Intro:
I first heard about Woody Lifton's "Pop Go The Beatles" radio show about two months ago. Being a Beatlemaniac, I have a regular network of Beatles' minded friends on the internet that share new and interesting Beatles' news. I was directed to the www.popgothebeatles.com website from one of these fellow Beatlemaniacs.

When I first went to the www.popgothebeatles.com website, I've got to admit that I was a little skeptical. At first glance, the webpage seemed to read a little like a late-night TV infomercial. Plus, the claims of "unreleased material" also left me doubtful. As a 30+-year collector of Beatles recordings, I figured that I already had everything that Woody was boasting about on the PGB webpage.

Well, I pretty much changed my tune when the 21-show set arrived in the mail. Let me just say that I was more than pleasantly surprised as I started listening to the shows - in fact, I was soon in Beatles-nirvana! Not only was there LOTS of stuff I hadn't heard before (both the versions of the songs and the interviews played), but it was factually correct, with meticulous attention paid to each detail. As I listened to more and more episodes, I really became aware of what a stupendous project "Pop Go The Beatles" is. Although there have been great Beatles radio series in the past, I can honestly say that PGB is probably THE best Beatles radio series that I've heard - especially from a Beatle fan's perspective and what THEY would expect from a Beatles show.

While a true Beatlefan NEVER tires of hearing music from the Fab Four (I've always thought it would be fun to "calculate" just how many times I've heard the songs since 1975!) - there is the one single thing that could really make a superb radio special: not playing ANY of the familiar 'official' releases! Well, "Pop Go The Beatles" really delivers on this point - in fact ONLY playing alternate, and interesting takes! Woody's arsenal includes: live concerts/ BBC radio recordings/ alternative studio takes and mixes/ and finally, press conferences and interviews. Each episode is meticulously organized, and not a single second seems to be wasted. Woody even has the time to interject the value of some of the original releases into the storyline!

Woody's co-host for this series is well-known radio personality Joyce Kaufman. She does a great job as a co-host; including some of her own Beatles stories, including meeting John and Yoko in NYC...and.attending the Shea Stadium concert (of which I am extremely jealous, ha ha!).

Right: Original ad for the "Pop Go The Beatles" series

Woody covers a wide variety of topics, which each two-hour episode having its own "theme". To give you some idea, here is a list of a few topics: "Inside A Hard Day's Night", "In The Studio", "1965 & 1966 Fantasy Concert", "Let It Be Days", "The White Sessions", etc. When I got my set, I would pick certain topics, which caught my attention - instead of listening to them in order. First up was "Sgt. Pepper Exposed" - with this being an anniversary of that legendary album, it seemed like a perfect choice. Tons of great interviews - many that I hadn't heard before - help tell of the making of "Pepper". Second up was "The Final Days of Abbey Road" - this was when I realized that I would be hearing many tracks that I had never heard before! After hearing these two episodes, I was hooked! But the best was yet to come, as I started the "Covered & Uncovered" episodes; these played both the original versions of songs that the Beatles covered along with The Beatles own versions (many of these dating from the Hamburg/Cavern days). Also included were songs that Lennon/McCartney wrote for other artists.

It goes without saying that "Pop Go The Beatles" was been on permanent play during most of my free time. In fact, I was so entertained by the project that I spent 12 consecutive hours playing various episodes two weekends ago - I finally looked at the clock and realized that it was 6am on a Sunday morning! I've put several of the episodes on my ipod, so that I could listen on my train-ride commute. In a way, "Pop Go The Beatles" is almost like an audio book, with each episode being a chapter in the Beatles story. The only sad part is that there are only 21 chapters!

Whether you are a veteran Beatles collector (like myself) or a new Beatles fan - "Pop Go The Beatles" should be on every true Beatle fan's "must have" list!

Right: Woody Lifton

E.C.: First off, I've gotta say how much I enjoy the "Pop Go The Beatles" radio shows that you created! In my opinion, it is probably THE best Beatles radio show, both in factual content, but also in meticulous attention to detail.

Woody: Glad you like the shows. I basically created a Beatles show done the way I would want to hear it: with no LP cuts (not that there is anything wrong with that). There have been a few thousand Beatles radio shows - and I knew if I was going to set myself apart from those shows, then it I would have to use my personal collection of the rare stuff. So I did. If you read my myspace page [ www.myspace.com/popgothebeatles], you also know that material is what has kept it from being syndicated.

E.C.: First, can you give me some background on yourself, leading up to this project? You were a first-generation Beatles fan, correct?

Woody: Yes, I am a 1st generation-fan, I grew up in NY and was right in front of my TV on 2/9/64 when the boys appeared on Ed Sullivan - and had a few friends who went to the show and was hooked like the rest of the U.S.

E.C.: Your bio states that you started collecting interviews and press conferences of The Beatles back in the early '90s. Was this just as a collector, or did you already have a radio project in mind?

Woody: I started collecting for myself in the mid-'70s, living in NY there was no shortage of record stores that carried bootlegs (let's use the term unauthorized LPs). At first it was live concerts and anything that had an alternate take - then interviews and press conferences...not really with anything specific in mind.

E.C.: What was the original motivation for you to do the "Pop Go The Beatles" project?

Woody: The project was motivated by my own desire to make a Beatles show the way I wanted to hear it. I had done a 10-part history of the Beatles for my college radio station, but did not have the material to do it this way.

E.C.: So, you have previous radio experience?

Woody: My fist radio experience was in school at the University of Hartford in Connecticut. I did some fill-ins for the DJs on the school's FM station and then did a 10-part history of the Beatles for my senior project. It was really well received and maybe that what planted the first seeds for this show. I appeared on Jim Kerr's WPIX FM in NY as a guest programmer for his Saturday Morning Beatles hour and got to play a few unauthorized tracks. Then I did almost nothing on radio for some 25 years; At that point I was buying time on a local talk radio for my insurance business and met Joyce [Kaufman] at that station. I was on twice a week for my business and once a week with "Pop Go The Beatles".

E.C.: Were you disappointed with the quality of all the previous Beatles-radio shows? There have been many, many Beatles radio shows over the years (Just a few include "The Days In Their Lives", "The Lost Lennon Tapes", "The Beatles at the Beeb", etc). I know you said that playing rare tracks, instead of the studio tracks, were one of your prime directives for the show.

Woody: I was never disappointed by the shows I had heard (Scott Muni's "Ticket To Ride" was always a favorite and Joe Johnson's "BeatleBrunch" was a good one, too.) but I would get bored hearing the same LP versions of the songs...knowing that the material I had would make a better show.

E.C.: I know you have a full-time "day job" (Which includes writing and hosting a weekly radio show for your business) - so how were you able to do everything: writing, researching, editing, directing, co-hosting, selling ad space, writing ad copy and voicing all commercials? That shows REAL dedication!

Woody: How did I do it all? When I think back on it, I'm not really sure! But I can tell you that I had spent the previous 2 years gathering, organizing and cataloging every thing I could get my hands on - so, once I was ready to start - all the music, clips and interviews were already in place. I basically let the material write the shows. It was exciting, nerve racking, and incredibly time-consuming…but I think the end justifies the means.

E.C.: How did you come up with the name, "Pop Go The Beatles"? (I know their "jingle" was recorded for one of their e BBC shows.)

Woody: It was a choice between "Pop Go The Beatles" and "From Us To You". "Pop" had that great intro recorded just for the show, so it gave "Pop" the edge and that's what I chose.

E.C.: Once you had the original idea for the show, how long did it take produce it, and actual get it aired? And what were the original airdates?

Woody: The original air dates are now listed on the website - but it ran from 11/02- 4/03. I was making a show per week to keep up with the time I bought from the station. I had about a three-week head start, so there were always 2 or 3 shows in the can. Some were much easier to write and create - for example, the "BBC series", I wrote and edited the music and interview clips for all three shows in one weekend. Joyce and I recorded the vocal parts for all three shows in one three-hour studio session. "Sgt. Pepper", "B4 America", "Abbey Road" and the "Books" show took a lot longer. The "Books" show fell into my lap - I got a call from Ken Geringer, author of "Nobody Told Me, From Basement Band To Jack and the John Lennon Sessions", who had heard about the show and asked if I wanted to interview him. Now to build a 2-hour show around one interview - I called a few friends from my Beatles-yahoo group, like Bruce Spizer and Andrew Croft and they agreed. I then contacted Paul Saltzman, who spent a week in India with the boys and had recently published his book "The Beatles in Rishikesh" - and he agreed. We did the Geringer interview in the studio and Bruce Spizer, Andrew Croft and Paul Saltzman over the phone. It took almost four-weeks to put that show together.

E.C.: How did you decide on the theme for each episode? Did you have some sort of "wish-list" of subjects you wanted to cover? How did you decide which ones came first?

Woody: I just jotted a list of ideas, based on the unusual material I had - and worked based on that original list. I stuck pretty close to that original list all the way through.

E.C.: I'd like to ask you a little about what went into making each episode - can you tell me each part of the process and how long it took? (Original idea, research, script, recording, etc) I imagine that you had a subject in mind for each episode-then had to do the research, etc.

Woody: The creation of the episodes started with a list of ideas (most of the ideas were based on what kind of unusual material I had - the material would always carry the show.) I had a list of about 20 ideas (My sister gave me the idea for the "Covered and Uncovered" show). Then the process began, and I usually let the album be the guide - if it was "Sgt. Pepper", I would work based on the LP tracks, research each song, and then work through the clips, interviews and of course the rare musical material I wanted to use. Once I figured out that each hour should have three segments of approximately 16-18 minutes, it became much easier. Then I would take the script, a show layout (for my "technical director"...it would tell him what came in what order.), and 2 CDs (One with the music, and one with the clips into the studio) - then Joyce Kaufman and I would record the vocal parts (usually together but sometimes separately.). Finally, it was up to Mike McGann, my technical director, to fit it all together.

E.C.: What part did Joyce Kaufman play in the series - other than being your co-host? How did she become part of your team?

Woody: Joyce was in many ways the driving force behind the show - meaning it was her agreeing to co-host that spurred me into action. Joyce is a very well known talk-show host (both political and financial) and was a DJ for a music show here in South Florida for many years. We met when I bought some radio time to do a show for my Insurance business. She was in the next studio, and we talked - she's a huge Beatles fan and went to a few Heat Games together and voila, she agrees to host the show. Once she said yes, I went into action: buying the radio time, writing shows, etc. As far as her contribution, she was basically just the co-host - but there were a few shows were I said to her, "you have 3 minutes to tell the audience your story" ("Sgt Pepper", "Inside A Hard Days Night" and "1965 Fantasy concert") and she just slammed dunked each one.

E.C.: One of the things that I love about this series is the meticulous detail that you seem to have put into each episode to make sure it is factually correct. And, on one episode, you give a list of some of your primary sources…but for our readers, can you give me a few of your primary sources? Was it mainly books?

Woody: This is easy...All of Bruce Spizer's books (he even sent me an advanced copy of his chapter on the White album to help me write that show); Mark Lewsion's book on the Beatles Recording Sessions; Perry Cox's guide to Beatles Records and Collectables; "All Together Now" by Harry Castleman and Walter Podrazik; Many Years From by Barry Miles; "Revolution in The Head" by Ian Macdonald and "A Day In The Life" by Mark Hertzburg - but, Spizer and Lewison's books were by far used the most.

E.C.: In your collection of interviews, did you ever run across any two different interviews that had contrary information?

Woody: Yes, as a matter of fact I did, and I used it in "10 Hours To #1" - it has George Martin saying first that Paul wrote Love Me Do, and then he says that John wrote it.

E.C.: Were you ever worried about having unreleased music on your show?

Woody: Yes, but the shows aired and the good people at Apple Corp. said nothing - so now it isn't an issue.

E.C.: Have you gotten any feedback from anyone in the "Beatles camp"?

Woody: Have never heard a word from Apple.

E.C.: Since the shows have already aired, does that "clear up" any technicalities of using unreleased tracks? (I'm not that knowledgeable about "radio rules".)

Woody: I believe that you are correct, since the shows aired without any word from Apple, then they must be "OK" (personally that's an issue I would rather not bring attention to!).

E.C.: Twenty-One installments of the show aired…but you also mentioned another episode that was accidentally "deleted". What's the story behind it?

Woody: The 4th episode that aired was a "BBC" radio show. But when I got the original CDs back from the studio there was a very audible hum throughout both discs. Unfortunately, the studio had not saved their original copy on computer and my copies became useless. Of course that led to the 3-part "BBC Thrillogy", that became episodes # 15, 16 & 17.

E.C.: I'm dying to know-were there other episodes planned at the time that the original series ended? For example, I would love to hear the story of The Threetles and the "reunion", since so much has been rumored.

Woody: I had a few more shows planned: "Magical History Tour", "The Beatles on Vee-Jay Records" and "Paul is Dead?" - but they were never took shape.

E.C.: Ultimately, did the shows come out as well as you originally intended? I mean, in my opinion, this is simply the BEST radio show done on The Beatles! Or did you feel it ended too soon?

Woody: The show is missing one thing that I really wanted: background music. I had tons of great instrumental Beatles songs (many in the form of the Basic rhythm track for certain Beatles songs) - but the station I was working with would not give my technical director the time to do it.

E.C.: Did you ever try to get the show nationally syndicated?

Woody: I tried twice to get the show syndicated, both through my friend Peter Baron - who is very high up within MTV. He loved the show and was one of my biggest boosters. First he delivered it to the top programmers at the Infinity Radio Network who loved the show. But, due to the unauthorized material it featured, they could not air it on terrestrial radio. About a year later he got it to a friend at the Sirius radio network. Peter and I figured that if Howard Stern could say whatever he wanted (it was pay radio), then we could play what ever we wanted - and we were right. But, with satellite radio, if you want to play more than 2 songs in a row of any artist you need their permission - and good luck getting Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia to agree on anything! They couldn't even agree to put out a 40th anniversary "Sgt Pepper". So, I've sat with the show for the past 2 years, until now.

E.C.: When we talked on the phone recently, you mentioned the possibility of future podcasts of the show. How is that progressing?

Woody: It looks like the podcasting will become a reality very shortly - at http://www.success-talk.com/index.asp?s=h&hd=289&ch=55&affnum=0

E.C.: Do you have any other Beatles-related projects planned?

Woody: This has been almost a life-long project for me. The idea had been percolating for many years, and except for a few new items I have acquired, most of the episodes are quite complete. I'm really proud of the show and can't imagine topping it…but, I have thought about doing a Beatles' covers CD collection (One set would be the original versions of all the songs the boys covered through out the years and the other would be great Beatles covers by other artists, including all the Mac/Len songs the boys gave away to other artists in the 60's.).