Glass Onion: On John Lennon Antony Rotunno
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- Music
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A deep dive into the music and complex psychology of John Lennon, featuring interviews with such noted authors and podcasters as David Bedford, Dan Richter, Jude Kessler, Kit O'Toole and Ken McNab, as well as ex-Quarrymen bandmates Rod Davis and Colin Hanton
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Episode 99- Gimme Some (More) Truth
In the last episode before we notch up our century, Antony flies solo to muse on and discuss various items of Lennon interest.
In order, these are the 40th anniversary of the ‘Milk And Honey’ album, the cancelling and virtues of the Lennon-penned Beatles song ‘Run For Your Life’, May Pang’s 2022 documentary ‘The Lost Weekend: A Love Story’, the work of Mike Williams and his theory on the impossibility of the recording of ‘Rubber Soul’ (Antony gets tied in knots at this point negotiating his position in the middle ground of the mainstream-conspiracy continuum!), and an extended look at the 2000 ‘Gimme Some Truth’ documentary.
Finally there’s a look at the recent Apple TV documentary ‘John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial’ and David Whelan’s new book ‘Mind Games: The Assassination of John Lennon’, both of which naturally focus on the grisly events of December 8th 1980.
There are multiple audio clips as ever and what is probably a record number of links in the show notes.
Episode 100 will appear in March
Enjoy!
Feedback to glassonionpod@yahoo.com
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 Lennon Real Life childhood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P3crKoa8tg
Antony’s ‘white reggae’ song ‘New World (Order)’
https://antonyrotunno.bandcamp.com/track/new-world-order
Mike Pachelli guitar lesson for ‘Run For Your Life’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMLC8Hhb13s
‘The Lost Weekend: A Love Story
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19812518/?ref_=tt_urv
Tony King as the Queen of England
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx-DNpoKfVg
Julian Lennon - Saltwater
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7vdP0VZ3dE
Mike Williams on the impossibility of ‘Rubber Soul’ and other theories
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccEhmQ0M4FY&list=PLAW3gU1yflm_lFhOhwLoIQRXg8ZHLhevX
Olivia Harrison- ‘Hello Billy’ or ‘Hello babes’?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO1Q8qkVf6c
Ably House play ‘I Feel Fine’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkugg_tWV0Q
What did John Lennon play on George Harrison's songs?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtd-sug3i8c
Trailer for ‘John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial (on Apple TV)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnSnkvGKuyI
David Whelan’s Substack page
https://substack.com/@davidwhelan
David’s ‘Mind Games’ book
https://freepress.org/article/book-review-mind-games-assassination-john-lennon
David on the ‘Something About The Beatles’ podcast
https://somethingaboutthebeatles.com/2024/02/09/275-anomalies-in-the-assassination-of-john-lennon-with-david-whelan/
The Man Who Shot John Lennon (1988 documentary)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J8aMKRZZwQ
Dr Stephen Lynn squirms!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkw25rVcn84 -
Episode 98- John Lennon And Me
We round off Glass Onion’s 5th year with a personal episode. Antony explores further his origin story with John Lennon and the ongoing relationship and fascination with the subject of our show (yes, it’s our show).
You will also hear some writing that didn’t quite culminate in a book this year, and there’s some discussion of childhood, both Antony’s and John’s, and the glorification of it.
Finally, did you know myopia was a superpower?
Enjoy the show and see you in 2024!
Feedback to glassonionpod@yahoo.com
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
Glass onion book intro (early draft)
https://www.antonyrotunno.com/2021/07/30/introduction-to-glass-onion-conversations-on-john-lennon-draft/
Raw and melodic (Plastic Ono Band outtake 1970)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6SdkBQYvT0&list=PL4H5cduO6BifOIQ-rynn4G4ifrQFNwmV3&index=2
Gloriously weird John & Yoko (1972 film)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imagine_(1972_film)
Birth of the Beatles/John & Yoko: A Love Story (bad but strangely charming TV films)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1y_W75_ZMA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlTZRynp5j0 -
Episode 97- John Lennon in 1967 with Tony Green (Part 3 of 3)
We conclude our 1967 odyssey by picking up from mid-June and detailing all the main Lennon and Beatles events for the rest of 1967.
The Beatles are linked by satellite to hundreds of millions, they almost buy a Greek island, the Maharishi enters their lives and they make their own TV special just in time for it to be shown in black-and-white among the traditional wholesome Yuletide entertainment.
In between all this, the rather sad life of Brian Epstein comes to an end, John Lennon’s first solo film project is unleashed onto the world, and a few more classic Beatlesongs are created.
We hope this deep dive into another incredible year for the Fabs and the world has pleased you. The hippy dream of course didn’t quite work but there was truly something in the air in ’67 and a communal spirit amidst the turmoil of the Vietnam War and the general madness of a crazy world.
The next Glass Onion episode will be out in a couple of weeks
Enjoy!
Feedback to glassonionpod@yahoo.com
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
links to Tony Green’s work
Review of Peter Jackson’s ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ https://countercultureuk.com/2022/09/13/a-month-in-the-life-peter-jacksons-the-beatles-get-back-reviewed/
Facebook page with links to novels and essays
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066601250572
episode links
Our World 1967
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_World_(1967_TV_program)
The Beatles perform ‘All You Need Is Love’ (colourised)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_paPrw0gAUo
The Rutles ‘Love Life’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukIsUd0r0YM
The Death of Brian Epstein
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5D3_NSLuyc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6wmiPIa88c&t=67s
Magical Mystery Tour film clip (John & Little Nicola)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTjP74avEpQ
James Hargreaves tries to make sense of the film!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CTIlgC0P0Q
Mr Creosote from ‘Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life’ (inspired by MMT film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aczPDGC3f8U
George goes to Haight-Ashbury
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I-ThafU1e4
John & George with David Frost (about meditation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rytubzzStM
Paul and George ‘have a word’ with the Maharishi in Sweden
https://webgrafikk.com/blog/paul-mccartney/sweden-1967/
The Fool On The hill session photo montage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B95SVtsBL7A
The Magical Mystery Tour party (21/12/67)
https://www.beatlesbible.com/1967/12/21/magical-mystery-tour-launch-party/
Sam Whiles dives deep on ‘Now And Then’
https://mccartneypod.podbean.com/e/now-and-then-history-review-paul-or-nothing-bonus-episode-125/ -
Episode 96- John Lennon in 1967 with Tony Green (Part 2 of 3)
In this episode we start to work our merry way through the Lennon/Beatles events events of this most swinging of Beatleyears, reaching mid-June.
The Fabs start off by releasing what could be their greatest single ever and then turn their full attention to creating what is surely at least their most famous album, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. We cover the recording, album cover, launch party, release and legacy of ‘Pepper’, as well as some of the other songs recorded around the same time and used for other singles and projects.
In amongst all this, John Lennon trips out in public at one of the premier British psychedelic events of the hippie era…
Enjoy!
Feedback to glassonionpod@yahoo.com
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
links to Tony’s work
Review of Peter Jackson’s ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ https://countercultureuk.com/2022/09/13/a-month-in-the-life-peter-jacksons-the-beatles-get-back-reviewed/
Facebook page with links to novels and essays
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066601250572
episode links
Strawberry Fields Forever video (in shimmering colour!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUH9z_Oey8
Strawberry Fields Forever take 26 (brass & strings score)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PNtvnUEjJk
A Day In The Life ‘video’ (orchestra overdub session)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNsCeOV4GM
A Day In The Life take 1 (echoey counting starts at 2.10)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4txyItk5lXY
John Lennon at the 14-Hour Technicolor Dream (music by Pink Floyd)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z0Ph7ldFYg
Yoko Ono performs ‘Cut Piece’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFaYNusT9Cc
Sgt Pepper’s launch party
https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/1967/05/launch-party-for-sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band/
Who’s who on the Sgt Pepper album cover
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/sgt-pepper-cover-art-whos-who/
‘Paul Is Dead’ clues on the Sgt Pepper cover
https://turnmeondeadman.com/paul-is-dead-clues-on-sgt-peppers-lonely-heart-club-band/
Sgt Pepper’s Musical Revolution (Howard Goodall)
http://www.howardgoodall.co.uk/works/tv-presenting/sgt-peppers-musical-revolution
Howard Goodall - The Beatles: A Musical Appreciation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQS91wVdvYc
Cynthia Lennon ‘John’ audiobook
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v97WjVEFJyI&list=PLfATtdZX-KZ6TAhRBbTdKv3j3XkxqB7Rt&index=1 -
Episode 95: John Lennon In 1967 with Tony Green (Part 1 of 3)
1967 is a year that has gone into legend for various reasons. Was it the year of peace and love? Was there any real love in it at all? Or was it just like any other year, a heady mix of everything good and bad about the human race and society?
Before looking at what was undoubtedly a ground-breaking and life-changing year for John Lennon and The Beatles, myself and my guest, writer Tony Green, have a look at the year of 1967 out there in the big, bad world.
As is traditional in this series, we discuss some key events of the year, births and deaths, films and non-Beatles singles and albums
Enjoy!
Feedback to glassonionpod@yahoo.com
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
links to Tony’s work
Review of Peter Jackson’s ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ https://countercultureuk.com/2022/09/13/a-month-in-the-life-peter-jacksons-the-beatles-get-back-reviewed/
Facebook page with links to novels and essays
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066601250572
Tony's 4th birthday party (a slice of 1960s working class life)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89oz2P3v-2Y
The 'Forthlin Road' tapes
https://earlybeatlessongs.weebly.com/forthlin-road-tapes.html?fbclid=IwAR3FBVOBGjNgN0M9UNdGm9xjmVna5uMfEob41FTbvO1A-ZNM5gkIehaaiao
episode links
The Rock and Roll Years: 1967
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhawQexXXJo&t=591s
Dan Richter- From Beat Poets to Summer of Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m53Vnw_H4zc
Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_Dreams_(book)
The Six-Day War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHqJ6pgdE-c
Monterey Pop documentary
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064689/
The 14-Hour Technicolour Dream
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_14_Hour_Technicolor_Dream
Muhammad Ali refuses the draft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHsa_vRBO-E
Jimi plays Sgt Pepper (dramatisation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMmhHBr7WDA
The Doors on the Ed Sullivan Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKd6yarfkxA
The Rolling Stones- Let’s Spend ‘Some Time’ Together
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtRCuKsvNEE
The Who’s ‘explosive’ appearance on the Smothers Brothers show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiSKu7SbGNQ
The Fog of War documentary
https://watchdocumentaries.com/the-fog-of-war/ -
Episode 94- Shake It Up Baby!- The Beatles and 1963 with Ken McNab (Part 2 of 2)
Ken McNab and I complete our discussion about his new book 'Shake It Up Baby!: The Rise of Beatlemania And The Mayhem of 1963' and the general atmosphere and events of that breathless year. This time round, we cover the second half of the year as our four intrepid musical explorers continue their furious work rate and have their first proper brushes with the British establishment.
They also record and release their second album and yet more seminal singles, and slowly set their sights on the ‘land of milk and honey’ across the Atlantic while conquering their homeland completely and finding time to record the first of their special Christmas messages for their growing number of fan club members…
Links to Ken’s work can be found below
Enjoy!
Feedback to glassonionpod@yahoo.com
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
links to Ken’s 1963 book and his other work
https://books.telegraph.co.uk/Product/Ken-McNab/Shake-It-Up-Baby--The-Rise-of-Beatlemania-and-the-Mayhem-of-1963/28593694
https://www.waterstones.com/author/ken-mcnab/1270697
Ken’s previous appearances on Glass Onion
https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com/episode-17-and-in-the-end-with-ken-mcnab-part-1-of-2
https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com/episode-18-and-in-the-end-with-ken-mcnab-part-2-of-2
https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com/episode-54-john-lennon-albums-ranked-with-kit-otoole-ken-mcnab-part-1-of-2
https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com/episode-55-john-lennon-albums-ranked-with-kit-otoole-ken-mcnab-part-2-of-2
episode links
Beatles 1963 timeline
https://dmbeatles.com/history.php?year=1963
The Beatles at the London Palladium (October 1963)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eBdUjrkCZ4
The Fabs rock out on Swedish TV!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYpVNpXCAls
The Beatles’ ‘rattle yer jewellery’ Royal Variety Show performance (colourised and sound-enhanced)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRr5uCSBvhw
The Beatles Come To Town (Manchester 1963)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-_hRHRtN8Q
The Beatles Xmas Record 1963
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzm8o3ytoRk
Beatles Studio Outtakes (funny!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZupFJVh2dS0
Customer Reviews
Amazing insight, depth and fun
Its like a trip inside the life and soul of Lennon and those magic times. Its thoughtful, deep and full of wit. Antony, the host, is a musician himself as well as a well-read deep freethinker, so his take on all things Lennon and Beatles comes at your from all kinds of suprising angles -- from rants and heavy musings, to humour and spellbounding interviews with people who knew Lennon. At times he even plays us some of John's songs. I hear there will be a book based on this podcast and I just can't wait. ... I also love his other podcast called Life and Life Only.