Yesterday and Today

Beatles ’74 pt3

It's June of 1974 and Paul McCartney's Band on the Run is back at the #1 spot yet again - rocketed to the top of the Billboard Top 200 in America with each new single. While Paul credits much of the album's success to the instincts of Capitol executive Al Coury, it seemed Al's advice was equally valuable to another former Beatle at this time. Coury's next big win? Finally securing the missing tapes from John Lennon's Oldies But Moldies record from Phil Spector - recorded during John's so-called "lost weekend" in Los Angeles. With the Oldies tapes in hand and a renewed creative zeal, Lennon decided to return to the studio to write and record a collection of all-new material as his next big album project. Capitol's input was working out well for Lennon and McCartney, but George Harrison's disagreements with CEO Bhaskar Menon in recent years would finally drive the ex-Beatle to form his very own label: Dark Horse Records. Dark Horse, distributed by A&M, was George's chance to flex creative muscle with distance from the now-embattled Allen Klein and the increasingly defunct Apple Records. The former Beatles were on a hot streak of hits, and making big creative moves with an eye toward the end of their EMI commitments in the months to come... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’74 pt2

With Allen Klein out of the picture and John Lennon living a bachelor lifestyle independent from Yoko Ono for the first time in nearly five years, it seemed the circumstances were at last right for the musical reunion many thought to be impossible: Lennon and McCartney together again in the studio. These loose, drug and drink-fueled jam sessions from March of 1974 (affectionately dubbed "a toot and a snore in '74" by fans, years later) were hardly a masterwork of new material...still, John and Paul were making music together and thereby keeping the hope of a Beatles reformation alive. Lennon's crew of so-called "Hollywood Vampires" present at the Santa Monica beach home for this momentous occasion included Keith Moon, Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr and the affable Harry Nilsson who, due to the excesses in his personal life, found himself suffering from debilitating throat problems. In fact, the Lennon-produced sessions for Harry's upcoming Pussy Cats album were nearly derailed by his ailments - and John found himself in the position to take charge of his rowdy comrades much like he had done for the Beatles themselves over a decade prior. But while John was straightening out, his fellow former bandmates George and Ringo spiraled further into times that could only be referred to as "simply shady"... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’74 pt1

It's 1974 and the coming year would once again bring new music from all four former Beatles -- along with a mix of drama and triumph in the personal lives of John, Paul, George and Ringo. The new year saw Paul McCartney riding high with his hit album Band on the Run and corresponding single Helen Wheels. This strong collection of tracks from Paul, Linda and Denny would peak and the #1 spot, before dropping from that position and rising once again to #1 through the efforts of Capitol Records executive Al Coury. Al's recommendations to Paul included rereleasing Band on the Run with Helen Wheels included on the album, as well as encouraging the release of Jet as a single in the early weeks of '74. Al's efforts paid off, and McCartney's Wings were set on their course to the top of the pop world in the months and years to come. While Macca found himself at the top, former partner John Lennon found himself in the gutter, literally, with a series of mishaps in LA alongside fellow "hollywood vampires" Harry Nilsson, Alice Cooper, Keith Moon, Ringo Starr and Micky Dolenz (to name but a few of these wild and craaazy guys). One particularly disastrous night from John's famed "lost weekend" saw him and pal Harry ejected from the Smothers Brothers reunion concert at the Troubadour - leading Lennon to rethink his hard-partying ways. In fact, Lennon was rethinking a lot of things, including a new musical collaboration with none other than Paul McCartney... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’73 pt10

With Paul McCartney's new LP Band on the Run, the former Beatle with so much to prove at last redefined his talents for not only skeptical Beatle fans, but a whole new generation of listeners ready for the Wings sound. While many hailed the masterpiece as a concept album, McCartney & co were themselves unaware of any concept hidden in the record, though Wings by definition were in fact a Band on the Run in the years prior to the album and therefore could inhabit the role of those eponymous "rabbits on the run". From the Denny Laine-penned No Words, to the Ginger Baker-backed Mamunia, to the the downright danceable Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five, this Wings album would become arguably the biggest of McCartney's entire career beginning in the Christmas season of 1973 and continuing on into 1974 to become a cultural phenomenon. While Paul was riding high, John Lennon continued his drug and drink fueled "lost weekend" in Los Angeles - separated from Yoko and acting out in unruly, and sometimes violent ways. Beyond his own personal struggles, producer Phil Spector seemingly skipped town with Lennon's "Oldies But Moldies" tapes, holding the recordings hostage for no ransom beyond his own personal madness. 1973 was one of the most prolific periods in the lives of the former Beatles, and it would not go out without a BANG (literally)... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.