Something About the Beatles

Evergreen Podcasts
  • 4.5 (377)
  • Music History
  • Monthly

Hosted by award-winning author Robert Rodriguez, Something About The Beatles is an intelligent but entertaining examination of The Beatles' music and career. Smart, funny and surprising - just like the Fab Four.

  1. Oct 28

    335: The Beatles and The Academics - How To Process The Beatles

    Do academics ruin the Beatles, or help them last? Three scholars join host Robert Rodriguez to explore Beatles Studies: the history of how academia has treated the band, what fans and scholars get right and wrong about each other, and what the field still hasn't covered. Guests: Christine Feldman-Barrett (author, A Women's History of the Beatles), Duncan Driver, and Paul Long (co-editor, Journal of Beatles Studies). In this episode: • Why early academic writing on the Beatles was dismissive, and how that shaped the field • The "Aeolian cadences" legacy, and why Beatles lyrics rarely get serious literary study • Shakespeare and the Beatles: why some artists seem to reflect us back to ourselves • Gen Z, "boomer nostalgia" and why the Beatles keep finding new listeners • Beatles university courses and the Journal of Beatles Studies • Mark Lewisohn's Tune In, Ian Leslie's John & Paul, and why there's no "final word" • What's missing: social class, women's perspectives, and the global Beatles • How to read any Beatles book critically 🔗 Read the open-access Journal of Beatles Studies: https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/journal/jbs Subscribe to Something About The Beatles for new episodes. #Beatles #BeatlesStudies #BeatlesPodcast Tags: the beatles and the academics, beatles studies, journal of beatles studies, beatles podcast, something about the beatles, beatles academics, beatles history, beatles lyrics analysis, beatles university course, why the beatles still matter, mark lewisohn tune in, ian leslie john and paul, a women's history of the beatles, the beatles and the historians, beatles anthology disney, duncan driver, christine feldman-barrett, paul long, robert rodriguez Something About The Beatles is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the next level. Our listeners get 30% off your first year with DistroKid by signing up http://distrokid.com/vip/satb Also by Quince. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    335: The Beatles and The Academics - How To Process The Beatles

  2. Oct 13

    334: A Hard Day's Night Deconstructed

    The opening chord of "A Hard Day's Night" is one of the most famous sounds in rock history. Musicians still argue about what it is. In this deep dive into the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night album, we break down the chord note by note: John Lennon's and George Harrison's guitars, Paul McCartney's bass and George Martin's piano. You'll hear how the chord works in G major, what George Harrison said about it, and how the Beatles reused the same voicing elsewhere. We also look at Harrison's Rickenbacker 12-string, the songwriting and arranging choices behind "Things We Said Today," "And I Love Her," "If I Fell" and "Can't Buy Me Love," and why simple ideas made the Beatles' music so lasting. In this episode: The history and theory of the “A Hard Day's Night” opening chord How the guitars, bass and piano combine to make that sound Other songs that use the same or similar chord voicings Why the Rickenbacker 12-string shaped the Beatles' sound Lennon and McCartney's songwriting, harmony and vocal choices in “If I Fell”  Raw-track listening and an odd quirk in the "Can't Buy Me Love" recording Practical tips for playing along: use the melody and chord tones to embellish a song Reworking Beatles songs live, from "Things We Said Today" to "Tomorrow Never Knows" The hidden ties between “And I Love Her” and “The Honeymoon Song”  Chapters 00:00 Welcome and why this album still matters 08:01 Reinventing "Things We Said Today" live 09:26 About the RPM Beatles course 10:14 The Hard Day's Night opening chord: introduction 13:37 George Harrison on the chord, and what the chord is 19:03 George Martin's piano part 24:12 Other songs with the same chord 31:31 The 12-string guitar and "Ticket to Ride" 36:50 Simple building blocks, and why they work 46:23 McCartney's contributions and the "Paul McCartney After the Beatles" book 57:32 Haunting harmonies, key changes and vocals 1:16:53 "Can't Buy Me Love" and the raw track 1:25:37 "And I Love Her" and the "Honeymoon Song" connection 1:37:30 Harrison's melodic solos and a wrap-up of tips Beatles class: six Mondays, 5:30 PM ET, starting November 2. Details and signup: https://www.rpm-school.com/  New episodes: subscribe to Something About The Beatles and turn on notifications. Something About The Beatles is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the next level. Our listeners get 30% off your first year with DistroKid by signing up http://distrokid.com/vip/satb #Beatles #AHardDaysNight #BeatlesPodcast #MusicTheory #GeorgeMartin #TheFabFaux Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    334: A Hard Day's Night Deconstructed

  3. Sep 22

    333: LenOno '72

    There were two John and Yoko documentaries produced in the last year that covered their political activism during their first year in New York, culminating in the pair of One To One concerts in August 1972. The first was a documentary detailing the context with the shows in the background; the other placed the show front and center. Author Erika White (Meat The Beatles!) and podcaster Gary Wenstrup (Classic Rock Album Olympics) join me in a discussion of the films One To One: John and Yoko and Power To The People. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    333: LenOno '72

  4. Aug 29

    332: Candlestick at 60 with Naomi Marcus

    Sixty years ago, The Beatles took their final bow before a paid audience in San Francisco. The occasion was auspicious because they knew this was it: they made sure it was recorded (by Tony Barrow) and photographed (by Jim Marshall). Among the well-wishers in attendance was Joan Baez, who brought her sisters and an 11 year-old friend. This is Naomi's story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    332: Candlestick at 60 with Naomi Marcus

  5. Aug 22

    331: Full Cyrkle with Don Dannemann

    To anyone familiar with '60s Top 40 music, The Cyrkle remain a fond memory, notable for their two hits, 1966's "Red Rubber Ball," a Paul Simon co-write, and "Turn Down Day," an exquisite piece of sunshine pop. They also possess a couple of other distinctions, being the only US act managed by Brian Epstein as well as being one of the supporting acts on The Beatles' final tour, sixty years ago. Don Dannemann was/is their lead singer. Along with his musical partner Tom Dawes, through talent and luck the group managed to hitch the ride of lifetime, making the transition from fans to traveling companions during the most challenging phase of The Beatles' live career. After the hits stopped, both Dan and Tom pivoted into careers in the jingle industry, providing a further soundtrack for those of a certain age. Don has got the stories to tell as a witness to history at a time when popular music was evolving fast. Through happy circumstance, The Cyrkle are back, having recorded a new collection of songs and can be seen in live shows around the country. Visit their website for updates and their YouTube channel for loads of video, past and present.  https://thecyrkle.com/  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQf7trwEd-VZdyJjiPdupJw   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    331: Full Cyrkle with Don Dannemann

  6. Jul 27

    330: Working For The Beatles with Merle Frimark

    Imagine having our world rocked by The Beatles as a 1st-gen fan living in New York City. You are a budding musician yourself, and with every release, they inspire you as they advance their art. You see them live - twice - the first time at a renowned event caught on film. One day, deciding to check out something you've heard, you knock on a door downtown and get invited in to interview for a job, working for them. Before you know it, you are swept up into their world, mentored by Derek Taylor and getting to know Mal Evans, Peter Brown, and becoming lifelong friends with Freda Kelly. Tommy Smothers takes an interest in you and guides you toward a career that sustains you ever on after The Beatles split up. But it is the one day in July 1969 where Derek secures you an invitation to witness the band at work on Abbey Road that might be the sweetest moment of all, as you spend time as a fly on the wall, with your camera in hand, as the greatest entertainment phenomenon of the 20th century works on their final collective project.  If you are Merle Frimark, this was your life, and you are here to tell the rest of us all about it.  Check out Merle's articles here:https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/24/from-sorting-fan-mail-to-seeing-abbey-road-being-made-my-life-as-a-teenage-beatles-employee  https://www.culturesonar.com/looking-back-at-beatlemania-in-the-us-60-years/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    330: Working For The Beatles with Merle Frimark

  7. Jul 6

    329: A Hard Day's Night Re-Examined with Samira Ahmed

    Sixty two years ago, The Beatles cinematic debut arrived , putting the world on notice that their charm and talents were adaptable to virtually any medium. A Hard Day's Night, directed by Richard Lester, has gone down in film history as "the Citizen Kane of jukebox musicals," a stunning work as fresh and captivating as the day it was premiered, and yet it was done on a small budget with novices as the film's leads, with no certainty whatsoever that anyone would be interested in them by years' end. Thankfully, the joy that the group projected has continued on into the 21st century with new fans being coined daily. But what is it about this film that has made it so evergreen? UK journalist (and 2nd gen fan) Samira Ahmed took a deep dive into a film she loved and what she uncovered about the making of this project uncovered much more than the sum of its collective talents. A Hard Day's Night continues to charm because of a perfect storm of timing, talent and standards set by all the parties involved. Her book for the British Film Institute shines light on what was intended as a quickie cash-in that far outstripped the studio's goals. Checkout our conversation and her book - no matter how many times you've seen this film, you'll never experience it the same way again. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    329: A Hard Day's Night Re-Examined with Samira Ahmed

  8. Jun 25

    328: Meat - The Beatles with Erika White

    On March 25, 1966, photographer Robert Whitaker - a surrealist - took The Beatles into his studio to capture a concept piece he called "A Somnamulant Adventure," envisioned as a triptych commentary on the group's fame. But the project slid away from him when one frame, depicting The Beatles with slabs of meat and doll parts, was sent to the US for Capitol to use on their latest compilation album. The blowback was fierce and Whitaker never got to complete his work, but the so-called "butcher cover" became an interesting piece of folklore (and collectible), the first of many controversies for the group that year. Beatles scholar Erika White details the entire history of not just the shoot, but Whitaker's association with The Beatles, as well as the path that made the group amenable to his concept and what the repercussions were in her forthcoming book, Meat The Beatles: The Butcher Cover - The Complete, Untold Story of the Fab Four's Most Controversial Album Artwork. This episode sponsored by DistroKid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    328: Meat - The Beatles with Erika White
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Hosts & Guests

4.5
out of 5
377 Ratings

About

Hosted by award-winning author Robert Rodriguez, Something About The Beatles is an intelligent but entertaining examination of The Beatles' music and career. Smart, funny and surprising - just like the Fab Four.

Information

  • Creator
    Evergreen Podcasts
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    238
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Parading Press
  • Show Website
    Something About the Beatles

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