Podcast

The host of the longest-running Beatles program on US radio, Carter’s passion for The Beatles has taken many forms through the years:

Anybody hear anything about a “newly-revealed” taped Apple meeting from September 1969 that’s been public knowledge since the 1970s? You will now, with the return of journalist/writer Ray Connolly. Ray was tight in The Beatles’ orbit during their final years; with John and Paul especially. He was the only one outside their inner circle to learn that John had “quit” the group – his bio of John, Being John Lennon: A Restless Life, is now out in paperback, as is his indispensable collection, The Ray Connolly Beatles Archive. Last: his novella, ‘Sorry, Boys, You Failed The Audition’ is newly-published. It’s a work of “alternative history” and has been presented as a BBC radio play. Ray and I discuss the end of The Beatles and their relationships going forward, as well as his ‘Sorry Boys’ project. https://www.rayconnolly.co.uk/

Part Two: McCartney and Wings This show represents a deep (3 hour) dive into examining the evolving language of rock criticism: the ideology employed – the fluid definitions of “rock” and “pop” – the application of “authenticity” as a value to an artist’s work, in this specific case, Paul McCartney and Wings. The 1970s was a time when rock critics achieved nearly the status of rock icons themselves: everyone from John Mendelssohn and Jon Landau to Simon Frith and Lester Bangs. Paul’s post-Beatle career stands as an example of an artist that reviewers struggled to get a handle on, resulting in sometimes unfair assessments.  Leading this exploration is PhD candidate (with an M.A. in Beatles, Popular Music, and Society) Allison Bumsted, currently studying in England at Liverpool Hope University. For ease of listening, the conversation has been split into two 90 minute parts.     

Part One: Background Theory and The Beatles This show represents a deep (3 hour) dive into examining the evolving language of rock criticism: the ideology employed – the fluid definitions of “rock” and “pop” – the application of “authenticity” as a value to an artist’s work, in this specific case, Paul McCartney and Wings. The 1970s was a time when rock critics achieved nearly the status of rock icons themselves: everyone from John Mendelssohn and Jon Landau to Simon Frith and Lester Bangs. Paul’s post-Beatle career stands as an example of an artist that reviewers struggled to get a handle on, resulting in sometimes unfair assessments.  Leading this exploration is PhD candidate (with an M.A. in Beatles, Popular Music, and Society) Allison Bumsted, currently studying in England at Liverpool Hope University. For ease of listening, the conversation has been split into two 90 minute parts.     

An area heretofore unexplored on SATB is jazz: specifically, which artists took raw material from The Beatles and took it in a new direction. It is our good fortune to have within reach a true legend of the idiom: Ramsey Lewis, a multi-Grammy-winning keyboardist whose work spans decades and genres. In late 1968 – mere weeks after The Beatles’ “White Album” was released – Ramsey issued a 10-song collection drawing from the Beatles’ fresh work. Mother Nature’s Son was hailed as a classic, with bold re-imaginings of songs familiar to us fans – but not like this. His reading of “Julia” became a standard in his repertoire, alongside his well-known hit take on “The ‘In’ Crowd.” Ramsey hosted a jazz show for years on radio, so he is well-familiar with the sonic landscape. But joining us to shed further light is a friend to both me and to Ramsey, going back years: Radio Hall of Fame deejay Terri Hemmert. In addition to spinning records on WXRT since the 1970s until announcing her retirement this year, she also hosted a jazz program for many years (and many of you know her as the MC in Chicago at The Fest for Beatles Fans). Together, listen to these two explore the intersection between Beatles and jazz. Artists heard in this show: The Beatles – Ramsey Lewis Trio – Ella Fitzgerald – Count Basie – Duke Ellington – Louis Armstrong – Wes Montgomery – Ramsey Lewis – Esther Phillips – Vince Guaraldi Trio – George Benson – Earth, Wind and Fire – Paul McCartney – Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Fats Domino – John Scofield – Danger Mouse

1969 was a tremendous year, in the world generally and with The Beatles as well. We find ourselves commemorating (if not celebrating) a number of 50th anniversaries this year, among them the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders; tangentially tied to the “White Album” by Charles Manson’s (mis)reading of certain lyrics. That he was able to incite a bunch of confused misfits into sociopathy remains a fascinating area of study, and SATB has previously explored the purported ties between Charlie’s “gospel” and what the rest of the world heard as simply great music. But reporter and Beatles confidant Ivor Davis is back, with a new book summarizing his investigation into the case, which dates back to day one. Manson Exposed: A Reporter’s 50-Year Journey into Madness and Murder has just been published, and he’s here to present a timely summation of the case, just as public interest has been again raised with director Quentin Tarantino’s latest, Once Upon A Time…in Hollywood. Not only is Ivor uniquely placed to discuss the film, but also to talk about a couple of Beatles events he’d personally witnessed while accompanying them on tour: their 1964 meeting with Bob Dylan, as well as their 1965 visit with Elvis. Check out all his works at ivordavisbooks.com

Few professional scribes received access to The Beatles like Ray Connolly. As a journalist with the Evening Standard, he found himself in the right place at the right time to cover the group during their final years. (It was to him that John confided that he’d quit the group; it was to Ray that Paul divulged: “I didn’t leave the Beatles – The Beatles left the Beatles.”) He later scripted the films That’ll Be The Day and Stardust; he also wrote radio plays and biographies.  In 2018, he published Being John Lennon: A Restless Life. His e-book, The Ray Connolly Beatles Archive is essential. We discuss John as he knew him, abetted by Lennon biographer Jude Kessler. Ray’s site: https://www.rayconnolly.co.uk/ “In My Life” performed by Mary Ruane (Talent scouted by Lisa Kasco)

Back in 2017, SATB first explored of Beatles collectors. This year, a terrific addition to Beatle literature arrived with the publication of Terry Crain’s new book, NEMS and the Business of Selling Beatles Merchandise in the U.S. 1964-1966. Terry didn’t merely catalog the merchandise of the period: instead, he methodically researched the history of the items marketed stateside, each of which tells a story itself. There’s a ton of history to be gleaned from these ephemeral footnotes of the era – each one a memory trigger – as well as from Terry’s book. Terry’s site

Beginning in 1978, George Harrison became drawn into a vocation he’d only dabbled in previously: filmmaker. HandMade Films came into being serendipitously, simply because he wanted to see Monty Python’s Life of Brian get made. This “accidental studio” went on to produce work of staggeringly high quality, resulting in works ranging from Time Bandits and The Long Good Friday to Mona Lisa and Withnail and I. (Also: Shanghai Surprise.)      The story of George’s cinematic career has now been told, in a new documentary produced by AMC UK: An Accidental Studio. My guests today are two of the documentary’s producers and directors, Bill Jones and Ben Timlett. Join us for this discussion of a surprisingly sturdy cinematic legacy, brought to us by the Quiet Beatle.

The full story of The Beatles’ Rishikesh visit and their relationship with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi had never been explored in detail and from the inside before – until now. Susan Shumsky spent over twenty years studying TM, including seven working directly with the Maharishi. The author of 14 books, her newest – Maharishi and Me: Seeking Enlightenment with the Beatles’ Guru – sheds light on the Rishikesh experience and how it impacted The Beatles’ lives and art. Years of misinformation is cleared aside by her direct knowledge and insider accounts of the good, the bad and the ugly of the Maharishi experience. Susan Shumsky’s site: http://www.divinerevelation.org/

In which I resume the conversation with engineer/producer Jerry Hammack, begun earlier this year. This time, our sounding board is writer/musician/engineer/producer/podcaster/returning guest Anthony Robustelli. We discuss the specifics of their studio work throughout 1967 and into 1968, encompassing Magical Mystery Tour and then some. Jerry’s third volume of The Beatles’ Recording Reference Manual series was recently published. My guests: https://www.beatlesrecordingreferencemanuals.com/ https://www.anthonyrobustelli.com/

The first break-out star at Apple Records was, of course, Mary Hopkin with “Those Were The Days.” A huge international hit, it typed her as a cheery ingénue, somewhat removed from her folk roots (and aspirations). Other hits followed, diverging from her preferred stylistic path, until her second Apple album, Earth Song / Ocean Song (produced by her future husband, Tony Visconti) at last gave her some artistic satisfaction. Her story – at Apple and beyond (including session work for David Bowie, Linda McCartney…and The Beatles) – is recounted here by her daughter, Jessica Lee Morgan (herself a recording artist). Check out Mary’s releases – including archival studio and live recordings, as well as recent work – here: http://www.maryhopkin.com/ Jessica’s releases and tour news can be found here: http://www.jessicaleemorgan.com/ Jessica live in Belgium 2018

Apple Jam is a Seattle-based recording and performing outfit specializing in Beatles music; specifically, songs written by Lennon-McCartney and Harrison that, for the most part, went unrecorded/released as “Beatles” product. My guests today are Richard Lovrovich, Jaekal Tristram and Doug Kilishek. In this conversation, they discuss the curation of obscure Beatles material: the selection process (what makes the cut – and what doesn’t), the recording and the performance of this music. Off The Beatle Track was released in 2009: 1. I’m In Love 2. Tip Of My Tongue 3. Love Of The Loved 4. You Know What To Do 5. I’ll Be on My Way 6. I Don’t Want To See You Again 7. Nobody I Know 8. I’ll Keep You Satisfied 9. It’s For You 10. Hello Little Girl 11. Like Dreamers Do 12. Bad To Me 13. A World Without Love 14. From A Window 15. One And One Is Two Off The White Album was released in 2018: 1. Not Guilty 2. Child of Nature 3. Goodbye 4. Step Inside Love 5. The Rishi Kesh Song 6. Cosmically Conscious 7. India, India 8. Sour Milk Sea 9. What’s the New Mary Jane 10. Circles 11. Suicide https://applejamband.com/home

It is not a unique observation to note that bandleader Duke Ellington and The Beatles shared some commonalities, creativity-wise. They were unclassifiable musically, and a great deal of what made their art magic came from the collaborative process, hardwired into their working method. My guest, musicologist Thomas Brothers, has written a terrific new book – Help: The Beatles, Duke Ellington and the Magic of Collaboration. This conversation provides an overview of his thesis (to be followed up with a deeper exploration soon…).

Back in 2017, SATB featured a conversation with Ken Womack on the publication of volume one of his George Martin biography, Maximum Volume (here). In late 2018, volume two emerged, this one taking up the story where George Martin resumed production chores with The Beatles, this time as an independent contractor. It marked the era of their highest artistic achievement as well as an eventual erosion in relations between producer and proteges. This discussion also covers the post-Beatles years and Sir George Martin’s other productions, as well as his curation of The Beatles’ latter-day collections. More about Sound Pictures: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin (The Later Years 1966 – 2016) here More about Ken’s new novel, I Am Lemonade Lucy here  Check out Ken’s site here

He’s back, and with a terrific topic: each of us choosing 7 moments in the history of The Beatles that we would’ve liked to have been around to witness as a fly on the wall. The criteria being, occasions where the history is unclear, or simply moments that would’ve been amazing to witness. This ended up as an interesting Rorschach exercise, mapping out our respective concentrated areas of interest as well. You’ll hear ours but we want to hear yours: leave ’em for consideration on Twitter, Facebook or on the site. We’ll take ’em up for a future show.

You know him as the photographer responsible for one Beatles album cover (two in the US); their last group photo shoot, and as the official photographer on the “Get Back” / Let It Be project (his photos filled the book packaged with the original issue). But Ethan Russell also produced iconic images for the Rolling Stones and The Who, as well as album covers and short films for an array of artists, plus wrote several books (including Dear Mr. Fantasy). His latest is in the works as part of a Kickstarter campaign – check out EthanRussell.com for details. In this first conversation, we present an overview of his life and career. More detailed Beatle-centric recollections will come in the second installment.

This is the second part of a discussion begun with Doug Sulpy (co-author of Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image/Get Back), this time with blogger Dan Rivkin. His blog, They May Be Parted, is a detailed examination of the Nagra tapes of the “Get Back”/Let It Be project. Dan adds detail, analysis and context to the recordings, and we dive deep into what all there is to be gleaned from the extant record (and speculate on what to expect from Peter Jackson). Part one of January 1969 here. Dan’s blog: https://theymaybeparted.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheyMayBeParted Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theymaybeparted/

You know him as the human music stand kneeling before John Lennon for “Dig A Pony” during the rooftop session of January 1969. But Kevin Harrington was much more than that: coming into The Beatles’ orbit beginning in January 1966 as an office boy at NEMS; an employee of the Saville Theatre the following year, and lastly, a roadie/gofer at Apple from 1968 on, setting up their musical gear for recording sessions (and hanging out otherwise). Kevin’s stories are entertaining and insightful: The Beatles as seen up-close from day-to-day through the eyes of a teenager. “What a Beatle wants, a Beatle gets!” Some links for Who’s The Redhead on the Roof? US: https://www.amazon.com/Whos-Redhead-Roof-life-Beatles-ebook/dp/B00XRCZDD2 UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whos-Redhead-Roof-life-Beatles-ebook/dp/B00XRCZDD2 plus https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KevinHarrington and https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/who-s-the-redhead-on-the-roof

Back in 2000, Chip Madinger and Mark Easter produced an exhaustive study of every extant recording of the solo Beatles, up to that very year: studio sessions, live concerts and broadcasts. Eight Arms To Hold You was a one-of-a-kind detailed examination of what the four ex-Beatles did musically, when and with whom. The book went out of print, but the good news is, it’s back (in PDF form) and updated with another 20,000 words, further detailing the ground covered (though it still ends at 2000). I talked with Mark and Chip about the lay of the land, unreleased recording-wise; what else is out there and what we can make of what we have been given. Eight Arms To Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium (2018 edition) can be found here. Lennonology: A Scrapbook of Madness, by Chip and Scott Raile, can be found here.

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  

  It’s the return of Jerry Hammack – creator of the Beatles Recording Reference Manual series. Volume 3, covering the end of 1966 (“Strawberry Fields Forever”) through the whole of Sgt. Pepper (plus Magical Mystery Tour) has just been published. Producer Ben Rowling and I discuss the high level of studio innovation that typified the post-touring era, and though we didn’t get to Magical Mystery Tour in this conversation (part two to come), we did discuss elements of their work habits through the White Album, Let It Be and Abbey Road. (Plus, Jerry tips his hand as to what’s next…) Check out Jerry’s work here Twitter Facebook

In a slight departure from the SATB norm, I present an account of the career of a Beatles peer: session guitarist Vic Flick, whose work appeared in 1960s music charts alongside The Beatles. Every Fab fan will know his soundtrack work on their first two United Artist films, but in addition to this, he contributed to a McCartney solo project, worked with George Martin (and Beatle acolytes Peter and Gordon), as well as scores of other “British Invasion” acts. And yes – it was he who played the iconic 007 James Bond theme guitar riff. Check out his memoir, Guitarman, on Amazon or direct from Vic (http://vicflick.com/). Special thanks to Bob Rush!

First off, listeners: kindly indulge the first 15 minutes, which represents an audio document of 1968 (January through end of August). It’s one thing to know what happened that year, but it’s quite another to hear the immediacy of actual sound, both news and music. 1968 was a convulsive stream of history and it is with that context in mind that we can come to a better understanding of the world The Beatles operated in. Second: this conversation was an attempt to discuss how the Beatles and their audience interacted at a critical moment: between the triumph of Sgt. Pepper and the year of breakdown. Candy Leonard, author and sociologist, is ideally suited to illuminate this dynamic. Her book, Beatleness, explores “how The Beatles and their fans remade the world.” As always in such discussions, a certain amount of meandering occurs, and therefore a lot more than 1968 is fair game in this conversation. Check out more of Candy’s writings here: http://beatleness.com/beatleness-blog/