Yesterday and Today

Beatles ’84 pt7

It's the grand finale of 1984 - a year in Beatles history full of big swings, big misses, and new beginnings for the remaining three former Beatles. Despite the musical successes of Paul's latest project, the US flop of McCartney's Give My Regards to Broadstreet film left a bitter taste in the mouth of its creator - blaming frustrated screenwriters-turned critics for its failures.The Maccas put on a happy face for the UK premiere, palling around with co-stars Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach...as well as Olivia Harrison who attended the function in her husband's stead. George was in New Zealand at the time promoting Dereck Taylor's memoir and, when asked about the film, had nice things to say. But George did more than talk - taking the stage for the first time in years to jam with Deep Purple in Sydney Australia...perhaps signaling a contemplation of a return to music after several years adrift... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’84 pt6

At last, after years of preparation, planning and hard work, Paul McCartney's Give My Regards to Broadstreet has arrived! First up in the release schedule is the soundtrack album, featuring new Macca tracks (including the successful No More Lonely Nights single) as well as incidental music and re-recorded Beatles tracks featured in the film. As expected, the LP performed well, hitting the coveted #1 spot in the UK and going top25 in the US market. Paul's victory lap would be cut-short by the disastrous critical reception of the film itself, which McCartney tried to downplay as elitist reviewers anxious to use their freshly sharpened knives on the beloved former Beatle... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’84 pt5

It's October 1984 and Paul McCartney has begun his press tour to promote the upcoming release of GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADSTREET. Nerves were abound, as this was Macca's theatrical screenwriting debut, and initial reactions seem to be mixed at best - judged perhaps unfairly to the beloved Beatles films A Hard Days Night and Help!. With nostalgia twinkling in the eyes of fans and knives being sharpened on the part of critics, it was bold of Paul to invite a conga line of film reviewers to an interview session at the Plaza Hotel. Luckily, McCartney's music seemed to never be in question... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’84 pt4

So far 1984 has seen the release of two new Lennon projects, starting with the posthumous Milk & Honey LP and continuing on with the Every Man Has A Woman single & compilation album. But in October another new Lennon release arrived in the form of Julian Lennon's debut solo LP Valotte. This slickly-produced and catchy collection of songs from John's first born son was an instant success, with its title track performing well in the singles charts and the touching Too Late For Goodbyes resonating with Beatles fans and a new generation alike. Also in October the new single No More Lonely Nights bodes well for Paul McCartney's new feature film Give My Regards to Broadstreet - cracking the top 10 in both the US and UK, as well as charting successfully around the world. With a hit single going for it, and a well of goodwill on McCartney's side...what could go wrong? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’84 pt3

It's summer 1984, and to ring in the 4th of July The Beach Boys are playing to.record-shattering attendance in Washington D.C. - with some special guests. Emerging in support of his former 60s rivals was Ringo Starr, joining Mike, Carl, Bruce and Al to play some of the Beach Boys biggest hits - as well as a rousing rendition of Back in the USSR (written in the style of the Beach Boys by Paul back in 68). Another throwback too came in July upon the release of the Everly Brothers new LP You Make It Seem So Easy, featuring the undeniably catchy McCartney-penned On The Wings of a Nightingale. To round out the summer, a second posthumous John Lennon recording - John's vocal take on Yoko's Every Man Has A Woman - heralded an entire LP collection of Yoko Ono covers by a variety of artists from Elvis Costello to Eddie Money and many more. All this on the eve of yet another Lennon LP release, though the next on the horizon was not by JOHN... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’84 pt2

As winter thaws to spring in 1984, a fresh batch of singles plucked from John Lennon's posthumous Milk & Honey LP are released on Polydor Records. Stepping Out and Borrowed Time saw some diminishing returns from the previous singles and LP release, but no one could deny the cold comfort of new John Lennon music back on the charts. Producer Jack Douglas found himself victorious in the court case against Yoko Ono over payments and royalties associated with the sessions which produced those tracks - and with that ruling, the final chapter in the Double Fantasy saga drew to a close. McCartney, meanwhile, was in the process of fulfilling a childhood dream - the development of a new Rupert the Bear animated short which would feature new music and soundtrack (not to mention voice acting!) from Paul himself. Rupert and the Frog Song is now scheduled to debut in theaters, ahead of the new McCartney film on the way... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’84 pt1

As the press tour for the Pipes of Peace LP wound down, Paul McCartney's So Bad music video featuring Ringo Starr heralded the arrival of the forthcoming Macca movie Give My Regards To Broadstreet. But as if from a bolt from above, the other half of the Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership was about to have one final collection of unheard new material ready to compete with his bandmate. On January 19th, Polydor Records release Milk & Honey - a posthumous LP from John Lennon assembled and curated by co-headliner Yoko Ono. This release gathered together and finished off the remaining new tracks from John's 1980 Double Fantasy sessions to act as a mirror for the aforementioned ALP and give the world the gift of new John Lennon solo material one last time. Somehow, impossibly, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were once again on the same music charts, competing for commercial superiority nearly 4 years after the brutal murder of John... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’83 pt4

With Paul McCartney's latest solo effort Pipes of Peace, Macca remained on track to continue his hit-making streak through to the end of 1983. Promotion for this new LP - which featured the smash-hit single Say Say Say as its lead-off track - was brisk, and while reviews weren't as kind as they had been to its predecessor Tug of War, Pipes of Peace proved to be the kind of commercial seller that was handy to have leading into the release year of Paul's solo feature film debut, Give my Regards to Broadstreet. Also before year's end was an early clue to the new direction for Ringo. While Starr's record sales continued to falter, his film and television roles seemed as robust as ever - landing the part of a gay fashion designer opposite his wife Barbara Bach in the feature Princess Daisy. But it would be a run-in with a certain blue cartoon train that would signal a new smash-hit on the horizon for Ringo heading into 1984 and beyond... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatles ’83 pt3

A new solo album is on the way from Paul McCartney in the fall of 1983 - and all eyes were on the follow-up effort to his smash hit LP Tug of War the year prior. Pipes of Peace, however, was a markedly different record from it predecessor - acting in some ways as a peaceful, chipper answer to the heavy, dramatic leanings of much of the previous LP. Uncharacteristic introspection was still on the menu for Macca, with tracks like The Other Me highlighting McCartney's doubts - the kind of self-examination which had been a rarity in the former Beatle's solo catalog up to this point. Also of note the single Say Say Say alongside the enormously successful Michael Jackson - which helped bring Paul back to the top of the charts and keep his 1980s hit streak alive... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Old Wave: Analysis & Review

Doesn't make a difference, don't care how far -- we can go the distance, in this pod! We're taking a break from our regularly scheduled 1983 program to offer a closer examination of the LP Old Wave, a forgotten gem in the catalog of Ringo Starr and a shining example of the heights of the Ringo/Walsh collaboration. Originally recorded as an episode of the Now Hear This podcast, in this episode we offer background, commentary and track-by-track analysis of this record - from the bouncy rock of In My Car to the top shelf balladeering of As far As We Can Go and everything in between. We hope you enjoy this special crossover episode, and can't wait to welcome everyone back next time for part 3 of Yesterday & Today: 1983! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.