I'm welcoming Richard Mills back to the pod today, this time to talk about his book 'The Beatles ad Black Music'.

Beginning with the grand narrative of British colonial history pre-Beatles, Richard's book covers the influence of Black music and culture on the Beatles' teenage years in the 1950s, their association with Lord Woodbine, their love of American Rhythm and Blues in the mid-1960s, and extends to a discussion of post-colonial British identity and the lasting effect Black music has had on the Beatles' legacy and continues to have on the solo careers of Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney.

My guest for this episode is the brilliant Stuart Maconie who is here to discuss his book 'With A Little Help From Their Friends'.

Stuart's book tells the story of 100 fascinating members of The Beatles' supporting cast - people they encountered during their career either in a major or minor way.

Split into 3 sections, Before The Beatles, With the Beatles and Beyond the Beatles, Stuart tells the epic tale of the people who made the band who made Britain, and along the way adds his own experiences, encounters and conversations to further illuminate the story.

My guest today is Jonathan Gould who joins me to discuss his 2007 book 'Can't Buy Me Love'. More than just a group biography, 'Can't Buy Me Love' tells the social history of Britain and America in the 1960's and provides a sharp musical analysis of The Beatles songs.

He also tells us about his new book on Talking Heads, 'Burning Down The House' which tells the story of one of Rock's most influential groups and the New York scene that they came from.