Everything Fab Four
by Kenneth Womack
Everything Fab Four is a podcast from Wonderwall Communications and Salon focused on fun and intelligent stories about the enduring cultural influence of the Beatles. No other band, or popular entity for that matter, has had the worldwide impact the Beatles have. They are part of our human fabric; they created music that still brings people together. Across continents and generations, there are individual Beatles stories to tell, and in each episode, renowned music historian, author, and Beatles scholar Kenneth Womack hosts a special guest to share theirs.
Episodes
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Episode 75: Michael Lindsay-Hogg on directing the Beatles and the Stones
In this episode, host Ken Womack talks to pioneering director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, the man behind early music video and promotional film production for rock legends such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Having discovered his love of rock and roll in the 1950s, Michael began directing…
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Episode 74: The Cyrkle on touring with the Beatles in 1966 and joining us for EF4Fest
In this episode, host Ken Womack talks to Don Dannemann and Pat McLoughlin of the American rock band, The Cyrkle. During the 1960s, the Cyrkle scored two Top 40 hits in "Red Rubber Ball" and "Turn-Down Day." The band was formed by guitarists and lead singers Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes, who met...
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Episode 73 (Bonus): Brian Kehew & Kevin Ryan on the Beatles' Recordings and Sir George Martin's Scores
In this episode host Ken Womack talks to Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan, acclaimed American audio historians, recording engineers, producers, and writers whose work has helped establish a definitive technical history of the Beatles' recording career. They are best known as the co-authors of Recording...
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Episode 72: "Queen of Percussion" Sheila E on Prince and saying yes to Ringo Starr
In our Season 8 finale, host Ken Womack welcomes the incomparable, Grammy Award-winning "Queen of Percussion" Sheila E! They discuss how her growing up in a musical family with "the hippest parents in the world" led to her luminous career that included the hits "A Love Bizarre" and "The Glamorous...
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Episode 71: Nat & Alex Wolff on their Beatles upbringing and seeing Sir Paul
In this episode host Ken Womack welcomes brothers, duo and self-proclaimed "Beatles fanatics" Nat and Alex Wolff. Raised in a show business family, they discuss how they were introduced to the Beatles' music before they were even born, how they went from starring in the hit Nickelodeon TV show…
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Episode 70: Greg Evigan on being "possessed" by the Beatles and recording at Abbey Road
In this episode, host Ken Womack welcomes actor, musician and composer Greg Evigan, best known for his roles on the classic TV shows "B.J. and the Bear" and "My Two Dads." He began his career in the Broadway production of "Jesus Christ Superstar," followed by playing the lead role of Danny Zuko…
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Episode 69: Tiffany on covering the Beatles and cooking for her band
In this episode host Ken Womack welcomes '80s pop sensation Tiffany, who was recently introduced to a new generation of fans thanks to "Stranger Things"! They discuss those '60s covers that skyrocketed her career, who in her family is the biggest Beatles fan, how she launched a culinary side...
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Episode 68: Brendan Hunt on "Ted Lasso" and how "Hey Jude" changed his life
In this episode, host Ken Womack welcomes award-winning actor and writer Brendan Hunt! Best known as "Coach Beard" on Apple TV's "Ted Lasso" (which he co-created alongside star Jason Sudeikis and friends), Hunt is now starring in his own one-man stage production, "The Movement You Need,"…
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Episode 67: Paul Shaffer on Canada's Introduction to the Beatles
In our Season 8 premiere, host Ken Womack welcomes legendary musician, band leader, actor and comedian Paul Shaffer! In addition to being David Letterman's musical director and sidekick for 33 years, Shaffer has been a featured performer on "Saturday Night Live," guest star in multiple TV and…
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Morgan Neville on post-Beatles Paul McCartney and "Man on the Run"
Host Kenneth Womack welcomes acclaimed documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville to discuss his new film on Paul McCartney's career after the Beatles, "Man on the Run." Neville's films include "20 Feet from Stardom," which won an Oscar and a Grammy, and "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" about the legendary…
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Episode 65: Rob Sheffield on "Rubber Soul" and everything Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift have in common
Rob Sheffield joins host Kenneth Womack for a spirited discussion on "Rubber Soul," the Beatles' songwriting, and everything Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift have in common. Sheffield is a longtime writer and critic for Rolling Stone magazine, where he started in 1997. He is the author of the 2024...
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Episode 64: Jake Clemons on Clarence, the Beatles and protest songs
Born in February 1980, Jake has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 2012, when he was tapped to play saxophone in place of his late uncle, the renowned Big Man himself, Clarence Clemons. Jake has toured extensively with Springsteen and the E Street Band, handling saxophone,...
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Episode 63: "Rocky Horror" cast on the one thing they have in common with the Beatles
The longest-running theatrical release in film history, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" is celebrating its 50th anniversary with original cast members Barry Bostwick (who played the iconic Brad Majors), Nell Campbell (who played the effervescent Columbia) and Patricia Quinn (who played the...
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Episode 62: Max Weinberg on The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and his own first band
This episode's guest is E Street Band drummer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Max Weinberg. In 1974, Max Weinberg answered an ad requesting a drummer capable of playing R&B and jazz for an audition. Weinberg had never seen Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and was unfamiliar with their...
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Episode 61: Nellie McKay, singer-songwriter, actor, and comedienne
Known for her genre-bending music, sharp social commentary, and activism for animal rights and social justice, Nellie McKay was born in London and raised in the United States, where she studied jazz at the Manhattan School of Music. Her performances at various New York City music venues…
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Episode 60: Psychedelic rockers Blac Rabbit, creators of our theme song "Seize the Day"
Joining host Ken Womack on the first episode of season 7 is Blac Rabbit — familiar voices to our listeners. In 2018, Blac Rabbit released their first LP, "Interstella," which included the debut single "Seize the Day," which has served as the "Everything Fab Four" theme song since our very first...
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Episode 59 (Bonus): Singer-songwriter Peter Wolf on his musical upbringing: "It took me a while to warm up to the Beatles"
On this episode of Everything American singer-songwriter Peter Wolf joins host Ken Womack to discuss Wolf's life in music and his earliest musical influences. A native of the Bronx, Wolf spent his youth soaking up New York City's music scene, especially the Apollo Theater's array of soul, rhythm…
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Episode 58 (Bonus): Paul Reiser's father "tolerated" the Beatles on Ed Sullivan
On this episode of Everything Fab Four, actor and comedian Paul Reiser joins to discuss his first memories of the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and share the Beatles song that "still kills [him]." Reiser began his career as a stand-up comedian, breaking into film with Barry Levinson's 1982 movie Diner....
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Episode 57: Guitarist George Benson on what makes Beatles' songs so special: "They had great stories"
On today's episode, American jazz fusion guitarist and singer-songwriter George Benson drops by to discuss what gave the Beatles "prestige" and how the band helped Black musicians succeed. Benson recorded his first album The New Boss Guitar, at 21, and followed it up with It's Uptown with the...
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Episode 56 (Bonus): How the Beatles inspired these 1970s television icons
On this bonus episode of Everything Fab Four, we trace two television icons from the 1970s—both very different in terms of target audience, but united in the inspiration that they drew from the Beatles. First is the New Zoo Revue, the children's TV show that was broadcast from 1972 through 1977....
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Episode 55: Rosanna Arquette on growing up with the Beatles: "I always loved 'Revolver'"
On this episode of Everything Fab Four, actor and activist Rosanna Arquette shares her favorite Beatles song and recounts where she was when John Lennon died. As part of a large show business family—including siblings Patricia and David Arquette—Rosanna began acting as a child. Her father,...
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Episode 54: Jamie Bernstein says her father Leonard Bernstein was "almost as obsessed with 'Sgt. Pepper' as I was"
Author and filmmaker Jamie Bernstein joins Everything Fab Four to discuss growing up with a world-famous father, and why Leonard Bernstein chose Beatles songs to explain musical concepts. Jamie Bernstein's 2018 memoir, Famous Father Girl, traces the story of growing up with composer-conductor...
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Episode 53: Darius Rucker on the Beatles' legacy: "Everybody else has to line up behind them"
On this episode, legendary singer-songwriter Darius Rucker joins Everything Fab Four to share how he first discovered the Beatles at five, and which Beatles album he thinks is the "most perfect album ever made." Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and...
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Episode 52: Joan Osborne on how the Beatles inspired her to try different musical styles
Grammy-nominated American recording artist Joan Osborne joins Everything Fab Four to talk about hearing "Revolution 9" at a makeout party and how her music career began. Osborne moved to New York City to attend film school at NYU in the late 1980s, dropping out after becoming involved in the…
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Episode 51: Jeff Daniels got a "lesson in fame" from George Harrison
On this episode, acclaimed actor and Beatles fan Jeff Daniels joins "Everything Fab Four" to discuss his experience filming a movie scene with George Harrison and getting his guitar signed by the Quiet Beatle. Across his five decade-long career, Jeff Daniels has worked with some of the world's…
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Episode 50: Billy Idol: The Beatles breaking up was "like a death in the family."
English-American music icon Billy Idol joins Everything Fab Four to discuss the exhilaration of being a Beatle fan "in real time" and how his voice was mistaken for Paul McCartney's. Billy Idol began his rock n roll career as the guitarist for Chelsea, subsequently achieving renown on the London...
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Episode 49 (Bonus): The Beatles' first Ed Sullivan performance, 60 years later
To celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the Beatles' first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, our guests revisit the evening that the Beatles graced their living rooms for the first time, on this special episode of Everything Fab Four. These Beatles lovers include Steven van Zandt from Bruce...
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Episode 48 (Bonus): Brian Ritchie of the Violent Femmes on how "My Sweet Lord" inspired him to play guitar
Brian Ritchie, bassist for the folk punk band the Violent Femmes, joins host Kenneth Womack on this episode to chat about his first Beatles records and the 40th anniversary of the Femmes' debut album. Ritchie co-founded the Violent Femmes with percussionist Victor DeLorenzo in 1981, and the duo...
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Episode 47 (Bonus): Joan Baez on the Beatles' biggest thrill coming to America: "A Coca-Cola machine you didn't have to put any money in."
On this episode, Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and activist Joan Baez joins host Ken Womack to share her memories of meeting the Beatles for the first time and witnessing their final live concert. Baez's time-eclipsing folk music often champions songs of protest and social...
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Episode 46: Sophie B. Hawkins on why fans still trust the Beatles: "They didn't exploit us as an audience"
Sophie B. Hawkins, the Grammy-nominated American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter, joins host Kenneth Womack on the season five finale episode of "Everything Fab Four." Hawkins started her Beatles journey as a kid with "Revolver," and remembers playing along with tennis…
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Episode 45 (Bonus): How the Beatles really got booked on "The Ed Sullivan Show"
This week's guests are Margo Precht Speciale and Andrew Solt, who join host Kenneth Womack for a special episode devoted to celebrating the 75th anniversary of The Ed Sullivan Show and its lasting impact on American culture, including Beatles fandom. The granddaughter of Ed Sullivan, Precht is a...
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Episode 44: The Boxmasters, Billy Bob Thornton and J.D. Andrew
On this episode, the Boxmasters — an American rock band comprised of Grammy Award-winning recording engineer J.D. Andrew and Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton — join host Ken Womack for a spirited discussion of songwriting, recording, and what Thornton says is "the most difficult…
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Episode 43: Jazz guitarist Dan Wilson on urgency in "Eleanor Rigby" and what genius actually looks like
Ken Womack's guest this week is Grammy-nominated American jazz guitarist Dan Wilson. Hailing from Akron, Ohio, Wilson made his recording debut with pianist Joe McBride and performed to worldwide acclaim with Joey DeFrancesco and Christian McBride's Tip City, eventually recording his debut as a…
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Episode 42: Madison Cunningham: "It's really hard to write a joyful song well"
In this episode, Ken Womack talks with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham. She made her recording debut in 2014 with the self-released gospel album "Authenticities," which reflected her exploration of faith. In 2017, Cunningham joined the cast of American Public Media's…
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Episode 41: Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople on the Beatles, playing with Ringo and how to follow a David Bowie hit
Legendary singer-songwriter, author, and rock 'n' roll star Ian Hunter's illustrious career is now in its seventh decade. His rock 'n' roll life has long been marked by collaboration, from the golden age of Mott the Hoople to his fabled partnership with Mick Ronson and 21st-century renaissance…
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Episode 40: With guest Barbara Feldon, Agent 99 on "Get Smart"
This episode's guest is Barbara Feldon, a model, author and actress best known for portraying "Agent 99" on the classic '60s sitcom "Get Smart." Feldon was born Barbara Anne Hall in a suburb of Pittsburgh and studied drama at Carnegie Mellon University. Soon after, she departed for New York City…
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Episode 39: Kenny Loggins on the "electricity" of the Beatles and creating anthems for "Caddyshack," "Footloose" and "Top Gun"
On this episode, host Kenneth Womack welcomes Grammy winner Kenny Loggins, whose songs have left a musical imprint on "the soundtrack of our lives." Over the last four decades, his chart-topping songs have included "This Is It," "I'm Alright," "Footloose," "Danger Zone," and so many more. "Danger...
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Episode 38: Pattie Boyd on falling for George Harrison and why "you can't grasp" the intensity of Beatles fame
Pattie Boyd is an English model, photographer, and an eyewitness to key moments in rock 'n' roll history, particularly in terms of the lives and times of the former members of the Beatles, especially George Harrison. In 1962, Boyd began her modeling career, later appearing on the covers of Vogue...
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Episode 37: Hayley Orrantia on authenticity, inspiration and "Sgt. Pepper's"
Today's guest is Hayley Orrantia, an American singer and actress known for her role in the hit TV show "The Goldbergs." The show follows the hilarious and awkward lives of a colorful, suburban family in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania in the 1980s. Orrantia is a scene stealer as Erica, the eldest…
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Episode 36: Dougie Payne of Travis on how, as a second-generation fan, the Beatles become "part of your DNA"
In this episode, bassist Dougie Payne of Travis joins host Kenneth Womack to talk about his Beatles influence, the 20th anniversary of "The Invisible Band" and why "everyone needs their own Mal Evans." The Scottish band, originally named Glass Onion after the famous "White Album" song, was formed...
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Episode 35: Queen of Christmas Darlene Love on what the Beatles took from Black musicians, and what they gave back
Ken Womack's guest this week is Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Darlene Love (born Darlene Wright). Best known for her holiday hit "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)," in addition to her vocals on records by "girl group" The Crystals and her acting roles such as in the "Lethal Weapon" film...
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Episode 34: May Pang opens up about John Lennon, the Beatles and her front-row seat to rock history
May Pang is a former music executive and an eyewitness to key moments in rock 'n' roll history, particularly in terms of the lives and times of the former members of the Beatles, especially John Lennon. After growing up in Spanish Harlem and Manhattan, Pang's early jobs included working as an...
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Bonus Episode 33: How Klaus Voormann gave Revolver its signature look
German artist, musician and record producer Klaus Voormann, former bassist for Manfred Mann, has played on a number of iconic recordings, from Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" to Lou Reed's "Transformer" album, and with many projects of the former members of the Beatles, whom Voorman has known…
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Episode 32: There are two musicians inside Peter Frampton: "There's a studio me and a live me"
This week's guest is celebrated English guitarist, singer, and songwriter Peter Frampton. A musical prodigy, Frampton taught himself to play the guitar at age 7. Within the next few years, he mastered complex jazz, blues and rock riffs. He spent his pre-teen years performing with bands including...
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Episode 31: The Bacon Brothers
This episode's guests are the duo ensemble The Bacon Brothers — younger brother and veteran actor Kevin and his older sibling Michael, an award-winning composer. Since his breakout roles in the early 1980s, including a starring turn in "Footloose," Kevin has been a star on the big and small...
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Episode 30: Shawn Colvin on writing her hit revenge song and the Beatles landmark that "knocked me dead"
This episode's guest is Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and musician Shawn Colvin. A participant in Greenwich Villages' Fast Folk Collective in the early 1980s, Colvin cut her teeth in the Buddy Miller Band and toured with Suzanne Vega after singing back-up on Vega's 1987 hit "Luka." Her...
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Episode 29: Ken Burns on the genius of "Penny Lane" and why the Beatles are "etched in my hard drive"
American filmmaker Ken Burns is renowned for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture, such as "The Civil War," "Baseball," "Jazz," and "Country Music." Burns's documentaries have earned two Academy Award nominations and have won several…
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Episode 28: Heart's Ann Wilson on her epiphany about rock and gender roles: "I could be a girl, I could be Paul McCartney"
In this episode, host Ken Womack and powerhouse rocker Ann Wilson go deep into Beatles songs and their influence on her own work, the high school politics of fandom, and what the Beatles taught her about gender as a young rocker. Wilson rose to fame alongside her younger sister, guitarist Nancy...
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Special Episode: Inside "The Beatles: Get Back to Let It Be" at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Today's special episode features our good friends from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, here to discuss their new exhibition, The Beatles: Get Back to Let It Be. Designed to serve as an immersive complement to Peter Jackson's Get Back docuseries, the groundbreaking...
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Episode 27: Colin Hay on his Beatles influence, Men at Work's breakup and the truths of "Get Back"
Scottish-born musician, singer, songwriter, and actor Colin Hay first came to prominence as the lead vocalist of the Australian rock band Men at Work, which won the Best New Artist Grammy in 1983. Their big break came in August 1982, when Men at Work toured Canada and the US to promote their…
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About this show
Everything Fab Four is a podcast from Wonderwall Communications and Salon focused on fun and intelligent stories about the enduring cultural influence of the Beatles. No other band, or popular entity for that matter, has had the worldwide impact the Beatles have. They are part of our human fabric; they created music that still brings people together. Across continents and generations, there are individual Beatles stories to tell, and in each episode, renowned music historian, author, and Beatles scholar Kenneth Womack hosts a special guest to share theirs.
Hosted by
Kenneth Womack
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