Episodes
Ep. 192 | Fab Lip Service
Not everyone gets lip serviced. Like, have you ever been lip serviced, pal?Being lip serviced, also known as “paying someone lip service” is when someone talks about you. For example, “Donald T****p once paid his daughter 💋Ivanka💋 lip service when he literally joked about wanting to date her on the Howard Stern show”. But it’s not usually that creepy or gross, in fact it’s often a compliment, like the many songs that feature a direct mention of The Beatles, in every generation and genre of music.
This week, Tony & T.J., as reproduced for podcast by Producer Casey, delve into some of their favorite (and least favorite) songs that mention The Beatles. They also wonder, aloud, because it’s a podcast…
🚨 Would “Kids Incorporated” have been a more interesting show if it was called “Kids Incarcerated”?
😴 Are Rod Rogers and Rick Astley the Dream Academy and Beatles of their respective eras? And why are you acting like you don’t know what that means, are you ok?
⛵️Who can say where the road goes? Where the day flows? And who can say if your love grows, as your heart chose? And, is this a joke or just lazily quoting Enya?
EPISODE LINKS
In case you need it, here's last week's Songs for Times of Trouble playlist.
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Ep. 191 | Songs for Times of Trouble
For anyone with a pulse - and/or a mint copy of the Pink Floyd CD with a still-functioning blue light - Beatles music makes life better. The Fab 4 (or 5, depending where one sits with Sir Jimmie Nicol) were imperfect men, who created mostly perfect music; “12 Bar Original” and “Sie Liebt Dich”, notwithstanding. Despite their very human flaws and contradictions, they sought to communicate light and love through their remarkable music, lyrics, and an unmatched accessibility to every generation and background.
In mere hours, America [F**K YEAH!] will decide our next president. Regardless of one’s political leanings, it’s a stressful time ‘round here. And, when we find ourselves in times of trouble, many of us rely on Beatles music to soothe, entertain, inspire, and fulfill us. Those who don’t are probably d-bags, and it’s best to cancel them. #PeaceAndLove
Even though entertainers should absolutely stay in their lane and SHUT THEIR PIE HOLES about politics (looking at you, Chachi! And especially you, longtime host of NBC’s “The Apprentice”!), this week’s UBP focuses on favorite, optimistic music from the Beatles world that serves to inspire Tony & T.J. on the eve of this precarious moment in American history. Plus, there’s many insider-y, beltway-adjacent questions posed by our own Nate Silver and Nate Gold (#YukonCornelius #SoulTrain), as we also ask:
🤠 How many voters will be swayed by the effects of inflation on the pre-order price of Ringo’s new country + western cassette tape?
🦋 Is there a better chance MPL will release a Deluxe Archive Collection reissue of Ringo’s two versions of “Wings” before actually reissuing Wings “London Town” or Wings “Back To The Egg”? And will there ever be two versions of “Two Virgins”?
💉 Is the $80 vinyl of Sean’s “Mind Games: The Meditation Mixes” the RFK Jr. of Beatles re-issues?
EPISODE LINKS
If you're anything like us, you might want to bookmark this playlist.
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Ep. 190 | Fab Beatle Books
A book can take you anywhere…
… Out to sea on a vengeful hunt for a fierce white whale
… Trapped on a stalled train car solving the grisly murder of a fellow passenger
… Madly pacing at a record retailer, deciding whether or not to purchase a Leon Russell Christmas LP because it’s on green vinyl
That last scenario hasn’t been published yet, and those pretentious snobs over at Simon & Schuster won’t accept unsolicited submissions. Same goes for Penguin. And the dorks at HarperCollins. And the jerks at Random House. And Macmillan. And The Hachette Book Group…
That’s why this week, per another fab listener suggestion, T.J. and Tony are taken to 1960s Great Britain, where they discuss some of their favorite Beatles books.
Were this episode to be optioned into a page turning best seller, these would be some of the chapters:
🎙️💀 Other Podcasts Who Shall Not Be Named
🏃♀️🏠 Begrudging Appreciation For “She’s Leaving Home”
📚⛽️ Recommended Reading At Gas Stations
💿🏙️ Reckless Records Locations in Chicago 1988-1993
🚫🍊 Incorrect Pronunciations of “Pomelo”
If this all sounds boring to you, bring a book!
EPISODE LINKS
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Ep. 181 | UBP Live from The Fest for Beatles Fans (Feat. Skylar Moody!)
Live, from Beatlefest’s famous/non-existent Midway Ballroom, in the outskirts of beautiful, mobbed-up, downtown Rosemont, it’s Saturday Afternoon Live! WITH SPECIAL GUEST, #1 BEATLES STAN, SKYLAR MOODY!
For the second year in a row, Tony Shanoff, T.J. Mendoza, and Producer Case3Z-Nutz said, “f**k it, we’ll do it live!”, and recorded this episode at the always-incredible Fest For Beatles Fans (née Beatlefest), in front of some loyal UBP fans; and a few very confused people who were probably too embarrassed/disturbed to leave. (Seeing P3Z-Nutz in person can do that to a newbie.)
This year, they’re joined by Beatles superfan/influencer/digital creator - the wonderful Skylar Moody - for an intense game of Beatles Trivial Pursuit! Plus, Tony celebrates the Beatles rich history in Chicago - AMERICA’S GREATEST CITY, YA JAGBAGS! T.J. pays tribute to arguably 2025’s 8th Beatle (#GiveIrelandBackToTheIfield)! And they also ask, to a HUGE CROWD THAT’S WAY BIGGER THAN KAMALA’S, WHICH IS IMPORTANT AND TRUE BECAUSE I’M MISERABLE INSIDE:
🦊📰🍆 Who’s more of a failed cartoon character in America? Rupert The Bear, or Rupert The Murdoch?
📺🇺🇸😷Which is a more culturally impactful moment in American media history: Producer Casey bravely producing this live recording sick, from his hotel room via Zoom, or the 1970’s WGBH Boston kids-show “Zoom”?
🦁👑🐭How many times has noted Disney-phile Tony seen “The Lion King”?
Special thanks to the Fest For Beatles Fans family for hosting us. It’s an honor to be a very small part of such a wonderful, joyful, celebration of the greatest rock band not named Korn!
📸 Photos courtesy of Patreon Star Club supporter Glen K.!
EPISODE LINKS
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Ep. 127.2 | A Trivial Beatles Podcast (Special Replay)
The Untitled Beatles Crew are all still recovering from an epic, whirlwind Fest for Beatles Fans 2024. And by recovering, I mean still passed out somewhere under the Apple Jam Stage.
This week, please enjoy one of our all-time faves!
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[Originally released May 6, 2023]
Trivia! What a silly word. I mean, how many words rhyme with “Jergens?” Feel me, Jacque?
Sadly, ever since Alex Trebek pulled a (rather cowardly) #HeGone, the pursuit of trivia - Beatles and otherwise - has been largely dormant in America. But not this week! Because Tony and T.J. each break out their deluxe editions of Beatles Trivial Pursuit and play a heated, often deadly round or three of the game! But don’t you D.A.R.E. think we put the board in “bored game”! Because, madness (#OurHouse) ensues as we also trivially pursue:
🚕 Would NBC have ever considered green-lighting “Dear John” if not for its one, ill-fated season of “Taxi”?
⚾️ Were the 90’s Yankees really better without ding-dong-dinger machine Donnie Baseball? (Drunk old Chicago White Sox fan: “What about Bronny Dosco?”)
🚥 Is “Steve Winwood: The Musical” the new “Blind Faith: The Musical”? And will you miss both if you’re stuck in traffic? Shit that’s a lot of Steve Winwood references, right? Too many? Or just about right, in a “rule of 3’s” way? We ask rhetorically, like don’t send us notes or anything like that, because we won’t read it. Who’s got the time? Like, how do YOU even have the time to write a Beatles podcast about a failed Steve Winwood bit? Think about that next time you find yourself drinking a High Life again. Drinking a high…life…again.
EPISODE LINKS:
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Ep. 171 | (Not So) Fab Greed
For us UBPeedles who also dig old school rap, it's clear that the Fat Boys cover of "Baby, You're A Rich Man" absolutely betters the Beatles' far less trilly/rappy original.
And some four decades since the Disorderlies soundtrack shocked the world, the Fat Boys have never been more relevant, en vogue, or even En Vogue.
Never gonna get it, never gonna get it (this reference)? Here goes: baby, you'd better be a rich them to afford Beatles-related reissues these days! A "Mind Games" cube for $1,700? WTF?!?! Only (rich) people, indeed...
Tony and T.J. delve into the shamefully burgeoning world of Fab Greed, the debut of Lennon/McCartney 2.0, and also:
🐏 Is buying a Billy Budapest Belt Buckle beyond Beatle believability?
🍁 Can "Primrose Hill" replace "Solsbury Hill" as the go-to music used in previews for autumn-based romantic comedies? (Angry Chicago Guy: AND HOW COME WAGS IS TOO WOKE TO SERVE SALISBURY STEAK NO MORE??)
😵 Does P3Z-Nutz know a little too much about T.J.'s mom? Uh-oh! AI stalker-of-dead-parents alert! #NotAGame #Practice
EPISODE LINKS
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Ep. 171 | T.J. Shanoff (1974) 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition
It’s T.J.’s birthday! It’s T.J.’s birthday! And we would like to give him all of the cassettes!
The celebrated 4th member of the UBP (a. Tony, b. Casey, c. P3Z-Nutz) celebrates 46 years of Beatles love and weirdo-sniffer-collecting on the occasion of his 50th birthday! From meeting Paul McCartney to a crisis of what Apple ’92 closeout cassettes to buy in ’96, T.J. and Tony discuss some of the birthday boy’s favorite Beatles memories in a lifetime of loving the music and unmatched excellence of the Fab 4.
But a special birthday episode can’t derail the usual chicanery, and lots of rando preguntas are asked, including:
🐝 Is “My Girl” by The Turtles more or less of a soul classic than the one by The Temptations? And can a bee sting really f you up, like kill you? #MyGirl
🐚 Holy s**t, Peter Noone is still alive? Do you think Kathy Bartlett knows? Holy s**t, is Kathy Bartlett still alive?
🥁 Was the absolute highlight of Record Store Day 2024 Ringo’s “Crooked Boy” EP? Or are only the criminally insane interested in this item?
EPISODE LINKS
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Ep. 168 | Seventh Beatle Bracket
Glass Onions, baby! It's the UBP's third annual (note the TWO "n"'s and a "u", you grotty kids) Beatles March Madness! This week, we begin the Journey (#whenthelightsgodowninthecitay) to naming the official, Apple/Calderstone/Odeon/Ring'o Records 7th Beatle!
This year, for what feels like the very first time, the field is all musicians; and Tony, T.J., and our very own Tim Donaghy, Producer Casey, have some tough life decisions to make! Among them:
🎸 Is Beatlemania's Tom Teeley straight up more important to The Beatles than Linda, George, and original/best (of the) Beatles drummer Jimmie Nicol, combined?
🎸 Did Beatlemania's Tom Teeley invent the music video? Or just the now-wildly popular subset of music videos featuring extended tripping-on-bodega-fruit takes?
🎸 I just bet $20k on FanDuel that Beatlemania's Tom Teeley is gonna f'ing win this thing. I'll kill you bozos if I lose, do you f'ing hear me? And no, overly accessible legal gambling is definitely not f'ing up sports! Also, I'm sweating profusely. From the cocaine.
Life's too short! So you'd better back off, because it's Beatles March Madness! Stay tuned next for your late local news. Then, don't miss Martin Mull in the hilarious, new, can't miss, 1984 comedy, "Domestic Life". Only on (this is) CBS!
EPISODE LINKS
Download your bracket to play along at home
Check out the Beatlemania's Mitch Weissman on "Joanie Loves Chachie"
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Ep. 162 | Fab Grammys
It’s the dead of winter! So toss them [sic, intentional] wet towels on yer [sic, unintentional] space heater, serve your guests a hearty slice of calico flaming cat, and cozy up for the biggest awards show this side of the regional Tonys - the Fab Grammys! This week, Tony, T.J., Sizzle Chest Casey, and the increasingly ill-behaved P3Z-Nutz, tackle - powder puff “footie” style - the complicated history of the Beatles and the Grammy Awards.
The (Lou) Gram Two get into the electric moog mood groove (#Madonna) and also demand to know:
🪠 If it don’t rain in Indianapolis in the summer time, why does Schneider ALWAYS carry a plunger in tool belt? And how come said plunger is in the upright position every time Ms. Romano walks by, guy? Go on, answer the question.
Is Gary Sinise a true nature’s child?
🍻 (Angry Chicago guy:) How come Ryne Sandberg didn’t win no Grammy for the 1984 novelty Cubs hit “Men In Blue”?
🤖 (P3Z-Nutz:) Hey, you Malört-soaked jagbag, that 45 only featured Rick Sutcliffe, Jody Davis, Leon Durham, Keith Moreland, and Gary Woods.
😭 (Angry Chicago guy:) (begins weeping, cries out for someone named “Joan?”)
EPISODE LINKS
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Ep. 159 | A Tribute to Denny Laine (1944 - 2023)
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Denny Laine is in our ears and in our eyes. And since December 2023, also, sadly, in the skies. As Macca’s most consistent post-Beatles collaborator, Denny Laine’s imprint on Wings and Sir Paul's overall legacy is unquestionably secure. This week, Tony & T.J. look at some of Denny Laine’s greatest moments with Wings and beyond, and also ask:
🏈 Would the Florida State Seminoles still have acted like straight bi**hes had they been invited to the Kenny Rogers Roasters Bowl?
🍆 (Angry Chicago Guy) How come Jim Caviezel didn’t make no movie when Denny Laine wrote multiple songs about children on “London Town”? And how come Lauren Bobert don’t give me no lap treats when I watch Beatlejuice on VHS?
🌹 Is repeatedly discussing specific Chicagoland record stores that closed in the 1990’s the key to making millions of dollars hosting a podcast? (Out of nowhere, man, angry Chicago Guy callback:) And how come the Rose Records on Wabash don’t carry no Nancy Faust??
EPISODE LINKS
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