Beatles News Briefs

Explore the work of Sir George Martin, the musical genius behind The Beatles’ most iconic recordings, as never before in this incredible interview with Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan, the authors of the book "George Martin: The Scores." This landmark three-volume collection, created with unprecedented access to Sir George Martin’s personal archive, features life-size reproductions of his original handwritten scores for classics such as “Yesterday,” “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Here Comes the Sun,” and more. Packed with rare insights, behind-the-scenes commentary, and never-before-seen arrangement details, "George Martin: The Scores" offers Beatles fans, musicians, historians, and music lovers a fascinating look into the creativ...

The legendary May Pang opens up about her life with John Lennon, the “Lost Weekend,” the making of The Lost Weekend: A Love Story," and the iconic photographs that reshaped how fans understand Lennon’s most surprising creative period and that she is showing in local exhibitions around the country.  In this in‑depth conversation, she shares new stories, personal reflections, and behind‑the‑scenes moments that Beatles fans have never heard before. If you love Beatles history, rare stories, and firsthand accounts from the people who were actually there, this interview is essential listening. (Special note: The video version on Yo...

Each year, International Beatles Week brings fans from around the world together for live music, rare talks, tributes, and unforgettable moments. Here, we present a report from some fans attending this annual Liverpool festival on what this year's event is like. If you love Beatles history, live music, and global fan culture or if you've never been to the festival, this recap gives an idea of what you can expect. #InternationalBeatlesWeek #BeatlesWeek #Liverpool #Beatles #BeatlesFans #BeatlesHistory #BeatlesNewsBriefs #SteveMarinucci #JohnLennon #PaulMcCartney #GeorgeHarrison #RingoStarr #Beatlemania #BeatlesFestival #LiverpoolMusic #BeatlesCommunity #BeatlesEvents #BeatlesReport #MusicHistory #RockHistory

Beatles News Briefs #128 dives into garage‑rock history as Kenn Ellner of the legendary Count Five recounts the making of their iconic 1966 hit “Psychotic Reaction” — a song that helped define the psychedelic‑garage sound and still inspires musicians today. Kenn shares vivid stories about the band’s early days, the whirlwind success of their breakout single, and what it was like trying to stand out in a music world dominated by The Beatles, British Invasion bands, and rapidly changing rock trends. You’ll hear about the band’s creative process, the cultural moments that shaped their sound, encounters with The Doors, Otis...

Dive into this urgent Beatles News Briefs episode as Steve Marinucci unpacks every detail of the newly announced Rubber Soul box sets coming October 2. Get a clear rundown of what's included and where you'll hear the fresh Giles Martin/Sam Okell stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes, the mono album and U.S. Capitol album versions, the exclusive website‑only editions. We list the names of the 20 previously unreleased session tracks, rare demos including Lennon’s “Little Girl” song outline and the current pricing in the U.S. and UK across all formats. If you want the most comprehensive, up‑to‑the‑min...

In this in‑depth interview with Beatles News Briefs host Steve Marinucci, acclaimed Beatles biographer Philip Norman, author of "Shout!" and the new book "Mr. Moonlight: Brian Epstein and The Making of the Beatles," shares powerful insights into the life of Brian Epstein, the manager who transformed The Beatles from a Liverpool club act into a global cultural phenomenon. Norman discusses Epstein’s extraordinary achievements despite having no experience in pop management, his battles with homophobia and anti-Semitism, his complex relationship with John Lennon, and the protective “invisible shield” he built around the band during the height of Beatlemania.

Th...

Beatles video history, rare releases, and collectibles take center stage in this episode featuring special guest Bill Last, author of The Collected Beatles Videography – A Guide to Collecting Group and Solo Video, 1962–2024.Bill’s comprehensive research into Beatles and solo video releases makes this a must‑listen for collectors and fans of the Fab Four.

We explore the evolution of Beatles video content across six decades — from early promotional films to modern restorations — with detailed discussion of:

The Beatles’ first motion picture, "A Hard Day’s Night" - Its various releases and restorations.

The acclaimed doc...

In this exclusive interview, legendary re-recording mixer Gary C. Bourgeois, who has done past work for The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and many others, breaks down his brand‑new 2026 Dolby Atmos remix of the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night, sharing behind‑the‑scenes stories, mixing choices, and the technical challenges of bringing a classic to immersive audio. You'll learn how Atmos reshapes the film soundtrack for modern theaters and home systems, Gary’s approach to preserving the original performances while expanding spatial depth, plus hear some anecdotes from his career working with major arti...

Beatles News Briefs host Steve Marinucci talks to Global Beatles Day founder Faith Cohen about the idea she had in 2009 to celebrate Global Beatles Day on June 25 (the date on which the Beatles' worldwide premiere and global broadcast of "All You Need Is Love" took place back in 1967), which has now been officially recognized by the Beatles and will be celebrated by them annually.

This week’s episode takes a deep dive into The Beatles by Jim Marshall – Candlestick Park Live, the newly released book showcasing a remarkable collection of never‑before‑seen photos from The Beatles’ final ticketed concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on August 29, 1966. The book also includes a rich archive of images from the band’s 1965 Cow Palace performance, offering an intimate look at two historic moments in Beatles history.

We’re joined by Amanda Davis, former assistant to legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall, along with veteran music journalist Joel Selvin, who contributed an in‑depth essay exploring...

Dive into a one‑of‑a‑kind conversation connecting The Beatles, the iconic 1960s TV series The Prisoner, and the legendary Welsh village of Portmeirion. In this special episode, Beatles News Briefs host and veteran Beatles reporter Steve Marinucci is joined by renowned archivist Keith Badman and Meurig Jones, Portmeirion’s longtime location manager, for an unforgettable deep‑dive into music history, television culture, and rare behind‑the‑scenes stories.

Speaking to us directly from inside Portmeirion, Jones shares exclusive, little‑known accounts of the Beatles’ visits to the village—stories involving all four Beatles and many of their closest ass...

Our guest this week is author Dave Schwensen,, whose book "The Beatles In Cleveland," is the authoritative work on the two Beatles concerts in that city that were stopped by the police because of riotous fans. Schwensen announces here he's releasing an expanded edition of that book and he tells us all about it. We also review Paul McCartney's new "The Boys of Dungeon Lane" album. And we'll also some Beatles news briefs as well. Ready? Steady? Go! 

P.S. if you go to our video version of this podcast on YouTube, you'll see two un...

Welcome back, everyone! I’m your host, Steve Marinucci — and today’s episode is a big one.

We’re joined by someone who was inside one of the most ambitious Beatles projects ever created: Keith Badman, who worked on the original Beatles Anthology and is a veteran of major pop‑music deep‑dives.

Keith pulls back the curtain on what it was really like to help build the Anthology, the hunt for never‑before‑seen clips, and the detective work required to bring lost Beatles and pop music history back to life. He'll relate the story of showing...

UK author and broadcaster Spencer Leigh joins Steve Marinucci to discuss the fight to save Liverpool’s music landmarks and shares revealing Beatles stories about Brian Epstein and the firing of Pete Best. We also talk with Luis Lopez, one of the “Lucky 39” invited to the secret Paul McCartney listening session for "The Boys of Dungeon Lane" — complete with a surprise appearance by Paul himself. Luis gives an inside look at the whole adventure. Plus: our review of the new documentary "Peter Asher: Everywhere Man" and early thoughts on Ringo Starr’s new album "Long Long Road."

If you enjoy...

In the first part of the show, we feature four female Beatles scholars, including author Christine Feldman-Barrett talking about her book "A Women's History of the Beatles." In part two, we feature an exclusive interview with Don Geller and Dayna Goldfine, the co-producers of the new documentary "Peter Asher: Everywhere Man" on the making of the film. A lot for you to listen to and to discuss here. We hope you enjoy it, give us a like on the video and subscribe so you can get first word of our newest episodes.

In a special two-segment show, Beatles News Briefs presents "Seeing the Beatles" with fan accounts of seeing the Beatles (as a group) in concert at several U.S. concerts and, in the second half of the show, an exclusive interview with disc jockey legend Johnny Holliday, who co-emceed the Beatles' final concert at Candlestick Park on Aug. 29, 1966. You hear fans' stories of trying to get to their hotel rooms, the concert experience and the music they played. And Johnny Holliday, who is a member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Baseball Hall of Fame, tells...

Announcement of new Paul McCartney album. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can binge listen to all of our episodes free at Podbean, on YouTube or on our Beatles News Briefs blog page.

CONTACT INFO: You can contact us about the show at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you with your thoughts and feedback on our shows. We hope you enjoy the shows and we thank you very much for listening. We really appreciate you!

NEW! We've created a really fab (we think so!) Beatles News Briefs playlist on Spotify to go with the show t...

This week, we take a deep dive into "The McCartney Legacy" with Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, the co-authors of an incredible series of encyclopedic volumes (two down, one coming and more to go) that probe the McCartney mystique as it's never been done before. This is also special for me with this mini-reunion with Allan Kozinn, one of my old Things We Said Today cohorts. Then we finish off with some Beatles news briefs. Hang onto your ears because here we go!

Esteemed Beatles researcher and historian Mark Lewisohn talks with veteran Beatles reporter Steve Marinucci about his recently released film of his lecture "'Evolver '62" and the reason 1962 was such a pivotal year for The Beatles, his progress on his monumental Beatles history trilogy "Tune In", some recent discoveries, his opinions of the Beatles' "Anthology 4" and the recent Decca tape discovery in Canada and lots more. If you enjoy this or any of our shows, please give us a "thumbs up," SUBSCRIBE, and let your friends know about us. We have some special shows in the works you won't want...

Debbie Greenberg, author of "Cavern Club: The Inside Story," whose father owned the Cavern Club for several years, talks about what it was like seeing The Beatles there, knowing the families of the band and what it was like just being in the Cavern in those wild and crazy days. Also, we have some Beatles news briefs, including the announcement of a new book from one of the Beatles, and a review of the documentaries "Billy Preston: That's the Way God Planned It" and Paul McCartney's "Man On the Run." And even more. Please give us a LIKE or...

Author Madeline Bocaro, author of the Yoko Ono biography "In My Mind: The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono," talks with veteran Beatles reporter Steve Marinucci as they celebrate Yoko's 93rd birthday on Feb. 18, 2026, and discuss what, despite the criticism and negative press she has received in the past, what her legacy should look like in Beatles history. And make no mistake about it -- it looks to be a bright one.   

Imagine if the people in the Beatles' songs were real? That's what author Marcus Benjamin Ray Bradley's new book, "Imagining All the People" is all about -- a poetic re-telling of the people imagined in the lyrics of the Beatles in their songs. Bradley discusses the idea behind the book, the cooperative effort that put it together and his work in writing it. It's a geeky idea that takes the Beatles' songs places you'd never thought they'd go. Plus we have some late-breaking Beatles News Briefs. Have a listen! (You can find a video version on YouTube.)  

Canadian Beatles history authority Piers Hemmingsen and host Steve Marinucci discuss the recently published Blue Book volume of his "The Beatles In Canada" series and some of the ways that Beatlemania in Canada differed from America. We also talk about the unreleased Beatles '65 Toronto soundboard.

Among the other things we discuss are the Canadian Broadcasting Company's archival show "How the Beatles Changed the World." You can hear it here: How the Beatles Changed the World | CBC.ca   Another program that Piers and I discuss is this short report on the Sgt. Pepper album. And there's a th...

On this special show, we take a look back at some memorable moments from the shows we did in 2025. You'll hear from Joey Molland, Bruce Spizer, Piers Hemmingsen, Jude Southerland Kessler, Cha-Chi Loprete, Chris O'Dell, Gary Von Scyoc, Candy Leonard, Michele Wood Marotta, Al Sussman, Madeline Bocaro, Laurie Kaye, Rob Frith, Alan Weiss, Andru Reeve, Simon Weitzman, Alan G. Parker, Susan Ryan, Jeff Fisk, Tom Craig, Fred Velez and Bob Gannon, plus a portion of a press conference with Ringo Starr and members of the All-Starr Band. We hope hearing all these special moments from the shows will make...

On Dec. 8, 1980, journalist Alan Weiss, a local TV news producer on WABC-TV in New York City,  headed out on his motorcycle into the night. A crash with a taxi landed him in Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, where, lying on a gurney, he thought he heard a conversation that indicated that John Lennon had been shot and was in the emergency room next to him. How an injured Weiss managed to confirm the story and pass it first to his local news department, which then passed it on to the ABC network is part of the focus of o...

In the first of two shows on the new documentary "Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade," which debuts in the U.S. Dec. 8, we talk to its writer-director Alan G. Parker, who takes us behind the scenes of the making of the film that includes previously unseen and unheard details of a lavish tour planned by John Lennon and Yoko Ono to promote their "Double Fantasy" album. According to Parker, Lennon said the tour was designed to give Mick Jagger and Elton John "ulcers." We'll also bring you up to speed with some late-breaking Beatles news briefs and share our...

In 1970, George Harrison and Pattie Boyd visited Florida to see relatives. While locals had passed on stories of the trip, no photos had emerged until recently. Jeff Fisk of the Deerfield Historical Society, along with photographer Tom Craig who prepared the photos for display, Margot Winick of the Beatles In Florida Facebook page and Sara Schmidt of the Meet the Beatles for Real website talk about how the photos were discovered and put on display. Jeff Fisk will also discuss his upcoming a free lecture Nov. 19 on the photos. You can see some of the pictures of George's visit...

Charles Rosenay!!! and Chachi Loprete, two well-known figures in the world of Beatles fandom, discuss their upcoming salute to Beatlemania taking place this Sunday, Nov. 16, in Arlington, Mass. featuring The Cyrkle, special guest Billy J. Kramer (both managed by legendary Beatles manager Brian Epstein), and the '60s Thunder. Listen to this podcast as Charles and Chachi preview some of what you'll see on Sunday and celebrate the magic of the Beatles.  

If you think the whole "Paul Is Dead" tale is past history, you may be surprised to find out that there are people who not only still believe in it but also new clues have been added to the mix just recently. Andru Reeve, author of "Turn Me On Dead Man," (Amazon link), the most comprehensive book on the subject, talks about the history of this tale and why some Beatles fans still take it very seriously. We'll also talk about the most recent clues. And we'll have some great Beatles news for you. Welcome aboard and we hope...

A deep discussion into the new John Lennon & Yoko Ono box set "Power To the People" as Steve Marinucci talks first with author Candy Leonard ("Beatleness"), who looks back at the era in which the "Some Time In New York City" album was originally released and the difficulties Lennon and Ono faced with drug busts and immigration troubles. She also reveals some interesting news about her classic book, "Beatleness." Then Gary Van Scyoc, bassist with the Elephant's Memory Band, the group that played with John & Yoko on the "Some Time In New York City" album and the Willowbrook concert...

When we interviewed record dealer Rob Frith in show #91 in March, he told us about the Beatles Decca tape he had found in a collection he bought. After there were indications this wasn't just an ordinary tape, he said that if Paul McCartney wanted the tape, Frith would give it to him for free if he could give it to him personally. It was an idea that seemed like wishful thinking at the time, but believe it or not, it happened. He tells us the full story in detail -- what led to the meeting and what happened next...

On this show, veteran Beatles news reporter Steve Marinucci interviews filmmaker Simon Weitzman ("Miss O'Dell"), director of the new film "A Love Letter To the Beatles," which will come out the first week of October. The cast includes Pete Best, The Quarrymen, Laurence Juber and Billy J. Kramer. Simon also talks about his other upcoming film projects with Mark Lewisohn, Beatles artist Shannon MacDonald and the Cavern Club/International Beatles Week celebration in Liverpool. Also, for those who didn't catch the video-only podcast of Ringo's September 9th press conference we posted on YouTube as show #100 we have portions of...

A compact show filled with Beatles news and information (getting a plug in for my Facebook Beatles group .... come join us!) We start off with the news about the Beatles Anthology 4 set, then discuss the upcoming release of the John Lennon/Yoko Ono "Power To the People" box set and end it with a full review of the Alan G. Parker film "Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade" which has yet to be seen or released in America. Want to see it? We'll tell you how. Be sure to give us a great review wherever you get your podcasts and...

A revealing look at the film and the book "Miss O'Dell" with the book's author, Chris O'Dell, and the director of the film, Simon Weitzman.  In the first part of the show, we go one-to-one with "Miss O'Dell" as she talks candidly about her adventurous life working for the Beatles at Apple and what led to the book becoming a movie. Then, in part 2, we'll bring in the director of "Miss O'Dell," Simon Weitzman, for a revealing look at how the movie was made and stories from Chris and Simon on the production of the film. You'll also hear m...

In her years of radio work, Laurie Kaye has talked to such rock luminaries as Paul McCartney (with wife Linda), George Harrison, Beatles producer George Martin, Little Richard, Mick Jagger, Bob Weir, The Ramones, Talking Heads and more. But it was her interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Dec. 8, 1980, the night he was murdered, that is the focus of her book "Confessions of a Rock 'n' Roll Name Dropper: My Life Leading Up to John Lennon's Last Interview." She talks about the Lennon interview, her Beatles interviews (with excerpts from each of her vintage Beatles interviews featured...

An in-depth look at Yoko Ono the person with insights from author Madeline Bocaro ("In Your Mind: The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono") plus a revealing interview with Yoko Ono herself done in October, 1987, in which she talks candidly about meeting John Lennon, the Beatles' breakup (and chances of a reunion), making the "Double Fantasy" album and the plans John and Yoko had made after "Double Fantasy" which didn't happen. We'll also review the movie "Midas Man." Please subscribe to us and give us a (hopefully) good review. We also love hearing your thoughts at [email protected]. Thanks...

On this episode, we feature a very (very!) entertaining and lively discussion about the history of The Beatles on Vee-Jay Records with Beatles historian and author Bruce Spizer ("The Beatles On Vee-Jay Records") and Michele Marotta, daughter of Randy Wood, who was head of Vee-Jay Records at the time The Beatles were on the label. In the main part of the discussion, we'll talk about the unique albums released by Vee-Jay, which was pretty much an all-in-the-family operation when The Beatles were on it. But we'll also cover some other things as well that you'll want to hear. 

On this show, we review the new film "One To One: John & Yoko" heading to theaters on April 11 before being streamed on MAX later on. We also cover a breaking news story from the last few days. If you like us, please follow us and subscribe. Send questions or comments to [email protected]. Be sure to catch episode #93 with our interviews with John Lennon Series author Jude Southerland Kessler and Jack Herschorn, who adds a chapter to the Canada Decca tapes story. And thanks for listening!!

We have two great guests for you in our latest Beatles News Briefs podcast. First is a talk with distinguished author Jude Southerland Kessler on her new John Lennon Series book, "Some Forever: Shades Of Life, Volume 2," about the momentous year of 1965 for Lennon and the Beatles, including the great concert at Shea Stadium and how Lennon's personal life was beginning to fray.

Next, following up on our show #91 about the recently surfaced Canadian Decca tapes, we go a little deeper into it and talk with Jack Herschorn, the man who actually first had the tape for...

Beatles News Briefs EXTRA SPECIAL - We talk to Susan Ryan LIVE from day 3 (Sunday) of The Fest For Beatles Fans NY Metro Fest 2025 at the Hyatt Regency in Jersey City, N.J. Susan, the owner of Fab4 NYC Walking Tours (website: Fab4NYCtours.weebly.com), is a devoted attendee of both the New York and Chicago Fests and is working as a moderator of panels at the NY Metro Fest this weekend. She tells us how things look with the attendance and the spirit of the event, plus Susan and Steve trade stories about memories of Fests they...