Without the Beatles

Nancy Sinatra was a huge Beatles fan. She came to London with Lee Hazlewood and met them in the 60s, picking up Swinging Sixties fashion at the same time from Mary Quant, Twiggy, and Jean Shrimpton.
In this exclusive interview with podcast host, Des Burkinshaw, done in LA in 2012, Nancy talks about the Fabs, her father, Swinging London, culture, Mary Quant and her time working with Elvis.

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The old music industry that the Beatles made possible, is pretty much dead. Only a few artists make money from selling CDs or vinyl. But a whole new generation of young musicians are finding the way to success is through YouTube and social media.
Today's guests, both huge Beatles fans, have launched and sustained a career through performing live music on YouTube and social media. Performing a mix of their own material and fully live cover versions of songs by the Beatles, Paul Simon, Jim Croce, ELO and Fleetwood Mac.
If you're a first generation Beatles fan and wondering what today's musicians make of the MopTops and other rock/pop classics, then this is the episode for you. Josh and Damon guide us through their careers and process but also tell us about their upcoming gig, performing the whole of McCartney's second solo album, Ram, live in Brooklyn in July 2026.
But why Ram?
Clue: it's big on TikTok.

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Back in 2010/2011 we started collecting interviews for the Without the Beatles project. One of the first stories we tackled was how the Beatles were responsible for starting many other bands, including 10cc. Not only were they successful, and inspired others to make music, but the various members went on to do lots of other things too.
Not least of those achievements came from Kevin Godley, 10cc's drummer.
When he and bandmate Lol Creme left 10cc in 1975, they invented a new musical instrument, the Gizmo, and released several hit singles as a duo, Godley & Creme.
They then became two of the biggest and most important music promo directors of the 80s, directing famous promos for Duran Duran, Visage, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, The Police, Herbie Hancock, and themselves - who can forget the video for Cry?

Kevin Godley in conversation with our host, Des Burkinshaw, talks about the Fab Four's influence on him and culture more generally.

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This short episode features a previously unheard interview between Sir David Attenborough and Des Burkinshaw.
Back in 1965, Sir David became the first controller of the BBC's first colour TV channel, BBC2. As well as focusing on Arts and music, it became the only place in the UK to see a film in colour - but was considered a minority channel. On Boxing Day 1967, the Beatles screened The Magical Mystery Tour film on BBC1 - in black and white. Heavily criticised as a plotless, psychedelic film anyway, commentators have often wondered why it was screened in black and white first.
In this interview, you'll finally find out why - as well as hearing Sir David's thoughts on how BBC2 was doing in 20212.
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Back in 2010/2011 when we began the Without the Beatles project, we interviewed all four members of 10cc on how the Fab Four impacted each member.
Today, for the first time anywhere, here's the interview with Graham Gouldman. Easily one of Britain's top 10 best and most successful songwriters, here he talks to Des Burkinshaw about his career, the 10cc dynamic, how tracks like I'm Not in Love came together, and how the Beatles changed society.
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