『Beatles Rewind Podcast』のカバーアート

Beatles Rewind Podcast

Beatles Rewind Podcast

著者： Steve Weber and Cassandra
無料で聴く

概要

 Beatles. All day, every day. Eight Days a Week !!!

beatlesrewind.substack.comSteve Weber 音楽
エピソード
  • Will Paul and Ringo Tour This Year? Yes, No, and Maybe

    Will Paul and Ringo Tour This Year? Yes, No, and Maybe
    2026/02/04
    Here's the question on every Beatles fan's mind: Is Paul McCartney going to tour in 2026? The answer is decidedly murky. Paul's official website currently shows "No upcoming gigs"—which could mean he's simply taking a well-deserved break after wrapping his 2025 Got Back Tour in November. Or it could mean he just hasn't announced anything yet. Some ticketing sites claim there's a 2026 Got Back Tour starting in April (Spokane on the 28th, ending in New Jersey on June 16), but these listings have the distinct whiff of wishful thinking from overeager promoters gambling on future announcements. 🤷‍♂️There’s also been chatter of Paul making appearances this year with Ringo Starr, who has booked several appearances at smaller venues.One thing is certain: McCartney has a forthcoming album that’s reportedly 90% finished. And if history is any guide, some promotional appearances will follow. Whether those appearances will happen in a stadium or a TV studio is anyone’s guess.The Voice That Time Affected (But Didn’t Break)Let’s address the elephant in the room: Paul’s voice isn’t what it was. Not even close. One 2025 concert review put it plainly, that his vocals nowadays are “not worth the price of admission.” In his prime, McCartney had arguably the widest vocal range in rock history—from A1 to E6, spanning nearly five octaves. Those soaring “Ooohs” in “Maybe I’m Amazed”? The stratospheric highs in “Oh! Darling”? Those days are history. 🎤But let’s be real, nobody goes to see Paul McCartney for perfect pitch. They go because he’s a living connection to the Beatles, to the ‘60s, to a moment when music changed the world. When Paul performs “Hey Jude” and the entire arena sings the “Na-na-na” chorus, it doesn’t matter if his voice cracks. What matters is the collective experience.How Do You Compensate for an Aging Voice?So what can aging rockers actually do about deteriorating vocals? Turns out, quite a bit! 💪Strategic Doubling on Difficult Notes—When Paul hits those challenging high notes in "Maybe I'm Amazed" or "Live and Let Die," his backing vocalists can sing the same melody simultaneously. The blend creates a fuller, more powerful sound that disguises any wavering, breathiness, or pitch issues in Paul's voice. More techniques: lowering song keys to accommodate the reduced range (Paul now performs some Beatles classics in lower keys than the originals), using different registers strategically (a chest voice instead of falsetto, smart setlist construction that alternates demanding songs with easier ones. And, of course, vocal rest periods between performances.The Ringo Comparison: Two Beatles, Two ApproachesLet’s check in on Ringo, who at 85 years old (two years older than Paul) is hitting the road again in 2026. He just announced 12 new tour dates with his All Starr Band, in California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. 🥁For Ringo, concerts are a lot less taxing than Paul’s three-hour marathons. Ringo performs with his All Starr Band, a rotating cast of accomplished musicians where each member gets spotlight time to perform their own hits. Ringo sings maybe a third of the concert, sharing vocal duties and giving his voice frequent breaks. His sets are shorter, his venues more intimate. Some fans are disappointed by this—they want more Ringo—but it’s precisely this strategy that allows him to keep touring at 85.The Octogenarian Rock ClubAs amazing as Paul and Ringo’s endurance is, they’re not outliers, the over-80 touring club is more robust than ever:* Willie Nelson (92!) still touring, currently on the road with Bob Dylan* Bob Dylan (84) maintains a relentless schedule* Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (both 82) continue stadium shows with the Rolling Stones* Johnny Mathis (88) has a full touring schedule* Buddy Guy (89) still plays guitar and tours regularly* Engelbert Humperdinck (88) tours internationally* Tom Jones (85) performs limited dates globally* Smokey Robinson (85) maintains an active schedule* Judy Collins (85) tours from New York to Australia* Dionne Warwick (85) continues performing 🎶All these artists boast a triple-threat formula: they still want to tour (passion), they’re still able to tour (health), and there’s still in demand (audience).Who’s Actually Going to These Shows?In the post-Covid world, not as many people are going to restaurants, but more people than ever are going to concerts. In the U.S., it totalled about $62 billion in 2025. Despite economic uncertainty and inflation, people are willing to pay premium prices for live music experiences. 💰 Gen Z is driving growth—36% plan to spend more on concerts despite inflation. Yes, Gen Z is willing to max out their credit card to see Taylor Swift, while also complaining about their student loans. 😅The secret sauce of senior-citizen performers like McCartney and Starr is that they draw multi-generational audiences. The audiences are an...
    続きを読む 一部表示
    11 分
  • All You Need Is Love: The Beatles’ Global Anthem

    All You Need Is Love: The Beatles’ Global Anthem
    2026/02/02
    On June 25, 1967, 400 million people across 25 countries witnessed an unprecedented feat: The Beatles performing live via satellite for Our World, the first global TV broadcast. Organized by the European Broadcasting Union, the project was a massive logistical triumph that took ten months to coordinate. Representing the United Kingdom on the broadcast, the Beatles chose to perform “All You Need Is Love.” The song did more than top the charts—it crystallized a cultural moment, provided the definitive anthem for the Summer of Love, and launched John Lennon’s legacy as a humanitarian voice. 🌍A Song Built for the WorldThe Beatles faced a unique challenge: they needed a message simple enough for a global audience to grasp in “basic English,” yet profound enough to justify their status as cultural visionaries. Manager Brian Epstein noted that the song was an “inspired message” designed so it cannot be misinterpreted. John Lennon, the song’s primary composer, deliberately crafted simplistic lyrics as a form of “propaganda for change.” “I’m a revolutionary artist,” he declared. “My art is dedicated to change.” He credited his love of slogans and television advertising for the song’s directness, favoring absolute terms like “nothing,” “no one,” “nowhere,” and “all.” The song existed in Lennon's mind before the Our World invitation, but the broadcast's requirements—a simple message for 400 million viewers—acted as a creative filter. Without these constraints, Lennon might have pursued the intricate, studio-bound experimentation that characterized the post-Sgt. Pepper era. Instead, the deadline demanded simplicity, producing not artifice but clarity: a revolutionary anthem stripped to its core." 🎨🕊️The timing was flawless. The broadcast served as the international heartbeat of the Summer of Love, a social phenomenon where as many as 100,000 people converged on San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district to experiment with communal living and psychedelic art. By performing this track at the height of that season, The Beatles effectively exported the counterculture movement to the entire planet. They were no longer just pop stars; they were the secular prophets of a global manifesto. 🕊️Musical Complexity Disguised as SimplicityDespite its singalong refrain, the song is a rhythmic labyrinth. The verses use an asymmetric time signature totaling 29 beats—shifting between 7/4 and 8/4—before finally settling into a steady 4/4 beat for the chorus. This instability creates a “sway” that draws the listener in, even if they can’t quite pinpoint why the rhythm feels so unique. 🎼The song’s intro and coda are a postmodern musical melting pot. It opens with the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise,” and ends in a joyous collective anarchy, quoting everything from Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood” to the Beatles’ own “She Loves You.” This collage approach reflected the era’s ideal of blending cultural boundaries, turning a pop recording into a global celebration. 🎷Music critic Richie Unterberger later called it “the best footage of the Beatles in the psychedelic period,” capturing Flower Power at its zenith, with enough irreverence to “avoid pomposity.” The Global StageThe broadcast at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road) was a masterclass in staged spontaneity. The Beatles were surrounded by balloons, flowers, and an all-star gallery including Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton. While the appearance looked like a casual hangout, it was a carefully choreographed cultural statement. The studio resembled a medieval gathering merged with cutting-edge 1967 technology. 🎬But the atmosphere in the control booth was anything but relaxed. Because the broadcast was live and irreversible, the crew faced the terrifying possibility of a satellite link failure or a catastrophic audio glitch in front of a huge audience. Producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick were so nervous they hid a bottle of scotch beneath the mixing desk as the cameras rolled. Despite the do-or-die pressure, the band nailed the live elements—vocals, bass, and that iconic guitar solo. 📺Immediate Impact and Cultural ResonanceReleased as a single in July 1967, the song hit Number 1 in the US and UK almost instantly. It formally announced Flower Power as a mainstream reality, shifting the global consciousness toward peace and love as legitimate political aspirations. That summer, the band even investigated buying a Greek island to start a commune—a testament to their genuine commitment to the ideals they sang about. ✌️Sociomusicologists noted that the broadcast confirmed the Beatles’ “evangelical role” in a world waiting for a new direction. As psychiatrist R.D. Laing observed, the whole human race was finally seeing itself as one species in a global village, unified by the power of music rather than the shadow of conflict. 🤝Among the skeptics, ...
    続きを読む 一部表示
    9 分
  • "This Boy": The Beatles' Blueprint for Emotional Heartbreak

    "This Boy": The Beatles' Blueprint for Emotional Heartbreak
    2026/02/01
    When John Lennon sat down in a Southport hotel room during the autumn of 1963, he had one mission: to write a song that would showcase The Beatles’ three-part harmony like never before. The result was “This Boy,” a deceptively simple B-side that would become one of the most emotionally sophisticated recordings of their early period—and a turning point in how pop music could express adult heartbreak.The Motown Obsession That Changed EverythingBy late 1963, Lennon was completely consumed by American soul music, particularly Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. He’d been listening to “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” obsessively, studying Robinson’s ability to convey vulnerability and yearning through vocal delivery. “This Boy” was Lennon’s attempt to capture that Detroit sound—what he called “black music”—and transplant it into The Beatles’ repertoire. He wanted that ache, that pleading quality that made Motown records feel like someone was confessing their deepest secrets directly into your ear.The song’s structure betrayed its influences immediately. Built on the classic “doo-wop” progression that powered countless 1950s standards—”This Boy” connected The Beatles back to their musical roots while simultaneously pushing forward into more complex emotional territory. This wasn’t “She Loves You” exuberance or “I Want to Hold Your Hand” optimism. This was loss, jealousy, and the desperate hope that someone might come back after realizing what they’d given up.The Single-Microphone MagicOn October 17, 1963, The Beatles gathered in Studio 2 at Abbey Road to capture “This Boy” on tape. Over the course of 15 takes, they worked to perfect something that couldn’t be faked or fixed in post-production: the physical blend of their three voices. John, Paul, and George stood around a single microphone, so close they could feel each other’s breath, creating harmonies that didn’t sound like three separate voices but rather like a single, shimmering instrument.This proximity—this literal closeness—is what gives “This Boy” its distinctive sonic quality. There’s an intimacy to the recording that makes the listener feel like they’ve stumbled into a private moment. The 12/8 time signature adds to this atmosphere, creating a swaying, lounge-ballad feel that was miles away from the driving rock and roll The Beatles were getting famous for. This was sophisticated, grown-up music dressed in pop-song clothing.The Bridge That Happens Only OnceHere’s where “This Boy” reveals its true genius: the dramatic double-middle-eight section—the sweeping 'Till he sees you cry' sequence—appears only once in the song’s structure. That bridge becomes precious—a moment of vulnerability that flashes and then retreats, leaving us wanting more but understanding that some feelings can’t be summoned on demand.The Live Performance RitualThe Beatles didn’t leave that single-microphone magic in the studio—they brought it to the stage. Throughout 1963 and 1964, “This Boy” became a showcase moment in their live performances, with John, Paul, and George clustering around a single microphone, replicating that intimate Abbey Road technique in front of every audience. It wasn’t just a stage gimmick; watch the footage below and you’ll see them leaning into the same mic, making eye contact, sharing inside jokes, while nailing harmonies that most bands couldn’t achieve in a controlled studio environment. Those three-part harmonies required the singers to hear and respond to each other in real time, adjusting their distance from the mic to create natural dynamic balance. It was a technique borrowed from earlier vocal groups—doo-wop quartets, barbershop singers, and Motown acts like The Miracles—but it was exceedingly rare for a rock band playing electric instruments.Why It Still Matters“This Boy” represented a crucial evolution in The Beatles’ artistry. It proved they could handle adult emotions—jealousy, regret, the complex pain of watching someone you love with someone else. The lyrical content went far beyond the innocent hand-holding of their other 1963 hits, expressing feelings that resonated with listeners who needed pop music to grow up alongside them.The song also established a template The Beatles would refine throughout their career: the idea that B-sides didn’t have to be throwaway tracks, that album cuts could be as carefully crafted as singles, and that commercial success didn’t require artistic compromise. “This Boy” was proof that you could make sophisticated music that still connected with millions of fans.When you listen to “This Boy” today, you’re hearing the moment The Beatles stopped being just a pop phenomenon and started becoming artists who would change the possibilities of popular music. That single bridge—appearing once, impossibly beautiful, and then gone—captures everything they would become: ambitious, ...
    続きを読む 一部表示
    9 分
まだレビューはありません