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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.

 

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Ep. 180 | A Hard Day’s Night LP (1964) Part 2

Tell me why? Ain’t nothing but a heartache! Tell me why? Ain’t nothing but a mistake!Maybe if you’re a jag-bag! Because real Fab fans love “Tell Me Why”, by The Beatles but, especially, The Backstreet Boys. ALL RIGHT!The Gab 2 love this record in all of its’ forms, and they get a little overly excited as they continue to deep dish “A Hard Day’s Night”, both the U.K. and U.S. versions. Perhaps unintentionally, Tony & T.J. make a strong case that the 1987 cassette track listening is definitive, but also - rather generously - take the time to ask:

🍖 Is it past time that the feds shut down Mentor Ohio’s illicit, bootleg-filled Record Den? Look Record Den, either join the f.y.e. chain or you’re DEAD MEAT.

1️⃣ [Angry, Functionally Drunk Chicago guy:] How come Calderstone didn’t put no “Ain’t She Sweet” on “Beatles 1”? And how come “Once Bitten Twice Shy” ain’t longer? More like Great Woke. GET IT? [weeping] Please come home, Diane.

📬 Pick a Newman: the “Cars” guy or Wayne Knight?

 

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THIS WEEKEND: UBP @ The Fest for Beatles Fans

It's the 50th anniversary of Beatlefest <buzz> ... errr... The Fest for Beatles Fans™, and Tone-J ShanDozOff and Producer K3C Nutz will obviously all be there. Because at least one time a year:

The Untitled Beatles Podcast is filmed before a live studio audience.

Roll up and join us this Saturday, August 10, at 1 p.m. in the Palisades (Park) Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. Tickets and more details at thefest.com.

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Ep. 179 | “A Hard Day’s Night” LP (1964)

One need not be Mark Lewisohn (TM) to agree that the two fabbest early Beatles albums are, in no particular order, “Jolly What!” and “A Hard Day’s Night”. In honor of Frank Ifield, who died in May and, tragically, missed out on this episode, we’re super proud to present the long awaited, much belated, Paperlated, Untitled Beatles Podcast deep dish on the “A Hard Day’s Night” LP! Spoilers: 5 FREAKING FABS!

In fact, it’s not just a great album; it’s one of the greatest and most timeless records ever made. Look, every Beatles album is mind-bogglingly great. And yet, it’s entirely possible that “A Hard Day’s Night” is the most perfect collection of songs they ever recorded. In this episode, the Fab Two On Pod dive into the album’s history and legacy, and also ponder from out yonder:

🕳️ (Angry Chicago Guy:) How come Weird Al didn’t do no parody of Los Bravos’ 1965 hit “Black Is Black” called “Crack Is Whack”? And how come The Buckinghams don’t play Chicagofest no more?

🥛🍯 “Hello Dolly” composer Jerry Herman wrote a musical called “Milk And Honey”, 23 years before the posthumous Lennon album of the same name was released. How banger is that brat summer trivia, bruh?

🕺🏾Does the German pressing of 2023’s “Red Album” reissue feature the Jellybean Benitez Remix of “And I Love Her”?

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Ep. 178 | “A Hard Day’s Night” Film (1964) Part 3

The Untitled Beatles Podcast 60th anniversary celebration of A Hard Day’s Night is in full swing, all thanks to Producer Casey’s decision to have an open bar. It is a classic film after all and… oh great. Tony just shaved his head to resemble Gene Siskel and now T.J. is trying to squish into his childhood Q-bert costume. Cheeky! And while these pie-eyed faboons intercept every drink (and jam butty) intended for the Fabs, they ponder:

💿 Which agency would you trust to protect your 1984 mint condition Criterion AHDN Laserdisc: Paw Patrol, Moon Patrol, or Snow Patrol?

👃🏻Is John’s nose very?

🔕 If 10-year-old David Janson’s pal Ding Dong is in fact “a bigot”, does that mean we need to cancel George Harrison’s holiday nut rocker of the same name?

Today’s episode is also a public service announcement, brought to you by Mothers Against Drunk Podcasting.

 

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Ep. 177 | “A Hard Day’s Night” Film (1970) Part 2

All right, cool, so a lot of y'all like "Head", whether giving it, or getting it, on DVD. Fine! But without question, A Hard Days Night - like Jets Detroit pizza - is better. Because it has to be. #PizzaMarketingTruths

Tony and T.J. continue to explore this still-vital film and its unbreakable impact on pop culture, and also ask:

🌇 Why were The Jeffersons always movin' on up in such a Rush?

🎬 Is "A Hard Day's Night" to the 60's what "From Justin To Kelly" is to the 00's?

🧸 Is it time for poor Paddington to start a Hims subscription?

 

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Ep. 176 | “A Hard Day’s Night” Film (1970)

Head. Some would argue it's not just a married birthday treat, but also the greatest rock film ever made. Others, like the UBP, contend that the 🐐 is 1964's "A Hard Day's Night", now in color, only on TBS.

This incredible film has lived on at Beatlefest, every imaginable home video incarnation, and a few important theatrical rereleases. It remains the cultural pilar of the Fabs early worldwide domination. Sixty years later, It holds up impeccably well as a musical, a social comment, a madcap comedy, a damn-near documentary, and a fun excuse to hear pitched-down versions of Beatles standards and wonder if you're losing your mind.

Tony and T.J. are more mad about this film than Paul Reiser was about Helen Hunt. (And who says our references aren't topical and 💯 Beatley? YOKO freaking guest starred, fellow Beatle weirdos!)But they have a few other queries, tight a$:

🍺 Is the Heineken Beatles cassette from 1986 a good thing, or a dangerous prelude to U2 hate-gifting that bad U2 album to everyone with an iPhone?

📼 Is MPI Home Video a good thing, or a dangerous prelude to Calderstone, a corporate Beatles entity neither Tony nor T.J. fully understand?

🐖 Is Jewel merging with Mariano's a good thing, or a dangerous prelude to Sarah McLachlan merging with Piggly Wiggly?

 

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Ep. 175 | Paul McCartney, “One Hand Clapping (2024) Part 2

The 4th of July is a wonderful time to remember that life’s all about picking sides - and, often, hands; across the water, and across America! And today we pick sides…deep 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 don’t deserve live “Blackbird”. (Nope, not letting this one go.)

Tony and T.J. agree that the first official release of “One Hand Clapping” is a masterpiece, perhaps one of Paul’s very best albums; unless one is Rob Sheffleld, in which case this would rank just below “Gone Troppo”. But when it’s time to pick sides, perhaps they’re more Siskel & Ebert and less Medved & Lyons as they also ponder:

🎻 Are you #TeamWix or #TeamActualOrchestra

🇺🇸 Are you #TeamCanadianREM, #TeamAmericanBarenakedLadies, or #TeamAmericaWorldPolice? #Fyeah

🦅 Are you #TeamGlenFrey or #TeamRandallCunningham?

 

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Ep. 174 | Paul McCartney, “One Hand Clapping” (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 "GlĂźcklich 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? 

🐦‍⬛ (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?

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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 don’t 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, “Own the libs” I f’ing guess? - the New Box Tops (dba Tony & T.J.) read their pointed correspondences aloud. They have some questions, including:

🍕 (Angry Chicago fella): How come Paul’s got a song about Dominoes, and not a real Chicago pizza joint like the Barnaby’s 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?

❤️📦 If Kurt Cobain were Jesus, would he have returned to stop “Cut Me Some Slack” from happening?

🍗 Is it a coincidence that the UBP is sponsored by Kenny Rogers Roasters in Malaysia, and longtime Beatle roadie Mal Evans and early 80’s supergroup Asia are both essential parts of The Beatles story? #MalAsia

 

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