Ex-Hockey Night In Canada and TSN broadcaster (and music guy!) Paul Romanuk chats with great Canadian music people about the greatest band in the history of pop music - The Beatles. Each episode will feature a different guest, who will dive into, track by track, their favourite Beatles or Beatles solo album. Some of the biggest names in Canadian music tell their stories about discovering the Beatles and their music. Join us, as we stroll along the Cast Iron Shore and peel back the layers of the Glass Onion. A splendid time is guaranteed for all......
It's been 60 years since the release of The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night movie and the ensuing soundtrack. It was released in the summer of 1964 and was a huge hit. Of course, the music was also a huge hit. In fact, the movie had made a profit even before it was released because United Artists (the producers of the movie and, importantly, holders of the soundtrack rights) had advance orders of over 2-million in the U.S. alone for the soundtrack album.In that spirit, I'm re-releasing an episode from January of 2021 that I did with musician and producer Tim Bovaconti. Tim's a great guy and a very much in demand player on the Canadian music scene. His love of The Beatles and their music shines through in his words. Enjoy.
Jim Cuddy and Colin Cripps of Blue Rodeo join host Paul Romanuk to talk about some of their favourite Beatles vocal performances. This is Part II of a two-part episode.This is the last episode of Series 3 of The Walrus Was Paul.EPISODE NOTES:Here is Jim and Colin's virtual album of some of their favourite Beatles vocal performances:SIDE ALove Me DoThis BoyBaby's In BlackIf I Needed SomeoneHappiness Is A Warm GunSIDE BHelter SkelterOh! DarlingYou Never Give Me Your MoneyThe Long And Winding RoadLet It BeHere is a link to the playlist on Tidal-you can find out about all things Jim Cuddy at his website: jimcuddy.com-Colin Cripps did a very good solo record in 2013 called Stormy Northern Days. Here's where you can listen to it.
Jim Cuddy and Colin Cripps of Blue Rodeo join host Paul Romanuk to talk about some of their favourite Beatles vocal performances. This is Part I of a two-part episode.EPISODE NOTES:Here is Jim and Colin's virtual album of some of their favourite Beatles vocal performances:SIDE ALove Me DoThis BoyBaby's In BlackIf I Needed SomeoneHappiness Is A Warm GunSIDE BHelter SkelterOh! DarlingYou Never Give Me Your MoneyThe Long And Winding RoadLet It BeHere is a link to the playlist on Tidal-you can find out about all things Jim Cuddy at his website: jimcuddy.com-Colin Cripps is a massive guitar head. Look for him on Insta, where he regularly posts pictures of guitars in his collection. Here's an interview he did with the website 300Guitars.com about some of the guitars he has.-we talk about the 30th anniversary and the making of the spectacular Blue Rodeo album Five Days In July. Here's a CBC interview with Jim where he talks in a little more detail about the making of the record.
In this annual Christmas Episode, host Paul Romanuk digs into a song that is well on the way (if it isn't already) to being a traditional Christmas season standard: the 1971 John Lennon/Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band song Happy Xmas (War Is Over).EPISODE NOTES:-The song was inspired by and grew out of John & Yoko's 1969 global billboard peace campaign. Here is a photo (from NYC) of one of the billboards they had put up in 12 major cities around the world.-The producer of the song, Phil Spector, produced a Christmas album in 1963 called A Christmas Gift To You, which I talk about in the episode. Here's the story behind that album. -Here's the original 45 sleeve for the song.-Here's an original pressing, which was on green vinyl, featuring the John & Yoko morphing faces label.
This is Part Two of an archive session of The Walrus Was Paul from 2020 where host Paul Romanuk talks with Blue Rodeo members Jim Cuddy and Colin Cripps about The Beatles 1965 album Rubber Soul. The episode has been re-released to mark 58 years since the original release of Rubber Soul.
It's 58 years this week since the release of The Beatles 1965 album Rubber Soul; so we dig back into The Walrus Was Paul archives to bring you a conversation host Paul Romanuk had with superstar Canadian singer/songwriter Jim Cuddy and Blue Rodeo bandmate Colin Cripps back in 2020 about what an influential album Rubber Soul was (and still is).EPISODE NOTES:-we'll be periodically re-releasing some classic episodes from the TWWP archive that have been hidden away for a few years. This is an episode you might have missed along the way. Even if you didn't, it's worth another listen.-all things Jim Cuddy can be found at his website jimcuddy.com-likewise, catch up with what Colin Cripps is up to at his website colincripps.com-both of these fantastic players mostly ply their trade with iconic Canadian band Blue Rodeo.Their website is bluerodeo.com-here's a good piece from The Guardian from 2015 and the 50th anniversary of Rubber Soul
Terry O'Reilly is an internationally recognised expert on marketing and advertising and hosts a well known podcast on the subject: Under The Influence. In this special episode, Terry speaks with host Paul Romanuk about how The Beatles changed the face of marketing and promotion in the world of pop music.EPISODE NOTES:-you can find out all about Terry O'Reilly and his excellent podcast on marketing and advertising, Under The Influence, at his website - terryoreilly.ca-Terry was the co-founder and editor of the successful Beatles collector magazine Beatlology. You can order back issues at the website: beatlology.com-we talk about memorabilia from the Apple Records era and how unique and valuable some items are. Here is a link to a page featuring some of those items. Some cool stuff (and you can still find some of it on eBay).-The Beatles were among the first to use promotional films (known now as music videos) to market new singles. One of the most well known was the promo film for Hey Jude. Here's a link to a piece on The Paul McCartney Project website talking about making the film.
Montreal singer and songwriter Max Comeau returns to talk with host Paul Romanuk about Side Two of 1973's Paul McCartney & Wings album Red Rose Speedway. Also talk about Max's latest album, a collection of jazz-influenced McCartney covers called Play McCartney.
Montreal singer/songwriter Max Comeau talks with host Paul Romanuk about the 1973 Paul McCartney & Wings album Red Rose Speedway.EPISODE NOTES:-the best place to find info on Max is his Bandcamp page. He's pretty thorough on there, with lots of notes and factoids about many of the songs as well as lyrics.-here is a Rolling Stone magazine review from 1973 on Red Rose Speedway. It's generally quite favourable.-an interesting discussion on the album on the excellent Steve Hoffman Music Forum-here's a link to the obit that ran in The Guardian on Wings guitarist Henry McCullough. As we discuss in the episode, McCullough's guitar solo on My Love was one of his finest.
In the second part of a two-part conversation, country artist Raquel Cole talks with host Paul Romanuk about Side Two of The Beatles 1969 #1 album Abbey Road. Lots of talk about Raquel's songs and songwriting as well.EPISODE NOTES:-find out what Raquel is up to at her website-Raquel talks about her solo work, but also about her work with a trio, The Woods. Here's a link to one of their videos.-here is a 1969 review of Abbey Road from The Guardian newspaper by critic Geoffrey Cannon. In it he refers to Abbey Road as "a slight matter. The Beatles have lost the desire to touch us." Hmm. That didn't age well, did it?
Country music star Raquel Cole talks with host Paul Romanuk about The Beatles' 1969 #1 album Abbey Road. Also, lots of talk about her excellent songwriting.EPISODE NOTES:-find out about all things Raquel Cole at her fine, splashy, website.-here's an article from 2020 from Raquel's hometown paper in Vernon, BC, about "hoping to make her hometown proud with some big opportunities."-Raquel, who is from Vernon, now calls Nashville her home. It is the epicentre of the country music world and she seems to fit right in. She talks about the move to Nashville in this piece. -found this, very cool, recording of a 1969 interview that George Harrison did with music writer Ritchie York. George goes through Abbey Road track-by-track. It's a great listen.
Part II of host Paul Romanuk's conversation with musician and singer/songwriter James Clark (aka James Clark Institute) about The Beatles' 1969 album Yellow Submarine.EPISODE NOTES:-you can find out about James and his band, James Clark Institute right here.-Side Two of Yellow Submarine consisted of The Beatles' brilliant producer and arranger George Martin's score for the animated film. Here's a look at George Martin and his work. I also highly recommend Kenneth Womack's two outstanding books on Martin and his life and work: Maximum Volume (Vol I) and Sound Pictures (Vol II). Both are widely available.-here's the cover artwork for Yellow Submarine-here's the cover artwork for James Clark Institute's The Colour Of Happy-here's the excellent video The James Clark Institute did for their song Marcella Never Got The News (directed by Sean Ryan). Hey, watch for the "Beatle like" false ending to the song.
Songwriter and singer James Clark talks with host Paul Romanuk about The Beatles' 1969 soundtrack album for the animated film Yellow Submarine.EPISODE NOTES-you can find out about James and his band, James Clark Institute, at their website-here's a good BBC article on the animated film that went with the album and how it resonates on so many different levels and is, in the eyes of many, a cult classic-we talk about one of James Clark Institute's songs - Marcella Never Got The News. The song is about a 1959 float plane crash in Saskatchewan, in which the pilot died and the plane was never found. That is, until July of 2018, when the wreck was discovered at the bottom of a lake. On the same day the discovery was made, the wife of the deceased pilot passed away. She died before getting news of the finding. The song is based on a book, Into The Mist, by Victoria Hetherington. Here's a CBC article that fills in some details.-we talk about The Beatles song Hey Bulldog. It was an interesting song that The Beatles were filmed, in the studio, creating and recording. There are very few films of them actually working in the studio. Here's a link to some of the film clips from that day.-speaking of films of The Beatles working, here's a link to the short BBC film on the creation of the song All You Need Is Love for the Our World worldwide television broadcast of June, 1967, where the song was premiered.
Newfoundland based, Canadian, singer/songwriter Chris Picco talks with host Paul Romanuk about 1964's Beatles For Sale album. This is the second part of a two-part episode.SHOW NOTES:-Chris has a really good new record out called Split Down The Middle, and you can find out more about Chris and the record at his website.-we talk about a song Chris wrote and put out on his first EP (2004's The Passenger). The song is called Wood 'N Steel. Good luck finding the EP. Here's the link to it on Discogs-we talk about the creative group Perfect Day, who have done almost all of Chris' album artwork as well as that of The Long Distance Runners. Here's a link to their website, where you can see some examples of their great work. Here's the artwork for The Long Distance Runners album Elements (it was nominated for a Juno Award in 2016). Here's the artwork for Chris' EP The Beach, which I thought was pretty cool as well.
Newfoundland singer/songwriter Chris Picco talks with host Paul Romanuk about 1964's Beatles For Sale album.SHOW NOTES:-Chris has a great new record out, Split Down The Middle, and you can find out more about it and Chris' other work at his website.-we talk about what a manic year 1964 - the year they recorded this album - was for The Beatles. Here's a month-by-month, day-by-day list of what they were up to in 1964 (from The Beatles Bible)-Chris refers to Newfoundland musical giant Ron Hynes. Here's a link to his Wikipedia page
Grammy and Juno Award winning singer/songwriter Dan Hill talks, with host Paul Romanuk, about some of his favourite tracks from The Beatles White Album. This is Part II of a two-part episode.EPISODE NOTES:-you can find out more about Dan and his music at his website: danhill.com-Dan's most well-known song is 1977's "Sometimes When We Touch". The song was a global hit record and has been used in countless movies and TV episodes. We talk about the song in Part I of this episode, and here is a lengthy article (from CBC) where Dan talks more about his biggest hit.-we touch on Dan's appearance on the 1985 charity single Tears Are Not Enough. The song was the number one single in Canada that year and featured, at the time, a veritable Who's Who of Canadian music. Here's a good article, from 2015, that looked back on the recording.-Dan's parents (Daniel G. Hill and Donna Hill) were both social activists. Here's a link to an online exhibit about Daniel Hill that was curated by his son (and Dan's brother) Lawrence. It's excellent.-Dan is also a prolific writer. He's been published in numerous magazines and newspapers. Here's a link to a page that showcases some of his finest writing.
Grammy and Juno Award winning singer/songwriter Dan Hill talks, with host Paul Romanuk, about some of his favourite tracks from The Beatles White Album.EPISODE NOTES:-you can find out more about Dan and his music at his website: danhill.com-Dan's most well-known song is 1977's "Sometimes When We Touch". The song was a global hit record and has been used in countless movies and TV episodes. We talk about the song in this episode, and here is a lengthy article (from CBC) where Dan talks more about his biggest hit.-Dan's parents (Daniel G. Hill and Donna Hill) were both social activists. Here's a link to an online exhibit about Daniel Hill that was curated by his son (and Dan's brother) Lawrence. It's excellent.-Dan is also a prolific writer. He's been published in numerous magazines and newspapers. Here's a link to a page that showcases some of his finest writing.
Canadian indie music icon Stephen Stanley (ex-Lowest Of The Low, Stephen Stanley Band) talks about some of his favourite "Beatles guitar moments" with host Paul Romanuk. This episode is the second of a two-part episode. You can find Part I wherever you get your podcasts.EPISODE NOTESHere's the "album" Stephen has put together of his favourite Beatles guitar moments.Side OneAnd I Love Her (Feb 1964) A Hard Day's NightA Hard Day's Night (April 1964) A Hard Day's NightYou've Got to Hide Your Love Away (February 1965) Help!Day Tripper (October 1965) (single)Norwegian Wood (October 1965) Rubber SoulHello, Goodbye (November 1967) Magical Mystery TourSide TwoBlackbird (June 1968) White AlbumDear Prudence (August 1968) White AlbumHelter Skelter (September 1968) White AlbumI Want You (She's So Heavy) (August 1969) Abbey RoadHere Comes the Sun (September 1969) Abbey RoadI've Got A Feeling (January 1969) Let It Be-The Stephen Stanley Band has an indiegogo campaign on the go to raise funds to help with the cost of finishing up and releasing their new album Before The Collapse Of The Hive. Here's a link to the page if you'd like to help out.-You can find out what The Stephen Stanley Band is up to right here-There are numerous pages on The Beatles' guitars. Here's a link to a good overview that appeared on the Guitar World website of the guitars the Fabs used during their recording career together.-Stephen talks about singing with one of his music heroes, Billy Bragg. Billy is one of the great social activist singer/songwriters of all time. Here's more information on him and his work.-Stephen talks about playing on an amp during sessions with Lowest Of The Low in Vancouver that was used by John Lennon during The Beatles Cavern Club days. Here's a page with lots of info on what gear The Beatles used through their careers.-shoutout to musician Chris Bennett for his loan of the original UK pressing of Help! as well as the vintage, 1962, Gretsch Tennessean for the Stephen Stanley episode photo. A note of trivia: that's the same model of Gretsch that George Harrison used on the Help! album.
Canadian indie music icon Stephen Stanley (ex-Lowest Of The Low, Stephen Stanley Band) talks about some of his favourite "Beatles guitar moments" with host Paul Romanuk.EPISODE NOTESHere's the "album" Stephen has put together of his favourite Beatles guitar moments.Side OneAnd I Love Her (Feb 1964) A Hard Day's NightA Hard Day's Night (April 1964) A Hard Day's NightYou've Got to Hide Your Love Away (February 1965) Help!Day Tripper (October 1965) (single)Norwegian Wood (October 1965) Rubber SoulHello, Goodbye (November 1967) Magical Mystery TourSide TwoBlackbird (June 1968) White AlbumDear Prudence (August 1968) White AlbumHelter Skelter (September 1968) White AlbumI Want You (She's So Heavy) (August 1969) Abbey RoadHere Comes the Sun (September 1969) Abbey RoadI've Got A Feeling (January 1969) Let It Be-The Stephen Stanley Band has an indiegogo campaign on the go to raise funds to help with the cost of finishing up and releasing their new album Before The Collapse Of The Hive. Here's a link to the page if you'd like to help out.-You can find out what The Stephen Stanley Band is up to right here-There are numerous pages on The Beatles' guitars. Here's a link to a good overview that appeared on the Guitar World website of the guitars the Fabs used during their recording career together.-shoutout to musician Chris Bennett for his loan of the original UK pressing of Help! as well as the vintage, 1962, Gretsch Tennessean for the Stephen Stanley episode photo. A note of trivia: that's the same model of Gretsch that George Harrison used on the Help! album.
Musician and producer Tim Bovaconti talks with host Paul Romanuk about the 1970 album by John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Live Peace In Toronto. The album was recorded at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, Canada, and featured Lennon, Ono, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman and Alan White.EPISODE NOTES:-The performance was part of the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival - held just three weeks after Woodstock. This festival is a story unto itself, Lennon's performance aside. Here's a link to a great website that tells the story.-Filmaker D.A. Pennebaker (who did the famous Bob Dylan doc Don't Look Back) produced a film of the concert called Sweet Toronto.-Here's some info on the man who designed the cover art for the album, John Kosh. He was early in his career in 1970, but went on to design some iconic album covers.-Here's a link to the piece in The Guardian newspaper that I reference in regards to The Beatles' plans for late 1969 and going forward. The piece centres around research done by Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn.-Tim Bovaconti doesn't have a website, but you can follow him on Instagram at the handles @TimBovaconti OR @TimsGarageRecording
On a day filled with people's memories of one of Canada's greatest singer/songwriters - Gordon Lightfoot - host Paul Romanuk, like millions of others, has some personal memories that are forever attached to Lightfoot and his music.
Part Two of classical pianist and artistic director of The Art Of Time Ensemble, Andrew Burashko's conversation with host Paul Romanuk about The Beatles' 1967 classic, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Andrew and Paul also talk about The Art Of Time Ensemble's reinterpretation of the album in a series of concerts in 2012.EPISODE NOTESMore information of The Art Of Time Ensemble can be found here.I found this review, by Globe And Mail entertainment writer Brad Wheeler, of the shows that The Art Of Time Ensemble did in 2012.Here's some more information on Andrew Burashko.In this episode I talk about the studio set up at Abbey Road (then EMI Recording Studios). Here's a great history of the place.We talk about the crazy night in Studio One when the orchestral crescendo for A Day In The Life was recorded. Here's some video footage of the night.Here's a review, from The Guardian newspaper in 1967, of Sgt. Pepper's LHCB. Kind of a fun read and window into the thoughts of the time RE: pop music and The Beatles.
In this episode, classical pianist and artistic director of The Art Of Time Ensemble, Andrew Burashko, talks with host Paul Romanuk about The Beatles genre bending 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Andrew and Paul also discuss The Art Of Time Ensemble's reinterpretation of the album in a series of concerts in 2012.EPISODE NOTESYou can find out more about The Art Of Time Ensemble here.Here is a review (by Brad Wheeler) of the Sgt. Pepper's shows that The Art Of Time Ensemble performed in Toronto in 2012.Here is more information on Andrew Burashko.
Musician and Musicologist Mike Daley joins host Paul Romanuk to talk about The Beatles much bootlegged and sort of, kind of, semi-officially released live recordings from The Star-Club in Hamburg, West Germany in 1962.SHOW NOTES:-we talk about it, but for a much more detailed account of the Star-Club tapes and how this whole mess came to be, check out this page-there are several versions of these tapes, the one we talk about was a Canadian release called Pickwick Star Club, Vol. 2. Here is a YouTube playlist that Mike put together of the version we talk about in this episode and the corresponding track order.-here's a page of images of The Star-Club from "back in the day". The building it was in burned down in 1987.-we talk about the so-called de-mixing technology that might be used to restore the audio that exists from the Star-Club shows. The best version of this technology as of this writing is the one that was used by director Peter Jackson for The Beatles Get Back film from 2021. It was also used to de-mix the instruments on the recent re-issue of Revolver, that were locked in on one track. Here's an article that explains how the technology works.-Here's Mike Daley's website: https://mikedaleymusic.com/
Host Paul Romanuk talks with singer/songwriter/musician Jerry Leger about John Lennon's 1973 album Mind Games.EPISODE NOTES:You can find out about all things Jerry Leger at his official web site jerryleger.com Anything we discuss about his music, album covers and so on is on that site.More information on host Paul Romanuk and The Walrus Was Paul podcast at Paul's official website romycast.com Here's a link to a television commercial that was done in 1973 to promote Mind Games. I believe that's John Lennon you can hear laughing in the background.We talk about John Lennon appearing on a syndicated US talk show - The Mike Douglas Show - where Lennon apparently came up with the idea for the song Only People. I have clear memories of running home from school that week to see John and Yoko on TV.We talk about legendary US session drummer Jim Keltner. Here's a great interview he did with Ross Garfield (aka The Drum Doctor).The album was recorded at The Record Plant in NYC. It's long gone. Here's a photo of Lennon in the control room. The guy with him in the yellow shirt is legendary engineer Roy Cicala.
Moe Berg - a Canadian indie music icon and front man of The Pursuit Of Happiness - displays his Beatle chops, chatting with host Paul Romanuk about The Beatles' 1966 North American release Yesterday And Today. EPISODE NOTES-Find out all things Moe Berg at his personal website, moeberg.ca I highly recommend his blog (which he doesn't contribute to nearly enough!) for some great insights into music and culture.-Here's a link to The Pursuit Of Happiness website.-Here's a link to The Pursuit Of Happiness Wikipedia page. -We talk about the infamous Beatles "Butcher Cover" for the album. Here's a link to the original cover art.And the story behind the cover fiasco.-Here's the crap cover they ended up with.-We talk about a band Moe worked with called The Ambers. Here's a link to a YouTube playlist of the album we were talking about.
In this episode of The Walrus Was Paul, veteran session drummer Barry Keane talks with host Paul Romanuk about an album he loves and the memories that go with it - the 1964 North American release by The Beatles, Something New. Barry also talks about his amazing career and being on the drum kit with Gordon Lightfoot for over 40 years.You can read Barry Keane's full bio right here.SHOW NOTESHere is the cover of the Something New album.It was taken during the recording of one of the Ed Sullivan episodes The Beatles performed on. We also talk about the "hype copy" on the back of the album. Classic 1960s North American stuff.We also talk about Dave Dexter Jr., the 1960s Capitol Records, North America, executive who was primarily responsible for the "Frankenstein-ing" of The Beatles UK catalogue for US release. You can read more about that here. There is also a fascinating discussion on the well respected Steve Hoffman Music Forum about whether Dexter deserves credit or derision for his work on those North American Beatles records.Barry has played on many big hits during his drumming career. He mentions Canadian singer/songwriter Ian Thomas and his 1973 hit Painted Ladies. The record charted in both Canada and the US. Here is the song, with Barry on the skins....
In this episode of The Walrus Was Paul, one of Canada's most talented and respected singer/songwriter/arrangers on the indy scene, Jose Contreras, talks with host Paul Romanuk about the 1963 Beatles record With The Beatles. Jose also talks about his band, By Divine Right, and their great new album Otto Motto.You can find out loads about By Divine Right by visiting their website or, better yet, their bandcamp page.Content Notes:At one point in the episode we talk about the cover By Divine Right did of the Depeche Mode album Speak and Spell, including their homage to the cover art. Here is the original cover art. Here is By Divine Right's version.We also refer to the cover of their newest album. Here is what it looks like. We also talk about the iconic cover art of With The Beatles, photographed by Robert Freeman.
In the first episode of Series Three of The Walrus Was Paul, musician, singer and songwriter Jane Gowan talks with host Paul Romanuk about John Lennon's 1971 number one album Imagine. Jane also talks about her recent work with her band, The Real Shade, and also her work as a podcaster.The Walrus Was Paul on Facebook
To kick off Series Three of The Walrus Was Paul, it's the Third Annual The Walrus Was Paul Christmas Special! In this episode we hear from musicians Barry Keane, Jose Contreras, Jerry Leger, Craig Northey and Jane Gowan as they relate their Beatles themed Christmas memories. Host Paul Romanuk also talks about his memories of The Beatles' music and the Christmas season.
In the final episode of Series Two, singer/songwriter/musician Jerry Leger talks with Paul Romanuk about Side Two of the 1965 Capitol North American release Beatles VI. Jerry also talks about his old job working in a hardware store and how that lead to him meeting Canadian songwriter Ron Sexsmtih. Also, lots of talk about Jerry's great new record Nothing Pressing. You can find out a lot about Jerry and his music if you visit his website http://jerryleger.com/home/ (jerryleger.com) Also, be sure to visit his https://jerryleger.bandcamp.com/music (Bandcamp page). You can also find his music across all streaming platforms. During the podcast, we discuss the https://paulkerr.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/jl-nothing-pressing-cover-1-scaled-1.jpg?w=748&h=748 (cool cover photo) for Jerry's latest album. The woman who took the photo, Laura Proctor, is a photojournalist. You can see some of her work at her website https://www.lauraproctor.com (lauraproctor.com) If you're a regular listener, thanks for your support over the first two series of this podcast. Not sure when/if I'll be back with a Series Three. Stay tuned.
Series Two winds down with a two-parter: Musician, singer and songwriter Jerry Leger talks to Paul Romanuk about The Beatles' 1965 North American release album Beatles VI. This episode focuses on Side One. We also talk about Jerry's great new album Nothing Pressing. One of the things we talk about in this episode is the photo on the cover of the album, and how you couldn't really tell what they were holding/doing. Were they holding a golf club? Was it a camera remote cable? Here's the http://www.beatlesebooks.com/files/1619622/uploaded/beatles%20cake%20full.jpg (uncropped photo), so you can see what the answer is. Jerry's website is https://jerryleger.com/home/ (jerryleger.com) You can purchase his new album there or you can stream it wherever you stream your music. As always, you are welcome to leave a comment below.
In the 2nd part of our discussion, musicians/songwriters and co-founding members of Martha And The Muffins, Martha Johnson and Mark Gane, talk to host Paul Romanuk about The Beatles amazing 1966 album Revolver. Also, there is lots of discussion about the very eclectic career of Martha And The Muffins. Aside from diving into each track on Side Two of Revolver, we also talk about Martha And The Muffins current album of B-sides and alternate versions, Marthology. There is also some cool talk about their cover art, Mark's guitar heroes, the inspiration behind the track Women Around The World At Work and a great story about an instrumental track that closes out Side One of This Is The Ice Age, and why that track kept playing over in my head when I lived in London. You can find out more about Martha and Mark at their website http://marthaandthemuffins.com (marthaandthemuffins.com) Martha is on Twitter - @marthajohnson13 The band has pages on https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=martha%20and%20the%20muffins (Facebook) and also on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuzxzoXahq1G3oWujVx4T5w (YouTube). Their music is on all streaming services.
Founding members of the fantastic new wave band Martha And The Muffins (Martha Johnson and Mark Gane) talk with Paul Romanuk about The Beatles ground breaking 1966 album Revolver. This is the first of two episodes with M+M. In this episode we talk Side One, the next episode will cover Side Two. Lots of talk (of course!) about The Beatles and the different world they'd entered in terms of recording methods and songwriting around this time. But, also lots of talk about Martha And The Muffins and their work - the global hit single Echo Beach, their great album This Is The Ice Age, working with producer Daniel Lanois, Martha's crush on Paul McCartney - it's all there! You can find out more about what Martha and Mark are up to if you visit their website: http://marthaandthemuffins.com (marthaandthemuffins.com) They also have a https://www.facebook.com/marthaandthemuffins (Facebook page) and a https://www.youtube.com/user/marthaandthemuffins (YouTube page). Here is https://www.allmusic.com/album/this-is-the-ice-age-mw0000765009 (a link to a review of, for me, their best album, This Is The Ice Age.) Mark plays a great guitar solo in a song called Women Around The World At Work on that album. Here's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T-z23yWHf4 (a link to the track). Here is an https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKeHRh-tohE (acoustic version) they posted of the same song for International Women's Day in 2019. As always, your comments are welcome.
Veteran drummer Barry Keane - on the drum stool for over 40 years with Gordon Lightfoot and his band - talks to Paul Romanuk about The Beatles' 1963 album With The Beatles. This is Part Two of their conversation, which centres around Side Two of the album. Aside from lots of Beatles talk and lots of Ringo drumming talk, Barry also tells the story of the recording session for one of Lightfoot's greatest songs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wreck_of_the_Edmund_Fitzgerald (The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald.) The song was a North American number one record in 1976 and Barry's tom-tom fills are a masterclass in doing exactly what was perfect for the song. Here's a link to https://www.discogs.com/artist/363917-Barry-Keane (Barry's Discogs page). It shows a few of the hundreds of tracks he's played on.
Veteran session drummer and the man on the drum kit for over 40 years with The Gordon Lightfoot Band - Barry Keane - talks to Paul Romanuk about The Beatles second album, With The Beatles. Like millions of others, those early Beatles albums turned something on in Barry's mind and made him want to become a musician. Barry has played on hundreds of albums but is best known for his great work with Gordon Lightfoot (Listen to those brilliantly understated tom fills on The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald and you'll know, immediately, how Barry likes to approach a track). Lots of talk in this episode, not surprisingly, about Ringo's drumming. Barry also shares some great stories from his early days in the Canadian recording business as an A&R guy (there's a good one about Rick James jumping up and down on his desk, declaring "I'm gonna be a star!") before he decided that his place was behind a drum kit and not a desk. Here's Barry's profile on https://www.discogs.com/artist/363917-Barry-Keane (discogs.com)
Songwriter and Musician James Clark (aka The James Clark Institute) and host Paul Romanuk continue their discussion about the 1973 Billboard #1 album Ringo. They talk about Side Two on this episode. The previous episode (S2 E15) digs into Side One. Aside from talking about the great music on the album, we also talk about James Clark's music and how some of it has been influenced by his early days listening to The Beatles. We also talk a little about longtime Beatles roadie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal_Evans (Mal Evans), who co-wrote a song (with George Harrison) for the album. There is also a long discussion about the artwork for the album. Here's a link to an https://www.beatlesbible.com/people/ringo-starr/albums/ringo/2/#The_cover_artwork (article that details who is who on the elaborate cover. )Also, we talked about some of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Voormann (Klaus Voorman's) spectacular drawings for the booklet that came with original copies of the record - https://www.julienslive.com/images/lot/4694/46943_8.jpg?1520070025 (including this one) for the Devil Woman track that set many a 12-year old boy's imagination racing in 1973. You can find James Clark at https://www.clarkinstitute.com/music (www.clarkinstitute.com) He's on Twitter: @thejci Insta: @jamesclarkinstitute And he's also on YouTube. Facebook and Bandcamp.
Songwriter and Musician James Clark (aka The James Clark Institute) talks with host Paul Romanuk about the 1973 Billboard #1 album "Ringo". We talk about Side One on this episode. The album features a stellar cast: all three of the other Beatles, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Preston (Billy Preston), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Nilsson (Harry Nilsson), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Bolan (Marc Bolan) (just to name a few) and it was produced by the great https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Perry (Richard Perry). Aside from talking about the great music on the album, we also talk about James Clark's music and how some of it has been influenced by his early days listening to The Beatles. We also talk a little about songwriter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Newman (Randy Newman) and pianist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Booker (James Booker) and, also, about the death of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otis_Redding (Otis Redding). You can find James Clark at https://www.clarkinstitute.com/music (www.clarkinstitute.com) He's on Twitter: @thejci Insta: @jamesclarkinstitute And he's also on YouTube. Facebook and Bandcamp.
Musician/songwriter/producer and founder of the great power pop band The Pursuit Of Happiness - Moe Berg - talks with host Paul Romanuk about Side Two of Paul McCartney's debut solo album, McCartney (Moe and Paul discuss Side One in the previous episode). Topics covered include Moe's take on what he considers to be the finest post-Beatles song written by any of the four Fabs. Moe also tells a great story about meeting one of his musical heroes - the great Joni Mitchell - at a very small and intimate gig she played in the studio of the old Canadian music channel MuchMusic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wn2qaUhtxM (Here's a link to the show he's talking about.) If you watch it, you'll see that Moe is right there in the front row. He's the cool looking dude with long hair and glasses. You can find out more about Moe and read loads of his writing at his website:http://moeberg.ca ( moeberg.ca) Moe is on Twitter and Instagram at the handle @moeTPOH https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Happiness_(band) (Here's the Wikipedia page) on The Pursuit Of Happiness. You can stream their music on all streaming services.
Founding member, chief songwriter and singer for the amazing Canadian power pop band The Pursuit of Happiness, Moe Berg, digs into Paul McCartney's 1970 solo album McCartney with host Paul Romanuk. Moe, a self described "McCartney guy", talks about how the record resonates differently with him at this stage of his life and career than it did when he first heard it as a kid. Moe also talks about McCartney's gift for melody, even on some of the tracks on the album that only sound half-finished. And he also relates to McCartney not wanting to record an album "that would have sounded like a Beatles album", from his own experience of recording his first solo album away from his band The Pursuit of Happiness. Here's the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Happiness_(band) (Wiki page on The Pursuit of Happiness). Be sure to visit Moe Berg at his website https://moeberg.ca (moeberg.ca.) You can also find him on both Twitter and Insta at the handle @MOEtpoh.
In this special Bonus Episode of The Walrus Was Paul, host Paul Romanuk takes a look at the four songs released by the Beatles that grabbed the prestigious Number One position on the UK Christmas Singles chart. The Beatles hold the distinction of having more Christmas Number Ones than any other group. Paul McCartney also managed to pull off a Christmas Number One with his post-Beatles band, Wings. This episode features a brief overview of each song - the story behind the song and its chart success in the UK and North America. Here's a list of all of the UK Christmas Number Ones from over the years: https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/every-official-christmas-number-1-ever-__3618/ (officialcharts.com) As an aside, the Beatles also dominated the UK Christmas Number One Albums Chart - where they hold the distinction of having nailed the top position a record seven times. https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/every-official-christmas-number-1-album__34709/ (Here's a story about that.)
Don't miss the hidden track at the end of the episode (just like on original copies of Abbey Road). One of Canada's finest songwriters, Jim Cuddy, and his bandmate and ace guitar player Colin Cripps join host Paul Romanuk to talk about Side Two of the Beatles fantastic 1969 album Abbey Road. This episode is the second part of their conversation about the album. In the previous episode the conversation was all about Side One. Topics covered in this episode include how well the Side Two "Long One" (as the Beatles referred to it while they were recording the record) came together, plus the great guitar playing in the album finale, "The End". Jim also talks about when we might expect to see his next solo record. And, Colin and Jim each tell a great story behind a song that each of them has written during their career. For information on the new Blue Rodeo record and the band, visit https://www.bluerodeo.com/ (bluerodeo.com) Jim also has his own great website, where you can read all about his solo work, https://www.jimcuddy.com/ (jimcuddy.com) Colin Cripps is an impressive guy in his own right. Here's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Cripps (his Wikipedia page) - and here's where you can find out about http://www.colincripps.com/ (some of his solo work). As Beatles aficionados will know, there is a hidden track at the end of the Abbey Road record. So, whatever you do, don't miss the hidden track at the end of this episode! It's a cool little story from Colin that you won't want to miss.
Making their 2nd appearance on The Walrus Was Paul podcast - one of Canada's finest song writers, Jim Cuddy, and his good friend and Blue Rodeo bandmate, lead guitarist Colin Cripps. Chatting with host Paul Romanuk, the guys dig into what many regard as The Beatles finest album, 1969's Abbey Road. In this episode - focused in on the first side of the album - Jim and Colin marvel and give their takes on Paul McCartney's singing on Oh Darling, George Harrison's great guitar solo on Something and John Lennon's hypnotic opus I Want You (She's So Heavy). There is also lots of talk about what Blue Rodeo is up to and how they put their great new album, Many A Mile, together during the pandemic. For lots of information on the new record and the band, visit https://www.bluerodeo.com (bluerodeo.com) Jim has his own great website, where you can read all about his solo work, https://www.jimcuddy.com (jimcuddy.com) Colin Cripps is an impressive guy in his own right. Here's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Cripps (his Wikipedia page) - and here's where you can find out about http://www.colincripps.com (some of his solo work). This episode is the first of two parts - in the next one Jim and Colin will focus in on Side Two of Abbey Road.
What's one more opinion, right? The Walrus Was Paul host Paul Romanuk has his take on the spectacular Peter Jackson Get Back documentary that has the Beatles (and non-Beatles) world buzzing. In a nutshell - how about some appreciation for the amazing work of the project's original director, Michael Lindsay-Hogg? Not only is he responsible for the 60+ hours of footage and 150+ hours of audio tapes that formed the backbone of 2021's Get Back, but, as the new film clearly shows, he accomplished this with a group of four musicians who were, at the time, pretty indifferent to the whole concept. You can find out more about Michael Lindsay-Hogg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Lindsay-Hogg (here), or at his personal webpage: https://michaellindsay-hogg.com/paintings (michael lindsay-hogg.com)
Musician and Musicologist Mike Daley joins host Paul Romanuk to discuss side two of John Lennon's 1974 solo album Walls and Bridges (they discuss side one of the record in the previous episode, S2 E9). In Beatles lore, this is the famous "Lost Weekend" album that Lennon recorded when he was separated from Yoko Ono for about 18 months. Side two features the haunting Number Nine Dream, as well as Lennon's love song to his then-girlfriend May Pang - Surprise Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox). We also discuss the infamous John Lennon Sings The Great Rock & Roll Hits album of 1975 on the Adam VIII label. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSA0o-Xp1Ak (Here's the awful, K-Tel like, TV commercial that ran before the lawyers put a stop to it.) You can find out more about Mike Daley by visiting his website: https://mikedaleymusic.com (mikedaleymusic.com)
Musician and musicologist Mike Daley talks to host Paul Romanuk about the first side of John Lennon's 1974 solo album Walls and Bridges - Lennon's so-called "Lost Weekend" album that he recorded while he was separated from Yoko Ono. Lots of cool stuff in here, including Lennon working with Elton John on the album's biggest hit, Whatever Gets You Through The Night. We also talk about a great overlooked Lennon "deep cut", the lovely ballad Bless You. Mike also talks about his work with one of the great lead guitarists of all time, the late Jeff Healey. If you're not familiar with Jeff's work, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCaL_v2EHvc (check out this cover) that he did of While My Guitar Gently Weeps. It has over 2M views. Mike Daley's website is: https://mikedaleymusic.com/home (mikedaleymusic.com). Lots of great stuff to see there, including Mike's extremely well researched video lecture series called The Beatles And Their World.
Musician and songwriter Alun Piggins talks to host Paul Romanuk in Part 2 of our look at The Beatles 1994 album The Beatles Live At The BBC. Tracks discussed in this episode include I Feel Fine, Ticket To Ride and Love Me Do. Although his grunge days are behind him, Alun used to front The Morganfields, a grunge band that enjoyed a run of success in the early 90s in Canada. He's put out some decent solo albums since those days; you can find out all about those records at Alun's website: https://www.alunpiggins.com (alunpiggins.com) His https://alunpiggins.bandcamp.com (Bandcamp page) is here. There's loads of information out there about The Beatles BBC sessions. I think one of the best online stops is at https://www.beatlesbible.com (BeatlesBible.com) - here is their page on the https://www.beatlesbible.com/features/beatles-bbc-radio-recordings/ (BBC Sessions), with detail about what tracks were played on what shows.
Alun Piggins, the former front man of the Canadian, early 90s, grunge band The Morganfields, drops by on this episode to talk with host Paul Romanuk about The Beatles 1994 release The Beatles Live At The BBC. Alun's music - both playing in bands and as a solo artist - has been heavily influenced by his early days spent listening to Beatles records. He talks about those influences as well as telling a few great stories about his days spent playing bars and clubs around the world (the "Detroit Concert" story from when he was with The Morganfields is laugh out loud funny). Be sure to check out Alun's great website for loads of info about him, his career and his music at https://www.alunpiggins.com/ (alunpiggins.com) Here's a link to his https://alunpiggins.bandcamp.com/ (Bandcamp page). Although I do talk about this in the episode, https://www.beatlesbible.com/features/beatles-bbc-radio-recordings/ (here is a more detailed listing) of all of The Beatles appearances at the BBC and what they played on each show.
The Weber Brothers - Sam and Ryan - head up a crackin' episode as they dive into 1964's Beatles For Sale, track by track with host Paul Romanuk. If there is an underrated Beatles record, this may be it. It was The Beatles 2nd album of 1964 and came during a busy year that saw them touring the world, starring in a movie and recording two albums. Lots of discussion in this episode about the Fabs - but also the Weber's cool career. They both apprenticed under the great Ronnie "The Hawk" Hawkins and have stories to tell about that. They talk about the time John Lennon and Yoko Ono stayed with Ronnie on his farm (located near Toronto) back in December, 1969. The boys also tell a great story about waiting by a dumpster in St. Louis to serenade the great Chuck Berry and also getting to play with Chuck at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Check out their website: https://weberbrothers.com/ (weberbrothers.com) for all kinds of great info on them, their band and their great music - including their newest record, Choose Your Own Adventure.
Canadian indie music icon Stephen Stanley (Lowest of The Low, Stephen Stanley Band) talks to Paul Romanuk about the 1988 album Travelling Wilburys Vol. I. The album has a Beatles connection, as musical legends Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne teamed up with former Fab George Harrison. Stephen talks about his love of the record, Bob Dylan and making music with friends and how that can add to the outcome of the record you're making. He also talks about making an album, when he was in Lowest Of The Low, with the man who worked as an engineer on the Wilburys' record - Don Smith. For all things Stephen Stanley, visit his website at https://stephenstanleyband.com (stephenstanleyband.com )
In Part Two of our look at The Beatles 1968 classic, The White Album, songwriter/musician Jane Gowan of The Real Shade talks about Sides 3 & 4, track by track, with host Paul Romanuk. Lots of info about The Real Shade, and Jane's latest venture with Rheostatics singer/songwriter Tim Vesely, can be found at https://www.therealshade.com/ (therealshade.com)
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