Beatlemania

Beatlemania is a radio show on 90.7 WVKC created in the fall of 2007. It is hosted by Eleanor Rigby and Penny Lane. It was created in the aftermath of Bill's Beatles Bonanza in order to fulfill Eleanor's and Penny's need for a solid hour of nothing but the Beatles on the radio. They are pretty cool people who may love music a little too much. This term the show airs on Saturdays at 1 p.m.. Eleanor and Penny bring a mix of classic Beatles hits, covers, little known facts about the band, and songs done on solo ventures by members of the band. Providing vital information about the songs, such as year and album, Eleanor and Penny try to feed the Beatle lover in all of us.

The former host of Bill's Beatles Bonanza - Bill Mayeroff - has threatened to reveal the true identities of the hosts of the show if it does not meet his standards. So far it has ... so far.

Components of the show

Each week the show has three key components at each fifteen minute interval.

After the first fifteen minutes is the "Beatles Fun Fact," or BFF, with Eleanor Rigby. Generally she brings in little known facts and tidbits about specific songs. Sometimes the BFF is centered on connections you never knew existed, like how you connect The Beatles with Death Cab for Cutie or Barenaked Ladies.

At the half-hour mark there is the "Twinspin." This is the segment composed of a cover of a song followed by the Fab Four's original. This gives you the chance to compare directly the different takes artists have on the classic hits. Generally, the hosts try to choose covers that are good, and not ones you hear every day.

When the show is just about three-quarters of the way through Penny Lane brings you music from "After They Were Beatles." Penny takes two songs from the solo careers after The Beatles went their separate ways.

The hosts have since abandoned this format, taking instead to flying by the seat of their collective pants and soliciting (read: begging for) requests. (309-341-7441 - CALL IN!)

The Hosts

On October 22, 2007, the hosts of the show revealed themselves to their close friends, and the world. Sara Belger admitted to being Eleanor Rigby, and Andrea Johnston owned up to being Penny Lane. However, they have not done this on the air, preferring to keep some anonymity.