Yesterday and Today

Episode 18 – Beatles ’68 pt2

It was a long road to Rishikesh, but in the spring of 1968 The Beatles had finally arrived. Eager for a much-needed holiday and in search of spiritual regeneration, they found themselves in India on the foothills of the Himalayas with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for an extended seminar in transcendental meditation ("TM"). TM was an effective alternative to the abuse of drugs and alcohol, and enthusiasm for it was shared by fellow members of the pop elite such as singer/songwriter Donovan, Mike Love of the Beach Boys and actress Mia Farrow (along with her sister, Prudence) who joined the boys on their trip. For the musicians in the camp, hundreds of songs were written over their respective stays, all the while sharing stories, verses, inspiration and encouragement with one another. Techniques such as Donovan's finger-picking guitar style were a revelation, and the songs written during this period would seed their way into countless recordings for years to come. It's only natural for a trip like this to bring people closer together, and it would for a time...but the quest for inner peace would also bring about an introspective transformation in each of its disciples. The John, Paul, George and Ringo that went to India were not the John, Paul, George and Ringo that returned, and in learning about themselves by looking inward, the four boys who had been so close for so long had begun to truly grow up, and to grow apart... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 17 – Beatles ’68 pt1

It's 1968! After a year of incredible highs and dizzying lows, The Beatles took on the new year with energy and enthusiasm. The boys entered the studio to record rockers, pop tunes and ballads that would be counted among their very finest, as well as a segment for the upcoming Yellow Submarine film still in development. Macca's ode to Fats Domino, Lady Madonna, and John's rocking Hey Bulldog roared with the kind of sound and energy of the band's pre-psychedelic recordings, while Across the Universe grew from the type of poetic song-craft of the year prior. The early weeks of the year also saw John and Paul produce the band Grapefruit - one of the first groups connected to the as-yet-to-be-fully-up-and-running Apple and whom share their name with a book published by Japanese artist Yoko Ono. They were named by John Lennon, who at this time was focused on finding himself under the tutelage of the Maharishi. John made amends with his father Freddie, who had abandoned him at an early age, and looked inward with meditation as a way to peel back the layers of anger and pain that had driven him to substance abuse. Life was good, and change was coming as the band made its final preparations for an extended holiday in India... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 16 – Beatles ’67 pt6

Roll up! Roll up for the epic finale to 1967! The year that changed so much in the lives of The Beatles would continue its transformative effects in the fall and winter, with new music, a new film, a solo project and a new business venture all happening at once. The boys' latest single, Hello Goodbye, would dominate the charts in November and serve as a bridge between the Sgt. Pepper era and the group's next record, Magical Mystery Tour. Released as an EP in Britain, and as an LP in North America, Magical Mystery Tour was a collection of new songs that provided a soundtrack to the group's made-for-television film of the same name. While the record was a smash success on both sides of the pond, the film...well, not so much. Headlines around the world proclaimed the effort a "FLOP" and for John, Paul, George and Ringo the shine of psychedelia was well on its way to erosion. George, meanwhile, had begun work on the Wonderwall soundtrack which would (not counting The Family Way soundtrack by Paul from 1966) amount to the first Beatle solo album. And to top it all off, a little company called Apple was about to take off in a big, big way... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 15 – Beatles ’67 pt5

Still riding high on the critical and commercial success that Sgt. Pepper brought, the Beatles entered the so-called "summer of love" as the spokespeople for their generation. Beloved by both fan and critic alike, John, Paul, George and Ringo took to the biggest audience of their career, representing Great Britain in the worldwide telecast "Our World" and debuting for it their new smash single "All You Need Is Love". With another chart topper in the bag, the band also made great strides toward ditching the harder drugs that had begun to take a destructive toll earlier in the year under the guidance of a spiritual leader named Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Discovered by George and Patti, the Maharishi and his transcendental meditation seminars brought the boys some much needed peace of mind, especially John, whose chemical-laden escapades were starting to become a serious problem. But just as the Beatles began their retreat, tragedy struck. Manager Brian Epstein, the man most responsible for their fame and success, died suddenly of an apparent drug overdose at the age of 32. It was a terrible blow, and one that many (including the Beatles themselves) point to as the single event most responsible for the truly dark times ahead... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 14 – Beatles ’67 pt4

We're back with a detailed look at side B of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band! To open the second half of the record, George Harrison picks up where he left of on Revolver's "Love You, Too" with the Indian-influenced "Within You, Without You". A moody choice for the otherwise bright record, George's exercise in writing western pop for eastern instrumentation is a beautiful exploration of the soul through the lens of a young man on the verge of the biggest period of spiritual enlightenment of his life. Of course the follow-up, Paul's "When I'm Sixty Four" is an exploration in abrupt, sharp turns! One of the very first songs a young McCartney crafted in his teen years, this was also one of the first recorded for the record in the winter of 1966. From there the Paul train rolls on with "Lovely Rita", followed by John's "Good Morning, Good Morning". If his songs on side A of the record were to be considered "workman-like", this track is certainly no exception - with it's principal hook lifted from a corn flakes commercial. The Sgt. Pepper Reprise then leads us into what is considered by many to be the band's finest work of song-craft, the beautiful and haunting "A Day in the Life." As we leave this album behind and proceed through 1967, it's clear that the good times will never be this good for the Beatles again. So love it or hate it, Sgt. Pepper is the peak. Enjoy the view. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 13 – Beatles ’67 pt3

At long last, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has arrived! It's the spring of 1967 and The Beatles have unleashed their eight LP on the world -- and the reactions are pouring in: "ALL HAIL SGT PEPPER!" While many would argue that song-for-song, Revolver was a stronger effort, Pepper tapped into the cultural zeitgeist like no other pop record in history, simultaneously reflecting the culture whilst also guiding it to the path forward. The album begins with its eponymous title track, and scorching lead guitar kicks in the door to let the listener know this isn't quite the Beatles you remember. The entire first side of Pepper, detailed in this episode, is an exercise in the progressing song-craft of Lennon and McCartney which was growing in bold new directions by the day. Drugs and drink may have hindered some of John's interest, but you'd never know it from the expressive poetry of songs like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite". Meanwhile the Macca creativity explosion continued to soar with tracks like "She's Leaving home" and "Fixing A Hole", while "Getting Better" only served as further proof that Lennon and McCartney were, and would always be, stronger together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 12 – Beatles ’67 pt2

Is the world ready for the "new" Beatles?" After the successful, but comparatively disappointing commercial debut of their new sound courtesy of the Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever single, the band put readied their final touches on the LP considered at the time to be their masterpiece. Well, at least Paul McCartney and producer George Martin thought so...the other three Beatles had mixed feelings themselves about the new direction. Drugs and drink gripped their talons into John Lennon (only 26 at the time) who considered Sgt. Pepper to be a solid, but workman-like exercise. George Harrison's mind was still in India and away from the guitar - the instrument that had so inspired him as a child - as he found two out of his three new keyboard-penned compositions rejected for the new album. Ringo famously learned to play chess on the record, with days, weeks and sometimes months in between overdub sessions. Regardless, the launch of "Pepper" was about to make The Beatles a whole new kind of creative force in the world of pop art, and once again guide the culture of the world into uncharted territory... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 11 – Beatles ’67 pt1

It's a new year for the Beatles, and with it a new album in the works. After half a decade of nearly non-stop live performances, the band were at last able to enjoy the fruits of their fame, and the freedom to experiment in bold new directions. But the real question was, would the public follow them in those bold new directions? Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever, recorded the prior December, would be the true test of the band's new direction. It's one thing to listen to "Tomorrow Never Knows" as the play-out end of an LP, but another entirely to see if this new English psychedelia "proto-prog rock" could also dominate the singles charts. The answer? Yes and no. America propelled the Beatles' new sound to #1, but in their native England the band was, for the first time since the dawn of Beatlemania, shut out of the top spot. Younger fans who adored the mop-tops now saw high brow cover art and facial hair adorning their favorite crushes. This was a message the world: whether you like it or not, The Beatles are growing up. But would growing up mean splitting apart? Was the height of their popularity behind them? Many theorized, but few could predict that once more John, Paul George and Ringo would push the boundaries of pop music into a whole new world... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 10 – Beatles ’66 pt4

The Beatles may have been riding high on the critical and commercial success of Revolver, but a tour of the tumultuous United States was in full swing, and danger loomed large around every corner. Manager Brian Epstein's attempt to quell the outrage from the American public over remarks from John Lennon that the group was more popular than Jesus Christ proved futile, as Bible Belt radio stations torched albums, staged boycotts and stoked the frenzy to a fever pitch. Beatlemania, once an outlet for youthful energy and positivity, now brought a different kind of enthusiasm from the likes of the Ku Klux Klan, religious zealots and troublemakers looking for an excuse to take the fab four down a peg. When one such concert-goer hurled an explosive on stage, it was finally decided that enough was enough. On August 29th, 1966 the band would play their last concert in San Fransisco's Candlestick Park, and the trajectory of John, Paul, George and Ringo would never be the same. As 1966 drew to a close, each Beatle took time for themselves before reuniting for what would become the ultimate musical statement of the 1960's: Sgt. Pepper... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 09 – Beatles ’66 pt3

Turmoil may have followed the Beatles on tour, but in the studio the band reached its zenith with their 7th and perhaps finest LP ever: Revolver. While Sgt. Pepper nearly a year later tends to be remembered as their greatest achievement, it's on Revolver where the combined efforts of John, Paul, George and Ringo shine the brightest and in the most cohesion. Psychedelia is, for the first time, used as a songwriting tool by the band who by this point had been well into dropping acid. Even Paul, the notorious LSD hold-out, had finally succumb to the pressures of his friends and of his generation the prior December of 1965, setting the stage for the kinds of schisms that would shake the group apart just 3 1/2 short years later. But for all the chemical experimentation, The Beatles' song craft had grown to towering heights on tracks from the LP such as Here There and Everywhere, Tomorrow Never Knows, Eleanor Rigby, For No One, I'm Only Sleeping, Taxman and so many more. Another shift also swept through Revolver, with George Harrison contributing a full three songs to the record and a Ringo vocal topping the singles charts! But the storms that had brewed earlier in the summer had yet to subside, and despite the smash-success of their latest masterpiece, once again the group found themselves at the center of a firestorm in the American south... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.