Yesterday and Today

Episode 44 – Beatles ’70 pt5

Despite the breakup of The Beatles, or perhaps because of it, 1970 was one of the single most creatively prolific periods in the lives of its former members.George Harrison’s epic double album sessions were in the final stages of mixing, and this oversized debut would be the kind of jaw-dropping musical statement to his bandmates and the world that he had always deserved. John Lennon was back in the studio recording his own statement, the kind of intensely personal and back-to-basics album that the Get Back project could have only ever dreamed of becoming. Joining John was pal Ringo Starr, whom had just released his second LP of the year: the pure country Beaucoups of Blues. While few could have predicted that Ringo would be the first out of the gate with two solo LPs in the span of a year, the former Beatle whose commercial expectations were sky high remained in his Scotland retreat...but Paul McCartney would not be down for long. Battered in the press and shouldering the blame amongst fans for breaking up the Beatles, Paul struggled to establish his freedom from Allen Klein’s Apple - and the only way to do so would be to sue his former bandmates. As an escape from the madness back home, The McCartneys travelled to New York and began holding auditions for a new musical project. By the waning days of fall, sessions would begin for an all-new Macca LP… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 43 – Beatles ’70 pt4

Despite a record-setting #1 LP and a #1 single to match, the top-selling Beatles were no more. Paul’s announcement sent shockwaves throughout the world, as friends and fans tried to make sense of the bitterness that had consumed such a beacon of peace, love and positivity for so many. John Lennon was quick to assign blame, set the narrative against his former writing partner and dive headfirst into an album of intensely personal, all-new material. Under the therapeutic guidance of Primal Scream founder Arthur Janov, Lennon mourned the loss of the musical force he had set into motion over a decade prior, and worked through the many other traumatic splits from throughout his young life. George Harrison, whom had been more forgiving of Paul in the press, was eager to show his former bandmates, himself and the world what he was capable of. On May 26th and spanning nearly the entire summer, sessions began for George’s as yet untitled solo LP of new material - material which had ballooned into a massive collection of songs ranging from Beatle rejections to intimate reflections on the hectic circumstances of his chaotic life. Ringo Starr, who contributed to George’s sessions that summer and whom has released his very of LP of crooner standards earlier in the year, connected with Pete Drake where the idea of an all-country Ringo album was hatched. All the while McCartney made a retreat to his home in Scotland, wracked with depression and wondering what his next move would be… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 42 – Beatles ’70 pt3

With the release of the McCartney album in April of 1970, Paul McCartney brought to light what had been his reality for nearly a year: The Beatles were no more. He and wife Linda were an instant target for angry fans and angry press for being the messenger of this awful news that up to this point was merely speculation and rumor on the part of the public. Many, including John Lennon, saw Paul’s move as a strategy to sell the aforementioned solo album, but if that WAS the case, it was a bizarre album to go out on such a limb for. The McCartney LP is a homemade piece of rock and roll experimentation with moments of Beatle-esq sound that baffled most upon first listen. Songs like Maybe I’m Amazed and Every Night could have handily been Beatles cuts, while oddball instrumentals like Valentine Day, Kreen Akrore and Hot As Sun more evoked former bandmate Lennon’s “Unfinished Music” series (albeit with a slightly more commercial ring to it). And like Lennon before him, McCartney’s proclamation came mere weeks before the debut of the long-defunct Let it Be LP and film which at last saw its release on May 8th. If fans were baffled by “Singalong Junk”, they were certainly equally baffled by the rough-n-tumble new Beatles LP, where the slick studio soundscapes listeners were accustomed to were replaced by impromptu jams and after-the-fact production trickery by producer (or should we say salvager) Phil Spector. This was a rough time for all four now-former Beatles, a moniker which even know rings as sadly as it did in the springtime of 1970... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 41 – Beatles ’70 pt2

It’s the spring of 1970, and The Beatles have reached a crossroads, and the rift between the once-lockstep foursome was now growing beyond their ability to stop it. As he did in 1968 when he became the first Beatle to quit the band during the tumultuous double album sessions, Ringo Starr lead the path forward on March 27th by releasing the first commercial solo album by a Beatle: Sentimental Journey. This collection of crooner classics was hardly a masterpiece, but it draws an important distinction in Beatle history from prior solo projects in that it is a studio collection of traditional songs on a full length LP. Ringo would find himself at the center of another crucial event in the spring, when he, George and John (under the influence of Allen Klein) decided it best to delay the release of Paul McCartney’s upcoming solo album release, titled simply McCartney, to avoid direct competition with the forthcoming Beatles soundtrack LP, Let it Be. When Ringo delivered the news to Paul, he was thrown out by a ballistic McCartney who felt under fire by the entire organization. Paul objected to the appointment of Allen Klein as the band’s manager, and was overruled. Paul’s push to get the band back out on the stage to perform was met with laughable rejection. Paul’s songwriting partner, whom he had spent so many months attempting to placate (while making his own fair share of mistakes along the way), had quit the group privately while publicly proclaiming himself a saint of peace. This was the breaking point. Ringo Starr was thrown out of Paul’s house and the release of McCartney would NOT be delayed. As if history was set about repeating itself, on the eve of a new Beatles album, another Beatle quit the band. On April 9th, 1970, the press release for Paul’s solo album brought with it a public proclamation of the end of the Beatles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 40 – Beatles ’70 pt1

It’s 1970! As a changed and frantic world looked to the fresh, new decade with careful optimism, the dream of The Beatles remained on life support following John Lennon’s private exit from the group several months prior in the run-up to the release of Abbey Road. Still, on January 3rd a new Beatles recording session took place at number two studio, EMI. George, Paul and Ringo were back in the studio to record George’s I Me Mine for the upcoming release of the Get Back project as an LP and feature film. This session, which also included overdubs on Paul’s Let It Be, would go down in history as the final recording session to feature three or more Beatles. Absent was John Lennon, whose solo pursuits offered up a polished and successful new single on February 20th: Instant Karma! Unlike its predecessor Cold Turkey, this new rocker filled with hope and an anthemic chorus showed the world that even without his bandmates, Lennon would be a musical force to be reckoned with in the 1970’s. Ringo, meanwhile, was still knee deep in recording his first solo LP of crooner standards as well as a catchy little tune by George, the temporarily titled Got To Pay Your Dues. While Beatle-esq tunes under non-Beatle banners rang from the rafters of the new year, Paul McCartney was noticeably absent - retreating to his farm in Scotland and focusing on his new family...and a new homemade solo project of his own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 39 – Beatles ’69 pt11

It’s December, 1969, and The Beatles find themselves with a #1 album on both sides of the Atlantic, a #1 single with Something/Come Together, an album and film in the works for release in the new year, and...all but finished as a functioning group. What remained of the dream was in the process of being sorted out by Allen Klein and his people at Apple, while the band members focused on individual pursuits. Perhaps most notable amongst those pursuits being George Harrison going back out on tour as a support musician for Delaney & Bonnie throughout England that month. The Beatle who pushed so hard to petition his bandmates to cease touring back in the summer of 1966 found himself to be the first Beatle to join a tour since that time. But George wasn’t the only Beatle emerging onto the concert stage in December, John and Yoko were back again to promote a message of peace with the aid of Unicef for a special Peace at Christmas concert event. Accompanying the performance was a worldwide billboard campaign from the couple proclaiming “WAR IS OVER! If You Want It.” - a message of peace in time for the holiday season. The holiday season also brought with it not one but two releases from The Beatles, first in the form of the sixth and final installment of the Beatles Christmas Message for the fan club. The second release at last brought to the public the group’s 1968 performance of Across the Universe, appearing on a World Wildlife Fund charity LP. Ringo’s co-starring film role in the Peter Sellers smash The Magic Christian brought with it an accompanying soundtrack featuring songs by Badfinger and contributions from Paul McCartney to round out a very busy month and bring us, at last, to the end of 1969. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 38 – Beatles ’69 pt10

1969 was undoubtedly one of the most difficult, trying years that The Beatles ever faced - but with Abbey Road dominating charts around the world, the group caught a rare ray of sunshine in the form of yet another stellar hit record. But instead of popping the champagne, the band couldn’t help but continue to scratch their heads at the pervasive “Paul Is Dead” rumor, gaining more and more traction by the day. While Paul McCartney was certainly far from death, The Beatles as a unified entity were nearing their own end times and solo projects populated the later half of the fall. Ringo Starr became the first Beatle to undertake a full length solo studio album, beginning sessions of newly arranged crooner standards that would evolve into the Sentimental Journey LP. John Lennon also branched out in bold new solo directions, becoming the first Beatle to release a commercial single as a solo act - the withdrawal-drenched Cold Turkey. While solo releases were hardly a first for Lennon, Cold Turkey marks a notable departure in that it was mostly straightforward rock song, as opposed to his experimental and anthem forays of the past year. The end of 1969 was around the corner, and with it would come new departures, new beginnings and an end to an era... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 37 – The Story So far...

Since episode one of the podcast, we’ve seen the Beatles evolve from a raucous pop quartet into the undisputed masters of modern musical craft - and more importantly, we’ve seen four boys transform into four men. This week on the show we take a moment to reflect on the four short years that were so transformative for John, Paul, George and Ringo, with an eye toward their future solo trajectories. From Beatles For Sale to Abbey Road, the evolution of songwriting, attitude and technique is staggering - indeed time seems to pass very differently for The Beatles. In this special bonus episode we cover it all and offer some insight into the most pivotal moments in Beatle history while we prepare to enter into the “break-up era” full-force. Also this episode, we present to you the complete initial radio airing of the “Paul Is Dead” rumor from October 21st 1969. This bizarre chapter in Beatle history foreshadows the unfortunate and sometimes violent misinterpretation of Beatles lyrics by certain individuals over the past 50+ years, and hearing this complete WABC broadcast gives you a real sense of what that misinterpretation sounds like in real time. Thank you for everyone who has followed the show so far, we’re proud and excited that so many of you have joined us on this gear journey through the lives of the Fab Four. And the story is far from over... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 36 – Beatles ’69 pt9

The Beatles’ Abbey Road was an instant worldwide hit and would go on to become a template for modern popular music...but which side the listener prefers is a musical inkblot test, sharply dividing listeners even amongst the Beatles themselves. Side A’s straightforward compilation of tracks features benchmarks for each member of the band and their respective songwriting abilities, but what George Martin and Paul McCartney cooked up for side B was truly groundbreaking in its innovation and execution. Like Brian Wilson’s fabled (and at the time unreleased) Smile LP from a few years prior, Martin and McCartney attempted a long suite of songs which, like a classical symphony, would include various movements, recurring themes and integrated melodies. George Harrison’s optimistic Here Comes The Sun opens the side, followed by the three-part harmony dripping off of Lennon’s beautiful Because. From there we launch into You Never Give Me Your Money (a snarky little swipe at Apple business woes) into Sun King, which by the nature of its lyric loosely connects to Harrison’s opening track. Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came In Through The Bathroom Window are next, proving John Lennon offered quite a hefty contribution to the album side he would later pass off as “junk” in interviews following the band’s split. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End bring the side to its dramatic culmination, somewhat echoing the musical climax that ended Sgt. Pepper. And the comparison’s to Sgt. Pepper don’t stop there - Abbey Road could easily be considered Pepper’s follow-up, as the prominence of George Martin and its slick, purposeful production link those two LPs together far more than the erratic (but masterful in its own way) self-titled double album the year prior. No matter which side you prefer, Abbey Road was yet another triumph by the Beatles, who inched closer and closer to disintegration with each passing day... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 35 – Beatles ’69 pt8

On September 26th, 1969, the final studio album to be recorded by The Beatles was released: Abbey Road. With the tumultuous Get Back sessions still tucked away (more or less) on the shelf, John, Paul, George and Ringo got together one final time to create what would become an innovative, groundbreaking album that many argue sounds as fresh and modern today as it did upon its release. Newer studio techniques and instrumentation were used giving the record this timeless quality, including the moog synthesizer which adorned several of the tracks and would become a prog rock and top 40 staples over the next decade. Also unlike its predecessors, Abbey Road finds itself split in intent between sides A and B - with side A offering more of a traditional collection of songs, and side B expanding outward into a conceptual suite of smaller tracks. The album kicks in the door with the raucous Lennon rocker Come Together, which takes the stripped down lessons of Get Back and places them in a slick, proper recording with enough snap to send chills up the spine. George Harrison’s Something is close behind, proving the the world (and his bandmates) that he was every bit the mast songwriter that Lennon and McCartney were by this point in time. McCartney’s contributions to side A include Maxwell’s Silver Hammer (introduced during the Get Back sessions and famously hated by the rest of the band) and the throwback soul ballad Oh! Darling. Ringo’s second song, Octopus’s Garden, also adorns side A with its playful childlike melody that hints at special things to come for Starr’s songwriting in the future. I Want You (She’s So Heavy) closes the side and takes the blistering straightforward rock of Yer Blues to an entirely new level. Next, we move on to side B... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.