Episodes
Ep. 181 | UBP Live from The Fest for Beatles Fans (Feat. Skylar Moody!)
Live, from Beatlefestâs famous/non-existent Midway Ballroom, in the outskirts of beautiful, mobbed-up, downtown Rosemont, itâs 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, âf**k it, weâll do it live!â, and recorded this episode at the always-incredible Fest For Beatles Fans (nĂ©e 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, theyâre 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 - AMERICAâS GREATEST CITY, YA JAGBAGS! T.J. pays tribute to arguably 2025âs 8th Beatle (#GiveIrelandBackToTheIfield)! And they also ask, to a HUGE CROWD THATâS WAY BIGGER THAN KAMALAâS, WHICH IS IMPORTANT AND TRUE BECAUSE IâM MISERABLE INSIDE:
đŠđ°đ Whoâs more of a failed cartoon character in America? Rupert The Bear, or Rupert The Murdoch?
đșđșđžđ·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 1970âs WGBH Boston kids-show âZoomâ?
đŠđđHow many times has noted Disney-phile Tony seen âThe Lion Kingâ?
Special thanks to the Fest For Beatles Fans family for hosting us. Itâs an honor to be a very small part of such a wonderful, joyful, celebration of the greatest rock band not named Korn!
đž 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 âJergens?â 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 donât you D.A.R.E. think we put the board in âbored gameâ! Because, madness (#OurHouse) ensues as we also trivially pursue:
đ Would NBC have ever considered green-lighting âDear Johnâ if not for its one, ill-fated season of âTaxiâ?
âŸïž Were the 90âs Yankees really better without ding-dong-dinger machine Donnie Baseball? (Drunk old Chicago White Sox fan: âWhat about Bronny Dosco?â)
đ„ Is âSteve Winwood: The Musicalâ the new âBlind Faith: The Musicalâ? And will you miss both if youâre stuck in traffic? Shit thatâs a lot of Steve Winwood references, right? Too many? Or just about right, in a ârule of 3âsâ way? We ask rhetorically, like donât send us notes or anything like that, because we wonât read it. Whoâs 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 highâŠlifeâŠagain.
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:
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
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Ep. 171 | T.J. Shanoff (1974) 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition
Itâs T.J.âs birthday! Itâs T.J.âs 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 â92 closeout cassettes to buy in â96, T.J. and Tony discuss some of the birthday boyâs favorite Beatles memories in a lifetime of loving the music and unmatched excellence of the Fab 4.
But a special birthday episode canât derail the usual chicanery, and lots of rando preguntas are asked, including:
đ Is âMy Girlâ 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
đ Holy s**t, Peter Noone is still alive? Do you think Kathy Bartlett knows? Holy s**t, is Kathy Bartlett still alive?
đ„ Was the absolute highlight of Record Store Day 2024 Ringoâs âCrooked Boyâ 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:
đž 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?
đž 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?
đž 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
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Check out the Beatlemania's Mitch Weissman on "Joanie Loves Chachie"
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Ep. 162 | Fab Grammys
Itâs 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 âfootieâ 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:
đȘ If it donât 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 natureâs child?
đ» (Angry Chicago guy:) How come Ryne Sandberg didnât win no Grammy for the 1984 novelty Cubs hit âMen In Blueâ?
đ€ (P3Z-Nutz:) Hey, you Malört-soaked jagbag, that 45 only featured Rick Sutcliffe, Jody Davis, Leon Durham, Keith Moreland, and Gary Woods.
đ (Angry Chicago guy:) (begins weeping, cries out for someone named âJoan?â)
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 Maccaâs most consistent post-Beatles collaborator, Denny Laineâs imprint on Wings and Sir Paul's overall legacy is unquestionably secure. This week, Tony & T.J. look at some of Denny Laineâs greatest moments with Wings and beyond, and also ask:
đ Would the Florida State Seminoles still have acted like straight bi**hes had they been invited to the Kenny Rogers Roasters Bowl?
đ (Angry Chicago Guy) How come Jim Caviezel didnât make no movie when Denny Laine wrote multiple songs about children on âLondon Townâ? And how come Lauren Bobert donât give me no lap treats when I watch Beatlejuice on VHS?
đč Is repeatedly discussing specific Chicagoland record stores that closed in the 1990âs 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 donât carry no Nancy Faust??
EPISODE LINKS
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Ep. 158 | Why We Love The Beatles
Ding Dong, Ding Dong! Itâs a New Year! And all we are saying is, itâs about time we open a universal can of Beatles whoop-ass on 2024! Our first show of â24 gets to the heart of why the UBP crew - and a good many listeners! - all passionately love this incredible band and their magical story; album after album, song after song, year after year, reissue after reissueâŠ
But a few other major Beatles-related question remain, such as:
đș In the fall of 1988, Sundays at 7p Eastern/6p Central and Mountain, did you watch ABCâs âIncredible Sundayâ or FOXâs â21 Jump Streetâ? (*For our younger listeners, there were only two channels in 1988.)
đ€ (Angry Chicago Guy) How come Lapidos donât got no Fest-branded jet packs for sale at the TWA hotel? (Tearing up:) And how come no lady wonât be the Rosie to my George Jetsons [sic]? And how come that jagbag P3Z-Nutz donât return no fan mail? And why ainât Magglio Ordóñez (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)
đž Itâs totally normal for late 40-somethings to consider the stage and movie musical âBeatlemaniaâ their âEd Sullivan Showâ, yes?
EPISODE LINKS
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Ep. 150 | Liverpool Drag
What happens when you take the energy of Beatlemania and mix it with a helping of questionably written and performed Beatles-inspired songs? You get Liverpool Drag. Not the Beatles, but an unincredible simulation!
This week, Tony & T.J. examine the early 60's phenomenon of Beatle-inspired cash-in records. Are they good? Awful? Somewhere in between? The answer is, "yes".
Along the way, the Drag Duo ask:
đșđž Since drag shows are unarguably killing our children, is the only solution to ban more books? Because, freedumb?
1ïžâŁ Whoâs idea was it to exclude âLittle Miss Margieâ from The Manchesters âNot 1â compilation?
đïž Come March 2024, should MadTVâs Bobby Lee become eligible for the Untitled Beatles Podcast 7th Beatle Bracket?
Place a mop atop your head, shake it like a mimeograph, and chant âyeahâ 3 times, because itâs Liverpool Drag on the UBP! Wooo!!!
EPISODE LINKS
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BONUS! Back in the U.S.S.R. from McCartney: A Life in Lyrics
Cue the Salt âNâ Pepa: Pu-Pu-Pushkinâs real goodâŠat producing podcasts and audiobooks! Theyâre the force behind the just-dropped âMcCartney: A Life in Lyricsâ pod, which is off to a delightfully entertaining and insightful start. The dulcet tones of Paul Muldoon had better be the future voice of AI. (Weâre talking about practice. Not a game.)
And on this very special episode of the UBP, the Gab Two is proud to present, in partnership with Pushkin, a special airing of âMcCartney: A Life in Lyricsâ Episode 2. How cool is that?! This one oneâs a Double Paul deep-dish on âBack In The U.S.S.R.â, a definitive #FileUnderRock track, though, as the episode sadly fails to acknowledge, was largely unknown until Billy Joelâs live take on âKohueptâ (2 LPâs on 1 CD!).
Weâll be back with our usual chicanery and a whole new episode/world, DONâT YOU DARE CLOSE YOUR EYES, next week. In the meantime, all 3.5 of us at the UBP are absolutely honoured to be associated with anything Macca-related. We hope you will enjoy the show as much as we did. Five Freaking Fabs!
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McCartney: A Life in Lyrics | Back in the U.S.S.R
Whatâs Paul McCartney, a Liverpudlian, doing writing about the Soviet Union in 1968? Turns out McCartney was doing a little Chuck Berry, a bit of The Beach Boys, some pastiche and a lot of subversion. Opening âThe White Albumâ, âBack in the U.S.S.R.â raised some eyebrows. And because of The Beatlesâ evolving position within the former Eastern Bloc the song has over the years taken on a life of its own, following the trajectory of the Westâs often fraught relationship with the region.