How the UK Press Reacted to Lennon & McCartney's New Music in 1980

[@8068]

I was working at the Record Plant in NYC where John originally started to mix Double Fantasy. The mixing originally started at Record Plant as Jack Douglass had worked at Record Plant NYC for many years. The final mixes would eventually be done at Hit Factory as they offered John a big cut on the hourly studio rate (Roy Cicala who ran the Record Plant NY refused to budge on the hourly rate for Lennon). John and Yoko would usually show up (at Record Plant) later in the day and mix to about 8PM. Despite all the press about how much John loved Yoko he would some nights (at the Record Plant) treat Yoko terribly.

[@Parlogram]

Fascinating story! Thank you for sharing it.

[@uriwertheim1166]

i love this kind of video. I was 6yo on December 1980 and probably got to know Lennon and The Beatles on this day.

[@candelise]

@@Parlogram I wonder if that behavior was the general state of play or part of the good and bad times of many marriages?

[@bbsoni4814]

Terribly like how?

[@candelise]

@@bbsoni4814 Yeah! Specifics, if you don't mind.

[@luvmyrecords]

I remember Paul appearing on SNL after the Japan incident. It was hilarious. (Something like, "Do me a favor," he said. "Don't mention the drugs." "Okay, Paul. That's fine. But why did you do it?" ) Prior to recording DF, John himself went to NYC's fabled 48th St. to shop for new gear at Terminal music. Making several visits, the staff got used to seeing him, and he chatted with everyone regularly. "How's your demo coming along," he asked one staffer, adding, "You sound good." The staff member was testing some new basses that had arrived, strung for left-handed players. As John was leaving the store, "I think I've got eveything I need, finally. Thanks all for your help!" As the staff said their goodbyes, the bass player decided to go for it. "Thanks, John, and hey, if you ever need a bass player..." John stopped, turned and smiled, "Thanks friend, but the last thing I need in my life right now is another left-handed bass player." It broke up everyone in the store, John winked, and then was out the door.

[@rjpg]

GREAT John story!!! I think the SNL interview was with Father Guido Sarducci? I loved watching Coming Up on the show and wanted to see it more than that (it was hard in the pre-internet days).

[@ChromeDestiny]

@@rjpg I saw that in a rerun, it was with Guido and it was hilarious. They did a sendup of John around the same time and John saw it and approved.

[@OakwiseBecoming]

He said friend and not mate?

[@luvmyrecords]

@@OakwiseBecoming He well may have said 'mate,' but that's not the way the guy who worked there told me the story. Don't forget that John had been living in NYC for quite some time, and if he indeed said "friend," that might have had something to do with it. I can't argue because I wasn't there, my mate...err...friend was. (I see left out the part where the whole staff kind gasped in horror and fell silent after Mr. Bass Man decided to go for it. The laughter came as much from the cleanly and quickly broken tension, thanks to John's adept handling of a potentially awkward situation, as it came from John's answer being funny. The store went quiet again for a moment, because it was a reminder to everyone just who it was that had been coming in and shopping and hanging out over the previous weeks or months.)

[@TheReubenKincaid]

I saw that as well. I actually thought it was a put on until Paul and Linda came out. I remember Father Guido throwing pebbles at the window of the home they were staying in . And of course the video of Coming Up

[@joemaddock5387]

McCartney II is one of my favs. Very inspiring from a home-recording perspective and almost every track has a really distinct and memorable personality.

[@paulridenour1086]

Lennon's songs on Double Fantasy are as good as he's ever done in his solo career. Watching the Wheels is super emotional and also Beautiful Boy.

[@johntoomey357]

John had mellowed matured spent much of his time fathering his second son Sean he I think was the happiness in his life and more confident about himself unfortunately the year ended up the horrible after being shot to death I think had he lived the Beatles no question would reunited because they were all at a point they were missing each other and the old days they spent together

[@paulridenour1086]

@@johntoomey357 If they got together and did concerts, it would have been huge. Queen like huge.

[@tonywillans7556]

Oh, come on. You're joking right?!

[@jamesthompson316]

I’m in bed sick and this was a tonic thanks! it’s very bitter sweet looking back, I was 22 when John was killed and truly believed I was his biggest fan..i remember that time being very irreverent towards the Beatles, nostalgia not having time to have set in and I was extremely defensive of them in the face of criticism..nothing really matters now and I see it for what it actually was, im thrilled that the Beatles popularity has never been higher now which is in some part nostalgia but in the main it’s because they were special..very very special. 💙

[@Parlogram]

Thanks for watching, James. Get well soon!

[@kevinengstrom3062]

I was a college student waiting for a bus at a stop just outside a record store near 7 corners at the U of M. I was a massive Beatles fan but had never purchased any solo material even though I thought that All Things Must Pass was amazing. The date was December 8th, 1980 and I had some time to kill before the bus arrived so I went into the record store and perused the records. I ended up buying 3 Lennon albums: Rock N Roll Music, Imagine, and Double Fantasy. I went home and played them over and over and then fell asleep. I was living with my grandfather and he had been listening to the albums with me. I don’t know how much he knew about the Beatles or John Lennon but he was watching Monday Night Football and he came rushing into my room and woke me, letting me know that John Lennon had been shot. I went into the living room, groggy as hell only to hear later that Lennon had died. I don’t care what “American Pie” says. Dec. 8th is the Day the music died for me! I am so sad that MDC took our beloved JOL from the world. I thought the new album was great and I was so excited for what was going to be! I thought the title “Starting Over” said it all - a new beginning where John was reinvigorated and ready to create once again. How lucky we all were to be to experience a world of new songs, paintings, writings, and more Lennon wit and political insights. I hope there concept of multiverses is real and that some people somewhere are experiencing what we cannot!

[@AngusRockford]

I was only 7 on 12/8/80, but I knew the Beatles from TV and my mother’s collection of vintage Capitol 45s, and I remember the radio reports and my mother’s shocked reaction to the news. After that, I became fascinated with the music, history, and cultural impact of John and the Beatles.

[@silverinkpot7]

This is one of the most fascinating editions I've seen of your show, because the press clippings are an irreplaceable treasure, and a primary source for Beatles historians, amateur and professional. I loved Double Fantasy when released in 1980, and it's aged so well, just like all of John's solo albums. I remember seeing a short article in People magazine in August 1980 saying John and Yoko were back in the studio, and I was thrilled! Double Fantasy is genius: John and Yoko had found a more mature happiness in their marriage, as reflected in the words and music, and that made the rock press talking heads explode in incredulity. McCartney II is a disappointment to me, especially when compared to it's predecessor. But of course it's still lovely music. Thank you again for sharing these unique historical sources!

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@marknoahsotelo316]

I’ll be honest, at first I wasn’t sure of the value of this but after watching it, it’s absolutely fascinating to see the little stories that were lost along the way and the context of what was happening at the time. For Beatle fanatics, it’s a must watch.

[@billwalsh388]

I always love the context.

[@robertavila3328]

I was working for WEA when J&Y released DF , it was big news here. We loved it. Then Dec. 8th came. Everyone was crying in work. Great video, thx!

[@Parlogram]

Thanks for sharing that, Robert. Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@markwinters3079]

I was 20 and in college in 1980. I first heard McCartney II on the radio during a camping trip. The first song I remember hearing was "Temporary Secretary". I thought it was pretty weird and that McCartney was jumping on the New Wave bandwagon for electronic pop. But the rest of the album has some really great songs. One regret is that I got the record and it had a 45 of the live "Coming Up" bonus disk enclosed and I gave away it to a friend. I still the vinyl album though. That summer I went to basic training, and a girlfriend sent me a letter that mentioned the live "Coming Up" single was a huge hit. One thing I have never understood is that McCartney, and Brits in general. like the studio version of "Coming Up" more than the live, energetic version with McCarney's actual voice. Later there were rumors of John and Yoko going back into the studio. That caused a lot of excitement. That fall, around Thanksgiving, Paul released the movie, "Rock Show" that was about his 1976 Wings Over America tour. I remember him promoting it with Linda on one of the morning news programs on Thanksgiving, and a reporter asked him what he thought of John recently saying something controversial about Paul's music. Paul, being smart, didn't take the bait. He just said that he and John are often asked to respond to "quotes" made about each other that they later find out were never actually said, just members of the media trying to stir things up. When "Starting Over" was released, I remember hearing it on my buddy's car radio on the way to school. We both looked at each other like, "What was that?" It sounded very different from a John song, very 50's-ish. I didn't get the DF album until mid December, and was both surprised and and a bit saddened about how optimistic the tracks sounded. Even Yoko's stuff was years ahead of what people were calling New Wave at the time. I still consider it a very good album that is fun, but a little bittersweet, to listen to. It's a great record. And I still have the vinyl. I still have two 90 minute cassettes of John's 8 December RKO interview broadcasted a couple weeks after he passed. RKO interspersed old and new music during the interview, and John seemed so happy and optimistic. He was his usual witty and funny self. Just hours later he would be gone.

[@opticscolossalandepicvideo4879]

Love this. We are nearly same age. Brought back memories. I love this. I was a huge fan

[@gregh4292]

Thanks Andrew. I was born in 1964, and share your love of all things Beatles, though not quite your depth of fascinating and fantastic knowledge! I really enjoyed your scrapbook-enabled journey through 1980. It brought back many memories of life in the fifth year of high school, and through many of the contemporaneous newspaper stories you mention, evoked a powerful dose of nostalgia. Sociologically and historically, I think this type of video is very important. I struggle to capture the sense of how the solo Beatles were viewed in this era when I’m taking to my younger friends (who range from early 20s to mid 40s) who are also big Beatles fans. Your work, and this type of video, is invaluable in this regard. Thanks again.

[@jpvalin]

Very well done, and it was a relief that you said you would end the accounts before a certain date. Thank you for that. Very sensitive of you. In 1980 my Mom had bought a new car with a surprisingly good stereo. That Fall, I knew that a new John single was imminent and I was eager to hear it. I was in my first year of college and was in classes that day, so I wasn't able to listen for it until the evening. I was running an errand with her car and on the local rock radio station, suddenly "(Just Like) Starting Over" came on. No introduction, so my guess is that they had been playing it all day, and the DJ just put it on between two other songs. Before John's voice kicked in, I knew from the sound of the music that this was it. I howled and blew the horn on the car in celebration. I absolutely loved the song from the first listen. Anyway, this was a great way for you to present the stories from the clippings, and I would love to hear more years presented this way. Cheers!

[@Parlogram]

Thanks for watching and for sharing your memories, JP. We will be covering more years this way - 1981 has already been done: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIWlfGadq5Kljas

[@rwozniaknyc]

Thank you for putting this together, well done! In 1980 I was a senior in high school living in New York City and being a Beatlemaniac, bought both "McCartney ll" and "Double Fantasy". I did enjoy some of Paul's new tracks, thought "Coming Up" was catchy as hell but on the whole thought his record with Wings from the previous year, "Back to the Egg" was a much better effort. As for Double Fantasy, I have to be honest, I never cared for Yoko as a performer and after listening to her side of the album, once was enough for me. But I thought John's songs were great, especially "Watching the Wheels". It's one of my favorites to this day. And then soon after on the day we lost him, I was just destroyed. It was just so, SENSELESS....

[@mikestratton7784]

I love your tone, research and clear love for John. It still hurts. Thank you.

[@ecfan-addict9477]

What a great walk down memory lane - I saw the stage show Beatlemania in the spring of 1979, and 1980 was my first full year as a confirmed Beatles fanatic. I was reading these stories/reviews in the American Press, but I was following them breathlessly all that year. I got McCartney II for my 11th birthday in July that year, and was ecstatic when I read in Newsweek that John was working on a new album. Double Fantasy was the next album on my want list and then...well enough about 1980, eh?

[@MichaelNoland-TheBottomLine]

Brother as always, you really cover the four lads in such interesting ways! Like you, I too was very interested in these 2 key post-Beatle albums! And they are SO telling in ‘where’ each former Beatle were at that point in their career at the time! Sadly, it was the last time we could truly even begin to compare them!😉 I’m a fan!❤

[@jameswatson5370]

Good video. I enjoyed the original unboxing video of the scrapbooks, so it was cool to see you build a video around some of their contents. I look forward to more similar videos in the future.

[@Parlogram]

Thanks James. Look out for 1981 this weekend!

[@williamhild1793]

Future yearly post-Beatles yearbooks? PLEASE DO! I really enjoyed this video, Andrew. And I learned so much.

[@ryeinc]

The NME? More like the enemy 😂 Loved this video Andrew, I think you might have a great new series on your hands!

[@nicknikipediacaulkin5943]

A fascinating review of what John and Paul -and Ringo- were up to in 1980, Andrew! Press cuttings are an invaluable source of information because they are written as events happen. I would love to see more videos like this one and I suspect that the books of press cuttings that you bought will reveal more fascinating stories from other years involving The Beatles!

[@tommymaguire2839]

Andrew, that was FANTASTIC!! I was 16 and a crazed Beatles for 7 years in 1980. I followed the 4 legends as much as I could back then. Your installment here is just as I remember it. Thanks for the info that I never knew about, like that sad tale of the car accident and Paul's Good Samaritan response. LOVE what you do and loved the way you set this one up. Thank you Sir.

[@tommymaguire2839]

PS: ADAM AND THE ANTS!!!!!

[@moinyp]

I fell in love with the Double Fantasy tracks instantly when I heard them on the John Lennon Collection album right after his death. Watching the Wheels is perhaps one of the most sophisticated songs John ever wrote. A Day in the Life would be another example of such songs.

[@matthewhodgson4447]

I love this mini series you got going on from a relatively new Beatles fan I love your channel Andrew

[@Parlogram]

Glad you're enjoying it, Matthew! The next episode drops later today.

[@markearnestfromreno613]

Really fantastic, Andrew. Really enjoyed something involving the Beatles from this time period. You and I are about the same age, so I remember the pasting both John and Paul’s records got in the USA press also. As an aside, cool to see you like so much second wave ska! I love that era, too.

[@nicktimo11]

What a great video. That is such a fascinating look back. As a 7 year old in 1980, I wasn’t aware of how the Beatles were viewed in the media then. Of course, after John’s death, you couldn’t help but be aware of the outpouring of love for John and him being held up as a saint almost, as often happens when someone dies. But ‘living John’ was seen with more cynical eyes. Goes some way to showing us how the media and public would’ve viewed him today had he still been with us.

[@davidace7816]

Hi Andrew, great video and like you I was 13 in 1980, I had to smile when you looked inside your copy of Starting over for the purchase date, I have so many records from the period with the Woolworth's purchase sticker

[@Chucklea9]

Wow, I remember vividly Chris Tarrant on Tiswas saying they had an interview coming up with John Lennon and that it mentioned a Beatles reunion. It was part of a weird segment where they kept losing sound and vision. When it had all been restored they didn't have time for the interview (not that it ever existed, I'm sure). Great video as always Andrew

[@Parlogram]

Thanks David. Good memory!

[@jasonwhiton174]

Fantastic video, Andrew. I once bought a scrapbook of US clippings from 1964, but I think what you found is a much more complete press record. It's really interesting to hear about events, projects, reactions as they happened! Would love to hear more. In 1980 I was off to a boarding school (along with Yoko's nephew) and from what little I could learn about the new records in my media blackout life there, I eagerly waited to hear what Paul and John had been up to. I seem to remember picking up Double Fantasy on a weekend school trip to town, but focus quickly shifted soon after when my friend was rushed down to NYC and we knew the whispers breaking on radio news was real. I still think Beautiful Boy and Woman are two of John's best. Years later I got to do a re-mix and film related to one of Yoko's projects, which was great fun!

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it, Jason and thanks for your comment. I will do more scrapbook videos again soon!

[@kensileo8793]

Andrew, everything you do is extremely enjoyable. I was still living in NYC at the time and remember it well. It was great that John was back in the studio and Double Fantasy came out. It didn’t compare to Imagine or POB to me but was happy he was back. What happened afterwards had me crying that Christmas, especially when they played Happy Christmas on the radio.

[@robertcoulter7592]

I don't comment enough but just a gentle reminder for me to say thank you for all of your videos. The details are outstanding as is the production and... Well all of it really. So in absence of me commenting on every video. A big thank you for all of them from an avid viewer and student of these teachings! Cheers!

[@Parlogram]

Thanks for watching, Robert. Glad to hear you're enjoying the videos.

[@commanderstraker6732]

Great episode Andrew. As a huge Wings fan in the 1970's, I was beginning to notice the decline in Paul's musical prowess after the huge success of the 1975/1976 world tour. After the lacklustre 'Back The Egg" album of 1979 which featured the last line up of Wings, I think Paul was beginning to move in a different direction, hence the McCartney II album of 1980. When John Lennon's"Starting Over" single was released, I thought John would emerge as the more popular of the two musically. I would love if you could do a series of episodes, with each one dedicated to each of the Beatles solo careers and how their records performed globally

[@40pianos]

First visit but not the last. Having grown up with the Beatles, I believed, erroneously, that I pretty much knew all the stories. But there's much here that's fresh so I thank you for your diligence.

[@Parlogram]

Thanks for watching, Brent.

[@alanjohnston3936]

Fabulous Parlogram! I've seen you unpacking collections you'd purchased before and now putting those boxes of memorabilia to perfect use! Great work!

[@carlosalbertogomez1391]

there was a rumor that once paul got out of his troubles in japan,john called to scold him about that like an older brother would do and told him something like "what are you doing?" great great video¡¡¡always interesting little facts that time erased or not to many remember.im hooked to your channel👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@billleary5779]

This was a great change of pace in terms of previous videos. I really enjoyed it. The first time I heard Paul McCartney’s name was watching an ad for Beatlemania the stage show in January 1980 and my sister mentioned that Paul McCartney was arrested in Japan for pot. I had no idea who Paul was or what that had to do with the Beatlemania stage show (I was only 8 years old at the time). Five months later I saw a tv spot for McCartney II which showed the Coming Up video. My first thought was “that was the guy who was arrested in Japan”. I bought McCartney II in 1989 and while I loved Coming Up and On the Way I thought the rest was terrible and considered this the worst album in my collection. I have warmed up to this now and I appreciate his experimentation with the archive set really showing a different side of him. I bought Double Fantasy on a Geffen cassette in January 1988 and immediately liked it. I remember fast forwarding Yoko’s songs but I now like for stuff almost as much as John’s tracks. I think John’s songs from this record along with his songs off Milk and Honey make for a great 1980 album. George had his album Somewhere in England rejected by Warner Bros. In October 1980 including the artwork but I love the tracks that were removed especially Sat Singing and Flying Hour. Thanks Andrew!

[@Parlogram]

Thanks Bill. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@barrymurphy1337]

A facsinating video Andrew, it is always interesting to look back in 'real time' to what the press were reporting at the time. Please consider doing more deep-dive videos of those scrap books. And John looking like a 'haunted sheep' is both accurate & hilarious 😃

[@Gothic55]

Thanks for a truly brilliant video - these scrap books are pure gold. I have some of the same clips including Daily Mail front page of Macca being “busted” that my father saved for me. Some more of these would be great. Thank you.

[@Scottishenglish]

This is nicely done and I like the quiet acknowledgement of events after 1 December 1980. The recently published book 'John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life' covers the same period from Lennon's perspective and provides a lot of vivid detail about life in the Dakota Building. The post-breakup era is an important part of the Beatles story

[@franciscoop1063]

Great video Andrew - I think this new 'Pick Of The Scraps' format definitely has legs....😎

[@Parlogram]

Great title for the series, Francis.

[@vinniefreeman5142]

Love your videos Andrew! I look forward to each one every week. I was 20 in 1980 and on Dec. 8, I bought both Double Fantasy and the (Just Like) Starting Over 45 at the record shop while on my way to work at the local supermarket. That night, I got hit on the head unloading a roll of shrink wrap and went to the hospital with a concussion. I got home from the hospital and my dad told me about what happened to John. I didn't believe him until the next morning, as I was still dazed. I have never opened that copy of Double Fantasy or played the 45. I bought new copies later. Definitely a day to forget.

[@philross1680]

Great commentary Andrew. You certainly informed me on a number of things I didn’t know or forgot from that period during 1980 and I was as a 27 year old Beatle fan at the time ! I liked some of Double Fantasy but just bought the singles as I didn’t like side two. In fact it was the only solo Beatles album I didn’t buy up until that time. I’ll never ever forget the sadness and senseless of December 8.

[@theflyingfrog]

A great video, packed with fascinating stuff for us Macca / Beatles fans. It's got me thinking about digging up my own 1980s memorabilia and press cuttings from that time. Thanks!

[@peter_aka_hamamass]

I was 11 when this came out, and loved it from the start, and still do as one of my favourite albums ever 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 I tend not to compare releases, and see them all as individuals, but sadly many compare every album to their absolute ever favourite 🤔😔

[@thesilvershining]

I can’t help it, I’ve loved McCartney II since the first time I heard it. It really was ahead of its time and it has all the weird quirks and captivating melodies only Paul can deliver. It remains so special to my heart and I still listen to it quite often. “Coming Up”, “Frozen Jap”, “Waterfalls”, “Darkroom”, “One of These Days”, “On The Way”, and the hilariously silly yet dark “Temporary Secretary.” The archive release gave me a wonderful surprise with the orchestrated version of “Blue Sway” and it’s AWESOME!!

[@jeffkaufman9875]

Great video: Love the subject matter, scrapbook format of narrative and illustration, as well as your subtle editorializing…

[@Parlogram]

Thanks Jeff. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@edryba4867]

Excellent work, Andrew! And yes, on the West Coast of the USA, we’d LOVE to see more like this! Please - please us! (As though you don’t already!). And if you don’t like the McCartney album mentioned here, let’s see YOU make a record with yourself as the ENTIRE BAND and singing ALL THE VOCALS, as Paul did with “Ram”.

[@moondogaudiojones1146]

To start! Yay! On seeing a bit of your Ska collection! Brilliant. I was on the (local) road in that period playing punkpopska then. Back to the show….

[@stevedundee866]

This video was fascinating. Happy for more like this as long as we still get vinyl content from you. I remember that in 1980 I was hungry to buy anything Beatles but there was hardly anything available other than vinyl records. What happened to all that memorabilia??! Thought I..years later eBay came along and I was blown away. Cheers Andrew

[@Parlogram]

Cheers Steve! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@jorob46]

I love Double Fantasy when it came out and love it now. Mccartney ll grew on me and l love since 1980. Paul"s album waas far ahead of his time and took alot of years to recognized how great a n album it was.

[@owenpattaylor]

This was fantastic, would love more scrapbook videos like this

[@SpikeAsks]

Another Fab Episode Andrew! I Like This Style; Please Keep Them Coming... I Loved Macca 2 When It Came Out & Double Fantasy As Well. You & I Are 1 Year Apart, So Our Memories Of Those Years Could Be Similar... TV From Buffalo Was Viewed Much Here(Toronto); The Footage Of Macca Getting "His Wings Clipped In Japan," Is Vivid In Me Mind... Gotta Love The Beatles! Peace 💙💛

[@theqrm]

Great stuff...thanks for this! Thorough and quite a bit of work I'd imagine. Now then, where's our video on collecting The Beatles Monthly Books 🙂

[@fender2551]

Excellent idea, more content like this! I was 18 in 1980 so followed many of these milestones from the Boston area in the US. Purchasing the singles and albums, reading the Newsweek article with John on the subway to college. Great memories, at least for most of that year.

[@jan-willemvanderzwet8569]

Hi, in 1980 i was 18yrs old and I did buy Pauls record McCartney 2 and loved it very much I also did buy John's Double Fantasy and really liked his songs but hated all of Yoko's work! Great video!! Freetings from Spain

[@stefanstern3542]

Yes, I really enjoyed this video, and I'd be happy to see more of this kind!

[@AdrianRojasF]

I loved this format! I hope we get to see more.

[@deccagonerecords]

As always such an excellent video. This one really brought back some memories. 1980 wow. So much pain that year at the end. But I just forgot about some of these other things that happened that year. Would love another one these ‘history’ lessons ;) thanks for this one!

[@Bigeazy87]

Fantastic video. Amazing collection of press clippings and everything else. And fascinating to hear the various reviews in real time as it happened. I was 11 on December 1980. I love making music Playlists dedicated to artists or a particular theme. I did a solo Beatles 1970-79. I also have made playlists of the Billboard Top 100 from the years 1974-79, 1984 and 1985. I too struggled with 1980, but Billboard stops their count after October. So then it was all good. I have made a playlist of 1981 and after 2 months I still haven't listened to it. I do remember much of what was described in the video too. Interesting how quiet George was. Thank you for this trip back into time. And again, stopping after November is something I totally get.

[@markpickardlife]

Excellent video. Thank you for the fond memories. I was truly hoping for a reunion at the time.

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it, Mark.

[@mars7934]

Really interesting stuff I'm looking forward to reading some of these articles. Great video as always! More more more!

[@renemies78]

This was an extremely unique and interesting video. I liked it a lot and can't wait to see what else you do with the scrapbooks!

[@memriloc]

That was actually quite interesting. I hope you DO do more from those scrapbooks.

[@easyreader6179]

Paul also recorded two fantastic progressive extended B-sides during this period. Secret Friend is a sublime slice of experimental Latin tinged electronica which sounds like contemporary lounge music and Check My Machine which wouldn't be out of place on a Gorillaz album.

[@thesilvershining]

I played “Check My Machine” for a guy at work and he legit thought it was Gorillaz 😂

[@briankellymusician]

Superb Andrew those scrap books must be full of some great content and thanks for sharing. I remember John saying in one of his interviews something along the lines of that it was ok for the British press to slate the Beatles but if anyone one else did the British press would stick up for them. I’m quite surprised how mean the press where towards John and Paul in 1980 and wondered if there attitude change towards Double Fantasy after Johns death.. thx again for sharing Andrew superb as always 👍

[@Parlogram]

Thanks Brian. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@djkenter6894]

Great video Andrew, love this format and hope to see more videos like this one. Keep it up!

[@Parlogram]

Thanks, more coming soon.

[@svorourke7056]

very cool to see all these reviews!!! Awesome podcast as usual!

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

A really nice change of pace from Andrew. I was fascinated by this the entire way through. 1980 was a very eventful year for me, my first away at college. I remember the tragedy that December vividly, and it absolutely tore up my roommate, who was a rabid Beatles fan. It set him off so bad he left school shortly thereafter, but I never got the story about why he dropped out. This incident definitely did not help him. Anyway, great job as always.

[@jasonmackay7499]

I really enjoyed this video, as I do ALL of them, but it's a fascinating way of telling the story of a particular year (to be taken with a pinch of salt of course, this IS the media!). I would really like to see ALL the years from the scrapbooks done this way, chronologically. When you first did the video about the collection I think I mentioned to you it had inspired me to sort out my own clippings and cuttings! Well I have now! And believe me, I'm pretty sure I have quite a few more than you purchased! Now is the task to paste them all in, which I am going to do in the same way as your collection. A very time consuming, but fascinating, task lies ahead! 😄

[@AngusRockford]

Ironically, John perfectly anticipated (and perfectly rebuffed) the critical reaction to “Double Fantasy” with “Watching the Wheels,” possibly my favorite of his solo songs. The fact that so many hopeless 30-somethings, as late as *1980*, were still desperate for people like John and Bob Dylan to be “the spokesmen” for their generation is just so on-brand for the spoiled attitude of so many of the Baby Boom generation, especially here in the states. John and George were telling them as early as 1965 to “Think for Yourself.”

[@jms1963]

George wrote that song, but I get what you're saying. Warmed-over hippies are bad enough, warmed-over hippies who happen to be music critics are beyond insufferable.

[@rodclarke8957]

@@jms1963 I believe that’s why he included George when he said “John and George”… George wrote that song, but John shared a similar attitude of shedding the Beatles “myth”.

[@desoxido]

I disagree. John loved to preach and tell people hoe to think.

[@TheCliffandPhilShow]

@@cuda426hemi troll much? :)

[@TheCliffandPhilShow]

@@cuda426hemi Totally false but that's what you opine. Poor thing. :)

[@chriscampanozzi6516]

Andrew,thank you. Great information as always. Your content is very important.

[@peterdigwood2247]

Another great video Andrew, and personally I'd like to see more in this style, as even though I do remember 1980 the actual details get more hazy every year.

[@anthonycraig1458]

Enjoyed watching that, really brought back memories of the general vibe of those days. I wasn't really the mad Beatles fan until a couple of years later but I remember Paul's hits of the time and Starting Over. I was well aware of The Beatles as my mum had many of their albums which I'd heard her play. Certainly a different era back then when you had to scour the papers for any news (or Beatles Monthly when I started buying it in 1982!) instead of the internet!

[@strahljd]

I just love these historical retrospectives, and it's extra special coming from such a huge Beatles fan...I hope you continue to make videos like this! Also I wonder if you know about the KZbin channel called Yesterday's Papers, it's actually a pretty similar concept where they go through news articles from different days/months in the 60s and 70s to see what many artists (including the Beatles) think about other songs that are in the hit charts, I really think you'd love it

[@jockmctodger]

I love that channel

[@moondogaudiojones1146]

Part 2: there were times I’d have to hideaway in the 80’s not only because of the music I was making (ska and reggae influenced and early Duran Duran Spandau Ballet, etc) but because I loved McCartney 2 and liked his beginning forays into new sounds. On the whole I thought it was a great Lp. The same with Starting Over. I loved both sides. I’ve heard those Cheap Trick tapes and must admit, while good, much looser than how the final piece ended up. Loved the Linda 12”. With all the trouble and strife they had…I was a happy camper. Great show! Can’t wait til part 2!! (Being a tad older than you…70…yes there I said it age also has a way a mellowing out some of those reasons certain songs nagged at your brain at times🖖)

[@Parlogram]

Thanks Brian! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@KendalAudiologist]

Really enjoyed this. McCartney 2 was way ahead of its times. Double fantasy has three all time classic songs: Watching the wheels, Beautiful Boy and Woman. Critics huh!

[@bandsivefilmedlive]

Brilliantly researched video, thankyou for making this!

[@stephenlang8279]

Great video Andrew - so much fab information!

[@ZackStargaze]

Another really interesting video! ❤😊

[@tonylaughlin6663]

Wow, well done!! Great video, great info. Would watch more of this if you make em....thanks

[@robertmenzies9731]

Keep up the great work. IMO this video demonstrated the same impressive research & thorough attention to detail all your product related videos do. I can’t get enough of your work. Much appreciated. Thank you! 😊👍

[@Parlogram]

Thanks Robert. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@BruceColon-BSides]

With the benefit of hindsight, Double Fantasy was inadvertently the most fitting final album John could have made. It’s still as personal as all his solo albums, but with a touching serenity. Like the others in the trilogy, McCartney II is pure, distilled Paul, making music for enjoyment and exploration. I like that he has albums like this as part of his catalog that show a different side of his vast musical ability and taste.

[@antoniodalfonso]

This sort of video is pleasant and instructive and you did it with humor and class! so follow it up with another!

[@Parlogram]

Will do soon, Antonio!

[@wesleyheinecke3878]

This was so interesting! Now I want to see a video of every year lol

[@tigerwallah61]

Very nicely compiled and explained. Brought back lots of memories of reading the same media coverage and the music vibe of that year. Thanks.

[@richardfinlayson1524]

Enjoyed that one, good on you mate, we are of a similar vintage, so I can identify with your experience of the time.

[@maurodegiorgi63]

excellent work, mate. Thank you for sharing such precious information. best regards

[@juanluiszarzuela314]

I really liked how you have placed the Beatles in a specific historical context. Very interesting to know how they were considered by the public opinion of the moment. I think there was a special desire to remove them from the glorious pedestal they had been on until then, perhaps as an unconscious social revenge for their separation. I like "Double fantasy" but from the point of view I have today.

[@murraysampson2501]

That was very interesting and enjoyable. Took me back to a time that I was too young to remember. Thank you!

[@Parlogram]

Glad you enjoyed it, Murray.

[@arminzink1925]

wow! what a great look back into Beatles or more solo-Beatles history. This is really great. Thanks a lot for this Andrew!

[@babylemonade2868]

That temporary secretary is one of the worst things I’ve ever heard😆 Great video and your love for everything Beatles is awesome. Good to know people get into bands as much as me

[@paul3463]

More of this, please! Thank you.

[@MrDirtybear]

Thank you for helping me remember how it was common in the 1970s for the younger music fan to read the latest chart listing, the singles at least, in the pop column of the red top daily paper that their parents bought...

[@SylentEcho]

I usually don't comment, but this video was fantastic! Can't wait for the next one.

[@vonbontee]

Another great video there! I'm surprised that the scrapbook has no news from February '81, when George was found guilty of unconscious plagiarism for rewriting "He's So Fine"

[@DerekSee]

Another wonderful video, and yes please deep dive more into the solo years! I love both of these albums, and that’s despite the memories behind them. I got McCartney II for my fifth birthday that year, and in many ways it’s my favorite of all of Paul’s solo albums. I was given Double Fantasy as an early Christmas present, as a way to try to comfort five year old me, who couldn’t understand how a Beatle could be killed. John and Yoko’s dialog on this album just gets better and better over time to me

[@chasspencer1889]

Fantastic video Andrew . I appreciate all your hard work making this Jam Packed with information and well told timeline .

[@francisreader454]

Really fascinating. Loved all the little additions of ads. These contemporaneous reports are so valuable. As for Double Fantasy, one thing I don't hear said now is how wrong those critics were about the LP in one specific sense. Listening to it in 2022, its clear it's Yoko's songs-more lauded at the time as relevant and edgy-that are the ones that have aged very poorly, sonically, lyrically, and stylistically. John's songs, for me, may have sounded old-fashioned to those policing the ferocious and fast-moving music world of 1980, but they turn out now to be the ageless ones from the collection, sonically, lyrically and sylistically.

[@donaldmoore4412]

Love it!! Thank you Andrew