Everything Fab Four

Kenneth Womack

Everything Fab Four is a podcast from Wonderwall Communications and Salon focused on fun and intelligent stories about the enduring cultural influence of the Beatles. No other band, or popular entity for that matter, has had the worldwide impact the Beatles have. They are part of our human fabric; they created music that still brings people together. Across continents and generations, there are individual Beatles stories to tell, and in each episode, renowned music historian, author, and Beatles scholar Kenneth Womack hosts a special guest to share theirs.

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74 episodes
Updated June 16

Episodes74

Newest first

Apr 6, 2021 · 32 min
Episode 13: John Roberts on "Let It Be" and how "Bob's Burgers" songs get made
John Roberts is best known as the voice of Linda Belcher, doting matriarch of the beloved Fox animated sitcom "Bob's Burgers," but he's also a musician — you may have heard his new collaboration with Blondie's Debbie Harry, "Lights Out." On this episode, he and host Ken Womack talk about the TV pilots Roberts has made that you haven't seen yet, his upcoming musical releases, and which Beatle Linda Belcher would like the best.
Mar 23, 2021 · 31 min
Episode 12: Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's on the Beatles, her first musical relationship
Kathy Valentine made history as the bassist for the Go-Go's, the first multiplatinum all-female band who wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to have a #1 album in the U.S. And her first relationship with music? Was with the Beatles. In this episode, Valentine and host Ken Womack talk about her Beatles and British influences, what she and fellow bass player Paul McCartney have in common, and her memoir, "All I Ever Wanted," a deeply personal reflection on a life in rock.
Mar 9, 2021 · 35 min
Episode 11: "Little Steven" Van Zandt on his Beatles tribute album, paying "15 years of dues" with the E Street Band and playing live with Paul McCartney
In this episode, "Little Steven" Van Zandt and our host Ken Womack go deep into the guitarist/singer/songwriter/actor's legendary musical career and his own Beatles influences, from the Ed Sullivan Show to how dues-paying in New Jersey and Hamburg shaped these bands to the night they pulled the plug on Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen in Hyde Park. . Everything Fab Four's theme song is "Seize the Day," courtesy of Blac Rabbit: Follow them on Instagram @blacrabbit . Everything Fab Four is a WonderWall Communications production, distributed by Salon
Feb 23, 2021 · 33 min
Episode 10: John Densmore on how the Doors and the Beatles were on parallel tracks
This week's guest is drummer John Densmore, one of the founding members of the groundbreaking classic rock band The Doors. In a wide-ranging conversation with host Ken Womack, Densmore talks about the parallel tracks the Beatles and the Doors were on for the time they overlapped as bands, musical innovations the Beatles inspired the Doors to take, and how George Harrison talking about losing John Lennon helped him mourn Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek. . Everything Fab Four's theme song is "Seize the Day," courtesy of Blac Rabbit: Follow them on Instagram @blacrabbit . A WonderWall Communications production, distributed by Salon
Feb 9, 2021 · 37 min
Episode 9: Patty Smyth on Abbey Road, Van Halen, and how motherhood shaped her career
"I think Paul McCartney's calling you": This week's guest is singer/songwriter Patty Smyth, who rocketed to fame with her band band Scandal ("Goodbye to You," "The Warrior"), followed by her acclaimed solo career ("Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"). This week, Smyth and host Ken Womack talk about the pivotal Beatles moments that shaped her life, how pregnancy and motherhood shaped her career, and how she almost joined Van Halen. . Everything Fab Four's theme song is "Seize the Day," courtesy of Blac Rabbit: Follow them on Instagram @blacrabbit . A WonderWall Communications production, distributed by Salon
Dec 29, 2020 · 33 min
Episode 8: Dessa on the Beatles, the ins and outs of collaboration, and her "Come Together"-inspired song
From an early age, singer/songwriter Dessa, the daughter of a classical guitar-playing father, seemed destined for music. In the final episode of season 1 of "Everything Fab Four," the Doomtree Collective member tells our host Kenneth Womack how the Beatles shaped her understanding of poetic license and creative possibility from childhood on. In this wide-ranging interview, they also dive deep into the ups and downs of creative collaboration, an exclusive clip of her "Come Together"-influenced song "Warsaw" and much more.
Dec 22, 2020 · 30 min
Episode 7: "A musical punch in the face": Yes frontman Jon Anderson on how the Beatles changed pop, from revelation to revolution
Jon Anderson, co-founder and former lead singer of the legendary prog rock group Yes, has enjoyed a prolific career spanning over six decades, most recently with his 2019 album "1000 Hands." Though he had a band with his brother as a teen in 1962, they were largely focused on being the Everly Brothers or Elvis Presley — that is, until they heard "Love Me Do." The brothers traveled to see the Beatles play live in April, 1963, "and it was a revelation on many levels," Anderson tells Everything Fab Four host Kenneth Womack. On this episode, go deep with Anderson and Womack into how the Beatles shaped pop music throughout the '60s, and discover the very specific musical reason why Anderson believes the band is beloved all around the world.
Dec 1, 2020 · 37 min
Episode 6: Stephanie Phillips on why we shouldn't call the Beatles geniuses
Author and musician Stephanie Phillips, who plays in the Black feminist punk band Big Joanie and whose writing has been featured in major outlets all over the world, grew up a music fan but for years had "a general disinterest" in the Beatles, due largely to the "sad dad army" of fans that she couldn't relate to as a young woman of color. "There wasn't really much in the Beatles for me to latch onto," Phillips tells host Ken Womack on "Everything Fab Four." "That was, I learned later, because of how their story and their myth and their music had been commandeered by a very specific white middle class elite." On this episode Phillips talks about her influential essay "On Loving the Beatles as a Black woman," finding her own way into Beatles fandom, why we shouldn't call them "geniuses," and what she doesn't hear on their albums.
Nov 17, 2020 · 34 min
Episode 5: John Oates on Philly's Beatles backlash, the Hall & Oates origin story and living next to Hunter S. Thompson
John Oates, best known as half of the iconic pop duo Hall & Oates, has played guitar alongside Darryl Hall for decades, co-writing hits like "Sara Smile," "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" and "Maneater." He grew up in Philadelphia, and tells our host Ken Womack that when the Beatles first hit the U.S., his local radio stations wouldn't play their songs. "Being a teenager in Philadelphia I was right along with them. . . . To me the Beatles didn't mean that much initially." Eventually, though, his relationship to the Fab Four's music changed, starting with "Abbey Road." In this wide-ranging conversation, Oates tells the story of a fateful eviction, the impact producer Arif Mardin had on Hall & Oates, his recent solo work, what kind of neighbor Hunter S. Thompson was, and which Beatles song he'd want with him on a desert island.
Oct 29, 2020 · 31 min
Episode 4: "Rent" star Adam Pascal on the most dangerous Beatle, his favorite Fab Four song, and the future of Broadway
Broadway star Adam Pascal is a serious Beatles fan — he even named his son Lennon. On this episode of "Everything Fab Four," host Kenneth Womack talks to the artist who originated the role of Roger in Broadway's "Rent" about what early Beatles music had in common with show tunes, how John Lennon brought an element of danger into the innocence, and even the brilliance of Barry Manilow.
Oct 20, 2020 · 32 min
Episode 3: Judy Collins on how the Beatles' "In My Life" changed her life and career
Judy Collins is a Grammy Award-winning American singer and songwriter with an eclectic recording career spanning over 60 years that includes folk, rock, pop and show tunes. Primarily known as a folk singer until 1966, she began branching out to include other sounds with her album In My Life, in which she "took a flying leap" and recorded a cover of the eponymous Beatles song, which pushed her career to new directions and heights. In this episode, Judy and Ken talk about her long working relationship with Elektra Records, how she first fell in love with the Beatles' music, and some personal stories, like the time her friend Linda called her for advice on dating a rock star, a guy named Paul McCartney.
Oct 6, 2020 · 32 min
Episode 2: Michael Des Barres on his Beatles obsession and the "absolute shift" they created in rock 'n roll
"England needed heroes ... these four kids came out of the rubble of World War 2 and changed the world": On this episode of "Everything Fab Four" Ken and his guest Michael Des Barres go deep into the Beatles' cultural roots, plus his personal story of discovering the Beatles at 16 — at a concert filmed by the BBC. Michael Des Barres is a true polymath — a hit songwriter ("Obsession"), a dynamic frontman (supergroup Power Station, notably their 1985 Live Aid performance), and a versatile character actor with dozens of big- and small-screen credits to his name, including recurring roles on "Melrose Place" and "MacGuyver." He currently hosts "The Michael Des Barres Program" on Little Steven's Underground Garage, SiriusXM channel 21. NOTE: This episode contains some colorful language; listener discretion is advised.
Sep 22, 2020 · 34 min
Episode 1: Steve Lukather (Toto, Ringo's All Starr Band) on how the Beatles changed his life
Steve Lukather is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and the sole continuous founding member of the rock group Toto. He also plays with Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band. In this first episode of "Everything Fab Four," host Kenneth Womack talks to Steve about how he discovered the Beatles, how their music influenced his, his personal and professional relationship with Ringo Starr, and what it was like playing with George Harrison and Paul McCartney. NOTE: This episode contains some colorful language; listener discretion is advised.
Sep 9, 2020 · 1 min
Introducing Everything Fab Four: Where everyone has a Beatles story to tell
Everything Fab Four is a podcast focused on fun and intelligent stories about the enduring cultural influence of the Beatles. No other band, or popular entity for that matter, has had the world-wide impact the Beatles have. They are part of our human fabric, they created music that still brings people together, and just about everyone has their own "Beatles story" to tell. In each episode, renowned music historian, Beatles scholar, and author Kenneth Womack will host a special guest to share theirs. In Season 1, we'll hear from an eclectic slate of guests ranging from Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, who plays with Ringo's All-Star Band, and Hall & Oates co-founder John Oates to Broadway star Adam Pascal ("Rent") and genre-defying vocalist Dessa, member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree. These conversations will be guided by our host Kenneth Womack, who literally wrote the encyclopedia on the Beatles (The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four), as well as a two-volume study on producer George Martin, and the bestselling book Solid State: The Story of Abbey Road and the End of the Beatles. Ken is also a regular music culture columnist for Salon. Everything Fab Four is produced by Wonderwall Communications and distributed by Salon. Follow @ef4podcast on Twitter and Facebook. You can also follow Ken on Twitter at @KennethAWomack and visit his website: everythingfabfour.com. Like the theme music? Learn more about Blac Rabbit on Instagram at @blacrabbitband.

Everything Fab Four

Episode 13: John Roberts on "Let It Be" and how "Bob's Burgers" songs get made

Episode 12: Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's on the Beatles, her first musical relationship

Episode 11: "Little Steven" Van Zandt on his Beatles tribute album, paying "15 years of dues" with the E Street Band and playing live with Paul McCartney

Episode 10: John Densmore on how the Doors and the Beatles were on parallel tracks

Episode 9: Patty Smyth on Abbey Road, Van Halen, and how motherhood shaped her career

Episode 8: Dessa on the Beatles, the ins and outs of collaboration, and her "Come Together"-inspired song

Episode 7: "A musical punch in the face": Yes frontman Jon Anderson on how the Beatles changed pop, from revelation to revolution

Episode 6: Stephanie Phillips on why we shouldn't call the Beatles geniuses

Episode 5: John Oates on Philly's Beatles backlash, the Hall & Oates origin story and living next to Hunter S. Thompson

Episode 4: "Rent" star Adam Pascal on the most dangerous Beatle, his favorite Fab Four song, and the future of Broadway

Episode 3: Judy Collins on how the Beatles' "In My Life" changed her life and career

Episode 2: Michael Des Barres on his Beatles obsession and the "absolute shift" they created in rock 'n roll

Episode 1: Steve Lukather (Toto, Ringo's All Starr Band) on how the Beatles changed his life

Introducing Everything Fab Four: Where everyone has a Beatles story to tell