When They Was Fab: Electric Arguments About The Beatles

Part Two of our discussion with Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair covering the McCartey Legacy, Volume 2.      All four of us (Lonnie, Jon, Ed and Marv) are still in on the conversation, as we pick up the McCartney story in New Orleans, visit John Lennon in the Dakota ("Live From New York, It's Saturday Night!") travel around the globe on a world tour, record on the high seas, record in a castle, complain about Pete Townshend (he wouldn't wear the suit), and end up in Japan...

Part One of our discussion with Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair covering the McCartey Legacy, Volume 2.      All four of us (Lonnie, Jon, Ed and Marv) are in on the conversation, as we proceed from the McGear album to Paul's time in Nashville, with stops along the way at Rembrandt, Printer's Alley and that room Jimmy McCulloch hung out while he was working with Paul in Scotland.

Marv and I talk a bit about the new "Living in the Material World" box, mostly Disc Two - EXTRAS!    Alternate versions of the entire record, remixes of "Miss O'Dell", and a brand new recording of "Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)" featuring a George Harrison lead vocal, and guest appearances from Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, and Rick Danko from The Band, alongside Ringo Starr.

Marv and I sit down to discuss the 1994 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class.     Yoko Ono handed over a tape.     Paul McCartney inducted John Lennon as a solo artist (an honor since given to Paul, George and Ringo) while friends and familiars including Elton John, The Band, the Animals, the Grateful Dead and Bob Marley had their names added to the pantheon now housed in Cleveland.

Lonnie and I review "Midas Man".   We discuss the good (production and set design), the bad (dancing around the relationship the NEMS acts including the Beatles had with Brian's homosexuality), and the downright odd (the height difference between Jonah Lees' "smaller-than- John Lennon" and Jacob-Fortune Lloyd's "taller-than-Brian Epstein".

A "Gab Four" show!    Martin, Lonnie, Jon and I are together chatting on what Jon has named "The Murky Times".     The period between the end of the "Get Back" sessions and McCartney's "Self Interview" in the "McCartney" promotional package!

News, updates and discussion on the last few weeks.    Ringo Starr has a new country album.     A very nice stream (both video AND audio) of Paul McCartney in Buenos Aires.      Answers to some of our questions regarding John and Yoko on Mike Douglas, and a bit of "Lonnie's Scrapbook", mostly a couple of pieces from the seventies (and the Houston Post) covering John and Yoko's trip to Houston in 1971 (while dealing with custody and visitation rights over Kyoko Chan Cox), 1979, and how things were finally settled in the early nineties!

Marv, Lonnie and I finish our review of "Daytime Revolution" (and to a certain extent, more generally John and Yoko's week on Mike Douglas).    Following that, we are joined by Erik Nelson, the man behind "Daytime Revolution", who gives his own thoughts on the the week of shows (filmed over five weeks), the process of editing 7+ hours of television down to less than ninety minutes, locating and filming new interviews with the guests still with us, and choosing representative elements (bumpers, etc) to keep that "1972 television" feel.

Marv and Lonnie join me for our discussion of the first few days of the Lennons on the Mike Douglas show in 1972, particularly as the days are represented in the new documentary "Daytime Revolution."    John, Yoko, Jerry Rubin, Bobby Seale and Mike Douglas?     How did millions of American housewives react to the counterculture entering their avocado-colored breakfast nooks?     The review concludes next week, which will also feature a discussion with director of the film Erik Nelson.

Lonnie joins as we review the theatrical presentation of "One Hand Clapping", combined with the first ever appearance of the full (?) "Backyard" film.      Paul, Linda, Denny, Geoff and Jimmy.     Also in the studio were two other musicians, an orchestra and a dog. One of the musicians was called Howie Casey and played a saxophone. The other was called Del Newman and he conducted the orchestra. The dog was called Poppy and didn’t really do much at all. The studio at number 3 Abbey Road, London is where The Beatles recorded their first album Please Please Me in 1963 and the studio hasn’t been painted since then. Geoff Emerick, the recording engineer, said it would ruin the acoustics.

Lonnie and I spend this week looking at the Ron Chapman film "Revival 69."      How much did we really know about the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival?     This fil goes into the nitty gritty of September 13, 1969 - and exactly how John Lennon ended up in Canada premiering "Cold Turkey".      

Marv and I finish our look at the Seventies US number ones of John, Paul, George and Ringo.     Casey drops by, as do clips of John, Paul, Elton and Billy Preston.     Look for a bit of a Billy Revival as Jon Batiste portrays him in the forthcoming "SNL 1975" film.        With all these other films, the casting of Beatles incidentals is done for him!

While the four solo artists formerly known as the Beatles did not equal their illustrious previous decade, they did all show chart success in the Seventies.    Eleven total number ones.     This week we start our next multi-part series (hey, two counts as "multi") covering those chart toppers.    We partially go the Paul McCartney route ("we play the hits"), but also look back at how these songs were viewed in "real time".     Lots of news, and plenty of archival clips from Casey's coast to coast!

Marv and I are joined by Antony Rotunno (Glass Onion: On John Lennon), as we finish our look at the Mind Games Box Set with Disc Six - The Outtakes.     While we discuss the tracks, we also take a step back and consider Lennon the man.    The personal, political and psychological are all strongly represented in the lyrics found between the grooves.     

The return of friend of the show Darin Murphy (a man who portrayed John Lennon on Broadway, and played with Denny Laine, Todd Rundgren, Joey Molland, Micky Dolenz and more!) He pojoins us to discuss Disc Five of the Mind Games Box, the raw studio mixes.     Sean gives us plenty of material to consider, and we discuss how this album would influence artists as diverse as Meat Loaf, Tom Petty and possibly the Beats headphones!

Recorded Live in Chicago (with additional audio from Houston, Cleveland and more), this week we present "When They Was Fab" in front of a live audience.     Dr. Kenneth Womack ("Living the Beatles Legend", "Solid State", "John Lennon: 1980" and more) joins us as we look at the circumstances of 1960, 1961 and 1962 which would lead to a new drummer and a new era for everyone that is a fan of popular music!

Marv, Lonnie and I sit with Nashville HOF songwriter, author and man who worked with a Beatle about his lifelong love of the Fabs, touring (and writing!) with Carole King, his Brian Epstein-themed song on the new Billy J. Kramer record, collaborating (and recording) with Ringo and the forthcoming Ringo country album.     We also dig into his new novel ("Reunion"), which imagines a universe where John Lennon's fate changed, and all four were still present when Paul (at the urging of his daughters) decides to approach the others, as "the right four people" is one of the ways he might be able to overcome his heartache.

The "Mind Games" train rolls on.   Disc four, the evolution mixes.    Possibly the closest we will get to hearing the evolution of the "Mind Games" album.    Each track, from the earliest known demo through the various changes in the studio through to the near-complete version.    John, Yoko, Roy Cicala and all the musicians chime in at various times for a full look at just how the recording process worked for John Lennon in New York City in the early 1970's!

The Ultimate Box review continues!    This week we move on to the third disc - the elements mixes.     How many other (non-instrumental) albums have a disc not featuring lead vocals from the named artist?    This one does.      Marv and I talk about what we learned, and we extend the concept talking about Keltner, Gordon, Something Different, Sneaky Pete and the others that migrated from "Feeling the Space" over to "Mind Games".

Lonnie and I roll on with part two of our "Mind Games" SDE review.    This week, disc two - the Elemental mixes (not to be confused with the Elements mixes).     Lonnie also unveils his initial thoughts on the Mind Games (Ultimate Collection) Super Deluxe Box Set!    Roll the I-Ching and see if it advises you to drop the cash!