320: "Our Guitarist George" with Sam Popkin

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you don't know the name then you certainly know his work: writer/director Oliver Murray was responsible for giving us that twelve-minute making of "Now and Then" video in 2023 that got everyone up to speed (and teary) about the "last" Beatles song. In 2025, he wrote and directed the 9th episode of the re-launched Beatles Anthology documentary series, quickly followed by the short film, "Free As A Bird" - A Song Reborn. But Oliver has also directed a number of other music videos and documentaries you may have seen, among them The Quiet One (2019), Ronnie's (2020), They All Came Out To Montreux (2023), and The Story of Band Aid (2024). I was privileged to have a talk with an insider to discuss the presenting of The Beatles' story and the delicate balancing act between educating new fans while satisfying the old ones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Returning to the show today is the RPM School trio: Walter Everett (The Beatles As Musicians book series) - Cameron Greider - Jack Petruzzelli. They run the Beatles-centric online school which will be launching the winter 2026 semester with a deep dive into The Beatles' fifth long player, released in the summer of 1965. In this conversation, we focus on some of the innovations, influences and production techniques representing the group's evolving artistry as a studio band and as songwriters. Visit rpm-school.com for details on the upcoming class and magicalmysterycamp.com for information on this year's event in the Catskills. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beatles proteges Badfinger released six studio albums between 1970 and 1974. Two of their hits were produced by Beatles ("Come and Get It" by Paul, "Day After Day" by George) and another by The Beatles' road manager ("No Matter What" was produced by Mal Evans). But their catalog is filled with rich, tuneful pop/rock for anyone who hasn't already explored it. ALL FOUR members (Pete Ham - Tom Evans - Mike Gibbins - Joey Molland) were accomplished songwriters and since their demise, an astonishing array of releases has been pouring out, including several demo collections from Pete. Additionally, their earlier pre-Joey iteration as The Iveys has seen the commencement of five Anthology collections of demos and live material surface, including the newest, Miniskirts and Rainbows. 2024 saw the long-awaited issue of the final Badfinger album from 1974, Head First, featuring Pete, Tom and Mike with Bob Jackson. For this conversation, I spoke with Mark Strothmann, who's part of team that's been working on getting these treasures to the public, as well as curating several YouTube channels featuring music and videos of The Iveys and Badfinger. It's an overview of the ongoing labor of love keeping the group alive in the wake of Joey's passing last year.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

316: Anthology 2025Presented here is an analysis of the current streaming version of the Beatles documentary first produced 30 years ago. This is less a discussion comparing a cut by cut A/B comparison so much as an overview of some changes that HAVE been made, and much discussion into what the intent behind the new presentation may be, who it is made for, what the strategy is (if any) behind some of the changes and where there is room to go forward in presenting the group's history. SATB welcomes two new additions to the Beatles podcasting pool: Mike Vaccaro and Jesse Pollack, who host All You Need Is Pod. You can find it on Apple podcasts and follow them on Instagram.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sir Paul McCartney, 1t 63, has just completed his Got Back tour of North America. But at the 60th anniversary of Rubber Soul, it's good to look back at how that album marked a turning point in his approach to his primary instrument: the bass. Paul was an innovator, taking its use where no one in pop/rock had ever gone before. With bass historian/musicologist Rob Collier (www.beatlesbasslines.com), we thoroughly examine HOW and WHY Paul was so exceptional, and what influenced him. Providing color commentary: veteran musician/bassist Arion Salazar (ex Fungo Mungo and Third Eye Blind). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices