Dive into a one‑of‑a‑kind conversation connecting The Beatles, the iconic 1960s TV series The Prisoner, and the legendary Welsh village of Portmeirion. In this special episode, Beatles News Briefs host and veteran Beatles reporter Steve Marinucci is joined by renowned archivist Keith Badman and Meurig Jones, Portmeirion’s longtime location manager, for an unforgettable deep‑dive into music history, television culture, and rare behind‑the‑scenes stories.

Speaking to us directly from inside Portmeirion, Jones shares exclusive, little‑known accounts of the Beatles’ visits to the village—stories involving all four Beatles and many of their closest associates. Discover why the band was fascinated by The Prisoner, how the show’s surreal setting influenced them, and what kept drawing them, most of all George Harrison, back to this magical location.

Fresh from his own recent trip, Keith Badman adds vivid details about exploring the filming sites, the Beatles‑related landmarks, and the enduring cultural impact of both the band and the series.

This episode is packed with rare insights, historical gems, and fun, engaging storytelling—a must‑see and/or hear for Beatles fans, The Prisoner devotees, and anyone captivated by Portmeirion’s unique charm.

And there's a bonus for those who view it on YouTube: The video version includes photos provided by Meurig Jones.

Our guest this week is author Dave Schwensen,, whose book "The Beatles In Cleveland," is the authoritative work on the two Beatles concerts in that city that were stopped by the police because of riotous fans. Schwensen announces here he's releasing an expanded edition of that book and he tells us all about it. We also review Paul McCartney's new "The Boys of Dungeon Lane" album. And we'll also some Beatles news briefs as well. Ready? Steady? Go!

P.S. if you go to our video version of this podcast on YouTube, you'll see two unreleased photos of Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones with Dave Schwensen.

Welcome back, everyone! I’m your host, Steve Marinucci — and today’s episode is a big one.

We’re joined by someone who was inside one of the most ambitious Beatles projects ever created: Keith Badman, who worked on the original Beatles Anthology and is a veteran of major pop‑music deep‑dives.

Keith pulls back the curtain on what it was really like to help build the Anthology, the hunt for never‑before‑seen clips, and the detective work required to bring lost Beatles and pop music history back to life. He'll relate the story of showing a found clip to a British singing legend and their reaction. He even teases the subject of his next Beatles history book — a project packed with archival discoveries and now nearing the finish line.

Plus, we’ll share a review of “John & Yoko: Power to the People” and wrap up with the latest Beatles News Briefs you need to know.

Here we go.

UK author and broadcaster Spencer Leigh joins Steve Marinucci to discuss the fight to save Liverpool’s music landmarks and shares revealing Beatles stories about Brian Epstein and the firing of Pete Best. We also talk with Luis Lopez, one of the “Lucky 39” invited to the secret Paul McCartney listening session for "The Boys of Dungeon Lane" — complete with a surprise appearance by Paul himself. Luis gives an inside look at the whole adventure. Plus: our review of the new documentary "Peter Asher: Everywhere Man" and early thoughts on Ringo Starr’s new album "Long Long Road."

If you enjoy this episode, please give us a thumbs up and subscribe — it makes us feel great and helps our work grow. We appreciate you!!

In the first part of the show, we feature four female Beatles scholars, including author Christine Feldman-Barrett talking about her book "A Women's History of the Beatles." In part two, we feature an exclusive interview with Don Geller and Dayna Goldfine, the co-producers of the new documentary "Peter Asher: Everywhere Man" on the making of the film. A lot for you to listen to and to discuss here. We hope you enjoy it, give us a like on the video and subscribe so you can get first word of our newest episodes.

In a special two-segment show, Beatles News Briefs presents "Seeing the Beatles" with fan accounts of seeing the Beatles (as a group) in concert at several U.S. concerts and, in the second half of the show, an exclusive interview with disc jockey legend Johnny Holliday, who co-emceed the Beatles' final concert at Candlestick Park on Aug. 29, 1966. You hear fans' stories of trying to get to their hotel rooms, the concert experience and the music they played. And Johnny Holliday, who is a member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Baseball Hall of Fame, tells what it was like socializing with the Beatles and the weather at the often chilly Candlestick Park where the show was held. He also talks about working with the Monkees and other bands, and his work as a major league baseball announcer and his current work as a sportscaster for the University of Maryland. A great show you won't want to miss. Hear it on your favorite podcast provider or see it on video on YouTube.

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And be sure to check out our special "Beatles News Briefs -- Seeing the Beatles" playlist on YouTube with airchecks of DJ legend Johnny Holliday, including promos on KYA Radio in San Francisco for the Candlestick concert and a Levi's ad with the Jefferson Airplane mentioned in the show, an interview with a teenage Meryl Streep at a Beatles concert plus video clips of the Beatles at various venues on U.S. tours. You can find it at this link.

This week, we take a deep dive into "The McCartney Legacy" with Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair, the co-authors of an incredible series of encyclopedic volumes (two down, one coming and more to go) that probe the McCartney mystique as it's never been done before. This is also special for me with this mini-reunion with Allan Kozinn, one of my old Things We Said Today cohorts. Then we finish off with some Beatles news briefs. Hang onto your ears because here we go!