112 episodes

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

Glass Onion: On John Lennon Antony Rotunno

    • Music
    • 5.0 • 5 Ratings

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

    Episode 99- Gimme Some (More) Truth

    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

    • 2 hrs 1 min
    Episode 98- John Lennon And Me

    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

    • 1 hr 12 min
    Episode 97- John Lennon in 1967 with Tony Green (Part 3 of 3)

    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/

    • 1 hr 54 min
    Episode 96- John Lennon in 1967 with Tony Green (Part 2 of 3)

    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

    • 1 hr 41 min
    Episode 95: John Lennon In 1967 with Tony Green (Part 1 of 3)

    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/

    • 1 hr 49 min
    Episode 94- Shake It Up Baby!- The Beatles and 1963 with Ken McNab (Part 2 of 2)

    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

    • 1 hr 24 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
5 Ratings

5 Ratings

AppleSucksAntonyRocks ,

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.

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