Everyone,
Unfortunately, my hiatus is still underway, as our extended family member continues to struggle with their serious health issue.
In better news, for those of you who did not have a chance to attend Fab4ConJam, the virtual Beatles conference from February 2021, SATB’s Robert Rodriguez has repurposed the Q&A I did into the most recent episode of his podcast: you can check it out here:
Questions and comments are welcomed; I will try to answer them, time permitting.
(WordPress is being cranky so here’s the link: https://somethingaboutthebeatles.com/230-erin-weber-qa/ )
The Historian and The Beatles 
The links don’t work.
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Sorry Linda–we’re looking into it.
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Thanks, Karen; I’m going to assume you fixed the link, because I didn’t have a chance.
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All fixed. I just added an additional link below.
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Hi Erin (and Karen),
I meant to reply to your original hiatus post and realized I forgot. Already listened to episode 230 the other day (👍🏻), and the link seems to work fine. I think all of us totally understand and empathize with your need to step back from Beatles related work at this time. One day you’re gonna blink and your kids will be getting their drivers permits, trust me. The Beatles can wait. Family first. Health and happiness. Best regards, Tom.
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Thanks for the comment, Tom.
The prospect of my oldest child as a driver does not scare me as much as it should; she’s responsible, meticulous, and nervous enough to give driving the attention it deserves. (She’s also only three years away from driving, so I’ve slowly resigned to that coming reality). My almost-eleven year old, now … he’s more distractable.
Thanks for your regards, and your comment. (Regarding SATB 203, and the discussion of Mary Todd Lincoln at the beginning, the book “Lincoln’s Boys,” which I can’t recommend highly enough, declared that Lincoln’s secretaries, John Hay and John Nicolay, nicknamed Mary Todd “Her Satanic Majesty.” A few different words and they almost had the title of a Rolling Stones album)!
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Wow. It always gets poor reviews, but I love that Stones album. Where does that phrase come from? The best I can find is it’s a pun on the wording of old British passports. But, that doesn’t explain its use by Lincoln’s secretaries. Or, does it?
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I’m unsure of the origins of that phrase; I don’t know if it originated in regard to a particular female, or in a particular time period. It’s certainly an evocative description, though. It would make an amazing title and/or subtitle for any female historical figure: “Her Satanic Majesty: Mary Todd Lincoln and the Lincoln White House.”
From what I remember, Lincoln’s secretaries were decently well educated, but I’m unsure whether that would extend to something as relatively obscure as the wording of old British passports. (Having said that, American culture was considerably saturated in British culture at the time; “Our American Cousin,” the play Lincoln was watching when he was shot, was an English play). The book doesn’t describe where the phrase came from, but rather why Hay and Nicolay were so negative regarding Mary Todd: she was mercurial, and less than diplomatic, and they had serious disagreements with her regarding financial disputes. (They refused to fudge the numbers when she requested they do so).
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While we’re posting material that may be of interest, Part III of your Pop Goes The 60’s interview has been up on YouTube since before the hiatus, yet it never appeared here. 😛
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Thanks for the reminder about that; you’re absolutely right. I think that last third of the interview just slipped through the cracks. When discussion regarding the “hiatusing” post dies down, I’ll post a link to that.
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A SATB show with Erin is like an early Christmas present. Fascinating as always. I hope your family life gets on the upswing.
Speaking of which, a small question: with 4 potentially budding Beatles fans at your feet, at what age, and more importantly what song/album would you play for your kids first? I would probably lean towards the early stuff (PPM or WTB) but breaking out Pepper to start would be tempting, as that is the first Beatles record I remember hearing. (On the other hand, I don’t have children. Sigh.)
All the best to you.
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James,
My two older kids were exposed to a fair amount of Beatles when they were younger (we have an adorable video of my now almost 11 year old, when he was two to three, attempting to sing the “Nah Nah Nah'”s on “Hey, Jude” and failing utterly), mainly because it was background music they were exposed to since it was what I listened to. Now I listen to so many podcasts (Beatles and football) that my youngest two aren’t exposed to as much classic rock music, which is a shame (although my three year old will probably be able, in a year or two, to tell you the difference between a SAM and a MIKE linebacker). Plus, my older teenaged and almost teenaged children commandeer the stereo often, so I listen to a lot of the newest stuff. (I gotta say: I like most of what I’ve heard out of Olivia Rodrigo, my daughter’s favorite new singer).
My first exposure to anything Beatles related, that I remember, was “When I’m 64,” but there’s a long, looooong involved story there that I’m saving for a particular time. My first sustained exposure was The Blue Album and, as I think I’ve said before, my favorite singer on that was Ringo: I just always thought his voice had a lot of punch, and character. And what 8-9 year old doesn’t love “With a Little Help from my Friends” or “Octopus’s Garden.”? I think what kids love are sing-along songs, and that’s why those work — it’s why “Hey, Jude” does, too.
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