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This week, Gabrielle is revealing the exact tools she uses to raise her vibration in under 15 minutes. She shares her four favorite manifesting practices from Abraham Hicks—the spiritual guides who radically changed her life—and explains how to get into the energetic state of alignment with your higher self and desires, known as "The Vortex." When you're in the Vortex, you feel joy, love, and appreciation, allowing your desires to manifest. You'll learn how to shift your energy with the Emotional Guidance Scale, play the powerful “Wouldn't It Be Nice” game, and use the Rampage of Appreciation to quickly release resistance. If manifestation has felt hard or forced, these simple practices will help you raise your vibration and allow what you desire to flow to you with natural ease.Join Gabrielle on her 2026 Time to Trust Tour! Get your ticket here https://gabbybernstein.com/events/Try Gabrielle's FREE magnetic energy meditation to supercharge your attracting powers http://bit.ly/40gOfueJoin the 21-Day Trust the Universe Challenge to strengthen your faith and surrender control https://bit.ly/4lK34OpRead Gabrielle's #1 NYT Bestselling books: The Universe Has Your Back https://amzn.to/43Byn7o and Super Attractor https://amzn.to/3a0nPln If you feel you need additional support, please consult this list of safety, recovery, and mental health resources.Disclaimer: This podcast is intended to educate, inspire, and support you on your personal journey towards inner peace. I am not a psychologist or a medical doctor and do not offer any professional health or medical advice. If you are suffering from any psychological or medical conditions, please seek help from a qualified health professional.SPONSORSVisit functionhealth.com/DEARGABBY or use code DEARGABBY25 for a $25 credit toward your membershipProduced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
[ ♪ The Beach Boys' "Wouldn't It Be Nice" ♪ ] Back with another one, we circle the drain with some of The Newz (some embarRICEment and all still mostly quite bad), briefly exploring Josh's own week of manospheric self-improvement (stay tuned for more!), and eventually reaching a discussion about the documentary Louis Theroux: The Manosphere, causing us to wonder: Why is this still relevant? What year is this? Who are these people? Do they actually like sex, even a little? Do they enjoy anything? Is this any different from any other snake oil sales associate kind of scheme from the dawn of mammalian resource hoarding? Which of these guys is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost? And why can't we harness nihilistic grifter energy for good? Why so much bad and not so much good, huh?Recorded on Saturday, March 21st, 2569 around 11.00 AM Korea Standard Time. Commiserate on Discord: discord.gg/aDf4Yv9PrYNever Forget: standwithdanielhale.orgGenral RecommendationsJosh's Recommendations: 1) A Different World (plus an exhaustive LLM-generated response to my question about the strange half-remembered sensation about the show and its cultural legacy) and 2) Ben Norton | Oil war: US war on Iran aims to save petrodollar and global dollar dominanceTim's Recommendation: None (Editor's note: but here's the upside to nothingness)Further Reading, Viewing, ListeningShow notes + Full list of links, sources, etcEternal thanks to Rm Brown ("King of the Soundboard")More From Timothy Robert BuechnerPodcast: Q&T ARE / violentpeople.co Tweets: @ROHDUTCHLocationless Locationsheatdeathpod.comEvery show-related link is corralled and available here.Twitter: @heatdeathpodPlease send all Letters of Derision, Indifference, Inquiry, Mild Elation, et cetera to: heatdeathoftheuniversepodcast@gSend us Fan MailSupport the showSupport: patreon / buzzsprout
What a morning. Lisa & Russell spoke with Beach Boys founding member Al Jardine. Alongside The Pet Sounds Band (featuring Brian Wilson’s acclaimed touring musicians) he will be performing the big ones from the classic Beach Boys catalogue including “California Girls,” “Help Me Rhonda,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” and “Heroes And Villains”, plus more. Al Jardine and The Pet Sounds Band play The Regal Theatre on Thursday 25 June. Tickets on sale www.davidroywilliams.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week's Mixtape Rewind takes you back to where Matt and Sam reviewed memorable first tracks from albums. The first track can make you stay, skip, or fall in love. We dove into 12 album openers that don't just start a record — they define it — and traced how a great intro sets the promise for everything that follows. From the sunlit optimism of the Beach Boys' Wouldn't It Be Nice to the neon stride of Taylor Swift's Welcome to New York, we explore how artists use track one to signal a theme, a shift, or a dare.We share the moments that hooked us: Alanis Morissette cutting straight to the bone on All I Really Want, Pearl Jam's Once roaring to life as a debut mission statement, and Chance the Rapper turning gospel joy into a full-album thesis on All We Got. We also talk about pivots and reinvention — Springsteen's The E Street Shuffle breaking from his Dylan-leaning debut, and Swift's leap from Nashville to skyscraper synth-pop — and why that boldness belongs right up front. Along the way, we celebrate high-voltage openers like Sleigh Bells' Tell 'Em, the literate punch of Titus Andronicus' A More Perfect Union, the tender sting of Dashboard Confessional's Hands Down, the bittersweet charm of The Shins' Kissing the Lipless, and Andrew Bird's Fiery Crash turning an airline safety demo into a meditation on mortality.This is a love letter to sequencing, storytelling, and the lost art of letting an album guide your night. Matt and Samer go through twelve songs that served as the opening tracks for some amazing albums.You can find the mix here on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/playlist/04FSmhh5ejKJ5oDdPr1WED?si=060ea013ab8c4c761. A More Perfect Union - Titus Andronicus2. Somebody's Baby - Jackson Browne3. Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells4. Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys5. All We Got - Chance the Rapper6. All I Really Want - Alanis Morrissette7. Kissing the Lipless - The Shins8. The E Street Shuffle - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band9. Hands Down - Dashboard Confessional10. Once - Pearl Jam11. Fiery Crash - Andrew Bird12. Welcome to New York - Taylor Swift13. Let Go - Frou Frou14. Back on the Block - Quincy Jones15. Marching Bands of Manhattan - Death Cab for Cutie16. Where the Streets Have No Name - U2 Support the showVisit us at https://www.superawesomemix.com to learn more about our app, our merchandise, our cards, and more!
This week on the show, host Sara J is continuing a listener-favorite format with another deep dive into unforgettable moments in music history—this time spanning January 16–22.From the opening of the legendary Whisky A Go-Go on the Sunset Strip to Eric Clapton's iconic MTV Unplugged session, the birth of Mötley Crüe, and the formation of Bad Company, this episode explores a week packed with defining rock moments. We also revisit infamous and unforgettable events like Ozzy Osbourne's bat-biting incident, Neil Young's solo debut, Buddy Holly's final apartment recordings, and the Beach Boys beginning work on “Wouldn't It Be Nice.”Plus, we celebrate music birthdays from legends like Sade, Janis Joplin, Dolly Parton, Paul Stanley, Questlove, Steve Perry, and more—while also remembering Glenn Frey and David Crosby.Part rock history, part cosmic coincidence, and part personal reflection (including a birthday shout-out close to home)Donate to DATC Media Company: https://datcmediacompany.com/supportJoin the community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Datcmediacompany/giftWant to be a guest on the show? https://datcmediacompany.com/contact/ola/services/be-a-guest-on-dropped-among-this-crowd-podcastWant to be a RoughGauge featured artist? Send an email to: saraj@roughgaugellc.comWebsite: https://www.roughgaugellc.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/roughgaugellc/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoughGaugeTicTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@roughgauge.llcShare your feedback: https://forms.gle/6ow1bYwtLveFmGGu8The Copper Penny Project: https://www.instagram.com/thecopperpennyproject/Something On- https://www.youtube.com/live/FQS9KZXazBc?si=lDK8vz-5NNvluQXwHave you worked with DATC Media? Share your feedback: https://forms.gle/atJri2DMrnZ6szBD9Want to work with Sara? Book a one-on-one session to bring your music/media vision to life: https://datcmediacompany.com/contact/ola/services/consulting-services-with-sara-jLet's Collab! https://datcmediacompany.com/collab-opportunties-1The DATC Media Podcast Network: https://datcmediacompany.com/podcasts-1Follow DATC Media:https://datcmediacompany.comhttps://www.facebook.com/datcmediahttps://www.instagram.com/datcmediacompany/Follow Dropped Among This Crowd Podcast:https://www.instagram.com/droppedamongthiscrowdpodcast/https://www.facebook.com/droppedamongthiscrowd/Email: droppedamongthiscrowdpod@gmail.comBook a conversation on "Dropped among this Crowd": https://datcmediacompany.com/contact/ola/services/be-on-dropped-among-this-crowd-podcastFollow Sara J:https://www.facebook.com/sara.till41/https://www.instagram.com/sarajachimiak/
"I put myself in situations where I didn't have a back door and couldn't run away from myself. The natural consequence was that I felt lighter, and I'm finishing the year more proud of myself than I've ever been, with more confidence." In this episode, Heather guides you through her unique process for creating a personalized, focused plan for 2026 that brings real lightness into your life. But that doesn't mean bypassing internal struggles or heavy emotions, because you can't reclaim your time or create more peace without addressing your biggest energy leaks. If your goal is to feel lighter next year, while bringing on more responsibilities that move you forward, this conversation will guide you to work with the four essential energy types that support real growth, so you can release what no longer fits and move forward with more ease, clarity, and self-trust. What to listen for: ✨ 80% of how you spend your day is hiding, and why you need a north star ✨ The four types of energy you need to understand how to manage for growth ✨ Understanding the type of dreamer you are and how to work with yourself ✨ Why the more responsibility you have, the lighter you should feel "When you begin to embody this identity of 'the more responsibility I have, the lighter I should feel', your brain begins to find evidence of how that's possible. Because the way that you manage your time and energy is focused on how light you can feel." ✨ Shifting the belief systems that limit your ability to experience lightness ✨ Continuously and relentlessly facing the parts of yourself you avoid ✨ Living for others as a way to feel better, but with strong boundaries "You have to face parts of yourself that you've never, ever, ever faced, especially with that identity. And to be lighter, you have to let go." ✨ Getting radically honest about what you're sacrificing by holding on to stories ✨ Auditing the tasks currently on your plate to uncover what you can release ✨ Holding the emotional discomfort of learning how to trust and receive ✨ Why women often use strategy and information to avoid integration "You have one precious life, and if you're wasting time on a strategy that's not working, it's time to put it down. If you are wasting it on relationships or skills that aren't working, or you feel like you've outgrown a career, it's time to put them down." ✨ Using community support to enhance personal growth and accountability ✨ Understanding that fear can be a catalyst for growth if managed intentionally ✨ Creating a 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' list to help clarify your desires ******* For those of you who are ready to stop feeling drained, overextended, and out of alignment… join me for a one-on-one Time & Energy Audit, a focused session designed to help high-achieving women uncover what's draining them, clarify what truly matters, and create a simple plan that fits their life. We'll pinpoint your biggest time + energy leaks, identify the top areas to focus on for quick momentum, and map out exactly what to let go of so you can reclaim your energy, your time, and your joy. Ready to make your time work for you without adding more to your plate? Book a Time & Energy Audit: https://heatherchauvin.com/audit Not ready for 1:1? Join the membership (cancel anytime): https://heatherchauvin.com/membership
Former high-school teacher turned hypnotherapist, DJ, and three-time spiritual entrepreneur, Anna Cantwell shares how she went from burnout and "can't-pay-rent" panic to making great money doing work she loves—by prioritizing receiving, play, and ease. We dig into Hot Money Summer–style prompts, why compliments are cash practice, and practical ways to circulate stuck energy so abundance can find you. In this conversation From broke, sick, and overworked to six figures in 15 hours/week—what changed (and what didn't). Why "hard work = money" breaks down—and the feminine side of receiving. The Zone of Proximal Development for money mentors (learning from someone just ahead of you). Fun, fast exercises: "Hot Money Bummers → Wouldn't It Be Nice…," playful income reframes, and saying "thank you, I receive that." Circulating energy: clothing swaps, donating, and finding the money you forgot you had. Book sneak peek: Abundance Mindset Magic—the fun, feminine & magical way to manifest money and open yourself to receive. Try-it-now prompts Compliment practice: For 7 days reply, "Thank you—I receive that." Notice what shifts. Reframe your income: Write the funnest way to describe how you currently make money—and one way you'd love to. Clear & circulate: Unused items → swap/donate to create space for new inflow. Connect with Anna Book: Abundance Mindset Magic (available via major booksellers). IG: @iamannacantwell Connect with Jen Join the Manifestation Playground Instagram → @manifestationandmoneypodcast Cheers to creating a life you love!
Under the California Sun, Scott does roam, humming the echoes of Good Vibrations along with foam. The Surfin' Safari begins at dawn, while the Fun, Fun, Fun of the waves rolls on.He pauses where the sea meets the God Only Knows sky, dreaming with a Wouldn't It Be Nice sigh. The breeze carries whispers of Don't Worry Baby near, as gulls cry melodies only his heart can hear.Through the sand, he traces a Sloop John B rhyme, tides singing I Get Around to the rhythm of time.When twilight falls on this Endless Summer shore, he'll leave with The Beach Boys in his soul forevermore.The Beach Boys were the last group to play at this year's Eat to the Beat concert series at the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival...and Scott finally got to see them in concert!During this episode, not only will you hear some of their music, you'll also hear about some of the great food, snacks, and fun and crazy cool experiences Scott had with his good friends, Karen, Brian, and Russell. As a bonus, you'll get to hear a bunch from Karen and Russell, two former Guests on The Mouse and Me. (Listen to their interviews!)Have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!Email: TheMouseAndMePodcast@gmail.comSupport: www.patreon.com/themouseandmeFB and Instagram: “The Mouse and Me”Music by Kevin MacLeod from https://incompetech.filmmusic.io
In this episode, Chris and Chris dive into Brian Wilson's life leading up to the creation of The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and take a closer look at the beautiful and complex “God Only Knows.” Originally released as the B-side to “Wouldn't It Be Nice,” the song wasn't a major hit at the time, but has gone on to become one of the most revered and timeless tracks in pop music history. With Brian Wilson's passing earlier this year, the conversation also reflects on his influence and the emotional weight this song continues to carry nearly six decades later. Chris DeMakes A Podcast is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the next level. Get 30% off your first YEAR with DistroKid by signing up at http://distrokid.com/vip/demakes For bonus episode of The After Party podcast, an extensive back catalog of past After Party episodes, early ad-free releases of new episodes of Chris DeMakes A Podcast, full video versions of episodes, and MUCH more, head to the Patreon at http://www.ChrisDeMakes.com Follow Chris DeMakes A Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisdemakesapodcast/ Join the Chris DeMakes A Podcast community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2643961642526928/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate senior writer Ben Mathis-Lilley to say goodbye after eleven years at Slate. Ben was responsible for iconic stories like “Wouldn't It Be Nice to Get Knocked Out Cold With a Shovel for Exactly Six Weeks and Five Days?”, and is known as the “funniest person in Slack” despite spending his days reporting on our terrifying political climate. How does Ben stay sane and positive online when the internet is engulfed with bad news? One thing's for certain: It's not in his University of Michigan football Discord. Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate senior writer Ben Mathis-Lilley to say goodbye after eleven years at Slate. Ben was responsible for iconic stories like “Wouldn't It Be Nice to Get Knocked Out Cold With a Shovel for Exactly Six Weeks and Five Days?”, and is known as the “funniest person in Slack” despite spending his days reporting on our terrifying political climate. How does Ben stay sane and positive online when the internet is engulfed with bad news? One thing's for certain: It's not in his University of Michigan football Discord. Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate senior writer Ben Mathis-Lilley to say goodbye after eleven years at Slate. Ben was responsible for iconic stories like “Wouldn't It Be Nice to Get Knocked Out Cold With a Shovel for Exactly Six Weeks and Five Days?”, and is known as the “funniest person in Slack” despite spending his days reporting on our terrifying political climate. How does Ben stay sane and positive online when the internet is engulfed with bad news? One thing's for certain: It's not in his University of Michigan football Discord. Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate senior writer Ben Mathis-Lilley to say goodbye after eleven years at Slate. Ben was responsible for iconic stories like “Wouldn't It Be Nice to Get Knocked Out Cold With a Shovel for Exactly Six Weeks and Five Days?”, and is known as the “funniest person in Slack” despite spending his days reporting on our terrifying political climate. How does Ben stay sane and positive online when the internet is engulfed with bad news? One thing's for certain: It's not in his University of Michigan football Discord. Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate senior writer Ben Mathis-Lilley to say goodbye after eleven years at Slate. Ben was responsible for iconic stories like “Wouldn't It Be Nice to Get Knocked Out Cold With a Shovel for Exactly Six Weeks and Five Days?”, and is known as the “funniest person in Slack” despite spending his days reporting on our terrifying political climate. How does Ben stay sane and positive online when the internet is engulfed with bad news? One thing's for certain: It's not in his University of Michigan football Discord. Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's episode, host Kate Lindsay is joined by Slate senior writer Ben Mathis-Lilley to say goodbye after eleven years at Slate. Ben was responsible for iconic stories like “Wouldn't It Be Nice to Get Knocked Out Cold With a Shovel for Exactly Six Weeks and Five Days?”, and is known as the “funniest person in Slack” despite spending his days reporting on our terrifying political climate. How does Ben stay sane and positive online when the internet is engulfed with bad news? One thing's for certain: It's not in his University of Michigan football Discord. Get more of ICYMI with Slate Plus! Join for exclusive bonus episodes of ICYMI and ad-free listening on all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe from the ICYMI show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/icymiplus for access wherever you listen. This podcast is produced by Daisy Rosario, Vic Whitley-Berry, Candice Lim, and Kate Lindsay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I'm joined for this episode by my close friend Kate Riley! We each contributed songs whose lyrics strike us as very funny and don't seem to be a joke on purpose (i.e. unintentionally funny). Send us your picks for songs on this theme! Buy Kate's amazing debut novel "Ruth", out 8/19/25! Songs discussed in this episode: The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice (1966) Bob Lind - Elusive Butterfly (1966) Drake - Best I Ever Had (2009) Flo Rida - My House (2015) Prince - Nothing Compares 2 U (1985? 1991?) Electric Light Orchestra - Yours Truly 2095 (1981) Dick Curless - 'Tater Raisin' Man (1966) Neil Sedaka - Going Home To Mary Lou (1961) Pete Shelley - Yesterday's Not Here (1981) Brenton Wood - Gimme Little Sign (1967) Basement Jaxx - Raindrops (2009)
Chuck Granata's book Wouldn't It Be Nice: Brian Wilson And The Making Of The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds is the ultimate dissection of Brian Wilson's 1966 masterpiece. Chuck and I wound up diving so deep into the record, we unfortunately had to seek treatment for the bends…thankfully it was a risk worth taking, as Discograffiti's Pet Sounds Deep-Dive Series stands as a unique combination of factual obsession and personal connection. Episode 2 is an examination of everything you'll ever need to know about the first three tracks on Pet Sounds: “Wouldn't It Be Nice,” “You Still Believe In Me,” and “That's Not Me.”Here's just a few of the many things that Chuck discusses with Discograffiti in this podcast:A brief eulogy for Brian Wilson, as this was our first episode taped after his passing;The jaw-dropping alleged lyrical subtext of “Wouldn't It Be Nice”;How the opening track deviated from Brian & Tony Asher's typical collaborative approach;How Brian set out to make two accordions sound like violins;The reason for the appearance of the bicycle horn on “You Still Believe In Me”;The only Pet Sounds track on which Dennis Wilson drummed;An unreleased 15-minute session during which Brian and Tony experiment with piano sounds for the “You Still Believe In Me” backing track (Director's Cut only);And how both Chuck and I connect with the record's opening three tracks in a laid-bare, explicitly personal way.Listen: linktr.ee/discograffitiI support a wife and a six-year-old son with Discograffiti as my sole source of income. The Director's Cut of this episode is ad-free and features 25 additional minutes of essential material. Subscribe to Discograffiti's Patreon at the Major Tier and receive a ceaseless barrage (4 shows a week) of must-hear binge-listening: Patreon.com/DiscograffitiOr just grab The Director's Cut as a one-off at the same link.CONNECTJoin our Soldiers of Sound Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1839109176272153Patreon: www.Patreon.com/DiscograffitiPodfollow: https://podfollow.com/1592182331YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClyaQCdvDelj5EiKj6IRLhwInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/discograffitipod/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Discograffiti/Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiscograffitiOrder the Digital version of the METAL MACHINE MUZAK 2xLP (feat. Lou Barlow, Cory Hanson, Mark Robinson, & W. Cullen Hart): www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/197404Order the $11 Digital version of the MMM 2xLP on Bandcamp: https://discograffiti.bandcamp.com/album/metal-machine-muzakOrder the METAL MACHINE MUZAK Double Vinyl + Digital package: www.patreon.com/discograffiti/shop/169954Merch Shop: https://discograffitipod.myspreadshop.com/allVenmo Dave A Tip: @David-GebroeWeb site: http://discograffiti.com/CONTACT DAVEEmail: dave@discograffiti.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/hooligandaveInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidgebroe/Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaveGebroeThere is no other Patreon in existence where you get more for your money. 4 shows a week is what it takes these days to successfully blot out our unacceptable reality…so do yourself a favor and give it a shot for at least one month to see what I'm talking about. If you're already a member, please comment below about your experience. www.Patreon.com/discograffiti#chuckgranata #wouldntitbenice #thebeachboys #brianwilson #beachboys #denniswilson #mikelove #carlwilson #music #thehollies #aljardine #thebeatles #brucejohnston #rock #petsounds #brianwilsonrip #goodvibrations #paulmccartney #surf #rocknroll #davidmarks #records #surfing #california #beach #surfrock #discograffiti #metalmachinemuzak #soldiersofsound #andyourdreamscometrue
Orri Freyr Rúnarsson stýrði þætti dagsins. Gestir þáttarins voru þeir Egill Gauti Sigurjónsson og Elías Geir Óskarsson úr hljómsveitinni Inspector Spacetime. Þeir mættu til að kynna tónleika sína með Caribou í Austurbæjarbíó. GDRN - Lætur mig Ft. Flóni. Emmsjé Gauti - Malbik. Shawn Mendes - Heart of Gold. Royel Otis - Moody. The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice. Role Model - Sally, When The Wine Runs Out. Bruce Springsteen - Born to run. Una Torfadóttir & CeaseTone - Þurfum ekki neitt. Ed Sheeran - Shape of you. Króli, JóiPé & USSEL - 7 Símtöl. Oasis - Whatever. Memfismafían - Hring eftir hring eftir hring. The Black Keys - Lonely Boy. Anderson .Paak & Jane Handcock - Stare at Me. Inspector Spacetime - Catch planes. Caribou - Odessa. Bríet - Esjan. Laufey - Lover Girl. Rolling Stones - Angie. Arcade Fire - No Cars Go. Elliot Smith - Needle In The Hay. sombr - Undressed. MGMT - Time To Pretend. Coldplay - Fix You. Tyler Childers - Nose On The Grindstone. Lorde - Green light. The Cure - Boys don't cry. Chubby Checker - The Twist. Kaleo - Bloodline. Benni Hemm Hemm & Páll Óskar - Valentínus. Razorlight - America. Sugar Ray- Every Morning. Of Monsters and Men - Dirty paws. Phanton Planet - California. Rick James - Super freak. Stuðlabandið - Við eldana. U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday. Friðrik Dór - Bleikur og blár. Justin Bieber - Daisies. Álfgrímur Aðalsteinsson - Spacetown. Úlfur Úlfur - Sumarið.
Rockshow episode special tribute show:Brian WilsonBrian Wilson, born June 20, 1942, in Hawthorne, California, is a legendary American musician, singer, songwriter, and producer best known as the creative force behind The Beach Boys. A musical genius with a gift for harmony and innovation, Wilson helped define the sound of 1960s surf rock before evolving into one of pop music's most groundbreaking artists.Wilson co-founded The Beach Boys with his brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. As the band's chief songwriter and producer, he crafted hits like “Surfin' U.S.A.,” “California Girls,” and “Wouldn't It Be Nice.” His masterpiece Pet Sounds (1966) broke new ground with its emotional depth, orchestral arrangements, and studio experimentation—earning critical acclaim and influencing artists like The Beatles.Wilson's career was marked by personal struggles, including battles with mental illness and substance abuse, which sidelined him during key years of the band's success. The abandoned Smile project became legendary among fans for its ambition and mystery, though Wilson eventually completed and released it as a solo album in 2004.Despite hardships, Wilson staged a powerful comeback, releasing solo work and touring extensively. He's been honored with Grammy Awards, an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1988), and the Kennedy Center Honors (2007). His story of brilliance, resilience, and redemption has inspired generations.Brian Wilson remains one of the most revered figures in popular music history, known for his emotional vulnerability, innovative soundscapes, and timeless melodies.https://www.instagram.com/brianwilsonlive?igsh=Y3JpaDE3eWQ5c250https://t.co/ax0hKlf5xPBrian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive)https://www.brianwilson.com/#BrianWilson #TheBeachBoys#PetSounds #SmileSessions#GoodVibrations #MusicLegend#60sRock #SurfRock#RockAndRollHallOfFame#ClassicRock #MusicalGenius#CaliforniaSound #SongwritingLegend#BrianWilsonLive #BeachBoysForever #InnovatorOfSound #PopMusicIcon#WilsonBrother #StudioWizard#GodOnlyKnows
The Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson died 6/11 from ailing illnesses. This is the first summer without him, and there's countless music to remember him by. Countdown and learn about these 10 fan favorite songs. Theme Song: "Dance Track", composed by Jessica Ann CatenaPlaylist:10. “Barbara Ann” (1965); The Regents (1961); Home Improvement9. “Surfin' USA” (1963)8. “Do It Again” (1968)7. “Wouldn't It Be Nice” (1966); 50 First Dates6. “Don't Worry Baby” (1964)5. “California Girls” (1965); David Lee Roth (1985)4. “Fun, Fun, Fun” (1964)3. “In My Room” (1963)2. “Good Vibrations” (1966)1. “God Only Knows” (1966); BBC (2014)Disney+ Documentary; trailerMentioned Media: Jan & DeanHome Improvement - "Little Deuce Coupe"Full House clips"Kokomo"- (1988)"California Gurls" - Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg (2010)Related: Ep. 89 - Songs of the SummerEp. 144 - Yacht Rock - Boat SongsEp. 241 - The Beach Boys Rare 10Ep. 248 - Katy Perry's Diamond Songs & "WOMAN'S WORLD"
Mit "Pet Sounds" wollten The Beach Boys rund um Brian Wilson das größte Rockalbum aller Zeiten schaffen. Bis heute gilt es als wegweisender Meilenstein der Musikgeschichte. "Pet Sounds" erschien am 16. Mai 1966 als elftes Studioalbum der Beach Boys. Die kalifornische Band bestand aus den Brüdern Brian, Dennis und Carl Wilson, ihrem Cousin Mike Love und dem Schulfreund Alan Jardine. Mit "Pet Sounds" entfernten sie sich von ihrem sommerlichen Surfsound und wandten sich vielschichtigen, komplexen Kompositionen mit lyrischer Tiefe zu. Während der Produktion des Albums war ein Großteil der Beach Boys eigentlich gar nicht dabei. Die Band tourte gerade durch Japan. Nur Brian Wilson, der kreative Kopf der Gruppe, blieb zurück in Kalifornien, um sein Ziel zu erreichen, das beste Rockalbum aller Zeiten zu komponieren. Dabei orientierte er sich am Album "Rubber Soul" von den Beatles, das ein Jahr zuvor erschienen war. Brian Wilson war ein großer Fan des amerikanischen Produzenten Phil Spector, der für die Komposition dichter und orchestraler Klangflächen bekannt wurde, der sogenannten "Wall Of Sound". Spector war unter anderem am Song "Be My Baby" aus dem Jahr 1963 von den Ronettes beteiligt. Wilson bezeichnete das Lied als das beste Popstück, das je geschrieben wurde. Tief beeindruckt von Spectors Arbeit, wollte Wilson ihn jedoch nicht einfach nachahmen. Sein Anspruch war, ihn zu übertreffen. Neben der neuartigen Kompositionsweise finden sich auf "Pet Sounds" viele interessante Instrumente, oder eher Alltagsgegenstände, die zu Instrumenten umfunktioniert wurden. Im gleichnamigen Titelsong "Pet Sounds" spielte der Schlagzeuger die Percussions am Anfang mit zwei leeren Cola-Dosen ein. In "You Still Belive In Me" kommt eine Fahrradhupe zum Einsatz. An anderen Stellen klingen Löffel als Rhythmusinstrumente mit und der letzte Song des Albums, "Caroline, No", endet mit Hundegebell und einem vorbeifahrenden Zug. "Pet Sounds" ist ein einzigartiges Album, das die Musikwelt bis heute prägt. Bei seiner Veröffentlichung blieb der große Erfolg jedoch zunächst aus. Es schien, als hätte Brian Wilson sein Ziel, das größte Rockalbum aller Zeiten zu schreiben, verfehlt. Die Enttäuschung traf den Musiker damals tief. __________ Über diese Songs vom Album "Pet Sounds" wird Podcast gesprochen (22:43) – "Wouldn't It Be Nice"(36:25) – "Pet Sounds"(39:26) – "You Still Believe In Me"(40:07) – "Caroline, No"(45:53) – "Sloop John B"(51:37) – "God Only Knows"(01:02:31) – "I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" __________ Alle Shownotes und weiterführenden Links zur Folge: linkhttps://1.ard.de/the-beach-boys-pet-sounds __________ Ihr wollt mehr Podcasts wie diesen? Abonniert "Meilensteine – Alben, die Geschichte machten"! Fragen, Kritik, Anregungen? Meldet euch gerne per WhatsApp-Sprachnachricht an die (06131) 92 93 94 95 oder schreibt uns an meilensteine@swr.de
In this episode of Screens in Focus, Diana and Renee celebrate Brian Wilson and the timeless music of the Beach Boys, with a special focus on the emotional brilliance of “God Only Knows.” Following Wilson's recent passing, they explore the band's unforgettable impact on film, TV, and pop culture, from the perfect song ending in Love Actually to 50 First Dates and the powerful biopic Love & Mercy. They share personal stories, favorite tracks, and reflect on how the Beach Boys' music has shaped generations. Plus, they recommend nostalgic summer movies like The Sandlot, The Way, Way Back, Chasing Mavericks, and more—perfect for sunny-day viewing. At 10:15, Diana shares Cindy's reflection on the perfect ending of Love Actually with God Only Knows, along with her own emotional connection to the song. At 37:56, Sam shares a heartfelt memory tied to Wouldn't It Be Nice and 50 First Dates. 00:00 – Intro: Brian Wilson & The Beach Boys 00:45 – Personal Reflections on Their Music 01:59 – Iconic Songs & Memories 04:11 – Tributes and Covers 10:15 – Sharing Cindy's Beach Boy Memory 11:28 – Beach Boys in Movies & Pop Culture 12:58 – *Love & Mercy* Biopic 15:57 – Musical Influence & Legacy 21:34 – Music's Emotional Impact in Film 24:17 – Favorite Movie Music Moments 28:14 – Personal Soundtrack Picks 31:27 – Summer Movie & TV Recs 37:30 – Closing Thoughts 37:56 – Sam's Message On Her Beach Boys Memory 38:44 – Final Farewell To Sir With Love - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV1qmmMwc9M Renee Hansen: https://linktr.ee/renee.hansen https://reneehansen.journoportfolio.com Follow and subscribe to Screens in Focus. Website: www.screensinfocus.com Email: screensinfocus@gmail.com X https://x.com/screensinfocus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/screensinfocuspodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/screensinfocus Feedback and TV/Movie Recommendations: Google voice (669) 223-8542 Free background music from JewelBeat.com: www.jewelbeat.com
TrulySignificant.com presents A Tribute to Brian Wilson, Forever a Beach Boy, featuring Hall of Fame Songwriter and Hitmaker Kent Blazy. Hear this special show that focuses on two of the most seminal songs from Pet Songs- God Only Knows and Wouldn't It Be Nice. Always complex, optimistic, melodic and harmonious.....says Kent Blazy.Visit www.kentblazy.com to catch Kent's latest hits and meet him at an upcoming concert.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.
In this heartfelt and music-filled episode of Friends Talking Nerdy, Professor Aubrey and Tim the Nerd pay tribute to the legendary Brian Wilson, whose groundbreaking work with The Beach Boys and beyond shaped the sound of a generation. With his recent passing, the duo reflects on Wilson's impact as a songwriter, producer, and sonic visionary, revisiting some of their favorite tracks that showcase his brilliance.From the lush harmonies of “God Only Knows” to the teenage wistfulness of “In My Room,” and from the psychedelic innovation of “Good Vibrations” to the timeless charm of “California Girls,” Professor Aubrey and Tim the Nerd explore what makes Brian Wilson's music so emotionally resonant and musically adventurous. They dive into the stories behind these songs, their personal memories tied to the music, and how Wilson's vulnerability, creativity, and defiance of pop norms continue to inspire artists today.Other songs discussed include the upbeat surf anthem “Surfin' USA,” the haunting beauty of “Caroline, No,” the dreamy optimism of “Wouldn't It Be Nice,” and the introspective melancholy of “I Just Wasn't Made For These Times.” Whether you're a lifelong fan or just discovering the genius of Brian Wilson, this episode is a celebration of one of pop music's true pioneers.Tune in for a conversation full of admiration, nostalgia, and deep appreciation for a man who taught the world how to feel through music.Check out the playlist for this episode on YouTube.As always, we wish to thank Christopher Lazarek for his wonderful theme song. Head to his website for information on how to purchase his EP, Here's To You, which is available on all digital platforms.Head to Friends Talking Nerdy's website for more information on where to find us online.
Föstudagurinn þrettándi. Létt hjátrú í lögunum. Óli Palli sendi brot úr Rokklandi með Brian Wilson. BRUNALIÐIÐ - Sandalar. STUÐMENN - Betri Tíð. THE CURE - Friday I'm In Love. Teitur Magnússon Tónlistarmaður - Bros. HARRY BELAFONTE - Jump In The Line. Geirfuglarnir - Tæknimál. Emilíana Torrini - Let?s keep dancing. Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir Söngkona - Þú ert nú meiri. PULP - Disco 2000. LAURA BRANIGAN - Gloria. COLDPLAY & BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB - Clocks. KK OG RÚNAR JÚLÍUSSON - Ég Er Vinur Þinn. Dísa - Anniversary. MANNAKORN - Garún. Greiningardeildin, Bogomil Font - Þú trumpar ekki ástina. Heimilistónar - Kúst og fæjó. SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES - Spellbound. Moses Hightower - Bílalest út úr bænum. FRIÐRIK DÓR - Hún er alveg með þetta. ÚLFUR ÚLFUR - Tarantúlur (ft. Edda Borg). PÁLL ÓSKAR OG MILLJÓNAMÆRINGARNIR - Negro José. Latínudeildin, Rebekka Blöndal - Svo til. BLUR - Country House. hOFFMAN - 90 Years. THE BEACH BOYS - Wouldn't It Be Nice. THE BEACH BOYS - God Only Knows. BJÖRK - Army Of Me. Lizzo - Still Bad. Wilder, M., MATTHEW WILDER - Break My Stride (80). EARTH WIND AND FIRE - Let's Groove. STUÐMENN - Hr. Reykjavík. ÍRAFÁR - Stórir Hringir. PAUL SIMON - You Can Call Me Al. JAIN - Makeba. RIHANNA - Shut Up And Drive. Hjálmar - Morgunóður. FOUNDATIONS - Build Me Up Buttercup. Ellis-Bextor, Sophie - Taste. BECK - Tropicalia. Koppafeiti - Halló. Young, John Paul - Love is in the air. ÞÓRUNN ANTONÍA - Too late. Young, Lola - Messy. Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson, Milljónamæringarnir - Skrýmslið. GDRN - Af og til. King - Love & pride. Haraldur Ari Stefánsson, Unnsteinn Manuel Stefánsson - Til þín. Jón Jónsson Tónlistarm. - Tímavél. NATALIE IMBRUGLIA - Torn. Marína Ósk Þórólfsdóttir - Oh, Little Heart. KATE BUSH - Babooshka. Daði Freyr Pétursson - I don't wanna talk. Gunnar Heimir Ólafsson - My Love. Calvin Harris - Feels (ft. Pharrell, Katy Perry & Big Sean). Ólafur Bjarki Bogason - Fyrr en varir. PÁLMI GUNNARSSON - Þorparinn. Inspector Spacetime - Catch planes. Una Torfadóttir, CeaseTone - Þurfum ekki neitt. La Roux - Bulletproof. NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS - Dig Lazarus, Dig!. YEAH YEAH YEAHS - Maps. ELTON JOHN - Tiny Dancer. Emmsjé Gauti - Þetta má (ft. Herra Hnetusmjör). PÁLL ÓSKAR & CASINO - Up Up And Away. Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson, Torfi - Ef þú hefur áhuga. Morissette, Alanis - Head over feet. Gugusar - Reykjavíkurkvöld. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement. JOHN GRANT - GMF (Radio edit). STUÐMENN - Fljúgðu. Where the night looms - I Don't Know. Bill Withers - Lovely Day. Ragga Holm, Júlí Heiðar Halldórsson, Ragnhildur Jónasdóttir - Líður vel. GDRN, Birnir - Sýna mér (ft. GDRN). NINA SIMONE - My Baby Just Cares For Me. Halli og Laddi - Royí Rodgers. Jóhanna Guðrún Jónsdóttir Söngkona - Þú ert nú meiri. LEN - Steal My Sunshine. Stereolab - Aerial Troubles. Marína Ósk Þórólfsdóttir - Things like this. METRONOMY - The Look. Ásdís - Pick Up. NÝDÖNSK & SVANHILDUR JAKOBSDÓTTIR - Á sama tíma að ári. Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control. Wolf Alice hljómsveit - Bloom Baby Bloom. PULP - Babies. TÝR - Ormurinn Langi.
Richard Martineau à vue Brian Wilson au camping de Saint-Polycarpe!? Le légendaire chanteur, compositeur et maître du studio Brian Wilson est décédé à l’âge de 82 ans. Membre fondateur des Beach Boys, il a redéfini la pop américaine avec des titres comme Surfin’ USA, Wouldn’t It Be Nice ou Good Vibrations. La rencontre Martineau-Dutrizac avec Richard Martineau. Regardez aussi cette discussion en vidéo via https://www.qub.ca/videos ou en vous abonnant à QUB télé : https://www.tvaplus.ca/qub ou sur la chaîne Youtube QUB https://www.youtube.com/@qub_radioPour de l'information concernant l'utilisation de vos données personnelles - https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener/fr
Here are some songs from your life, "Backstreet Girl" by the Rolling Stones, "Joey" by Bob Dylan, "Road to Nowhere" by the Talking Heads, "Boy In The Bubble" by Paul Simon, "July Fourth, Asbury Park", better known as "Sandy" by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys. They all rely heavily on the accordion. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" is the biggest shock. Even if you know that song, it might never have occurred to you that Brian Wilson uses I'm pretty sure two accordions to make the primary propulsive musical fabric of that song. The last two decades of indie music ought to have normalized the accordion - Tom Waits, REM, Arcade Fire, The Decemberists... I could go on. It has also endured years of ridicule here in the United States, even while it remained beloved and esteemed in Argentina, Paris, and almost everywhere else in the world. Now, it's enjoying a renaissance here in the States. This hour, we celebrate that with accordion rock stars of all styles. You'll meet a man who is reclaiming the accordion, outfitting his latest version with MIDI controls, so it can mimic voice and other instruments, a woman who specializes in klezmer, and a man who plays his accordion in a trio alongside a guitar and tuba. You also meet other accordion rock stars, including James Fearnley from The Pogues. Just try to tell him that the squeezebox isn’t cool. GUESTS: Cory Pesaturo: Multiple award-winning accordion player from Rhode Island Christina Crowder: Accordion player who specializes in klezmer and other Eastern European styles, and is a member of the Accordion/Violin/Viola trio, Bivolita Will Holshouser: Accordion player and founder of the accordion/guitar/tuba trio, Musette Explosion James Fearnley: Accordion player for The Pogues and the author of the memoir, Here Comes Everybody, The Story of The Pogues. He’s also a composer, and a founding member of The Low And Sweet Orchestra Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 7, 2014.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Daily Quiz - Music Today's Questions: Question 1: Which English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991 released the song 'Don't Look Back in Anger'? Question 2: Before going solo, what band was Michael Jackson a member of? Question 3: 'Witchy Woman' was a hit for which rock group in the 1970's? Question 4: Which American rock band released the song 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'? Question 5: Which Irish rock band released the song 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'? Question 6: Which alternative rock band is fronted by Alex Turner? Question 7: Who produced David Bowie's 1983 album "Let's Dance"? Question 8: Which American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress released the studio album 'Oops!… I Did It Again'? This podcast is produced by Klassic Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In eager pursuit of dance and merriment, we dust down the current events. Which this week involves …. … are teenagers no longer in love? And what does this mean for pop music? … are people better musicians now than 40 years ago? And is that because you can get online tutorials explaining how to play everything? … Paul McCartney taking two buses across Liverpool just to learn the chord of B7. … how the best pop songs start with someone walking into a room. … Ghana! India! New Zealand! The Caribbean! The King's Spotify Playlist, a carefully chiselled love letter to the Commonwealth. … do couples still have “Our Tune”? And do they still request songs for each other on radio shows? … Neil Tennant's memories of pre-Putin Russia – “we swept into Moscow in Gorbachev's limousine”. … Thunder Road, And Then He Kissed Me, Wouldn't It Be Nice and other magical songs about dating. … Amanda Seyfried does Joni Mitchell! … the best pop song ever written - and we know the answer! Plus birthday guest David Messer and two great Lou Reed live albums (“he heckles the hecklers!”). David and Mark's One-Man Show in Wareham on April 4: https://loveitlocalmagazine.co.uk/events/one-man-show/ Neil Tennant's piece about pre-Putin Russia: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/mar/12/neil-tennant-pet-shop-boys-russia-putin-gay-club-mtvHelp us to find out more about how to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In eager pursuit of dance and merriment, we dust down the current events. Which this week involves …. … are teenagers no longer in love? And what does this mean for pop music? … are people better musicians now than 40 years ago? And is that because you can get online tutorials explaining how to play everything? … Paul McCartney taking two buses across Liverpool just to learn the chord of B7. … how the best pop songs start with someone walking into a room. … Ghana! India! New Zealand! The Caribbean! The King's Spotify Playlist, a carefully chiselled love letter to the Commonwealth. … do couples still have “Our Tune”? And do they still request songs for each other on radio shows? … Neil Tennant's memories of pre-Putin Russia – “we swept into Moscow in Gorbachev's limousine”. … Thunder Road, And Then He Kissed Me, Wouldn't It Be Nice and other magical songs about dating. … Amanda Seyfried does Joni Mitchell! … the best pop song ever written - and we know the answer! Plus birthday guest David Messer and two great Lou Reed live albums (“he heckles the hecklers!”). David and Mark's One-Man Show in Wareham on April 4: https://loveitlocalmagazine.co.uk/events/one-man-show/ Neil Tennant's piece about pre-Putin Russia: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/mar/12/neil-tennant-pet-shop-boys-russia-putin-gay-club-mtvHelp us to find out more about how to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In eager pursuit of dance and merriment, we dust down the current events. Which this week involves …. … are teenagers no longer in love? And what does this mean for pop music? … are people better musicians now than 40 years ago? And is that because you can get online tutorials explaining how to play everything? … Paul McCartney taking two buses across Liverpool just to learn the chord of B7. … how the best pop songs start with someone walking into a room. … Ghana! India! New Zealand! The Caribbean! The King's Spotify Playlist, a carefully chiselled love letter to the Commonwealth. … do couples still have “Our Tune”? And do they still request songs for each other on radio shows? … Neil Tennant's memories of pre-Putin Russia – “we swept into Moscow in Gorbachev's limousine”. … Thunder Road, And Then He Kissed Me, Wouldn't It Be Nice and other magical songs about dating. … Amanda Seyfried does Joni Mitchell! … the best pop song ever written - and we know the answer! Plus birthday guest David Messer and two great Lou Reed live albums (“he heckles the hecklers!”). David and Mark's One-Man Show in Wareham on April 4: https://loveitlocalmagazine.co.uk/events/one-man-show/ Neil Tennant's piece about pre-Putin Russia: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/mar/12/neil-tennant-pet-shop-boys-russia-putin-gay-club-mtvHelp us to find out more about how to keep the conversation going: https://www.patreon.com/wordinyourear Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Daily Quiz - Music Today's Questions: Question 1: With Which Rock Band Does "Slash" Play Guitar? Question 2: Which American rock band released the song 'Wouldn't It Be Nice'? Question 3: What song did Soft Cell have a hit with in 1986? Question 4: Which band includes 'George Harrison'? Question 5: Which band had Freddie Mercury as its lead vocalist? Question 6: What is the name of the second-largest member of the violin family? Question 7: Which British rock band (1970-) released the song 'A Kind of Magic'? Question 8: Which musician wrote the lyrics 'Am I sitting in a tin can? Far above the world, planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do'? Question 9: Which band was Niall Horan a member of? This podcast is produced by Klassic Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
MONOLOGUE The Liberal Carbon Tax Con: Desperate Lies, Empty Promises, and Political Survival NEWSMAKER EKOS Research Poll Shows Liberals Closing the Gap – Is this a Mirage? https://www.thewrit.ca/p/projection-update-signs-of-liberal Wyatt Claypool, Senior Contributor with The National Telegraph https://www.youtube.com/@thenationaltelegraph9253 OPEN LINES THE CULT OF CLIMATE CHANGE Trump signs executive order directing US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement — again What Does the Paris Agreement Actually Do? https://apnews.com/article/trump-paris-agreement-climate-change 788907bb89fe307a964be757313cdfb0 Tony Unveils New Data Analysis Software https://www.visitech.ai Tony Heller, Geologist, Weather Historian, Founder of Real Climate Science dot com MONOLOGUE Trump Shows the Way: It's Time for Canada to Ditch Woke Policies and Get Back to Work NEWSMAKER Biden preemptively pardons Anthony Fauci https://www.wnd.com/2025/01/bidens-pardon-for-fauci-is-in-no-way-going-to-stop-congressional-investigations/ Donald Trump Backing mRNA Vaccine Project Gets Backlash https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-mrna-vaccine-cure-cancer-ai-2018701 Naomi Wolf is the Author of The Pfizer Papers: Pfizer's Crimes Against Humanity. Co-founder and CEO of DailyClout.io THE X WARRIORS Liberal Leadership Candidate Mark Carney has submitted his paperwork to enter the race Ahead of tomorrow's deadline. He Claims He's an “Outsider.” Brittani Russell aka Brattani Political Commentator. Her handle on X is @BrattUnderscoreWorld THIS DAY IN ROCK HISTORY In 1966, The Beach Boys entered Gold Star Studios to record “Wouldn't It Be Nice,” the opening track on their forthcoming album, Pet Sounds. In 1977, Paul McCartney proved his post-Beatles prowess when he topped the US album chart for the sixth time with Wings Over America. In 1983, after nearly two years on air, MTV began broadcasting to the West Coast of America. The 24-hour music video network fundamentally changed the way the world interacted with music and was, for many years, the ultimate youth culture tastemaker. Jeremiah Tittle, Co-Host of "The 500 with Josh Adam Myers" Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As a founding member of The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson led a music revolution that went far beyond the ‘60s “California sound” or even pop music generally. But fame and success carry a price. And for Wilson, the price he paid was his mental health and later physical well-being, as well. Substance abuse further complicated his life. In this 1991 interview Wilson looks back on his life and career as he talks about his memoir. Get your copy of Wouldn't It Be Nice by Brian Wilson As an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything earns from qualifying purchases.You may also enjoy my interviews with Sonny Bono and Mikcy Dolenz For more vintage interviews with celebrities, leaders, and influencers, subscribe to Now I've Heard Everything on Spotify, Apple Podcasts. and now on YouTube #BeachBoys #Californiasound #1960s #drugabuse
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 Series:"100 Day Bible Reading Challenge" Title: "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" Scripture: Jeremiah 31:10-14 By: Rev. Marisa Gertz Bulletin https://trinitygnv.org/s/635-Bulletin-10-30-24-tt4d.pdf Scripture https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2031%3A10-14%20&version=CEB To support the ongoing ministries of Trinity, please make a gift here: https://pushpay.com/g/trinitygnv?src=hpp For more information, go to https://trinitygnv.org/
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 Series:"100 Day Bible Reading Challenge" Title: "Wouldn't It Be Nice?" Scripture: Jeremiah 31:10-14 By: Rev. Marisa Gertz Bulletin https://trinitygnv.org/s/635-Bulletin-10-30-24-tt4d.pdf Scripture https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2031%3A10-14%20&version=CEB To support the ongoing ministries of Trinity, please make a gift here: https://pushpay.com/g/trinitygnv?src=hpp For more information, go to https://trinitygnv.org/
Sam and Max dial in with Australia's smoothest singer-songwriter, Pete Murray off the back of his latest single "Wouldn't It Be Good", and ahead of his Summer tour. They chat about Pete's gym routine and footy career, before diving right into the music, how his latest album came about, Pete's journey to fight for the track's inclusion, and which Brisbane venues helped kickstart his career.Connect with Pete Murray on Instagram and Facebook and listen to his latest single, "Wouldn't It Be Nice", on Spotify and Apple Music. Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.
It's been a pretty big year for The Offspring. It's the 40th anniversary of the band, the 30th anniversary of Smash, and they've got their new album Supercharged out now on Concord Records. They've also done some unlikely collaborations during their music festival appearances–Ed Sheeran joined them for “Million Miles Away,” Queen's Brian May joined them for an orchestral rock rendition of “Gone Away” and Queen's “Stone Cold Crazy,” and Offspring singer Dexter Holland joined The Beach Boys for “Wouldn't It Be Nice.” We caught up with Dexter and guitarist Noodles for a new episode of the BrooklynVegan Podcast to talk about all of those things, as well as their early days getting into the punk scene, how their perspective on punk and songwriting have evolved over the years, longevity in rock and punk, Dexter's years working with AFI through his label Nitro Records, music they've been listening to lately, and more. - The BrooklynVegan Show is brought to you in part by DistroKid, a service for musicians that allows you to easily upload your music to all major streaming platforms. You can get 30% off of your first year's membership by signing up at distrokid.com/vip/brooklynvegan. - Theme music by Michael Silverstein.
Send us a textWelcome to Guess the Year! This is an interactive, competitive podcast series where you will be able to play along and compete against your fellow listeners. Here is how the scoring works:10 points: Get the year dead on!7 points: 1-2 years off4 points: 3-5 years off1 point: 6-10 years offGuesses can be emailed to drandrewmay@gmail.com or texted using the link at the top of the show notes (please leave your name).I will read your scores out before the next episode, along with the scores of your fellow listeners! Please email your guesses to Andrew no later than 12pm EST on the day the next episode posts if you want them read out on the episode (e.g., if an episode releases on Monday, then I need your guesses by 12pm EST on Wednesday; if an episode releases on Friday, then I need your guesses by 12 pm EST on Monday). Note: If you don't get your scores in on time, they will still be added to the overall scores I am keeping. So they will count for the final scores - in other words, you can catch up if you get behind, you just won't have your scores read out on the released episode. All I need is your guesses (e.g., Song 1 - 19xx, Song 2 - 20xx, Song 3 - 19xx, etc.). Please be honest with your guesses! Best of luck!!The answers to today's ten songs can be found below. If you are playing along, don't scroll down until you have made your guesses. .....Have you made your guesses yet? If so, you can scroll down and look at the answers......Okay, answers coming. Don't peek if you haven't made your guesses yet!.....Intro song: Wouldn't It Be Nice (vocals only) by The Beach Boys (1966)Song 1: Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon by Neil Diamond (1967)Song 2: Whenever You're Ready by Dinosaur Jr. (2009)Song 3: Before You Start Your Day by twenty one pilots (2009)Song 4: Bitchin' Camaro by The Dead Milkmen (1985)Song 5: The Sails of Charon by Scorpions (1977)Song 6: Mars, the Bringer of War by Gustav Holst (1916)Song 7: Lay It Own Down by Kenny Wayne Shepherd (2017)Song 8: Sweet Home Chicago by Robert Johnson (1936)Song 9: Paid in Full by Eric B. & Rakim (1987)Song 10: Kokola Blues by Madlyn Davis (1927)
In this episode of Dem Vinyl Boyz, we dive into one of the most influential albums in music history—The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, released in 1966. Often regarded as a masterpiece, Pet Sounds redefined what a pop album could be, blending lush harmonies with complex production techniques and introspective lyrics that transcended the surf rock sound The Beach Boys were known for. Featuring timeless tracks like "Wouldn’t It Be Nice," "God Only Knows," and "Sloop John B," Pet Sounds captured Brian Wilson’s genius as a producer and songwriter. The album's orchestral arrangements and emotional depth set it apart, influencing countless musicians and marking a turning point in the evolution of popular music. In this episode, we’ll explore the making of Pet Sounds, discussing Brian Wilson’s innovative recording techniques, the challenges the band faced during production, and the album’s impact on the music industry. We’ll also reflect on how Pet Sounds continues to inspire artists across generations and remains a beloved album among fans. Join us on Dem Vinyl Boyz as we celebrate Pet Sounds, an album that pushed the boundaries of pop music and remains one of the most revered records of all time.
Send us a Text Message.Singles Going Around- Alive Volume OneCream- "I'm So Glad" (from Goodbye)Jimi Hendrix- "The Queen/Sergeant Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band" (from Hendrix In The West)Otis Redding- "Satisfaction" (from Live In Europe)Creedence Clearwater Revival- "The Night Time Is The Right Time" (from Live At Woodstock)Rolling Stones- "Midnight Rambler" ( from Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out)The Band- "The Shape I'm In" (from Rock Of Ages)The Byrds- "Lover Of The Bayou" (from Untitled)The Beach Boys- "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (from Beach Boys '69)The Doors- "Rock Me Baby" (from Paris Blues)Led Zeppelin- "Celebration Day" (from The Song Remains The Same)Chuck Berry- "Guitar Boogie/Let It Rock" (from Live In Detroit)Cream- "Crossroads" (from Wheels Of Fire)
THE 60s. August's Podcast Special. In this podcast Jerome delves into the rock, rhythm and blues music of the 60s. He takes a retrospective look at the 60s year by year and presents some of the big hits and influential albums. Playlist: Artist - Track. 1 The Who - My Generation 2 The Rolling Stones - Statisfaction. 3 The Electric Prunes - I had too much to dream last night. 4 Wilson Pickett - Land of 1000 dances. 5 The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby. 6 The Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice. 7The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. 8 Iron Butterfly - Slayer in A Gadda da Vida. 9 The Who - Tommy. 10 The Doors - Light My Fire. 11 Fats Domino - Walking To New Orleans. 12 Buster Brown - Fannie Mae. 13 Bobby Lewis – Tossin' and Turnin'. 14 Ernie K Doe - Mother in Law. 15 Ray Charles - Hit the road Jack. 16 Acker Bilk - Stranger On The Shore. 17 King Curtis and The Noble Knights - Soul Twist. 18 Gene Chandler - Duke of Earl. 19 Little Johnny Taylor - Part Time Love. 20 Martha and the Vandellas - Heat Wave. 21 The Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand 22 Rufus Thomas - Jump Back. 23 Etta James - Loving You More Every Day. 24 Junior Walker & The All Stars – Shotgun. 25 Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs - Wooly Bully. 26 Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone. 27 Bob Dylan - Rainy Day Woman. 28 Jimi Hendrix Experience - Burning of The Midnight Lamp. 29 Cream - White Room. 30 Johnny Winter - Hustled down in Texas. 31 Slim Harpo - Baby Scratch My Back. 32 Sam & Dave - Hold On. I'm A Comin'. 33 The Lovin' Spoonful - Summer in the City. 34 Jackie Wilson - Your Love keeps lifting me Higher and Higher. 35 Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin'. 36 Otis Redding - The Dock Of The Bay. 37 Richie Havens - Freedom. 38 The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter. Size: 243 MB (255,653,912 bytes) Duration: 1:46:29
-It's a Bugaboo Tuesday….what's bothering Bill today?-Also, SONG OF THE DAY (sponsored by Sartor Hamann Jewelers): "Wouldn't It Be Nice" - The Beach Boys (1966) - in Omaha on SaturdayShow sponsored by 1890 NEBRASKAAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
We're back from our bucolic getaway just outside the M25 between Guildford and Dorking. Did you miss us? This week: Wild women do, but - contrary to the received wisdom - they sometimes regret it. Also, some classy guests slum it with us - Quinn Shephard and Samir Mehta, creator and executive producer (respectively) of Hulu's acclaimed 'Under The Bridge', starring Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone.Wouldn't It Be Nice if you sent us an email? fuckoff@firecrotchandnormcore.comHelp Me Rhonda: https://www.patreon.com/THEYLIKETOWATCHGod Only Knows what we'd do without Annabel Port Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Richard Syrett Show, May 15th, 2024 HOW NATIONS ESCAPE POVERTY The miraculous transformation of two seemingly disparate nations —Poland and Vietnam— from socialist sinkholes of misery into vibrant, prosperous, opportunity-rich economies https://nations-escape-poverty.com Ranier Zitelman, German historian sociologist, multiple best-selling author whose books include: Hitler's National Socialism, The Power of Capitalism and In Defense of Capitalism.. His latest book is How Nations Escape Poverty. THE CULT OF CLIMATE CHANGE Twenty-one years into Australia's official permanent drought, drought is at an historical low. The press says Arizona has become too hot for people to live. Meanwhile...it is still snowing on May 11 and people are still skiing. Tony Heller, Founder of Real Climate Science dot com We should follow New Zealand on housing and free up more land for growth https://financialpost.com/opinion/canada-new-zealand-housing-free-up-land Wendell Cox – Senior Fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy with expertise in housing affordability and municipal Policy https://fcpp.org/ OPEN LINES Mirrored image of King Charles' new portrait 'reveals face of Baphomet' https://www.wnd.com/2024/05/creepy-mirrored-image-king-charles-new-portrait-reveals-baphomet-face/ THIS WEEK IN ROCK HISTORY May 13th In 1967, The Monkees' second album, More of The Monkees, hit No.1 on the UK chart. Interestingly, there were only four albums that reached the top spot that year: The Sound of Music soundtrack, which spent 17 weeks at No.1, The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band for 25 weeks, and The Monkees' first and second albums. May 13th In 1967, The Supremes scored their tenth No.1 single in the US with “The Happening,” the theme song to the 1967 film of the same name. It was the final single under the name “The Supremes,” as the group changed their name to “Diana Ross & The Supremes” before their next release. May 14th In 1988, Led Zeppelin reunited for Atlantic Records' 40th-anniversary party at Madison Square Garden, appearing with drummer Jason Bonham, who stood in for his late father, John Bonham. Their second reunion since splitting, the band's performance was disorganized and tense, as Jimmy Page and Robert Plant had argued about playing “Stairway to Heaven” prior to performing. Page described the appearance as “one big disappointment” and Plant agreed, noting that “the gig was foul.” Foreigner, Genesis, Ben E. King, and Wilson Pickett were among the other acts taking the stage. May 16th On this day in music, May 16, 1966, The Beach Boys released their 11th studio album, Pet Sounds. Written, produced, and arranged primarily by Brian Wilson, the album was revolutionary for a variety of reasons – including its broad use of instrumentation (including a synthesizer, theremin, bike bells, and even soda cans), as well as Wilson's ambitious production techniques, which found him turning the studio into an instrument itself. Featuring hits like “Wouldn't It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows,” the album was transformative within the music industry and within popular culture, influencing countless producers, engineers, songwriters, and musicians. Today, it is considered to be among one of the greatest albums of all time, while it was added to the National Recording Registry in 2004. Jeremiah Tittle, Co-Host of “The 500 with Josh Adam Myers” Podcast, CEO/Founder of Next Chapter Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, Bill Bellows and host Andrew Stotz discuss seeing organizations as holograms—3D images. Holograms show all parts from different views at once. Learn how using the lens of the System of Profound Knowledge lets you see the problems and opportunities for transformation. TRANSCRIPT 0:00:02.5 Andrew Stotz: My name is Andrew Stotz, and I'll be your host as we continue our journey into the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Today, I'm continuing my discussion with Bill Bellows, who has spent 30 years helping people apply Dr. Deming's ideas, to become aware of how their thinking is holding them back from their biggest opportunities. The topic for today, which we call Episode 18, is, Wouldn't It Be Nice? Bill take it away. 0:00:28.9 Bill Bellows: Wouldn't it be nice if [chuckle] we were older and we wouldn't have to wait so long? Okay. So Episode 18, greetings, Andrew. So as I mentioned in the past, I like to go back and listen to the past previous podcasts and as well as hear from people and their feedback on them. And I have a few points of clarity on the last one, and then we'll get into today's feature. So the last one which we refer to as Diffusion From a Point Source. And I talked about being in a bathtub, you start off at room temperature water and, or you fill the bath and you went and got distracted and came back, and now it's not warm enough, so you crank up, let's add some more water, and you feel that heat coming towards you from the... And then the diffusion equation is about how that, all the water ends up about the same temperature, and then you turn off the water and you drop back to room temperature. 0:01:41.1 BB: But another aspect of the point source that I wanted to clarify is, is if you have in the bathtub some, a source of energy, a heat source, which is not, you know, is different than the source of the water coming out of the faucet. But imagine you've got a little generator in there pumping out heat, then the bathtub, depending on the temperature of that, the amount of energy being released, then the bathtub is going to get warmer, warmer and warmer and warmer and warmer and warmer, and what keeps it going back to room temperature is how much energy is coming out of that. And that's what I was referring to as what it takes to maintain a transformation either individually within an organization, is something which continues to churn. Else you end up by the world we're in, you're watching the news, you're hearing about some accident and people are looking for the singular source, or they're looking at two points in a row, a downturn or upturn and looking at two data points to draw a conclusion. So there's all these everyday reminders of how, of the prevailing system of management at work in terms of how people are treated, how we manage systems. And our challenge is, how do you fight that? 0:03:14.7 BB: And so even within your organization, if you're trying to get people excited by Deming's works, what you have to appreciate is when they go home, the rest of their lives, they're being immersed in a culture of blame of individuals, not the system, and that's part of what we have to deal with. So I just want to mention that what I meant by that source term is, what does it take individually that we can do within our organizations to try to keep things going and not get sucked back down, knowing you've got all this normality around us that we're trying to move beyond. So the next thing I want to talk about is transformation. [chuckle] And then as that leads into, Wouldn't It Be Nice. And I was looking at The New Economics, my Kindle version, and found out that there were 73 references to transform in The New Economics, 73. And the first one is in the forward written by our good friend Kevin Cahill, and in there Kevin references, this is in the 3rd edition of The New Economics, which is the white cover if you have it in print. And it came out 2018. In there, Kevin references Out of the Crisis. And Kevin says, "The aim of the book," again, Out of the Crisis, "was clearly stated in the preface." 0:04:48.1 BB: This from Dr. Deming now, "The aim of this book is transformation of the style of American management, transformation of American style of management is not a job of reconstruction nor is it revision, it requires a whole new structure from foundation upward. The aim of this book is to supply the direction." Okay? Now back to Kevin, then Kevin says, "Out of the Crisis supplies direction for any and all types of organizations, while many people focused on its application in manufacturing, it was a call to action for every organization from education, to healthcare, to non-profits and startups of all sizes." Okay. So now we get to the preface for The New Economics. And so this is from Dr. Deming, what I just shared with you is Kevin quoting his grandfather. So now going back to 1993, the 1st edition, Dr. Deming said, "The route to transformation is what I call Profound Knowledge. The System of Profound Knowledge is composed of four parts all related to each other, appreciation for system, knowledge about variation, theory of knowledge, psychology. The aim of this book is to start the reader on the road to knowledge and to create a yearning for more knowledge." He adds to that, 0:06:07.3 BB: "What we need is cooperation and transformation... " there's that transformation word again. "To a new style of management, the route to transformation is what I call Profound Knowledge. The System of Profound Knowledge is composed of four parts all related to each other." And I'll just pause here and I, just thinking of a friend a couple years ago is inviting me to go to his company and do an in-house program. And he wanted to know how I would start the program, would I open up with the System of Profound Knowledge? I said, "No." I said I would build up to that, and he says, "Well, why not just start with it?" I said, "Because it's a solution to a problem you don't know you have." I said, "I would rather first give a sense of the nature..." now, and he said, "Well, how are we going to start?" And I said, "I'm going to start with the Trip Report, having people compare the ME versus the WE or the All Straw versus the Last Straw. And then use Profound Knowledge as a means by which to understand how you go from one to the other." I said, "But without that understanding of the problem we face... " again, it's an elegant... [chuckle] Every time, the System of Profound Knowledge is an elegant solution to a problem you don't know you have. So I look at it as, let's first create a sense of the problem/opportunity. Okay. 0:07:38.0 BB: So we're going to come back to transformation, but now I want to go back to the title, Wouldn't It Be Nice. And what I'll do is, when this is posted on the institute webpage, I'll put a link to an article I wrote in September, 2015 for the Lean Management Journal, entitled, Wouldn't It be nice. And that article includes in the opening, it says, "My appreciation of Brian Wilson on the Beach Boys has grown significantly in the past month," okay, and this was written in 2015, "after viewing the Brian Wilson Biopic “Love and Mercy," which for you, Andrew, and everyone listening, it's a fascinating, fascinating film. And it got me turned on to Brian Wilson and all these things about the Beach Boys I really underestimated. All right, so then I wrote, "Through this blast from my past, I was reminded of another Beach Boys classic, Wouldn't It Be Nice. And the yearning "wouldn't it be nice if we were older then we wouldn't have to wait so long." And then I closed the opening with, "And reflecting on this adolescent wishfulness, I propose a wishfulness that organizations, public and private and even governments, improve their understanding of variation in how it impacts the systems they design, they produce and they operate." 0:09:00.7 BB: And so when I was going back and looking at that, 'cause I was thinking about transformation in this article, and I thought the transformation I talked about last time was the transformation... We talked about the transformation going from an observer, me as a professor used a student, I'm an observer of your learning versus a participant, and that's just a systems perspective. What Dr. Deming is talking about is not just how we look at systems, but the transformation involves how we look at variation. Do we move past two data points and look at variation in the context of common causes and special causes? A transformation of how we engage people, do we engage them with carrots and sticks? Do we understand when we blame them as the willing workers, what that creates in our organizations? And then the last element of Profound Knowledge, theory of knowledge. How do we know that what we know is so? And so I was just looking back at that article, and the article was written about, what if we had a better understanding of variation as one element of a transformation? And what I wanted to highlight today is talk more about transformation, but also look at transformation from not just one aspect of the System of Profound Knowledge, all of them. 0:10:32.2 BB: And it may well be, we're going to need another episode to go through this. But the next topic I want to do as we go down this path. Some time ago somebody made reference to a hologram, and I have seen holographic pictures, and so I went back and I was trying to think, why did that strike me? What about this hologram got my attention? And I started to remind myself of it. And Kevin and I were in Idaho a few months ago meeting with an audience. And I was again reminded by this hologram thing, because people were saying, "How come people in operations are so antiquated?" And I said, "Well, it's not just operations, it's more than that." So first, holograms, so what is a hologram? So I found a dictionary definition. "It's a three-dimensional image produced by a pattern of interference produced by a split coherent beam of radiation, such as a laser." That's for the physicists in the room. 0:11:38.5 AS: I'm not sure if that helped me but... 0:11:40.6 BB: [laughter] But I also found on a website, the Institute for the Advancement of Service, and the website is, www.showanotherway.org. And there I found something I think it's a little bit easier to digest. And the text says, if you turn a photograph over and you see a blank white surface," so far so good. "A photograph shows the image only on the front, thus only from one side, a hologram is a three-dimensional image created by interacting light sources, it shows the same image from all angles regardless of how it's being viewed. When a hologram is divided into pieces, the text says, each part still contains the entire image within it, although each new image is from a slightly different perspective." And then, again, from this website, and this leads us into the transformation piece, is "how does a concept of a hologram apply to organizational structures?" And I thought, "Okay. Now we're getting some place." "Because when people come together, share a vision for an organization, each person has his or her own unique perspective of the whole." I said, "Okay." "Each shares responsibility for the whole, not just his or her piece, but the component pieces aren't identical, each represents the whole picture from a different point of view.” 0:13:08.0 BB: “When we add up the pieces, the image of the whole does not change fundamentally, but rather the image becomes more intense. When more people share the common vision, the vision may not change fundamentally, but it becomes more alive, more real in a sense of the mental reality that people can truly imagine achieving." And to me, what I say is, the role of the ME/WE Trip Report is in part to create a common mental model, a common 3D view of an organization. But depending on who you're talking with in an organization, they see only one aspect of it, they see what it means in finance, they see what it means in HR, they see what it means in, from engineering. And the beauty of, what I have found is, is when you look at organizations from Dr. Deming's perspective, we're able to appreciate that these views are different, but it is the same thing we're looking at. So the next thing I want to get into of the work we're doing at Rocketdyne, working harder in a ME organization at a non-Deming company, working harder is the mantra, working smarter, as you and I have talked about, is what does that mean? Think about things from a Deming perspective. What does that mean? So what you get is a lot of working harder. And in which case, you have KPIs and we're working harder to achieve these KPIs. 0:14:46.9 BB: Well, I was very fortunate, Rocketdyne in the mid '90s, the Air Force came up with a brand new program for a next generation rocket with a set of KPIs that a few of us believed were impossible. Now what's the relevance of that? As long as, my theory is, as long as a non-Deming organization can achieve the KPI in how it currently operates, then just get out of the way. And they will work harder, a lot of brute force will be done to meet those KPIs. And Dr. Deming would remind us, anyone can accomplish anything if they don't count the cost. So, I mean, it will destroy people's lives and marriages and all that, but as long as those KPIs are met, just get out of the way. Well, what I loved about the Air Force requirement, was I was convinced that it couldn't be met. And part of the challenge was to convince executives at Rocketdyne that we can't get there from here. And that then, what I thought was, "This is our moment." We, so again, if you're in an organization and everything can be done, how the organization currently operates, then I say try to find something that can't be done with the current system. It can't be done in the schedule, it can't be done at the cost, but if it can be done by the current system, then that's not your opening. But for us, it was the opening. So the Air Force in the mid '90s had a couple billion dollars to develop a next generation series of rockets. 0:16:30.7 BB: And so we're, nowadays we think of SpaceX launching rockets. Well, this is the mid '90s, which is 20 years or so before SpaceX. And so the requirement was, that everything in the entire rocket, everything in the entire rocket, that's a lot of parts including the engine. Everything had to meet requirements, everything had to be a White Bead, no Red Beads. In the past, if there were Red Beads, which the Air Force accepted, and we know you get Red Beads, we know how you get Red Beads. And if they have Red Beads, then you would get paid to repair them, extra. And a friend of mine who was the brainchild of the effort within the Air Force to eliminate the purchase of Red Beads, he said, "The entire rocket will not have Red Beads." And when I heard of that I thought, "ME organizations don't know how to do that." They just, all they know how to do is create Red Beads. And the strategy we had already developed was, if we look at the variation in the White Beads, as you and I have talked about, then that's a great means to prevent White Beads, Red Beads in the first place, let alone improve integration. So we started getting senior management on board with things we have done to explain to them, here's a strategy, as we heard this flow down from the Air Force. 0:18:04.6 BB: Well, the existing system, how bad it was, was... And I learned this from the brain, this Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force who pushed this incredible KPI, which was, everything must meet requirements. And it translated to something called "No Material Review Board, where a material review board in the industry, in the aerospace industry, is a situation where you've got a Red Bead that may be a very expensive Red Bead that the contractor wants to sell the Air Force, but it doesn't meet requirements. And then the contractor gets together with the Air Force and they schmooze over it, and what Lieutenant Colonel Ciscel explained is, you've got the contractor that really wants to sell that, even though something is not quite right. And what makes it work for the Air Force is when the contractor says, "Well, the bad thing about not using this is, it's going to take a couple of months to have a new one." And that time delay starts to bug the Air Force. Next thing you know that white, that Red Bead starts to look pretty good. But worse than that, what Dave explained is, he said, it's like going to the car dealership and finding that beautiful car you want. Then I, the sales person, tell you, "Andrew, okay, we're going to have it for you tomorrow, all ready to go." 0:19:36.0 BB: And then you come back the next day and I say... And you say, "Well, where's my new car?" And I say, "Well, Andrew, I told you we were going to wash it and wax it. Yeah, well, when we put it through the car wash we scratched it." And you're like, "You scratched it." And I say, "Well, yeah but we buffed out that and we're only going to charge you a little bit more for that. We're going to charge you for this and this and this." And they said, "That's what the Air Force does." And so what he was pushing for in the mid '90s was to get rid of all of that inspired by, you're ready Andrew? Inspired by his undergraduate education that the Air Force paid for when he was an officer, and he learned about Dr. Deming's work on control charts. And so when I heard that I thought, "We've got a requirement that can't be met." This is the, this is our means, our opening for initiating a transformation. 'Cause working harder, convincing the executives was, we can't get there from here. But boy, if you can get there from here, get out of the way. So now I'm going to go back to chapter two of The New Economics. Dr. Deming says, "Somehow the theory for transformation that's been mostly applied in the shop floor, everyone knows about statistical control of quality, this is important, but the shop floor is only a small part of the total. Anyone could be a 100% successful." 0:20:54.1 BB: Well, what I want to share there in terms of the situation we were dealing with in the mid '90s, if we started to talk to the executives about statistical control of quality, control charts, common causes and special causes. Well, as soon as we started to talk about the process being "in control," to the majority of our executives that translated to "everything met requirements." And so our starting point was just for that, just what does "in control" mean? And it was just so amazing how that got translated to meets requirements. And we're like, "No, no, no. We need to have the process in control, understand common cause variation and control charts and, let alone being on target." But that was our starting point, was just trying to get these ideas across on the shop floor. And chapter three... I've got a couple of things from each chapter, at least from some of the opening chapters. We'll cover the rest later. Dr. Deming says in chapter three, "We saw in the last chapter that we are living under the tyranny of the revealing style of management. Most people imagine that this style has always existed, it is a fixture. Actually, it is a modern invention, a trap that has led us into decline. Transformation is required. Education and government, along with industry, are also in need of transformation. The System of Profound Knowledge to be introduced in the next chapter is a theory for transformation." 0:22:25.5 BB: And this is what we're trying to do with this NO MRB initiative, we are just trying to get executives to realize that if we keep doing what we're doing, we're not going to be able to achieve this goal. What I'll also say is, there was such a commercial demand for space at that time, that the Air Force didn't have to pay for the entire program. So they came in with a couple billion dollars. They asked the contractors to bring their money with the idea that these rockets would be used, like Elon Musk is using, for launching all these commercial satellites. So the Air Force excitement was, we can lay out these requirements of no Red Beads, but the reason we're going to make it work is, there's such a commercial demand for a military product. And so Dave referred to this, his push for everything must meet requirements. He called it a $2 billion ambush. And I said, "What do you mean by that?" He said, "I knew they couldn't achieve what we wanted without a transformation. And I knew they wouldn't... We knew they wanted the money. But we knew they couldn't do it without a transformation." And I was like, "Oh, that's ingenious. That is just ingenious." And he so loved what we were doing at Rocketdyne, when he retired from the Air Force, as the program was transitioning from one phase to another, he retired and came to work at Rocketdyne. And he became a huge asset for our efforts to initiate a transformation. 0:24:06.1 BB: Then Dr. Deming says, "The transformation affects family life. Parents who will not rank their children nor show special favors or rewards. Would parents wish for one child to be a loser? Would his brothers and sisters be happy to have a loser in the family? Transform the family will be a living demonstration of cooperation in the form of mutual support, love and respect." At home, Andrew, at home. All right, "The prevailing style of management must undergo a transformation, the system cannot understand itself. The transformation requires an outside view." This is chapter four. And then "The aim of this chapter is to provide a lens, an outside view, a lens that I call a System of Profound Knowledge." Well, here I want to get into the hologram. And this, so I was... Kevin and I were at a Idaho Manufacturing Alliance conference right after Thanksgiving. And we had a session with some people. And in one group I was working with, they said, "Why is that engineering just doesn't get it? It always seems to be engineering. It's always engineering." And I said, "No." I said, "Each part of the organization has their own... " And I tried to explain to them, they each fall into a different trap, but the traps are very similar. 0:25:27.6 BB: I said, "So engineering sets the requirements on each part, they create the silos. Manufacturing then runs off with those instructions and produces the parts as if they're separate, quality then inspects them, finance adds up the savings, adds up the cost." And I don't know to what degree we've discussed this yet, but addition is the belief, adding up the savings comes from a belief that these elements are separate, that if we save $10 here, save $10 here and $10 there, then as an organization we save $30. No, the savings only happen... You only get a $30 savings if those activities don't interfere with one another. So I explained to them, finance has issues. And then HR, they're the ones behind performance appraisals. And that's where this hologram thing came to mind, is that each of them might think, as they get exposed to Deming's work, that we got this figured out. But it's all of them required to tie together to transform the organization. And then more from chapter 4, the transformation. "The first step is transformation of the individual. Transformation is discontinuous. It comes from understanding of the System of Profound Knowledge. The individual transformed will perceive new meaning to his life, through numerous interactions between people. Once the individual understands the System of Profound Knowledge, he'll apply its principles in every kind of relationship." There's Siri. [chuckle] 0:27:13.6 BB: "Once the individual understands the System of Profound Knowledge, he'll apply its principles in every kind of relationship with others. He'll have a basis for judging his own decisions and transformation of the organizations that he belongs to. The individual, once transformed," this is what we talked about last time. I said, "No. The individual, once the transformation begins...will set an example, be a good listener, but not compromise. Continually teach others, help people pull away from their current practice and beliefs and move into the new philosophy without guilt about the past." And here I just want to add. A person I was mentoring three or four years ago, and she went through a one-day program I was leading, and I then started to mentor her on a regular basis. And one of the first calls we had, she was distraught over looking at herself as being incredibly selfish. She said, "The way I treated my siblings, the way I treated my classmates when I was in college." she said, "It was all about me." And I said, so I showed her this, I said, "You have to move into the new philosophy without guilt about the past." I said, "I used to think I caused the grades all by myself," I said, "We each go through this transformation differently with this bit of... " I mean 'cause we're brought up in a world thinking that we caused the grades and all these other things, and I said, "You got to move past that." And I'm not saying it's easy. 0:28:41.5 AS: Well, we did the best we could with what we had at the time, I always like to remind myself... 0:28:45.1 BB: That's right. 0:28:45.4 AS: Myself that. 0:28:48.2 BB: So a couple of other things, then I'm going to... Then I'll just pause, we can close. But what I would tell the executives early, early on, we had from the Air Force this major program, a whole lot of money at Rocketdyne, we were developing the engines. McDonnell Douglas was acquired by Boeing. They got the contract for the vehicle. So eventually we were all under Boeing, and it was really, really cool to be able to get the engine people smart about all the things we're talking about in these calls, and then the vehicle people excited. And then there was a production schedule. We're going to ship the first vehicle X years out, and then it's going to go from a couple a month to a lot a month on and on. And one of the things I would tell the executives, if you want to know every day, how are we doing every day. So you want to know if we're making progress as an organization. So I just gave them a couple of visuals. And I said, "One thing you get... " 'Cause there's one thing, "Well, how are we doing, how are we doing?" I said, "Well, let me tell you what you can measure." I said, "Every time you walk into the restroom, count how many paper towels are on the floor next to the trash can, that can't quite get into the trash can, and let that be a measure of how we're doing on the shop floor in our ability to not deliver Red Beads." 0:30:15.7 BB: And that then becomes an everyday reminder within our respective organizations is, we can't get the trash into the trash can, we can't leave the conference room as we found it, we can't get rid of the science experiments in the refrigerators. And I don't know if I mentioned it to you, but one experiment I would have people do when they would come to class at Rocketdyne, visitors and whatnot. During a break, they need an escort to walk to the restroom a few minutes away, and I'd say to them, "Here, run an experiment to how we're doing as an organization." I said, "Take your empty cup of coffee and put it on top of a file cabinet somewhere between here and the restroom, and then see if it's still there during the next break. Or crumble a piece of paper, put it on the floor, and see how many people walk past that." And I just throw that out as everyday things people can do to get kind of a finger of the pulse. As you're trying to transform your organization one person at a time, what are the things you can look for in the organization, long before we're focusing on common causes versus special causes. What are we doing with performance appraisals? Are we looking at things in the system? There's a bunch of everyday indicators you could start to look at with a sense of, this is a hologram. 0:31:51.8 AS: So we started this off with wouldn't it be nice? And we've been through a lot of different topics in relation to that, how would you summarize the key takeaway that someone can now bring to their business or their life in relation to this topic? 0:32:08.4 BB: Well, let me, and I got some bullet points on the holograms and then the close from the article that I wrote for the Lean Management Journal. And from the hologram, holographic model from the showanotherway.org website, it says, "What do we need to be mindful of when working with this holographic model?" It said "in this model, we need to be aware of the whole, with the parts, their relationships, and the context." Okay? So that's, part of this transformation is keep looking at things and try to imagine what's the greater context for these decisions. That one part of the organization reflects the philosophy of the whole organization. So the idea that, stop thinking that it's just those people in operations that don't get it. Each part of the organization has taken the prevailing system of management and put it into their DNA. So it's everywhere, that members of the organization reflect the whole of the organization and their behaviors. And the idea is, how do we get them to think about the whole? And I think a lot of progress can be made just by sharing with people a common... Having them reveal their appreciation of the contrast between ME and WE organizations, and they'll be pretty obvious where they'd rather work. 0:33:41.3 BB: And then the, what I closed the Brian Wilson article for the Lean Management Journal with is, "wouldn't it be nice if we manage the variation in the parts as being the parts of a system. In the spirit of Brian Wilson's adolescent wishfulness, wouldn't it be nice if the great illusion of independent parts and components modules was replaced by the realism of unity and interconnectedness in amazing prospects for teamwork within any organization." And I think that's a nice way of talking about transformation, not just looking at systems, but understanding people, psychology, and the theory of knowledge. 0:34:25.1 AS: Well, that's a great place to wrap. Bill on behalf of everyone at the Deming Institute, I want to thank you again for this discussion. And for listeners, remember to go to deming.org to continue your journey. And if you want to keep in touch with Bill, just find him on LinkedIn. This is your host, Andrew Stotz, and I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Dr. Deming. And people wonder, why do I repeat the same quote over and over again. Try to get it through our thick heads that people are entitled to joy in work.
Taylor Swift: the Perfect Avatar For Westerm, Consumer-Driven, Self-Obsessed, Self-Absorbed Society I The Carnage Continues While The World Averts Its Eyes From Gaza I Calling a Spade a Spade I Wouldn't It Be Nice? I Centralised & Decentralised Energy Systems: Repeating The Same Mistakes I War Criminal Next Indonesian President?
This week on Classic Vinyl Podcast, Justin and Tyler listen to and review The Beach Boys 11th studio album Pet Sounds. Considered by many to be one of the best albums of all time, with hits like Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B, and God Only Knows, where do you think this album stands? Classic Vinyl Podcast Website https://classicvinlylpodcast.podbean.com/ Support our podcast and buy us a beer https://www.buymeacoffee.com/classicvinylpod
Link to schedule an introductory call for Highly Promotable: https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/highly-promotable-introductory-call With so many people job searching right now, I wanted to do a deep dive on a particular aspect of the job search. But first, let me set the stage. When it comes to networking, many of you engage in what I call “The Tommy Gun Approach” – spray everyone you can think of with the information about what you are looking for, followed by “If you think of anything, let me know.” While there's nothing wrong with this approach, a more effective tool is what I call “The Bow-and-Arrow Approach.” This is a more strategic approach to networking that begins with the end in mind. For some reason, I always think of the Wizard of Oz here…you know you want to get to the wizard, so what's the first step you need to take to get to him? In Bow-and-Arrow networking, you are setting up strategic meetings with people who can get you successively closer to the decision maker…The Wizard. This Bow-and-Arrow approach starts with you knowing where you want to work. I've talked in previous episodes about how to profile your ideal employer, so I won't go into detail here, other than to say it is SO important that you know what you are looking for in your ideal company. Otherwise, how will you know if you've found it? What might be important to you in a company?-Location/Commute-Size-Number of employees-Revenue-Product or service-Mission-Reputation-Culture And there are many others. You won't likely find a company that meets your criteria for everything, so you want to select your top 3-5; I call these your non-negotiables. Everything else is just gravy – or, as I call them, Wouldn't It Be Nice. Once you've identified your non-negotiables, your next step is to create a list of about 25 employers that MIGHT meet your criteria. I say MIGHT because, at this point, you haven't done in-depth research on these companies yet. Meaning: If you think they MIGHT be a fit, put them on your list. If you KNOW they don't mesh with one of your non-negotiables, DON'T put them on your list. How do you come up with this list?-Top-of-mind-Where friends/family work-In the news (for positive reasons)-Competitors-Chamber of Commerce directory-Google-Who's in hiring mode? (check things like LI) Once you've created an initial list of about 25 employers, now it is time to do more in-depth research to narrow your list down to about 10-12 Ideal Employers. I recommend you create a rating system using your top 3-5 criteria – you can do this in Excel or whatever way works best for you. Your next step is to create “tiers” within your 10-12 Ideal Employers. Look for natural demarcations or just put an even number of companies in each of three tiers – it's up to you. You also get to decide how you will approach each tier. For example, you might choose to find three contacts who are connected to each of your Top Tier employers and try to set up face-to-face meetings. For your second tier, you might choose to find one contact for each. For your third tier, you might choose to keep an eye on them, look for openings, and watch out for news about the company that would either move them up or out of your list. With at least your top tier, you then want to figure out how to get your foot in the door with each company. Who do you know who works there AND knows the decision maker? Who do you know who either works there OR knows the decision maker? Who do you know that knows a lot of people? (I call these people Centers of Influence) This is where you begin speaking with people. Remember, until you reach the decision maker, you aren't asking anyone to give you a job – you are asking for an introduction. Do your homework on LI before the meeting and have a specific ask – this gives the other person some concrete way to help you AND gives you something specific to follow up on. Are you wondering why your job search hasn't been as successful as you expected? Grab a copy of “Five Things Derailing Your Job Search” here: https://bit.ly/6thingsderailingjobsearch
This week's episode looks at “All You Need is Love”, the Our World TV special, and the career of the Beatles from April 1966 through August 1967. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a thirteen-minute bonus episode available, on "Rain" by the Beatles. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ NB for the first few hours this was up, there was a slight editing glitch. If you downloaded the old version and don't want to redownload the whole thing, just look in the transcript for "Other than fixing John's two flubbed" for the text of the two missing paragraphs. Errata I say "Come Together" was a B-side, but the single was actually a double A-side. Also, I say the Lennon interview by Maureen Cleave appeared in Detroit magazine. That's what my source (Steve Turner's book) says, but someone on Twitter says that rather than Detroit magazine it was the Detroit Free Press. Also at one point I say "the videos for 'Paperback Writer' and 'Penny Lane'". I meant to say "Rain" rather than "Penny Lane" there. Resources No Mixcloud this week due to the number of songs by the Beatles. I have read literally dozens of books on the Beatles, and used bits of information from many of them. All my Beatles episodes refer to: The Complete Beatles Chronicle by Mark Lewisohn, All The Songs: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Release by Jean-Michel Guesdon, And The Band Begins To Play: The Definitive Guide To The Songs of The Beatles by Steve Lambley, The Beatles By Ear by Kevin Moore, Revolution in the Head by Ian MacDonald, and The Beatles Anthology. For this episode, I also referred to Last Interview by David Sheff, a longform interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono from shortly before Lennon's death; Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, an authorised biography of Paul McCartney; and Here, There, and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles by Geoff Emerick and Howard Massey. Particularly useful this time was Steve Turner's book Beatles '66. I also used Turner's The Beatles: The Stories Behind the Songs 1967-1970. Johnny Rogan's Starmakers and Svengalis had some information on Epstein I hadn't seen anywhere else. Some information about the "Bigger than Jesus" scandal comes from Ward, B. (2012). “The ‘C' is for Christ”: Arthur Unger, Datebook Magazine and the Beatles. Popular Music and Society, 35(4), 541-560. https://doi.org/10.1080/03007766.2011.608978 Information on Robert Stigwood comes from Mr Showbiz by Stephen Dando-Collins. And the quote at the end from Simon Napier-Bell is from You Don't Have to Say You Love Me, which is more entertaining than it is accurate, but is very entertaining. Sadly the only way to get the single mix of "All You Need is Love" is on this ludicrously-expensive out-of-print box set, but the stereo mix is easily available on Magical Mystery Tour. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript A quick note before I start the episode -- this episode deals, in part, with the deaths of three gay men -- one by murder, one by suicide, and one by an accidental overdose, all linked at least in part to societal homophobia. I will try to deal with this as tactfully as I can, but anyone who's upset by those things might want to read the transcript instead of listening to the episode. This is also a very, very, *very* long episode -- this is likely to be the longest episode I *ever* do of this podcast, so settle in. We're going to be here a while. I obviously don't know how long it's going to be while I'm still recording, but based on the word count of my script, probably in the region of three hours. You have been warned. In 1967 the actor Patrick McGoohan was tired. He had been working on the hit series Danger Man for many years -- Danger Man had originally run from 1960 through 1962, then had taken a break, and had come back, retooled, with longer episodes in 1964. That longer series was a big hit, both in the UK and in the US, where it was retitled Secret Agent and had a new theme tune written by PF Sloan and Steve Barri and recorded by Johnny Rivers: [Excerpt: Johnny Rivers, "Secret Agent Man"] But McGoohan was tired of playing John Drake, the agent, and announced he was going to quit the series. Instead, with the help of George Markstein, Danger Man's script editor, he created a totally new series, in which McGoohan would star, and which McGoohan would also write and direct key episodes of. This new series, The Prisoner, featured a spy who is only ever given the name Number Six, and who many fans -- though not McGoohan himself -- took to be the same character as John Drake. Number Six resigns from his job as a secret agent, and is kidnapped and taken to a place known only as The Village -- the series was filmed in Portmeirion, an unusual-looking town in Gwynnedd, in North Wales -- which is full of other ex-agents. There he is interrogated to try to find out why he has quit his job. It's never made clear whether the interrogators are his old employers or their enemies, and there's a certain suggestion that maybe there is no real distinction between the two sides, that they're both running the Village together. He spends the entire series trying to escape, but refuses to explain himself -- and there's some debate among viewers as to whether it's implied or not that part of the reason he doesn't explain himself is that he knows his interrogators wouldn't understand why he quit: [Excerpt: The Prisoner intro, from episode Once Upon a Time, ] Certainly that explanation would fit in with McGoohan's own personality. According to McGoohan, the final episode of The Prisoner was, at the time, the most watched TV show ever broadcast in the UK, as people tuned in to find out the identity of Number One, the person behind the Village, and to see if Number Six would break free. I don't think that's actually the case, but it's what McGoohan always claimed, and it was certainly a very popular series. I won't spoil the ending for those of you who haven't watched it -- it's a remarkable series -- but ultimately the series seems to decide that such questions don't matter and that even asking them is missing the point. It's a work that's open to multiple interpretations, and is left deliberately ambiguous, but one of the messages many people have taken away from it is that not only are we trapped by a society that oppresses us, we're also trapped by our own identities. You can run from the trap that society has placed you in, from other people's interpretations of your life, your work, and your motives, but you ultimately can't run from yourself, and any time you try to break out of a prison, you'll find yourself trapped in another prison of your own making. The most horrifying implication of the episode is that possibly even death itself won't be a release, and you will spend all eternity trying to escape from an identity you're trapped in. Viewers became so outraged, according to McGoohan, that he had to go into hiding for an extended period, and while his later claims that he never worked in Britain again are an exaggeration, it is true that for the remainder of his life he concentrated on doing work in the US instead, where he hadn't created such anger. That final episode of The Prisoner was also the only one to use a piece of contemporary pop music, in two crucial scenes: [Excerpt: The Prisoner, "Fall Out", "All You Need is Love"] Back in October 2020, we started what I thought would be a year-long look at the period from late 1962 through early 1967, but which has turned out for reasons beyond my control to take more like twenty months, with a song which was one of the last of the big pre-Beatles pop hits, though we looked at it after their first single, "Telstar" by the Tornadoes: [Excerpt: The Tornadoes, "Telstar"] There were many reasons for choosing that as one of the bookends for this fifty-episode chunk of the podcast -- you'll see many connections between that episode and this one if you listen to them back-to-back -- but among them was that it's a song inspired by the launch of the first ever communications satellite, and a sign of how the world was going to become smaller as the sixties went on. Of course, to start with communications satellites didn't do much in that regard -- they were expensive to use, and had limited bandwidth, and were only available during limited time windows, but symbolically they meant that for the first time ever, people could see and hear events thousands of miles away as they were happening. It's not a coincidence that Britain and France signed the agreement to develop Concorde, the first supersonic airliner, a month after the first Beatles single and four months after the Telstar satellite was launched. The world was becoming ever more interconnected -- people were travelling faster and further, getting news from other countries quicker, and there was more cultural conversation – and misunderstanding – between countries thousands of miles apart. The Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan, the man who also coined the phrase “the medium is the message”, thought that this ever-faster connection would fundamentally change basic modes of thought in the Western world. McLuhan thought that technology made possible whole new modes of thought, and that just as the printing press had, in his view, caused Western liberalism and individualism, so these new electronic media would cause the rise of a new collective mode of thought. In 1962, the year of Concorde, Telstar, and “Love Me Do”, McLuhan wrote a book called The Gutenberg Galaxy, in which he said: “Instead of tending towards a vast Alexandrian library the world has become a computer, an electronic brain, exactly as an infantile piece of science fiction. And as our senses have gone outside us, Big Brother goes inside. So, unless aware of this dynamic, we shall at once move into a phase of panic terrors, exactly befitting a small world of tribal drums, total interdependence, and superimposed co-existence.… Terror is the normal state of any oral society, for in it everything affects everything all the time.…” He coined the term “the Global Village” to describe this new collectivism. The story we've seen over the last fifty episodes is one of a sort of cultural ping-pong between the USA and the UK, with innovations in American music inspiring British musicians, who in turn inspired American ones, whether that being the Beatles covering the Isley Brothers or the Rolling Stones doing a Bobby Womack song, or Paul Simon and Bob Dylan coming over to the UK and learning folk songs and guitar techniques from Martin Carthy. And increasingly we're going to see those influences spread to other countries, and influences coming *from* other countries. We've already seen one Jamaican artist, and the influence of Indian music has become very apparent. While the focus of this series is going to remain principally in the British Isles and North America, rock music was and is a worldwide phenomenon, and that's going to become increasingly a part of the story. And so in this episode we're going to look at a live performance -- well, mostly live -- that was seen by hundreds of millions of people all over the world as it happened, thanks to the magic of satellites: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "All You Need is Love"] When we left the Beatles, they had just finished recording "Tomorrow Never Knows", the most experimental track they had recorded up to that date, and if not the most experimental thing they *ever* recorded certainly in the top handful. But "Tomorrow Never Knows" was only the first track they recorded in the sessions for what would become arguably their greatest album, and certainly the one that currently has the most respect from critics. It's interesting to note that that album could have been very, very, different. When we think of Revolver now, we think of the innovative production of George Martin, and of Geoff Emerick and Ken Townshend's inventive ideas for pushing the sound of the equipment in Abbey Road studios, but until very late in the day the album was going to be recorded in the Stax studios in Memphis, with Steve Cropper producing -- whether George Martin would have been involved or not is something we don't even know. In 1965, the Rolling Stones had, as we've seen, started making records in the US, recording in LA and at the Chess studios in Chicago, and the Yardbirds had also been doing the same thing. Mick Jagger had become a convert to the idea of using American studios and working with American musicians, and he had constantly been telling Paul McCartney that the Beatles should do the same. Indeed, they'd put some feelers out in 1965 about the possibility of the group making an album with Holland, Dozier, and Holland in Detroit. Quite how this would have worked is hard to figure out -- Holland, Dozier, and Holland's skills were as songwriters, and in their work with a particular set of musicians -- so it's unsurprising that came to nothing. But recording at Stax was a different matter. While Steve Cropper was a great songwriter in his own right, he was also adept at getting great sounds on covers of other people's material -- like on Otis Blue, the album he produced for Otis Redding in late 1965, which doesn't include a single Cropper original: [Excerpt: Otis Redding, "Satisfaction"] And the Beatles were very influenced by the records Stax were putting out, often namechecking Wilson Pickett in particular, and during the Rubber Soul sessions they had recorded a "Green Onions" soundalike track, imaginatively titled "12-Bar Original": [Excerpt: The Beatles, "12-Bar Original"] The idea of the group recording at Stax got far enough that they were actually booked in for two weeks starting the ninth of April, and there was even an offer from Elvis to let them stay at Graceland while they recorded, but then a couple of weeks earlier, the news leaked to the press, and Brian Epstein cancelled the booking. According to Cropper, Epstein talked about recording at the Atlantic studios in New York with him instead, but nothing went any further. It's hard to imagine what a Stax-based Beatles album would have been like, but even though it might have been a great album, it certainly wouldn't have been the Revolver we've come to know. Revolver is an unusual album in many ways, and one of the ways it's most distinct from the earlier Beatles albums is the dominance of keyboards. Both Lennon and McCartney had often written at the piano as well as the guitar -- McCartney more so than Lennon, but both had done so regularly -- but up to this point it had been normal for them to arrange the songs for guitars rather than keyboards, no matter how they'd started out. There had been the odd track where one of them, usually Lennon, would play a simple keyboard part, songs like "I'm Down" or "We Can Work it Out", but even those had been guitar records first and foremost. But on Revolver, that changed dramatically. There seems to have been a complex web of cause and effect here. Paul was becoming increasingly interested in moving his basslines away from simple walking basslines and root notes and the other staples of rock and roll basslines up to this point. As the sixties progressed, rock basslines were becoming ever more complex, and Tyler Mahan Coe has made a good case that this is largely down to innovations in production pioneered by Owen Bradley, and McCartney was certainly aware of Bradley's work -- he was a fan of Brenda Lee, who Bradley produced, for example. But the two influences that McCartney has mentioned most often in this regard are the busy, jazz-influenced, basslines that James Jamerson was playing at Motown: [Excerpt: The Four Tops, "It's the Same Old Song"] And the basslines that Brian Wilson was writing for various Wrecking Crew bassists to play for the Beach Boys: [Excerpt: The Beach Boys, "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)"] Just to be clear, McCartney didn't hear that particular track until partway through the recording of Revolver, when Bruce Johnston visited the UK and brought with him an advance copy of Pet Sounds, but Pet Sounds influenced the later part of Revolver's recording, and Wilson had already started his experiments in that direction with the group's 1965 work. It's much easier to write a song with this kind of bassline, one that's integral to the composition, on the piano than it is to write it on a guitar, as you can work out the bassline with your left hand while working out the chords and melody with your right, so the habit that McCartney had already developed of writing on the piano made this easier. But also, starting with the recording of "Paperback Writer", McCartney switched his style of working in the studio. Where up to this point it had been normal for him to play bass as part of the recording of the basic track, playing with the other Beatles, he now started to take advantage of multitracking to overdub his bass later, so he could spend extra time getting the bassline exactly right. McCartney lived closer to Abbey Road than the other three Beatles, and so could more easily get there early or stay late and tweak his parts. But if McCartney wasn't playing bass while the guitars and drums were being recorded, that meant he could play something else, and so increasingly he would play piano during the recording of the basic track. And that in turn would mean that there wouldn't always *be* a need for guitars on the track, because the harmonic support they would provide would be provided by the piano instead. This, as much as anything else, is the reason that Revolver sounds so radically different to any other Beatles album. Up to this point, with *very* rare exceptions like "Yesterday", every Beatles record, more or less, featured all four of the Beatles playing instruments. Now John and George weren't playing on "Good Day Sunshine" or "For No One", John wasn't playing on "Here, There, and Everywhere", "Eleanor Rigby" features no guitars or drums at all, and George's "Love You To" only features himself, plus a little tambourine from Ringo (Paul recorded a part for that one, but it doesn't seem to appear on the finished track). Of the three songwriting Beatles, the only one who at this point was consistently requiring the instrumental contributions of all the other band members was John, and even he did without Paul on "She Said, She Said", which by all accounts features either John or George on bass, after Paul had a rare bout of unprofessionalism and left the studio. Revolver is still an album made by a group -- and most of those tracks that don't feature John or George instrumentally still feature them vocally -- it's still a collaborative work in all the best ways. But it's no longer an album made by four people playing together in the same room at the same time. After starting work on "Tomorrow Never Knows", the next track they started work on was Paul's "Got to Get You Into My Life", but as it would turn out they would work on that song throughout most of the sessions for the album -- in a sign of how the group would increasingly work from this point on, Paul's song was subject to multiple re-recordings and tweakings in the studio, as he tinkered to try to make it perfect. The first recording to be completed for the album, though, was almost as much of a departure in its own way as "Tomorrow Never Knows" had been. George's song "Love You To" shows just how inspired he was by the music of Ravi Shankar, and how devoted he was to Indian music. While a few months earlier he had just about managed to pick out a simple melody on the sitar for "Norwegian Wood", by this point he was comfortable enough with Indian classical music that I've seen many, many sources claim that an outside session player is playing sitar on the track, though Anil Bhagwat, the tabla player on the track, always insisted that it was entirely Harrison's playing: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Love You To"] There is a *lot* of debate as to whether it's George playing on the track, and I feel a little uncomfortable making a definitive statement in either direction. On the one hand I find it hard to believe that Harrison got that good that quickly on an unfamiliar instrument, when we know he wasn't a naturally facile musician. All the stories we have about his work in the studio suggest that he had to work very hard on his guitar solos, and that he would frequently fluff them. As a technical guitarist, Harrison was only mediocre -- his value lay in his inventiveness, not in technical ability -- and he had been playing guitar for over a decade, but sitar only a few months. There's also some session documentation suggesting that an unknown sitar player was hired. On the other hand there's the testimony of Anil Bhagwat that Harrison played the part himself, and he has been very firm on the subject, saying "If you go on the Internet there are a lot of questions asked about "Love You To". They say 'It's not George playing the sitar'. I can tell you here and now -- 100 percent it was George on sitar throughout. There were no other musicians involved. It was just me and him." And several people who are more knowledgeable than myself about the instrument have suggested that the sitar part on the track is played the way that a rock guitarist would play rather than the way someone with more knowledge of Indian classical music would play -- there's a blues feeling to some of the bends that apparently no genuine Indian classical musician would naturally do. I would suggest that the best explanation is that there's a professional sitar player trying to replicate a part that Harrison had previously demonstrated, while Harrison was in turn trying his best to replicate the sound of Ravi Shankar's work. Certainly the instrumental section sounds far more fluent, and far more stylistically correct, than one would expect: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Love You To"] Where previous attempts at what got called "raga-rock" had taken a couple of surface features of Indian music -- some form of a drone, perhaps a modal scale -- and had generally used a guitar made to sound a little bit like a sitar, or had a sitar playing normal rock riffs, Harrison's song seems to be a genuine attempt to hybridise Indian ragas and rock music, combining the instrumentation, modes, and rhythmic complexity of someone like Ravi Shankar with lyrics that are seemingly inspired by Bob Dylan and a fairly conventional pop song structure (and a tiny bit of fuzz guitar). It's a record that could only be made by someone who properly understood both the Indian music he's emulating and the conventions of the Western pop song, and understood how those conventions could work together. Indeed, one thing I've rarely seen pointed out is how cleverly the album is sequenced, so that "Love You To" is followed by possibly the most conventional song on Revolver, "Here, There, and Everywhere", which was recorded towards the end of the sessions. Both songs share a distinctive feature not shared by the rest of the album, so the two songs can sound more of a pair than they otherwise would, retrospectively making "Love You To" seem more conventional than it is and "Here, There, and Everywhere" more unconventional -- both have as an introduction a separate piece of music that states some of the melodic themes of the rest of the song but isn't repeated later. In the case of "Love You To" it's the free-tempo bit at the beginning, characteristic of a lot of Indian music: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Love You To"] While in the case of "Here, There, and Everywhere" it's the part that mimics an older style of songwriting, a separate intro of the type that would have been called a verse when written by the Gershwins or Cole Porter, but of course in the intervening decades "verse" had come to mean something else, so we now no longer have a specific term for this kind of intro -- but as you can hear, it's doing very much the same thing as that "Love You To" intro: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Here, There, and Everywhere"] In the same day as the group completed "Love You To", overdubbing George's vocal and Ringo's tambourine, they also started work on a song that would show off a lot of the new techniques they had been working on in very different ways. Paul's "Paperback Writer" could indeed be seen as part of a loose trilogy with "Love You To" and "Tomorrow Never Knows", one song by each of the group's three songwriters exploring the idea of a song that's almost all on one chord. Both "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "Love You To" are based on a drone with occasional hints towards moving to one other chord. In the case of "Paperback Writer", the entire song stays on a single chord until the title -- it's on a G7 throughout until the first use of the word "writer", when it quickly goes to a C for two bars. I'm afraid I'm going to have to sing to show you how little the chords actually change, because the riff disguises this lack of movement somewhat, but the melody is also far more horizontal than most of McCartney's, so this shouldn't sound too painful, I hope: [demonstrates] This is essentially the exact same thing that both "Love You To" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" do, and all three have very similarly structured rising and falling modal melodies. There's also a bit of "Paperback Writer" that seems to tie directly into "Love You To", but also points to a possible very non-Indian inspiration for part of "Love You To". The Beach Boys' single "Sloop John B" was released in the UK a couple of days after the sessions for "Paperback Writer" and "Love You To", but it had been released in the US a month before, and the Beatles all got copies of every record in the American top thirty shipped to them. McCartney and Harrison have specifically pointed to it as an influence on "Paperback Writer". "Sloop John B" has a section where all the instruments drop out and we're left with just the group's vocal harmonies: [Excerpt: The Beach Boys, "Sloop John B"] And that seems to have been the inspiration behind the similar moment at a similar point in "Paperback Writer", which is used in place of a middle eight and also used for the song's intro: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Paperback Writer"] Which is very close to what Harrison does at the end of each verse of "Love You To", where the instruments drop out for him to sing a long melismatic syllable before coming back in: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Love You To"] Essentially, other than "Got to Get You Into My Life", which is an outlier and should not be counted, the first three songs attempted during the Revolver sessions are variations on a common theme, and it's a sign that no matter how different the results might sound, the Beatles really were very much a group at this point, and were sharing ideas among themselves and developing those ideas in similar ways. "Paperback Writer" disguises what it's doing somewhat by having such a strong riff. Lennon referred to "Paperback Writer" as "son of 'Day Tripper'", and in terms of the Beatles' singles it's actually their third iteration of this riff idea, which they originally got from Bobby Parker's "Watch Your Step": [Excerpt: Bobby Parker, "Watch Your Step"] Which became the inspiration for "I Feel Fine": [Excerpt: The Beatles, "I Feel Fine"] Which they varied for "Day Tripper": [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Day Tripper"] And which then in turn got varied for "Paperback Writer": [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Paperback Writer"] As well as compositional ideas, there are sonic ideas shared between "Paperback Writer", "Tomorrow Never Knows", and "Love You To", and which would be shared by the rest of the tracks the Beatles recorded in the first half of 1966. Since Geoff Emerick had become the group's principal engineer, they'd started paying more attention to how to get a fuller sound, and so Emerick had miced the tabla on "Love You To" much more closely than anyone would normally mic an instrument from classical music, creating a deep, thudding sound, and similarly he had changed the way they recorded the drums on "Tomorrow Never Knows", again giving a much fuller sound. But the group also wanted the kind of big bass sounds they'd loved on records coming out of America -- sounds that no British studio was getting, largely because it was believed that if you cut too loud a bass sound into a record it would make the needle jump out of the groove. The new engineering team of Geoff Emerick and Ken Scott, though, thought that it was likely you could keep the needle in the groove if you had a smoother frequency response. You could do that if you used a microphone with a larger diaphragm to record the bass, but how could you do that? Inspiration finally struck -- loudspeakers are actually the same thing as microphones wired the other way round, so if you wired up a loudspeaker as if it were a microphone you could get a *really big* speaker, place it in front of the bass amp, and get a much stronger bass sound. The experiment wasn't a total success -- the sound they got had to be processed quite extensively to get rid of room noise, and then compressed in order to further prevent the needle-jumping issue, and so it's a muddier, less defined, tone than they would have liked, but one thing that can't be denied is that "Paperback Writer"'s bass sound is much, much, louder than on any previous Beatles record: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Paperback Writer"] Almost every track the group recorded during the Revolver sessions involved all sorts of studio innovations, though rarely anything as truly revolutionary as the artificial double-tracking they'd used on "Tomorrow Never Knows", and which also appeared on "Paperback Writer" -- indeed, as "Paperback Writer" was released several months before Revolver, it became the first record released to use the technique. I could easily devote a good ten minutes to every track on Revolver, and to "Paperback Writer"s B-side, "Rain", but this is already shaping up to be an extraordinarily long episode and there's a lot of material to get through, so I'll break my usual pattern of devoting a Patreon bonus episode to something relatively obscure, and this week's bonus will be on "Rain" itself. "Paperback Writer", though, deserved the attention here even though it was not one of the group's more successful singles -- it did go to number one, but it didn't hit number one in the UK charts straight away, being kept off the top by "Strangers in the Night" by Frank Sinatra for the first week: [Excerpt: Frank Sinatra, "Strangers in the Night"] Coincidentally, "Strangers in the Night" was co-written by Bert Kaempfert, the German musician who had produced the group's very first recording sessions with Tony Sheridan back in 1961. On the group's German tour in 1966 they met up with Kaempfert again, and John greeted him by singing the first couple of lines of the Sinatra record. The single was the lowest-selling Beatles single in the UK since "Love Me Do". In the US it only made number one for two non-consecutive weeks, with "Strangers in the Night" knocking it off for a week in between. Now, by literally any other band's standards, that's still a massive hit, and it was the Beatles' tenth UK number one in a row (or ninth, depending on which chart you use for "Please Please Me"), but it's a sign that the group were moving out of the first phase of total unequivocal dominance of the charts. It was a turning point in a lot of other ways as well. Up to this point, while the group had been experimenting with different lyrical subjects on album tracks, every single had lyrics about romantic relationships -- with the possible exception of "Help!", which was about Lennon's emotional state but written in such a way that it could be heard as a plea to a lover. But in the case of "Paperback Writer", McCartney was inspired by his Aunt Mill asking him "Why do you write songs about love all the time? Can you ever write about a horse or the summit conference or something interesting?" His response was to think "All right, Aunt Mill, I'll show you", and to come up with a lyric that was very much in the style of the social satires that bands like the Kinks were releasing at the time. People often miss the humour in the lyric for "Paperback Writer", but there's a huge amount of comedy in lyrics about someone writing to a publisher saying they'd written a book based on someone else's book, and one can only imagine the feeling of weary recognition in slush-pile readers throughout the world as they heard the enthusiastic "It's a thousand pages, give or take a few, I'll be writing more in a week or two. I can make it longer..." From this point on, the group wouldn't release a single that was unambiguously about a romantic relationship until "The Ballad of John and Yoko", the last single released while the band were still together. "Paperback Writer" also saw the Beatles for the first time making a promotional film -- what we would now call a rock video -- rather than make personal appearances on TV shows. The film was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who the group would work with again in 1969, and shows Paul with a chipped front tooth -- he'd been in an accident while riding mopeds with his friend Tara Browne a few months earlier, and hadn't yet got round to having the tooth capped. When he did, the change in his teeth was one of the many bits of evidence used by conspiracy theorists to prove that the real Paul McCartney was dead and replaced by a lookalike. It also marks a change in who the most prominent Beatle on the group's A-sides was. Up to this point, Paul had had one solo lead on an A-side -- "Can't Buy Me Love" -- and everything else had been either a song with multiple vocalists like "Day Tripper" or "Love Me Do", or a song with a clear John lead like "Ticket to Ride" or "I Feel Fine". In the rest of their career, counting "Paperback Writer", the group would release nine new singles that hadn't already been included on an album. Of those nine singles, one was a double A-side with one John song and one Paul song, two had John songs on the A-side, and the other six were Paul. Where up to this point John had been "lead Beatle", for the rest of the sixties, Paul would be the group's driving force. Oddly, Paul got rather defensive about the record when asked about it in interviews after it failed to go straight to the top, saying "It's not our best single by any means, but we're very satisfied with it". But especially in its original mono mix it actually packs a powerful punch: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Paperback Writer"] When the "Paperback Writer" single was released, an unusual image was used in the advertising -- a photo of the Beatles dressed in butchers' smocks, covered in blood, with chunks of meat and the dismembered body parts of baby dolls lying around on them. The image was meant as part of a triptych parodying religious art -- the photo on the left was to be an image showing the four Beatles connected to a woman by an umbilical cord made of sausages, the middle panel was meant to be this image, but with halos added over the Beatles' heads, and the panel on the right was George hammering a nail into John's head, symbolising both crucifixion and that the group were real, physical, people, not just images to be worshipped -- these weren't imaginary nails, and they weren't imaginary people. The photographer Robert Whittaker later said: “I did a photograph of the Beatles covered in raw meat, dolls and false teeth. Putting meat, dolls and false teeth with The Beatles is essentially part of the same thing, the breakdown of what is regarded as normal. The actual conception for what I still call “Somnambulant Adventure” was Moses coming down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments. He comes across people worshipping a golden calf. All over the world I'd watched people worshiping like idols, like gods, four Beatles. To me they were just stock standard normal people. But this emotion that fans poured on them made me wonder where Christianity was heading.” The image wasn't that controversial in the UK, when it was used to advertise "Paperback Writer", but in the US it was initially used for the cover of an album, Yesterday... And Today, which was made up of a few tracks that had been left off the US versions of the Rubber Soul and Help! albums, plus both sides of the "We Can Work It Out"/"Day Tripper" single, and three rough mixes of songs that had been recorded for Revolver -- "Doctor Robert", "And Your Bird Can Sing", and "I'm Only Sleeping", which was the song that sounded most different from the mixes that were finally released: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "I'm Only Sleeping (Yesterday... and Today mix)"] Those three songs were all Lennon songs, which had the unfortunate effect that when the US version of Revolver was brought out later in the year, only two of the songs on the album were by Lennon, with six by McCartney and three by Harrison. Some have suggested that this was the motivation for the use of the butcher image on the cover of Yesterday... And Today -- saying it was the Beatles' protest against Capitol "butchering" their albums -- but in truth it was just that Capitol's art director chose the cover because he liked the image. Alan Livingston, the president of Capitol was not so sure, and called Brian Epstein to ask if the group would be OK with them using a different image. Epstein checked with John Lennon, but Lennon liked the image and so Epstein told Livingston the group insisted on them using that cover. Even though for the album cover the bloodstains on the butchers' smocks were airbrushed out, after Capitol had pressed up a million copies of the mono version of the album and two hundred thousand copies of the stereo version, and they'd sent out sixty thousand promo copies, they discovered that no record shops would stock the album with that cover. It cost Capitol more than two hundred thousand dollars to recall the album and replace the cover with a new one -- though while many of the covers were destroyed, others had the new cover, with a more acceptable photo of the group, pasted over them, and people have later carefully steamed off the sticker to reveal the original. This would not be the last time in 1966 that something that was intended as a statement on religion and the way people viewed the Beatles would cause the group trouble in America. In the middle of the recording sessions for Revolver, the group also made what turned out to be their last ever UK live performance in front of a paying audience. The group had played the NME Poll-Winners' Party every year since 1963, and they were always shows that featured all the biggest acts in the country at the time -- the 1966 show featured, as well as the Beatles and a bunch of smaller acts, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Yardbirds, Roy Orbison, Cliff Richard and the Shadows, the Seekers, the Small Faces, the Walker Brothers, and Dusty Springfield. Unfortunately, while these events were always filmed for TV broadcast, the Beatles' performance on the first of May wasn't filmed. There are various stories about what happened, but the crux appears to be a disagreement between Andrew Oldham and Brian Epstein, sparked by John Lennon. When the Beatles got to the show, they were upset to discover that they had to wait around before going on stage -- normally, the awards would all be presented at the end, after all the performances, but the Rolling Stones had asked that the Beatles not follow them directly, so after the Stones finished their set, there would be a break for the awards to be given out, and then the Beatles would play their set, in front of an audience that had been bored by twenty-five minutes of awards ceremony, rather than one that had been excited by all the bands that came before them. John Lennon was annoyed, and insisted that the Beatles were going to go on straight after the Rolling Stones -- he seems to have taken this as some sort of power play by the Stones and to have got his hackles up about it. He told Epstein to deal with the people from the NME. But the NME people said that they had a contract with Andrew Oldham, and they weren't going to break it. Oldham refused to change the terms of the contract. Lennon said that he wasn't going to go on stage if they didn't directly follow the Stones. Maurice Kinn, the publisher of the NME, told Epstein that he wasn't going to break the contract with Oldham, and that if the Beatles didn't appear on stage, he would get Jimmy Savile, who was compering the show, to go out on stage and tell the ten thousand fans in the audience that the Beatles were backstage refusing to appear. He would then sue NEMS for breach of contract *and* NEMS would be liable for any damage caused by the rioting that was sure to happen. Lennon screamed a lot of abuse at Kinn, and told him the group would never play one of their events again, but the group did go on stage -- but because they hadn't yet signed the agreement to allow their performance to be filmed, they refused to allow it to be recorded. Apparently Andrew Oldham took all this as a sign that Epstein was starting to lose control of the group. Also during May 1966 there were visits from musicians from other countries, continuing the cultural exchange that was increasingly influencing the Beatles' art. Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys came over to promote the group's new LP, Pet Sounds, which had been largely the work of Brian Wilson, who had retired from touring to concentrate on working in the studio. Johnston played the record for John and Paul, who listened to it twice, all the way through, in silence, in Johnston's hotel room: [Excerpt: The Beach Boys, "God Only Knows"] According to Johnston, after they'd listened through the album twice, they went over to a piano and started whispering to each other, picking out chords. Certainly the influence of Pet Sounds is very noticeable on songs like "Here, There, and Everywhere", written and recorded a few weeks after this meeting: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "Here, There, and Everywhere"] That track, and the last track recorded for the album, "She Said She Said" were unusual in one very important respect -- they were recorded while the Beatles were no longer under contract to EMI Records. Their contract expired on the fifth of June, 1966, and they finished Revolver without it having been renewed -- it would be several months before their new contract was signed, and it's rather lucky for music lovers that Brian Epstein was the kind of manager who considered personal relationships and basic honour and decency more important than the legal niceties, unlike any other managers of the era, otherwise we would not have Revolver in the form we know it today. After the meeting with Johnston, but before the recording of those last couple of Revolver tracks, the Beatles also met up again with Bob Dylan, who was on a UK tour with a new, loud, band he was working with called The Hawks. While the Beatles and Dylan all admired each other, there was by this point a lot of wariness on both sides, especially between Lennon and Dylan, both of them very similar personality types and neither wanting to let their guard down around the other or appear unhip. There's a famous half-hour-long film sequence of Lennon and Dylan sharing a taxi, which is a fascinating, excruciating, example of two insecure but arrogant men both trying desperately to impress the other but also equally desperate not to let the other know that they want to impress them: [Excerpt: Dylan and Lennon taxi ride] The day that was filmed, Lennon and Harrison also went to see Dylan play at the Royal Albert Hall. This tour had been controversial, because Dylan's band were loud and raucous, and Dylan's fans in the UK still thought of him as a folk musician. At one gig, earlier on the tour, an audience member had famously yelled out "Judas!" -- (just on the tiny chance that any of my listeners don't know that, Judas was the disciple who betrayed Jesus to the authorities, leading to his crucifixion) -- and that show was for many years bootlegged as the "Royal Albert Hall" show, though in fact it was recorded at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester. One of the *actual* Royal Albert Hall shows was released a few years ago -- the one the night before Lennon and Harrison saw Dylan: [Excerpt: Bob Dylan, "Like a Rolling Stone", Royal Albert Hall 1966] The show Lennon and Harrison saw would be Dylan's last for many years. Shortly after returning to the US, Dylan was in a motorbike accident, the details of which are still mysterious, and which some fans claim was faked altogether. The accident caused him to cancel all the concert dates he had booked, and devote himself to working in the studio for several years just like Brian Wilson. And from even further afield than America, Ravi Shankar came over to Britain, to work with his friend the violinist Yehudi Menuhin, on a duet album, West Meets East, that was an example in the classical world of the same kind of international cross-fertilisation that was happening in the pop world: [Excerpt: Yehudi Menuhin and Ravi Shankar, "Prabhati (based on Raga Gunkali)"] While he was in the UK, Shankar also performed at the Royal Festival Hall, and George Harrison went to the show. He'd seen Shankar live the year before, but this time he met up with him afterwards, and later said "He was the first person that impressed me in a way that was beyond just being a famous celebrity. Ravi was my link to the Vedic world. Ravi plugged me into the whole of reality. Elvis impressed me when I was a kid, and impressed me when I met him, but you couldn't later on go round to him and say 'Elvis, what's happening with the universe?'" After completing recording and mixing the as-yet-unnamed album, which had been by far the longest recording process of their career, and which still nearly sixty years later regularly tops polls of the best album of all time, the Beatles took a well-earned break. For a whole two days, at which point they flew off to Germany to do a three-day tour, on their way to Japan, where they were booked to play five shows at the Budokan. Unfortunately for the group, while they had no idea of this when they were booked to do the shows, many in Japan saw the Budokan as sacred ground, and they were the first ever Western group to play there. This led to numerous death threats and loud protests from far-right activists offended at the Beatles defiling their religious and nationalistic sensibilities. As a result, the police were on high alert -- so high that there were three thousand police in the audience for the shows, in a venue which only held ten thousand audience members. That's according to Mark Lewisohn's Complete Beatles Chronicle, though I have to say that the rather blurry footage of the audience in the video of those shows doesn't seem to show anything like those numbers. But frankly I'll take Lewisohn's word over that footage, as he's not someone to put out incorrect information. The threats to the group also meant that they had to be kept in their hotel rooms at all times except when actually performing, though they did make attempts to get out. At the press conference for the Tokyo shows, the group were also asked publicly for the first time their views on the war in Vietnam, and John replied "Well, we think about it every day, and we don't agree with it and we think that it's wrong. That's how much interest we take. That's all we can do about it... and say that we don't like it". I say they were asked publicly for the first time, because George had been asked about it for a series of interviews Maureen Cleave had done with the group a couple of months earlier, as we'll see in a bit, but nobody was paying attention to those interviews. Brian Epstein was upset that the question had gone to John. He had hoped that the inevitable Vietnam question would go to Paul, who he thought might be a bit more tactful. The last thing he needed was John Lennon saying something that would upset the Americans before their tour there a few weeks later. Luckily, people in America seemed to have better things to do than pay attention to John Lennon's opinions. The support acts for the Japanese shows included several of the biggest names in Japanese rock music -- or "group sounds" as the genre was called there, Japanese people having realised that trying to say the phrase "rock and roll" would open them up to ridicule given that it had both "r" and "l" sounds in the phrase. The man who had coined the term "group sounds", Jackey Yoshikawa, was there with his group the Blue Comets, as was Isao Bito, who did a rather good cover version of Cliff Richard's "Dynamite": [Excerpt: Isao Bito, "Dynamite"] Bito, the Blue Comets, and the other two support acts, Yuya Uchida and the Blue Jeans, all got together to perform a specially written song, "Welcome Beatles": [Excerpt: "Welcome Beatles" ] But while the Japanese audience were enthusiastic, they were much less vocal about their enthusiasm than the audiences the Beatles were used to playing for. The group were used, of course, to playing in front of hordes of screaming teenagers who could not hear a single note, but because of the fear that a far-right terrorist would assassinate one of the group members, the police had imposed very, very, strict rules on the audience. Nobody in the audience was allowed to get out of their seat for any reason, and the police would clamp down very firmly on anyone who was too demonstrative. Because of that, the group could actually hear themselves, and they sounded sloppy as hell, especially on the newer material. Not that there was much of that. The only song they did from the Revolver sessions was "Paperback Writer", the new single, and while they did do a couple of tracks from Rubber Soul, those were under-rehearsed. As John said at the start of this tour, "I can't play any of Rubber Soul, it's so unrehearsed. The only time I played any of the numbers on it was when I recorded it. I forget about songs. They're only valid for a certain time." That's certainly borne out by the sound of their performances of Rubber Soul material at the Budokan: [Excerpt: The Beatles, "If I Needed Someone (live at the Budokan)"] It was while they were in Japan as well that they finally came up with the title for their new album. They'd been thinking of all sorts of ideas, like Abracadabra and Magic Circle, and tossing names around with increasing desperation for several days -- at one point they seem to have just started riffing on other groups' albums, and seem to have apparently seriously thought about naming the record in parodic tribute to their favourite artists -- suggestions included The Beatles On Safari, after the Beach Boys' Surfin' Safari (and possibly with a nod to their recent Pet Sounds album cover with animals, too), The Freewheelin' Beatles, after Dylan's second album, and my favourite, Ringo's suggestion After Geography, for the Rolling Stones' Aftermath. But eventually Paul came up with Revolver -- like Rubber Soul, a pun, in this case because the record itself revolves when on a turntable. Then it was off to the Philippines, and if the group thought Japan had been stressful, they had no idea what was coming. The trouble started in the Philippines from the moment they stepped off the plane, when they were bundled into a car without Neil Aspinall or Brian Epstein, and without their luggage, which was sent to customs. This was a problem in itself -- the group had got used to essentially being treated like diplomats, and to having their baggage let through customs without being searched, and so they'd started freely carrying various illicit substances with them. This would obviously be a problem -- but as it turned out, this was just to get a "customs charge" paid by Brian Epstein. But during their initial press conference the group were worried, given the hostility they'd faced from officialdom, that they were going to be arrested during the conference itself. They were asked what they would tell the Rolling Stones, who were going to be visiting the Philippines shortly after, and Lennon just said "We'll warn them". They also asked "is there a war on in the Philippines? Why is everybody armed?" At this time, the Philippines had a new leader, Ferdinand Marcos -- who is not to be confused with his son, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, also known as Bongbong Marcos, who just became President-Elect there last month. Marcos Sr was a dictatorial kleptocrat, one of the worst leaders of the latter half of the twentieth century, but that wasn't evident yet. He'd been elected only a few months earlier, and had presented himself as a Kennedy-like figure -- a young man who was also a war hero. He'd recently switched parties from the Liberal party to the right-wing Nacionalista Party, but wasn't yet being thought of as the monstrous dictator he later became. The person organising the Philippines shows had been ordered to get the Beatles to visit Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos at 11AM on the day of the show, but for some reason had instead put on their itinerary just the *suggestion* that the group should meet the Marcoses, and had put the time down as 3PM, and the Beatles chose to ignore that suggestion -- they'd refused to do that kind of government-official meet-and-greet ever since an incident in 1964 at the British Embassy in Washington where someone had cut off a bit of Ringo's hair. A military escort turned up at the group's hotel in the morning, to take them for their meeting. The group were all still in their rooms, and Brian Epstein was still eating breakfast and refused to disturb them, saying "Go back and tell the generals we're not coming." The group gave their performances as scheduled, but meanwhile there was outrage at the way the Beatles had refused to meet the Marcos family, who had brought hundreds of children -- friends of their own children, and relatives of top officials -- to a party to meet the group. Brian Epstein went on TV and tried to smooth things over, but the broadcast was interrupted by static and his message didn't get through to anyone. The next day, the group's security was taken away, as were the cars to take them to the airport. When they got to the airport, the escalators were turned off and the group were beaten up at the arrangement of the airport manager, who said in 1984 "I beat up the Beatles. I really thumped them. First I socked Epstein and he went down... then I socked Lennon and Ringo in the face. I was kicking them. They were pleading like frightened chickens. That's what happens when you insult the First Lady." Even on the plane there were further problems -- Brian Epstein and the group's road manager Mal Evans were both made to get off the plane to sort out supposed financial discrepancies, which led to them worrying that they were going to be arrested or worse -- Evans told the group to tell his wife he loved her as he left the plane. But eventually, they were able to leave, and after a brief layover in India -- which Ringo later said was the first time he felt he'd been somewhere truly foreign, as opposed to places like Germany or the USA which felt basically like home -- they got back to England: [Excerpt: "Ordinary passenger!"] When asked what they were going to do next, George replied “We're going to have a couple of weeks to recuperate before we go and get beaten up by the Americans,” The story of the "we're bigger than Jesus" controversy is one of the most widely misreported events in the lives of the Beatles, which is saying a great deal. One book that I've encountered, and one book only, Steve Turner's Beatles '66, tells the story of what actually happened, and even that book seems to miss some emphases. I've pieced what follows together from Turner's book and from an academic journal article I found which has some more detail. As far as I can tell, every single other book on the Beatles released up to this point bases their account of the story on an inaccurate press statement put out by Brian Epstein, not on the truth. Here's the story as it's generally told. John Lennon gave an interview to his friend, Maureen Cleave of the Evening Standard, during which he made some comments about how it was depressing that Christianity was losing relevance in the eyes of the public, and that the Beatles are more popular than Jesus, speaking casually because he was talking to a friend. That story was run in the Evening Standard more-or-less unnoticed, but then an American teen magazine picked up on the line about the Beatles being bigger than Jesus, reprinted chunks of the interview out of context and without the Beatles' knowledge or permission, as a way to stir up controversy, and there was an outcry, with people burning Beatles records and death threats from the Ku Klux Klan. That's... not exactly what happened. The first thing that you need to understand to know what happened is that Datebook wasn't a typical teen magazine. It *looked* just like a typical teen magazine, certainly, and much of its content was the kind of thing that you would get in Tiger Beat or any of the other magazines aimed at teenage girls -- the September 1966 issue was full of articles like "Life with the Walker Brothers... by their Road Manager", and interviews with the Dave Clark Five -- but it also had a long history of publishing material that was intended to make its readers think about social issues of the time, particularly Civil Rights. Arthur Unger, the magazine's editor and publisher, was a gay man in an interracial relationship, and while the subject of homosexuality was too taboo in the late fifties and sixties for him to have his magazine cover that, he did regularly include articles decrying segregation and calling for the girls reading the magazine to do their part on a personal level to stamp out racism. Datebook had regularly contained articles like one from 1963 talking about how segregation wasn't just a problem in the South, saying "If we are so ‘integrated' why must men in my own city of Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love, picket city hall because they are discriminated against when it comes to getting a job? And how come I am still unable to take my dark- complexioned friends to the same roller skating rink or swimming pool that I attend?” One of the writers for the magazine later said “We were much more than an entertainment magazine . . . . We tried to get kids involved in social issues . . . . It was a well-received magazine, recommended by libraries and schools, but during the Civil Rights period we did get pulled off a lot of stands in the South because of our views on integration” Art Unger, the editor and publisher, wasn't the only one pushing this liberal, integrationist, agenda. The managing editor at the time, Danny Fields, was another gay man who wanted to push the magazine even further than Unger, and who would later go on to manage the Stooges and the Ramones, being credited by some as being the single most important figure in punk rock's development, and being immortalised by the Ramones in their song "Danny Says": [Excerpt: The Ramones, "Danny Says"] So this was not a normal teen magazine, and that's certainly shown by the cover of the September 1966 issue, which as well as talking about the interviews with John Lennon and Paul McCartney inside, also advertised articles on Timothy Leary advising people to turn on, tune in, and drop out; an editorial about how interracial dating must be the next step after desegregation of schools, and a piece on "the ten adults you dig/hate the most" -- apparently the adult most teens dug in 1966 was Jackie Kennedy, the most hated was Barry Goldwater, and President Johnson, Billy Graham, and Martin Luther King appeared in the top ten on both lists. Now, in the early part of the year Maureen Cleave had done a whole series of articles on the Beatles -- double-page spreads on each band member, plus Brian Epstein, visiting them in their own homes (apart from Paul, who she met at a restaurant) and discussing their daily lives, their thoughts, and portraying them as rounded individuals. These articles are actually fascinating, because of something that everyone who met the Beatles in this period pointed out. When interviewed separately, all of them came across as thoughtful individuals, with their own opinions about all sorts of subjects, and their own tastes and senses of humour. But when two or more of them were together -- especially when John and Paul were interviewed together, but even in social situations, they would immediately revert to flip in-jokes and riffing on each other's statements, never revealing anything about themselves as individuals, but just going into Beatle mode -- simultaneously preserving the band's image, closing off outsiders, *and* making sure they didn't do or say anything that would get them mocked by the others. Cleave, as someone who actually took them all seriously, managed to get some very revealing information about all of them. In the article on Ringo, which is the most superficial -- one gets the impression that Cleave found him rather difficult to talk to when compared to the other, more verbally facile, band members -- she talked about how he had a lot of Wild West and military memorabilia, how he was a devoted family man and also devoted to his friends -- he had moved to the suburbs to be close to John and George, who already lived there. The most revealing quote about Ringo's personality was him saying "Of course that's the great thing about being married -- you have a house to sit in and company all the time. And you can still go to clubs, a bonus for being married. I love being a family man." While she looked at the other Beatles' tastes in literature in detail, she'd noted that the only books Ringo owned that weren't just for show were a few science fiction paperbacks, but that as he said "I'm not thick, it's just that I'm not educated. People can use words and I won't know what they mean. I say 'me' instead of 'my'." Ringo also didn't have a drum kit at home, saying he only played when he was on stage or in the studio, and that you couldn't practice on your own, you needed to play with other people. In the article on George, she talked about how he was learning the sitar, and how he was thinking that it might be a good idea to go to India to study the sitar with Ravi Shankar for six months. She also talks about how during the interview, he played the guitar pretty much constantly, playing everything from songs from "Hello Dolly" to pieces by Bach to "the Trumpet Voluntary", by which she presumably means Clarke's "Prince of Denmark's March": [Excerpt: Jeremiah Clarke, "Prince of Denmark's March"] George was also the most outspoken on the subjects of politics, religion, and society, linking the ongoing war in Vietnam with the UK's reverence for the Second World War, saying "I think about it every day and it's wrong. Anything to do with war is wrong. They're all wrapped up in their Nelsons and their Churchills and their Montys -- always talking about war heroes. Look at All Our Yesterdays [a show on ITV that showed twenty-five-year-old newsreels] -- how we killed a few more Huns here and there. Makes me sick. They're the sort who are leaning on their walking sticks and telling us a few years in the army would do us good." He also had very strong words to say about religion, saying "I think religion falls flat on its face. All this 'love thy neighbour' but none of them are doing it. How can anybody get into the position of being Pope and accept all the glory and the money and the Mercedes-Benz and that? I could never be Pope until I'd sold my rich gates and my posh hat. I couldn't sit there with all that money on me and believe I was religious. Why can't we bring all this out in the open? Why is there all this stuff about blasphemy? If Christianity's as good as they say it is, it should stand up to a bit of discussion." Harrison also comes across as a very private person, saying "People keep saying, ‘We made you what you are,' well, I made Mr. Hovis what he is and I don't go round crawling over his gates and smashing up the wall round his house." (Hovis is a British company that makes bread and wholegrain flour). But more than anything else he comes across as an instinctive anti-authoritarian, being angry at bullying teachers, Popes, and Prime Ministers. McCartney's profile has him as the most self-consciously arty -- he talks about the plays of Alfred Jarry and the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen and Luciano Berio: [Excerpt: Luciano Berio, "Momenti (for magnetic tape)"] Though he was very worried that he might be sounding a little too pretentious, saying “I don't want to sound like Jonathan Miller going on" --
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