We Don't Believe in Beatles

This week we go to the theatre, literally - as Jack takes a pilgrimage to the now defunct Broad Street tube station, honouring Paul McCartney's oft-forgotten but still much maligned venture into Hollywood as a solo artist, Give My Regards to Broad Street. We discuss the film, its soundtrack album and how a project that sees Paul reunite with some of his best collaborators (Ringo Starr, Linda McCartney, George Martin) can go so wrong.

Cameron also teaches us how to speak like Stephen Hawking and we discuss the resurgence of 1980s fashion in 2023. Jess then takes lead for a piano ballad rendition of No More Lonely Nights.

Happy New Year! Unfortunately, there's a bittersweet air this week as we explore John & Yoko's posthumous release, a spiritual sequel to Double Fantasy but ultimately unfinished, at least on John's behalf. But it's not all doom and gloom! Amongst some auditory gold we discuss if bass guitar is pointless, whether John & Yoko ultimately "fit" musically, which towel one uses when visiting a friend's bathroom and the traditional Halloween turnip carving of Scotland. Stick around to hear our Beck-inspired take on Nobody Told Me.

Surprise! We're back with our third Christmas special, this time tackling something a bit older; the seven 'Christmas records' that the Beatles recorded and posted to members of their fan club starting in 1963 up to their demise in '69. These under-10 minute recordings are comprised of seasons greetings from the Fab Four, some simple Christmas tunes, mad pantomime sketches and much random noise, and with each new Christmas record we very clearly see not only their musical evolution, but the interpersonal fracturing which would ultimately end the band.

This week's cover is Christmas Time is Here Again, one of the pieces featured on the 5th record.

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas from our family to yours - we'll be back in 2023 with more episodes.

Thank you to everyone who's still listening despite the episodes coming out infrequently... we love you all!

This week Paul starts blowing his Pipes of Peace, with the help of some new and old collaborators (George Martin, Ringo, Michael Jackson, Linda, Denny and Eric Stewart amongst others) and for the first time, Jack and Jess firmly disagree on the results, how exciting! Which one of us is acting like a complete dustbin lid? Listen on to find out...

We also discuss Paul's iconic set at Glastonbury 2022 and The Mars Volta's reforming (because we like them, sorry if you don't care... but you should! And to finish off, we go back in time to record an old-timey interpretation of Average Person.

This week, Jess loses his mind over Ringo's collaboration with the Eagles' Joe Walsh - an album that misrepresents itself with its cover art and divides opinions among our hosts, despite the addition of the brilliant Russ Kunkel.

But before the breakdown, it's a new year and so we discuss the best albums of 1983 and the birth of Pantera & Metallica. Plus we talk about the best gigs we've ever been to and treat you listeners to a live tea break. Jack then serenades us with Hopeless.

I'm afraid the rumours are true... we have officially all gone troppo. George Harrison throws out the rulebook with this oft-forgotten, happy-go-lucky record. Is it truly forgettable, or a diamond in the rough? Would it have been better if George had recorded the whole thing on an acoustic guitar into a dictaphone? And why does he suddenly hate bridges? Amongst some varying opinions on the record, we discuss the mythical Rodina Sloan, Weezer's best albums and Cameron goes on an insane rant about how deep voiced men aren't real singers.

Our cover of the week is the fabulous title track.

We hit a bit of a turning point in Macca's career when, following John Lennon's murder, he reunites with Ringo Starr and Beatles producer George Martin for his first collaborative album since the disbanding of Wings. We argue whether this album flirts too far into McCartney-cheese territory, Paul's collaborations with Stevie Wonder and which albums set the musical backdrop of 1982.

We also debate which Radiohead album is better - Kid A or Amnesiac - and Cameron tells us about his recent gastrointestinal journey. We then try our hand at turning The Pound is Sinking into a dub track.

Ringo's back with the old gang and up to his old tricks again. Is it possible that this much-overlooked album could actually be a return to form for Mr Starkey, despite low sales at HMV on Christmas Day 1981? We also discuss the album that could've been (You Can't Fight Lightning), Ringo's appearance in the film Caveman, and the power of the plop.

Cameron puts on his best Ian Curtis impression for a Joy Division inspired cover of Dead Giveaway.

Disclaimer: We actually do get around to talking about a post-Beatles album eventually, promise!

We come to you from somewhere in England (and Australia) to deliver a cracking opener for season 3, as George Harrison continues to divide opinions. We debate the genius of 'Teardrops', delve into George's poetic lyrical prowess and the contrast of his up-tempo musicality with dark themes.
But before getting to that, we spend about an hour discussing music from 1981, horror films, Joe Rogan vs Neil Young, alternatives to Spotify, grandad rock and Richard Dawson.

Cameron takes lead vocal on our cover of the week, All Those Years Ago.

Season 2 comes to an end, coinciding with the tragic murder of John Lennon mere weeks after the release of his final studio album, the uplifting and eclectic Double Fantasy. After a break from the industry to raise his second son, Sean, a near-death experience at sea inspires a new burst of creativity after John reconciles with estranged wife Yoko Ono. 

We discuss the unfulfilled potential of the Ono Lennon creative partnership while also touching on current day post-Beatles news. As always, we distract ourselves with unrelated conversations about Van Morrison, jizz music and answer the ultimate question... were Wolfmother shit?

Stick around to the end to hear our cover version of Lennon classic 'Beautiful Boy'.

Thank you to everyone who's joined our journey through the 70s - see you in a few months.

This is it - the reason it all started and the standard by which we've measured everything thus far - Paul's wacky, experimental, fun yet occasionally extremely moving second solo album. 

We talk through how the album came to be after the demise of Wings, all that came after that took from McCartney II, the uncanny valley of remastering records years later, plus Cameron does some Korn impressions. We then, of course, have a go at our own version of 'Temporary Secretary'. We hope you rate it a tenporary secretary.

Our time with Wings comes to an end with this funny little album and its accompanying TV special. We explore the unfinished concept behind the album, discuss how tracklist sequencing can make or break a record, and ruminate on who our first spin-off podcast may tackle... We then get heavy with Jack screeching his way through 'Old Siam Sir'.

Join us on our journey through the first and last truly self titled album from a Beatle! After funding the production of a movie (Monty Python's Life of Brian) and joining in the ribbing in the Rutles' All You Need is Cash, George is back in a nice little groove on this album - after all, love comes to all billionaires. Cameron also talks us through the complexities of cycling around Cornwall before we paint George's 'Not Guilty' with a reggae-soaked brush.

Pushing through Jack being as sick as anyone has ever been while hosting a podcast, we tackle the "audio equivalent of unseasoned mashed potato" and inevitably pivot to talking about the B52s, Ace of Base and Matisyahu. Jack also befriends an electrician and we cover the title track. Sorry about the delay on this one, regular listeners.

Join us for Jack's extended struggle through the convoluted timeline of late-70s Wings while battling hay fever, and you may eventually come to a review of London Town! After losing another few members, Wings get their yacht-rock on while skirting the lines of children's music and (arguably) inspiring a Futurama joke decades later. Cameron then ranks some boroughs of London and we tackle the one-two punch of 'Backwards Traveller' and 'Cuff Link'.

Remember Ringo? He's back... in disco form! ...sort of. Join us as Cameron continues to smear the good name of brilliant artists - this time Stevie Wonder - while defending an album in what some have said is an act of extreme violence. Jack also tells us the story of Ringo & Billy Preston exhuming corpses in Liverpool as school children and we tackle a song that Ringo himself has already released twice, 'Wings' (no relation).

The villain of season 2 returns... but will he be swayed back to the light side of the force or will he succumb to the Sue Me Sue You Blues?  We also chat about Omar Rodriguez Lopez, the emergence of George's humorous side and the curious case of how an Australian game show became responsible for an iconic Aussie band being sued over plagiarism of a nursery rhyme. Stick around to hear Jess take the lead in our rendition of 'Beautiful Girl'.

After a mid-season breather we're back with more from Mr Starkey, with an album that divides our hosts pretty severely. We also talk about Ringo's turn in Ken Russell's Lisztomania as The Friggen Pope and top things off with a melodica-soaked cover version of 'Las Brisas'.

Are you ready to discover Cameron's favourite song in 22 episodes?? Join us as we spend what Rolling Stone called "a day with the McCartneys", where we'll learn their philosophy on life, just who is the cook of the house, and even get to know some of their friends a bit better. We also discuss the incredible live album "Wings Over America" and the controversial choice of adding studio overdubs to live albums. We then drop the instruments and try an a capella version of 'She's My Baby'.

Read All About It! In the wake of his disastrous US tour but having recovered from laryngitis, George Harrison delves deep into a midnight blue of ploddy ballads. Despite some low musical points, this period of time remains fascinating, including due to George meeting certain key people who will influence him for the rest of his life - Olivia Arias and Eric Idle. To pick up the vibe a bit, we take the worst song on this album ('Ooh Baby') and give it a Weezer-tinged punk rock facelift.

At the risk of sounding slightly like we're on the Macca payroll at this point, we explore (with some affection) the re-expansion of Wings on 1975's "Venus and Mars" - not to mention the incredible B-side 'Sally G'. We also discuss the influence of Paul's songwriting on Crowded House, and Jack discovers an eerie similarity between 'Walking in the Park with Eloise' and an old John Lennon fave... We cover the ridiculous 'Magneto And Titanium Man', stick around til the end to hear our take.

John Lennon looks to his past to bring some classic rock 'n' roll into the 70s, while navigating the shadiness of Maurice Levy and the growing insanity of Phil Spector. We dissect this album of covers while discussing why the Beatles persevered when other rock 'n' roll bands faded away, the 'colour of music', whether Linda McCartney should just sing everything and Cameron makes some wildly unfounded accusations. To top it all off, we completely reimagine John's reimagining of Larry Williams' 'Bony Maronie' in the style of the Beastie Boys meets Beck.

Ringo's a funny one, isn't he? This week we discuss what seems to be Ringo finding his groove, however that also involves some baffling choices. Is the 'No-No Song' enough to raise this album up to the greatness of "Ringo"? We also discuss the important of a track listing, Candlemass, our favourite James Bond theme songs (should we actually do a spin-off podcast..?) and which special guests would've joined the Beatles if they'd ever been able to reform. We then cover the aforementioned incredible 'No-No Song'.

We find ourselves in the midst of John Lennon's self-proclaimed "lost weekend", so the question remains as to whether a Yoko-less John is able to reach heights not seen since the Plastic Ono Band record. We also discuss who the OFFICIAL 5th Beatle is, Sean Lennon's Soulfly collaboration and cover 'Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out'.

This is it! The big boy! Does it live up to the hype? Does adversity produce good art? Should great artists risk contracting cholera to make a bangin album? Did Sir Christopher Lee and Parky get absolutely wasted before the photo shoot for the cover art? Stay tuned to the end to hear our version of 'Mrs Vandebilt'.

Welcome to season 2! Ringo is back, and you better believe it baby. The Beatles have what is to be their last reunion (at least performing on the same LP together), and who else has the charm and power to bring them back together but Mr Starkey himself? Stay tuned til the end when Jack takes lead vocal on our version of 'I'm the Greatest', losing his mind in the process.

This one stops pretending to be about John Lennon's "Mind Games" about 18 minutes in, but if you're interested in getting to know the hosts better, hear us go pretty deep about our anxieties over leaving London, our biggest fears and regrets, the Adelaide music scene and what it means to get the Chris-Isaaks. To finish up the season, Cameron takes lead vocal on the beautiful Lennon track 'Out the Blue'. See you next year. Thanks for listening - it means a lot.

George Harrison follows up the universally acclaimed "All Things Must Pass" with an album that splits our opinions drastically. Are you Team Jess or Team Cameron? Jack keeps the peace through gift giving amidst chats about Aussie roadtrip soundtracks and the Deftones, culminating in a cover of 'Who Can See It'.

Paul McCartney & Wings return with what was originally designed to be a double album, but paired back during editing. Was this the right choice? We also discuss the outtakes and singles from this period, plus Percy Thrillington's Twitter account, Bruce McMouse and Paul's "granny music". We then tackle one of the greatest Wings songs ever, 'Little Lamb Dragonfly', with lead vocals shared between Jack & Jess.

*Stick around to the end to hear answers to some audience questions!* It's a mixed bag of a week, with an album by John Lennon & Yoko Ono ("Some Time in New York City"), the world's first benefit concert held by George ("The Concert for Bangladesh") and some focus on the Irish independence conflict from both Paul and John. Some may say there's too many people preaching practices, but as always with the ex-Fab Four there's some gold amongst the rubble. We dissect this political phase amidst conversations about Tintin, CD singles and whether the Beatles really are better than the sum of their parts. We then cover the debut Wings single, 'Give Ireland Back to the Irish'.

It's the birth of Paul's new band, Wings, and a bit of a sonic departure from the last two albums. We also discuss the Abbey Road DLR station (what?), Percy Thrills Thrillington and compare having kids to losing a leg. The ridiculous ear-worm 'Bip Bop' is the cover of the week.

John Winston Lennon returns with a legendary album... or does he? Some uncomfortable chats amidst discussions about shoes, dungarees, "The Imagine Song" and a party that we definitely went to a week ago. Cameron then tackles lead vocals (in the style of an Australian country singer) for 'Crippled Inside'.

Paul is back and rammier than ever with an album that received very mixed reviews when released. Over time, has the reaction changed? Stick around to the end when we tackle the incredible swamp-stomp jam, 'Monkberry Moon Delight'.

Episode 5 brings John Winston Lennon to the forefront for the first time, with an album that features the song that lyrically inspired the name of our podcast! But instead of that one, we cover 'Isolation' - topical eh? Stay safe out there.

In episode 4, George Harrison is centre stage for the first time with this triple album opus. Stay tuned to the end to hear our version of 'Isn't It a Pity'.

In episode 3 Ringo's back already, this time under the guise of a country singer? With not many options, we tackle 'Love Don't Last Long'.

In episode 2 we explore Paul McCartney's depressing debut, a blueprint for every DIY indie record that followed, and perform 'Every Night'.

In our first episode we discuss the first full solo album ever released by a Beatle, and for some reason it's Ringo Starr doing a bunch of jazz standards. We then perform 'Bye Bye Blackbird'.