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Educating Isabella: Rock 'n Roll 101

Educating Isabella: Rock 'n Roll 101

By: bitesz.com | music history
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Join me as I introduce Isabella, my vinyl collecting, music loving now 18 year old grand daughter, to the great music of the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80, 90s and more. The music that led to her Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles etc obsessions. I need your help! It's music history with a difference. Rock n roll, pop, country, dance, new wave....it's all music. Learn about the great acts that got us to where we are today.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/educating-isabella-rock-n-roll-101--6522543/support.Copyright bitesz.com Music
Episodes
  • Herman's Hermits: How a Cartoon Inspired a British Invasion Sensation

    Herman's Hermits: How a Cartoon Inspired a British Invasion Sensation
    Jun 25 2026
    In this episode of Educating Isabella: Rock and Roll 101, we continue our British Invasion mini-series by diving into the remarkable story of Herman's Hermits — the Manchester band who, in 1965, became the biggest-selling singles act in America, outselling even the Beatles. How did a group of ordinary Manchester teenagers with a fifteen-year-old Coronation Street actor as their frontman conquer the United States? And why did music that was considered too old-fashioned for British tastes make American audiences go wild? We explore their roots, their incredible US success, the session musicians who secretly helped create their sound, and their enduring legacy. Key Topics Covered • Formation in Manchester, 1963, as The Heartbeats • Peter Noone: the fifteen-year-old Coronation Street actor who became Herman • The origin of the name Herman's Hermits (from a Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon) • Producer Mickie Most and his role in shaping the band's sound and image • The secret session musicians: Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones (future Led Zeppelin) • Debut hit 'I'm Into Something Good' — UK number one in 1964 • 1965 American conquest: 'Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter' and 'I'm Henry VIII, I Am' • Billboard's #1 singles act of 1965 in the USA — ahead of the Beatles • Twenty-four consecutive weeks in the American Top Ten with five simultaneous singles • Films, TV appearances, and global fame • Later UK hits and the band's decline in America • Peter Noone's solo career, including 'Oh You Pretty Thing' written by David Bowie • Legacy: 60 million records sold, 14 US gold singles Suggested Listening Playlist Available on Spotify, YouTube Music, and Deezer — search 'Educating Isabella S01E10 Herman's Hermits' • I'm Into Something Good (1964) • Can't You Hear My Heartbeat (1965) • Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (1965) • Silhouettes (1965) • I'm Henry VIII, I Am (1965) • A Must to Avoid (1965) • Listen People (1966) • Leaning on a Lamp Post (1966) • No Milk Today (1966) • There's a Kind of Hush (1967) • My Sentimental Friend (1969)

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/educating-isabella-rock-n-roll-101--6522543/support.

    For more music history and commentary, visit our website at https://bitesz.com

    This episode includes AI-generated content.
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    15 mins
  • Glad All Over: The Dave Clark Five Story

    Glad All Over: The Dave Clark Five Story
    Mar 29 2026
    In Episode 9 of Educating Isabella: Rock and Roll 101, Michael introduces Isabella to the Dave Clark Five — one of the most commercially successful and yet often overlooked groups of the entire British Invasion. We cover the band's working-class origins in Tottenham, North London; how drummer Dave Clark taught himself to play to raise money for his football team; the classic lineup of Clark, Mike Smith, Lenny Davidson, Rick Huxley, and Denis Payton; the thundering 'Tottenham Sound' that was wholly distinct from the Merseybeat style; the January 1964 moment when 'Glad All Over' knocked the Beatles off the top of the UK chart; the DC5's extraordinary 18 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show (more than any other British Invasion group); 17 US Billboard Top 40 hits between 1964 and 1967; Dave Clark's visionary decision to own his masters and self-manage and produce; the fascinating and frustrating story of his acquisition of the Ready Steady Go! archive; the press-manufactured Beatles rivalry and what really happened between the two bands; the 1965 film 'Catch Us If You Can'; the band's later years; and their 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction by Tom Hanks. This episode is dedicated with love to a grandfather who has been a Dave Clark Five fan since 1964 — and still is. Key Songs Referenced • Glad All Over (1963) — their breakthrough UK #1 • Bits and Pieces (1964) — UK #2, US Top 5 • Can't You See That She's Mine (1964) • Because (1964) — US favourite • Catch Us If You Can (1965) — film theme • I Like It Like That (1965) • Over and Over (1965) — US #1, Christmas Day 1965 • Everybody Knows (1967) — later UK hit • Good Old Rock 'n' Roll (1969/70) Playlist Note As with all Educating Isabella episodes, listeners are directed to the show's public Spotify, YouTube Music, and Deezer playlists for curated listening to accompany the episode. The DC5 catalogue is now available on all major streaming platforms.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/educating-isabella-rock-n-roll-101--6522543/support.

    For more music history and commentary, visit our website at https://bitesz.com

    This episode includes AI-generated content.
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    17 mins
  • From Liverpool to Anfield: Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Song That Outlived Everyone

    From Liverpool to Anfield: Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Song That Outlived Everyone
    Mar 18 2026
    In this episode of Educating Isabella: Rock and Roll 101, we meet one of the great unsung heroes of the British Invasion — Gerry and the Pacemakers. They came from the same city as the Beatles, shared the same manager and the same producer, and pulled off something even the Fab Four never managed: three consecutive number ones with their first three singles. We trace their story from the Liverpool club scene to the American charts, and we follow the extraordinary journey of their third single — a song from a 1945 Broadway musical that became one of the most beloved football anthems in the world. Plus our homework task for Isabella (and for you).
    Tracks mentioned this episode — full playlist on Spotify, YouTube Music and Deezer:

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    Website: https://bitesz.com/podcast/educating-isabella-rock-n-roll-101

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/educating-isabella-rock-n-roll-101--6522543/support.

    For more music history and commentary, visit our website at https://bitesz.com

    This episode includes AI-generated content.
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    13 mins
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