Yesterday and Today

Beatles ’73 pt9

In the waning weeks of 1973, several major turning points in the lives of each of the former Beatles would mark both new beginnings and tragic endings for different people and places in the saga of the fab four. John Lennon, separated from his wife Yoko and in the throws of a depression not seen since his Hamburg days, took to drink, drugs and rock'n'roll for comfort and solace in Los Angeles. George Harrison, whose marriage was long rumored to be in dire straits, at last discovered his wife Pattie's affair with rocker Ronnie Wood. Ringo Starr, still riding high on the success of his eponymous solo album Ringo, was again running up the charts with the irresistible single You're Sixteen backed with Devil Woman. And lastly Paul McCartney, the solo Beatle with so much to prove, at last releases his surprise masterpiece LP: Band On The Run. Just in time for the holiday buying season, this collection of catchy yet purposeful rock and roll home runs took the world by storm, driving the seemingly defunct band Wings to the top of the charts. What lead to this album catching fire? Could McCartney continue the streak? Only time can tell as we move to the grand finale of 1973... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 73 – The Story So Far III

Welcome back to the story so far! We've covered a lot so far in the Beatle year 1973, and with the grand finale ahead of us Wayne, Paul and James take a moment to talk a little bit about the monumental events that lead us to now. This year has been yet another transformative one for each former Beatle, with successes for each and set-backs abound. Paul McCartney began the year at last on a roll with his new band Wings, hit singles, a hit album and a new record all building Macca's momentum...and then his band imploded. Can Paul pick up the pieces? John Lennon has been bombarded from all sides - his immigration battle, harsh reviews of his creative output...but it's his split from Yoko Ono that dealt the most devastating blow. Will a lost weekend in LA be enough to rejuvenate John's spirit? Ringo and George both knock it out of the park with respective #1 albums...but can they maintain that level of success? We discuss it all this episode, plus a special interview with Ryan Brady (Take It Away Podcast) and Paul Kaminski (The Third Men Podcast) about an exciting new project called NOW HEAR THIS! This brand new weekly album review podcast is hosted by Ryan and Paul and in each episode the duo reviews a new album special to one of them and new to the other. Lots of fun to be had on this new show and we give you the full scoop here on THE STORY SO FAR... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’73 pt8

It's November of 1973 and, for the first time since he was a teenager, John Lennon was a bachelor. In the wake of the John/Yoko split, an alcohol-fueled Lennon set out to drown his sorrows in drink, drugs and favorite songs from his past. Enlisting the help of longtime collaborator Phil Spector, the so-called "Oldies But Moldies" sessions began in Los Angeles which found John howling his rock and roll roots with mixed and inebriated results. As Lennon stumbled through the studios and clubs of southern California, Ringo Starr enjoyed his time in the spotlight with the release of the hugely successful Ringo album. This star-studded LP of catchy rock and roll took the world by storm, and transformed Starr from former fab to full-fledged solo artist. With the mammoth lead-off single Photograph and a host of catchy pop song craft, pals George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Harry Nilsson, Marc Bolan, Billy Preston, producer Richard Perry and others helped Ringo create one of the biggest albums of the decade. With only a few weeks in the year left to go, the four former Beatles had managed to release four hit LPs of solo material which lit up charts around the world - and, impossible though it may be to believe, the biggest ex-Beatle LP was still yet to come... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’73 pt7

The fall of 1973 was a busy time for all four former Beatles, with three new albums in development and a flurry of other activities from September through November. With his new band in shambles and his back to the wall, McCartney took his latest batch of songs and his most trusted musical confidants to Lagos, Nigeria during monsoon season to craft what would become his quintessential post-Bealtes masterpiece. But the adverse conditions were not limited to interpersonal conflicts - many in Lagos accused the troupe of attempting to appropriate their music during the recording sessions. Paul & Linda were even mugged on their way back to their residence, which is seen by some as a direct result of their less-than-warm reception by the Nigerian people. Ringo Starr, meanwhile, was poised for the release of his very own solo LP masterpiece, the forerunner of which took the form of the instantly-lovable smash hit single Photograph (a co-write with George Harrison, also in the studio recording new music at this time). Amidst all this, John Lennon faced perhaps biggest life-changing moment of his post-Beatles life: Yoko Ono threw him out. Now a bachelor, John found himself alongside family aide May Pang in Los Angeles for the release of his new LP, Mind Games. This collection of scattershot melody and hooky pop was well received, though Lennon himself stood trembling on the precipice of chaos... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’73 pt6

It’s July of 1973 and two former Beatles are at the tops of both the album and singles charts in America. As Paul’s Red Rose Speedway and Live and Let Die duked it out with George’s Living in the Material World and Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth), John Lennon is once again back in the studio working on his long-awaited solo follow-up to 1971’s Imagine LP. While Some Time In New York City may have, at one point, seemed like the bold new direction for John and Yoko, the couple’s troubled marriage and recent critical disappointments lead each to retreat to their own respective studio albums for a more polished, if more expected, set of creative efforts. While recording new music may have once again proved to be a healthy outlet for John’s frustrations, time in the studio was beginning to feel like hard work for the former Beatle, whose immigration troubles and mounting personal and professional hardships were taking an increasingly critical toll. McCartney, meanwhile, was enjoying the encore leg of his wildly successful Wings UK Tour - at last beginning to taste the levels of success he had once enjoyed as a Beatle. Toward the tail end of July, the triumphant Wings returned to the studio to begin sessions for a new album, but Paul’s lucky streak was about to run out... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’73 pt5

Nearly three years had passed since George Harrison's mammoth opus All Things Must Pass burned up the charts and cemented the quiet Beatle as one of the premiere voices of 1970's rock and roll. In the summer months of 1973, a follow-up at last arrived in the form of the ambitious, eclectic and (some would say) righteous new LP titled Living In the Material World. Once again, Harrison's hooky licks and serene lyrical imagery shot right to the top of the charts, helped in part by the corresponding #1 single Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth), which dethroned the reigning #1 record, McCartney's Red Rose Speedway. Unlike the power-pop singalong songs from Red Rose, Material World focused on matters of the spirit and the burdens of corporeal life in a record that, even though successful, turned many fans and critics off with its preachiness. Scathing digs at former bandmate McCartney scorched through tracks like Sue Me, Sue You Blues and Miss O'Dell, in addition to the open mockery of the Wings Fun Club on its back cover. George had a bone to pick, and pick he did at just about everything wrong with humanity from his vantage point. This record marked a new era for Harrison, one which would alienate many fans, while the target of his ire, McCartney, would go on to score hit after hit despite the attacks. In fact, McCartney's next hit single ALSO debuted in those dog days of summer, as a certain secret agent would be forced to Live And Let Die... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’73 pt4

Hot on the heels of their successful new album Red Rose Speedway and monster worldwide hit My Love, Paul McCartney and Wings were ready to take the stage, at long last, in the United Kingdom. This would be Paul’s first such tour of his home country since 1966, the year The Beatles stopped touring. Unlike the Wings University Tour a year prior, the band was now taking the stage in planned concert events in some of the same locations graced by the fab four in their heyday, and McCartney’s rocking new ensemble did not disappoint. From raucous rockers like Soily, Big Barn Bed, The Mess and their soon-to-be-smash single Live And Let Die, to the epic ballads Paul had become so known for since those aforementioned Beatle days, Wings travelled the country and dominated each stop. Manchester, Bristol, Oxford, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, London’s legendary Hammersmith Odeon -- this was a rock and roll band at their peak. While Wings took the country by storm, George Harrison was busy putting the final touches on his upcoming LP, his first full length record of new material since 1970’s mammoth All Things Must Pass. With Paul finally achieving the critical and commercial success that eluded his early solo works, would George (the critical and commercial darling up to this point) have the goods to go toe to toe with the Macca machine? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’73 pt3

Paul McCartney and Wings needed a hit. With their debut LP Wild Life and subsequent scattershot singles not setting the world on fire, the band that had to learn on the run found themselves on shaky ground. Enter Red Rose Speedway - a slick, polished record with punchy pop potential and a mammoth lead-off single in the sweeping McCartney ballad My Love. While the musical merit of Macca’s latest batch of material may be up for debate, neither lover nor hater could deny its power-pop charm and staying power on the charts. Form the rocking Big Barn Bed, to RAM-era highlights like Get on the Right Thing, to the medley reminiscent of Paul’s efforts on Abbey Road, Wings was at last taking to the sky and proving to a skeptical public what they were truly made of. As McCartney and company prepared to tour the record in their first major foray into Britain, another Apple release entered the charts in the form of George Harrison’s catchy and sweet Give Me Love single. George’s plea for peace was a long-awaited return for Harrison, whose forthcoming album Living in the Material World stood poised to do battle with Red Rose Speedway on the charts... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

66 – Beatles ’73 pt2

It’s the spring of 1973 and rumors of a Fab Four reunion are reaching a fever pitch. With John, George and Ringo playing together once more in service of the forthcoming Ringo album, and with Apple at last severing ties with controversial manager Allen Klein, the stage was seemingly set for The Beatles to return. But could they? Should they? As the world pondered, Apple prepared for a slew of major releases, including new records from Paul McCartney & Wings, George Harrison’s hotly anticipated follow-up to All Things Must Pass, Ringo Starr’s first ever full-length pop album effort, Yoko Ono’s Approximately Infinite Universe and a comprehensive Beatles reissue package dubbed the “red and blue” double albums. With such a burst of product, proximity and creativity from each of the former fabs, it’s no wonder reunion rumors ran rampant. Output may be on the upswing, but challenges also remain: will John be deported from the United States? Can George live up to the massive solo success that came before? Will Paul at last win the critical and commercial acclaim that so largely eluded him during his early years as a solo artist? At least one of those answers will materialize in the form of Paul’s massive worldwide single smash-hit “My Love”... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’73 pt1

It’s 1973 and another major year of transformation and activity for each of the four former Beatles has begun. As Paul McCartney and his band Wings prepare for their impending UK tour, trouble strikes at home in the form of a pot bust wherein police seized several marijuana plants growing in the McCartneys’ garden. Let off with a fine much in the same way the Lennons were several years prior, Paul & Linda would feel the ramifications from this for several years to come. John & Yoko, meanwhile, found themselves continuing to drift apart following the disastrous election night mishap of the year prior. As Yoko prepared her latest album for release, news of a marriage on the rocks began to seep into the press, and the once-inseparable couple looked ahead to an uncertain future. While trouble may have plagued Lennon and McCartney in the early weeks of 1973, George and Ringo were immersed in musical productivity. Work on the Living in the Material World album continued, amidst George scoring the coveted Record of the Year Grammy Award for The Concert for Bangladesh. Ringo Starr was in the studio in LA, joined by John Lennon, a band of all-star players and producer Richard Perry, working on an album of new pop material that was downright startling in quality... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.