Yesterday and Today

Episode 28 – Beatles ’69 pt1

It’s a new year and the Beatles are back in the studio. Mere weeks following the release of their titanic eponymous double album (now colloquially dubbed “the white album” after it’s all-white outer packaging) the band was once again called together with another big idea from Paul. The goal? To rehearse a brand new album of new songs, film the rehearsal and then perform the album in some sort of live setting. That process would be broadcast as a tv special and the live performance of the new material would be released as the next album. Michael Lindsay-Hogg was signed on to direct, who not only had a history with the Beatles themselves but whom had just recently worked with John on the Rolling Stones Rock’n’Roll circus. It was yet another grand undertaking by a band that was standing on the brink of complete fracture following the tumultuous year prior. As George put it, “I just spent 6 months producing an album of this fella Jackie Lomax, and hangin’ out with Bob Dylan and the Band, in Woodstock, and havin' a great time, and for me to come back into the 'winter of discontent' with the Beatles, in Twickenham, was very unhealthy and unhappy.” To compensate, these very early days of January 1969 find John, Paul, George and Ringo endlessly jamming on their 50’s rock “comfort food”, avoiding the inevitable... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 27 – Beatles ’68 pt11

1968 was another year of drastic transformation for The Beatles, and by December the group was ready to take a breath and let the world continue to absorb their new double album. Apple's biggest success story, Mary Hopkin, was back in the studio with Paul preparing a full length LP to follow-up on the massive hit single Those Were The Days, and the pair was joined by Donovan (who had made quite an impact on the Beatle sound in 1968). John and Yoko retreated to their Kenwood home where John would pen a new slew of songs such as Don't Let Me Down and Oh My Love. Ringo's latest film Candy held its premiere and Apple's latest find James Taylor saw his very first self-titled LP debut. On December 11th John joined the Rolling Stones for their ultimately unreleased Rock and Roll Circus television special. Appearing as "the Dirty Mac", John performed the double album track Yer Blues alongside Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Mitch Mitchell to sizzling results. John would later remark that this experience opened his eyes to just how rewarding playing with different musicians could be. 1968 took four boys and made them into four men, and the year that followed would test friendships, yield more brilliant music, and see the disintegration of the biggest band to ever grace the world stage... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 26 – Beatles ’68 pt10

It's November of 1968 and the world is soaking in the new double album by The Beatles! While most the tracks on the new record were quite accessible, some baffled (and continue to baffle) listeners and challenged the limits of pop music. John Lennon's Revolution trifecta is a an experiment in sound unmatched by any other Beatles recording. Fans first heard the track in its rocking glory on the flip-side to the monster single Hey Jude earlier in the year. For the "White Album", the original version (rejected for the single by the others as being "too slow") finally saw the light of day, albeit trimmed from its play-out jam form. So what became of the play-out jam? In a truly innovative move, the play-out was used as the skeletal structure of an extended avant-garde sound collage titled Revolution #9. For those wondering where the psychedelia was hiding on this new record, they found it in this ten minute long disturbing portrait of revolution in action as executed by John, George and Yoko. Followed by the orchestral nursery rhyme Goodnight, the end of the Beatles double album left fans confused and critics to sharpen their knives. Controversy and harsh initial reviews aside, the band's 9th album would not only stand the test of time, but prove to be well AHEAD of its time, and is viewed by many to be the band's finest record ever released. As 1968 continued to wind down, the band recorded their annual Christmas message and looked ahead to another new year of transformation... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 25 – Beatles ’68 pt9

Numbers, Colors & MusicEpisode 25The new Beatles double album is here! On November 22nd, 1968 the band released their 9th full­ length studio recording, the self­-titled behemoth colloquially known as "The White Album". The follow­-up to Sgt. Pepper was a dramatic departure from the acid­ drenched sound paintings of the year prior and offered the most variety in song styles ever seen (either before or since) on a Beatles recording. Fans and critics alike were confused by the tonal shift, but as with any Beatles album commercial success was soon to follow. While Revolver and even Pepper were more unified efforts, in many ways the double album was a showcase of four different musicians who were serving each other's songs. Paul's contributions include instant classics like "Blackbird," "Mother Nature's Son," "Back In The USSR" and "Ob La De Ob La Da" ­­ as well as thunderous rockers like "Helter Skelter" and "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?". John's tracks pointed the gaze inward, with a clutch of songs many consider some of the finest of his entire career. "Happiness Is A Warm Gun," "Julia," "Yer Blues" and "Sexie Sadie" run the gamete of style and substance, while "Glass Onion" shows a rare tip of the hat to Paul for helping steer the Beatles' ship since the death of Brian Epstein. Ringo Starr's very first original composition, "Don't Pass Me By," signaled the dawn of a fourth songwriter in the group, while the masterpiece "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" showed the band and the world exactly what George Harrison was capable of. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 24 – Beatles ’68 pt8

Episode 24October 13, 1968 through November 21, 1968It's the fall of 1968 and TWO Beatles solo albums are on the way. George Harrison holds the honor of the first solo record released by a Beatle (if we're not counting the Family Way soundtrack by Paul two years prior) with Wonderwall. Wonderwall is­ a soundtrack album chockfull of jams and electronic sounds that pushed some major boundaries at the time.Next up would be the most controversial release of any one Beatles' career: ­ John and Yoko's Two Virgins LP. While the actual record did little to rouse the ire of the public, ­ a selection of noises and mood along with­ the cover art became the focal point of worldwide attention. The LP depicted a completely naked and fully frontal John Lennon and Yoko Ono. John knew this statement would be met with backlash from the public, but it was the backlash from the other Beatles that surprised him. The others struggled to embrace this new life for John, and yet another wedge was driven into the group's relationship.This wasn't the only rough patch for John and Yoko in the fall of '68 ­ the couple were busted for possession of cannabis resin (in the form of "hash") in October. In November Cynthia's divorce suit was granted within days of Yoko suffering a miscarriage.All on the eve of a new Beatles album... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 23 – Beatles ’68 pt7

September 16, 1968 through October 11, 1968With Ringo back in the group and Hey Jude continuing its domination on the charts, The Beatles made one last push to wrap their ambitious double album project in time for a holiday release. A hallmark of the sessions was the diversity of song style, with the band recording tender ballads like I Will, raucous rockers like Birthday, haunting epics like Happiness Is A Warm Gun and Long Long Long, to borderline novelty tracks like Honey Pie and The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill. While this diversity reigned, the double album did find itself dominated by "stripped­-down" acoustic tracks that would be a shocking departure for fans who had grown accustomed to the lavish studio creations of 1967. The fall of 1968 also saw the publication of The Beatles authorized biography by Hunter Davies ­ perhaps the last vestige of influence by the band's late manager Brian Epstein. If Brian's influence was finally dissipating, the influence of John's new girlfriend Yoko Ono was expanding by the day, and by October the couple would proclaim themselves inseparable... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 22 – Beatles ’68 pt6

August 22nd, 1968 is a landmark day in Beatles history: the day a member of the biggest band on the planet...quit. The Beatles' double album sessions were growing more tense by the day, and in the dog days of the summer of 1968 tensions finally boiled over. Accounts of what specifically happened vary; some claim it was a clash with Paul McCartney over his domineering direction in the studio, some say it was simply insecurity on Ringo's part, but whichever the case Ringo Starr made history as the first Beatle to quit the band. Of course, Ringo's holiday would be short-lived, as his bandmates realized just how unloved their drummer felt and lured him back with flowers and postcards in time for the biggest release of their career. Hey Jude, backed with John's Revolution, was the debut single on Apple Records and would go on to sell over 8 million copies and shatter records around the world. If the group was on the verge of shattering, the music surely wasn't showing any signs of slowing down. National Apple Week, as they called it, also saw the debut of Mary Hopkin's McCartney-produced smash-hit single Those Were The Days, which itself dominated charts and sold gangbusters -- in most cases only seconded by Hey Jude. Jackie Lomax and The Black Dyke Mills band rounded out the releases and once again John, Paul, George and Ringo found themselves at the top of the world. But Apple's rot was about set in... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 21 – Beatles ’68 pt5

Once upon a time...or maybe twice...it was the summer of 1968! The so-called "summer of love" was in full swing as the Beatles continued work on their ambitious new double album project. From Paul's raucous "Helter Skelter", to John's vicious "Sexy Sadie", the Lennon-McCartney songwriting duo continued to dominate and the double album was looking to be their most successful release yet. But George's contributions to the new record were no slouch either, with Eric Clapton guesting on what some consider to be his finest Beatles work: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". George was well on his way to proving his songwriting mettle, but resentment still lingered from the Maharishi experience leading George to also pen the defensive "Not Guilty" - worked on relentlessly though ultimately left off the album. This wasn't the only unrelenting song the group covered - the infamous "Ob La De, Ob La Da" session nearly resulted in a break-up and caused longtime engineer Geoff Emerick to quit the sessions completely. The double album sessions were packed with highs and lows, but outside the studio the Beatles' successes continued to mount - this time in the form of the animated YELLOW SUBMARINE film and its corresponding soundtrack album, which both became instant classics after the movie's premiere in July of '68. As if all that wasn't enough, John's first art exhibit "You Are Here" received it's grand opening, the Apple Boutique closed down, and the band spent a "mad day out" amassing hundreds of new promotional photos for use on the double album and beyond... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 20 – Beatles ’68 pt4

It's June 1968 and The Beatles' double album is finally taking shape. Kicking things off this month was the very first all-original composition by Ringo Starr, a years-in-the-making honky tonk number called Don't Pass Me By. And the Beatles wouldn't pass it by, spending as much time and energy on Ringo's first track as they had for any of those that came before. It was moments like these that drew a sharp distinction from the tension that was beginning to haunt these sessions - a tension never before experienced on a Beatles project. The four boys who had entered the EMI studios 5 years earlier were now four men who were beginning to lead separate (and sometimes intense) personal lives of their own. As John's marriage to Cynthia broke down, his passionate love affair with artist Yoko Ono became public knowledge, and while a divergence into the avant-garde was good for Lennon's soul, it also alienated many longtime friends and fans. George's attempt to bring Indian spiritualism to his bandmates may have been a rocky road with mixed results, but his heart remained in Indian culture even if his brothers-in-arms didn't. With Apple in full swing, Paul's attention was set squarely on talent development, both his own (recording tracks like Blackbird and Mother Nature's Son to name a few) and that of his musical proteges like Mary Hopkin. The band would have to hang on to periodic shows of unity, because the woes of the double album sessions would be far from over... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 19 – Beatles ’68 pt3

It's April 1968 and The Beatles are back from India and open for business with a new company: APPLE. The concept of Apple Corps began as a clever way to reinvest money into creative endeavors, rather than pay it all to the taxman...but it soon blossomed into, as Paul put it, a type of "western communism" that sought to change the world of pop music from the top down and the bottom up. The company would be divided into several sectors including records, manufacturing, retail, publishing and technology, each designed by the Beatles themselves to promote art, music, culture, innovation and talent that they each believed in. At the heart was Apple Records, and John, Paul, George and Ringo each set out to discover, nurture and promote talented fresh faces of music such as Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, The Iveys, Jackie Lomax and others. Apple was a massive undertaking, and could not have come at a more unstable period for the group. Upon returning from Rishikesh with a renewed sense of inner self, John put months of secret correspondence to bed (literally) with Japanese conceptual artist Yoko Ono Cox, sending his marriage into a tailspin. George, meanwhile, became the increasing target of bitterness and resentment from his bandmates for having involved them with the Maharishi in the first place, whom John especially felt personally betrayed by. All this while the boys readied themselves to return to the studio and begin the most challenging sessions of their musical career... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.