Author: Us

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In June and again in July, the director of the upcoming The Beatles: Get Back series gave interviews – in Vanity Fair and in GQ – holding forth on what to expect from his re-tooling of the Beatles Let It Be project. Though there was a certain amount of rehashing what had already been said, there were also things that provided much to discuss and analyze as we approach the countdown to broadcast.

I therefore reconvened Dr Duncan Driver and Dan Rivkin (They May Be Parted blog) for a discussion on the latest and how what Peter Jackson had to say – and didn’t say – suggests where the project is going and what to expect.

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In late summer 2020, my guest Kyle Driscoll penned a wonderful analysis of the three 1970 releases by three artists whose paths had intertwined and who, as it happened, all found themselves at similar crossroads at the time. You can read it here (which I strongly urge you do) and then listen to the deeper discussion we had on these artists and their impact on each other’s work.

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There’s been loads of speculation as to the exact nature of the friendship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney; during and after The Beatles. And when I say “loads,” it runs the gamut from former bandmates who recalled each other fondly from a distance to something encompassing a physical nature. What does seem clear is that between the two of them, while Paul’s descriptions of their relationship stayed pretty constant, John’s went from demonizing Paul in print and song to describing him as his best (male) friend. Somewhere in there lies a truth, and to help unearth it, my guest today is journalist and author Glenn Greenberg, who recently penned an 80th birthday magabook on John.

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In this discussion, Dr. Duncan Driver (SATB 205, Fab4ConJam, One Sweet Dream podcast) springboard off of the title Paul McCartney quote, in which he asserted that each Beatle was as important as another to the group’s success. We explore the shifting power dynamics within the group and the question of leadership; we also discuss Duncan’s thesis of the four distinctive elements of the Beatles collective identity: live performers – singles makers – album makers – songwriters.

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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.

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Back in SATB 205, Dr. Duncan Driver (showcased 2+xs at Fab4ConJam) and discussed his article on the timeline to The Beatles break-up.  In this episode, returning guest Gary Wenstrup and I dissect the subject further: when exactly did The Beatles – or individual members within – decide they were quits exactly? The answer – like so much else in Fab history – is not as straightforward as you might think.

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It was in 1968 that a young Canadian filmmaker, seeking solace in TM for a broken heart, was befriended by The Beatles in Rishikesh during their immersive study with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In 2000, Paul Saltzman published his wonderfully immediate photos in a book (The Beatles in Rishikesh), later augmented and re-published as The Beatles in India in 2018. 2020 saw the release of his documentary, Meeting The Beatles in India – a film that brings together others who were there (Pattie and Jenny Boyd) as well as the real “Bungalow Bill,” Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn and filmmaker David Lynch, a major booster of TM.

You can check out Paul’s website here, and see the film as well as participate in a Q&A with Paul at the first Fab4ConJam on February 21, 2021.

Details: fab4conjam.com