomorrow!

Take care.

Mitch

A very fun, energetic and excellent show! All of your choices were interesting. Unlike the four of you I had no problem leaving Back In The USSR off of the album. That song has just never hit me as one I like to listen to. When I crank up the White Album I hit the skip button and go right to Dear Prudence...not that, that would be the first track that I would have kicked the album off with, I just love that track so much and want to hear it first usually.

Here is my list, not in any particular order:

Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
I'm So Tired
Don't Pass Me By
Martha My Dear
Helter Skelter
Birthday
Yer Blues
Sexy Sadie
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Mother Nature's Son
I Will
Savoy Truffle

and another topic:

The world deserves a new Paul Mccartney compilation.
Covering the period from All The Best to now.
But which songs and which concept should he go for.
A singles compilation og maybe a more quality oriented album?

Hello hello! Trying out your new contest and found this blog within. You should mention it on your show.

Here's my single disc White Album, with the songs slightly rearranged (man, this is hard):

Back In The U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (acoustic)
I'm So Tired
Blackbird
Rocky Raccoon
Julia
Happiness Is A Warm Gun

Revolution 1
Mother Nature's Son
Helter Skelter
Cry Baby Cry
Revolution 9
Good Night

You heard me right...I'm keeping Number 9! I love that collage, and Good Night is perfect afterward. Poor George only gets one song, though, but that's life.

Wow...I noticed how nobody's including "Long, Long, Long," including FF's four hosts...and I for one applaud that omission -- I could never, ever stand that song! I remember either in 1996 or 1997 at the Chicago/Rosemont/whatever Beatlefest when a moptop-style band did that song NOTE-PERFECT in the Battle of the Bands!

Anyway...here's my single-disc proposal:

SIDE 1:
1) Birthday -- what a great way to open what could have potentially been a birthday present to someone!

2) Dear Prudence -- there's something powerful and trancelike about this song that just really pulls you in.

3) Glass Onion -- admittedly, I used to hate this song, but after seeing how it was staged in Love I really gained a new appreciation for it.

4) Piggies -- the first of a trilogy of "absurdities" that I think need to be included. I always loved this song. I also always thought "Fish Heads" was kind of akin to it as well but without the pissiness.

5) Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da -- Paul's contribution to the absurdity.

6) Revolution 9 -- John's absurdity. I love this track for what it is. Plus, it's really important to John's (and arguably The Beatles') legacy as a whole. And because this track is so long, I'm keeping side 1 down to six tracks. Side 1 ends with a "Revolution," so...

SIDE TWO:...begins with...
1) Revolution 1, and hence begins the "unplugged" side of the Beatles.

2) The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill -- we need a good singalong song as the follow-up.

3) I Will -- and tack on the "Can You Take Me Back" thing.

4) Julia -- just to make a Lennon versus McCartney battle!

5) Blackbird - to finish the battle. Who wins? It's up to you!

6) Helter Skelter -- quite a harsh, gritty, attention-getting stifling of the acoustic section! Very much akin to the Beach Boys' <I>Friends</I> album being such a mellow piece of work, then suddenly ending with the raucous "Transcendental Meditation."

7) While My Guitar Gently Weeps -- what better way to close out a 1968 album? A very important George track should not be ignored.

As for "Don't Pass Me By" -- I love the song, personally, especially after seeing Eric Howell perform it at the Old Town School of Folk Music a couple of years ago. But I think it should be shelved and saved for a Ringo solo album, personally.

And no "Good Night"?!? What?! Come on, too predictable. Besides, read on:

YELLOW SUBMARINE dream lineup:
SIDE 1 [soundtrack]:
1) Yellow Submarine -- gotta have the theme song. Stereo or mono, include the extra "a life of ease!" shout.

2) Only A Northern Song -- in TRUE stereo.

3) All Together Now -- as usual.

4) Nowhere Man -- come on, you NEED Jeremy's theme song!

5) Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds -- I'm including this because it was included in the cassette version of the soundtrack, but I'm going to go one step further: use the version that has Jeremy singing the first verse!

6) Hey Bulldog

7) It's All Too Much -- with the "time for me to look at you" verse. Great rocker, great way to end something!

Notice how this pretty closely follows the order of the new songs as they appear in the movie.

SIDE TWO: [non-soundtrack]
1) Honey Pie -- yeah, an odd way to open, but a nice way to transition from a cartoon soundtrack. Also, slightly musically reminiscent of "When I'm Sixty-Four."

2) Mother Nature's Son -- we can't let this sit in the vaults. I always liked it, but I never realized how truly divine it is until I heard the mono version on the box set.

3) Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey [yikes, I actually spelled it "Monkee"...] -- the lyrics are as trippy as the animation, and it's a good rocker.

4) Sexy Sadie -- nice juxtaposition, eh?

5) Savoy Truffle -- yes, this makes the album George-heavy (much like <I>Revolver</I>), but why not put a candy song on a cartoon soundtrack?

6) I'm So Tired -- see where I'm going?

7) Good Night -- just think...a cartoon movie that the kids would probably like. Ringo opens with a kids' song. Now, Ringo closes by lullabying the li'l uns to sleep. And how cool it is to have Ringo sing two songs on the same album -- and bookending that album!

Sorry I went on for so long...just that when you get me talking about something I dig, I can't shut up. :)

In reference to Show #24 - B-sides

A great topic, anytime you got off the "beaten" path and talk about such interesting topics like this the better. The "bab" four, did just that here and covered just about every imaginable B-Side/Extra Album track possible...some I had never even heard of...probably because I was never into buying the 12" vinyls or could not find some of the 45's mentioned back in the day at my local record shops.

My favorite B-Sides have always been:

Miss 'O Dell - love that track w/ George laughing
Early 1970
Down And Out - sounds like a track it could have been an unissued track off of Ringo's Rotogravure
Once Upon A Long Ago - what an emotional track
Lunch Box/Odd Sox
I Can't Imagine
Down To The River
Bridge On The River Suite

Love the podcast. I listen with a smile on my face.

I was disappointed, though, when in #24, you failed to mention what is probably my favorite solo B-side: "Girl's School"! How many songs rocked better than that?

My friends and I made a lot of solo compilation tapes, and GS was always on mine.

Something I'd like to hear you discuss is whether there is an audible difference between the Apple USB thumb drive release of the remastered catalog, and the CD releases. I've read many accounts of how much better the 24-bit lossless tracks on the USB release sound, but I've also read that it takes a high quality sound system and discerning ears to find any difference between 16 and 24 bit tracks.

Keep it up guys! Remember, you're more than fab... you're GEAR!

Oh, and a suggestion for a future show: How about "alternate albums" and what they would have sounded like? All four Beatles almost put out very different versions of solo work.

John: Rock and Roll--the Phil Spector version
Paul: Off the Ground--he could have done a MUCH better album using all those bonus tracks, in my opinion
George: Somewhere in England
Ringo: Can't Fight Lightning/Stop and Smell The Roses

Just a thought. Also to mention Kicked Around No More, which I forgot in my list. Mmm!

How in the world could you guys leave out The Mess ("B" side to My Love)? It's still one of my favorite Paul songs of all time.

My single album White Album in order:

Side one-
Back in the USSR
Dear Prudence
While my guitar gentle weeps
Glass onion
I will
Julia
Helter Skelter

Side 2-
Everybody’s got something to hide except for me and my monkey
Blackbird
Savoy truffle
I’m so tired
Don’t pass me by
Ob-la-di, Ob-la-Da
Yer Blues
*Wild Honey Pie (Bonus track: because it’s short and almost a surprise addition…sort of like “Her Majesty” on Abbey Road)

I really wanted Cry Baby Cry, Sexy Sadie and Revolution 1...but they didn't quite make the cut. Cry Baby Cry is one of my favorites...but I realize it's not a popular song and if I were their producer I would have choosen against it for practical reasons.

Photos of the shirts are now available on our Facebook site.

Hi David,

We are definitely there as Fab Fourum. We have over 250 fans. Don't know why you wouldn't find it!

Thanks Sean, that did the trick!

Mitch, I guess I was searching in the people search engine instead of the "group" search engine.

I am there and ready to rock and roll.

Hi Garry,

Yes, WHPC was off the air because of an antenna problem. Check back this Friday for Rob's great show!!!

Mitch

a single disc "white album," for me, would look something like this:
1) Dear Prudence
2) Glass Onion
3) While My Guitar Gently Weeps
4) Happiness is a Warm Gun
5) I'm so Tired
6) Blackbird
7) Julia
8) Yer Blues
9) Everybody's Got Something to Hide...
10) Helter Skelter
11) Revolution 1
12) Savoy Truffle

Hi David,

We're just funnin' with everyone because this week is April Fool's week. Part 1 will be up next week!

Mitch

I sort of understand the basis of the lawsuit...with the exception of #1/twist and shout. Lennon/McCartney didn't write that song!

Lynn -- "I Must Be In Love" --> "A Hard Day's Night." And "Between Us" --> "And I Love Her." It's not obvious, but if you listen to them back-to-back, it's easy to see the similarities. Also, on a bootleg there's a rehearsal of "Between Us" that actually has a bridge that starts "A love like ours could never die."

"It's Looking Good" always sounded more like "Run For Your Life" to me, with the guitar riff borrowed from "I'm Looking Through You."

Also...can't believe I didn't notice this before...but a couple of years ago I was in Beatles Ensemble at the Old Town School of Folk Music here in Chicago, and during the term the focus was The Rutles. (Sadly, our performance was cancelled due to flooding.) We ran through "Blue Suede Schubert" and our instructor pointed out how the guitar riff in the intro is lifted straight out of "Helter Skelter." Wow...

And another thing...a friend of mine pointed this out to me years ago...the guitar solo in "Number One" is taken from Heart's "Crazy On You."

And for some more Rutles stuff:

"Major Happy's Up And Coming Once Upon A Good Time Band / Rendezvous" --> "Sgt. Pepper's.../With A Little Help From My Friends"
"Questionnaire" --> an amalgam of elements from various Beatles tunes, including "I Am The Walrus" and "The Fool On The Hill"
"We've Arrived! (And To Prove It We're Here)" --> "Back In The U.S.S.R." and, arguably, the fade-out of "Hey Jude" and part of "Revolution 9" [this is a track recorded in 1978]
"Lonely-Phobia" --> "Things We Said Today"
"Unfinished Words" --> nothing specific, but the guitar solo is very "If I Fell" [another one from '78]
"Hey Mister" --> possibly "I Me Mine," definitely some "Get Back" and the shout from "Helter Skelter"
"Easy Listening" --> sounds very "Don't Pass Me By" to me
"Now She's Left You" --> no one Beatles song, but there is part of the melody lifted directly from "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party"
"The Knicker Elastic King" --> "Getting Better" and possibly "Penny Lane"
"I Love You" --> "P.S. I Love You" [I believe this was a Neil solo tune that was given the Rutle treatment]
"Eine Kleine Middle-Klasse Musik" --> "Come Together" [another Innes solo tune]
"Joe Public" --> "Tomorrow Never Knows" [yet another Innes solo tune reworked for Rutles]
"Shangri-La" --> elements from "A Day In The Life," "Yellow Submarine," "For No One," "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds," "Hey Jude," "Magical Mystery Tour," "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!" and prossibly others. Also includes little bits of at least two other Neil Innes tunes -- "How Sweet To Be An Idiot" both performed by the strings in the beginning and sung by Neil during the fade-out, and "Slaves Of Freedom," also sung by Neil in the fade-out
"Don't Know Why" --> "Free As A Bird"
"Back In '64" --> "When I'm Sixty-Four"
"Lullaby" --> probably not intended to be a Beatles parody, but you could argue for "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" or even "Working Class Hero"
"My Little Ukulele" --> "Jailhouse Rock" [I know, not a Beatles song!] and arguably "Honey Pie"

My White Album:

Side 1

Back in the USSR
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Mother Nature's Son
Happiness is a Warm Gun

Side 2

Helter Skelter
Blackbird
Julia
Long Long Long
Yer Blues
Sexy Sadie
Revolution (single version)

And while I'm at it:

My Capitol Albums, Volume 3

Yesterday...and Today
Revolver
Live at the Hollywood Bowl
Rarities

Bonus CD: "Capitol Ideas" -- Alternate takes/demos/live recordings from the entire catalog -- something EMI should have included on the remasters.

The Gary Wright podcast was FANTASTIC! He was such a great interview from where I was sitting. He sounds like one helluva nice guy and WOW what a history he has to tell by playing with all the Beatles. I most certainly look forward to the next time he is on. You guys asked great questions as usual and Mitch you did a "fab" job as usual of moderating.

The Imagine factoid was rather mindblowing as well, I do agree. I had heard that he played on Harry Nielsson's song Without You from a Joey Molland interview that I listen to often that I enjoy, so that was old news to me but probably not to many.

Your podcast keeps getting better and better...or rather Getting Better all the time.

Hey all! Sorry I haven't dropped by in awhile.

Enjoying the FM radio retrospective, but it bothers me that you all seem to be very close to falling into a familiar trap among Beatles fans: That is, believing that "Penny Lane", "Strawberry Fields" and Sgt. Pepper (as well as the rest of the band's output) are somehow artistically BETTER or more significant than their early work. I even remember reading a music columnist on the reissues who stated that he wasn't planning to purchase anything prior to PEPPER. That makes me sad.

The Beatles were always a brilliant musical group, from "Love Me Do" onward. Yes, their post-1967 work is more musically complex and lyrically broader, but why does that make it superior? I've always felt that the energy level in their Beatlemania days is far higher than anything past REVOLVER, as well as the sheer joy and happiness present in each and every recording. Not to mention the fantastic rock of "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "I Feel Fine", "Day Tripper"...you get the idea. I'd put "She Loves You" up against "A Day In The Life" any day. They're almost apples and oranges. Why get snobbish and claim that their later work is somehow on a higher plane?

Personally, if I had to commit myself to my top five Beatles albums, I don't think PEPPER would even be on it. I've always felt that their greatest work, the one album which best merged their rock energy and musical innovation, is REVOLVER. RUBBER SOUL, the White Album, ABBEY ROAD and A HARD DAY'S NIGHT would round out the list nicely.

And Sean, to answer a (much earlier) Rutles comment, thanks for the insight! I think I had once come to the same conclusions about "Between Us" and "I Must Be In Love", but had forgotten. I do think "It's Looking Good" is much closer to "I'm Looking Through You", though...and note the "Looking" in both titles. :-)

Happy weekend, everyone!

You guys are up to podcast #32! Wow! I remember when your a cute little podcast taking your first tentative steps! Now you guys actually have Ringo doing a few tag lines! From rags to riches.

Good Job!

And just to add to what Lynn said...

I'm surprised I didn't hear this mentioned, and it was recently discussed on beatles-collectors, but...the UK version of Rarities, when it was sold in the US, apparently has a few very rare pressings that list the German-language songs but play the English versions. (Am I getting that right??)

And just for clarity...the liner notes on the first pressing of the American Rarities do indeed refer to "I got blisters on my fingers!" and a "classic Lennon statement." My copy -- which I got in 1990 in a radio contest (that gave away ten Beatles albums every day to a listener) -- simply says "classic statement."

Aaaaand....Reel Music...I think it gets a bad rap...then again, I might be saying that because it's the album that introduced me to "I Am The Walrus" back in 1987 when I was 13 years old and putting my toes in the Beatles waters. The inserts are fantastic. You get a unique non-standard Capitol label. You get the stereo version of "Ticket To Ride" and a "fixed" stereo "I Should Have Known Better." And you get yet ANOTHER variation of "I Am The Walrus" -- the two-note riff at the beginning iterates six times instead of four, and I believe that save for the Rarities "outfake," that's the first time in the US that we got the six-iteration version.

Finally...Love Songs. I don't have it, never heard it. Regarding the tampering with the cover picture, according to Bruce Spizer (although it might have just been his opinion), the reason Paul was moved to the forefront was that, as the leader of Wings, he was a massive seller for Capitol, so it was a way to use him to promote the album. BTW -- surprised this also wasn't mentioned in the podcast, but some songs on Love Songs were given the George Martin remix treatment as well. I think it's just the songs taken from Rubber Soul, and the remixes were an attempt to center the vocals.

I've been catching up on the podcasts, so I hope you'll forgive a belated comment or two on the Decca audition show. One of you -- Mitch, maybe? -- noted that the Decca audition of Jan. 1, 1962, more than likely was done simply as a favor to Brian Epstein, a client of the company in that he ran a successful record store. That observation seems on target, but it was a small favor -- who in their right mind wants to audition on New Year's Day? I can't imagine that the Beatles or the recording engineers or anyone else who was actually there that day was pleased to be working. I believe it was George Harrison who said many years later that the Beatles had stayed out to 4 a.m. or so and were hung over.

Loved your show on Beatles for Sale. It's my favorite Beatles album. Notice I didn't say the BEST, but it's my favorite. "No Reply", "I'm a Loser", "Baby's In Black" and "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" are four songs that I will never, ever tire of.

Some fascinating insights, although with the exception of "Mr. Moonlight", I think you were too hard on the covers. And even the thinnest songs, like "Every Little Thing" or "What You're Doing", have that air of melancholy mixed with Beatles energy that I love. BTW, I don't care what Paul said; "Thing" is at least half John. The verses, definitely.

Looking forward to next week!

Hi Fab Foursome,
I love your show! I sometimes end up rewinding a lot and jotting down notes on things to run and listen to.
My comment is on the monos. i am one of those 1st generation fans, went to the Hollywood Bowl and all. One thing that needs to be kept in mind for us was the fantastic transistor radios we all carried around. I was in San Diego listening to KGB top 40 AM radio station. This was how we heard each new release. Well, until I started being at the record store day of release for everything! When I ran home to play my new vinyl I put it on to a little record player I had. It wasn't until 1966 that I got a portable stereo player.
As an aside, I had ben playing records all of my life, starting at age 3. Two older brothers were bringing in new songs daily, Big Bopper, Little Richard, Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry and so much more. So I totally dug the Beatles covers and influences.
Thanks for reading my ramblings. An idea for a show would be on on songs written for or about specific people in their lives.

One Great show after another-Thank You!!
The Fifth BEATLE is?????
IT'S A TIE- Pete, George Martin, Brian
Stu, Billy Preston and
Even YOKO
Best album before Sgt Pepper- In America
it is Beatle VI- Pure unadultrated
Rock and Roll-The Fabs at what they do
the best.

If my post above makes no sense, then read this:
http://www.beatles.com/#/news/John_Lennon_Gimme_Some_Truth/

Hey All!

RE: Cover Bands

I COMPLETELY agree about the costumes thing. I hate it. What I hate even more? The fake ACCENTS and over-use of 60's slang. GUH! I want to put my hand over their mouths and say, "We know you're not them!" It's extremely annoying.

I saw a Beatles cover band at a bar in Athens, OH during this year's annual Brew Week, and they just played the songs. No costumes, no accents, no banter: just Beatles music. And let me tell you, they were, perhaps, THE BEST cover band I've ever seen. Plus, they played songs like "What's the New Mary Jane?," which I didn't even hear played at Abbey Road on the River.

While I was enjoying my trip to Abbey Road on the River (thanks to Fab Fourum!!!!) I saw a GREAT Beatles Cover/Tribute Band called The Beat! who were from Germany. They were a young group full of energy who threw in a few other pop songs from the 60's in between their Beatles tunes. They focused mostly on the early stuff, and they reminded me of what I imagine the Beatles sounded like during their 2nd Germany trip. If they play at AROTR in D.C., you guys should check them out!

All My Listen'

Rachel

P.S. I saw that replica Lennon "Rubber Soul" jacket at AROTR in Louisville, and I must say, it was quite lovely!

P.P.S. I had a thought about the comment made during the previous episode's discussion on Early VS Late Beatles. Someone said that he noticed a lot of people will say their favorite period in the band's career is the mid-60's era, but that the late records always sell better. I've noticed the same, and perhaps this is true because of the following points:

1. The mid-career Beatles were still touring, and still playing their roles for the press and the fans. Despite what may have been happening behind the scenes, at this point, they still maintain their bubbly mop-top images. They're just as fun to watch as they are to listen to! Plus, we, the audience, get the visual to reinforce the audio - a powerful combination. I can't remember the statistic exactly, but studies have shown that people are more likely to respond favorably to a message they hear if there's a visual component to back it up. During this era, we certainly get that.

2. After the touring of the mid-60's ended, they focused on the music and hit their creative strides. The music benefits from all this creative energy and focus it receives, and it shows on the records. We don't see them as much on camera as we did a few years prior, so we latch onto the pure substance of what we hear.

Thus explaining why the later albums sell better despite the public's infatuation with the mid-career years.

Ok, now I'm really done.

- Rachel

Hi gang,

In the tribute band episode, I erroneously stated that Joey Curatolo of Rain was in Beatlemania The Movie. Although Joey was on Broadway in Beatlemania, it was actually Mitch Weissman who played Paul in the movie. Ralph Castelli of Rain portrayed Ringo in the film. I apologize for the error.

As always, thanks for listening.

Mitch

Is the current episode, 45, run time of 47:54, correct?
It seems to end rather abruptly.

Mine ended abruptly at 47:54 (snif). I'll check the itunes site.

Wings is A beatle's solo effort imho,

Maybe someone mentioned something taboo and it was cut off! Being 100% straight with us and all, you know.

Oh by the way I'm 44 so didn't experience The Beatles from the beginning but I've rode on the tidal wave of their music and everything they've influenced ever since, hope Paul and Ringo continue to give us new material for many years to come.

I look forward to the next show

keep up the good work

steve

Re Sessions discussion, one of you gents noted that there are about 400 hours of rehearsal tapes in the EMI vaults. If that is indeed the case, there would seem to be plenty of material for an album of outtakes and alternate versions of songs.

Sitting down and listening to that material would be a mammoth undertaking, to be sure; it might be tedious to listen to the 47th take of "Baby's In Black," for example. But surely there are Beatle experts willing to do that. Then they could identify the tracks that might be suitable for commercial release, with the final say going to Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia.

What's not to like about that?

Hey guys! Just wanted to say again how much I enjoyed meeting the four of you (at Abbey Road on the River last weekend, for those listening in) and how much fun I had at the con. Hope you all had fun, too. You looked as if you were.

Some more ideas for future shows:

--Mike McCartney, aka Mike McGear: His musical career with the Scaffold, Roger McGough, GRIMMS and solo. Emphasis, natch, on his awesome *McGear album (produced with lots of musical help from Brother Paul & Wings).

--Yoko Ono's musical career. UNLESS YOU ALL HATE HER, in which case give that a pass. But it would be nice to hear some intelligent discussion of her work, without a lot of hate towards her personally. This doesn't mean you have to love all her material.

--I agree with Steve; more discussions of individual albums, both group and solo. There are plenty out there. And I'll say again that "alternate" albums would be cool--like GET BACK, SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND, ROCK AND ROLL, OFF THE GROUND, etc.

--Songs that mention the Fab Four, perhaps? Such as "Never Been To Spain" by Three Dog Night, or "All Summer Long" by Johnny Rivers. You get the idea. Although that might not take up an entire show.

That's all I can dream up at the moment, but I'll keep working on. Looking forward to future shows! Thumbs up!

Lynn

I agree that "Paul" needs to be able to play left handed. If he can't, then he'd better learn; or it's Best that he be replaced.

Keep up the great show, guys. Loving the expanded episodes!

Hi guys I love the podcasts. Here's a possible future interview for your show. I got this info from WhatGoesOn.com:

Beatles Expert and Author is Scheduling Interviews for Lennon’s 70th Birthday
Beatles expert and author, Jude Southerland Kessler is giving of her time and knowledge to celebrate John Lennon’s birthday.


To schedule and interview with Jude, email: rjkess@comcast.net or phone: 610-400-7113

For more information on Jude Kessler and her books, go to:
http://www.OnTheRockBooks.com

Hey Guys, thanks for another great ep. Personally I'm shocked (and stunned), but those freaks are pleased you addressed PID.

I thought you might like to see Julian on the CBS show "Sunday Morning." Here's a link:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6923331n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

Just had an idea for a show, but it's a little late. I'd like to hear a discussion of John Lennon tribute songs. There were quite a few, and I'm sure I missed a few.

Happy Birthday John!

Hi.
I just finished listening to the All Starr Dream Team Band episode. I put together a team of five. (Please note that I tried not to use any of your wonderful All Starr suggestions.)
Bass player: Rob Grill of The Grass Roots
Two Lead Guitarists: Pete Haycock of The Climax Blues Band and Mark Knopfler
Keyboard: Christine McVie (or Joe Jackson)
Guest non-singing drummer: Gina Schlock of The Go-Gos
:)

Mitch,
Understood, I'm not through all the cds yet, I shouldn't expect you guys to be either.
So far Walls and Bridges is blowing me away!
Love the show...

During this time we all looked back and remembered Johnny Lennon, why no discussion about him on the podcast?

Thank you for your reply. I look forward to coming agenda. I sounds well thought-out.

Hi Michael,

Thanks a lot for taking the time to write. We do appreciate the criticism because we can all use a little "step back and reflect" moment when doing these shows which is not always easy, but always enjoyable and we are glad you are enjoying them which is our goal. As for Let Me Roll It, while it definitely could be about Paul's favorite hobby, he has always said it was his nod to John. Even recent interviews about BOTR remasters, he has stated it.

We always accept and respect our listeners opinions so please keep them coming. We've even got our own reality check with the addition of the new Curmudgeon's Corner page on our site under the Blog tab. Whenever we get a bit big headed, we can always count on Al to knock us down a peg!

Thanks again and please spread the word if you enjoy the show!

Have a great day.

Mitch

Hey guys,

Another fascinating show about Nowhere Boy. I saw this a year ago in Australia and so it is kind of interesting to hear again about this "new" film.

I thought it was an excellent film that captured an era, a city, and its people really well. I thought the writing and acting were excellent and since it is a drama based on reality, I was fine with a bit of tightening of the time line and speculation about happenings.

So they didn't get everything 100% accurate. It was certainly more accurate than, say, Backbeat.

I liked the treatment of when Paul and John met, although it's always been a mystery to me as to whether Paul brought his left handed guitar or played someone else's upside down. Perhaps we will never know.

I had to shake my head at the suggestion that Paul was the "upper class" or "better bred" of John and Paul. A quick tour of Liverpool and the Beatle houses will tell you that Paul, George and Ringo came from incredibly humble beginnings compared to John. So the idea of Paul scraping together enough money to buy shiny pointed shoes AND a guitar (I know, he traded in his trumpet) says more about his upward mobility and ambition than it does about his class or his breeding.

The class system is entrenched in UK culture in a way that is difficult for North Americans to comprehend. It's not about money per se. It's about where you are from. When Lennon later painted an image of himself as a "working class hero" he was stretching the truth in one sense: in Liverpool he was positively middle class. In another sense (UK wide) because of his scouse accent alone he would be deemed to be working class by people in Southern England particularly in the 1960s.

But as between the four Beatles, John had a positively posh upbringing. The other three had it very rough indeed.

Thanks again for another fascinating show!

Michael

Hi Whitcomb,

As a matter of fact, we are recording that very show tomorrow morning!!! I really hope an official DVD release of teh Washington show comes out soon. The show looks great and is complete! I think it's good and bad that it's included in the box set. Good because it sees the light of day and bad because they are trying to give incentive for us to spend another $150 when most of us already have the CD's. Sheesh!

Hello hello, guys! Some nice shows lately. I really enjoyed Ken Sharp's; it inspired me to read his book. Excellent, in-depth look at Double Fantasy.

I'm inspired to write this time, though, by your Rubber Soul podcast. Such a marvelous album. Lennon has some of his best work on there--at least four standards (Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, Girl and In My Life). It was really his record, in my opinion. George has his first great composition with "If I Needed Someone", which looks back to "You Like Me Too Much" lyrically but is a lot better musically. Paul has "Michelle" and the uncommonly bitter (for him) "I'm Looking Through You". Between that and "You Won't See Me", I think he and Jane were having some issues.

Although I'm an American and first heard the US version, I have to vote in favor of the UK album. Three reasons:

1. It's the way the band wanted it. Hey, that counts for a lot.

2. The title is RUBBER SOUL...and what kind of song is "Drive My Car", after all? Some of the best R&B the Fabs ever did. And funny. I always imagine Paul's hands squeezing a certain part of a young lady's anatomy on the "Beep beep" chorus. ;-)

Apart from that, the record's much more diverse in the UK version. I don't think the group meant to make a "folk-rock" record. I mean, look at the initial takes of "I'm Looking Through You" and "Norwegian Wood", after all.

3. The album's really hurt by the loss of "Nowhere Man" and "If I Needed Someone". Two of their best songs from 1965, axed. Capitol was ruthless.

(Not to mention the sound quality is MUCH better on the UK album. I really heard the bass on "The Word" for the first time when I bought the British vinyl All Those Years Ago. The mono mix is the way to go, sad to say...sad because the stereo should have been so much better. I don't like the Songtrack mix, though. Too much compression. Ugh.)

Oh, a story about "Norwegian Wood" that may interest you. I read a novel published in the Seventies or so by the SF writer Spider Robinson in which he had a character discuss that song. According to him, it's a disguised pun. "Isn't it good/Knowing she would?" In other words, they didn't actually have sex, which kind of fits the line about "I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath". Quite an eye-opener, if you think about it. But I never imagined John burning the house down until I heard Paul say it.

Anyway, enough. Awesome album & discussion by the Fourum. Keep it going!

I found your discussion of "Rubber Soul" one of the best programs you've done.

Count me firmly in the camp that believes the Capitol edition of "Rubber Soul" is the iconic version of this album. No one can persuade me that the U.K. version is better -- clearly someone at Capitol knew what he was doing when he laid out the tracks of the U.S. "Rubber Soul."

Sure, the U.K. version is what the Beatles intended. That doesn't make it better, enjoyable as it is. The Capitol "Rubber Soul" captures the Beatles almost perfectly in transition from power-pop band to the eclectic, and cutting edge, group that it became.

I hope you plan a similar program on "Revolver."

Miiiiiitch! You said you didn't read "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" because of what happened to John . . . but you didn't find out until 11 PM! Were you planning to start reading AFTER Monday night football?? Sorry buddy, but I'm an English teacher and have to side with yours on this one :)

I'm only picky because I care, Mitch!

Lynn - I remember it well. I had just quit an extremely stressful, abusive job a few months prior (and led to an almost three-year period of unemployment for me), so I wasn't at work, I was home...and my wife had a 4-day-a-week work schedule (man, I had that schedule for a while too....40 hours in 4 days -- freakin' sweet!) so she was home together.

We were living in New Jersey at the time. The clock radio woke us up and was set to New Jersey 101.5, and the news guy (I don't remember if it was Eric Scott or the other guy) said, and I quote: "It's the 'quiet Beatle' that has succumbed to cancer." I just exhaled and thought, "Yep, I guess the stories were true." (There were rumors going around that George's time was almost up, and nobody came out to deny the rumors, unlike when George Martin was misquoted as saying that George H. had only a year left.) My wife broke down in tears.

She even answered the phone in tears when the dry cleaner called to let her know her stuff was ready, and she had to explain to the guy why she was crying...

It was weird because I always hated the All Things Must Pass album (yes, you read that right) because I didn't like the Spector sound, but I was just starting to appreciate it just weeks earlier (and now I love it),and I thought what a shame to start getting into that music right when George is no longer here to talk about it...

Ref the Dec 8th show:

December 8th is my birthday. A few friends were over at my house celebrating when my Step-Dad (who was watching MNF) called me into the living room...urgently. I ran in to hear Howard Cosell talking. I stood, rooted in place, in shock! With 3-5 minutes our phone rang. It was my best friend. He's moved away the previous summer...but we still talked and sent each other letters all of the time. After a short and somber call with included commiseration and birthday greetings the party broke up.

The next day I wore a black sock wrapped around my arm (didn't have an actual black armband). People I didn't even know came up to me to talk about it (I was known as a really big Beatles fan by all!). During lunch my "other" best friend (I'm a lucky person because I actually have two best friends and we remain tight even today) and I played acoustic guitars and sang.

I don't mean to equate the two events...but I know a few people who have birthdays on Sept. 11th and they are really bummed that the emotional high we can get from celebrating our birthdays has been taken from them by the horrible tragedy associated with Sept. 11th. "Sorry"...I say..."but I've been dealing with a very similar experience...since 1980!"

I just got around to listening to the Easter Egg (the day before christmas??) lightning round asking to pick Meet the Beatles or With the Beatles.

I like them both and for different reasons. My Grandmother gave me Meet the Beatles as a christmas gift in 1977. She could ill afford that gift...but she did just the same because she knew I really wanted that album. Emotionally...it's my favorite Beatles album of all time because it represents so much to me.

But I listen to With the Beatles all of the time because, really, it's a better album as far as I'm concerned. More tracks and it feels more cohesive.

But almost nothing tops the high I got when I opened the the gift christmas morning, 1977. The album was instantly on the turn-table (younger listeners may have trouble understanding that anachronism) replacing whatever generic christmas album that had been playing.

Happy New Year to the Fab Fourum, and hope you had a happy Chrimble. (I meant to wish Mitch a "Happy Harmonica", too.) All the best to you & the Fourum's audience for 2011.

I enjoyed the JL remasters show, but I wish you could have gone into more detail about how the remixes differ from the original mixes. Is there somewhere I could get more information? And what I most want to know is, has "Meat City" been corrected to include John's final comments on the outro?

Thanks for another entertaining podcast!

My wife and I must be the only people on the face of the earth who absolutely can't bloody stand "Mrs. Vanderbilt." Ho. Ho hum.

BOTR show comment: I don't remember who said it...but referring to the studio in Lagos as being put together by Magic Alex was so damn funny. Sadly, though, Magic Alex could not have done even that good of a job with a studio.

It's a testament to both Paul and especially Geoff Emerick (who has a lot of enmity for Magic Alex) that the album sounds as good as it does.

Another enjoyable show on GONE TROPPO. I've always loved that record. I found out about it by going to the record store and seeing it in the racks--out of nowhere! Usually I had the word in advance from Rolling Stone or something that an album was on the way. Not this time.

Track by track: "Wake Up My Love"--aw, guys, don't diss it so much. I still love it! The synths are bouncy and catchy as hell, and George's vocal is full of energy for a "laid-back" record. Funny he didn't include the lyrics on the last verse ("Oh I need you Lord...").

"That's The Way It Goes"--great slide guitar, and some fascinating lyrics. Jeff Lynne did a nice remix of this a few years later, and I love Joe Brown's version on THE CONCERT FOR GEORGE HARRISON. Good solid tune.

"I Really Love You"--I'm not into doo-wop either, but this one is fun to listen to. Didn't it reach, like, #100 on the charts?

"Greece"--Beautiful, beautiful slide guitar semi-instrumental. I could never understand about 80% of what George is singing, though. Could someone please post ALL the lyrics? Pretty please?

"Gone Troppo"--I hate Buffett but love this song. The light touch is just perfect for George's sometimes dour personality.

"Mystical One"--You're right, should've been a single. Lovely & uplifting. Like so many George ballads, could be about his wife or about God.

"Unknown Delight"--It's pretty, but not exceptional. I always wondered if it was about Dhani.

"Baby Don't Run Away"--Ugh. That ARP bass or whatever it is is horrible. I don't like this one at all. Too slow and dirgey.

"Dream Away"--Brilliant. I just wish he'd kept that organ intro from TIME BANDITS at the beginning. A "troppo-ish" tune....

"Circles"--I didn't know this was an old Beatles song at first. The lyrics are interesting, but the arrangement here is too slow. Still, it beats "Baby Don't Run Away".

Overall rating: 8/10. Never one I kept at the bottom of the Harrison pile. That would be DARK HORSE and EXTRA TEXTURE.

Great show!

I enjoyed the discussion of "Let It Be." I was wondering if the Oscar for original song score needed to be discussed?

The Let It Be show.

Even though I've been a Beatles fan as long as I can remember (I remember singing "Yesterday" to myself in the front yard of the first house I lived in...I must have been about 5 years old) I wasn't exposed to the Beatles that much growing up. My mom was a Tom Jones and Neil Diamond fan (horrors!!) and my dad just sort of listened to AM radio without caring too much about what was on.

My next door neighbors were a musical family (hence the evolution into becoming The Polka Family Band <subsequently nominated for 4 Grammys>I was their first Sax player) but next door Dad and Mom’s tastes were more ethnic: West Coast Jazz, Polish and Mexican Polka music. My best friend (next door neighbor) and I developed an intense fascination with the Beatles even though neither of us had any actual albums or even singles!! We simply couldn’t afford to buy anything. Subsequently the first Beatles album I ever owned was Let It Be. About…1972? (I have the Red Apple Label…the first time I got an album with a Green Apple Label I thought I had purchased a rarity which was just opposite to what most people thought). I love the album. I love the little snippets between songs and have always enjoyed them. I didn’t know, exactly, that this was a live studio album. I knew what a “live” album was as “Hot August Nights” was shoved down my throat when it first came out. And I knew most records didn’t have “audiences” when they were recorded. But I somehow knew that this album was performed differently than most. I understood, maybe on a different level, that this was a live album. It certainly sounded relaxed to me.

The Long and Winding Road debate: I never really cottoned to that song. It simply “felt” wrong. As a kid if I was going to skip a song it was this one. Don’t get me wrong: It’s a beautiful song. Most songwriters (with the exception of John Lennon) would give their back teeth to have this in their notebooks but it never quite felt right to me. I prefer the “naked” version…but it still doesn’t feel right.

I love I dig a Pony! I love the lyrics and the riff and the vibe. The ironic and funny reading of the lyrics on the show did not diminish my enthusiasm for this song one iota.

One after 909…I love that one too (as well as The One after 909 as originally recorded). On the Let it Be version George’s solo really rips…but if you think about it he had, like, 10 years to work on it!

The guitar solo on the album version of the song Let It Be is beautiful and way more fitting than the “single” version. Whenever I hear the “single” version it grates! Ouch!

Because this album is one of my favorites I was excited when “Naked” was announced and really anticipated its release. I wasn’t disappointed. I listen to the “Naked” version as much as the original…and I actually think of them as two different albums…not as an updated version of the original. I can allow them to stand on their own.

Thanks for reading my boring litany!

Not The Wheel!

in response to Blaine63's thoughts on Let it Be Naked...i totally agree. i see the original and the Naked mix as two separate entities. however, i totally love the song, Long and Winding Road. always have. the broadstreet version i think is way more cheesy than the original though. specter's rendition is lush but i don't thin kit's cheesy. just my three cents.

I can't resist the urge to add my $.02, so here's my top 20 list, in no particular order.

Ringo

"Only You"
"Photograph"
"Six o'Clock"
(Great backing vocals by Linda on this one!)
"Sure to Fall"
(I added this one because it sounds like Ringo
and Paul are at a bar singing this old song from
their early Beatles days, and that feels like love.)

John

"Look at Me"
"Oh My Love"
"Oh Yoko!"
"(Just Like) Starting Over"
"Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)"

George

"What is Life?"
"I Dig Love"
(So funky, so blue-grassy, and simple! Always
loved this one. Also qualifies as a great driving
song from a previous podcast.)
"Don't Let Me Wait Too Long"
"Got My Mind Set On You"

Paul

"Love in Song"
"Beautiful Night"
"Some People Never Know"
"Calico Skies"
"No Other Baby"
"Letting Go"
"Hope of Deliverance"

Honorable Mention

Yoko - "Let Me Count the Ways"
Linda - "Endless Days"
Julian - "Day After Day"
Sean - "Two Fine Lovers"

No number requirement met by me...there are so many that I'll simply shotgun it:

Paul-
Maybe I'm amazed
My love
(Okay...the easy ones are out of the way)
Arrow through me
I'm carrying
One more kiss

John-
Oh Yoko
(Just like) Starting over
One Day at a time

George-
What is life
You
If not for you
Never get over you
(he used the word "you" a lot)

Ringo-(Sadly I've never been much of a solo Ringo fan and I apologize to Ringo and this forum for that lack)
Photograph
walk with you

Thanks for reading my drivel.

Hi guys

I really enjoy your show. it gets better and better, and i´m kind of addicted to it. GREAT!!

I think you missed a point in the Let It Be show.
The Glyn Johns Get Back versions were not mentioned in the show and I really find them very interesting. Both as works in process but also as part of political discussions that ended as Let It Be..
Are you going to devote an entire show to these near Beatle - albums, or will it be Fab Fourum forgotten?

By the way, came across and bought the "Beatles por siempre". Really Nice collection for South America and spain, done in 1971. Could you do a show about some compilations from different parts of the world? - There are some really interesting among those.

And:Look forward to hear your
proper take on The Beatles again/Hey Jude. a great album in my opinion.

Again: Thank you for a great, great show.

Enjoyed your show on the BBC recordings. Maybe 2014 -- the 20th anniversary of the release of "Live at the BBC" -- would serve as an excuse for EMI/BBC to release the entire recordings in a box set.

"Live at the BBC" to my mind is one of the top five Beatles albums ever released. I think it's that strong and historically significant. I generally agreed with your take on the highlights, but I would add "Some Other Guy" and "Don't Ever Change" to the discussion. I also think the record has versions of their own songs that are superior to the official studio releases -- "I Saw Her Standing There" and "All My Loving" come to mind.

The album has a vibrancy and rawness that captures the Beatles in full bloom in England and on the verge of international fame. Spectacular.

Re- Break up Show
"Bill Graham presents: The Beatles live tour 1969"
is something I often think/dream about.

Something you didn't mention, was how the official brake up-on paper-didn't happen until 1975. Here's an interesting quote on the break up from "You Never Give Me Your Money" by Peter Doggett :

"...royalties from everything they released, together or alone, before Oct. 1974 were divided equally between them."

So all the pre-74 solo stuff really are like Beatle records-kind of!

Great show. I'm a Monkees fan and I enjoyed the insight.

On the lightning question: As most who listen to the podcast and/or participate on this board I've read dozens of books. I like most that were mentioned on the podcast...but my taste goes more towards what they did to achieve their sounds and how they achieved their sounds. My favorite and I think the most factual/detailed book is "Beatles Gear" by Andy Babiuk. The details and insight have more to say to the equipment/process geeks like me than any other books. Honorable mention goes to Geoff Emerick's "Here, there and everywhere." More than George Martin's "All you need is ears", Emerick's book goes into the unique processes and solutions involved with making some of the most dramatic and genre changing music in rock history.

Yeah...George and Ringo took hits from him, for sure (actually John too. I guess if your name isn't Paul then you get an extra fine magnifying glass). Those parts made me cringe a little...but I love the technical details he gave. Not many people realize how lucky the Beatles were in terms of getting the right technical team behind them. Those people (George Martin, Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick), while not the writing or performing talents, went a long way in helping the Beatles realize their musical ideas! I know you guys know that...the fact that you have musicians on the podcast makes it all the better.

I've said it before...but I'll say it again: Love your show.

BTW: I've purchased a book from every single author who has been on your show. Bring someone on and they have at least one confirmed sale waiting to happen!!

No artist can surpass the work of the Beatles. Artists who cover Beatles’ songs reach, struggle, and hope to touch the transcendent. A phenomenon comes, goes, and leaves a trail, we can only witness. The comet’s path cannot be improved or changed, only followed. The convergence of the Beatles exploded singularly for all to experience. Other phenomena have streaked through our consciousness and provided timeless beauty for all. When we hear a Beatles’ cover, let us enjoy the pleasure of the timeless classic as seen by another admirer. One special reflection was Randy Travis’ take of “Nowhere Man.”

I am the Walrus-Boingo! Remarkable.

Loved the covers show. Many of my faves were mentioned, I would like to add the great James Booker's "Penny Lane/I Saw Her Standing There" as one of my personal faves.

@Don M: Two interesting books for the geeky Beatles fan are: FAB FOUR FAQ and FAB FOUR FAQ 2.0. Listen to the fab fourum episode #36. The author, Robert Rodriguez,(co-author of the first), is interviewed in depth. The books are filled with esoteric minutia and really interesting facts. I find myself referring back to both frequently.

Have fun reading.

@Don M:Don't know about that....though it seems if there was a recent one I would have stumbled upon it. Let us know if you find one.

Re: Cleveland show (and probably the norm for most of the '66 tour)

Ticket prices topped out at $5.50 - just under $37.00 in 2011 dollars! However that's also about what it would cost to buy a copy of Revolver!

Hi Lynn,

Nice to hear from you again even though you are wrong! LOLOL!!!!! I think we all didn't mention BOTR even once because we all KNOW it's considered his best work by the majority of fans! That would have been too obvious and then we wouldn't get great emails like yours! ;)

Have to disagree with you on Flaming Pie. Yes, Really Love You is not great but he says in the liner notes that it was just a jam and they made up lyrics on the spot so I have to give him a pass on that one. I agree to a degree on Young Boy but it's still a nice pop song! I also like So Bad but I don't really like when he sings falsetto so it's Through Our Love for me! I really enjoy London Town. Just my personal preference and we all have those (as we are definitely hearing this week).

Thanks for taking the time to write and for continued listening!

Take care.

Mitch

Okay...I'll try a real top 5 (with 5 honorable mentions) later. But it really is hard.

I can only come up with two songs that ALWAYS make the list: Twist and Shout (the most amazing Rock and Roll studio recording of all time!) and I'm only sleeping. But there are so many others...narrowing it down to 5 (+5)? Damn. I'll work on it, though.

THANK YOU FOR THE RAM SHOW!!!!

I've told you this a million times, but RAM is my favorite album OF ALL TIME and I LOVED this show!

RAM has energy. It has funk. It has romance and humor and sadness and bite and it's a perfect 10. It sounds fresh, new, and edgy even now.

If you haven't already, check out these contemporary covers of the entire RAM album - they're amazing and lots of fun to hear!

RAM On LA, Various LA Artists: http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/ram-on-la/

The RAM Project, Dave Depper:
http://hangout.altsounds.com/news/127013-dave-depper-the-ram-project-jackpot-records-may-3rd.html

Thanks for yet another amazing show, guys - you're my favorite podcast!

All my listen'
Rachel

Oh, and yes, guys, Admiral Halsey was a British admiral during WWII. :)

Loved the show about fan festivals! Just want to share my experiences...

The only real Beatles festival I've been to was The Fest Formerly Known As Beatlefest. I first heard about it in 1988 when, as a 14-year-old, I saw an ad in Rolling Stone that said to call 1-800-BEATLES for a free Beatles catalog, and it turned out to be Beatlefest's catalog. Over the years I met people who went religiously, and eventually I succumbed to my friends' pressure in 1996 by going as a college graduation present to myself, thinking, "Okay, I'll go this year just to see what it's all about." "This year" became "every freakin' year up to 2008."

I lived in the Chicago suburbs until 1998, when I moved to New Jersey to make a long-distance relationship a no-distance relationship, and I lived there for eight years, moving to Chicago (the actual city, not the suburbs this time!) in 2006. Every year I went to the Chicago Beatlefest (actually in nearby Rosemont, down the road from O'Hare)...

At first, my favorite thing about the 'fest was grabbing my guitar and playing with the various little jam spots around the Hyatt, especially in the (now gone) fountain room. In 1997 I played and sang for so long that my throat was just about dying...there were requests for Monkees tunes coming from the crowd, and we all agreed to do "Words." I was assigned Micky's part....yikes...I have a pretty low voice, so my low voice trying to sing Micky's high parts after hours of playing and singing?? Not pleasant! :)

The Fab Fourum guys talked about how the 'Fest went from NYC to Jersey...well, in Chicago, it was first at the Palmer House hotel in downtown Chicago, then moved to Rosemont, where O'Hare is realistically located. (It's only in Chicago based on a nitpicky technicality undoubtedly instituted by Mayor Richard J. Daley.) I've heard several explanations for the move from the cities to the suburbs. One unofficial reason I heard from a friend of Mark Lapidos's was that New York and Chicago were too tempting for people to leave the 'Fest to go out and do things in the city. Another explanation I heard is that the vendors were complaining about having to haul their goods all the way into the city, while Rosemont is just a mile up the road from O'Hare and the Jersey 'fest is a short ride down the Turnpike.

A few observations:
- My wife and I were so used to the Chicago 'fest that when we first went to the New Jersey 'fest in 1999, it was....a downer. We just didn't like it. The hotel was shabby. There was no concierge -- we asked where the concierge was and we were pointed to a computer kiosk that was on a Blue Screen of Death. The elevators broke down. The ballroom was overheated. The snack line was ridiculous and cost about twice as much as the one in Chicago. To get non-alcoholic drinks we had to hunt all over the place, and found something on the second floor. And for some reason the stuff in the marketplace cost a lot more, including the stuff from the same vendors who we'd see in Chicago! We tried the Jersey 'fest again in 2002 because we felt it was our duty in honor of George...sucked again. And for whatever reason we decided to go for one day in 2005, and....had a blast! Probably because we had low expectations, probably also because we met up with a friend of ours who never went before and, five minutes into Bruce Spizer's morning talk, said, "If Beatlefest were nothing but this, I'd still feel like I got my money's worth! This is GREAT!" And I got to meet Mark Lewisohn, get his autograph, and shake his hand. :)

- I agree with the guys about watching the movies in the ballroom. That was a blast! Help! was a big audience participation flick. And for people who didn't know about the underground world, this was the only possible way to watch Let It Be. Somewhere around 2002 or 2003, all the movies disappeared from the 'Fest except for A Hard Day's Night. By an astonishing coincidence, it was also the same year that Beatlefest's name was changed and Apple somehow denied Mark the right to use the name Beatlefest despite the fact that he'd been using it since 1974 and even owned the trademark. And by another astonishing coincidence, it just so happens that Apple owns the rights to Help!, Yellow Submarine, Let It Be, and Magical Mystery Tour...but not A Hard Day's Night. I e-mailed Mark and said what the heck happened? His response was something along the lines of "Well, we have so many great speakers now that we need the ballroom available for them." Ummm.....sure.

- At the Chicago 'fest there are also the regulars...the guy who looks like Elvis...Johnny Michaels (one of the oldest Beatles fans ever....the guy must be in his eighties!)..."Brian from New York," as I referred to him (he's actually in The Bootlegs at the Jersey fest; he used to come to Chicago every year)..."the John and Yoko people"..."the weird chick," as my wife and I refer to her...the "crazy tambourine

(continued again!)

selling those out in the open like that; it was obvious that I asked the wrong vendor this question, as her response was: "I'm a girl. I'm dumb. I don't know anything. Someone just gave me this stuff to sell and told me they're really cool CDs." There were other times when I'd kind of whisper the word "Vigotone" or "Yellow Dog" to a vendor and said vendor would look both ways wit his eyes and then hand me a Post-It Note [tm] with a room number on it....and you'd go to that room and there would be several large-screen TVs set up showing some bootleg videotapes and crates full of boot CDs on the beds, and a small crowd of people shopping around. Heh...friends I met on the beatlegs Yahoo! Groups list would bump into me every year and just say a room number to me. :) Those were fun days...

- One year during the sound-alike tryouts, elderly Beatles fan Johnny Michaels was going to perform...he whispered something to Martin Lewis, who then asked, "Is there anybody here who has a guitar and knows how to play 'I Need You'?" My wife said that it's like going to an AMA convention and asking if anybody knows how to deliver a baby.

- But still, I thankfully have some incredible memories that I will always cherish...playing along with the little jam sessions throughout the hotel...getting Post-Its with room numbers...seeing how long it would take before the receiver from the house phone would somehow disappear mysteriously...watching drunk people hang over their balconies and yell, "BEEEEEEEAATLEFE-E-E-E-EST!!!!"...watching Liverpool perform "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" in 2006 and seeing Mark Lapidos, who was sitting behind us, nearly fall to the floor laughing in tears...(see, he DOES get to enjoy some of the 'Fest!)...watching people fall out of their chairs laughing at "Greg Bravo" perform at the George tribute in 2002 (I have video of this, btw...people actually falling out of their chairs laughing at this guy)....seeking out -- and finding -- the annual issue of Go To The Window....got to chat with Mitch Axelrod on more than one occasion...staying up till 4:00am and singing Monkees songs with a couple of the New York/New Jersey folks who flew in to Chicago...suddenly leaving the 2005 Beatlefest early on Sunday because we found out that Brian Wilson was performing Smile in Chicago as a replacement for the Michigan gig that got cancelled...going up to Bruce Spizer's table every year he introduced a new book and saying, "One, please." (Maybe I'll return this year to do that again!)

Mitch -- My wife and I have a theory that part of the reason for the different vibe in Chicago is the time of year. In Jersey the 'Fest is at a pretty dreary time of year, and it's just another weekend, meaning the kids are in school on Friday and Monday. But in Chicago it's during the summer when everybody's off, so it's more of a family atmosphere, much better time of year....

Another memorable moment...my wife and I are our friends in 2006 (I think) just decided to camp out in the ballroom one night one year at the fest just to see what we could see....as usual, Mark Hudson would do "Slow Down" and his medley that I like to refer to as "Long Down Darlin'"...maybe another guest or two...and we stayed for Peter and Gordon. We're not fans...nothing AGAINST them, we just never were P&G fans...but we were really wowed by them. They did a fantastic performance. I don't remember what song it was, but there were two bridges, and they took turns soloing on the bridges, and both of the guys would just beam when they got their applause after each bridge...that was just golden...never forget that...

Heh...and one of our friends got bombed one night one year before going to the ballroom...she's normally very quiet and friendly, but...she was very loudly heckling Jim Horn, yelling "You suck!" and laughing...it was a you-had-to-be-there moment, but that...was funny...especially because Horn absolutely did NOT suck...that night or ever....(for God's sake, he played on PET SOUNDS!!)

And something my wife always says: It's not Beatlefest until the Rosemont Fire Department shows up. Every. single. year. we went, they showed up for one reason or another.

Heh...and I remember one year I was really wanting to get Let It Be...Naked on vinyl, but couldn't find it for a reasonable price. One of the vendors told me that I'll NEVER find one for under $35. "I have 'em priced TWICE that in Jersey and I can't keep 'em stocked!" So what did I do? That night when we went back to our hotel room I went on Amazon.com and ordered a copy for $22 plus about $6 shipping. :)

Got to meet Neil Innes at the 'Fest a few times...really, really nice guy.

2004 -- instead of Beatley Incorrect one night, it was a debate between Martin Lewis and Bruce Spizer over the importance of the US albums. I was amazed at how civil it was. :)

Just too many memories...sorry to bogart the Fab Fourum blog!

Yes, we WILL be talking about McCartney and McCartney II. OHHHHH, THOSE RUMORS about PID. I thought you meant musically dead! LOLOLOL. Of course it's just a joke! Yes Sean, I have been suggesting it for a very long time and hopefully my Kermit The Frog sounding voice will be heard! Up the workers and all that! By teh way, we WILL be analyzing and reviewing the two new Macca reissues. The sound is AMAZING!

Hey, guys; thanks for the shout-out. :) I'd like to tell the whole story I told Mitch, as I think it's pretty fun...

My wife and I live in Chicago....we lived in New Jersey for eight years and moved here in 2006 (my wife is actually from Jersey, so she actually lived there for over 30 years...but...). Our friend Dan is a major Beach Boys fan (as are we), and we met him literally the day before I moved to New Jersey in 1998.

Anyway, my wife and I religiously attended the Chicago Beatlefest, even when we lived in Jersey. Many times Dan would hang out with us at Beatlefest, and one year he mentioned that he wanted to buy a Paul McCartney CD, and he asked me for a suggestion. I had to think about it, but something occurred to me: Dan LOVES Smiley Smile, which is the album the Beach Boys put out after Brian Wilson decided that Smile was "inappropriate." Instead of a production masterpiece, it was a very low-production quicky thing he threw together. It includes a few recordings from Smile, a few Smile RE-recordings, and a few brand new songs (and almost every freakin' song has the droning sound of an organ that Brian Wilson ahd just purchased and was obsessed with...)...and Dan always gets angry when someone mentions Carl Wilson's quote about Smiley Smile being "a bunt instead of a grand slam" because he feels that Smiley Smile is very underappreciated.

Anyway...I thought about it, and figured something out: Smiley Smile and McCartney are very similar in terms of structure. Both albums have:

- A hit or two (either chart hits, audience favorites, or both) recorded formally in a studio while the rest of the album was recorded in the producer's home studio:
SMILEY SMILE: "Heroes And Villains," "Good Vibrations"
McCARTNEY: "Maybe I'm Amazed," "Every Night"

- A few fragments that are just the same thing repeated over and over:
SMILEY SMILE: "Whistle In," "With Me Tonight"
McCARTNEY: "That Would Be Something," "The Lovely Linda"

- An instrumental or two:
SMILEY SMILE: "Fall Breaks and Back To Winter" (well, it does have wordless vocals, but...)
McCARTNEY: "Kreen-Akrore," "Hot As Sun"

- (just thought of this now) A leftover or two that were originally written or recorded as part of an earlier album:
SMILEY SMILE: "Vegetables," "Wonderful," "Wind Chimes"
McCARTNEY: "Teddy Boy," "Junk"

Anyway, a couple of weeks later Dan e-mailed me that...it was a good call! He LOVED McCartney!

As a coda...weird thing, when my wife and I moved to Chicago in 2006, Dan and his wife were relocating (within the city) -- we both signed on for apartments literally a block and a half away from each other by sheer coincidence...

Perhaps a topic for a future show...Giles Martin (son of George) was interviewed recently and indicated an interest in releasing an album of live Beatles recordings. This is quite encouraging to me, as there has never been a definitive live album from the group.

But there is so much more EMI could release as the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' invasion of America approaches. You can find a lot of this stuff on the web, of course, but I would hope for at least a 2-CD of demos, alternate takes and other rare recordings like the Cavern Club rehearsal of "I Saw Her Standing There," the Star Club take on "I'm Talking About You," the attempts to nail the iconic opening chord of "A Hard Day's Night," and so on.

All this could be part of a CD/DVD box set including the full Decca audition; the Washington Coliseum concert; the Shea Stadium concert; Live at the Hollywood Bowl(never released on CD); a Vol. 2 of Live at the BBC; "Yesterday and Today," with the infamous butcher cover; and no doubt some other things I'm forgetting. (I would reserve "Let It Be" for separate re-release on DVD.)

Call this imaginary box set "Encore" to commemorate when the group exploded on the scene.

Great, great show about "McCartney".
Very interesting that you compare and divide the EMI songs with the home-made stuff. It is like two different albums! Recording and song writing-wise.
Overall it is very interesting for me, that the album has so many songs based on two chords. That tells it´s own story about an artist picking himself up.

Keep up the good work.

Hi Rachel,

Might have been me who said that and everyone chimed in. It IS very odd that Paul never wrote a song or even SANG a song a la Dylan. I was trying to come up with one but just couldn't! Still can't! It's just not his style! Oddly enough, he DID collaborate with Alan Ginsberg, a poet, on a song so he does have it in him. Things that make you go hmmmmmmmm!

Hey guys! Excellent podcast on McC II, but you knew I'd love it, didn't you? Well done.

I could go on for as long as you did, but I'll just stick to a few things that I think you missed, or could have discussed.

"Coming Up"--John called this a "damn good piece of work", but it's not clear whether he meant the studio or live take. Since he lived in the States, I suspect he meant the live take. Personally, I prefer the studio version, having gotten a promo single from a friend of mine who owned a record store and having heard it first. I always thought it was cool. BTW, in St. Louis, the urban contemporary radio station (aka "black" radio) always played the studio take! Interesting.

"Temporary Secretary"--I've heard at least three covers of this. Los Lonely Boys and How I Became the Bomb have their versions available on iTunes, and School of Robots has a YouTube vid. All awesome. And two years ago or so, a UK DJ began playing Paul's version in the clubs, and it was a #1 dance hit! So try it in NYC, by all means!

"Waterfalls"--Again, Lennon said it sounded like Paul was depressed. I guess you could see it that way. I always liked it.

"Bogey Music"--I hated that song when the album first came out--the only one I hated. Love it now. Didn't he use that same guitar riff somewhere on Back to the Egg? I forget which song, though.

"Darkroom"--Love it. There's a factor you guys didn't discuss, being guys, but this woman (at least) loves to hear Paul sing double-entendres. Oh yes, Paul, I'll go to your darkroom any time.

"Check My Machine"--See "Darkroom" above. Also "Temporary Secretary" and maybe "All You Horseriders" if you wanted to stretch a point. I think Paul had sex on the brain. :) Neat cover on YouTube, BTW. Almost jazzy.

"Secret Friend" is so amazing. Maybe my favorite McCartney B-side.

I guess I've said enough. I give the Deluxe Edition of McCartney II a 10 out of 10. The book is amazing--full of technical details, rare photos, and interesting stories. And the album was about 20 years ahead of its time in a lot of ways. Thanks for reviewing it!

Esmirelda,

I used to call Joe's Beatle Phone every day for the latest in Beatle News way before anyone had it. He was a very cool guy with a great sense of humor.

I must say I was rather surprised that in your show about re-compiling 'The Best Of George Harrison' nobody even mentioned "Isn't It A Pity." Oh sure, it would have eaten up a big chunk of available vinyl space/time (or maybe not...after all, on Side Two of '1967-70' the full "Hey Jude" had six housemates) but that's a classic Harri-song, arguably one of the most well-known George tunes not included on the original 1976 comp.

Sean,

Verrrrrrry interesting and definitely not shtoopid! (Laugh In reference). Makes you wonder if maybe the lads WERE involved in a bit of fun with the "clues" that would follow in later years! And Klaus may have been given direction in his painting and didn't agree with it and now doesn't want to talk about it. OR....it could just be that Paul wanted it that way for some silly reason and Klaus didn't like it and now doesn't want to say anything bad about Paul. Either way, it is odd that he would be so rude about a simple question. Klaus doesn't come off like that type of person at all.

So maybe Klaus WOULDN'T make a very good guest for Fab Fourum after all.....lololol.

Thanks Chris,

That episode was recorded during an all nighter in the studio. By the end we were all exhausted. It was the very first time we did a recording throughout the night and in my honest opinion, they are 5 of the absolute best! We all contributed really some great insights. I think we may have been too tired to step on each other as we spoke...lolol. I like them a lot. Just MY humble opinion though!

Hey, guys...good show, as always!

"Instant Karma!" was mentioned a couple of times...my wife's reading the book Fire and Rain, which is about music that was happening in 1970, with a heavy emphasis on James Taylor and CSNY...but she read something interesting in that book: it suggests that "Instant Karma!" is a jab at Paul...and you know? I absolutely cannot argue against that! Just look at the verbiage:

"Gonna knock you right in the face."

"We all shine on" -- as in "You're not the only one, dude, we're in the same boat."

"Instant karma's gonna get you" -- in other words, "you're being a DB, and it's going to come back and bite you."

"Better recognize your brothers" -- as in George, John, and Ringo?

"Why in the world are we here? Surely, not to live in pain and fear" -- kinda goes along with some of George's musical messages to Paul, like "Wah-Wah" and "Isn't It A Pity."

Thoughts??

Hi Esmirelda,

Thanks for writing. Unfortunately, you are in the minority. We have a survey (have you taken it?)and most people don't like it so we have cut down tremendously in the past 6 months! Personally, I don't mind it because it breaks up some of the intense talk which we get into when recording. It takes a lot to record 4 or 5 shows in one sitting in the studio and anything we can do to help us along is okay by me! Oh well.

Thanks for your continued support!

I noticed my favorite group wasn't on the "led us to" list, and that would be Crowded House.

As they are not a mainstream band, I'm not stunned or shocked. Surprised? A little. Disappointed? Not at all.

PS I LOVE Paul's new material! The Now here man interjects Love into every Day.

Re Paul McCartney live,

I agree with the general thrust of the program that it would be nice if McCartney varied his setlist more....on the other hand, out here in the hinterlands (Omaha), we probably got our one shot to see McCartney in October 2005. He played before 18,000 for nearly three hours -- he changed his shirt once -- and he blew the roof off with "Band on the Run" and "Helter Skelter." But he also played some tunes that, at least at that time, you might not expect to hear -- "I'll Get You," "Too Many People," "I've Got a Feeling" and an absolutely kickass version of "Please Please Me" as part of his encore. All in all, a helluva show!

I was hoping for a little more from his solo catalog -- no "My Brave Face," alas, but on the other hand he did a wonderful version of "Fine Line" that had the audience dancing in the aisles. A word on the ticket prices: Back then, McCartney was charging $175, at least in Omaha, for the best seat, which seems more than reasonable when you consider that the following January (in 2006) the Stones charged $300 for the best seat in the same house.

I blew $750 to take my wife and our three kids to the McCartney show, figuring it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We were way up in the rafters. Even my Nirvana-drenched son, 16 at the time, who was pretty blase about the Beatles, conceded it was a great show.

Still, I could have done without the 15 minute video that preceded the show -- hey Paul, we know who you are! And there was something cheesy about the pre-recorded strings that he seems compelled to use whenever he sings "Yesterday." It would have been far better to just play it acoustically, or with electric guitars as the Beatles did in Munich in 1966.

But nobody's perfect. Another highlight of the show was when he "busted" the security guards who were confiscating glo-sticks. He said from the stage something like, "I know you're doing your job, but they don't bother me." The guards sheepishly returned the glo-sticks.

Hi guys

Love your "What If" 1970 show. Really well thought out setlists.

The "Remember" jam wasn´t on "You never give me your money" but on "Something".

Keep up the great work. Will buy you some cups of cofee.

I'll just insert a curmudgeonly note here, if you don't mind...

Assuming we're mostly all relatively hardcore fans here, how many of us actually bought the Red & Blue albums? I mean, I had all the American and British albums at that point, so I never gave the compilations a second glance.

Great point Michael. I had all of the albums and I STILL bought both because it was new Beatles product and it was exciting! It was also a way to get their "greatest hits" in 2 packages so I didn't have to pull out all of the albums to listen to the various song!

Don,

OF COURSE they are all greatest hits....lolol. I was actually referring to what we said in the show about how they were never officially called greatest hits packages.

Have a great day.

You're welcome, DonM.

Ian,

Thanks so much. It's been a blast these two years! We are actually going to post # 101 and leave #100 open because we have a different type of show for that one! We hope you enjoy them all! LOLOL. Have a great weekend.

Mitch

Wow...two in a row...

Yesterday on the way to work I re-listened to the December 8 show from last year. As odd as it sounds, it really is one of my favorite Fab Fourums. Hearing just what it was like (I was only six years old on that day and didn't know anything about the Beatles except they were these guys who looked like Moe and sang "I Want To Hold Your Hand") and what was going on really is...therapeutic. That episode was just so well done.

And for contrast and so I can be reminded of the good things in life, today, even though it's the anniversary of that tragic day in 1980, I'm going to listen to the iTunes episode. I just can't get enough of Tony's Vesuvial expression of his thoughts...man, one of the greatest moments in (kinda) radio history!

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

Anyway, guys -- in episode 100 you're talking about various radio personalities that you'll probably try to get on the show. Have you considered reaching out to Dick Biondi? He is the first disc jockey known to play The Beatles in the United States, in early 1963 on WLS in Chicago...and he made "Please Please Me," IINM, a local hit. When he got fired from there after getting into a fistfight with one of the managers over the amount of commercial time in his show, he moved over to KRLA in Los Angeles, where he once again made The Beatles a local hit (and, as Bruce Spizer loves to point out, where Dave Dexter just a short distance away turned The Beatles down).

Dick's still on the air -- he's back at WLS at night, every weeknight until 11:00...still going strong. He was one of the many jocks fired in the great "Jack" debacle of 2005, and Chicago was more than happy to have him back on WLS (FM this time!)...

I think the Louise Harrison interview was a missed opportunity, but maybe you were under certain constraints....I realize you had only 27 minutes with her, but no questions about her early impressions of the group? Did she have any insight on the decision to fire Pete Best? Did she ever get the opportunity to see the Beatles perform before they were famous? Did she ever meet Stu Sutcliffe? What were her brother's hopes for the band? What did she think of John and Paul as young men? And so on.

Mitch,

Thanks for the reply. I didn't really mean to bang on you, but I can see now that my earlier post was probably a little snippy. Your points are well taken.

I hope you get that extended interview with Louise Harrison because I think it's great any time you can talk to someone who knew the Beatles in the very early days.

I find that period fascinating because the Beatles were hardly an overnight success. As you and your mates well know they had a long apprenticeship, with a lot of disappointments, before they made it. A lot of bands crumbled under such adversity.

I recall listening to Astrid Kirchherr talk on the radio about first seeing the Beatles in Hamburg. The music was raw and loud and there were often mistakes, but the Beatles just played on. They dressed like punks, and it was an us-against-the-world mentality. She'd never seen anything like it.

It's great when you can hear that type of first-hand account of the rise of the Beatles.

Here's to a good new year.

Hey guys,

The Christmas break was a great time to catch up on episodes I haven't had a chance to listen to. A real hodge podge: Rock Band pt 1. and the New Yellow Sub, Mitch Talks to Louise Harrison, The Beatles and Buddy Holly, McCartney II: Analysis and Review.

I find your fan-dom, knowledge and interplay most entertaining and informative. So, thanks very much for the podcast and your dedication to it. There is some really great stuff there.

As for your recent episode on Anthology 1 (which I agree is not a focused collection) I thought the thrashing of the Morecambe & Wise show (and it's not pronounced More-Came, it's More-Come) belied a US-centric world view. M&W were comedy icons for Brits the way Johnny Carson was for Americans.

In the video, you can see how delighted they are to be there. Landing that spot with two of their comedy heroes was a big deal for the Beatles. I think it belongs on the Anthology, myself, because of its historical significance. I also think it has a cultural significance which helps contextualize the Beatles and place them in the variety milieu still prevalent when they came on the scene.

In this respect it makes sense on the Anthology to have five live tracks from the Stockholm show in October 1963, three from the Royal Command Perforamnce in November 1963, and four sections of their performance on Morecambe & Wise from December 1963. Those three gigs are all so different, and the Beatles shone at every one. Put simply, the Ed Sullivan Show is not the start of the Beatles story. They had a huge momentum going in parts of Europe and the whole of the UK before they crossed the pond. It's a very significant part of their story.

But yeah, a bit of a mixed bag the Anthology CDs. Apple trying to be all things to all types of fans results in things like this - brilliant bits and curious choices alike. They were also quite consciously trying to "beat the bootleggers" which I think was a big reason for some of the choices.

I did like Mitch's idea of dividing the CDs into demos, live, TV spots etc., although I think what they were trying to do was something chronological to tell the story from a different perspective.

Keep up the great work. Keep all the shows available for guys like me who take a while to catch up!

Cheers!