Glass Onion: On John Lennon

The podcast finally makes its (not-quite) comeback with a welcome returning guest, Dave Thurmaier of 'I've Got A Beatles Podcast'. Dave & Antony's main topic is the appearance of John Lennon and George Harrison for 2 shows in September/October 1967 on the Frost Programme, hosted by genial host David Frost, to discuss their then-current 'new thing', namely Transcendental Meditation.   We don't quite get to the actual shows here in Part 1 but there is discussion of the remarkable development of the Beatles in 1966-67, meditation itself (including a remarkable, life-changing moment of clarity for Antony's father), David Frost and his history with the Fab Four, and the Beatles' relationship with classical music   Part 2 will follow in a few weeks   Enjoy!   Feedback to [email protected]   Support the show at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/glassonionjlpod   Twitter handle https://www.twitter.com/OnionLennon   Dave's podcast (main website and you tube version) https://ivegotabeatlespodcast.podbean.com https://www.youtube.com/@IveGotaBeatlesPodcast/videos   Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) https://www.lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com   episode links The Frost shows (please watch before Part 2 if you haven't already) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sham_C8Wlc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-DOKDE0yOQ   What is meditation? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation   Antony's previous podcasts on the subject ('Life and Life Only' and 'Luke's English Podcast') https://lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com/e/episode-4-the-joys-and-wonders-of-meditation-part-1-of-2 https://lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com/e/episode-5-the-joys-and-wonders-of-meditation-part-2-of-2/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YPfQH1kios   Eric Harrison's remarkable meditation books https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1178756.Teach_Yourself_to_Meditate_ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1319070.How_Meditation_Heals   Psychedelics & Meditation https://thethirdwave.co/psychedelic-meditation/   Steve Turner's recommended book 'The Gospel According To The Beatles' https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/22515.The_Gospel_According_to_the_Beatles   Joe Goodden's seminal book 'Riding So High: The Beatles And Drugs' https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36379732-riding-so-high   The Beatles on LSD (not literally) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOAEEiqcbkg   John Lennon trips out at Alexandra Palace 1967 (music by Pink Floyd) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z0Ph7ldFYg   Paul McCartney 1966-67 side by side https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrJMsZYQMXE   The Baroque Beatles Book (1965) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIB83sBbcLs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzqN5IHEV-s   Chopin meets The Beatles (again, not literally!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liNI_cYAWSI   David Frost introduces The Beatles in 1968 and they play Hey Jude & Revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVI7UWa5K3E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_MjCqQoLLA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGLGzRXY5Bw   Frost with John & Yoko (1969) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMgZfd70MeE   Frost with Paul McCartney (2012- special part at 42.40) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_9L0zzeA-M   Frost versus Emil Suvandra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_s81bJXTfQ   'That Was The Week That Was' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e4R2038tfU

To celebrate the recently-passed 7th anniversary of the first episode of Glass Onion way back when, we welcome Matt Williamson of the 'Pop Goes The 60s' you tube channel to discuss an intriguing and entertaining documentary from 2004. From the long-running UK arts and culture programme 'The South Bank Show', which had earlier brought us 'The Making of Sgt Pepper', comes an exploration of John Lennon's influences and musical loves by way of the portable jukebox he apparently brought on tour with him in 1965 and 1966, having loaded it with 40 of his favourite choons. Matt and Antony also touch on the argument and fine line between inspiration and plagiarism, and the differences between 'black' and 'white' voices and music, both of which the documentary explores in a fairly gentle way. We also assess how John's own music stacks up against some of his idols, a lot of whose songs he covered   Enjoy!   Feedback to [email protected]   Support the show at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/glassonionjlpod   Twitter handle https://www.twitter.com/OnionLennon   Matt's 'Pop Goes The 60s' channel https://www.youtube.com/@popgoesthe60s52   Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching)  https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) https://www.lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com   episode links The documentary, the jukebox and the songs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgABKFLOKj8&t=1s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennon%27s_jukebox https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOtuAJmIXVn8ifjw7pQaTQdNcFyTNkyiu   Money- Barrett Strong vs The Beatles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96XJl7mxDtc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeWjEYhk7Xo   Rock And Roll Music- Chuck Berry vs The Beatles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRF6nmqcbxo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wOZbMjzJsQ   Green Onions vs 12-Bar Original (no competition) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFQEsUjI0U8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W3G-CmjPtM   John Lennon's isolated vocal on 'Twist And Shout' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtVtMvvlemw   Lennon rocks out (Be-Bop-a-Lula/Slippin' and Slidin') https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8huF2Jgn4c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72D3dPnjtcI   List of hit songs written by Lieber and Stoller https://www.leiberstoller.com/Charts.html   This May Be The Last Time- The Staple Singers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1jGF-6bFpI   Led Zeppelin plagiarism (oh dear) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyvLsutfI5M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zThdTAWQFAQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5uMQDlKn8g   Betty Everett knocks it out the park! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0v1MQRg5js   John & Paul reunite?! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab_xJaDFBCs   War Games by The Lovin' Spoonful (Rev 9 vibes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE86UINrJS4   It Might Get Loud (great rock doc) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbxOM1ErYs4&t=1s

And so we bring to an end Glass Onion's 7th year… John Lennon's 1975 is mostly remembered for being the year that he became a father for the second time and dropped out of the music biz for 5 years, apparently to become the most famous househusband in the world (the jury's still out on that one). Before he did that though, he front-loaded the year with the usual frenetic activity you'd expect from a year in the life of our hero. There were albums and singles of his own, musical collaborations with others, his final ever live appearance, interviews for TV, radio and print, lots of written letters to friends and family, some Beatle contact, a public appearance here and there, lawsuits and his ongoing fight with America's powers that (probably shouldn't) be. Oh, and he also found time for a sudden change in his lovelife, his past lover quickly consigned to (Lennon) history. Best wishes for the season Enjoy!   Feedback to [email protected]   Support the show at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/glassonionjlpod   Twitter handle https://www.twitter.com/OnionLennon   Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) https://www.lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com   episode links John's albums of 1975: Rock 'n' Roll https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_'n'_Roll_(John_Lennon_album) Shaved Fish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaved_Fish   Previous Glass Onion episode on the Rock 'n' Roll album and legal shenanigans https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com/episode-65-rock-and-roll-1975-album-review-paul-or-nothing-swapcast-1   The majestic 'Angel Baby' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4kea1yZj0E   John's 2 TV interviews of 1975 (Bob Harris/Tom Snyder) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKDpCWO3nes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OQl10ZlfqU   John's final live performance (Imagine, April 1975) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtbzOENU3ec   John and *BOMF perform for 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkLXcQTusUw   John Paul (not that one) and Art at The Grammy's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUlR8jWUKd8   John does a bit of 'Lady Marmalade' on piano https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rs6Px9Cl-cg   May Pang's 'The Lost Weekend: A Love Story' https://www.maypang.com/the-lost-weekend   Was John actually hypnotised by Yoko? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOsspa7uEis   Recommended books: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29501681-lennon-on-lennon https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21514255 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13528387-the-john-lennon-letters   Lennonology website https://lennonology.com   David Bowie's 'Fame' (John on guitar and vocals) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypgq0qdgVZA   Operation Paperclip (important history) https://explorethearchive.com/operation-paperclip

For our final offerings of the year, we present a 2-part look at 1975, the year of Antony's birth. As is traditional, we first cover the year itself in terms of world events, births & deaths, films and (non-Lennon) music, before turning to the John Lennon events of the year.   The Vietnam War is finally winding down, and there are numerous other examples of progress and destruction in another memorable 12 months on our blue planet. Ali & Frazier fight the fight to end them all and there are great films, singles and albums galore.   We'll look at John Lennon's part in all this fun and games in December   Enjoy!   Feedback to [email protected]   Support the show at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/glassonionjlpod   Twitter handle https://www.twitter.com/OnionLennon   Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) https://www.lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com   episode links 1975 in film and music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_in_film https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_in_music   Jaws 4k clips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCzncv0ISaE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOe3n9eO6Lc Film Gold audio commentary (2021) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1c_E-LuSxs&rco=1 Documentary on the film's legacy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgtJEhEppu4 Mr Jaws! (spoof song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeYCOFblZRg   The Thrilla in Manila fight in HD and 2007 documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olp9gsmD_A0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEtCq6X7fUI   Paul Simon on the Dick Cavett show (Still Crazy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjtOa8d_BHU   Rolling Thunder Revue documentary (Dylan by Scorsese) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9577852/   'The Eleventh' podcast series (available everywhere podcasts are found) https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/truecrime/presents-the-eleventh/105982868   Eoghan Lyng's book about George Harrison https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61043229-george-harrison-in-the-70s   George Carlin on 'The Owners of the Country' (tough love) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dY4WlxO6i0   Christopher Hitchens gives the case against Henry Kissinger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNi-rhLGNj8   Baby You're A Rich Man 'video' (Beatles in Greece) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nECfL2_rqVk

David 'Ghosty' Wills is back once more to look at another biopic that's not really very good (we'll do something classic next time, I promise!), though our levels of (non-)appreciation of 2010's 'Lennon Naked' differ slightly Christoper Eccleston gives something of a powerhouse performance as a very brutal and cutting version of John Lennon, starting in 1964 but mostly focusing on the 1967-71 period. All the main events of that time in John's life are covered here, with a soap-opera style reminiscent of the previously reviewed 'John & Yoko: A Love Story'. Antony and Ghosty also discuss biopics in general, and the difficulty in capturing charismatic figures and writing dialogue worthy of them There'll be another Glass Onion 2-parter to round off 2025, the first part due to come out in November Enjoy!   Feedback to [email protected]   Support the show at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/glassonionjlpod   Twitter handle https://www.twitter.com/OnionLennon   Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) https://www.lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com   Ghosty's Cliff Richard/Shadows podcast and you tube channel https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-p5kf8-10892e3 https://www.youtube.com/@GhostyTMRS/videos   episode links Lennon Naked film pages and full film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560164/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennon_Naked   The fictional Magical Mystery Tour press conference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdXLdbJ_xk8   Scene comparisons with real events https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mFsahlxZZc   Glass Onion's 2020 episode on depictions of John Lennon on film (including Lennon Naked) https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com/episode-30-john-lennon-on-film-the-good-the-bad-and-the-cameos-with-ed-chen   Elliot Roberts watched every Beatles biopic… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eon5X1W8uGc   John & Yoko's real encounter with Gloria Emerson (keep smiling) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIM7D_IfCtI   Freddie Lennon's 1965 smash-hit Xmas single (not quite) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azAiSG09FBk   The World of John & Yoko (BBC 1969) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dqVemtlJvk   Pete Shotton's recommended memoir https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1154066.John_Lennon   John Lennon at his humorous best (Get Back 1969) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K9zuXRTul0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XdYb-16F7c