BC the Beatles

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com.

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com.

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com  

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com.

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com.

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com.

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com.

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com.

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 bcthebeatles@gmail.com.