Acast+ Episodes

Since March 2021 there has been an expanding universe of alternate Nothing Is Real episodes open to our Acast+ Supporters on the It’s All Too Much tier. We are now up to 54 bonus episodes. These are the best ones! Sometimes they are supplementary episodes to go alongside a “regular” episode; sometimes we just go off-piste to talk about the topics that really need addressing! Includes the “legendary” 16 Songs of 1966 series. Come and sign up for all these amazing topics… with more to come!

Find out more and sign up for Acast+ here.

Old Brown Shoe

In April 1969 the Fab Two, John & Paul, created The Ballad of John & Yoko from thin air, so a b-side was needed. Two days later they assembled in Abbey Road to record Old Brown Shoe - but was it the Fab Three or the Fab Four?  Our first bonus episode came out alongside our two-part look at The Ballad of John & Yoko.

The Denny Seiwell Interview

From 1970 to 1973, Denny Seiwell played drums with Paul McCartney, initially on the recordings for RAM before becoming a founder member of Wings. On the occasion of the release of his new record, Ram On, a 50th-anniversary celebration of RAM, he chatted to Steven & Jason about his musical life.  This a episode was released alongside our two-part look at the RAM album.

The Long Tall Sally EP

Not content with making an album while making a movie while taking over the world in 1964, the Beatles also took the time to record their first original EP. Even in this collection of cover versions and songs they gave away there’s a story to be told. This a episode was released alongside our two-part look at the A Hard Day’s Night album.

Paul McCartney’s Birds

In December 2020, the new McCartney III album opened with Long-Tailed Winter Bird. This track was the latest in a long line of Paul McCartney songs about our fine-feathered friends, going all the way back to The Beatles. What does it all mean?  

The Week In Beatles - June 2021

It’s been a busy Beatles week: The All Things Must 50th Anniversary box sets, Peter Jackson’s Get Back becoming expanded to a six hour Disney+ spectacular and a Paul McCartney photo book that costs…how much?!? Let’s chat! Take 2. 

George Harrison’s Dark Horse with Luke Haines

In December 1974 George Harrison released his solo album Dark Horse, a record that reflected his somewhat chaotic year.  In July 2021 Steven & Jason, with special guest Luke Haines, take sides and discuss what it all means. Ding Dong! 

The Story of The American Beetles

In 1964 as Beatlemania became an international phenomenon, an alternate Fab Four appeared: Bill, Vic, Tom, & Dave. The American Beetles were an opportunistic response to global demand, but one with its own consequences. Writer and journalist Ed Prideaux has researched the story in-depth for the BBC and joins Steven & Jason to discuss it all. 

All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary Edition 

August 6th, 2021 was the release date of the long-awaited All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary Edition. Having digested all the music in various forms for a week, what’s the verdict? 

The Great 2021 Let It Be Super Deluxe Edition Reveal

Is Get Back/Let It Be jinxed? Shifting tracklists, various producers, repeatedly delayed, we now finally have eyes on what the 2021 Let It Be box set is going to be. Finally, you can sit back and listen to the rooftop gig in the comfort of your own home. Wait, what? 

The Week In Beatles - Sept 2021 - ABBAtars & Paulograms

While the world is in the grip of McCartney 3,2,1 fever, ABBA launches the most eagerly awaited music since Free As A Bird in 1995. Steven & Jason discuss Paul’s new documentary with Rick Rubin and look at the many ways a band can manage its legacy in the 21st century.  

White Album Offcuts

We opened our fifth season with an in-depth look at side two of the White Album. This episode about the songs that didn’t make it asks the not the usual question of “should The White Album have been a single record” but rather “why is it not a triple?” Steven & Jason look at The White Album ones that got away. 

The Concerts for Kampuchea

It’s a tale as old as time: rock star sees a humanitarian disaster on television and feels the need to do something; so they get drawn into service by a fake letter from someone pretending to be a closeted ex-Nazi. Wait, what? Can Paul McCartney explain himself? This episode was released alongside our look at George’s Concert for Bangladesh

70s Oddities - All This & Beatlemania Too

The 1970s begat many things to a world dealing with a disbanded Beatles. A live on-stage simulacrum made sense. A WW2 documentary culled from newsreel and Hollywood movies, which was soundtracked by Beatle cover versions, did not.  This episode was released to compliment our look at that other momentous 1970s Beatle-related folly: The Sgt. Pepper movie.

The 1975 Compilations

By the middle of the 1970s, a mixture of contractual obligation and ennui meant that 75% of the Beatles put out three very different Greatest Hits compilations. How did Beatle Paul manage to avoid the same fate? 

The Beatle Houses - Parts One & Two

Part One: From Menlove Avenue to Friar Park, via the Mull of Kintyre… there is a huge amount of public knowledge about all the places the Beatles have lived. In this first part we look at the pre-fame places where they grew up, and why it matters (clue: buses!) 

Part Two: In this second part of our look at the Beatle houses, George moves into Friar Park, John moves to NYC, Ringo’s off to Monaco and Paul keeps living in the sensible house he bought in the 1960s (plus a few more).

Get Back: The IMAX Report

On the 53rd anniversary of the Beatles Rooftop performance, Peter Jackson’s Get Back rooftop sequence debuted on IMAX with a Q&A from the man himself.  With an on-site report Steven & Jason are joined by Nothing Is Real’s roving North America correspondent, William Hinson.

The Curtis Stigers Interview

For over 30 years as a musician, Curtis Stigers  has been many things: singer, songwriter, interpreter, saxophonist covering rock, jazz, the blues and more. Ahead of his new album, This Life, he took time to talk to Steven & Jason about all the hot topics: Has he met a Beatle? How do you dismantle I Feel Fine? What’s it like to actually play the actual Shea Stadium?

Our World / All You Need Is Love - Parts One & Two

Part One: The plan was to show The Beatles making  new music in the studio for a global television audience… not Get Back but rather the Our World Television spectacular.

Part Two: Once Sgt Pepper was in the shops it was time for The Beatles to buckle down and prepare a song for the worldwide broadcast: Your Mother Should Know.

These episodes originally appeared alongside the two-part episode The Last Year of Brian Epstein

The Ballad of John & Cynthia

John Lennon & Cynthia Powell spent almost a decade together, a decade where their world and the world changed utterly. This episode is a prelude to a three-part series looking at the song Hey Jude.

Hey Jude - The Album

In February 1970 while Abbey Road was still hovering around the top of the US album chart, a new Beatles compilation appeared called Hey Jude. Why had this album appeared 18 months after its namesake single? Two words: Allen Klein.

Paul Is Dead

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Zapple - Parts One & Two

Part One: What happens when a boutique record label decides to open its own boutique record label? You get Zapple. Zapple had big ideas but in the end only survived for a few months in 1969. However, it was able to release two records involving two Beatles.

Part Two: With Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions at number one…hundred and seventy four in the charts, time for George Harrison to introduced the world to Electronic Sound.  Zapple then had further plans…

The Roag Best Interview

Jason & Steven chat to Roag Best, a man literally born into the world of the Beatles. He talks about his family, his upbringing and his unique Liverpool Beatles Museum.

Recorded in June 2022 as part of Dublin Maccafest.

The Howie Casey Interview

Howie Casey has stories to tell: he was already a gigging musician in Hamburg when The Beatles arrived for the first time.  Then by 1980 he’s sitting in a Japanese hotel room as part of the Wings touring band, and in 2022 he still plays McCartney music live. Recorded in June 2022 as part of Dublin Maccafest.

Laurence Juber Returns

Our first ever returning guest is Laurence Juber, guitarist from the final lineup of Wings. There’s always a lot to talk about with Laurence, and especially as this was recorded on the day of Paul McCartney’s 80th birthday.

Recorded in June 2022 as part of Dublin Maccafest.

Beatle Bootlegs - Parts One & Two

Part One: Joining us from under the arches of a wet Camden Market, it’s Dave DogFacedBoy. He wants to sell us a dodgy record of Glyn John’s Get Back and talk about the history of Beatle bootlegs.

Part Two: The second part of our look at bootlegs with Dave Dogfacedboy. With the evolution of digital music, how did bootlegs (and Apple Corps) change and adapt?  Have bootlegs trained us to want rarities box sets?

Ringo Is Live

Ohnothimagen! North American Correspondent William Hinson joins us once more because he’s only gone and seen Ringo Starr in concert. Can anything ruin the buzz of being in the same room as an actual Beatle? Such as Edgar Winter’s malfunctioning keytar?

2023: The 16 Songs of 1966…

1966 was the Beatles least productive but most transformative year. Only 16 songs were recorded and released in those 12 months.

In the wake of the 2022 Revolver box set, we thought we could do a special season of episodes just for Acast+ supporters with 16 episodes, one for each of the 16 songs.

Approaching each song chronologically as it was recorded, there is an episode for each song:

• Tomorrow Never Knows

• Got To Get You Into My Life

• Love You To

• Paperback Writer

• Rain

• Dr. Robert

• And You Bird Can Sing

• Taxman

• I’m Only Sleeping

• Eleanor Rigby

• For No One

• Yellow Submarine

• I Want To Tell You

• Good Day Sunshine

• Here There & Everywhere

• She Said She Said

We look at the chronology, the recording and what else was happing as they put these songs together. You know these songs - but do you know the stories..? Only on Acast+

Plus! The 17th of the 16 Songs of 1966! Pantomime: Everywhere It’s Christmas, the Christmas Fan Club record.