Gimme Some Truth

Welcome to a new research podcast unraveling the fact from the fiction in the history of The Beatles. This is an introduction to the podcast and a chance to meet me, Obadiah. Stay tuned for the first season!

In this first episode of Gimme Some Truth, we discover the true timeline for when Ringo Starr quit The Beatles and holidayed in Sardinia!

New evidence rewrites what we know about the recording of 'Dear Prudence' and who played drums! In this episode, I am joined by author/producer Jerry Hammack to discuss.
Jerry's books can be found on his website!

A holiday car crash in the Scottish Highlands delayed John's return to sessions at EMI Studios for The Beatles' 1969 Abbey Road LP. New evidence shows that John returned later than we previously thought!

One of the enduring mysteries in The Beatles' music is the opening chord for 'A Hard Day's Night'. Who played what and how? In this episode, I attempt to unravel the elements and get to the truth.

In this episode we take a deep look at the events that led to The Beatles' arrival and triumph in the United States. Did they really wait until they had a number one to stage their arrival or was it fortuitous?

For the season one finale episode, I am joined by acclaimed authors/researchers Chip Madinger and Scott Raile to discuss the timeline of events surrounding the recording of John & Yoko's Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins. In their meticulously researched chronology, Lennonology: Strange Days Indeed - A Scrapbook Of Madness, Chip & Scott date the recording to earlier in May 1968 than is widely thought.You can buy Lennonology from the official website: https://lennonology.com/

In this short bonus episode, I explore the connections between The Beatles and the game of chess. Did Ringo learn to play chess during the recording of Sgt Pepper? Not 'alf he didn't!

In the first episode of Season 2, we continue to seek the truth by taking a revisionist look at how Ed Sullivan came to sign The Beatles to his show in 1963.

The fan fever The Beatles inspired in Britain in 1963 inspired a new word - Beatlemania. But where did the term actually come from and what is its history?

In 1969 the Plastic Ono Band were set to release a mysterious track called 'Rock Peace' that never saw the light of day...or did it? I am joined by Axel Korinth to discuss how Antonio Caroselli solved a 50-year-old mystery in the second volume of their fabulous A Is For Apple book series, the history of The Beatles' multimedia corporation. 
You can find out more about Apcor and all the brilliant things they do at: http://www.apcor.net/

Yoko Ono is one of the most central, divisive and misunderstood figures in The Beatles' history. In this two-part episode, I am joined by author Madeline Bocaro to discuss Yoko's early life and work and to present a more complete version of the woman, the artist and herstory. Part 1 covers Yoko's early life up until she met John Lennon.
Get your copy of Madeline's new book In Your Mind - The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono at conceptualbooks.com and find reviews and more information at inyourmindbook.com.

Yoko Ono is one of the most central, divisive and misunderstood figures in The Beatles' history. In this two-part episode, I am joined by author Madeline Bocaro to discuss Yoko's early life and work and to present a more complete version of the woman, the artist and herstory. Part 2 covers from when Yoko met John until they officially became a couple.
Get your copy of Madeline's book In Your Mind - The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono at conceptualbooks.com and find reviews and more information at inyourmindbook.com.

This week we take a look at the true origins of the most famous myth in The Beatles' history: the 'Paul Is Dead' rumour. Find out who invented the tall tale and how they confessed within a month.

New documents and information update the timeline of The Beatles' messy departure from Germany after their first Hamburg residency. This episode highlights the wonderful research of Thorsten Knublauch in his recent book The Beatles Mach Shau in Hamburg.

In the first of two episodes with author/researcher Dafydd Rees, we look at how he uncovered two previously unknown gigs The Beatles performed on 29 June 1963. Dafydd's detailed book The Beatles 1963 - A Year In The Life is available through Omnibus Press.
 
Audio of Mark Lewisohn used with permission from 2014 interview by Let It Be Beatles.

Forget everything you think you know about how George Harrison helped to sign The Rolling Stones to Decca Records in May 1963. I am joined once again by Dafydd Rees to discuss our new research, which calls this well-known story into question and revises not only Beatles' history but also Stones' history. Listen to the end to hear some bonus research stories from Dafydd about his book The Beatles 1963 - A Year In The Life (available here). Season 2 finale episode!

I present the unexpected results of two searches for the 'real' Sgt Pepper. Was Pepper based on a real person? Who is the military man fans could cut out of the album sleeve? Find out in this bonus episode!

I'm back with a new, special season in which I am joined by Beatles authors and scholars Chip Madinger, Erin Torkelson Weber and Robert Rodriguez to discuss Yoko Ono's 4 June 1968 audio diary. This introduction episode sets the context for the recording and a history of 'Revolution 1' before we dive in!

My special guests and I begin our analysis of Yoko Ono's audio diary from 4 June 1968. In this section, we gain insight into her and John's early relationship and current events in their lives.
 
To follow along with the audio, you can download an improved transcript here.

In this second part, we continue our investigation of Yoko Ono's 4 June 1968 audio diary. John messes around with a fretless guitar, Kyoko goes missing and an interesting visitor arrives to EMI Studios.
 
To follow along with the audio, you can download an improved transcript here.

Part 3 of Yoko Ono's 4 June 1968 audio diary sees her analysing John's handwriting, the other three Beatles and admitting jealousy of John's work on 'Revolution'. Join Chip, Erin, Robert and I as we discuss!
 
To follow along with the audio, you can download an improved transcript here.

In the last part of our analysis of Yoko Ono's 4 June 1968 audio diary, Chip, Erin, Robert and I discuss our final thoughts and takeaways as Yoko continues to worry about Cynthia's imminent return and John wraps up work on 'Revolution' for the day with a rough mix.
 
To follow along with the audio, you can download an improved transcript here.

What was Yoko using to record her audio diary? I present a new clue from an unexpected source tied together with photographic evidence to find a possible answer!

I am back with a Fab Fourth season of Gimme Some Truth! First episode drops next week.

In the first episode of Season 4, we take a detailed look at John and Paul's October 1961 holiday to Paris. How do we know what we know about this period? And what can we add to Mark Lewisohn's account in Tune In? 

Much has been said about the end of The Beatles' streak of number one UK singles in 1967 with Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever. This week we look at what really happened and try to understand why.

The date that George Harrison first met his friend and mentor Ravi Shankar has never been accurately pinned down until now. This week I am joined by author/editor Oliver Craske to present the evidence he uncovered for his brilliant biography Indian Sun: The Life and Music of Ravi Shankar (more information here).

This week, my guest Eric Krasker and I tell the unexpectedly complex story of The Beatles' only foreign language recordings made in Paris in January 1964. This and many other details of the Paris residency are detailed in Eric's new book Les Beatles à l'Olympia (available here).

Does Brian Epstein deserve the criticism that has been charged against him for his handling of The Beatles' merchandising rights? I am joined by journalist, entertainment lawyer and professor Stan Soocher to answer this question through the history of several lawsuits between NEMS Enterprises and the companies set up to handle The Beatles' merchandise. This episode is inspired by one of the many fascinating chapters from Stan's book Baby You're A Rich Man: Suing The Beatles for Fun & Profit.

This week and next we re-examine The Beatles' infamous 1966 visit to Manila. Much has been said about this event but the details are often confused. Part one explores the reasons for visiting The Philippines, the group's arrival, mix-up with the Presidential family and concerts.

For the second part of this Manila chronicle, we take a close look at The Beatles' harried departure from The Philippines, the aftermath and the legacy of Marcos' presidency.

For this season 4 finale episode, I am joined by researcher and travel writer Jonathan Knott to present The Beatles' 1967 plans to buy a Greek island. This chapter in the history and one of its key players, Alexis 'Magic Alex' Mardas, have long been shrouded in mystery. With this episode and Jonathan's continued efforts, we get closer to the truth. You can follow Jonathan's research and writing on Substack.

Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers popularised the concept of the 10,000-hour rule for success and its association with The Beatles has become an accepted part of their history. Did the group really perform 10,000 hours? In this bonus episode, we set the record straight!

Season 5 of Gimme Some Truth incoming! New episodes every Wednesday starting next week.

For the first episode of Season 5, I am joined by musician/composer Rob Collier to tackle an age old debate. Who played bass on 'She Said She Said'? Did Paul McCartney participate? From the song's conception through recording, we examine the available evidence. Check out Rob's blog, YouTube and Instagram.

The history of when Paul McCartney wrote 'Yesterday' has been confused by contradictory memories. In this week's episode, we explore the gestation of a classic and I make the case for what I think is the most accurate timeline.

Returning guests and Lennonology authors extraordinaire Chip Madinger & Scott Raile join me this week to discuss all aspects of The Beatles' MBE awards. As we explore this topic from receipt to John's return, we make a few exciting discoveries along the way!
For all things Lennonology go to https://lennonology.com/

Who was Jim Gretty and what chord did he teach The Beatles? More importantly, how did the group integrate this chord into their songs and arrangements? This week, we analyse another juicy, sometimes misunderstood chord.

There is so much to look at on the cover of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band that it is easy to miss the sets of six medals that both John and Ringo wore on their colourful military costumes. Join me this week to explore the stories behind these unaccountable artefacts.

One of the chapter's in The Beatles' history that fascinates me the most is their 1968 trip to India. In this week's episode, I am joined by author and researcher Paul Mason to discuss when and why each of the group chose to leave the Maharishi's ashram in Rishikesh.You can find all of Paul Mason's books including my favourite The Beatles, Drugs, Mysticism & India on his website.

This week we separate fact from fiction in the mythology around The Beatles' 1963 UK tour with Roy Orbison.

I am thrilled to be joined by master researcher Mark Lewisohn for this special season finale. Mark discusses his methods, decades of research and the extraordinary amount of detail that goes into all his books.
For all things Mark Lewisohn, visit his website.

What is polythene? Who was Pam? In this season's bonus episode, we explore the complete backstory behind Abbey Road's 'Polythene Pam'.

In this out-of-season bonus episode I am joined by Michael Sokil (The Beatles Reconstructed) and Raymond Schillinger (You Can't Unhear This) to revisit the 'Dear Prudence' debate and highlight new evidence.
Video version available here.