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Two words: Peter Jackson
Remember the “Winter of Discontent”? My guest today is Doug Sulpy, co-author (with Ray Schweighardt) of Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image (AKA Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of the Beatles’ “Let It Be” Disaster.)
With the announcement of the long-desired fresh look at the Let It Be project being in the works, we discuss what can be learned from a close study of the Nagra reels, and where the common perceptions have missed the mark. This episode is an overview: we take a deeper dive in January 1969 part two.
The revised version of Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image can be found at dougsulpy.com
Check out Doug’s 910 newsletter here
Lol John’s reference to the Manhattan project’s once top secret Plutonium refining plant in the purpose built town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee in their jam of the song Tennessee .
Lol John’s reference to the Manhattan project’s once top secret Plutonium refining plant in the purpose built town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee in their jam of the song Tennessee .
These last two have been particularly fantastic podcasts.
Thank you, Anthony!
These last two have been particularly fantastic podcasts.
Thank you, Anthony!
Wow… I’d never heard the unedited “I’ll play what you want me to play” conversation before — when the whole conversation is there for context, it’s clear that Paul was trying to just pull everyone back and work out the song simply before embellishment, which is absolutely NOT how the film portrays it.
Tons of audio here I’d never heard before, but then I tend to not listen to the Get Back session stuff.
Wow… I’d never heard the unedited “I’ll play what you want me to play” conversation before — when the whole conversation is there for context, it’s clear that Paul was trying to just pull everyone back and work out the song simply before embellishment, which is absolutely NOT how the film portrays it.
Tons of audio here I’d never heard before, but then I tend to not listen to the Get Back session stuff.
George’s longtime admiration for the TOP !0 Club’s real-time echo-generating PA system is also mentioned in Lewisohn’s TUNE IN.
George’s longtime admiration for the TOP !0 Club’s real-time echo-generating PA system is also mentioned in Lewisohn’s TUNE IN.
i light of your comment on the Star Club album, it would be great to hear it given the Giles treatment. Who owns the rights to the recordings? great show as always.
In light, sorry for the typo
Hi Steve,
Apple successfully blocked a CD release back in the 1990s, a case in which George himself famously testified (1998), asserting that John’s purported verbal agreement to allow the group to be recorded was invalid: “One drunken person recording another bunch of drunks does not constitute business deals.”
They were kept off of Anthology and blocked again in 2014 when Ox Tango attempted to issue them but it appears that they are freely being sold in various iterations on Amazon, apparently where loose European copyright laws stop Apple from shutting them down completely (like Whack-A-Mole).
That said, whoever controls the rights hasn’t seen fit to allow Giles to work his magic – so far.
Thanks for the reply Robert, if anyone can make a bunch of drunks sound good. Giles is the man!
i light of your comment on the Star Club album, it would be great to hear it given the Giles treatment. Who owns the rights to the recordings? great show as always.
In light, sorry for the typo
Hi Steve,
Apple successfully blocked a CD release back in the 1990s, a case in which George himself famously testified (1998), asserting that John’s purported verbal agreement to allow the group to be recorded was invalid: “One drunken person recording another bunch of drunks does not constitute business deals.”
They were kept off of Anthology and blocked again in 2014 when Ox Tango attempted to issue them but it appears that they are freely being sold in various iterations on Amazon, apparently where loose European copyright laws stop Apple from shutting them down completely (like Whack-A-Mole).
That said, whoever controls the rights hasn’t seen fit to allow Giles to work his magic – so far.
Thanks for the reply Robert, if anyone can make a bunch of drunks sound good. Giles is the man!
Good show. Thank you. In regards the George Harrison song writing situation he seemed to be consumed with anger and envy towards McCartney. He was the Salieri to McCartney’s Amadeus Mozart… yet why not just accept his position? He wrote Something for gawds sake…one of the best love songs ever! It wasn’t as if Harrison didn’t do any great songs.
I think Macca gave support to Harrison. His harmonies in All Things Must Pass were glorious. It was intended as a contender for the album as you heard Macca go thru the list on this episode. It was a good song, but in my opinion not a great song. All of them had songs knocked back from the final album also.
Good point in this show- when do you see Harrison smile at all in the movie or outcuts. Shame, but I guess Yoko’s presence made situation worse. Not Macca’s fault though.
Let’s retire the Mozart-Saleri trope; It’s not accurate for any of the Beatle relationships. George hardly seemed envious of Paul, he was a very different person who made different choices and didn’t seem to want Paul’s life. The resentment and anger was present because Paul was very specific with his compositions and dictated very specific parts for George rather than honoring his own voice and input for the guitar parts. George’s and John’s style of working was more collectivistic and inviting if input whereas Macartney had a very singular vision for the entire song and has a tendency to treat his bands more like session players than collaborators. It’s not right or wrong, they are just different styles.
Good show. Thank you. In regards the George Harrison song writing situation he seemed to be consumed with anger and envy towards McCartney. He was the Salieri to McCartney’s Amadeus Mozart… yet why not just accept his position? He wrote Something for gawds sake…one of the best love songs ever! It wasn’t as if Harrison didn’t do any great songs.
I think Macca gave support to Harrison. His harmonies in All Things Must Pass were glorious. It was intended as a contender for the album as you heard Macca go thru the list on this episode. It was a good song, but in my opinion not a great song. All of them had songs knocked back from the final album also.
Good point in this show- when do you see Harrison smile at all in the movie or outcuts. Shame, but I guess Yoko’s presence made situation worse. Not Macca’s fault though.
Let’s retire the Mozart-Saleri trope; It’s not accurate for any of the Beatle relationships. George hardly seemed envious of Paul, he was a very different person who made different choices and didn’t seem to want Paul’s life. The resentment and anger was present because Paul was very specific with his compositions and dictated very specific parts for George rather than honoring his own voice and input for the guitar parts. George’s and John’s style of working was more collectivistic and inviting if input whereas Macartney had a very singular vision for the entire song and has a tendency to treat his bands more like session players than collaborators. It’s not right or wrong, they are just different styles.
Great show, and even a recording of discussions in the Twickenham canteen!
Great show, and even a recording of discussions in the Twickenham canteen!
Re Peter Jackson: could he possibly be replacing Yoko with Gollum ? “We wants a mic my precious “. But seriously I’m hugely looking forward to seeing some unseen footage and audio all gloriously restored by Mr Jackson. Thanks for another quality episode. Every show I learn something new.
Re Peter Jackson: could he possibly be replacing Yoko with Gollum ? “We wants a mic my precious “. But seriously I’m hugely looking forward to seeing some unseen footage and audio all gloriously restored by Mr Jackson. Thanks for another quality episode. Every show I learn something new.
FABULOUS EPISODE; **REALLY** LOOKING FORWARD TO PART 2
FABULOUS EPISODE; **REALLY** LOOKING FORWARD TO PART 2
Another point on Harrison. Great songwriter- no one can take that away from him, but if one looks at the history of the Eagles a similar thing happened with their third songwriter feeling aggrieved by his standing in the band. This gets to the point that it is rare to have bands with three songwriters on equal footing.
You’re in massive bands, why not harness that energy instead of feeding into negative energy. This is an energy he had let fester since mid 60s. Eg press conferences 1964-66 they asked about Lennon & McCartney song writing..Harrison had a few sarcastic asides. Do I prefer All Things Pass to Something or Here Comes The Sun? No. Harrison got his best songs on Abbey Road. It was a victory for him. Something was as good as anything Lennon or McCartney did.
Another point on Harrison. Great songwriter- no one can take that away from him, but if one looks at the history of the Eagles a similar thing happened with their third songwriter feeling aggrieved by his standing in the band. This gets to the point that it is rare to have bands with three songwriters on equal footing.
You’re in massive bands, why not harness that energy instead of feeding into negative energy. This is an energy he had let fester since mid 60s. Eg press conferences 1964-66 they asked about Lennon & McCartney song writing..Harrison had a few sarcastic asides. Do I prefer All Things Pass to Something or Here Comes The Sun? No. Harrison got his best songs on Abbey Road. It was a victory for him. Something was as good as anything Lennon or McCartney did.
Just an amazing interview with incredible sound clips to paint us such a picture! Thank you!
I’ve never heard a criticism of Mark Lewison before, it was almost shocking to hear. Its an interesting point for more discussion.
I always felt I me Mine was a snipe partially directed at John and Paul and the whole Beatles machinery. Maybe that’s why he picked that song.
Paul playing Long and Winding Road to death was very funny. But its unfair to assume its Paul being in love with Paul, as he might have been working on the song, hammering it out over and over in search of triggering new inspiration.
Thank you for another great chapter in this important body of work you are assembling here online for all of us!
Just an amazing interview with incredible sound clips to paint us such a picture! Thank you!
I’ve never heard a criticism of Mark Lewison before, it was almost shocking to hear. Its an interesting point for more discussion.
I always felt I me Mine was a snipe partially directed at John and Paul and the whole Beatles machinery. Maybe that’s why he picked that song.
Paul playing Long and Winding Road to death was very funny. But its unfair to assume its Paul being in love with Paul, as he might have been working on the song, hammering it out over and over in search of triggering new inspiration.
Thank you for another great chapter in this important body of work you are assembling here online for all of us!
Sometimes, not in this case but often, the egotism is really about money. Limiting Harrison’s representation on the records meant less publishing. That was what pissed off Levon Helm.
Harrison recognized that his song-writing was not up the Lennon-McCartney until the last two years. One of his gripes afterward is that John and Paul wouldn’t write with him. He was the odd man out.
Sometimes, not in this case but often, the egotism is really about money. Limiting Harrison’s representation on the records meant less publishing. That was what pissed off Levon Helm.
Harrison recognized that his song-writing was not up the Lennon-McCartney until the last two years. One of his gripes afterward is that John and Paul wouldn’t write with him. He was the odd man out.
Enjoyed the show very much! Sometimes, things are not what they seem…
Enjoyed the show very much! Sometimes, things are not what they seem…
And the Beatles apparently invented reality tv as well!
And the Beatles apparently invented reality tv as well!