Join Paul Humbley and Mark Wakely for their weekly conversations talking about all things Beatles in the Fixing a Hole podcast. Paul, a lifelong Beatles obsessive. Mark an ex-London black cab driver, pirate radio DJ and podcast producer have one thing in common. Music, and particularly a love for The Beatles. They have partnered to bring you weekly themed conversations covering all aspects of John, Paul, George, and Ringo’s careers. Both together as a group or as solo artists. It is Mark’s j ...
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Paul Humbley Podcasts
Starting with the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Apple have gifted us deluxe boxed sets of the White Album, Abbey Road, Let It Be and most recently Revolver. Therefore it was assumed as 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of both Help! and Rubber Soul. That this year Beatles fan would gift one or both of these titles the sup…
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All Things Must Pass. The Greatest Solo Beatle Album?
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For George, it must have been a double edged sword being a member of the worlds biggest band, with two of the greatest song writers. On the one hand George the budding songwriter was finding it difficult to get his compositions included on a Beatles record. But on the other hand he had two great mentors to learn from. By 1969 he had matured into a …
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In last week’s episode we took a deep dive into 1962. The final year of John, Paul, George and Ringo’s musical apprenticeship. This week we look at the first year of the second phase of their career, 1963. In particular, we delve into their live appearances. As this was the year when they moved out of the clubs and halls and entered the world of th…
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By December 1962 John, Paul, George and Ringo had completed their apprenticeship. All the hard work they had put in slogging around the night spots of Liverpool and Hamburg had started to pay off. The year had begun with an audition for Decca and a single released in the UK from Polydor. National radio for the BBC soon followed. While by the end of…
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Yellow Submarine - The Film. A Psychedelic Jukebox!
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In 1966 plans were hatched to commission an animated feature based on The Beatles song, Yellow Submarine. However, with a production team which included the maker of 200 'Popeye' cartoon shorts. John, Paul, George and Ringo wanted nothing to do with it. In fact, The Beatles voices were recreated by a by an ensemble of British character actors and c…
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When did The Beatles creativity peak? For me the answer is 1967. Why 1967? That’s what Mark and I discuss in this week episode. We look at John, Paul, George and Ringo output in this pivotal year. A year of not just new music, Penny Lane, Sgt. Pepper’s, Hello Goodbye. But also, film making an equally creative statement, Magical Mystery tour, Our Wo…
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In April 1966 The Beatles released their 12th UK single 'Paperback Writer'. A Paul composition which tells the story of a budding author who wants to get his book published. In 1968, journalist and author Hunter Davies published the first authorised biography of John, Paul, George and Ringo. Since then the floodgates have opened and their have been…
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April 1971 marked the first anniversary of Paul's statement that he was leaving The Beatles. During those 12 months the music landscape had changed. The loss of The Beatles was old news. T-Rex were literary riding high in the singles chart with Ride A White Song. Rod The Mod - Rod Stewart was about to hit number one in both the singles and album ch…
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The Dream Is Over. John Lennon Plastic Ono Band
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By the end of 1970, John had released 4 albums outside of The Beatles. Two Virgins, Life With The Lions and The Wedding Album were Avant Garde pieces which had more in common with Revolution 9 rather than Strawberry Fields Forever. While Live Peace in Toronto was a record of a live concert performed as the Plastic Ono Band. Clearly Johns album outp…
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When the Beatles contract with EMI expired in the February of 1976. EMI were free to exploit the band back catalogue....or were they? With Paul signing a new contract with EMI subsidiary Capitol. EMI were mindful not to upset one of their most lucrative assets. Following the rerelease of all 22 UK Beatles singles, EMI and Capitol came up with a com…
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In conversation with Jacques Volcouve. World leading Beatles authority and archivist.
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For 50 plus years Jacques Volcouve has been one of the world’s leading Beatles authorities and archivist. From his Paris home he has written 9 books, published 2 long running fanzines and run a media press agency for all things John, Paul, George and Ringo. On top of which he also built one of the greatest Beatles record and memorabilia collections…
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Band On The Run, McCartney's Masterpiece?
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By December 1973, no one could knock Paul's work ethic. It was now 3 years since he announced he was leaving The Beatles. In that time he had released 4 albums and 8 singles (in the UK). But although the albums had their moments, they were not on the same level as later Beatles albums - Sgt Pepper, White Album, Abbey Road. Now, on the eve of record…
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In last weeks episode we took an indepth dive into The Beatles record breaking appearance at Shea Stadium, New York in August 1965. This week we backtrack exactly 3 years to the August of 1962. When a film crew from a regional television magazine programme visited the Cavern in Liverpool, to film John, Paul, George and newly appointed drummer Ringo…
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60 years ago, The Beatles played the biggest concert of their career. When on 15th August 1965 they played to over 55,000 fans at New York’s Shea Stadium. Only 2 years ago they had waved goodbye to the Cavern, the famous Liverpool city centre venue. Where playing to a few hundred fans at lunchtimes and evenings, they had grown the seeds of Beatlema…
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Abracadabra: And as if by Magic, Along Came Revolver
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By the mid-1960s, The Beatles had achieved global superstardom, but were increasingly frustrated by the limitations of touring and the expectations of their audience. "Rubber Soul," their previous album, had already hinted at a more introspective and adventurous direction, but "Revolver" would fully embrace the possibilities of studio experimentati…
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Unlike in the USA where Capitol released Beatles singles in colourful picture sleeves. British 45's, with 2 exceptions came in Parlophone company sleeves. But unlike America where EP releases failed to ignite the imagination of teenage record buyers. UK fans were gifted 13 EP releases presented in colourful, laminated picture sleeves. Join us this …
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Between their debut single 'Love Me Do' in October 1962 and their final 45, 'Let It Be' in March 1970, The Beatles released 22 original singles. Many of these releases featured songs that were unique to the 7" format at the time. Unlike many artists who would struggle to find a song to place on the B-side. The Beatles presented us with an embarrass…
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John Lennon has been quoted as saying "You haven't heard Sergeant Pepper, if you haven't heard it in mono"... and he's right. Yes, the songs are the same, but the mix is very different. Once you hear it in mono, you wont want to go back to stereo. So why did George Martin make mono and stereo mixes of the majority of Beatles recordings between Love…
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Love it or hate it, music streaming is here to stay and for younger listeners is introducing the music of The Beatles to a whole new audience. The collectors out there who cherish their original first pressing vinyl, reel-to-reel tapes and cassettes may well be under the impression that with streaming being a non-physical music media that is stored…
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A Whole Lotta Love for The Beatles. A chat with Dave Lewis
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In 1964 Dave Lewis discovered music courtesy of the Dave Clark Five. But with the arrival of Thunderbirds on the television and football at the local park, music quickly new took a back seat. Then in April 1969, The Beatles released the first new recordings from their January 1969 sessions at Twickenham and Savile Row, Get Back / Don’t Let Me Down.…
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In this week’s episode Paul and Mark take a peep into the world of alternate mixes. Not those multi-format extended mixes record companies released in the 1980’s. Paul McCartney’s ‘No More Lonely Nights’ comes to mind. No, the alternate mixes of Beatles recordings which EMI inadvertently sent out to affiliated distributors across the globe. Welcome…
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Following on from last week’s pirate radio edition of Fixing A Hole we carry on with the pirate theme. Looking into the under the counter world of Beatles bootlegs. We trace the origins of these Illegal releases in the late 60’s with the infamous Bob Dylan boot ‘Great White Wonder’ and the plethora of low-fi compilations of Beatles concerts, radio …
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Unlike the United States where you could hear wall-to-wall pop music on the radio 24 hours a day. In early 1960's Great Britain, the airwaves were controlled by the BBC. With numerous restrictions imposed on them including the dreaded 'Needle Time', which impacted on the number of records that could be broadcast weekly by the network. The broadcast…
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By the summer of 1964 The Beatles had conquered the world. Hot on the heels of their first visit to America, they were back at work. But not in the recording studio. This time it was the film studio, to make their first feature film ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. Back in the 60’s pop acts were fair game for feature films. Be it a cameo appearance or some co…
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On 29 January 1964 while playing an 18-day residency at the Paris’ Olympia Theatre. The Beatles entered the Marconi Studios in Paris, for their first and only session for EMI outside of the United Kingdom. A session with a specific purpose. To rerecord two of their biggest hits ‘She Loves You’ and ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’. However, these weren’t …
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Patrick Humphries is a well-respected music journalist and author. He worked for both the NME and Melody Maker from the mid-70’s and has written features for Mojo, VOX and Record Collector. In addition, he has authored books about Nick Drake, Bruce Springsteen, and Elton John among many others. In a change to our advertised episode. Patrick joined …
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See You In The Clubs - The Beatles In Clubland
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At lunchtime on January 10th 1969, George Harrison walked out of Twickenham film studios and out on his band mates. As he left his parting words were, ‘I’ll see you in the clubs’. The Beatles January 1969 ‘Get Back’ sessions were all about throwing aside the excesses of ‘Sgt. Pepper’ and getting back to a more basic sound which would allow them to …
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Getting Back To Where They Once Belonged
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On their return from India in the spring of 1968. The Beatles set about recording the ‘White Album,’ a collection of 30 songs, many of which were written in Rishikesh. In between these 6 months of recording sessions, they released their 18th single ‘Hey Jude’ and launched their own record label Apple. In episode 7 of Fixing a Hole we look at the 20…
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Ever since Paul McCartney announced he was leaving the group on 10th April 1970. Fans desire to hear new, or unreleased Beatles music has never stopped. In this episode we tell the story of how a series of articles published in the New Musical Express back in 1974, lead to EMI searching the tape vault for unreleased Beatles recordings. Compiling tw…
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From Me To You – The Beatles Christmas Records
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Each year between 1963 and 1969 The Beatles gifted members of the official UK fan club, specially recorded Christmas messages. These exclusive recordings have not only become collectors’ items. They inadvertently trace the story of the group. From the lovable ‘Moptops’ who conquered the world. Through the psychedelic years of peace and love. To Joh…
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Like an old family photograph, or a treasured gift. Music has the ability, to instantly transport you back in time to the place where you first heard a certain song. Or trigger a special memory, of a first date, or family gathering. In the first episode of Fixing A Hole, Beatles expert Paul Humbley told the story of how he discovered The Beatles as…
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In 1968 John, Paul, George and Ringo released their 9th studio album, simply titled The Beatles. But almost immediately it became known as the White Album. Welcome to episode 3 of Fixing A Hole, The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed. This time my co-host Mark Wakely quizzes me on the White Album. We discuss the writing and recording. Richa…
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You may be of a generation to whom the phrase ‘Gold Top’ describes a bottle of milk. But when it comes to Beatles cassettes that phrase takes on a different meaning. Welcome to episode 2 of Fixing A Hole, The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed. In which my co-host Mark Wakely quizzes me on the history of Beatles cassette production in the U…
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What is a collector? According to the dictionary definition it is: A person who collects things of a specified type, professionally or as a hobby. That in a nutshell describes me, Paul Humbley, founder of Fixing A Hole. The Beatles podcast you didn’t know you needed. 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of my Beatles collecting journey. In this edition …
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Fixing a Hole - The Beatles podcast you didn't know you needed (Coming August 29th)
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We live in a world where music has become a commodity. You can have 2 million songs in your pocket and not own any. When the CD arrived in the early 1980s heralding in the digital age of music. No one would have predicted 40 years later new vinyl records would still be being pressed and sales would be in the ascendancy. This new vinyl era has its r…
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