Episodes
Ep. 189 | âDaytime Revolutionâ Documentary (2024)
In 2003, The Redwalls, a really good band hailing from Chicago suburb Deerfield, IL kicked off their album âUniversal Bluesâ by encouraging a âColorful Revolutionâ; in a most Beatle-esque Banger fashion.
By coincidence (?), a mere 31 years earlier, there was a colorful âDaytime Revolutionâ as John, Yoko, and friends took over a weekâs worth of âThe Mike Douglas Showâ - a.k.a. the guy all of us, if weâre being honest, initially confused/conflated with âThe Dick Cavett Showâ.
This new, soon-to-stream documentary examines these historic episodes, and had a brief in-theaters showing on what wouldâve been Johnâs 84th birthday. Tony saw the film solo in Chicago suburb Glenview, IL, as T.J. handled the un-related, un-paid improv rehearsal many miles from his home - and even further from #GlenviewsFamousDawgPark. The result is a new-ish phase Beatles podcast, reproduced for streaming by Producer Casey. Roll up for this special UBP field trip, an aural journey (cue: âFaithfullyâ) of Tony documenting a documentary, as documentary commentary from T.J. documents Tonyâs documentary commentary of the documentary's documentary commentary.
ALSO: The UBPâs Medved + (Helen) Roeper ask:
đ„đĄ Does a movie with too many talking heads stop making sense? Or does it get nothing but flowers? Is Wings Wild Life > Wild Wild Life? Sick Byrne, quâest-ce que c'est?
âŸïžđ» (Chicago guy - a Sox fan, but he doesnât hate the Cubs; only Wrigleyville and their fans, and maybe he has a point): âHow come the unique single mix of Steve Goodmanâs âGo Cubs Goâ - pressed, my friendt, on WGN Records! - ainât been made available anywhere else since the original 45? Maybe Dean Richards will return one of my many handwritten letters and tell me what exactly woke WGN is trying to hide?
đ„Ș Would former American Idol Reuben Studard have been more successful if heâd been slathered in extra 1000 Island and better swiss?
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 184 | Mind Games (The Ultimate Collection) Deluxe Box Set Part 2
Attention loyal podcast description reader! Mighty fine morning in your town, init? Say, are you an âOnly Peopleâ fan? Ever think, âI want to be, but itâs just not long enough!â Well, have we got a John Lennon boxed set for you, featuring 11 - count âem, 11 - more seconds of âOnly Peopleâ. Itâs âMind Games!â Still a Capitol Records Value, now available for the low price of one monthâs rent/mortgage. #ImagineNoPosessions
The Grumpy Gabbers deep dish this sprawling Lennon reissueâs many gorgeous ups and frustrating (Hugh) downs: the demos, myriad remixes, hidden tracks, glow-in-the-dark RSD exclusives, and more, like:
đž Does WFUK-96.9 FM - APPLETONâS HOME FOR F**K ROCK - play too little Led Apron?
đ If âNow & Thenâ is, technically, a Beatles song, is âNutopian International Anthem (Evolution Documentary) technically a Rutles song?
đȘâïž (Angry Chicago Guy, Heâs Not Sober) âHow come Tony donât get no âWizard Of Ozâ references? And how come I took mushrooms after Super Bowl XX and watched my VHS of âWizard Of Ozâ synced up to âPipes Of Peaceâ, and it all made sense?â
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 183 | Mind Games (The Ultimate Collection) Deluxe Box Set
In 1981, the Capitol Records green label LP, budget line re-release of "Mind Games" cost $5.99. In 2024, that same record, when heard in a cube complete with a gnome sized replica of Yoko (allegedly), can be purchased for roughly $1700. Thanks, Obama! (#Sarcasm #Satire #Satcasm)
A new precedent in solo Beatles reissues has been set with this reissue, including the more moderately priced (yet still insane) 6 disc edition. Is that a good thing? Does hearing 6 versions of "Intuition" really enhance the experience of listening to the album? And if T.J. doesn't collect it, does it even exist?
Tony and T.J. begin to dive into this massive release and answer these questions, and more, like:
đ·đ„đ” Was Aunt Mimi a loyal fan of BBC 4's, "Pounds or Dollars"?
đ Did the Mick Jagger film "Freejack" portend the Michael Jackson film song, "Freewilly"?
đ» Angry Chicago Fella: "How come the John Lennon tribute band, Real Sanpaku, don't play at the Merrillville Star Plaza no more?"
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 175 | Paul McCartney, âOne Hand Clapping (2024) Part 2
The 4th of July is a wonderful time to remember that lifeâs all about picking sides - and, often, hands; across the water, and across America! And today we pick sidesâŠdeep dishing sides three and four of One Hand Clapping! Plus, we dive into the incredible bonus, backyard vinyl EP that under no circumstance should be included anywhere digitally, because the millions of peons who dare to get their music from places other than the Universal Music online store donât deserve live âBlackbirdâ. (Nope, not letting this one go.)
Tony and T.J. agree that the first official release of âOne Hand Clappingâ is a masterpiece, perhaps one of Paulâs very best albums; unless one is Rob Sheffleld, in which case this would rank just below âGone Troppoâ. But when itâs time to pick sides, perhaps theyâre more Siskel & Ebert and less Medved & Lyons as they also ponder:
đ» Are you #TeamWix or #TeamActualOrchestra
đșđž Are you #TeamCanadianREM, #TeamAmericanBarenakedLadies, or #TeamAmericaWorldPolice? #Fyeah
đŠ Are you #TeamGlenFrey or #TeamRandallCunningham?
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 174 | Paul McCartney, âOne Hand Clappingâ (2024)
What exactly is the sound of one hand clapping? Is it similar to one man napping? Some band slapping? Dumb planned crapping? Crumb...tanned...uh, line? LINE?
No, you can't get in line at your local record shoppe for a midnight release party, because the first ever official, complete vinyl issue of "One Hand Clapping" is being sold exactly as it would've been in 1974: exclusively on Universal's website. Eat it, beloved, local record stores!
And unlike Wacco Jacko's '88 parody "Eat It", these live-in-studio Wings tracks have never sounded fresher. 50 years after they were recorded, can a case be made that this is a top-tier McCartney album, filled with definitive versions of Macca classics? We'll leave that to Rob Sheffield, who'll rank "Love My Baby" ahead of "Watching The Wheels", and instead ask:
If NBC's "Geoff Emerick And A Dog" hadn't followed "GlĂŒcklich And Froh" in the fall of '77, would it have been a bigger hit?
If you mash up Paul Simon's "One Trick Pony" with Macca's "One Hand Clapping", do you get "One Simon's Hand Pony Macca's Clapping Trick"? Or might you, more than likely, find a different combination of words?
đŠâ⏠(Angry Chicago Guy): HOW COME THE CD SOUNDTRACK OF "THE IN-LAWS" 2003 REMAKE AIN'T AVAILABLE AT CROW'S NEST? (Sadly, reeking of old Old Style) AND WHEN DID THE RAP SECTION OUTNUMBER SINATRAS?
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 173 | Rolling Stone's 100 Best Beatles Solo Songs (A Very Special Untitled Beatles Penpals Episode)
Is any magazine as influential as Rolling Stone magazine? From the iconic Garth Brooks/Goo Goo Dolls issue (4/93) to the glibly unsuccessful attempts to help sway the outcomes of the ass-brutal 2004 and 2016 elections, hooray for Rolling Stone! (And, Caddyshack fans, hooray for the Douglasses!)
We at the Untitled Beatles Podcast donât dare hold a Beatles-related opinion without first consulting what the culture-makers at RS want us to know. So we were thrilled - no, THRILLED - when RS (dba Rob Sheffield) released a list this spring of the 100 Best Beatles Solo Songs!
In fact, we were so thrilled, we decided to start an old-school letter writing campaign all about the rankings - to each other! Thanks to the bravery and diligence of the U.S. Postal Service - which the previous president proudly tried to sabotage, because, uh, âOwn the libsâ I fâing guess? - the New Box Tops (dba Tony & T.J.) read their pointed correspondences aloud. They have some questions, including:
đ (Angry Chicago fella): How come Paulâs got a song about Dominoes, and not a real Chicago pizza joint like the Barnabyâs in South Bend or the Old Town Pizza Hut on North & Wells that they turned into some woke Boston Market? And how come I keep getting kicked out of Old Town Ale House at 2 in the afternoon?
â€ïžđŠ If Kurt Cobain were Jesus, would he have returned to stop âCut Me Some Slackâ from happening?
đ Is it a coincidence that the UBP is sponsored by Kenny Rogers Roasters in Malaysia, and longtime Beatle roadie Mal Evans and early 80âs supergroup Asia are both essential parts of The Beatles story? #MalAsia
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon
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:
đ Is buying a Billy Budapest Belt Buckle beyond Beatle believability?
đ 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??)
đ” 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
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon
Ep. 170 | Ringo Starrâs âCrooked Boyâ EP (2024)
If itâs Saturday, it means one thing: Ringo has another new EP! Nobody other than Ringo has released more music in such a short amount of time - LOOKING AT YOU, TAYLOR* (*Fred Taylor, longtime Jaguars running back.)
The masses want to know: is Ringoâs âCrooked Boyâ the biggest musical release of 2024? As Macca might opine, Who Cares what the idiots say! Any Ringo album is a gift to us all, right? RIGHT? In this episodic journey - which also begins to touch on the recent, disturbing silver streak of greed in Beatles reissues - we discuss the newest Ringo record, arguably his finest EP since whatever the hell the last one was called, and also get into these hot button hot topics:
đđ Is the Pizza Hut in Normal Illinois best known for its personal pan pizza, or for Rich Hallâs infamous 1987 visit?
đ©đ Is Ringo a Butthole Surfer, or merely one of the two?
đ» Is Linda Perryâs âWhatâs Goinâ Onâ way better than Marvin Gayeâs long-forgotten, critically derided, socially irrelevant version? (Angrier than usual Chicago guy:) AND HOW COME WGN AM-720 STOPPED USING BOTH OF THOSE SONGS, FEAT. DEAN RICHARDS, AS PROMO BUMPERS? AND WHY DID MILT ROSENBERG HAVE TO DIE?
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon
Ep. 167 | Macca Snacks #1 / Paul McCartneyâs The 7â Singles Box (2022)
In the fall of 2022, acclaimed (fictional) documentarian and (fictional) podcast factchequer P3Z-Nutz planted a microphone in a flower pot embedded in the Shanoff residence to surreptitiously record T.J. and Tony as they unboxed and auditioned select cuts from the then-newly-released McCartney 7" Singles Box Set. (Don't worry -- our AI lawyers assure us it's totally legal.)
While we were unable to obtain Peter Jackson's proprietary AI sound-cleaning technology, we were able to get access to a turntable once used to play Pete Best's "Best of the Beatles", and frankly, the sonic results are astounding.
Please enjoy the first of what we hope will be like 80 occasionally recurring episodesâpart of a complete, balanced breakfastâthat we're calling MACCA SNACKS.
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.
Ep. 164 | Paul McCartney and Wings "Band On The Run" Underdubbed Mixes (2024)
Hereâs an actual e-mail from The Untitled Beatles Podcast to M.P.L., sent on The Fifth of November, 2023:
Hi Sir Paul or Freda! We are the Untitled Beatles Podcast, Americaâs foremost discussion of profound, focused Beatles scholarship. With the holidays around the corner (AMERICAN ONES, LIKE CHRISTMAS! USA! USA! USA!) we wanted to represent all Beatles and Macca fans with this wish list for 2024:
First off, please, absolutely do not deliver long-delayed remasters of âLondon Townâ and âBack To The Eggâ. Who needsâ em! The most ârecentâ ones from 1993, with their harsh compression and lack of any meaningful bonus tracks, have held up JUST GREAT.
But, please do make us buy âBand On The Runâ again! Only this time, change things up. Maybe put the songs in a different order? Take away all of the beautiful arrangements that are baked into this albumâs legacy? Just one thing: please, do not include âHelen Wheelsâ. Feel me, holmes?
We at the UBP - the home of Producer Caseyâs exclusive re-mix of your old bandâs most famous single, âThe Movie Medleyâ, as youâre well aware from your cruel lawsuit - guarantee that even the most skeptical fan will find this to be a stunning reissue we never knew we needed. Your skilled team can give this album an intimacy and rawness that somehow elevates the these already great songs. What do you think? Are you in? And while we have a minute with you Sir Paul, or Freda:
đ©ââ€ïžâđâđ© Whatâs your favorite old porno rag: Screw? Naked? Stripped? Underdubbed? Cracked? Stacked? Smothered? Covered? Or Chunked? #TruffleShuffle
đ» Is Tony Visconti the Phil Spector of producer/arrangers who donât kill people?
đâ Is the BTS K-Pop smash âDyno-miteâ a fitting or, quite frankly (#StephenASmith) insulting tribute to âGood Timesâ legend Jimmie Walker?
Thank you, Sir Paul, or Freda, for liking and subscribing to our show like decent/non-awful people do! And, because weâre writing this on Sunday, 11/5/23 (Remember??), and itâs Daylight Savings Time, itâs probably already Meat Free Monday where you are. As they say at NEMS, Mazel Tov!
With Kisses On Your Bottom,
Tony, T.J., Producer Casey, and P3Z-Nutz
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some sweet merch or find us on Patreon.