Swinging Through The Sixties: The Beatles and Beyond

Pimps, drug dealers, call girls, kinky orgies involving members of the ruling class, a government minister sharing a mistress with a Russian spy, a suicide… and the Prime Minister’s resignation. This was the scandal that rocked Britain in 1963—along with The Beatles simultaneously providing an alternative form of entertainment. Among the featured tracks: * ‘From Russia with Love’ – Matt Monroe * ‘Do You Want to Know a Secret’ – Billy J. Kramer with the Dakotas * ‘On the Rebound’ – Floyd Cramer * ‘Runaway’ – Del Shannon * ‘My Bonnie’ – Tony Sheridan & The Beatles * ‘You Don’t Know’ – Helen Shapiro * ‘Tower of Strength’ – Frankie Vaughan * ‘Come Outside’ – Mike Sarne with Wendy Richard * ‘Telstar’ – The Tornados * ‘All I Do is Dream’ – Mandy Rice-Davies * ‘Please Please Me’ – The Beatles * ‘Dance On’ – The Shadows * ‘Let’s Dance’ – Chris Montez * ‘Summer Holiday’ – Cliff Richard * ‘The Cruel Sea’ – The Dakotas * ‘How Do You Do It’ – Gerry and the Pacemakers * ‘From Me to You’ – The Beatles * ‘Confessin’ (That I Love You)’ – Frank Ifield * ‘(You’re The) Devil in Disguise’ – Elvis Presley * ‘She Loves You’ – The Beatles * ‘I’ll Get You’ (live) – The Beatles * ‘Nothing Has Been Proved’ – Dusty Springfield PLUS ultra-rare clips of The Beatles performing at London’s Royal Albert Hall and Walthamstow Granada in the spring of 1963.

In this second instalment of an STTS ‘White Album’ trilogy, Richard and Erik are once again joined by musician Craig Bartock and musicologist Allan Kozinn to discuss an incredibly diverse collection of Paul McCartney tracks; ranging from novelty numbers and classic ballads to proto-grunge head-bangers and timeless rockers. While Craig’s happy to kick things off with ‘Back in the U.S.S.R.’ and end with ‘Hey Jude’, his three colleagues have come up with their own track listings… Richard * Back in the U.S.S.R. * Wild Honey Pie * Mother Nature’s Son * Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? * Martha My Dear * Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da * Blackbird * Helter Skelter * I Will * Rocky Raccoon * Honey Pie * Birthday * Hey Jude Erik * Back in the U.S.S.R. * Blackbird * Jubilee * I Will * Birthday * Can You Take Me Back? * Honey Pie * Helter Skelter * Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? * Rocky Raccoon * Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da * Martha My Dear * Heather * Mother Nature’s Son * Hey Jude * Wild Honey Pie Allan (issuing his version of the album only on vinyl) Side One * Back in the U.S.S.R. * Mother Nature’s Son * Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da * Martha My Dear * Blackbird * Rocky Raccoon * I Will Side Two * Birthday * Hey Jude * Honey Pie * Wild Honey Pie * Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? * Helter Skelter * Junk

Not tribute songs. More like honourable mentions. Some made in jest. Some a nod and a wink (nudge-nudge, say no more). All cultural reflections of their era. Listened to and contrasted within their proper context, they tell a fascinating Sixties story, populated with colourful characters and some pretty juicy backstories... The tracks in this case—The Beatles’ ‘Taxman and Dig It’, Bob Dylan’s ‘I Shall Be Free’, Paul Simon’s ‘A Simple Desultory Philippic’, John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band’s ‘Give Peace a Chance’, Donovan Leitch’s ‘Sunny South Kensington’, Dion DiMucci’s ‘Abraham, Martin and John’, Eric Burdon & The Animals’ ‘Monterey’, The Mamas and Papas’ ‘Creeque Alley’, Peter Sarstedt’s ‘Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?’ and Jacqueline Taïeb’s ‘7 Heures du Matin’—reference actors, poets, politicians, fellow musicians and assorted other icons. These include Brigitte Bardot, Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King, Sophia Loren, Phil Spector, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, The Byrds, The Who, Ravi Shankar, The Rolling Stones, John and Robert Kennedy, Andy Warhol, Elvis Presley, Walt Disney, Doris Day, Marlene Dietrich, Liz Taylor, Lenny Bruce, The Grateful Dead, Pablo Picasso, Mary Quant, Timothy Leary… While the names go on and on, this show about them and the songs in which they’re featured is limited by the boundary of time—but not much else. So, sit back, crank up the volume and dive into what Donovan’s track describes as “a flip out, skip out, trip out” with Erik Taros and Richard Buskin as your groovin’-era guides…

Who else but The Beatles could produce multiple landmark albums within a landmark album? While A Hard Day’s Night was the only Fab Four long player to be penned solely by Lennon and McCartney, the ‘White Album’ can be enjoyed and analyzed as either a classic team effort or – in line with John’s recollection of the recording sessions – virtuoso individual outings within the group context. In this first installment of an STTS ‘White Album’ trilogy, musician Craig Bartock and musicologist Allan Kozinn join Richard and Erik to delve into the talents, circumstances, mindsets and motivations behind an edgy, experimental, bold and beautiful collection of eclectic John Lennon tracks.

What were The Beatles doing while man was landing on the moon? How did President Nixon prepare for a potential disaster? Why did some viewers assume the whole thing was a hoax? And what prompted the BBC to play a bad-luck song during the broadcast? These and other burning issues are all part of the conversation while co-hosts Erik Taros and Richard Buskin also dive into Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Easy Rider… and Carry on Camping. Welcome to the ultimate trip…