Brian Kehew: The Beatles Archivist Preserving Rock’s Lost Recordings | The Magnificent Others

Brian Kehew: The Beatles Archivist Preserving Rock’s Lost Recordings | The Magnificent Others

From The Magnificent Others with Billy Corgan by Billy Corgan

September 9, 2026 · 1h 24m

About this episode

Billy Corgan interviews Beatles archivist Brian Kehew about preserving rock's lost recordings and the technology behind iconic music.

Billy Corgan sits down with Beatles gear historian and  Recording the Beatles  co-author Brian Kehew for a deep dive into vintage synths, mixing boards, and the hidden machinery behind rock's greatest records. Kehew explains how The Beatles pushed EMI’s engineers to invent new sounds—and why George Martin was essential to the band’s identity. The two swap stories about Van Halen’s mysterious tape vault, including why a third of Eddie’s famous wall was blank reels and how he and Tom Petty raced to buy the last remaining rolls of analog tape in Los Angeles. They also discuss the decade-long making of  Recording the Beatles  and why Ritchie Blackmore belongs alongside Jimmy Page and Eddie Van Halen. Kehew explores AI’s role in preserving classic recordings and Master Tape Rescue, his nonprofit reuniting artists with lost recordings. He also previews a Pete Townshend project devoted to his pioneering electronic music. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

People in this episode

Host: Billy Corgan

Guest: Brian Kehew

Topics covered

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: EMI, Recording the Beatles, Master Tape Rescue

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