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Art director and filmmaker Simon Halfon discusses The End, from Abbey Road, picking out the three guitar solos Paul, George, and John played live in one take, Ringo's only drum solo, and the closing line that makes such a perfect sign-off. He also talks about 1967: The World of Brian Epstein and The Beatles, the book he made with Gary Kemp from Epstein's last address book.

Guest links

• 1967: The World of Brian Epstein and The Beatles, by Gary Kemp and Simon Halfon – book and live events: https://kempandhalfon.lnk.to/1967book
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simonhalfon_nemperor/

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Original music by Joe Kane

Logo design by Mark Cunningham

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Gary Kemp discusses Dig A Pony, from Let It Be. He tells us how John's snaking "I-I-I-I", heard on a Saturday-afternoon TV showing of the Let It Be film, gave him the spark he needed for one of Spandau Ballet's biggest hits. We also get into his latest book, 1967: The World of Brian Epstein and The Beatles, made with designer Simon Halfon. It tells the story of Brian's last year, through the 404 names in his address book, which Gary bought at Sotheby's in 2020.

• 1967: The World of Brian Epstein and The Beatles, by Gary Kemp and Simon Halfon – book and live events: https://kempandhalfon.lnk.to/1967book
• Gary Kemp on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garyjkemp/
• Rockonteurs podcast: https://lnk.to/rockonteurs

Follow My Favourite Beatles Song

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• X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/myfavebeatles
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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myfavouritebeatlessong

Original music by Joe Kane

Logo design by Mark Cunningham

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Sophia Bennett writes as SJ Bennett. She's the author of more than a dozen novels, best known for a mystery series in which the late Queen Elizabeth II secretly solves crimes. Her latest, Death on the Royal Yacht, is set in 1966 – so yes, the Beatles turn up. Here she discusses Let It Be, and how it helped her through difficult times. We also talk about her DJ dad and go-go dancing mum, the Mal Evans "Brother Malcolm" story, the song's hymn-like chords, and the day she nearly met Paul McCartney in Harvey Nichols.

• Website: sjbennettbooks.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SJBennettAuthor/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiabennett_writer/

Follow My Favourite Beatles Song

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/myfavebeatles.bsky.social
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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myfavouritebeatlessong

Original music by Joe Kane

Logo design by Mark Cunningham

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Boff Whalley is an artist, writer and musician, and a founder member of Chumbawamba. Here he discusses Wild Honey Pie, from The Beatles (the White Album), and explains why he thinks it's punk and indie rolled into one. He also digs into its unsettling seventh chords and tritones, and the tape flutter that had to be done by hand on the mix.

• Website: https://boffwhalley.com/
• But: Life Isn’t Like That, Is It? by Boff Whalley: https://pmpress.org.uk/product/but-life-isnt-like-that-is-it/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boffwhalley/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boff.whalley/

Follow My Favourite Beatles Song

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/myfavebeatles.bsky.social
• X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/myfavebeatles
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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myfavouritebeatlessong

Original music by Joe Kane

Logo design by Mark Cunningham

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Arsalan Mohammad, host of Albumtoalbum, the David Bowie albums podcast, describes how his Beatles story started when his cousin flipped over her copy of Ebony and Ivory. Here he talks about his love for that song, Rainclouds, by Paul McCartney. The discussion covers elemental lyrics, Paddy Moloney's uilleann pipes solo, and the studio session on the day Paul learnt John had been shot.

• Website: https://arsalan.online/
• Albumtoalbum: The David Bowie Albums Podcast: Apple Podcasts and Spotify
• Instagram: @albumtoalbum
• Bluesky: @albumtoalbum.bsky.social
• Facebook: AlbumtoAlbum: The Bowie Album Podcast
• Julien's Publishing (Julien's Auctions on Instagram): @juliens_auctions

Follow My Favourite Beatles Song

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/myfavebeatles.bsky.social
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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myfavouritebeatlessong

Original music by Joe Kane

Logo design by Mark Cunningham

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Music journalist and author Eoghan Lyng is back to talk about Mull of Kintyre, the Wings single Paul McCartney wrote with Denny Laine. Drawing from his own 2018 interview with Laine, Eoghan talks about the Campbeltown Pipe Band recording outdoors in one take, the elegant simplicity of the song, and why it remains the biggest-selling non-charity single in the UK ever.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eoghanlymg/
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mightylyng.bsky.social
• Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/eoghanlyng/
• Queen: Song by Song, by Eoghan Lyng (Waterstones UK): https://www.waterstones.com/book/queen-song-by-song/eoghan-lyng/9781048185621
• Queen: Song by Song, by Eoghan Lyng (Amazon UK): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-Song-Eoghan-Lyng/dp/1048185621

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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myfavouritebeatlessong

Original music by Joe Kane

Logo design by Mark Cunningham

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Nick Coates writes Alice and the Eggmen, a Substack that digs into the tangled links between The Beatles and Lewis Carroll. Here he takes on Glass Onion, from the White Album, and makes the case that its refrain – 'looking through a glass onion' – is really a nod to Through the Looking-Glass. They get into the song's queasy, unresolved chords and its sly nods to other songs, including John's lifelong obsession with the Walrus.

• Alice & The Eggmen: https://thealicecode.substack.com
• Alice Songs: https://alicesongs.substack.com

Follow My Favourite Beatles Song

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Original music by Joe Kane

Logo design by Mark Cunningham

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Apple veteran Neil West joins us to discuss Heading for the Light, from Traveling Wilburys Volume 1, highlighting George Harrison at his happiest and most spiritual, Roy Orbison's heavenly cameo, and the easy friendship that made the Wilburys such an unlikely joy. He also talks about his new book, It Just Works: The Nine Simple Rules of Apple's Success, out now from Macmillan Business.

• It Just Works, by Neil West: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/neil-west/it-just-works/9781035082001
• Neil's website: https://neilwest.com
• Neil's TED talk – Steve Jobs, The Beatles and team management: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBX9qNdj6Po

Follow My Favourite Beatles Song

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• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myfavouritebeatlessong

Original music by Joe Kane

Logo design by Mark Cunningham