Off The Beatle Track

I’ve listened to episodes of more than 50 Beatles or solo Beatles podcasts. These are my the ones that I enjoy the most. All of the podcasts that I mention here offer at least some episodes for free (though some also offer episodes behind a paywall), and some offer all their episodes for free.

I’ll name my number one favorite Beatles podcast at the end of part 2, but I’ll kick of this two-parter with:

My second favorite Beatles podcast

Another Kind of Mind. Phoebe Lorde and Daphne Mitchell specialize in what they call “topic-driven, multi-episode series.” I’ll refrain from recommending individual podcast episodes in these posts, because several of these podcasts offer more than 100 eps, but these three AKOM series will change the way that you think about The Beatles:

• A Mistake in Many Ways: How Lennon & McCartney Accidentally Broke The Beatles
• Pizza and Fairytales: The Story of John & Paul in the 70s
• Fine Tuning, an Examination of Mark Lewisohn’s Tune In

Podcasts that span the breadth of Beatledom

BC The Beatles. The first episode from hosts Allison Boron and Erika White was titled “Paul Is Weird. . . And We Love It!” They also offer the definitive take on how to pronounce Epstein.

Something About The Beatles. Beatles author Robert Rodriguez consistently features the most intriguing guests (e.g.,  May Pang, Don Dannemann of The Cyrkle, and sociologist Candy Leonard) in the world of Beatle podcasts.

You Can Talk to Me. Host Mike Croaker goes deep with one guest per episode. The enthusiastic Mike is an excellent interviewer.

Gimme Some Truth. Obadiah Jones disproves (and sometimes proves) the myths surrounding The Beatles like who played drums on Dear Prudence and who played bass on She Said She Said.

Comedy podcasts

Untitled Beatles Podcast. Hosts Tony Mendoza and T.J. Shanoff and producer Casey Baker release an episode every week (though some have been previously released). I don’t always agree with their Beatle takes, but their impressions of Chicago jagoffs¹ make me laugh out loud.

Screw It, We’re Just Gonna Talk About the Beatles. Will Hines and his guests from the world of Los Angeles comedy offer a disclaimer at the top of every episode that they “get stuff wrong” and “leave stuff out,” but they’re funny. During a review of the White Album, one panelist remarked that at the beginning of Back in the USSR, “That’s Paul flying the plane.”²

Defunct podcasts

I Am the Eggpod. Chris Shaw and a guest discussed one Beatles or solo album per episode. Check the January 2022 archive, when Chris and a different guest discussed each day of Peter Jackson’s Get Back series. Chris now hosts the Eggpod Express podcast.

Nothing Is Real. Steven Cockcroft and Jason Carty say that their podcast reviewed “all those records and movies while also looking at the circumstances, events and effects relating to [them]. Plus the films of Ringo Starr.”

In part 2, I’ll look at podcasts that rank Beatles songs and solo Beatles podcasts and reveal my favorite Beatles podcast.

1. I hope I’m using this term correctly. I wouldn’t want to offend any jagoffs. ↩︎
2. It’s a location joke–you had to be there. ↩︎