SUMMARY: Dr. Richard Mills joins Phoebe and Daphne for a chit-chat about all things fandom: slash fiction, Beatle novels, murder, conspiracies, tribute bands, horny editors, biopics, Superfan authors and anything else that pops up! --- https://www.instagram.com/drrichardmills/ Dr Richard Mills is an Associate Professor in English Literature and Pop…

SUMMARY OG Beatles Embed Ivor Davis joins Phoebe and Daphne to discuss the sex, drugs, and mania of 1964 (and beyond!) along with plenty of fascinating Beatle minutiae in this free-wheeling, fun and eclectic conversation. SOURCE The Beatles and Me on Tour IVOR DAVIS (2014); 60th Anniversary Edition (2024) PLAYLIST Lonesome Tears in My Eyes THE BEAT…

SUMMARY Phoebe and Daphne answer listener mail! Part 2/2 TOPICS Podcast Recs for Beginners Will Now and Then change convo? Certainly Not One-Sided The Love You Make - Brown and Gaines interview Being Normal About Paul Opinion on Francie Schwartz John quote from AKOM theme Spurred into Marriage Brother Malcolm Comes to Me Julia: John= Genius Maharis…

SUMMARY Phoebe and Daphne answer listener mail! Part 1/2 TOPICS Julian Lennon w/ Bill Maher No Barcelona in Midas Man?! “Two Years is the Usual Time” Sam Mendes Beatles Biopics Starting Over Paul’s Independence Did John Give George Money? May Pang’s Weird Bowie Story Did They F*ck!?! John Never Hit Paul SOURCES Bill Maher w/ Julian Lennon: https://…

SUMMARY: In our final episode of Fine Tuning, we summarize our conclusions, respond to listener feedback, issue corrections, share our hopes and fears for future books and offer our thoughts and predictions on the future of Beatles scholarship. PLAYLIST Everyday BUDDY HOLLY Honey Hush BIG JOE TURNER I Fall to Pieces PATSY CLINE Problems THE EVERLY …

SUMMARY Unseen Paul builds on our earlier episodes by sharing even more quotes, stories, and insights about young Paul McCartney, who deserves a nuanced and dynamic portrait in any Beatles biography. We explore some of his more overlooked character traits: his quirks and gifts; his stressors and anxieties; his unusual interests and values. These fe…

SUMMARY: In our 9th episode, we tackle a handful of loose ends from Tune In and pose the question: WTF? Why The Farting? Where's Talented Friend? Washboard To Fender Weird, Those Fruits! Women-Type Fans Whores They F*cked? Wow, That's Fabricated! Which Tune's First? Writing's Too Fancy Whose Teachers Finest? Wimpy Teetotaler Frenemie PLAYLIST: Tutt…

SYNOPSIS: In her second appearance on AKOM, May Pang talks with Phoebe about Yoko enlisting Paul’s help during the Lost Weekend, John & Yoko’s Tittenhurst Safe Room, The (not) Malibu Dream House and Primal Therapy. The Lost Weekend: A Love Story is currently available for purchase or streaming on most major platforms. Discover more at www.maypang.c…

SYNOPSIS: No Greater Buddy examines how Tune In handles the naughty behavior of its resident Bad Boy, John Lennon. This is a study of Lewisohn’s coverage of John’s bad behavior (rather than the behavior itself). PLAYLIST Bad Boy LARRY WILLIAMS Let the Good Times Roll LOUIS JORDAN Jim Dandy LAVERN BAKER Handful of Keys FATS WALLER Undecided ELLA FIT…

SYNOPSIS: Spanner in the Works shows how Paul is portrayed as uniquely difficult to manage and unjustifiably obstructive, even to the point of sabotaging the band. We use Tune In’s reporting of the early friction between Paul and Brian Epstein as a case study to illustrate how Tune In guides the reader to distrust and second-guess Paul whenever he …

SYNOPSIS: Phoebe talks with Vivek Tiwary, author of “The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story,” a graphic novel celebrating its 10th Anniversary with a new edition! https://thefifthbeatle.com/graphic-novel/ https://twitter.com/fifthbeatle https://www.instagram.com/the_fifthbeatle/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/TheFifthBeatleTV/ PLAYLIST It’s For …

SYNOPSIS: In A Prolonged Jealousy, we tackle one of Tune In’s main talking points: that Paul McCartney is a fundamentally jealous person whose obsessive, one-sided jealousy of and over John Lennon was brought to a boil by the presence of Stuart Sutcliffe in the band. Is Tune In’s unforgiving portrayal of Paul’s jealousy fair? Or is it over the top?…

SYNOPSIS: Phoebe Lorde and Allison Bumsted talk with Kenneth Womack about “LIVING THE BEATLES LEGEND: the Mal Evans Story.” We discuss several of the amazing topics raised in this wonderful book; Elvis, cowboys, Allen Klein being horrible, the tougher-to-write moments in the book, interpersonal relationships within the Beatles' circle, and of cours…

SUMMARY: Leader Lennon examines Tune In's major thesis, that John Lennon was and is the leader and implicit owner of The Beatles forever. We take a hard look at Tune In’s obvious affection for hierarchy and dominance and how this pervades its storytelling. We'll discuss the deficiencies of this framework, why it is a problem, and how it distorts th…

SYNOPSIS: This episode explores Tune In’s unequal treatment of John Lennon and Paul McCartney's childhoods, with particular attention paid to the disparate coverage of their childhood stressors and the deaths of their mothers, Julia and Mary. We go pretty deep into what we know of John and Paul's boyhoods and how those experiences shaped their pers…

SYNOPSIS: In Creative Whirlwind, we take a look at how Tune In reports and characterizes young Lennon and McCartney as budding artists. We’ll show that Tune In significantly downplays and shortchanges (and sometimes even ignores) crucial aspects of McCartney's artistic development and identity. On the other hand, Lennon’s creative development is sh…

SYNOPSIS: This is a look at Tune In’s most positive descriptions of John and Paul respectively. All examined passages will be from the text, i.e. the author’s own depictions of John and Paul. By comparing how Lewisohn chooses to describe John versus Paul, we will reveal many undeniable discrepancies in word choice, enthusiasm, depth, and tone. What…

SYNOPSIS: Welcome to Fine Tuning, an Examination of Mark Lewisohn’s Tune In. This episode presents an overview of our 11-part series including its impetus, our objectives and summaries of the upcoming installments. PLAYLIST Johnny B. Goode THE BEATLES Carol THE BEATLES Some Other Guy THE BEATLES Too Much Monkey Business THE BEATLES Thank You Girl T…

ELEANOR RIGBY lives in a dream, waits at the window, died in the church and was buried alone with her name!!! This is an episode of McCartney: A Life in Lyrics, a new podcast with Sir Paul McCartney himself from iHeartMedia, MPL, and Pushkin Industries. Listen and subscribe!Av Another Kind of Mind: A Different Kind of Beatles Podcast

SUMMARY Phoebe and Daphne answer more listener mail! In Part 2 they tackle: the controversial production of Strawberry Fields Forever, an alternate theory on Paul and Jane’s breakup, what Mick Jagger and Pattie Boyd know about India, Projecting Onto George, granny music, voodoo dolls and more! FULL LIST OF TOPICS Security Blanket Midas Man Pattie’s…

SUMMARY The AKOM Team tackles a variety topics including: the upcoming "Now and Then" release, Why Allen Klein Is Still Trash, possible undercover hookups, the challenges of friendship, LSD, Elvis, betrayal and SO MUCH MORE! Full List of Topics: SOLO PAUL! LAWR OBJECTION PAUL AND MOZART NOW AND THEN ELVIS BOOK JOHN IS HIGH MAINTENANCE FRIEND? WOMEN…

DR FRANKENSONG! AKOM talks w/ Adrian Sinclair and Allen Kozinn Summary: Authors of the McCartney Legacy Vol 1, Adrian Sincalir and Allen Kozinn speak with Daphne and Phoebe about Paul McCartney’s “Frankensongs,” dynamic compositions that consist of two (or more) songs that are sutured together to form a mega-song. In this episode: Another Day, Back…

SUMMARY AKOM talks with the fabulous May Pang about “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story” and a variety of big and small topics including: John praising Cynthia’s parenting, meeting Paul and Linda in the 1980s, visiting David Bowie w/ Paul and Linda, and the ride John abstained from at Disney World. PLAYLIST Surprise Surprise JOHN LENNON (1974) Real Lov…

SUMMARY Welcome to STRANGE BEDFELLOWS, an AKOM series about Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney after John Lennon's death. It's the new millennium! Paul and Yoko get real and the truth comes out! Will it draw them and their families closer together? Or deepen the divide? How do Paul and Yoko see their own relationship? As kindred spirits or mortal enemies?…

SUMMARY Welcome to STRANGE BEDFELLOWS, an AKOM series about Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney after John Lennon's death. Episode Three covers the 1990s, a decade that sees some of the most significant highs and lows between Ono and McCartney. Goodwill abounds when Paul inducts John into the Rock Hall in 1994. Building on this positivity, Yoko earns Paul’…

SUMMARY Welcome to STRANGE BEDFELLOWS, an AKOM series about Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney after John Lennon's death. In Episode 2 we welcome author Joe Hagan for a loose, candid and wide-ranging conversation centered around Paul, Yoko and Jann Wenner. Topics include: Rolling Stone’s stake in the Ono-McCartney drama, Jann’s autobiography, the Rock Hal…

SUMMARY Welcome to STRANGE BEDFELLOWS, an AKOM series about Yoko Ono and Paul McCartney after John Lennon's death. Episode 1 delves deep into the 1980s! Discussed in this episode: Paul’s grief and Yoko’s peculiar comments in the aftermath of John’s death, Yoko’s kindness towards Paul and his efforts to reciprocate, Paul’s failed attempt to recover …

SUMMARY Is Paul McCartney the 20th Century’s Mozart? Phoebe and Daphne tackle this question with radio host and classical music programmer, Valerie Ing. We discuss the similar biographies, artistic processes and whimsical spirits of these two creative dynamos and share some of our favorite pieces from both composers. We also debate Bach, listen to …

AKOM welcomes Dr. Christine Feldman-Barrett, author of A Women’s History of the Beatles. Phoebe, Daphne and Christine discuss: how the Beatles have inspired generations of women, effective labor, fandom, diversity in Beatles scholarship, Living History v. critical distance, and being (v. being WITH the Beatles). SOURCES Ehrenreich, Barbara, Elizabe…

SUMMARY Phoebe and Daphne answer listener mail from social media site, tumblr. This 2-part episode offers a unique glimpse into feedback and questions from AKOM listeners. (Also, keep an ear out for a brief appearance by a special guest!) TOPICS FOR EPISODE 2/2 Paul’s job v. John’s art school John refused to be alone with Paul?! Paul’s difficulty s…

SUMMARY Phoebe and Daphne answer listener mail from social media site, tumblr. This 2-part episode offers a unique glimpse into feedback and questions from AKOM listeners. (Also, keep an ear out for a brief appearance by a special guest!) TOPICS FOR EPISODE 1/2 Did you Get Back change your minds? George and Paul in the 70s Here Today Night We Cried…

Phoebe and Thalia unpack how the topic of leadership between John and Paul is discussed by authors and fans, and some of the hows and whys behind the various narratives. SOURCES The Beatle The Biography BOB SPITZ (2005) Paul McCartney in Concert “Here Today” clip The Beatles Authorized Biography by Hunter Davies (afterward 1985) The Beatles Authori…

SUMMARY AKOM welcomes Caleb Nichols to discuss their new album Ramon, a Beatles-inspired rock operetta. Caleb, Daphne and Phoebe chat about The Gay Agenda, Brian Epstein, Bisexual John Lennon, Queering History and the special influence of Queer people and culture on the Beatles Story and Universe. PLAYLIST Listen to the Beatles CALEB NICHOLS (2022)…

SUMMARY In the final (2 part) episode of our series, we’ll address the final event in the Breakup drama of April 1970: the battle of Phil Spector’s production of The Long and Winding Road. We’ll also take an in-depth look at Paul’s revelatory interview in The Evening Standard. Candid, comprehensive and intriguing, this interview is an important pie…

SUMMARY In the final (2 part) episode of our series, we’ll address the final event in the Breakup drama of April 1970: the battle of Phil Spector’s production of The Long and Winding Road. We’ll also take an in-depth look at Paul’s revelatory interview in The Evening Standard. Candid, comprehensive and intriguing, this interview is an important pie…

SUMMARY When John’s attempts to lure Paul back to the fold prove unsuccessful, he orchestrates one final outrageous maneuver. But John’s actions are another miscalculation; Paul responds irately to John’s tactics and further digs in his heels with a combative questionnaire inserted into press copies of his McCartney LP. Early April shows an escalat…

SUMMARY After the new year, John approaches the Beatles with a new outlook and a new idea for the future. The trial separation, John predicts, “will either be a death or a Rebirth.” And John has made his choice! Episode Three delves into John’s hopes and fears for the fate of Lennon/McCartney in 1970, and then ties in some pertinent quotes from 198…

Episode two of our series provides a comprehensive examination of Paul’s state of mind in autumn of 1969. We discuss the deluge of problems he faces and consider how this confluence of issues triggers one of the worst episodes of Paul’s life. How might this depression have impacted Paul’s ability to interpret and respond to John’s continuing attemp…

SUMMARY “I always felt the split was a mistake in many ways.” -John Lennon, 1976. In this series, Phoebe and Daphne will argue that the breakup of the Beatles was an accident, the result of insecurity, hurt feelings and misread signals. Backed by rigorous research, we’ll analyze the events between September 1969 and April 1970 with probity, thought…

Phoebe and Thalia talk with Rolling Stone contributing editor and writer Rob Sheffield about “In My Life.” Topics include: the backstory, inspiration and notable elements of the song; band dynamics of the mid-60s Beatles; Paul McCartney’s influence and impact on In My Life; George Harrison’s 1974 concert tour; John Lennon’s social media presence. P…

Live on Location in Seattle at Paul McCartney's Got Back tour: Phoebe and Daphne share their joyous experience at this May 2022 show and have a lively discussion about the performance by Paul, Rusty, Brian, Wix and Abe. *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*Av Another Kind of Mind: A Different Kind of Beatles Podcast

Dr. Allison Bumsted joins Phoebe and Daphne to discuss how rock journalism in the 1970s re-shaped Paul McCartney’s critical reputation for the next three decades (and beyond). Also discussed in this episode: authenticity, gatekeeping, rock aesthetics and rhetoric, hyper-masculinity and the inherent inclusivity of pop. SOURCES Paul McCartney intervi…

The third and final episode in our Get Back analysis is dedicated to Band Dynamics- the working and personal relationships within the Beatles and how all those conflicts, bonds and loyalties interact. We also take a look at the Get Back deadlines; Were they as crazy as we think? Join Phoebe, Daphne, Iris and Thalia for this lively, thoughtful and e…

AKOM on GET BACK: Brothers, Friends, Bandmates Episode 2 is all about George, Paul and George & Paul; we take a look into their dynamic as bandmates, friends and surrogate brothers. We also examine George as a Producer for insight into the creative conflicts between Paul and George. Other topics include: The Beatles’ Rooftop Performance, Eric Clapt…

Part 1 in a 3-part conversation about Peter Jackson’s documentary epic, GET BACK. Join Phoebe and Daphne for a discussion of Peter Jackson's most controversial edits, Yoko’s celluloid makeover, the state of John & Paul’s relationship and the invisible interloper, heroin. SOURCES Get Back, dir. Peter Jackson (2021) Michael Lindsay Hogg, Interview fo…

Join Phoebe and Sam Whiles, host of Paul or Nothing podcast, as they discuss the cinematic portrayals of the McCartney and Lennon marriages. What mythology do they create for themselves? What does the public (fans, authors and outside media) project onto them? How have their images changed over time? Movies discussed in this episode: The Linda McCa…

Join Phoebe and Sam Whiles, host of Paul or Nothing podcast, as they discuss the TV movie John and Yoko: A Love Story (1985). Paul or Nothing: https://mccartneypod.podbean.comAv Another Kind of Mind: A Different Kind of Beatles Podcast

Join Phoebe and Sam Whiles, host of Paul or Nothing podcast, as they discuss the TV movie The Linda McCartney Story (2000). Paul or Nothing: https://mccartneypod.podbean.comAv Another Kind of Mind: A Different Kind of Beatles Podcast

Peter Jackson's long-awaited documentary series Get Back launches on Disney Plus in just 3 days (November 25, 2021)! Join Phoebe, Daphne, and Thalia for a deeply analytical, level-headed, and definitely not hysterical countdown to this groundbreaking event in Beatledom! They discuss the Get Back book, teasers, remixes, and other advance media. Also…

‘Pizza and Fairytales’ is John Lennon’s phrase— a brilliant one—and he conjured it to describe one man: Paul McCartney. John in the 70s is fairly well documented. But what about the less communicative, less examined half of Lennon/McCartney? In this episode, Phoebe and Daphne give McCartney two things he doesn’t often get: detailed lyrical analysis…