Yesterday and Today

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... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's the summer of 1976 and Wings are finishing their victory lap over North America with a lavish party attended by the rich & famous of Los Angeles. With two monster singles: Silly Love Songs and Let Em In, catapulting to the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic (well, the #2 spot in the UK), Paul McCartney and his rock n roll quintet were riding high, and enjoying the fruits of their labors. Back in New York, another victory was at hand for John Lennon, who after nearly half a decade of struggle at last obtained the coveted green card that would signify the end to his immigration troubles. By September, another verdict (this time less than ideal) would be handed down in the case of George Harrison and his My Sweet Lord copyright infringement case. A New York City judge found George guilty of plagiarism, responsible for monetary restitution to the copyright holders of the song "He's So Fine", despite Harrison's recognizably sincere denial of having pinched their melody for his 1970 smash single. This landmark decision cost George quite a sum, as well as setting an important precedent for composers and song publishers for decades to come. While George and John respectively celebrated victory and mourned defeat in the New York City courts, Ringo Starr released a new LP on September 17th 1976: Rotogravure. A follow-up to his successful 1974 album Goodnight Vienna, this new collection of songs featured contributions from all four former Beatles, as well as a new producer: the acclaimed Arif Mardin. Despite the musical pedigree of the album's contributors, and Ringo's own enthusiasm, this record's underperformance would signify yet another dramatic sea change in the career trajectory of one of the most successful graduates of the fab four.... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As the Wings Over The Word tour continued its relentless path of success across North America in the summer of 1976, Paul McCartney’s triumphant return to pop culture relevancy remainder bogged down by the specter of Beatle past. Bill Sergeant’s multi-million dollar reunion offer added constant fuel to the rumor mill of an on-stage moment featuring John, Paul, George and Ringo – as well as a scrambling Capitol Records rush-release of Got to Get You Into My Life (which promptly rocketed up the charts). Despite such speculations, Beatle reunions (of sorts) were actually in the air in these early summer months of 1976, as John Lennon found himself once again back in the studio with Ringo Starr cutting a track for Ringo’s forthcoming Rotogravure album. Ringo and producer Arif Martin were smitten to have Lennon on board, but John felt differently about the session – calling it a case of “bad vibes” and feeling taken advantage of by his friend. Whatever the case, nearly 7 years after the dissolution of the world’s biggest band, The Beatles maintained their place as a mainstay of popular culture and their relevance stood poised to outlast the time they spent together… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Yesterday & Today Podcast is proud to present an all-new extended interview with Ring O'Records recording artist and former Queen bassist Doug Bogie! In the holiday season of 1975 Doug became one of the select few musicians spotlighted by Ringo Starr's newly formed label, and Doug shares with us some of the incredible stories of his close encounters of the Beatle-y kind in this week's episode! But Doug's impressive resume doesn't end with Ringo Starr - over the last 50 years Doug has been either a musician or studio wizard for rock'n'roll royalty including the Moody Blues, Wings, Mungo Jerry and many more - punctuated by his brief stint as the third bassist for then-unknown rock band Queen. Doug's own music continued on with his band R.A.F. whose two excellent albums from the early 80's stand as a testament to power pop amongst the otherwise insurmountable punk scene in Britain at the time. Ever wonder what it's like to be let into the Imagine room at Tittenhurst Park? Or what kind of tea Linda McCartney prefers? Or what Harry Nilsson was doing as defacto-receptionist in the office above a car dealership in London? Wonder no more dear listener - and lend an ear to this very special episode of Yesterday & Today! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's May of 1976 and the Wings Over the World tour continues its unstoppable sojourn across North America - this time landing in New York City. Even as McCartney continued to define himself as a solo hitmaker and unique pop culture phenomenon outside of his past with the Beatles, fans and critics alike (and perhaps Paul himself) couldn't help but wonder if a trip to the big apple would result in an on-stage reunion between Lennon & McCartney. After John's no-show at the Wings concert in Toronto - where George and Ringo both attended - big questions remained about the legitimate possibility of John and Paul sharing a stage with each other again. While at one time the reunion seemed a complete impossibility, the reemergence of the duo's friendship by the mid-70's cast a ray of hope that such a miracle could actually take place. Regardless, Paul and the band would enchant New Yorkers for two nights in one of the most triumphant stops of Paul's high-flying world tour... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wings conquer America! It's May of 1976 and Paul McCartney and Wings are making their way across North America on the latest leg of their triumphant WINGS OVER THE WORLD tour. While the stage was rumored to be set for a fab four reunion during the band's Toronto performance, John and Yoko's no-show once again derailed hopes for all four former Beatles to join forces once again - be it on or off the stage. John may not have made it, but George and Ringo had a great time witnessing Macca's 2+ hour electrifying set, as did the thousands of screaming fans that echoed the enthusiasm chanted by audiences at each stop on Wings' tour thus far. From Philadelphia to Maryland to Atlanta to Boston, McCartney's victory lap stretched on and on -- and after seeing Paul on stage, the conversation began to shift from Paul's former bandmates joining him, to the enjoyment of Paul himself. While the offers for the reunion of John, Paul, George and Ringo were far from a distant memory, one thing was for certain - you'd think that people seemed to have enough of silly love songs. But we look around us and we see it isn't so. Oh no. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Live from New York, it's the Nerk Twins! It's the Spring of 1976 and Paul McCartney is on the verge of conquering America once again with his band Wings. Where The Beatles made history in 1964, Paul was poised to do so again, this time on his own merits and with the support of the band that many had laughed off as a forgettable side-project some four years earlier. Paul's newfound success was a lucky (and well-earned) twist of fate, but the fortune most surprising to Macca was perhaps the newfound friendship he enjoyed with his old bandmate and songwriting partner John Lennon. The two had rekindled a jovial relationship that most would have considered dead in the water earlier in the decade - but against all odds John and Paul found themselves on friendly footing in the spring of 1976. So friendly, in fact, that a reunion between the two on national television very nearly happened one windy April night - on NBC's hit new show Saturday Night. Lennon and McCartney sat giggling in John's Dakota apartment building as SNL's Lorne Michaels offered the former Beatles a measly sum to reunite on his program - a gag that proved nearly too tempting to resist for John and Paul. Though the pair ultimately decided not to take the trip down to Rockefeller plaza to accept the offer, many a laugh was shared, and it appearing an honest-to-goodness reunion wouldn't be too far-fetched to conceive of. But the next day, when an excited Paul showed up with a guitar in the hopes of writing songs with his friend John, the fates were less kind. April 26th, 1976 would go down in history as the last date in which John Lennon and Paul McCartney would see each other live and in person ever again... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With successful tours of Britain, Australia and now Europe under his belt, Paul McCartney once again stood poised to take America by storm as he had with the Beatles over a decade prior. Back in 1964, The Beatles came to America with a new hit single and album to tout...would McCartney attempt to repeat that success with Wings? The answer came at audiences in America and around the world at the speed of sound, with the release of a new LP titled WINGS AT THE SPEED OF SOUND! This new album, released a mere few months after its successful predecessor VENUS & MARS, was recorded in the time the band would have taken to tour Japan - had the Japanese government not stopped the Wings tour from entering the country. With time on his hands and a fresh batch of tunes crafted on the road, Paul, Linda, Denny, Jimmy and Joe entered the studio to craft the most slick, radio-friendly LP of McCartney's entire post-Beatles career up to that point - complete with disco boogies, ear-worm pop jingles and a healthy dose of rock and roll for good measure. Unlike any other Wings record, WINGS AT THE SPEED OF SOUND features vocals from every member of the band, and original compositions from both Denny Laine and Jimmy McCulloch (with lyric contributions from Jimmy's writing partner Colin Allen on the hard-rocking Wino Junko). With wounds mended between he and his former colleagues, and with a 50 million dollar reunion concert offer still on the table, would the specter of The Beatles overshadow Macca's grand concert return to the USA? Or would his new #1 charting album lend a #1 charting single to seal the deal for American audiences? You know what they say...some people want to fill the world with silly love songs... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's 1976, and once again reunion rumors around the four former Beatles are reaching a fever pitch. This latest batch were inspired by full page advertisements taken out in several major US newspapers by concert promoter Bill Sargent. This zealous entertainment personality amped his original 30 million dollar offer to the former fabs to a whopping 50 MILLION - all for a 25 minute closed-circuit Beatles reunion concert to be broadcast around the world. Each ex-Beatle may have been living their own lives and enjoying the fruits of their own individual successes at the dawn of 1976, but a 50 million offer was enough to at the very least have been discussed...even if it, too, was summarily rejected by John, Paul, George and Ringo. Sargent wasn't the only one clamoring for Beatles content at the top of 1976 -- fan-festivals such as Beatlefest reveled in Beatles nostalgia and continued to gain momentum as the the 70s progressed, pulling its guest list from a varied array of insiders and affiliates from in and around the lives of the Beatles. One such insider was Mal Evans, who himself had graced the stage of Beatlefest the year prior...but on January 5th of 1976 a series of shocking events lead to the death of Mal in an officer-involved shooting. Mal played an integral role in Beatles history, and his tragic death left an aura of sorrow and uncertainty upon the new year for Beatles fans - but it wasn't the only death to rock the lives of the Beatles in the opening months of 1976. Both Paul McCartney's and John Lennon's respective fathers died within two short weeks of each other shortly thereafter - mirroring the events of their mother's respective passings nearly 20 years prior. Lennon's unresolved schism with his father was a dark cloud that hung upon John's life, and it was with bitter irony that John and Paul both found themselves mourning a parent's passing so close in proximity to one another in the weeks that followed... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Beatles are a big act to follow - but with Wings, Paul McCartney set his sights on not just surviving in a post-fab world, but soaring in one. From dingy college campus shows and rainy tour bus nights, to the astronomical heights of Wings Over the World, Macca's grand experiment grew to become one of the biggest musical enterprises in the world by the end of 1976. While earlier incarnations of the band showed glimmers of their potential, it wasn't until 1974 and the addition of guitarist virtuoso Jimmy McCulloch, that the group was able to make manifest the kind of success even McCartney himself would be taken aback by. Jimmy's hard rocking sound and staggering musical ability was the perfect compliment to bandmates Paul, Linda, Denny and Joe for 3 chart-topping studio albums and a slew of hit singles. In the years since leaving Wings, followed by his tragic death shortly thereafter, Jimmy's contributions to this worldwide phenomenon were largely down-played - tinged with stories of conflict and substance abuse. But Jimmy McCulloch's full tale will at last be told in the upcoming book Little Wing: The Jimmy McCulloch Story, written by Jimmy's biographer and our guest on the show today, Mr. Paul Salley. Paul's book is a labor of love years in the making, compiling interviews with insiders, colleagues and family in an endeavor to set the record straight about Jimmy's life. On today's episode we'll chat with Paul about Jimmy's various groups, his songwriting successes and learn more about the Wings member often referred to as "the whiz kid". We'd like to thank Paul for joining us on the show today, and encourage everyone to check out his Little Wing fan page for more on Jimmy and updates on his forthcoming book. Take us down, Jimmy! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's the end of 1975, and this transformative year in Beatles history would in many ways set a new standard for John, Paul, George and Ringo in the latter half of the decade to follow. George Harrison's latest single, This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying), taken from his modestly successful Extra Texture LP, would be the last single released on the original Apple label, and subsequently fail to enter the billboard hot 100 singles chart. George may have entered the 1970's as a musical force to be reckoned with, but this disappointing showing cast some doubt upon the former fab's future commercial vitality. The Beatle to beat at the end of 1975 was the previously D.O.A Paul McCartney, whose group Wings were still running singles up the charts from their Venus & Mars album in December of 1975. Blocked from the Japanese leg of their wildly successful Wings Over the World tour, Paul and Linda returned home for the holidays to work on tracks for a heretofore unplanned Venus & Mars follow-up LP. The McCartneys also made time to stop by the Dakota building in New York City to pay a visit to John & Yoko, who were busy tending to the newborn Sean Ono Lennon when Paul and Linda arrived on their doorstep singing Christmas carols. The arrival of Sean signified a seismic shift in John's personal life - as Lennon had begun clearing the decks of work-related projects since the advent of Yoko's pregnancy earlier in the year. Ringo Starr, meanwhile, may not have had an album release in 1975, but his greatest hits compilation Blast From Your Past satiated fans for content heading into the Christmas season. The changes fortified in 1975 would continue on into the new year, and 1976 was poised to be a landmark for the heights of former Beatle success... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Paul McCartney may have been the former Beatle with the most to prove in the early days following the Beatles' breakup...but by the latter half of 1975 McCartney and his group Wings were the band to beat from his former colleagues. A slew of hit singles and 2 consecutive top albums made Wings one of the most influential and relevant sounds of the mid 1970s, with no sign of the group slowing down as they rounded the corner into 1976. While on tour in Australia, the Wings sound truly reached fruition, with new members Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English adding their own distinct flavor to McCartney & his cohorts night after night in the land down under. From Adelaide to Kingsford to Brisbane to Melbourne, Wings seemed unstoppable in their pop dominance...but it was't until their attempted entry into Japan that the band would experience their first major setback and serendipitously their next big break... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's the fall of 1975 and George Harrison's new LP Extra Texture is the most current musical offering from the former Beatles. For many, this album was a step in the right direction from the drug and depression-tinged Dark Horse LP from the year prior, in which the rock-bottom of George's personal life seemed to make its way to record. From the toe-tapping You (the album's first single and a top 20 hit in the US) to Smokey Robinson inspired tracks like Can't Stop Thinking about You, to the downright irreverent His Name Is 'Legs' (Ladies and Gentlemen), Extra Texture showed the world a George Harrison that was slowing inching his way back to the heights of earlier in the decade. Paul McCartney was busy eyeing new heights as well, with a massive world tour underway for his band Wings - flying high on the success of their Venus & Mars album from earlier in the year. As the band made their way halfway around the world for the Australian leg of the Wings Over The World tour, Wings found itself on the cusp of power-pop domination not seen for any former Beatle since their touring heyday. But while Paul and George had renewed commercial success on the mind, John Lennon was busy welcoming a great personal success to the world. Sean Ono Lennon was born to proud parents John & Yoko on John's 35th birthday, October 9th, 1975. This warm moment of family and new possibilities stood in stark contrast to the disarray of Lennon's so-called "lost weekend" in years prior, and signaled yet another big change for John in the years to come... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.