Yesterday and Today

With his new album Tug Of War sitting at the top of the charts, Paul McCartney strode into the back half of 1982 with a confidence not seen in some time. Accompanied by Macca's trademark relaxed demeanor to the press, the former Beatle rose to the impossible expectations that a still-mourning world had placed upon him in the wake of John Lennon's death, and did so with some of the biggest commercial success of his entire solo career to that point. George Harrison and Ringo Starr, meanwhile, found themselves back in the studio once more during these waning months of 1982 -- albeit for much different respective reasons. Ringo Starr was determined to prove his critics and nay-sayers wrong with a record that would restore his once-unbreakable commercial success. And George? George's new record had one goal: ride out that contract... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Spring 1982, and a flurry of activity abounds in the world of the former Beatles. Ringo Starr - determined to rebound from his string of musical misses - is back in the studio with producer Joe Walsh to record what he hoped would be a consistent-sounding hit record. Ringo's sessions rolled on as Capitol's The Beatles Movie Medley climbed the charts in the US...but the most exciting release of Spring 1982? A new solo LP from Paul McCartney. Tug Of War saw Macca reunited with producer George Martin for an album determined to recapture the greatest corners of McCartney's genius. Gone were the experimental noodlings of McCartney II - this collection swung for the commercial fences...and succeeded. With the monster hit Ebony and Ivory leading the charge, this collection of power pop earworms and tender emotional ballads struck a chord with the record-buying public, providing some much-needed validation for the non-martyred half of the century's most successful songwriting team... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If 1981 was a year of reflection in the Beatle world, then the beginning of 1982 certainly continued that tradition. While work was hard underway on Paul McCartney's latest solo effort, alongside producer George Martin, an appearance on Britain's fabled Desert Island Discs program saw Macca peering down memory lane and reflecting upon his biggest musical influences. Perhaps the most touching segment of this unique interview was Paul's selection of the slain John Lennon's Beautiful Boy as one of the records he would take with him to the desert island -- a moment of tenderness and rare vulnerability from one half of the century's most successful songwriting partnership. Ringo Starr meanwhile was focused on the future, and how to rebound from the commercial flop that was his latest single - the McCartney-penned Private Property. After a string of musical misses, one would expect Starr to lay down his sticks and resign himself to the history books...but Ringo was not about to give up without a fight... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Summer 1981 turned to fall, the music landscape, too, underwent a major shift. In August, MTV debuted on cable television - a moment which marked a seismic shift in both television and the music industry. While the Beatles themselves helped to invent the genre through their motion picture and pre-taped performance projects in the 60s, Paul, George and Ringo would not be immune to this change in the musical landscape. Ringo Starr especially was struggling to find his footing after several unsuccessful album projects - culminating in a strong new LP titled Stop and Smell the Roses, released on October 27th. Featuring contributions from an all-star cast of musicians and friends (including his fellow former Beatles), this record was a return to form for Starr - yet despite the lead-off single Wrack My Brain cracking the top 40, the album itself stumbled. While 1981 was, in many ways, a reaction to the events of the prior December, it was also a demarcation point for the careers of the now-three former Beatles...and an early clue to the new direction in the world of Beatles... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of John Lennon's murder, a wave of Beatles nostalgia and interest gripped the word - and nowhere was this global mourning so evident as in the worldwide top 10 single All Those Years Ago, taken from George Harrison's new LP Somewhere In England and recorded as a tribute to the slain former Beatle. The strife that had gripped the initial release of George's 9th solo studio album was long washed away by the time its June 1st, 1981 came around, and once again Harrison found himself with a worldwide hit album on his hands. In the decade+ since the dissolution of the Beatles as a partnership, George, Paul and Ringo found themselves in uncharted waters: upholding the legacy of their childhoods with an eye on the golden years yet to come... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's spring 1981 and Ringo Starr is on a whirlwind press tour to promote his new film Caveman. By his side - newfound love and freshly minted bride Barbara Bach, Ringo's co-star in the film and acclaimed actress in her own right. On April 27th the couple tied the knot accompanied by friends and family, amongst them George Harrison and Paul McCartney. Paul, meanwhile, spent the spring continuing work on his forthcoming solo LP at Air Studios London with producer and longtime friend George Martin...and it was evident from these sessions that this record would be something truly special... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the tragic events of the year prior fresh in everyone's minds, the year 1981 began with a whimper and a lament for the loss of John Lennon to such a senseless act of gun violence. Grief can take many forms, and in the case of John's devastated longtime friend and collaborator Paul McCartney, work would prove to be the best medicine. Plans for Wings to take to the studio were scuttled in favor of recording sessions on the secluded Island of Montserrat...far away from the troubles of home and in the company of old friend and Beatles producer George Martin. As February rolled into March, Paul and George played host to many a musical friend - from the iconic Carl Perkins and Stevie Wonder, to fellow former Beatle (and now, sadly, only one of 3 living to hold the title) Ringo Starr. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

December 8th, 1980. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's November 1980, and John & Yoko's new LP Double Fantasy is inching up the charts. Reviews were mixed to start, but no one (critic or fan alike) could deny that it was a relief to have new John Lennon material after so many years of musical silence. The album's lead-off single (Just Like) Starting Over had cracked the top 20 on both sides of the Atlantic, and the Lennons were conducting a whirlwind of interviews and publicity pieces to pound the drum of their return. While the other former Beatles settled in for the holiday season (Ringo preparing a Caribbean getaway in the Bahamas with girlfriend Barbara Bach, the McCartneys and the Harrisons back home in England), all seemed calm in the Beatle world, all seemed right... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's fall, 1980 and all four former Beatles are buzzing with musical activity. In September Ringo Starr resumed sessions on his upcoming You Can't Fight Lightning LP at Cherokee Sound Studios, laying down cuts such as "Brandy" and seeking the commercial resurgence that had alluded him for nearly 5 years. Paul McCartney, meanwhile, reconvened his band Wings for rehearsals at Kent's Finston Manor, prepping tracks for a new LP themselves and eyeing a return to the tour that had been derailed at the top of the year by Paul's drug bust. Then, on November 17th, Geffen Records release John Lennon and Yoko Ono's new LP Double Fantasy LP - the triumphant return to studio recording that fans had waited so long to hear. But were the reviews up to Lennon's expectations? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.