BC the Beatles

This episode is Part Four of our 12-part series, Beneath the Surface: The Beatles in 1966, a year-long, month-by-month look at the band’s most transformational year. In April 1966, the Beatles return from a three-month break and step into the studio with a completely new mindset. What begins with a visit to London’s Indica Gallery and John Lennon’s discovery of The Psychedelic Experience quickly evolves into one of the most radical recording sessions of their career. From the creation of “Tomorrow Never Knows” to the earliest experiments that would define Revolver, this is the moment where the Beatles stop making music for the stage—and start making it for the studio. Along the way, we explore the band’s expanding creative range, Brian Epstein’s growing business empire, the first stirrings of Lennon mythology in the press, and a pivotal behind-the-scenes moment when Robert Whitaker’s infamous butcher photographs collide with the carefully managed Beatles image.   About the series: On the surface, 1966 begins like peak Beatlemania: hit records, big plans, and a global machine that still seems unstoppable. But underneath, everything is starting to shift. Over the course of the year, we’ll watch as touring becomes untenable, old identities fall away, new artistic ambitions take hold, and the band slowly, and sometimes reluctantly, becomes something entirely different. Each episode explores one month in 1966, tracing the small decisions, strange moments, cultural collisions, and personal turning points that — piece by piece — reshape the Beatles’ music, image, and inner lives. This isn’t the story of a single break, but of a gradual reveal: the year the surface finally started to crack.   Further reading: Want to dive deeper into the fascinating twists and turns of 1966? We highly recommend Beatles ’66: The Revolutionary Year by Steve Turner, which serves as a major source and foundational text for this series — and one of the best deep dives into this pivotal year in the band’s history.   Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Preorder Erika's new book! Meat the Beatles: The Butcher Cover —The Complete, Untold Story of the Fab Four's Most Controversial Album Artwork Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

In this episode, we’re joined by Tom Wright to discuss his new play Please Please Me, which brings the story of Brian Epstein to the stage at London’s Kiln Theatre. The play explores Epstein’s life beyond his role as the Beatles’ manager, focusing on the tension between his public success and private reality. In 1960s Britain, homosexuality was illegal—a fact that shaped nearly every aspect of Epstein’s life. While he was orchestrating the Beatles’ rise with precision and ambition, much of his personal life remained hidden, constrained by the limits of the time. The episode also touches on Epstein’s complex relationship with John Lennon, including the much-discussed 1963 trip the two took to Spain—an episode that continues to invite speculation about its meaning and impact. Tom Wright, currently Artistic Director of Leeds Playhouse, has built his career developing new work across the UK theatre scene, with previous roles at Kiln Theatre and The Old Vic. His writing often explores identity and the queer experience, which informs his approach to telling Epstein’s story on stage. In our conversation, we discuss what drew Wright to Brian Epstein, how his own experience shaped his perspective, and the challenges of portraying a figure whose public and private lives were so deeply at odds. Please Please Me runs from April 22-May 29 at the Kiln Theatre, London. Learn more and buy tickets here Can't make it to London? Read the play! --------------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Preorder Erika's new book! Meat the Beatles: The Butcher Cover —The Complete, Untold Story of the Fab Four's Most Controversial Album Artwork Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

This episode is Part Three of our 12-part series, Beneath the Surface: The Beatles in 1966, a year-long, month-by-month look at the band’s most transformational year. March 1966 marks the moment the Beatles begin to emerge from their early-year hibernation — and as they do, the divide between who they were and who they were becoming has never been more visible. On the surface, Beatlemania appears as strong as ever. The month opens with the premiere of The Beatles at Shea Stadium, followed by Brian Epstein’s announcement of an ambitious upcoming world tour. From the outside, the machinery is still running. But underneath, things are already shifting. We revisit the early UK reaction to John Lennon’s now-infamous remarks to Maureen Cleave — including the first, largely muted responses to what will later explode into the “more popular than Jesus” controversy in America. In the US, the band is nominated for ten Grammy Awards… and walks away with none. And in London, they attend the premiere of the film Alfie, still moving through the rhythms of pop stardom even as their relationship to it begins to change. Then, on March 25, everything converges. After months of relative quiet, the Beatles step back into the spotlight for their first full-scale publicity day of the year — a tightly orchestrated press circus designed to reintroduce them to the public. But something is off. The band, now deep into new intellectual and artistic territory, finds itself being asked to perform a version of “The Beatles” that no longer quite fits. And in the corner of the studio, photographer Robert Whitaker is preparing something entirely different. As the press cycle winds down, Whitaker begins a series of increasingly provocative images — a conceptual project he calls A Somnambulant Adventure. Drawing on surrealism and religious imagery, Whitaker sets out to challenge the idea of the Beatles as untouchable cultural icons, using dolls, meat, and symbolic props to dismantle the illusion of pop stardom. What begins as an experimental art shoot escalates into something far more unsettling — culminating in the images that will later become known as the infamous “Butcher Cover.” In this episode, we explore how that moment came together, what Whitaker was trying to say, and why March 25, 1966 represents a turning point: the day the Beatles’ public image — and their relationship to it — began to fracture. Because on that day, two versions of the Beatles existed side by side: the polished pop phenomenon the world expected… and something stranger, more confrontational, and far more revealing. Only one of them would survive.   About the series: On the surface, 1966 begins like peak Beatlemania: hit records, big plans, and a global machine that still seems unstoppable. But underneath, everything is starting to shift. Over the course of the year, we’ll watch as touring becomes untenable, old identities fall away, new artistic ambitions take hold, and the band slowly, and sometimes reluctantly, becomes something entirely different. Each episode explores one month in 1966, tracing the small decisions, strange moments, cultural collisions, and personal turning points that — piece by piece — reshape the Beatles’ music, image, and inner lives. This isn’t the story of a single break, but of a gradual reveal: the year the surface finally started to crack.   Further reading: Want to dive deeper into the fascinating twists and turns of 1966? We highly recommend Beatles ’66: The Revolutionary Year by Steve Turner, which serves as a major source and foundational text for this series — and one of the best deep dives into this pivotal year in the band’s history.   Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Preorder Erika's new book! Meat the Beatles: The Butcher Cover —The Complete, Untold Story of the Fab Four's Most Controversial Album Artwork Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

Today we’re bringing you part two of our interview with Andrew Cook, author of the new book Capitol Gains: Exposing the Conflict between the Beatles and the Record Label that Made Them. In part one, we dug into the many myths surrounding the Beatles signing to Capitol Records, and Andrew walked us through the new information he uncovered about how that historic deal actually came together. We also talked about Dave Dexter, the Capitol A&R man with the dubious distinction of rejecting the Beatles four separate times before the label finally said yes. And we explored the massive marketing campaign Capitol launched to turn Beatlemania into an American phenomenon ahead of those first appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. So if you haven’t heard part one yet, you may want to go back and start there for the full story. Today we pick up where that conversation left off — with the Beatles’ relationship with Capitol after the breakthrough. We talk about Dave Dexter’s continuing role at the label, the infamous Butcher Cover, and how things evolved in the later years as the band renegotiated their contract. We also look at how Capitol’s relationship with the Beatles changed after Brian Epstein’s death, when the notoriously controversial Allan Klein stepped in as manager. Capitol Gains is out now, wherever you get your books. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Preorder Erika's new book! Meat the Beatles: The Butcher Cover —The Complete, Untold Story of the Fab Four's Most Controversial Album Artwork Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

Today we’re joined by Andrew Cook, author of the new book Capitol Gains: Exposing the Conflict Between The Beatles and the Record Label That Made Them — part one of a two-part conversation. If you think you already know the story of how The Beatles conquered America, this book might surprise you. Capitol Gains takes a deep dive into the complicated, occasionally combative, and hugely consequential relationship between the Beatles and Capitol Records in the 1960s. Andrew explores Capitol’s early refusals to release the band in the U.S., the strange and sudden shift that led to their American breakthrough, the aggressive marketing campaign that helped manufacture U.S. Beatlemania, and the decision to reshape the Beatles’ catalogue for American audiences — new tracklists, new mixes, new covers, new everything. Drawing on corporate archives, private papers, and previously unseen material, the book re-examines some of the most persistent myths in Beatles history — and raises big questions about who really controlled the narrative, the money, and the music during those formative years. Andrew Cook is the author of fifteen published books covering a wide range of 19th- and 20th-century history, from British intelligence agencies to the Romanovs, Jack the Ripper, and the Great Train Robbery. His work has led to more than twenty films and documentaries since his first book was published in 2002. His 2013 book The Great Train Robbery: The Untold Story from the Closed Investigation Files inspired a Channel 4 documentary and the acclaimed Chris Chibnall dramas A Robber’s Tale and A Copper’s Tale, starring Jim Broadbent and Luke Evans. He’s written for The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, BBC History Magazine, and History Today — and now he’s turned his archival instincts toward one of the most fascinating business relationships in rock history.   Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

This episode is Part Two of our 12-part series, Beneath the Surface: The Beatles in 1966, a year-long, month-by-month look at the band’s most transformational year. February 1966 continues the strange calm at the start of the year. There are no riots. No screaming headlines. No dramatic breakups or public meltdowns. Instead, the changes are quieter — but no less significant. George Harrison and Pattie Boyd slip away to Barbados for their honeymoon, marking a new chapter in George’s personal life. Brian Epstein turns his attention to producing a play, widening his ambitions beyond managing the biggest band in the world. And Paul McCartney continues his immersion into London’s cultural underground — one night seeing Stevie Wonder in concert, another attending avant-garde composer Luciano Berio’s lecture — steadily expanding the artistic influences that will soon reshape the Beatles’ sound. But the most important development of February 1966 happens on the page. Journalist Maureen Cleave begins writing an extraordinary series of five individual profiles — one for each Beatle, and one for Brian — unusually intimate pieces for pop stars at the time. Rather than treating the band as a single unit, Cleave captures them as four increasingly distinct individuals, each evolving in different ways at a critical turning point in their lives and careers. She also offers a rare and revealing portrait of the complicated, foundational bond between the Beatles and Brian Epstein. In this episode, we dive into each profile and examine how Cleave’s observations quietly document a band in transition — and how one of those interviews, with John Lennon, will echo far beyond February, ultimately igniting the “more popular than Jesus” controversy that explodes in America later that summer. The surface still looks calm. But the fault lines are becoming visible.   About the series: On the surface, 1966 begins like peak Beatlemania: hit records, big plans, and a global machine that still seems unstoppable. But underneath, everything is starting to shift. Over the course of the year, we’ll watch as touring becomes untenable, old identities fall away, new artistic ambitions take hold, and the band slowly, and sometimes reluctantly, becomes something entirely different. Each episode explores one month in 1966, tracing the small decisions, strange moments, cultural collisions, and personal turning points that — piece by piece — reshape the Beatles’ music, image, and inner lives. This isn’t the story of a single break, but of a gradual reveal: the year the surface finally started to crack.   Further reading: Want to dive deeper into the fascinating twists and turns of 1966? We highly recommend Beatles ’66: The Revolutionary Year by Steve Turner, which serves as a major source and foundational text for this series — and one of the best deep dives into this pivotal year in the band’s history.   Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

This episode is Part One of our 12-part series, Beneath the Surface: The Beatles in 1966, a year-long, month-by-month look at the band’s most transformational year. In January 1966, everything about the Beatles still looked exactly the way it was supposed to. They were dominating the charts, talking about new albums, new tours, and even a third movie. Beatlemania wasn’t just alive — it was still the business model. But underneath all that… things were already starting to bend. This month, we’re kicking off a year-long series where we follow the Beatles month by month through 1966 — the year they quietly, weirdly, and then very loudly became a completely different band. And in January, the changes are subtle, but they’re everywhere. The movie that’s supposed to happen starts drifting out of focus. Touring starts to feel more like a trap than a triumph. And each Beatle is beginning to pull in a slightly different direction — from Paul’s dive into the London art and intellectual scene to George settling into married life with Pattie Boyd. It all still looks like Beatlemania as usual. But the machinery is starting to creak. This is the first chapter of the year the Beatles stopped being the band the world thought they knew.   About the series: On the surface, 1966 begins like peak Beatlemania: hit records, big plans, and a global machine that still seems unstoppable. But underneath, everything is starting to shift. Over the course of the year, we’ll watch as touring becomes untenable, old identities fall away, new artistic ambitions take hold, and the band slowly, and sometimes reluctantly, becomes something entirely different. Each episode explores one month in 1966, tracing the small decisions, strange moments, cultural collisions, and personal turning points that — piece by piece — reshape the Beatles’ music, image, and inner lives. This isn’t the story of a single break, but of a gradual reveal: the year the surface finally started to crack.   Further reading: Want to dive deeper into the fascinating twists and turns of 1966? We highly recommend Beatles ’66: The Revolutionary Year by Steve Turner, which serves as a major source and foundational text for this series — and one of the best deep dives into this pivotal year in the band’s history.   Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

It's been a minute, and we're back with a new season! This year, we're focusing the transformational year of 1966 — tracking the Beatles' lives, month-by-month.  In this preview episode, we catch up on our time away, including Allison's trip to Egypt and Erika's announcement about her upcoming Butcher Cover book! We then set the context for our look into 1966 by seeing where the Beatles are in December, 1965, as they prepare to embark on an astounding year of growth and change. --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

Another crazy month for us Beatles fans! This episode, we’re going through the Beatles’ new vinyl releases, including the brand-new Mono box set and its breakouts. (Which you can win in our special holiday giveaway!) We also review the new Disney+ doc, Beatles ’64, premiering Nov. 29. We’re giving you our thoughts on this remastered, remixed look into the Beatles’ US debut in February 1964 - be sure to give us yours via email or socials! Note: This review contains spoilers for Beatles '64. To avoid spoilers and go straight to our final thoughts, skip to 56:39. Enter the giveaway: http://bcthebeatles.tumblr.com/giveaway __________________________ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

We’re back from our summer break and are so excited to welcome author Madeline Bocaro. Madeline is a music journalist with a lifelong admiration for Yoko Ono. Her new book, In Your Mind - The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono, tells the story of her amazing life, struggles, art, activism, films and music in astounding detail. The book dives deep into Yoko’s life before, during, and after her relationship with John, highlighting her childhood in Japan during wartime, her art, films, music and work for peace and women's rights. It also explores the misunderstanding and undeserved negativity that Ono has received throughout her life as an Asian woman and as the wife of one of the Beatles.   The book has received rave reviews, with Spill magazine calling it, “The Bible on Ono.” It’s also earned a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame library and archives. But perhaps most telling are the comments from those close to Yoko herself. Elliot Mintz, Yoko’s longtime friend and former publicist said, “The book is a masterpiece… mandatory reading for anyone seeking insight into a woman like no other.” And Sean Lennon commented, “We love your book! It’s beautiful. Thank you for caring enough to be so meticulous.”   Learn more about the book and get a signed hardcover copy at http://conceptualbooks.com Get your free tickets to Madeline’s event at Englewood Public Library in Englewood, NJ _____________________ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bctheb

We’re still on our summer break, so we’re bringing you a preview of our recent appearance on one of our favorite podcasts, Ranking the Beatles. This episode keeps the Let it Be vibes going and discusses "One after 909," ranked #85 on Ranking the Beatles' list. Listen to the full episode and subscribe to Ranking the Beatles here. About Ranking the Beatles: Musician and self-described Beatles fanatic Jonathan Pretus ranked the entire recorded catalog of the Beatles, because he's a big, big nerd. Then he decided to make a podcast to talk with other people and learn about their connection with The Beatles' music. In each episode, Jonathan and his co-host/wife Julia (a more level-headed, casual fan) invite guests on to discuss the rankings, what they think makes each song so great (or not-so-great), and see if it really is a fool's errand to try and rank the music of the greatest band of all time.  _____________________ Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

The month of August has historically been full of significant changes for the Beatles. In August 1962, Pete Best was fired, and Ringo joined the band, completing the lineup and creating the chemistry that propelled them to worldwide stardom. August 1966 brought the backlash against John’s “more popular than Jesus” comments and marked the end of their touring career. And the death of Brian Epstein, in August 1967, was a tragic loss that in many ways, signified the beginning of the end for the Beatles.  But August of 1960 was more like the beginning of the beginning, with the Beatles heading off to Hamburg for the very first time. These intense experiences honed their skills and permanently transformed them as musicians and as people. This year represents incredible an incredible transition in the band, laying the groundwork for everything the band became in the coming years.  We’re taking a couple of weeks off for the summer and we’ll be back with new episodes later this month. So in the meantime, and in honor of this transformative month in Beatles history, we're re-releasing an encore episode of Mach Schau: The Beatles in 1960.  And there's still time to enter our giveaway to win your own copy of the new Mind Games remixes! --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

It's part two of our Mind Games extravaganza, and we're going track-by-track on the new Mind Games Ultimate mix. Listen along with us as we dive into each song on this fabulous new release.  And don't forget, enter our giveaway to win your own copy of Mind Games! --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

We're going deep with a two-parter celebrating the new release of John Lennon's solo album, Mind Games. In part one, we discuss the original album, the musicians who made up the "Plastic U.F.Ono Band," and the expansive offerings in this new set. And Erika tells Allison about the Mind Games Dolby Atmos listening event in New York City this month, which included a 50-year reunion of the entire Plastic U.F.Ono Band! Plus, enter our giveaway to win your own copy of Mind Games.   --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]  

The trailer for 'Midas Man' — the new film about Beatles' manager Brian Epstein — dropped this week, and we couldn't be more excited! Scheduled for release on August 29, 'Midas Man' follows Brian's career from 1963 through his death in 1967. It delves deep into Brian's family life, the Liverpool music scene, and his struggles as a closeted gay man in a world where homosexuality was still considered a felony. After noticing how Brian's last name is pronounced in the film (hint: you get bleeped for saying it that way on our podcast), the second half of the show is an encore episode, where we presented our case for the RIGHT way to pronounce his name. Plus, we bring back one of our favorite listener contributions, a delightfully clever way to help us all remember it. Watch the 'Midas Man' trailer More on Brian: our "Eppy-sode"   --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

We celebrate Ringo's birthday by diving into the solo album that was almost a Beatles reunion: 1973's Ringo. With contributions from John, George, and Paul, Ringo gave fans hope that, although their breakup was acrimonious, the four Beatles might find a way back together. For Ringo, the album, his third, was a triumph after a shaky start to his solo career and produced some of his most beloved tracks thanks to his collaborations with not only the other three Beatles but also a host of who's-who musicians Ringo called friends. Join us for an in-depth discussion of the Ringo album and what the Beatles were up to in 1973. We also chat about Allison's experience at Ringo's birthday parties in Beverly Hills and THE MAN HIMSELF!!! answers one of our burning questions. --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

On July 3, 1966, the Beatles landed in Manila, The Philippines, for the final stop on the first leg of their world tour. But two days later, after a misunderstanding with the country's first family, the band and their entourage narrowly escaped with their lives.  The third part of our touring years series dives into this harrowing moment — an event that would kick off a summer of strife, and reinforce the Beatles' determination to stop touring for good.   --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Subscribe to BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! +Contact us at [email protected].

This week, we’re re-releasing a double header of episodes (two-in-one!) that digs into pivotal moments from the Beatles' touring career. The first part is about their very first tour backing Johnny Gentle in 1960. Part two discusses the band’s Winter 1963 tour, opening for UK singing sensation Helen Shapiro — a tour that intersected directly with the rapid rise of British Beatlemania.  These two episodes are the first two parts of a three-part series on the Beatles’ touring years. And next week we dive into the harrowing incident with the Beatles in the Philippines — the final installment of this series.  Johnny Gentle and The Beatles: First Ever Tour, by John Askew (Johnny Gentle) Helen Shapiro singing "Look Who It Is" on Ready Steady Go! with special guests John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

Today is Juneteenth, a day that has held significance for the Black community for many years and one that, for the past four, has become a national holiday in the United States. It’s a day for education, listening, learning, and increasing awareness of the Black experience. Though we are two white women who are still doing a lot of learning and listening ourselves, we wanted to celebrate Juneteenth by exploring the Beatles’ connection to civil rights, especially during their 1964 tour.   1964 was time of continuing segregation and heightened racial tensions in America's southern states. But racial segregation, as it was in America, didn’t exist in England. The Beatles were famously appalled at the idea that any of their concerts would take place in front of audiences separated by race, and they refused to play to segregated crowds. John Lennon famously remarked, “We never play to segregated audiences and we aren’t going to start now. I’d sooner lose our appearance money.” The city was resistant but eventually relented, resulting in Jacksonville's first integrated concert. Our guest today is Dr. Kitty Oliver, who has firsthand experience of this moment. As a Black Beatles fan growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Oliver jumped at the opportunity to attend the integrated concert; she was one of few Black teens in the audience.  Beatles fans will recognize Dr. Oliver from her appearance in the Ron Howard-directed documentary Eight Days A Week: The Touring Years. She joins us today to recount her story of attending the first integrated concert in Jacksonville history, against the backdrop of growing up in a segregated city. Dr. Oliver is a veteran journalist, an academic, an author, an oral historian, producer, and professional singer. She holds a PhD in Comparative Studies focusing on race and ethnic communication. She calls herself “a product of the civil rights era who came of age with integration in the US,” and is the founder of the cross-cultural Race and Change Oral History Archive, which is housed in Special Collections at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center. She has written and/or compiled three books focusing on race, change, and her own memories of growing up Black in the South.  Learn more about Dr. Oliver and follow her on Instagram See her appearance in Ron Howard's Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

Paul McCartney and Wings’ One Hand Clapping is one of the most bootlegged albums in rock history. Fifty years later, the album is being officially released for the first time, with a fabulous new mix by Steve Orchard (and Giles Martin collaborating on the Atmos version). We’re joined by Sam Whiles, host of the Paul or Nothing podcast and the Macca in your Attic YouTube series. Join us as we nerd out over one of the most interesting and exciting Paul McCarrtney releases in recent history!  Plus, we discuss Mark Lewisohn’s letter to the Times regarding Tony Bramwell’s obituary, the recent rise in anti-Lewisohn rhetoric online, and the latest casting rumors around the Sam Mendes Beatles biopics.  Listen to the Paul or Nothing podcast Watch Sam’s Macca in Your Attic YouTube series --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

Our guest today is the wonderful May Pang, who we’re so excited to welcome onto BC the Beatles! May began her career in the music industry at ABKCO and Apple Records before transitioning into being John and Yoko’s personal assistant. Three years later, Yoko came to her with a strange request: to be John’s lover and companion during a period of their separation. This became his “Lost Weekend” in 1974-1975, in which he and May split time between NYC and LA. May was witness to many of the tall tales that populate the period including John’s infamous heckling of the Smothers Brothers at the Troubadour with Harry Nilsson, the recording of John’s Rock And Roll album with Phil Spector (and Spector firing a gun in the studio), among many more of John’s drunk escapades.  Although they technically broke up in early 1975, May and John continued to see each other through 1978, having their last conversation during Memorial Day weekend in 1980. In 1983, May wrote about her time with John in her book Loving John and in 2022, her story hit the big screen in the documentary feature The Lost Weekend: A Love Story. She’s also a photographer whose photos of her time with John are now on tour around the country as well as being featured in the book Instamatic Karma.  Watch The Lost Weekend: A Love Story on Amazon Prime May's upcoming photo exhibition dates May's YouTube channel Learn more about May at her website   --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

This month, two behemoths of British culture crashed into one another, when the new season of Doctor Who featured a much-anticipated Beatles episode called “The Devil’s Chord.” Both fandoms have been hoping for this crossover episode for years, and we finally got it, complete with an incredible new villain played by Jinkx Monsoon. Erika is joined by James Ryan and Ed Chen, who both have one foot solidly planted in both of these fandoms, giving us an excuse to nerd out over these worlds colliding. With their love of Doctor Who, the Beatles, and alternate history stories, there are few people more qualified to talk about this topic.  James (Jim) Ryan is the author of the novels Raging Gail and Red Jenny and the Pirates of Buffalo, as well as the popular history The Pirates of New York and short stories in numerous anthologies. He writes the column “Fantasia Obscura” for Forces of Geek, continuing on from his initial run at REBEAT. A lifelong Beatles fan, his alternate-history stories of the Beatles have been published in a collection called Alt Together Now.  Ed Chen is the co-creator and co-host of the When They Was Fab and the Toppermost of the Poppermost podcasts. He tells us that somewhere, buried in his deep dark past is a Beatles/Doctor Who fanfic, where he “Mary Sue’d” himself and his friends into the companion roles.  We’ll be talking about just some of the many connections between the Beatles and Doctor Who, including their shared timeline, actors who played both Doctors and Beatles, and the many Beatles references over Doctor Who’s 60-year history. We’ll also recap the Beatles-specific parts of the Doctor Who/Beatles episode, “The Devil’s Chord.” We’ve kept this episode focused on the Beatles-related elements of both the history and the episode, and we’ll be discussing spoilers for “The Devil’s Chord.”  If you want more Doctor Who, the When They Was Fab podcast has an extended cut of this conversation with a deeper dive into the Doctor Who side of things.   --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

Our very, very special guest today is the great Kevin Harrington, who most Beatles fans will recognize as the “redhead on the roof” in the Let It Be and Get Back films. At the time, Kevin was only 18 years old(!) but had been working for the Beatles, in some capacity, for years, first as an errand boy at NEMS and then as an assistant to Brian Epstein. He worked alongside Mal Evans as the Beatles’ “roadie,” as he’s billed in the Let It Be credits. After the Beatles broke up, Kevin stayed closely in the fold, even living at Friar Park with George and Patti during the recording of All Things Must Pass. Then, he finally struck out on his own in the ‘70s and beyond and was a roadie with some of the biggest names in music, including Wishbone Ash, Motorhead, Petula Clark, Ted Nugent, Tina Turner and more. To learn more about Kevin's time with NEMS and the Beatles, check out his memoir, Who's The Redhead on the Roof? --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

This week, Erika participated in a roundtable discussion of the newly-released Let it Be film with some of our favorite Beatles podcasters. Enjoy this supersized episode about all things Let it Be. And if you like what you hear, please head on over to our the other participants’ podcasts: Blotto Beatles, hosted by Becker, RB, Scotty C., and Tommy Ranking the Beatles, hosted by Jonathan and Julia Pretus Fans on the Run, hosted by Ethan Alexanian Paul or Nothing and Macca in Your Attic, both hosted by Sam Whiles --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

We’re thrilled to welcome the incredible Michael Lindsay-Hogg to the podcast. Michael is, of course, the director of the Beatles’ film “Let it Be,” now fully restored and available worldwide on Disney Plus. Michael joined us to talk about his original vision for "Let it Be," its relationship to "Get Back," and give us the details on how he originally wanted the film to end. And of course we couldn’t resist asking him about one our favorite films that Michael directed, "Two of Us." After the interview, we chat about our experiences at the New York and Los Angeles advance screenings of "Let it Be," and our impressions of the film now, especially in the context of "Get Back." Warning: we'll be discussing plot points for "Let it Be," so if you wish to remain spoiler-free until you've seen the film, that discussion begins at approximately 27:00.  --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].  

The trailer for the restored version of Michael Lindsay-Hogg's "Let it Be" film dropped this week, and we couldn't be more excited! So in anticipation of the big day, we combined two of our favorite "Let it Be" episodes from the archives. Giles Martin on Remixing a #NextGen "Let it Be" — our first interview with Giles from 2021, where he tells us about everything from making the Beatles sound “fresh” for a new generation to dealing with critics. The "Let it Be" Remixes, Track-by-Track — our analysis and impressions of Giles Martin's 2021 Let it Be remixed album And stay subscribed for next week's episode, all about the film, and featuring a very special guest! --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

This week, we welcome Melissa Brumm, Co-Producer and Creative Director for the Abbey Road on the River music festival. Abbey Road on the River (AROTR) is the world’s largest Beatles-inspired music festival (and is very close to Allison's heart!). Since 2002, AROTR has celebrated the best in Beatles music, hosting Beatles and other classic rock tribute bands, as well as many of the original bands themselves. Now taking place in Jeffersonville, Indiana, AROTR presents over 250 Beatles and ‘60s-themed concerts featuring bands from all over the world. Each year, more than 20,000 Beatles fans gather to reunite with their AROTR family and celebrate the music of the Fab Four over Memorial Day weekend. Melissa previews this year’s AROTR, and gives us a look into the many elements that go in to producing a huge music festival. And Allison and Melissa reminisce about their history with the festival, as well as the Beatles tribute band scene. Learn more about Abbey Road on the River and get tickets Listen to the AROTR podcast, Something will Happen --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]

In an April 1973 press conference, John Lennon and Yoko Ono declared the birth of Nutopia, a "conceptual country" founded in response to John's ongoing immigration struggles. In past weeks, Nutopia has resurfaced online through a new website. We look at the history of Nutopia's founding, born out of John's wild journey to U.S. citizenship. And we explore the newest incarnation of Nutopia as an online presence, just in time for the  50th anniversary release of John's album, Milk and Honey. Plus, we dive in to the brand new Lennon/McCartney song—Sean Lennon and James McCartney, that is! And we answer the age-old question: "does a Maccarita contain orange juice?" Become a citizen of Nutopia For an in-depth dive into John's U.S. immigration journey, check out John Lennon vs. the USA, by John's immigration lawyer, Leon Wildes --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]  

When we first started this podcast way back in 2018, one of the reasons we called it “BECAUSE the Beatles” was because we wanted to be able to not only talk about the Beatles, but anything adjacent to them in any way … hence "because" the Beatles. And one of our original reasons was because we wanted to do the episode we’re FINALLY doing today — an episode on Cilla Black!  Cilla is unique in the Beatles’ story — the only woman managed by Brian Epstein, and, as we’ll discuss, she was one of his favorite artistes and close to him personally too. Later in her life, she became known as a TV presenter and the recipient of an OBE for her contribution to entertainment. She had 19 Top 40 singles in the UK, including two #1 hits - “Anyone Who Had a Heart” and “You’re My World” — and recorded 15 studio albums. And this past year she became one of the best memes on TikTok. This episode focuses on the beginnings of her fame and hitmaking — and of course, references the spectacular made-for-TV miniseries Cilla, which we highly recommend.  Learn more about Cilla Cilla biopic on iTV "Surprise Surprise" on TikTok --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]  

This week, we're sharing an episode of one of our favorite Beatles-adjacent podcasts, We Say Yeah!, a show about Cliff Richard and the Shadows. This is one of the only — if not the only — podcasts exclusively about Cliff Richard, who was, of course, a huge success in the UK, and a contemporary of the Beatles. Erika was recently a guest host, discussing Wonderful Life, a movie musical that was released mere days before A Hard Day's Night, but couldn't be more different. About the podcast: Cliff Richard & The Shadows dominated the British pop and rock music world from 1958 to 1963 and weathered the storm of Beatlemania to continue to release hits for years to come. Many were even recorded in Studio Two at Abbey Road…and they wrote a lot of their own material!). Although pre-Beatles British rock and roll music is largely ignored by American rock historians, the We Say Yeah! podcast has spent nearly three years reviewing every single, EP and LP released by Cliff and The Shadows (either together or apart) in chronological order.  Hosted by David “Ghosty” Wills, former Sirius/XM DJ and cartoon voice actor, each month’s episode features the host and a guest not only reviewing records but also venturing into sidebar discussions about popular music of the era, the film and television industry in Europe and more!  In addition to hosting We Say Yeah!, David has been a Beatles fan since the age of 12 but came in through Paul McCartney’s solo career (which he says he loves “more than anything else on Earth”). He became a fan of Cliff Richard through his early 80’s U.S. hits and when he discovered an album of his 60’s hits. Listen and subscribe to We Say Yeah! Hear the full soundtrack to the film Wonderful Life --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected]  

Today we're joined by Laurie Kaye, author of the new book, Confessions of a Rock 'N' Roll Name-Dropper: My Life Leading up to John Lennon’s Last Interview. As a young rock journalist, Laurie got the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend the day with John and Yoko at their home in New York City. She and her team spent hours with the couple, and the resulting interview was one of the most candid John had ever given. It touched on a wide range of topics, including their latest album release, John’s Lost Weekend, and his thoughts on Paul and the Beatles. It ended on an optimistic note, with John having high hopes for the future. But that day was December 8, 1980, and that interview was the last one that John ever gave. A few short hours later, John was tragically murdered. Laurie tells this story, and so many more, in her new book. In this memoir, Laurie details her life up to that fateful day in 1980, a day she called “both the best and worst day of my life.”  Laurie Kaye began her career at San Francisco’s top 40 station KFRC-AM, where she was both an on-air reporter and writer. She later moved to RKO radio, where she co-produced many rock specials, including RKO Presents the Beatles (later expanded and renamed The Beatles from Liverpool to Legend). Other notable projects include writing Dick Clark’s weekly radio countdown show and leading the location production of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’s Special Extended DVD Edition. Laurie now works in the film and tv industry, handling creative content and line producing for network docuseries. Buy the book, Confessions of a Rock and Roll Namedropper: My Life Leading up to John Lennon’s Last Interview Visit Laurie Kaye online Hear John Lennon’s last interview, The Dakota Apartments, December 8, 1980 --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

Our excitement over the upcoming Sam Mendes Beatles biopics got us thinking about some of our favorite Beatles movies. From classics like Birth of the Beatles and Backbeat, to contemporary Beatles stories like Nowhere Boy and Yesterday, we look at some of the most impactful biopics to hit both the big and small screens. And, inspired by the recent Academy Awards—and Sean Lennon’s win for the animated short, War is Over!—we created our own awards show for all things Beatles movies. Do you agree with our picks for the best—and the worst—in the Beatles Cinematic Universe? Find us on social media and let us know! Our first Beatles biopics episode, discussing the upcoming Sam Mendes films More about Sean Lennon’s animated short, War is Over! --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

Sara Schmidt returns to the podcast to discuss her new book, Dear Beatle People: The Story of the Beatles North American Fan Club. Dear Beatle People: The Story of the Beatles’ North American Fan Club tells the stories of both the official and unofficial fan clubs in the US and Canada. With over 100 photos and rare historical documents like fan club membership cards and letters, this book gives new insights into the engine that fueled North American Beatlemania. You may know Sara as the founder and editor of the website, Meet The Beatles...For Real, a treasure trove of memories and photographs from fans that have met one or more of The Beatles in person. She’s also the author of the book, Happiness is Seeing The Beatles: Beatlemania in St. Louis; and a contributing author to A is for Apple (Volumes 2 & 3); and has given presentations at Beatles conventions across the United States.  --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

Four new Beatles biopics are coming, and we're obsessed! Oscar- and TONY-award winning director Sam Mendes will direct the films, slated for 2027, with full life rights for all four Beatles. We break down what we know so far, speculate on what's to come, and opine on our dream casts. Plus, we look at Pattie Boyd's upcoming auction full of memories of her time with both George Harrison and Eric Clapton, and congratulate Paul on being reunited with his original Hofner bass. Beatles Get a Biopic. A Fab Four of Them, Actually (NY Times) The Pattie Boyd Collection at Christie's Auction House Paul McCartney's First Hofner Bass is Finally Returned (Bass Magazine)   --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

This week marks what would have been George Harrison’s birthday… or is it birthdays? So we pulled one of our most popular episodes out of the archives in his honor. We’re looking at George’s early life in Liverpool, his all-encompassing guitar obsession, and the talent that even impressed the much-older John Lennon. Plus, we attempt to get to the bottom of the age-old question: what is George’s actual birthday? Links we mentioned: Rebeat's interview with Louise Harrison George's childhood home on AirBnB   --------------------- Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles Contact us at [email protected].

This Valentine's Day, we're reading some of the love letters fans sent to the Beatles 60 years ago this year, published in 1964's Love Letters to the Beatles. Plus a recap of the 2024 Fest for Beatles Fans at the fabulous TWA hotel! --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

It’s the 60th anniversary of the Beatles’ first American visit and their groundbreaking appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. We’re tracing the twists and turns that brought the Beatles to America, and opened the doors to a cultural revolution in the process. And we tell the story of Erika’s grandfather, the jazz guitarist who met the Beatles, got his picture taken by none other than Paul McCartney, and maybe… overdubbed George Harrison on The Ed Sullivan Show? Rebeat’s interview with Louise Harrison More about Erika’s grandfather, Hy White, and his encounter with the Beatles “Take My Break, Please:” McCall and Brill’s opportunity of a lifetime—an appearance on Ed Sullivan—became a disaster, thanks to being on the bill with the Beatles (This American Life) --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

This week, we welcome Dr. Richard Mills, author of the book The Beatles and Fandom: Sex, Death, and Progressive Nostalgia, as we discuss the intricacies of Beatles fandom in all its glory. From sex and death to slash fanfic and tribute bands, join us for this fun trip down the rabbit hole of the quirky, creative, and sometimes freaky fan world. Read the AMAZING “Into My Life” fanfic: https://www.alsfrombothsides.org/intomylife/index.html --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected]

The infamous "Butcher" cover inspired near-universal shock and disgust when it appeared as the original cover of The Beatles' Yesterday...and Today album. It was recalled after a single day, and albums with a butcher cover hidden underneath the replacement photo became one of the most highly-sought-after Beatles collectibles. But how much do you really know about the butcher cover? We go through all the twists and turns of this fascinating story, including: The incredible way the photographer, Bob Whitaker, entered the Beatles' orbit; The wild photo session that produced the butcher images (along with some even crazier photos); The struggle between The Beatles and Capitol over using the Butcher image as an album cover; Capitol's panic and the herculean efforts they undertook to recall (and even bury) 750,000 albums; The cover's legacy as a collector's item; and What this chapter in The Beatles' story tells us about their evolution as the 1960s progressed. We also discuss whether the recall was necessary in hindsight, and one of us reveals a lifelong fascination with doll heads. --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

This week, we're exploring the Beatles' fashion sense and influence with Deirdre Kelly, author of the new book Fashioning the Beatles: The Looks that Shook the World. Deirdre is a Canadian journalist, author and arts critic. Other books include the best-selling Paris Times Eight and Ballerina: Sex, Scandal and Suffering Behind the Symbol of Perfection. Deirdre previously served as dance critic, pop music reviewer, and fashion reporter at The Globe and Mail, Toronto’s flagship newspaper. In 2017, she was appointed Editor and principal writer of the The York University Magazine, where she currently works. She has also been published in Marie Claire in London, Elle in New York, Vogue in Australia and is a writer for the arts e-zine, Critics At Large, in Toronto. --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

The Beatles’ Anthology yielded more than an audio trip through the group’s history, it also produced the first “new” Beatles song since the band’s breakup in 1970. Utilizing a demo recorded by John Lennon in the 1970s, “Free As a Bird” became a sensation, with many fans likening its premiere to the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. This is the story of how that track came to be, its reception, and the history behind its iconic music video. --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

For our last holiday hiatus episode, we’re going back to our archives again, to look at a New Year's day that may have been one of the most pivotal moments in the Beatles’ career. After just one month of being their manager, Brian Epstein arranged something that was unthinkable even weeks before — an audition with Decca, one of the UK’s top record labels.  So on a freezing New Year's Day in 1962, the Beatles made a treacherous trip down to London, playing an eclectic mix of rock, standards, and Lennon-McCartney originals. It didn't go so well—the Beatles lost that contract to a competitor group, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. But that first rejection may have been a key to the Beatles' whole story going forward. And not only the Beatles’ story, but Brians, George Martin’s, and possibly even the entire British Invasion movement. So on this New Year’s week, we discuss a pivotal New Year's in the Beatles' history and ask the question: Would the Beatles have been the band we know today if they had passed the audition? --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

For the last episode of 2023, we're re-living the most exciting thing to happen in the Beatles world this year: the release of "the last Beatles song," 'Now and Then.' When 'Now and Then' was released in November, Allison joined a roundtable discussion with friends from two other Beatles podcasts: Tommy, Becker, and RB from Blotto Beatles; and Jonathan from Ranking the Beatles. They talked about everything — the arrangement, the song’s history, Peter Jackson’s video, the Red and Blue releases, and that controversial cover art.  And if you don’t know these other two podcasts, pop over to their feeds and give them a listen afterwards—they're both fantastic. Enjoy, and happy new year! --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

We’re taking a break for the holiday season, so we pulled a fun and timely discussion from our back catalog. In this episode from December, 2018, we look at the two most famous—and most polarizing—holiday songs from the solo Beatles: Paul's "Wonderful Christmastime" and John's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)." Are these two songs as far apart from each other as they seem? Other songs/versions we reference in the episode: “Wonderful Christmastime” — Shins cover (2012) “Wonderful Christmastime” — Monkees cover (2018) Miley Cyrus, Mark Ronson ft. Sean Ono Lennon - "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" Official Performance (2018) “Listen, the Snow is Falling” (Plastic Ono Band, 1971) --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected]

Mal Evans is best known as the Beatles’ roadie, but he was much more: a trusted confidant, driver, Mr. Fix-It, drug procurer, and, most importantly, husband and father. Today, we’re joined by Mal’s son, Gary, and the author of the new biography Living the Beatles’ Legend: The Untold Mal Evans Story, Kenneth Womack, to discuss Mal’s life, legacy, hidden talents, and why the Beatles wouldn’t have been the same without him. CW: gun violence; death by suicide --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

Did you know that George and Giles Martin have their own action figures? When Giles Martin saw the action figure that designer David McGurk created of his father, George Martin, he liked it so much that he arranged for it to sell in the Abbey Road store. That limited run of 100 action figures sold out within hours. David McGurk makes a variety of retro pop culture action figures through his company, Lightening Boltz Action figures. And George and Giles Martin aren’t the only Beatles-related figures he’s made. Some are of the Beatles themselves, but he also creates likenesses of people in the Beatles’ wider circle like Paul McCartney’s dad Jim Mac, and more recently, two versions of Brian Epstein.  David joined us to about his work; his love of the Beatles; and his recent experiences with Giles Martin, Abbey Road Studios, and even Paul McCartney himself. Follow David on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightning_boltz_action_figures/ or visit his website: https://lightningboltztoys.bigcartel.com/ --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

We’re so excited to welcome poet and editor Paul Muldoon to the podcast, to talk about his work on Paul McCartney’s book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, and the companion podcast, Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics. Paul Muldoon has been described as “the most significant English-language poet born since the second world war.” He is a recipient of the Pulitzer prize for poetry, holds ten honorary doctorates, and is currently the sitting Ireland Professor of Poetry. Additionally, he served as poetry editor for the New Yorker, and is currently a professor at Princeton University. Beatle fans will know him as the editor of Paul McCartney: THE LYRICS: 1956–Present, published in 2021. A new paperback edition was released this month, and includes 7 new commentaries.  The Lyrics is the result of five years of candid conversations that Paul Muldoon had with Paul McCartney about the circumstances surrounding the songs’ creation, the people and places that inspired them, and what Paul thinks of them today.  The original hardback edition of The Lyrics was a huge success, winning the 2022 British Book Award for Best Nonfiction Lifestyle book, and it was named 2021 book of the year for both Waterstones bookstore in the UK and Barnes and Noble in the US.  Beyond the book, Paul Mulddon is also the narrator of the new companion podcast, Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics. Each episode focuses on a single song featured in the lyrics. We hear recordings of the candid conversations Paul Muldoon had with Paul McCartney to create the book, further augmented by narration, music, and historical soundbites.  --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

We continue our track-by-track deep dive of the Beatles’ “Red” (1962–1966) and “Blue” (1967–1970) albums. In part two, we look at the second half of the Red album and the new tracks on Blue.  Fifty years after their original release, Giles Martin has remixed these albums using the groundbreaking “MAL” audio technology, developed by Peter Jackson’s team for the 2021 Get Back film. These sets expand on the original track list, for a total of 75 songs which include some of their earliest cover tracks, and add a number of George Harrison tracks—sorely lacking from the original. --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

The newly-mixed Beatles’ “Red” (1962–66) and “Blue” (1967–70) albums are here! We start our two-part deep dive with the first half of the “Red” album.  Fifty years after their original release, Giles Martin has remixed these albums using the groundbreaking “MAL” audio technology, developed by Peter Jackson’s team for the 2021 Get Back film. These sets expand on the original track list, giving us a whopping 75 songs. New additions include some of their earliest cover tracks, and add a number of George Harrison songs—sorely lacking from the original. We also delve into the crazy story behind why these albums exist in the first place, and examine why these particular sets have been catnip for new Beatles fans for over a generation.   --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].

Beatles producer Giles Martin is back! Giles joins us to talk “Now and Then,” the new Red and Blue re-releases, and… his personalized action figure? About Giles: Giles Martin is the mastermind behind the recent remixes of Sgt Pepper, the White Album, Abbey Road, Let it Be/Get Back, and Revolver, and the son of legendary producer George Martin. Most recently, he co-produced the last Beatles song “Now and Then” with Paul McCartney, and remixed the "Red" (1962–66) and "Blue" (1967–70) compilation albums, released this week. He began working on Beatles projects alongside his father, starting with the Beatles Anthology and later collaborating on the groundbreaking 2006 Love album, the mashup soundtrack for the Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil production.  Outside of the Beatles, Giles is the executive music director for the band INXS, music directed the 2019 Elton John biopic Rocketman, and created last summer’s immersive, Dolby Atmos mix of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Giles is currently the Head of Audio & Sound at Abbey Road Studios and the Senior Vice President in charge of Sound Experience for the home audio company Sonos. Giles is a two-time GRAMMY winner for his work on The Beatles’ Love, and won an EMMY for his work on The Beatles' Get Back. --------------------- +Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere. +Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now. +Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles +Contact us at [email protected].