Episodes
Ep. 280 | Paul McCartney, "Press to Play" (1986) Part 2
“Oklahoma was never like this?” Really, Sir Paul? AGAIN with the complaining about the 1999, Hugh Jackman-led revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s first banger? Oh sure, Paul - go ahead and be all Tipper Gore-y about that opening scene where Aunt Eller is churning butter like some barnyard horndog, milking every delicate inch of that up and down churn work. And don’t get me started on how Paul handled the edits to the “Farmer & The Cowman” dance break! He (allegedly) threw the London Cast Recording CD at Heather Mills!! That's a $17.99 CD, my guy!
Who the hell knows what Macca was talking about in his 1986 semi-hit, “Press”. But we’ll be damned if it isn’t one of the best pure pop songs of the mid 80’s. Much like the album from which it came, it’s never gotten the love it’s so obviously due. Until now, as Tony & T.J. freshly (?) assess side two of “Press To Play” with open arms (#Journey) and open eyes (#Incubus). Along the way, they ask (rather intuitively, if we do say so ourselves):
🧵 Is Press To Play the “Designing Women” of McCartney’s catalog, and does that make Eddie Rayner Meshach Taylor?
🚢 Has anyone checked on El Debarge (“The Debarge”, en ingles)? Like, will he short circuit if he doesn’t finally figure out who’s holding Donna, now?
🥔 Angry Chicago Guy (He’s bleeding, but in a good way): HOW COME THEY NAMED A STREET AFTER POTATO ICON ORE IDA B. WELLS BUT YOU CAN’T FIND TATER SKINS AT DOMINICKS NO MORE?
EPISODE LINKS
Ep. 279 | Paul McCartney, "Press to Play" (1986) Part 1
Forgive us, dear reader, for sounding Jaded. But most real McCartney fans will admit that Aerosmith’s 2001 LP “Just Push Play” is better than literally any solo Macca; and perhaps even better than most Beatles albums. (*Does not include “Live At The Star Club Vol. 2”)
But, in turn, would there even be an Aerosmith without Macca’s 1986 offering, “Press To Play”? We’ll leave that to the rock scholars to decide. But one thing is for sure: “Press To Play” is now officially 40 years old, or, in U.S. presidential terms, at least three decades older than the girls a certain orange baboon used to regularly party with. (In fairness, it’s tough for real patriots to get too worked up about that, especially when Obama once wore a tan suit.)
T.J.’s been in love with this cassette since its release the summer of 1986. Tony’s had the opposite reaction since he was contractually obligated to listen to the album twice, in 2020 and 2026; in brave service of arguably America’s Favorite Podcast (TM).
This week, the Gab Two discuss whether “Press To Play” has aged well and warrants more respect in Macca's catalog. Does it deserve an Archive Collection reissue before or after “Ocean’s Kingdom”? Are there more remixes of “Press” than there are takes of “Not Guilty”? And what about the other pertinent Beatles questions you won’t hear on woke Newsmax, like:
👋💨 Is Phil Collins’ best release, “Hello…I Must Be Going [And He Never Returned]”? And for the answer, should somebody bring Phil Collins in?
💔🕺 Can Tony retire from his collection of mint, K-Tel Breakdancing LP’s? And is the greatest song about breakdancing Irene Cara’s “Breakdancing”?
💀🚫 Did the sad origins of the “MAHA” movement emanate directly from Mac & Jack’s Wonder Potion? #SaySaySay
EPISODE LINKS
Ep. 272 | Paul McCartney's "The Boys of Dungeon Lane" (2026) Part 2
Consensus on the new Paul McCartney album has, to say the least, been mixed. Classical Bi-Monthly writes, “Where the f are the Liverpool Oratorio outtakes?” Dance Tuesdays proclaimed, “No Fireman? No interest”. And MAGA Monthly pouts with vitriol, “Why won’t woke Macca record with current, hit-makin’ patriots like Vanilla Ice, Lee Greenwood, or Chachi?”
But here at the UBP, we all adore “The Boys of Dungeon Lane”. Side 1 is perhaps Macca’s finest slab of wax. But what about Side 2? Is this where the patented Macca Fillers creep in? Or is Side 2 on par with the UNIFORMLY BELOVED (#TakeItTony) “Flowers In The Dirt”? And How Many People appreciate this reference?
The guys continue to break-down this historic release - now available in its 700th vinyl iteration - and also ask:
🎭 Is there even such a thing as “music” without the “Phantom Of The Opera” descending riff?
🔨 Huey Lewis is to San Francisco what the Grateful Dead is to San Francisco, am I doing this right?
🐂 My Mayor Johnson
My bagel Jewish
The Beatles are great
Bulls in ’98?
EPISODE LINKS
Ep. 271 | Paul McCartney's "The Boys of Dungeon Lane" (2026) Part 1
Two forever fab octogenarian knights have both released brand new albums in this, the space age year of 2026. Truly a remarkable achievement.
Meanwhile, two grotty quinquagenarian jagwads attempt to sort through all of the permutations and variations of the latest of these offerings, Sir Paul McCartney’s The Boys of Dungeon Lane.
These are the Boys of Dumb Dumb Lane.
Throughout this 2-parter they ponder the deep deep feelings (wrong album dumb dumbs) that this platter has to offer. Such as:
💿🏬 Is Boys of Dungeon Lane an album or more of a pop-up merch kiosk at the mall?
🔣🍅 Did Paul’s secret code with John involve “catsup discipline”?
📀🎶 Will there be more versions of this alb-ATTENTION COLLECTOR SCUM!! BREAKING NEWS!! THIS JUST IN!! 3 new and already-rare limited edition versions of the record are now available:
🕊💩 Green and White “Seagull Guano” swirl with Scratch-n-Sniff “Liverpool Marsh” scented Lyric Tissue
⌨💽 Stolen Off *#uT+b€ met@Da!a con>€rsion Digital-to-Vinyl Conversion Bootleg Test Pressing Acetate
🎤🔧 7-LP Xtra-Auto-Tuned 12” Club Mixes of all 14 songs + Silent Forgotten Version of “Lost Horizon” (Digital Only Undownloadable mp3)
EPISODE LINKS
Ep. 268 | Paul McCartney on Saturday Night Live (2026)
For over 50 years, Saturday Night Live has been one of the most Important shows for rock music in the history of the nascent television medium. While, arguably, the most famous moment in the show’s history (and Tony’s favorite?) is RHCP’s multi-key 1992 version of “Under The Bridge”, there have been others. (Musical Guest The Ting Tings ripping up a photo of Colonel Sanders comes to mind.)
Fortunately, just in time for NBC’s never more relevant, May sweeps season finale of SNL, they pulled in the big guns: RHCP! Oh s**t, Frusciante and Kiedis (LLC) are busy? Maybe (checks notes) Chad Smith is free? Might as well bring in noted Chad Smith lookalike Will Ferrel (“Elf”, Capitol One) to teach Chad how to host the show!
Everyone knows Chad Smith’s best friend is Paul McCartney. So Chad called Sir Paul to see if he’d learn the bass part for the AI generated RHCP songs “Funky California Space Cadet”and “Santa Monica Ding-Dong”, as onetime Macca drummer Chris Whitten beat Flea’s ass in Hamburg. Where you ask? Why, under the bridge. When asked for comment, Flea replied, I don’t ever wanna feel, like when Chris Whitten kicked my ass.”
Later that week, as longtime Macca drummer Abe Laboriel JR was (Alonzo) mourning young mister Christopher’s legal predicament and unable to travel, Chad Smith had an idea. He could play in Paul’s band! On SNL! The very talented singer songwriter Ingrid Michaelson can even sing back-up, and perhaps even “Cook Of The House”! And Paul could completely ignore any lame Beatles music during the live, 90 minute broadcast, because nobody wants to hear that junk! (#Motorcars #Handlebars)
Are you still with us? Da f is wrong with you? You already know Tony & T.J. will talk Macca’s historic SNL performance and also hit you up with such mind benders as:
🐇 (Angry Chicago Guy. He’s unwell today in particular): How come I can’t go into no pet store no more and longingly whisper to the rodent critters, “bunny’s too tight to mention”? Is it because my ass cheeks are simply red?
🥊 Why didn’t Pixies’ 1999 smash “Where Is My Mind (Theme To Fight Club, Now A Major Motion Picture)” win an Oscar as the best original song written exclusively for the film “Fight Club”?
❗❓ Andrew Watt. Andrew White. Andrew What?
EPISODE LINKS
Ep. 267 | NEW PAUL AND RINGO! "Home to Us" (2026)—and Wel-Kum Back Tony!
What’s MORE thrilling than sitting through a slide show of your strange friend’s vacation photos?
Answer: LISTENING to the slideshow!
UBP co-host T.J. and UBP Producer Casey welcome back other UBP co-host Tony with all sorts of fab catching up (but no catching up on hot dogs! #chi-town #hotdogetiquette #nobodysezchi-town). They talk Ringo and Paul and then talk Ringo and AI, because you can’t spell “Ringo and Paul” without “AI”. Plus they have a row over 3 Saville Row.
They also ask:
🍀 Is Record Store Day to record collectors what St. Patrick’s Day is to alcoholics?
🧻 If you say Twotles two times into a mirror, do you really experience and uncontrollable #2?
👻 Wait. What happened to Producer Casey? He just disappeared. Is he okay? Did he get into a tragic accident?? Will he be replaced by an uncanny look-a-like made by an AI 3D printer??? #44IF… Or is this just another case of Millennial ghosting?
EPISODE LINKS
Ep. 264 | Give My Regards to Broad Street (Film Review) | Replay!
It was five years ago today
When Teej and Tony told their friends to play
A VHS that T.J. had around
With its super warbly 80s sound
So may we introduce to you
The film you’ve loved for all these years:
Paul McCartney’s “Give My Regards to Broad Street”
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Originally aired April 17, 2021
At long last, T.J. and Tony review Sir Paul's magnum opus: Give My Regards to Broad Street. Starring and written by Paul McCartney, the 1984 movie was panned by critics and audiences alike, but brought us some of Paul's best music of the decade ("No More Lonely Nights"), and some of his worst remakes of his best music from decades past (lookin' at you, "Long and Winding Road").
This long and rambling podcast leads to all the usual goofs and giggles, and—as far as we're able to ascertain—what we believe to be the first reference to the theme music from NBC's "The Days & Nights of Molly Dodd" in podcasting history. And what movie review is complete without also covering the Commodore 64 video game adaptation?
Movie viewing recommended (you might be able to find it on YouTube), but certainly not required. Good times guaranteed either way, or your money back.
EPISODE LINKS
Ep. 248 | McCartney's "Got Back" Finale in Chicago
naaaaaa naa naa nanana naaaaaaa
nanana naaaaaaa
Hey Jude (now all the people in Chicago)
At long last, T.J. and Tony had their chance to catch Sir Paul’s (Baby) Got Back tour in its final U.S. stop, in the finest city in the land. Sure, it’s the same show we heard Glen glow about in Iowa, and Casey canonize in the Twin Cities, and Mark marvel upon in the Big Easy, but Macca always smacks a little harder with a Malort and a side of giardinier’.
What were Tony’s takeaways from his second-ever McCartney show? T.J.’s tidbits from his SEVENTEENTH?
Tune in to find out! And maybe also discover:
🎹 Who plays the more convincing black keys: the Black Keys, or that super cute kid who did MMMBop?
🎺 Who honks the hotter horn: David Mason, or the Hot City Horns?
😲 Whose voice can hold out longer: Tony Mendoza, or some 84-year-old who’s been doing like 5 shows a week for almost 70 years?
EPISODE LINKS
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Ep. 242 | Macca in NOLA with Mark Guarino!
Legendary Chicago singer/songwriter Steve Goodman once sang of riding the rails on a train known as the City Of New Orleans. We have no idea how Chicago-based UBP listener, friend, and journalist/author Mark Guarino (Country & Midwestern, Chicago Sun Times, ABC-TV) got to the world’s greatest arena, the Smoothie King Center, to see Sir Paul rock NOLA. But, if Mark is a real Chicago guy, he’s probably still been there since the Bears won Super Bowl XX in January of 1986; unarguably the single greatest day in American history unless you hate excellence and joy. #PaytonIsTheGoat
But all that matters is that Mark did manage to see Macca in one of America’s most incredible cities, and he generously reported back on the show and the scene for the rest of us. At an extremely exorbitant fee, I might add. $12,000 for an audio field piece? In this economy, Mark???
Tony & T.J. will give their highly anticipated (editor’s note: by whom?) recap after they see McCartney in Chicago over Thanksgiving week, you turkeys; but in the meantime we’re excited to share another in our continuing series of the UBP Hive seeing Sir Paul live in 2025. We also ask the tough questions that only OAN has the balls to ask, because they’re also insane, just not in a healthy and fun way:
🏈 If Mark Guarino were really former J-E-T-S QB Mark Sanchez, would he have tried to randomly murder an older truck driver during “Dance Tonight”?
🎺 Does Macca traveling with a horn section cause an existential crisis for Paul “Wix” Wickens? And do most of us who’ve been loyal in our jobs for decades now need to worry about being replaced with a horn section? Like, is Paul’s horn section really a metaphor for AI? We talkin’ about practice? Not the game?
(🧀 Angry Chicago Guy:) How come Paul don’t sing no parody of “Obsession”, the Animotion pop hit from 1984 but call it “Concession”, about not letting me buy no nachos during “My Valentine”? And how come the woke smoothie arena don’t got no sodium-free nacho cheese, my wife Diane gave me diabetes during the series finale of “Benson” and I can’t eat that junk no more?
EPISODE LINKS
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Ep. 240 | Macca in Minneapolis (2025)
Minneapolis! Home of Prince, “Mary Tyler Moore”, and arguably the most exciting NBA player today, Joe Ingles. And of late, it’s home to Producer Casey; who recently took advantage of a last minute opportunity to see Sir Paul McCartney (heard of him, “Beatle fan?”). It’s Casey’s second Macca concert, and, arguably, first-ever concert. Figure that one out, math!
Casey reports back with special inside information (that’s a lie) from where the mini-apple’s mediocre/stupid football team plays (GO BEARS), with news on the Hot City Horns, Minny Moms who Lap Dance, and the still-growing legend of rock’s GOAT. Along the way, the Untitled Trio get a special message from our social media guru Glenny the K, who just saw Paul at Producer Casey’s famous pizzarena. Plus, they also ask:
🍔 Is seeing Macca in Des Moines and not eating a Drake Diner burger doused in homemade 1000 island dressing beforehand meant to be a huge middle finger to T.J.? Or does it just come off that way because of the ongoing paranoia?
🎷Would rock history have been vastly different or exactly the same if someone gave Stan Bronstein a keyboard with a bad saxophone patch in 1972?
⚾️ Do the kewl kids still play marry/f**k/kill with Gary Puckett, Kirby Puckett, and Wilson Pickett?
EPISODE LINKS
Please support our scrappy show. Score some BRAND NEW MERCH or find us on Patreon.
13 Green Potatoes by MENDOZA on Bandcamp/Apple Music/Spotify! (and other streamers)