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Beatles ’78 pt1 Aug 29, 2021

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What was it that people loved so much about the pre-fab four? I think it was the trousers. But while mysteries may surround the appeal of Rutland's favorite sons, there's no mystery about the appeal of Lorne Michaels' epic Monty Python collaboration and Beatles tribute known as: THE RUTLES. Of course, plans were also in the works from the actual Beatles, starting with some new, optimistic compositions from George Harrison that signaled the coming of a follow-up to his successful Thirty Three & 1/3 album. As a refreshed, upbeat George commands his problems to blow away, Ringo Starr was setting his own sights on a reversal of fortune - choosing the songs which would comprise a new record...and a new TV Special. His comeback plans were ambitious, but a determined Ringo was not going to let the underperforming Ringo The 4th LP be the end of his hit-making in the 1970's. The Lennons, meanwhile, were dealing with a different kind of determination -- a terrorist organization which had been targeting John and Yoko for some time in an elaborate extortion scheme which necessitated the involvement of the FBI. All this on the eve of a new Wings album release - heralded by another monster hit single from Paul & co.: With A Little Luck.

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Beatles ’77 pt5 Aug 16, 2021

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The finale of 1977 is here, and so ends a year of relative peace and reflection for John, Paul, George and Ringo. After a break-neck start to the 1970's and the pulse-pounding culmination of the 1976 Wings World Tour, the former Beatles (on the whole) took this year to take a moment...before trekking onward to the next horizon. Ringo Starr's horizons looked markedly different in the fall of 1977 as they had in years prior, with his Ringo the 4th record seeing a dismal critical and commercial reception that would take the wind out of the sails of most any artist on the receiving end. Of course Ringo Starr is not just any artist, and an undeterred Ringo set forth at once to record yet another new album...one that he hoped would course-correct his recent misfortune. And speaking of course-correcting...Paul McCartney. If there were any doubt that Macca's star was still shining brightly in the later half of 1977, November's Capitol/EMI Wings single release of Mull of Kintyre b/w Girl's School was enough to silence naysayers and stun audiences around the world - becoming the former Beatle's biggest hit single ever outside of his aforementioned alma matar! All this plus a new Ringo release from Polydor to close out the year that was 1977...

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Beatles ’77 pt4 Aug 02, 2021

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As summer turned to fall in the midst of 1977, the fab four legacy continued to loom large in the worlds of John, Paul George and Ringo... and indeed, the world at large. No such greater cultural compliment could be given than that of Lorne Michaels's new fab mock-umentary, The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, which began filming on August 2nd. Dirk, Nasty, Stig and Barry's legend would last a lunchtime, and there to sit in on the feast was a host of comedy's elite: from SNL heavyweights like Bill Murray, John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Dan Aykroyd, to pythons such as Eric Idle...and of course one fourth of their inspiration, Mr. George Harrison. So enamored with the pre-fab four was George, that references to the Rutland sound and their infamous trousers would pop up in just about every interview "the quiet one" would give for years to come! While the hits of old were spoofed in masterful fashion, new hits were on the horizon as well...most notably in the new McCartney-Laine penned ode to Scotland, Mull of Kintyre. Paul's star continued its commercial climb with no sign of slowing down, but the success of his band Wings was put into jeopardy that September with Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English quit the band. With one former Beatle in damage control mode...Ringo Starr (the noisy one) forged ahead with a new LP release he hoped would undo the damage that his waning success over the last year had taken on his career. Thus the LP Ringo The 4th...a boogie-woogie beaucoup of sound that Ringo hoped would recapture his glory...but alas, it was not to be....

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Beatles ’77 pt3 Jul 19, 2021

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nd Sean's trip to Asia ushers the family from Hong Kong to Karuizawa on a sight-seeing tour that would bring the Lennons closer to their matriarch's roots, and allow John some much-appreciated anonymity in the rural countrysides of their visit. Paul and Ringo, meanwhile, where knee-deep in recording efforts - be it as performing artists, label heads or in pseudonym masquerade. First up, Paul and Wings continue their Caribbean boat-side sessions for the still-untitled (but tentatively dubbed "Water Wings") sessions. Paul and Linda also put the finishing touches on some Linda McCartney originals nearly 5 years in the making - with the first official release of the "Suzy and the Red Stripes" single Seaside Woman b/w B-Side To Seaside. Ringo Starr was busy as ever recording his next LP effort, as well as music for a children's animated musical dubbed Scouse The Mouse. While activity was in no danger of slowing down for the former fabs, 1977 did seem to offer a bit of rest and reflection for John, Paul, George and Ringo in ways the quartet had never truly seen the likes of in their days under the scrutiny of the public eye...

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Beatles ’77 pt2 Jul 05, 2021

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"I've already given it up, I haven't decided where to run, though" said a smiling John Lennon surrounded by family and enjoying a day out at the circus in March of 1977. Lennon was jovial, though his words were perhaps a bit cryptic...begging the question: had John Lennon actually retired from music completely? With nearly a full two years since his last album release, fans wondering what the next musical move from John Lennon would be would need to wonder a little longer...though answers for McCartney's next move would be much easier to find. Following the smash success of his Wings Over the World tour, Paul and the band were quick to return to the studio to record a follow-up to 1976's similarly successful Wings At The Speed of Sound LP. But dismal, wintertime London was not exactly the perfect atmosphere for a joyous Macca victory lap. The band did attempt to decorate EMI studios to set a better mood, but (like for many a winner Wings recording past) a sojourn to an inspiring location was in order. Onward it was to the US Virgin Islands, where three boats were moored and waiting for Paul, Linda, Denny, Jimmy and Joe to set sail for their next album...

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Beatles ’77 pt1 Jun 21, 2021

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It's 1977, and the new year bodes well for all four former Beatles. George Harrison's Thirty Three & 1/3 LP promotional tour is in full swing, and a more melodic, upbeat George proves to be a critical and commercial improvement for Harrison's career in some big ways. While discussing the record, the notion of a world tour is brought up and seemingly giving some serious consideration, albeit with the wisdom of the lessons learned from his arduous 1974 Dark Horse tour - which ran the ex-Beatle ragged and gave the sharpened knives of the rock press somewhere to jab. George's improved fortunes were certainly a welcome omen to begin the year, but it was a joyous ending, that followed shortly after, which would truly be cause for celebration. In January of 1977, the long-awaited settlement of the contentious and exhausting legal battle between Allen Klein's ABKO and Apple Corps was at last reached, marking three years of proceedings and millions of dollars exchanged. This out-of-court agreement was another hopeful step toward the possibility of a Beatles reunion, with Allen Klein now fully out of the picture and John, Paul, George and Ringo all on good terms with one another. But if a Beatles reunion were coming, it would have to wait - because in February, Wings return to the studio to begin recording the follow-up to 1976's mega-hit Wings At The Speed of Sound LP. Would Paul and the band be satisfied with recording in the silver rain of wintery London? Wings contemplate flying south as 1977 rolls on...

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McCartney: Anatomy of A Trilogy feat. Luther Russell Jun 07, 2021

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The Yesterday & Today podcast is excited to welcome special guest Luther Russell to the show this week to analyze, review and ruminate on a trilogy of albums 50 years in the making! It's an episode we had to title McCartney: Anatomy of A Trilogy. In 1970 the world became aware of the breakup of the Beatles when Macca's first solo album, McCartney, hit shelves accompanied by a widely publicized and (arguably) misconstrued press release - one that seemed to indicate the demise of the fab four. Whatever the intentions of said press release, the very high profile of this interview and its corresponding homespun collection of tunes would spark the beginning of Paul's solo career and set into motion a series of one-man-show efforts on behalf of McCartney in the decades to come. In 1980 McCartney II was released, a sequel that proved to be a similar demarcation of the winding down of Paul's band Wings, and yet another exercise in isolated musical experimentation. 40 years later, in the thick of a global pandemic, McCartney III emerged to complete the trilogy and once more found McCartney's introspective craftsmanship at a peak. In this episode we'll examine all three releases and explore the possible connective tissue between each installment. Luther is on hand to lend his expert opinion as a singer, songwriter and musical craftsman of his own wide acclaim - and we'd like to thank Mr. Russell for the wonderful conversation! But that's not all - we also want to hear from YOU! Which of these three albums are your favorite? Do each live up to the name?

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Beatles ’76 pt10 May 24, 2021

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As the year 1976 draws to a close, so too closes the chapter on one of the biggest, most productive years in post-Beatles history. Wings soared with the kinds of commercial successes and audience excitement not seen since the heyday of the Beatles touring years - and John Lennon, whose immigration struggles had left him shackled to the continental United States for the better part of 5 years, found his freedom in the form of a green card and (perhaps more importantly) long-sought vindication. Ringo's Rotogravure foretold a downturn in the career of the once-most-successful former Beatle - and George Harrison was having himself a bit of a comeback in the form of a successful new single (This Song) from his brand new LP: Thirty Three & 1/3. This fifth proper studio album from Harrison was a marked departure from the pain of Dark Horse and the uncertainty of Extra Texture - yielding a collection of bouncy, genuine and tuneful tracks that saw a happier Harrison settling into his own grooves with a confidence not seen in years. From the irresistibly catchy Crackerbox Palace, to funky stomps like It's What You Value and Woman Don't You Cry For Me - Thirty Three & 1/3 was a tour de force and most certainly a return to form. To promote the release, George became the first former fab to grace the stage of NBC's Saturday Night, performing several numbers alongside Paul Simon and even demanding Beatles reunion money from the show's creator, Lorne Michaels. As if Thirty Three & 1/3 wasn't enough Beatle content to satisfy fans, on December 10th Capitol EMI released Wings Over America, a titanic collection of live recordings from Paul's ultra-successful North American tour. 1977 is just around the corner, let the '76 hangover begin...

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Beatles ’76 pt9 May 10, 2021

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Hot off the heels of his Rotogravure album release, Ringo Starr was knee-deep in a promotional blitz across Europe and Asia in the fall of 1976. Of course Ringo still made time during this flurry of interviews to send buddy John Lennon a gift for the former Beatle's 36th birthday - a gift in the form of a private erotic poetry reading by New York City porn & punk personality Cherry Vanilla. In the following weeks, another gift to Lennon - a functional green card - facilitated a solo trip to Hong Kong (John's first solitary travel experience since his pre-fame days). With John on walkabout in Asia, Paul McCartney and Wings found themselves back in the UK for the finale of their year+ long WINGS OVER THE WORLD tour - playing sold-out shows in Wembley in front of cheering crowds and glowing critics. As Paul's tour wound to a close, George Harrison's promotional tour for his forthcoming album release was just ramping up - beginning with the release of a new single: This Song. This bouncy rocker poked fun at Harrison's ongoing copyright troubles over the song My Sweet Lord, and seethes with resentment under the veneer of humor (reminiscent of "Harri-songs" past such as Piggies and Not Guilty). With stops in Boston and then New York City for a pre-taped appearance on NBC's Saturday Night, George was out to give his upcoming Thirty Three & 1/3 LP a full-court press, for a return to the successes from earlier in his solo career, and a real run at the charts...

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Beatles ’76 pt8 Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

As summer turned to fall in September of 1976, three of the four former Beatles found themselves in challenging situations. Ringo Starr's new LP Rotogravure was bursting with pride and ambition from its principle artist, but a lukewarm reception by critics and the public illuminated the first cracks in Starr's successful three-year hit-making streak. Never one to give up, Ringo doubled down on the album's promotion - filming several music videos for the record's singles as well as embarking on a radio interview tour wherein the former fab talked recording, writing, and his recent engagement to fiancé Nancy Andrews. George Harrison's troubles were monetary, having lost the monumental copyright court case over his hit 1970 single My Sweet Lord and its similarities to the 1963 Chiffons hit He's So Fine. As George awaited the judge's punitive damages order, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and baby Sean were in Massachusetts visiting with macrobiotic diet guru Michio Kushi. While the meeting went well, the Lennons were subject to increasing attention from fans and local press, eventually driving them home from their retreat. Paul McCartney's fortunes weren't quite so tumultuous - as the Wings Over the World tour entered its final leg in a stint of shows across Europe to the same roaring crowds and rave reviews that had greeted the band in North America. Stops in Austria, Italy, Germany and even Yugoslavia (becoming the first Beatle to perform from behind the "iron curtain") marked the continued success and validation of Wings, a welcome and well-earned feat for the McCartneys.

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