Podcast: Play in new window | Download
My guest Tim English (Sounds Like Teen Spirit, Popology) discuss his newest book, examining the artists that John was listening to in the last few years of his life and how certain artists and records influenced the recordings he (and Yoko) made during the summer of 1980. Some of the acts we’ve known about for awhile (B-52s, Lene Lovich, etc) but many others were less obvious (The Selecter, Christopher Cross, The Doobie Brothers).
John Lennon: 1980 Playlist is out now.
when are you going to put the show back on Spotify? I’d love it if you did, it’d make it so much easier to listen to. Thanks for making such an incredible show!
It’s on Podbean and sounds quite good there. Just an option.
First of all and finally I have a chance to express my gratitude at the work you are putting down for these podcasts. They make my evening whenever there is a new one. (But where is the innaresting episode on Yoko’s influence in 1968? I have been searching for it, but – has it gone missing?)
I have two things to say to the 1980 Lennon Playlist. 1) Did you know that Lennon commented on the band Television to the Melody Maker (or was it the NME?) in 1974, saying: “They are so bad, they’re great.” 1974 was quite early when it comes to Tom Verlaine and his cohorts and the comment underlines your statements on Lennon’s nose when it came to picking up sounds.
2) I don’t know where I read about this next one which is something I think Lennon said in one of the interviews in the fall of 1980, that he had listened to and liked the band Joy Division? Have I missed something here or is my memory playing me a trick? You did not mention Joy Division in your program, so – I am asking you if you have heard the same as me, or if I am mistaken.
Yours Reidar Samuelsen
I don’t know how much of an influence this may have had, but in 1979/1980, it was practically unavoidable to miss Pink Floyd’s “The Wall”. Before that, Gerry Rafferty had come out with the album, “City To City”, which had the hit song, “Baker Street” on it. Rafferty had cited Lennon and McCartney as an influence.