BC the Beatles

The trailer for the restored version of Michael Lindsay-Hogg's "Let it Be" film dropped this week, and we couldn't be more excited! So in anticipation of the big day, we combined two of our favorite "Let it Be" episodes from the archives.

1. Giles Martin on Remixing a #NextGen "Let it Be" — our first interview with Giles from 2021, where he tells us about everything from making the Beatles sound “fresh” for a new generation to dealing with critics.
2. The "Let it Be" Remixes, Track-by-Track — our analysis and impressions of Giles Martin's 2021 Let it Be remixed album

And stay subscribed for next week's episode, all about the film, and featuring a very special guest!

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Today we're joined by Laurie Kaye, author of the new book, Confessions of a Rock 'N' Roll Name-Dropper: My Life Leading up to John Lennon’s Last Interview.

As a young rock journalist, Laurie got the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend the day with John and Yoko at their home in New York City. She and her team spent hours with the couple, and the resulting interview was one of the most candid John had ever given. It touched on a wide range of topics, including their latest album release, John’s Lost Weekend, and his thoughts on Paul and the Beatles. It ended on an optimistic note, with John having high hopes for the future. But that day was December 8, 1980, and that interview was the last one that John ever gave. A few short hours later, John was tragically murdered.

Laurie tells this story, and so many more, in her new book. In this memoir, Laurie details her life up to that fateful day in 1980, a day she called “both the best and worst day of my life.”

Laurie Kaye began her career at San Francisco’s top 40 station KFRC-AM, where she was both an on-air reporter and writer. She later moved to RKO radio, where she co-produced many rock specials, including RKO Presents the Beatles (later expanded and renamed Th e Beatles from Liverpool to Legend). Other notable projects include writing Dick Clark’s weekly radio countdown show and leading the location production of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’s Special Extended DVD Edition. Laurie now works in the film and tv industry, handling creative content and line producing for network docuseries.

• Buy the book, Confessions of a Rock and Roll Namedropper: My Life Leading up to John Lennon’s Last Interview
• Visit Laurie Kaye online
• Hear John Lennon’s last interview, The Dakota Apartments, December 8, 1980

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+Contact us at [email protected].

Just like Paul, we’ve GOT BACK! We’re talking all things Paul on tour, including Allison’s rundown of both Oakland shows, setlist spoilers, some off-the-cuff onstage shade from Paul himself, and one person who is glaringly absent this go-round. Plus, we remember Michael Nesmith, who passed away last December while we were on hiatus.

To avoid GOT BACK spoilers, skip to 48:15 after our intro.

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+Contact us at [email protected]

Today is Juneteenth, a day that has held significance for the Black community for many years and one that, for the past four, has become a national holiday in the United States. It’s a day for education, listening, learning, and increasing awareness of the Black experience. Though we are two white women who are still doing a lot of learning and listening ourselves, we wanted to celebrate Juneteenth by exploring the Beatles’ connection to civil rights, especially during their 1964 tour.

1964 was time of continuing segregation and heightened racial tensions in America's southern states. But racial segregation, as it was in America, didn’t exist in England. The Beatles were famously appalled at the idea that any of their concerts would take place in front of audiences separated by race, and they refused to play to segregated crowds. John Lennon famously remarked, “We never play to segregated audiences and we aren’t going to start now. I’d sooner lose our appearance money.” The city was resistant but eventually relented, resulting in Jacksonville's first integrated concert.

Our guest today is Dr. Kitty Oliver, who has firsthand experience of this moment. As a Black Beatles fan growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Oliver jumped at the opportunity to attend the integrated concert; she was one of few Black teens in the audience.

Beatles fans will recognize Dr. Oliver from her appearance in the Ron Howard-directed documentary Eight Days A Week: The Touring Years. She joins us today to recount her story of attending the first integrated concert in Jacksonville history, against the backdrop of growing up in a segregated city.

Dr. Oliver is a veteran journalist, an academic, an author, an oral historian, producer, and professional singer. She holds a PhD in Comparative Studies focusing on race and ethnic communication. She calls herself “a product of the civil rights era who came of age with integration in the US,” and is the founder of the cross-cultural Race and Change Oral History Archive, which is housed in Special Collections at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center. She has written and/or compiled three books focusing on race, change, and her own memories of growing up Black in the South.

• Learn more about Dr. Oliver and follow her on Instagram
• See her appearance in Ron Howard's Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years

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• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter/X for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere.
• Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you’re listening now.
• Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles
• Contact us at [email protected]

They say it's his birthday! To celebrate Paul McCartney's milestone 80th birthday, we list 80 things we love most about him. Some funny, some poignant, plus one incredibly dirty joke.

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+Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for photos, videos, and more from this episode & past episodes — we’re @bcthebeatles everywhere.
+Follow BC the Beatles on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening now.
+Buy us a coffee! www.ko-fi.com/bcthebeatles
+Contact us at [email protected].