Something About the Beatles

Do academics ruin the Beatles, or help them last? Three scholars join host Robert Rodriguez to explore Beatles Studies: the history of how academia has treated the band, what fans and scholars get right and wrong about each other, and what the field still hasn't covered.

Guests: Christine Feldman-Barrett (author, A Women's History of the Beatles), Duncan Driver, and Paul Long (co-editor, Journal of Beatles Studies).

In this episode:

• Why early academic writing on the Beatles was dismissive, and how that shaped the field

• The "Aeolian cadences" legacy, and why Beatles lyrics rarely get serious literary study

• Shakespeare and the Beatles: why some artists seem to reflect us back to ourselves

• Gen Z, "boomer nostalgia" and why the Beatles keep finding new listeners

• Beatles university courses and the Journal of Beatles Studies

• Mark Lewisohn's Tune In, Ian Leslie's John & Paul, and why there's no "final word"

• What's missing: social class, women's perspectives, and the global Beatles

• How to read any Beatles book critically

🔗 Read the open-access Journal of Beatles Studies:https://www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/journal/jbs

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#Beatles #BeatlesStudies #BeatlesPodcast

Tags: the beatles and the academics, beatles studies, journal of beatles studies, beatles podcast, something about the beatles, beatles academics, beatles history, beatles lyrics analysis, beatles university course, why the beatles still matter, mark lewisohn tune in, ian leslie john and paul, a women's history of the beatles, the beatles and the historians, beatles anthology disney, duncan driver, christine feldman-barrett, paul long, robert rodriguez

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Also by Quince.

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The opening chord of "A Hard Day's Night" is one of the most famous sounds in rock history. Musicians still argue about what it is. In this deep dive into the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night album, we break down the chord note by note: John Lennon's and George Harrison's guitars, Paul McCartney's bass and George Martin's piano.

You'll hear how the chord works in G major, what George Harrison said about it, and how the Beatles reused the same voicing elsewhere. We also look at Harrison's Rickenbacker 12-string, the songwriting and arranging choices behind "Things We Said Today," "And I Love Her," "If I Fell" and "Can't Buy Me Love," and why simple ideas made the Beatles' music so lasting.

In this episode:

•

The history and theory of the “A Hard Day's Night” opening chord

•

How the guitars, bass and piano combine to make that sound

•

Other songs that use the same or similar chord voicings

•

Why the Rickenbacker 12-string shaped the Beatles' sound

•

Lennon and McCartney's songwriting, harmony and vocal choices in “If I Fell”

•

Raw-track listening and an odd quirk in the "Can't Buy Me Love" recording

•

Practical tips for playing along: use the melody and chord tones to embellish a song

•

Reworking Beatles songs live, from "Things We Said Today" to "Tomorrow Never Knows"

•

The hidden ties between “And I Love Her” and “The Honeymoon Song”

Chapters 00:00 Welcome and why this album still matters 08:01 Reinventing "Things We Said Today" live 09:26 About the RPM Beatles course 10:14 The Hard Day's Night opening chord: introduction 13:37 George Harrison on the chord, and what the chord is 19:03 George Martin's piano part 24:12 Other songs with the same chord 31:31 The 12-string guitar and "Ticket to Ride" 36:50 Simple building blocks, and why they work 46:23 McCartney's contributions and the "Paul McCartney After the Beatles" book 57:32 Haunting harmonies, key changes and vocals 1:16:53 "Can't Buy Me Love" and the raw track 1:25:37 "And I Love Her" and the "Honeymoon Song" connection 1:37:30 Harrison's melodic solos and a wrap-up of tips

Beatles class: six Mondays, 5:30 PM ET, starting November 2. Details and signup: https://www.rpm-school.com/

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Something About The Beatles is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the next level. Our listeners get 30% off your first year with DistroKid by signing up http://distrokid.com/vip/satb

#Beatles #AHardDaysNight #BeatlesPodcast #MusicTheory #GeorgeMartin #TheFabFaux

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There were two John and Yoko documentaries produced in the last year that covered their political activism during their first year in New York, culminating in the pair of One To One concerts in August 1972. The first was a documentary detailing the context with the shows in the background; the other placed the show front and center. Author Erika White (Meat The Beatles!) and podcaster Gary Wenstrup (Classic Rock Album Olympics) join me in a discussion of the films One To One: John and Yoko and Power To The People.

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Sixty years ago, The Beatles took their final bow before a paid audience in San Francisco. The occasion was auspicious because they knew this was it: they made sure it was recorded (by Tony Barrow) and photographed (by Jim Marshall). Among the well-wishers in attendance was Joan Baez, who brought her sisters and an 11 year-old friend.

This is Naomi's story.

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To anyone familiar with '60s Top 40 music, The Cyrkle remain a fond memory, notable for their two hits, 1966's "Red Rubber Ball," a Paul Simon co-write, and "Turn Down Day," an exquisite piece of sunshine pop. They also possess a couple of other distinctions, being the only US act managed by Brian Epstein as well as being one of the supporting acts on The Beatles' final tour, sixty years ago. Don Dannemann was/is their lead singer. Along with his musical partner Tom Dawes, through talent and luck the group managed to hitch the ride of lifetime, making the transition from fans to traveling companions during the most challenging phase of The Beatles' live career. After the hits stopped, both Dan and Tom pivoted into careers in the jingle industry, providing a further soundtrack for those of a certain age. Don has got the stories to tell as a witness to history at a time when popular music was evolving fast. Through happy circumstance, The Cyrkle are back, having recorded a new collection of songs and can be seen in live shows around the country. Visit their website for updates and their YouTube channel for loads of video, past and present.

https://thecyrkle.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQf7trwEd-VZdyJjiPdupJw

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Imagine having our world rocked by The Beatles as a 1st-gen fan living in New York City. You are a budding musician yourself, and with every release, they inspire you as they advance their art. You see them live - twice - the first time at a renowned event caught on film. One day, deciding to check out something you've heard, you knock on a door downtown and get invited in to interview for a job, working for them. Before you know it, you are swept up into their world, mentored by Derek Taylor and getting to know Mal Evans, Peter Brown, and becoming lifelong friends with Freda Kelly. Tommy Smothers takes an interest in you and guides you toward a career that sustains you ever on after The Beatles split up. But it is the one day in July 1969 where Derek secures you an invitation to witness the band at work on Abbey Road that might be the sweetest moment of all, as you spend time as a fly on the wall, with your camera in hand, as the greatest entertainment phenomenon of the 20th century works on their final collective project. If you are Merle Frimark, this was your life, and you are here to tell the rest of us all about it. Check out Merle's articles here:https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/24/from-sorting-fan-mail-to-seeing-abbey-road-being-made-my-life-as-a-teenage-beatles-employee https://www.culturesonar.com/looking-back-at-beatlemania-in-the-us-60-years/

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Sixty two years ago, The Beatles cinematic debut arrived , putting the world on notice that their charm and talents were adaptable to virtually any medium. A Hard Day's Night, directed by Richard Lester, has gone down in film history as "the Citizen Kane of jukebox musicals," a stunning work as fresh and captivating as the day it was premiered, and yet it was done on a small budget with novices as the film's leads, with no certainty whatsoever that anyone would be interested in them by years' end.

Thankfully, the joy that the group projected has continued on into the 21st century with new fans being coined daily. But what is it about this film that has made it so evergreen? UK journalist (and 2nd gen fan) Samira Ahmed took a deep dive into a film she loved and what she uncovered about the making of this project uncovered much more than the sum of its collective talents. A Hard Day's Night continues to charm because of a perfect storm of timing, talent and standards set by all the parties involved. Her book for the British Film Institute shines light on what was intended as a quickie cash-in that far outstripped the studio's goals.

Checkout our conversation and her book - no matter how many times you've seen this film, you'll never experience it the same way again.

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On March 25, 1966, photographer Robert Whitaker - a surrealist - took The Beatles into his studio to capture a concept piece he called "A Somnamulant Adventure," envisioned as a triptych commentary on the group's fame. But the project slid away from him when one frame, depicting The Beatles with slabs of meat and doll parts, was sent to the US for Capitol to use on their latest compilation album. The blowback was fierce and Whitaker never got to complete his work, but the so-called "butcher cover" became an interesting piece of folklore (and collectible), the first of many controversies for the group that year.

Beatles scholar Erika White details the entire history of not just the shoot, but Whitaker's association with The Beatles, as well as the path that made the group amenable to his concept and what the repercussions were in her forthcoming book, Meat The Beatles: The Butcher Cover - The Complete, Untold Story of the Fab Four's Most Controversial Album Artwork.

This episode sponsored by DistroKid.

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Jim Marshall remains one of the most esteemed photographers of the rock era, with iconic images of all the greats to his credit, as well as legends of jazz and some remarkable street photography. He was the subject of the 2019 documentary, Show Me The Picture: The Jim Marshall Story, and his work continues to be familiar to plenty of people who weren't around at the time these photos were new.

His documentation of The Beatles' final concert, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco sixty years ago, depicted the band both onstage and backstage. He was there at their request, because they trusted him to capture the moment like an insider. Marshall's art caught the group during their final moments of one era, poised to set off into an unknown future where greater triumphs awaited.

Amelia Davis worked alongside Marshall and manages his legacy today. In The Beatles by Jim Marshall: Live at Candlestick Park 1966, she has curated a collection showing not only that last show but other captivating work by Marshall, demonstrating why he was so esteemed by the band and why his work maintains the power to inspire today.

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You know her as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member as a co-founder of The Go-Go's, their rhythm guitarist/vocalist whose co-written "Our Lips Are Sealed" first out them on the map. Jane was one of the band's composing mainstays, and she went on to solo success in recording as well as acting. This year she has a topical record, I Protest, coming out, as well as her self-penned story, TMI: Memoirs of a Go-Go.

In this talk with myself and mutual friend John Roecker, we discuss her punk roots as well as love of The Beatles.

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In recent years there have been a number of Beatle-owned guitars rediscovered (sometimes in someone's attic) and put up for auction; some ended up in the collection of the late Jim Irsay and others did not. But all of these instruments have something in common: they were in the hands of George or John once, and they (mostly) ended up being heard by millions on recordings we all love.

My guest Sam Popkin (Gear, There and Everywhere podcast) and I sat down to discuss the backstories of 7 of these guitars. (One of them was used by both George and Badfinger's Pete Ham.) This isn't (just) a conversation for guitar nerds: it's the stories behind these guitars that live on through the music they made. These instruments were, for a time, loved by their owners who used them to explore a sonic landscape resulting in songs that live on in our hearts.

Something About The Beatles is sponsored by DistroKid and Magical Mystery Camp.

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Touring and performing live represented a challenge to The Beatles during their years of rapid artistic growth. Being a successful recording act necessitated touring to maintain one's status and to sell records, but when the infrastructure of the day was insufficient to support both the music they were making as well as serve the high demand for tickets in every corner of the country, the strain became too great. Still, they labored to find an alternative, first with an album that would "go on tour" (Sgt. Pepper) and later with the concept of a tightly-controlled live situation that facilitated the audience-artist interaction on a manageable scale (the "Get Back" project).

My returning guest Glenn Greenberg has just published a bookazine on the three North American tours, Beatles in America: The Touring Years. See link below. We discuss the pros and cons of touring as well as The Beatles' efforts to move to an alternative path (and the what ifs).

https://magazineshop.us/products/the-beatles-in-america-the-touring-years?srsltid=AfmBOoobBR-sIJ0RhyFc-4YABsH7BrEgM2keYi5wR-FcO17tWSQtTWFS&variant=41350579355706

Something About The Beatles is sponsored by DistroKid and Magical Mystery Camp.

Go to www.distrokid.com/vip/satb for 30% off your annual membership.

Go to magicalmysterycamp.com for details on the coming event in June 2026.

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SATB Special: Ivor Davis Remembered
London-born journalist Ivor Davis holds a special place in the hearts of everyone lucky enough to speak with or spend time with him. He was a charming man who could make you feel like you were old friends in a manner of minutes; a raconteur full of tales from his rich life of the famous he'd crossed paths with and the history he'd witnessed.
We came into each other's orbits when he penned his first Beatles memoir in 2014, The Beatles anf Me on Tour - recalling how as a journalist for the Daily Express he'd been assigned to cover the 1964 and 1965 Beatles North American tours for the folks back home. (He also ghost-wrote a column under George's name.) He naturally became a good friend to them, and later on was based in Los Angeles, where he found himself at the center of more history, this time tragic: the assassination of RFK in 1968 and the Tate-LaBianca murders a year later.
But there was more pleasant history that he witnsessed, including the legendary meetings between The Beatles and Bob Dylan as well as with Elvis Presley. I hosted Ivor on the show three times:

130:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/130-the-beatles-and-charles-manson/id1483392342?i=1000453334078

174:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/174-once-upon-a-time-with-ivor-davis/id1483392342?i=1000453334001

284: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sixty-years-on-with-ivor-davis/id1483392342?i=1000662038846

But this 2021 conversation was never heard on the podcast before and serves as a sort of Ivor's greatest hits. So if you never met Ivor, his stories will live on through his books and this is as good an introduction to a friend we'll miss as any.

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Since 2003, Ringo Starr has been producing an incredibly prolific run of releases: albums and EPs, plus live recordings. With him on this journey of multiple producers and supporting musicians has been engineer Bruce Sugar, the one constant. Bruce comes with stories and observations about working with the world's most beloved drummer, including alongside Sir Paul McCartney in the studio (including an upcoming duet), as well as on the "last Beatles song, "Now and Then."

It's a delightful dose of positivity (as well as peace and love) to hear what Bruce has to say, including work on the upcoming Long, Long Road.

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Hailing from Syracuse, NY, Martin Sexton has been a performer/singer-songwriter/recording artist for over thirty years now. Of late he's been touring with a one-man presentation of the complete Abbey Road album.

I had a conversation with Martin to discuss The Beatles' impact on him, and what it means to get inside this most revered album and re-present it with a complete re-think of how the songs were put together, to showcase their essence. Martin will be guest at Magical Mystery Camp in June 2026 in Big Indian, New York.

You can check out his works and touring dates at martinsexton.com and the event at magicalmysterycamp.com.

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It may be beyond argument that the two most successful and influential pop/rock acts of the 1960s were The Beatles and Bob Dylan: one, an English ensemble from Liverpool who turned out evergreen standards and evolved seemingly without effort; the other an American from the upper midwest, initially cast as a vagabond folkie who constantly reinvented himself as he was anointed spokesman for a generation. For the most part, one could easily imagine the two acts operating in separate lanes, but Dylan and The Beatles had a much more significant and profound influence on each other that ran deeper than previously believed.

Author Jim Windolf presents the results of his extensive research in Where The Music Had To Go: How Bob Dylan and The Beatles Changed The World - And Each Other. Even if you have read everything, there's plenty to learn when these two chronologies are presented side by side, revealing the ongoing dialogue between artists that shaped the cultural landscape ever onward.

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The cinematic treatment of the 2022 Mark Lewisohn lectures on the first year of The Beatles' recording career has been given a terrific cinematic treatment (see it on Amazon Prime). This episode features my conversation with the film's director, Chris Purcell, and its producer, Simon Weitzman.

BOTH filmmakers have produced other Beatle-themed films, including Miss O'Dell, A Love Letter To The Beatles, The Beatles and Us, and Why Don't We Do It In The Road?, as well as other non-Beatle projects. We discuss ALL of it (and the Dementia Choir as well) in this talk.

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One doesn't immediately connect The Beatles with the world of comic books but there's plenty there. Besides musical references to Captain Marvel and "Magneto and Titanium Man," the group themselves have been regularly represented in the pages of comic books, beginning in 1964; sometimes as plot figures. Then we also have graphic novels and latter-day accounts of their history.To lead *me* in a discussion, SATB welcomes two award-winners from the world of comics, both of whom once worked for Marvel. Emmy-winning cartoonist Stephen DeStefano has been connected with works ranging from Popeye to Cuphead as well as his own 'Mazing Man and Hero Hotline. He also hosts a conversation show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@S.DeStefano Glenn Greenberg (a previous guest) is a writer associated with Spider Man, Silver Surfer and Hulk, among others. He has also penned works for the Star Trek book series. He also has written several Beatles-related bookazines, with a new one about to be published. Together, they make the case for the affinity for this art form the Beatles demonstrably had, as well as how well (or not) they have been represented in works ranging from Marvel's 1978 The Beatles' Story to the more recent Fifth Beatle and Fab4Mania.

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This month George Harrison would've turned 83. The "quiet Beatle" holds the record for THE most streamed Beatles song, his 1969 composition, "Here Comes The Sun," but to the general public (and not the hardcores), he may remain in the shadow of Lennon and McCartney, despite his key contributions to songs bearing their names. Musician/podcaster Sam Popkin (Gear, There and Everywhere) joins the conversation for an examination/appreciation of what George brought to The Beatles, as well as his singular solo work. Sam also details the guitars and gear that facilitated George's evolution from a young rockabilly to a pioneer of world music and unique slide guitarist. This episode is brought to you by DistroKid and Magical Mystery Camp.

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The Beatles' Olympiad series of shows is nearing its end point, with Gary Wenstrup and myself assessing their final group project for Olympic honors. Where will the bronze, silver and gold land among the 17 tracks? You'll have to tune in to find out (and discover some unexpected developments).

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