Episodes

Solo Projects, George UBP Producer Solo Projects, George UBP Producer

Ep. 260 | George Harrison, "Cloud Nine" (1987) Side 2

It’s one of the biggest albums of the late 1980’s.

No, not “Small World”, Huey Lewis & The News’ misguided attempt at a jazz-pop record that sadly gave us a song called “Bobo Tempo”, and can be found in near mint condition for a dollar in used record bins across the country. Rather, dear bleeder, it’s George Harrison’s comeback album, “Cloud 9”. Led by its spirited cover of “Got My Mind Set On You”, and the unofficial theme to Disney’s Mulan (“Breath Away from Heaven”), this is a record that’s held up through the years as one of the best by a solo Beatle not named “Pete”.

Tony & T.J. continue their deep-dish of this legendary album, as they explore questions about fonts, album covers, Weird Al, random Billy Joel deep cuts, and more; like:

😈 Whilst (look it up, pal) listening to the 8-Track of “Cloud 9”, do most/moist Harrison fans prefer “Devil’s Radio” (Beginning) or “Devil’s Radio” (Conclusion)? And what meta, psychological data does that provide about the listener?

🐣 Is the UBP so “woke” (ed note: gross) that they won’t let their fans eat Big League Chicken Chew before a little league game?

🏝 (Angry Chicago Guy, he’s angrily waving a dirty, BMG Record Club, CD copy of “The Immaculate Collection”. It belonged to his wife, before she moved to Hammond to "find herself":) HOW COME “LA ISLA BONITA” AIN’T NO BONUS TRACK ON NO “CLOUD 9” REISSUE?

 

EPISODE LINKS

Read More
Solo Projects, George UBP Producer Solo Projects, George UBP Producer

Ep. 259 | George Harrison, "Cloud Nine" (1987) Side 1

Look. George Harrison took five years after "Gone Troppo" to complete his 1987 masterpiece "Cloud Nine", so excuse us if we take a couple weeks to wrap up our long awaited deep dish.

This week, the Untitled Twotles finally get around to talking about side one, and promise not to wreck the episode with tacky gated reverb like some sorry Fine Young Cannibals knockoff.

 

EPISODE LINKS

Read More
Solo Projects, George UBP Producer Solo Projects, George UBP Producer

Ep. 258 | George Harrison, "Cloud Nine" (1987)

After spending the past three weeks in 1995’s Anthology universe, the Untitled Beatles Podcast needs a break. So this week
 we head WAY BACK
 to 1987.

That’s right. At long last, by popular demand—LLGH! Cheers, big ears!—Tony and T.J. delve into George Harrison’s smash-hit solo record, “Cloud Nine”, which T.J. SHANOFF LOVED LONG BEFORE ALL YOU BANDWAGON B*S.

Along the way, they find time to foray into Format Foyer, and answer the pressing questions like:

đŸ“ŒđŸŒŽ OK, but does T.J. own the 1987 cassette released on Contessa records in Indonesia?

💿💩 Was Tony’s copy of Cheap Trick’s “Lap of Luxury” CD damaged in a flood, or by teenage Tony’s tears?

đŸ’—đŸ“»[Angry Drunk Chicago Guy] HOW COME THEY STILL AIN’T PLAYIN’ THESE BEATLE BLOWHARDS ON CHICAGO’S OWN ROCK 95.5 (AN IHEART RADIO STATION)?

 

EPISODE LINKS

Read More
Solo Projects, Paul UBP Producer Solo Projects, Paul UBP Producer

Ep. 239 | Wingstan: The Greatest Greatest Hits of Wings

Everyone knows that the only legitimate and definitive collections of Wings tunes is “Wingspan”; obviously the only one that includes Take It Away (obviously not a Wings tune).

At long last, T.J.’s found a venue to sound off on the editorial decisions of now THREE separate Wings greatest hits collection: 1975’s “Wings Greatest”, 2001’s “Wingspan”, and the latest “Wings” collection due out this November. And Tony
 is an accommodating podcast partner.

While we wax rhapsodic on Wings, we also wonder:

Does his love of “Hot Rocks” mean Tony’s a housewife and/or little girl?

Which is the more iconic Chicago eatery: Mr. Submarine, Pockets, or Kenny Rogers Roasters?

[Drunk guy’s back at the bar] You tryna tell me that Starbucks album with the ukuleles ain’t a greatest hits record?

 

EPISODE LINKS

Read More
Solo Projects, Ringo UBP Producer Solo Projects, Ringo UBP Producer

Ep. 236 | Ringo Live in 2025!

Riverside.FM is proud (neither legally nor officially) to present (allegedly) Chuck Swirsky and The Untitled Beatles Podcast! Brought to you (someday?) by Westmont’s incredible Blue Village Vinyl.

And when not spending gobs of sweet improv cash in Chicagoland’s many fine vinyl establishments, you can often find the UBP Two doing the next best thing: seeing Ringo Starr And His Approximately Infinite All Starr Band, live in Chicago!

Every “real” Beatles fan is aware that the Chicago Theater’s most famous moment was when Donny Osmond pranced the stage nightly in a coat of many colors back in 1995. (Trivia: That’s what killed a ton of old people that summer. #HeGone) But not anymore. Because Ringo Starr in 2025 has never sounded better, supported by a loyal, accomplished band who still rocks hard. Sometimes, for too long!

So join Tony, T.J., Ringo, some true all-stars, a replacement player (e.g. “scab”) or two, and a few great UBP listeners, for some spirited/spirits-filled conversation, and highly illegal concert audio that can rather easily be traced back to the phone on which it was recorded. LOL! So in the interest of free speech, and praying our billion dollar merger with Sinstar Media goes through, let’s ignore dumb legalities/norms and instead misdirect with inane questions, like:

đŸ’šđŸ”„ Is the original “gaslighting” when Aerosmith released the exact same #1 song 17 times in the 90’s?

đŸđŸ€‘ Do people with CDS (Calderstone Derangement Syndrome) know they’re actually in a cult, cruelly brainwashed by Big Apple?

✂🎂 Would the Average White Band have been more successful if they’d stopped being so damn bossy all the time?

 

EPISODE LINKS

Read More
Solo Projects, Paul, Television Appearances UBP Producer Solo Projects, Paul, Television Appearances UBP Producer

Ep. 218 | Paul McCartney on Saturday Night Live (1993) Part 2

Dust off your funny bone (actual NBC ad copy circa 1987), it’s the long-awaited conclusion to T.J., Tony and Producer Casey’s forensic deep dish into Paul McCartney’s 1993 appearance on Saturday Night Live!

Yes, the boys are combing through every Macca performance, each Clinton-era comedy sketch, and almost every opinion... Unfortunately, Producer Casey did not inform the affiliates that we would be running over, so regularly scheduled programming resumed as planned.

Of course, any well-executed satire (like the Gap Girls sketch!) will elicit thought-provoking questions. Such as:

💰🚳 Didn’t Lorne Michaels offer Paul $3000 to not play “Biker Like An Icon”?

đŸ„”đŸ„” Who made the best mall potato: The Great Steak and Potato Company or Tater Junction? #mallpotatoes

đŸ“ș🏀 Why is everyone standing in front of the damn TV during the Knicks game?? WOOO-OO-OO-OO-OO
.

And as a bonus, The Nerk Triplets cover some hidden extra features on T.J.’s VHS cassette tape. We’re fast-forwarding you with Peace and Love
Be kind! Rewind! đŸ“ŒđŸ“ŒđŸ“Œ

 

EPISODE LINKS

Read More
Solo Projects, Paul, Television Appearances UBP Producer Solo Projects, Paul, Television Appearances UBP Producer

Ep. 217 | Paul McCartney on Saturday Night Live (1993)

Remember when Paul wasn’t in The Beatles anymore? And, um, he was on that TV show Saturday Night Live? A second time? And he played all those songs nobody knew from that record only T.J. Shanoff loved called Off the Ground?

Remember that?

That was awesome.

(But also some of it might’ve been hot garbage #AlecBaldwin #AnalcAnal)

Join Tony, T.J., and Producer Casey as they foray into Sir Paul’s second foray into live sketch comedy, his 1993 appearance on SNL. Along the way, the gang finds out:

👄👅 Was Dana Carvey on to something? Was it true SNL could never top Luke Perry with musical guest Mick Jagger?

đŸ‘•đŸŸ„ How come those jagbag shock jocks never went after Linda for flubbing Adam Sandler’s iconic lyrics?

đŸŽžđŸ€Ą Can G.E. Smith out-smarm Wix Wickens’s smarmy synth strings?

EPISODE LINKS

Read More
Beatles Films, Solo Projects, John, Yoko UBP Producer Beatles Films, Solo Projects, John, Yoko UBP Producer

Ep. 213 | “One To One: John & Yoko” (2025) / Touring the Shanoff Collection

As our beloved US quickly descends into cruel authoritarian idiocy, the UBP crew reunited IRL to wax fab on new RSD purchases, old Reckless Records purchases, and then attend an IMAX screening of the new Magnolia Films doc One To One: John & Yoko.

Within the fortified safety of their top secret Meigs Field Beatle Bunker Bag, T.J., Tony and Producer Casey hunkered down to opine freely about anything (ÂżđŸ‡ș🇾?) and pre-game with some DEEP HARDCORE MACCA. Owwwoooooo!!!!

It wouldn’t be a UBP field trip without a visit to some kind of ROADHOUSE. And while no one got punched completely through the stomach at this particular establishment, the atmosphere was lively with the CRUNCH of real pub-style appetizers AND the PLOP of real hard-hitting questions.

Questions like:

đŸ€ź Does your pronunciation of the Wrigleyville wing-stitution Yakzie’s depend on which side of the tracks you were born?

🎧 How come streaming services don’t feature an XDR chime and 27 seconds of hiss to start off every album?

💰 Why did John have so many copies of Abbey Road in his re-enactment apartment? Was he reselling them to Bleecker Bob’s for rent money???

Sadly, our fact-checking robot P3Z-Nutz was kidnapped by ICE agents on the way to his favorite oil store, where he has been disappeared without due process to be re-tariffed for Government Bitcoins using taxpayer dollars. I think Gary Numan put it best when he said “Is everything stupid?” (Fact-checking currently out of order)

Remember, if you voted for the scrotum-faced man-toddler wannabe-Putin, you’re either in on the grift (rich psychopath), or you got grifted (poor mark). Binary world, right?

EPISODE LINKS

Read More
Beatlesverse, Solo Projects, Yoko UBP Producer Beatlesverse, Solo Projects, Yoko UBP Producer

Ep. 212 | Untitled Spring Break / Yoko Ono’s “Approximately Infinite Universe” (1973)

Spring Break Alert! Get your bus ticket to Cabo and/or Wabo, because it's time for a springtime April catch-up! Tony and TJ 1969 Xmas Flexi Disc the heck out of this episode, as they review the latest Beatle film news, and more! Plus, newly crowned 8th Beatle Yoko Ono takes the spotlight, with a deluxe reissue of our early-ass look at Approximately Infinite Universe; now in Dolby NR!

EPISODE LINKS

-----

Originally reissued August 12, 2023

Yang Yang! You’ve given me a Yang Yang! And we’re thinking of Yoko
so we’ve decided to reach into our archives for a limited, deluxe remix/remaster/reissue/bonus Gnome edition of our vaunted 4th episode in 2020, where we deep-dished a Tony favorite: Yoko Ono’s “Approximately Infinite Universe”!

Did you know it’s TWO albums? Well hell yeah, it is! Good for Tony. Butt, what about T.J.? Well, there are even more questions that must be answered, such a$:

đŸ§čSpoilers: Did Yoko’s “Death Of Samantha” predict the “Who’s The Boss?” series finale decades before it aired?

â˜€ïžđŸ” Does anyone remember the 1990’s Fiddler On The Roof/Don Henley theme restaurant, “Sunrise Sunset Grill”?

🏀 Was San Diego Clipper great World B. Free really a bastard? And if not, WTF with Yoko’s hateful tune?

——-

Originally published June 20, 2020

Tony turns TJ on...to Yoko Ono's 1973 double-LP Approximately Infinite Universe. They explore the merits of her influence and the complexities of her marriage to John at the time this album was recorded. TJ comes to terms with his disdain for Elephant's Memory, particularly the saxophone, and Tony reveals his least favorite song of all time. Spoiler: it's not by The Beatles (Remember, they like them!)

Read More
Solo Projects, Paul UBP Producer Solo Projects, Paul UBP Producer

Ep. 209 | Macca Snacks Finale / Paul McCartney’s The 7” Singles Box (2022)

It’s the end of an error, as Tony & T.J. conclude their three years/one day saga of binging reissued Macca 45s with a couple of absolute late-era McCartney gems; and an exclusive, world-wide/WorldStar, legally dubious debut of T.J.'s "Liverpool Oratorio" test pressing!

We’ll be back next week with an all new episode where we get in the March Madness spirit; and by that we mean point-shaving, baby!! In the meantime, go ahead and grab a Macca snack; they’re meat free and it’s not even Monday. Unless it is!

 

EPISODE LINKS

Read More