Episodes
Ep. 224 | "Backbeat" Soundtrack (1994)
“Nevermind”. “Ten Summoners Tales“. “The Backbeat Soundtrack”. Sensing a theme here, fellow alt-rocker?
Perhaps more than any other record not named “The River Of Dreams", these three albums are at the very heart of the alt rock/grunge/post-chillwave scene. Going to Metro in 1994? Better bring your cassingle of “Fields Of Barley”. Because at Metro, they don’t take American Express.
And yet, of all the great grunge albums, none is grungier than the motion picture soundtrack of “Backbeat”.
Was (not was) that a little too much? Cut me some slack! The Backbeat Soundtrack really does have some of the early 90’s most notable alt rockers, tearing through a selection of early rock standards that the pilled-up, live Beatles once adored. This week, Tony & T.J. travel back to a time when the world was still mourning the painful assassination of “Cheers”, and ask about Backbeat:
Does the soundtrack hold up? Did it ever? Did Wilson Phillips hold on for one more day? Is our angry Chicago friend still upset that they closed the Phillips gas station on Wilson in 1982? AND HOW COME CHANNEL 9 STOPPED RUNNING “PHYLLIS” IN STRIP SYNDICATION ON WEEKDAY AFTERNOONS, IS CLORIS LEACHMAN’S TONED ARMS TOO WOKE FOR SKILLING? And is one full-length paragraph of questions the new format going forward for these blurbs? I mean, does anyone even read these? If so, stay tuned all holiday weekend to Appleton’s Home For F**K Rock, WFUK, 96.69 FM. Kathy and Judy will return, in oil, after these words from the Sheboygan County Correctional Center and Drive Thru.
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 223 | “Backbeat” Film (1994)
1994 proved to be one of the most fertile years for Beatles-inspired filmmaking. The titles of cinematic classics either directly about The Beatles (“The Secret Of Roan Inish”, “Blue Chips”) or clearly inspired by their music (“Ski School 2”, “Wesley Snipes’ Sugar Hill”) were ’94’s dominant cultural and commercial hits. (Yeah, go ahead and f off, “The Air Up There”.)
Perhaps the most notable fab film from that year was “Backbeat”, which focused primarily on Stuart Stucliffe’s brief but incredibly/debatably important tenure as a Beatle. What does the film get right? What does it get terribly, offensively wrong? How do Beatles (and cinema, damn it) EXPERTS Tony & T.J. feel the film holds up on its’ 31st anniversary? (Forgot about that milestone, huh, Calderstone/Polydor??) The Gab Two deep dish “Backbeat”, and more, including:
🤜 Before he became a brilliant artist and bassist, was Klaus Voormann an eminently punchable German street urchin?
🍻 (Angry Chicago guy:) How come the fellas who wrote the musical “Hair” didn’t make no song about R.E.M. bass player Mike Mills? And how come The Lemonheads didn’t fix that when they had the chance? And how come the White Sox ain’t got no more dollar beer nights, why don’t Steve Dahl do something?
🐓 Would there even be a Hooters without “Backbeat?” And does that make The Beatles technically responsible for Hooters? Or vice versa? Like, could there even BE a Beatles without Hooters, man? Why are you so afraid to consider all opinions?
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 222 | An Untitled Tribute to Brian Wilson
One of the darkest days for the UBP was in May 1990, when Vic Tayback, a.k.a. Mel on CBS’ “Alice”, left this earth; and perhaps others. Despite taking place literal decades before the UBP began, Mr. Tayback’s death caused a deep level of pain that has us forever kissing our own grits.
Flash forward to June, 2025. Another entertainment hero is gone - one arguably bigger than Mr. Tayback - who helped define American music in the 1960’s, and inspired Paul McCartney and The Beatles to reach arguably their greatest artistic heights.* (*Does not include “Now And Then”.)
Indeed, the incredibly sad passing of Brian Wilson was felt deeply by the Gab Two; longtime Beach Boys fans who, in this episode, pay tribute to one of Macca’s undying inspirations. Along the way, they also ask:
💔 F'k Mike Love, yeah?
🍸 Is it ironic that “Kokomo” tends to be the #1 Brian Wilson-penned song for people who openly voted for/support fascism?
🏄♂️ Did T.J. actually mean to refer to the milquetoast Beach Boys cover of “California Dreamin” from the 1986 compilation “Made In U.S.A.” when he mentioned “Rock & Roll Music”?
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 221 | SUPER DELUXE REISSUE: The Beatles' Love LP (2006) and All Together Now DVD (2008)
John Lennon literally said it best: "All You Need Is Love: The Cirque Du Soleil Soundtrack, on CD in multiple editions, streaming with bonus tracks on iTunes, and on a making of DVD."
And in 2020, a younger, dumber, sadly Casey-less Gab Two gabbed fab and dished deep on this album!
Now, for the first time, here's the Deluxe Edition remaster, in 5.1 Dolby NR Cr02 Color.
See you next week with an all new episode!
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
-----
[Originally released September 19, 2020]
In this episode of Pizza Talk, T.J. and Tony get acrobatically off-topic trying to discuss The Beatles collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. It contains 101 local Chicago references.
We think this episode will sell a lot of tickets for the Vegas show.
Ep. 220 | Our Favourite Fab Beatle Cover Art
What’s your Favourite Beatles Cover, Art? Or, more generally, for those listeners not named Art, what’s your Favourite Beatles Cover Art? There are seemingly endless global 7” and 12” covers from which to choose. Despite all but a small few ever being authorized by the Fabs, a good many are iconic, super weird, or a mesmerizing combination of both.
Loyal listener and Patreon member Mick B brought us this great suggestion, inspired by the live-performance photo on the cover of “The Beatles In Italy”; which, indeed features hits by The Beatles! Just not live. Or “In Italy”. Maybe Bruce Spizer will help us sue Calderstone/Odeon for fraud???
In this episode, the Cover Two (#GOBEARS) show…and tell…and show, if you smash this link for our WORLD PREMIERE SHOW VIDEO, their Favourite Beatles Cover Art. Along the way, they ask the hard hitting questions that those grotty, non-officially-Apple-authorized podcasts are too meat free Saturday, chicken-substitute-s**t to ask, like:
📐Could AI create a geometry-inspired parody called “Oblong-Di, Oblong-Da”, and make it sound like it’s being sung by They Might Be Giants? And, both existentially and ethically, would it all be worth it?
🍆 (Angry Chicago Guy, he’s upset because he’s still unclean): “And how come Beatlefest don’t have no Beatles ASMR room no more? And how come if they did, they wouldn’t let me feel up Terri Hemmert’s copy of “Rock N’ Roll Music” to feel if the print is raised up like Diane said I can’t do no more?”
🕰 Could the front cover art for “Now & Then: The Final Beatles Song (TM)” have been so much better if only it didn’t suck?
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 219 | Fab Beatles Covers
Look, some “Beatles podcasts” don’t have the 🏀🏀 to break into 14th-Beatle Vanessa Williams’ “Save The Breast For Last” while deep-dishing Beatles Covers.
Unfortunately, the UBP is not just any “Beatles podcast”. First off, and obviously, we’re officially authorized by #BMGDarkHorse, #CalderstoneuMe, and #Apple (Pantry on Fullerton, near Marco’s Beef).
Second, let’s change the subject and use AI to write about this collection of listener-suggested cover songs made famous by the Beatles, and re-interpreted by other artists of different genres and eras. Some argue that Beatles covers cannot be as good as the originals, but Producer Tony, Casey, P3Z-Nutz and Todd might argue differently, given their contrarian and occasionally strained attempts at unusual musical humor.
So, s’il vous plaît, faites-nous plaisir, bande de jagbags, and give a listen to our second installment of Fab Beatles Covers!
🌵🏜 Is the series finale of the Linda Lavin vehicle “Alice” better than literally every single Beatles album?
🚍 (Angry Chicago Guy. He’s drinking Kirkland-branded Malort that he brought to the bar from his sad home:) How come Petula Clark don’t come to Chicago and call herself Petula 22, like the CTA bus? Who’s she crappin’? And how come George Harrison didn’t take no selfies of his Red Line stop? And where do we burn our copies of “Plastic Ono Band” now that we got a Chicago pope?
💉 Who’s the “better” Macca Collaborator: Wix or Lennon? (Hot take: it’s Eric Stewart.)
EPISODE LINKS
Check out UBP's first installment of Fab Beatles Covers: Beatles Covers Clambake!
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 218 | Paul McCartney on Saturday Night Live (1993) Part 2
Dust off your funny bone (actual NBC ad copy circa 1987), it’s the long-awaited conclusion to T.J., Tony and Producer Casey’s forensic deep dish into Paul McCartney’s 1993 appearance on Saturday Night Live!
Yes, the boys are combing through every Macca performance, each Clinton-era comedy sketch, and almost every opinion... Unfortunately, Producer Casey did not inform the affiliates that we would be running over, so regularly scheduled programming resumed as planned.
Of course, any well-executed satire (like the Gap Girls sketch!) will elicit thought-provoking questions. Such as:
💰🚳 Didn’t Lorne Michaels offer Paul $3000 to not play “Biker Like An Icon”?
🥔🥔 Who made the best mall potato: The Great Steak and Potato Company or Tater Junction? #mallpotatoes
📺🏀 Why is everyone standing in front of the damn TV during the Knicks game?? WOOO-OO-OO-OO-OO….
And as a bonus, The Nerk Triplets cover some hidden extra features on T.J.’s VHS cassette tape. We’re fast-forwarding you with Peace and Love…Be kind! Rewind! 📼📼📼
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 217 | Paul McCartney on Saturday Night Live (1993)
Remember when Paul wasn’t in The Beatles anymore? And, um, he was on that TV show Saturday Night Live? A second time? And he played all those songs nobody knew from that record only T.J. Shanoff loved called Off the Ground?
Remember that?
That was awesome.
(But also some of it might’ve been hot garbage #AlecBaldwin #AnalcAnal)
Join Tony, T.J., and Producer Casey as they foray into Sir Paul’s second foray into live sketch comedy, his 1993 appearance on SNL. Along the way, the gang finds out:
👄👅 Was Dana Carvey on to something? Was it true SNL could never top Luke Perry with musical guest Mick Jagger?
👕🟥 How come those jagbag shock jocks never went after Linda for flubbing Adam Sandler’s iconic lyrics?
🎸🤡 Can G.E. Smith out-smarm Wix Wickens’s smarmy synth strings?
EPISODE LINKS
Check out the episode on YouTube (if the link still works?)
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 216 | The Beatles “Kum Back” (1970)
Did you know that fellow '60's Brit rockers The Kinks had their biggest ever hit in 1984? Who didn't love "Kum Backing", their tribute to one of the very first bootlegs: the Beatles acetate "Kum Back"?
Here at the UBP we love the Kinks, kink shaming, Kum & Go gas, and this legendary bootleg, heard by the #Kum2GetherToo for the very first time just this month! Some Beatles "fans", right? I'll bet they can't even pronounce "Esher" correctly...
So do get your tape recorders rolling, but be forewarned; Kash Patel may come to your home to sing songs about justice for people who poop on senate desks. Smart fella, that one. All of 'em, really.
ANYHOO, when your tape is rolling, Bob, be ready for more questions than a societally-destructive right wing manosphere podcast is "just asking", such as:
🐭🍆 Did (Lovely) Rita Rudner ever guest star in a "SHOtime After Dark" entry, or was she merely the lead-in programming, immediately following "An American Tail"?
✝🍕 (Angry Chicago Guy:) If Paul McCartney's pitching is in a strident manner, how come he and Mark Buherle ain't in Cooperstown? And how come the Pope ain't returning no answering machine messages no more, he too good for me now? We go to Aurelio's every Tuesday, he better show up.
🚫🧸 Cancel "Teddy Boy", correct?
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 215 | Hear the Beatles Tell All (1964)
Some “podcasts” only hear The Beatles (TM, pending) tell some. But only one “Podcast” hears the Beatles tell all, for one. #Sting #BryanAdams #RodStewart #TellMeAllYourThoughtsOnRod
This week, our own Dunhill & V.J. - Tony & T.J.! - jump into one of the long-forgotten, 1964 V.J. record label cash grabs, “Hear The Beatles Tell All”. This tabloid-style Beatles interview album contains no Beatles music, but it does feature one of rock & soul music’s greatest drummers this side of Purdydice City. Take! Me! Home! #PurdiePlayedOnThatTrackToo
Take a trip back to late 1964, when this album was released, or sometime in the 1980’s, when T.J bought a fake V.J. version in a real Chicago record store, played it, and carefully put it back in a rice paper sleeve, where it lived until about a week ago. Which pressing does he have? Do you really care? Does he? Does Tony? Casey? P3Z-Nutz? Why is John pregnant, again? And why not use this gone tropportunity to ask more questions, such A$:
👄👨⚕️ Is anyone else clamoring for the Untitled Motley Hatchett podcast, or is that idea just flirtin’ with Dr. Feelbad?
🎤🚗 Would it be so terrible if the official 9th Beatle (as formally recognized by Calderstone) was Harry Schmerler, your singing Ford dealer? #RockaybeYourBabyyyyyyyyyy
🍗 If you give out Putin pal/draft dodger Donald Trump’s address, will you come down with a case of Chicken Doxx? Because you’d have doxxed an actual f’ing chicken?
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.