Never even heard of these books till now....and I work at a used bookstore. I see ALL the Beatles books....and own and have read most of them. I'll definitely have to give these volumes a look. Also......I LOVE the titles. The first book is called Tune In. I can only surmise the next two are....Turn On and Drop Out. And man....what a brilliant stroke of insight to title them like that. PERFECTLY captures the band's trajectory via the metaphor of the 60s most iconic catch phrase. Tim Leary's words live on....
@@avedic Make sure to buy or get the extended version! (the two volumes). It has twice the number of pages, but it's such an easy reading! And the wealth of information is astonishing. Mark starts the book by telling us about the history of each of the Beatles families (parents, grandparents, etc), and from that he tells the complete story, weaving every different life line into one fabric (a fab one!). It's the best biography ever.
Dear CoCo, you have completely sold me on this book. I can't even begin to express how disappointed I am that this video has been up for nearly a year but has only amassed roughly 71,000 views. I'm not the biggest fan of your late night show, but this interview was incredible. Thank you for getting Mark Lewisohn on, and keep up the great work.
These Serious Jibber-Jabbers are wonderful. Looking forward to more. Specifically to this topic, every time I think I'm "over" the Beatles, something like this comes along and reminds me just how unique and great they really were. Thanks for reigniting my interest.
Mark is never less than supremely entertaining - a knowledgeable approach from Conan too. Me and my 28 year-old son recently went to Mark’s presentation on Abbey Road (‘Hornsey Road’) in Bristol, and it was brilliant. Loved Mark’s British humour at the end too..... “thank you for the clap”!!
I'm 3.5 years late on finding this interview, but thank you Mark, thank you Conan. Seriously great interview. Was riveted the whole time, did not want the interview to end...thank you, again!
Conan always asks good questions, he's heavily researched this interview and it shows. Conan's interview with Paul was also the best there has ever been, he did not suck up to him like a lot of interviewers do and he brought out his humour. He didn't hit the Paul Mccartney jukebox button and get the same stories that we hear every time from interviewers. I hope him and Mark speak again for the next book!
Conan, for all your amazing videos over the last couple of years when I've paid attention, this has to be my favourite. Thank you. Didn't know you were such a fan.
Mark writes this book in formidable fashion and I find myself coming back to it again and again. Nothing else compares and I am so fascinated with the early Beatles, so this book has helped me in growing the 'flame' that I have. Thank you both for this interview. I loved it.
I can't wait to read the chapter about The Beatles going to Japan. They were influential everywhere, obviously, but their impact on Japanese entertainment in general was incredible.
@@Wired4Life2 I know this is about a month late, but this is my explanation on why The Beatles made a big impact in Japan ( anyone more knowledgeable can correct me!). Post-war Japan was becoming more westernized due to American occupation, creating a push back movement against western culture to maintain Japanese culture. The Beatles performed at the Budokan, the first Western musical group to perform at the building. Infact, not even Japanese musicians performed there, only martial arts. So when The Beatles arrived in Japan, they were met with anger by Japanese far-right extremists, to the point where they were not allowed outside their hotel due to safety. Nevertheless, Their Japan Concert made a huge impact on the Japanese youth and brought the British wave to Japan. The music scene in Japan at the time ( and during the 90s as Shibuya-kei) was very influenced by The Beatles and other British invasion bands.
Totally agree with you. There are Beatles cover bands in Japan that put most American Beatles cover bands to shame. The Japanese by tradition are something akin to Germans - I know the irony is there - they take pride in their craft,and craftsmanship . No two countries could be more ideologically opposed than the Philippine’s ,and the Japanese . Asia is a large continent …
I guess almost everyone old enough to have been around when the Beatles were doing their thing was touched by them in some way, and as the author says, everyone in a different way. I was 6 when I received a toy drum set for Christmas, after which my mother brought home Meet The Beatles. Of course I would play my toy drums right along with the record, and it was a blast.
Those "upbeat melody with a downbeat lyric" Goffin-King songs Mark mentions included "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?", which The Beatles used to cover (with John singing lead). There are tragically no recordings of them playing this song, so you're left to imagine just how amazing that must have sounded...
Never disappointed in these. Not entirely a The Beatles fan, of a younger generation, but Conan always makes these conversations interesting. More please.
Great watch and insight into The Beatles history. Conan should try and do more of these serious jibber-jabbers or perhaps even a weekly/bi-weekly podcast about anything he can.
@Jim McCracken I have heard him express regret that he can't now speak to Neil. Especially a post Apple Neil that could speak freely. Magic Alex would have been interesting also, but he did try and get hold of him before he died.
I know it's a little old to post on this video (and other jibber jabber videos) but I think it's so entertaining for Conan to discuss historical topics with authors and the like. You can tell the passion he has for this sort of stuff and it messes perfectly with his interview style. I'm begging you guys at team Coco and tbs, please continue doing this video series or ones like it
I also loved how, when reading early on in the book about when John, Paul, and George conspired to have Eric Griffiths out of The Quarrymen and coaxed then-manager Nigel Walley to fire Eric separately, I immediately thought, "Yup, this will happen again with Pete Best."
The extended 2-volume set of 'Tune In' is amazing. Thoroughly researched Beatles history by Mr. Lewisohn, but never boring. Good interview by the 'serious' Conan!
My greatest love in life has been music, and my first memory in life was at six years old standing outside sold out Forest Hills Stadium with my Mom listening to the Beatles. They are like my cousins I never met.
What a wonderful interview, you think you know all there is to know on the Beatles, then Tune In comes out , hopefully volumes 2 and 3 will be released soon.
This makes my evening. Every time there is a new Jibber-Jabber my phone is switched off, I grab a cold beer and enjoy a great talk about interesting things. Perfect!
I just love how George Martin was forced to shelve "How Do You Do It" because Ardmore & Beechwood, EMI's publishing company (who had conspired with EMI higher-ups to have Martin sign The Beatles as an indirect punishment for his affair and eventual marriage with a secretary), insisted that a composition by Lennon/McCartney (with whom they wanted to create business ties with, sensing their budding songwriting prowess) be on the A-Side. That incensed "How Do You Do It" composer Mitch Murray and the publishing company he was working with, who insisted that their song be the A-side, and they ultimately took their song back as a result, leaving Martin with no choice but to shelve it and to turn to Lennon-McCartney songs. This all happened in the week following The Beatles recording "How Do You Do It".
That was pretty amazing, not at all like the story that had been told by George Martin over the years. A story he told so many times, he honestly thought it was the truth. I’m kind of relieved George isn’t around to face follow up questioning about this, he always seemed like a good man.
@@stevestroh2267 To be fair to George, saying the truth would put a spotlight on his infidelity, which he would feel uncomfortable about talking about in public.
@@cremetangerine82 Not to mention there was a risk of dragging in Judy to the story, who was a very posh lady indeed and not someone he wanted in the tabloids. I'm fairly convinced that is the major reason for his "faulty memory" about the Beatles signing process, and I have a hard time believing he actually forgot this as time passed by.
Mark has the most serious case of Beatlejuice running through his veins, it's not contagious but once you contract this affliction it never leaves your body. I know of many suffering from the Beatlejuice for over 50 years.
I just got the unexpurgated version of "Tune In" which is over 2200 pages in two volumes. Very deep contextually. It's incredible. Volume One ends at the end of 1962. I read the first, edited version of Volume One, but the unexpurgated version is so thorough. It's like he thinks of every question you could ever want to ask, and gets the answer for you before you ask the question. Big fan of Mark Lewisohn.
I’ve been thinking about the expanded version (after reading the standard one). But wonder if it’s just more details (which would be fine!) Is there anything that really stands out in the expanded volume?
Similarly to Conan, it was a running joke, that whenever me and a few of my friends would go to the local pub, the conversation would inevitably always end up being about The Beatles.
Conan's intro is bang on. If you're seriously into The Beatles, musically, culturally, historically, Mark Lewisohn's the only person who can make you feel like a newcomer. And it's a great feeling, for a number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that every solid Beatles fan gets to a point where they're reading or hearing the same information, or variations on themes, over and over. Lewisohn is 'the source'.
*Drummers at EMI:* *6 June 1962:* Pete Best. *4 Sept 1962:* Ringo Starr. *11 Sept 1962:* Andy White. _On my first visit in September [4 Sept] we just ran through some tracks for George Martin. We even did "Please Please Me". I remember that, because while we were recording it I was playing the bass drum with a maraca in one hand and a tambourine in the other. I think it's because of that that George Martin used Andy White, the_ *_"professional",_* _when we went down a week later [11 Sept] to record "Love Me Do"._ - Ringo Star _"George [Martin]_ *_got his way_* _and Ringo didn't drum on the first single [11 Sept]. He only played tambourine."_ _"Ringo, at that point, was not that steady on time"._ - Paul McCartney Engineer Geoff Emerick in his book on page 46 stated that George Martin, Norman Smith and *Paul McCartney* were all dissatisfied with Ringo's timekeeping on 4 Sept. McCartney *got his way* as well. Ringo's poor performance on 4 Sept led to sessions drummer Andy White being brought in for the _'Love Me Do'_ 11 Sept session. _"I didn't rate Ringo very highly. He couldn't do a roll - and still can't - though he's improved a lot since. Andy was the kind of drummer I needed. Ringo was only used to ballrooms. It was obviously best to use someone with experience"._ - George Martin _[Ringo] lacked drive._ - Ron Richards _"He [Ringo] didn't have quite enough push"_ - Engineer Norman Smith _I would like to have auditioned the group when they had a better range of songs to offer, but_ *_NOT_* _after they fired Pete Best. In my humble opinion he was a better drummer than Ringo._ - DECCA producer Mike Smith Ringo was impressed with _professional_ Andy White, buying a Ludwig drum set, the make White used.
I wish Conan would do more of these. They allow him to drill down into his varied interests in a way his main show doesn't, and they've got to be cheap to make.
Can you guys put these conversations up as a podcast on iTunes? The video is nice, but you get 90% of the content with just audio and these would be incredible for car rides, etc. I'm sure I am not the only fan who would love that.
How have I not come across this interview before? I'm a huge fan of Conan, Lewisohn's books, and of course the Beatles. Hope Lewisohn's 2nd volume of his Beatles biography comes out soon-ish.
Much as I love the podcast I miss these jibber jabber interviews. And this is my favorite, as a huge beatle and Conan fan. I probably watched this half a dozen times by now.
Having read thee first installment it is thee book,a must read about the story we thought we knew.When reading this book you can get a true sense of the times in Liverpool, the smell,the streets,the people it is of great research. A must read for anyone who wants to find out what you have missed.A treasure of information.Cant say enough about Mark Lewisohn for taking on a huge story that needs to be told .
Never even heard of these books till now....and I work at a used bookstore. I see ALL the Beatles books....and own and have read most of them. I'll definitely have to give these volumes a look. Also......I LOVE the titles. The first book is called Tune In. I can only surmise the next two are....Turn On and Drop Out. And man....what a brilliant stroke of insight to title them like that. PERFECTLY captures the band's trajectory via the metaphor of the 60s most iconic catch phrase. Tim Leary's words live on....
I never tire listening to Mark...The Beatles had themselves, the right manager, the right crew, the right producer and now -the right historian.
and it seems, the right fan as well
Never even heard of these books till now....and I work at a used bookstore. I see ALL the Beatles books....and own and have read most of them. I'll definitely have to give these volumes a look.
Also......I LOVE the titles. The first book is called Tune In. I can only surmise the next two are....Turn On and Drop Out.
And man....what a brilliant stroke of insight to title them like that. PERFECTLY captures the band's trajectory via the metaphor of the 60s most iconic catch phrase. Tim Leary's words live on....
Ain't that the truth....!!
@@avedic Make sure to buy or get the extended version! (the two volumes). It has twice the number of pages, but it's such an easy reading! And the wealth of information is astonishing. Mark starts the book by telling us about the history of each of the Beatles families (parents, grandparents, etc), and from that he tells the complete story, weaving every different life line into one fabric (a fab one!). It's the best biography ever.
The Beatles were an overrated boyband.
Amazing how The Beatles found the right people at the right time. Even today The Beatles have Mark Lewisohn to tell the true story.
I agree when it comes to Klaus Voorman, George Martin, Brian Epstein etc etc., but for every one of those, there’s a Magic Alex or an Allen Klein.
@@BenjaminNavillus or a Philip Norman
@@rileyswedelius-smith6360Yeah Phillip Norman is such a twit, I don’t understand why he rags on George Harrison so much.
We must protect Mark Lewisohn.
Dear CoCo, you have completely sold me on this book. I can't even begin to express how disappointed I am that this video has been up for nearly a year but has only amassed roughly 71,000 views. I'm not the biggest fan of your late night show, but this interview was incredible. Thank you for getting Mark Lewisohn on, and keep up the great work.
That was a great interview. Thank you Mark Lewisohn and Conan O'Brien, cannot wait for Vol 2 .
Mark Lewisohn says the second volume, Turn On, will be out no earlier than June 2023.
One is enough for me thank you
The Beatles were a phenomenon that sadly can never ever happen again. Great interview
Dear Mr Conan O'Brian, please consider doing podcasts. Your charisma and natural sense of humor translates even better in this format.
Agreed. I can't turn this off.
Your prayers have been answered!
You called it!
No charisma. Only annoying.
@@amycrunch3812 so why are you watching this?
Loving this interview. I hope that this becomes a thing
I believe he has already done one or two similar segments/interviews.
He's done 15 of them. There is a playlist of them on the channel.
It's been a thing for 4 years now.
Here friends: th-cam.com/play/PLVL8S3lUHf0TIbLusugli-_6OhbvqgMvD.html
Team Coco - why do you make some of the videos you post on TH-cam ONLY for US audiences? We non-Americans would love to laugh too, you know!
These Serious Jibber-Jabbers are wonderful. Looking forward to more. Specifically to this topic, every time I think I'm "over" the Beatles, something like this comes along and reminds me just how unique and great they really were. Thanks for reigniting my interest.
Great interview. Really cool to see the reverence Conan has for The Beatles.
Mark is never less than supremely entertaining - a knowledgeable approach from Conan too. Me and my 28 year-old son recently went to Mark’s presentation on Abbey Road (‘Hornsey Road’) in Bristol, and it was brilliant. Loved Mark’s British humour at the end too..... “thank you for the clap”!!
Now I want a feature-length Beatles documentary hosted by Conan.
Yes!
Why? By his own admission he doesn't know anything more than most Beatle fans, surely a documentary hosted by Mark would be better?
Conan's a clown.
That would be great
Conan is the ringo of latenight
I'm 3.5 years late on finding this interview, but thank you Mark, thank you Conan. Seriously great interview. Was riveted the whole time, did not want the interview to end...thank you, again!
I’m 29 hours into the audio book for volume one. It’s a brilliant book and so extremely detailed, I am officially a fan
Conan always asks good questions, he's heavily researched this interview and it shows. Conan's interview with Paul was also the best there has ever been, he did not suck up to him like a lot of interviewers do and he brought out his humour. He didn't hit the Paul Mccartney jukebox button and get the same stories that we hear every time from interviewers.
I hope him and Mark speak again for the next book!
Thanks Conan and friends. Mark was such a great guest at Beatlefest a couple years ago. A true class act!
Conan, for all your amazing videos over the last couple of years when I've paid attention, this has to be my favourite. Thank you. Didn't know you were such a fan.
Mark writes this book in formidable fashion and I find myself coming back to it again and again. Nothing else compares and I am so fascinated with the early Beatles, so this book has helped me in growing the 'flame' that I have. Thank you both for this interview. I loved it.
I can't wait to read the chapter about The Beatles going to Japan. They were influential everywhere, obviously, but their impact on Japanese entertainment in general was incredible.
How so, given that they were there in 1966 for only a few days?
@@Wired4Life2 I know this is about a month late, but this is my explanation on why The Beatles made a big impact in Japan ( anyone more knowledgeable can correct me!). Post-war Japan was becoming more westernized due to American occupation, creating a push back movement against western culture to maintain Japanese culture. The Beatles performed at the Budokan, the first Western musical group to perform at the building. Infact, not even Japanese musicians performed there, only martial arts. So when The Beatles arrived in Japan, they were met with anger by Japanese far-right extremists, to the point where they were not allowed outside their hotel due to safety. Nevertheless, Their Japan Concert made a huge impact on the Japanese youth and brought the British wave to Japan. The music scene in Japan at the time ( and during the 90s as Shibuya-kei) was very influenced by The Beatles and other British invasion bands.
I don’t know if you’ve read the book by now but it ends on New Years of 1963 right before please please me comes out. Volume 2 or 3 will cover that.
Totally agree with you. There are Beatles cover bands in Japan that put most American Beatles cover bands to shame. The Japanese by tradition are something akin to Germans - I know the irony is there - they take pride in their craft,and craftsmanship .
No two countries could be more ideologically opposed than the Philippine’s ,and the Japanese . Asia is a large continent …
I guess almost everyone old enough to have been around when the Beatles were doing their thing was touched by them in some way, and as the author says, everyone in a different way. I was 6 when I received a toy drum set for Christmas, after which my mother brought home Meet The Beatles. Of course I would play my toy drums right along with the record, and it was a blast.
I looove this bits. Conan is so intelligent and I just love listening to him talking in a serious manner (:
Kristina, you give "coco" too much credit.
@@chipgaasche4933 Oh, that surely is one way to see it! Whereas the other would be: it is quite possible that you're "a dumb areshole".
Those "upbeat melody with a downbeat lyric" Goffin-King songs Mark mentions included "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?", which The Beatles used to cover (with John singing lead). There are tragically no recordings of them playing this song, so you're left to imagine just how amazing that must have sounded...
Never disappointed in these. Not entirely a The Beatles fan, of a younger generation, but Conan always makes these conversations interesting. More please.
You're not a fan YET! don't worry,it'll come.
Thank you for this, Conan.
I like Conan even more now that he is a Beatles fan
I must have watched this interview 5 or 6 times at least over the years and everytime I'm blown away by how interesting the conversation is
beatles are still my favorite.. i love other musicians/bands but the beatles are on another frequency..
I totally agree. They are in their own league! My favorite is all time!
I love the Beatles! And I loved this interview!
Two genuine and intelligent gentleman.
Conan asked some of the best questions ever.
Not a Beatles maniac. Wasn't going to bother with this interview. Excellent as always Coco. You need to do more of these please.
always a great way to spend an hour, great ep
Almost an hour and a half? Thank you Conan, you always give to your fans.
Great watch and insight into The Beatles history. Conan should try and do more of these serious jibber-jabbers or perhaps even a weekly/bi-weekly podcast about anything he can.
Great interview can't wait for volumes 2 and 3
Barry DesLauriers Me too. But we’re going to have to be patient.
@Jim McCracken He wasn't the only one there. ML talks to loads of people.
@Jim McCracken I have heard him express regret that he can't now speak to Neil. Especially a post Apple Neil that could speak freely. Magic Alex would have been interesting also, but he did try and get hold of him before he died.
I know it's a little old to post on this video (and other jibber jabber videos) but I think it's so entertaining for Conan to discuss historical topics with authors and the like. You can tell the passion he has for this sort of stuff and it messes perfectly with his interview style. I'm begging you guys at team Coco and tbs, please continue doing this video series or ones like it
I also loved how, when reading early on in the book about when John, Paul, and George conspired to have Eric Griffiths out of The Quarrymen and coaxed then-manager Nigel Walley to fire Eric separately, I immediately thought, "Yup, this will happen again with Pete Best."
You gotta bring Serious Jibber-Jabber back Conan!
Thanks for making me feel less crazy for being obsessed with this band that broke up fifty years ago.
The extended 2-volume set of 'Tune In' is amazing. Thoroughly
researched Beatles history by Mr. Lewisohn, but never boring. Good interview by the 'serious' Conan!
The greatest rock 'n' roll band of all time! They are in their own echelon above all others, and we shall not see the likes of them again...
I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next volume. Tune In was great.
I hope this is the year..
My greatest love in life has been music, and my first memory in life was at six years old standing outside sold out Forest Hills Stadium with my Mom listening to the Beatles. They are like my cousins I never met.
More please! Awesome to see Conan put on his PBS face and ask insightful questions. I say this as someone painfully uninterested in the Beatles.
Mr. Lewisohn and Mr. O'Brien we are sure glad this did happen! Thank you. More Please!
The Beatles played 350 gigs in 1961. Just wow
I love to see Conan serious like this. Awesome, keep it up!
What a wonderful interview, you think you know all there is to know on the Beatles, then Tune In comes out , hopefully volumes 2 and 3 will be released soon.
Love Lewisohn's books.:)
Incredible. Great job by Conan. One of the best interviews of Mark Lewishon or about the Beatles I've seen. Such great questions asked.
This makes my evening. Every time there is a new Jibber-Jabber my phone is switched off, I grab a cold beer and enjoy a great talk about interesting things. Perfect!
I just love how George Martin was forced to shelve "How Do You Do It" because Ardmore & Beechwood, EMI's publishing company (who had conspired with EMI higher-ups to have Martin sign The Beatles as an indirect punishment for his affair and eventual marriage with a secretary), insisted that a composition by Lennon/McCartney (with whom they wanted to create business ties with, sensing their budding songwriting prowess) be on the A-Side. That incensed "How Do You Do It" composer Mitch Murray and the publishing company he was working with, who insisted that their song be the A-side, and they ultimately took their song back as a result, leaving Martin with no choice but to shelve it and to turn to Lennon-McCartney songs. This all happened in the week following The Beatles recording "How Do You Do It".
That was pretty amazing, not at all like the story that had been told by George Martin over the years. A story he told so many times, he honestly thought it was the truth. I’m kind of relieved George isn’t around to face follow up questioning about this, he always seemed like a good man.
@@stevestroh2267
To be fair to George, saying the truth would put a spotlight on his infidelity, which he would feel uncomfortable about talking about in public.
@@cremetangerine82 Not to mention there was a risk of dragging in Judy to the story, who was a very posh lady indeed and not someone he wanted in the tabloids. I'm fairly convinced that is the major reason for his "faulty memory" about the Beatles signing process, and I have a hard time believing he actually forgot this as time passed by.
_The Beatles_ rearranged _How Do You Do It_ to the annoyance of Mitch Murray. They greatly improved it.
Great interview...that Conan fella is good.
Conan, have you thought about doing a podcast? You would be really good at it.
Isn't this like a podcast?
Dejay Rezme I meant like a regular thing.
Aniruddha Sharma Well yeah ok. But I think he's too busy
Yeah! Conan is too busy!!! Leave him alone! lol
Conan, don't listen to the man. We love your different projects, but your show is the best. Aniruddha, stop to distract the man ;-)
Mark has the most serious case of Beatlejuice running through his veins, it's not contagious but once you contract this affliction it never leaves your body. I know of many suffering from the Beatlejuice for over 50 years.
I've been infected with Beatlejuice for about 9 years and it hasn't diminished even slightly.
I have never heard of O'Brien, however he appears to be well known in the USA. He does take all this very seriously, with his knowledge impressive.
He's had a late night comedy show since the early 1990s. He plays guitar though.
MORE JIBBER JABER!!!!!! YAAAAAAS!
I love these things. Enjoy serious Conan
I just got the unexpurgated version of "Tune In" which is over 2200 pages in two volumes. Very deep contextually. It's incredible. Volume One ends at the end of 1962. I read the first, edited version of Volume One, but the unexpurgated version is so thorough. It's like he thinks of every question you could ever want to ask, and gets the answer for you before you ask the question. Big fan of Mark Lewisohn.
I’ve been thinking about the expanded version (after reading the standard one). But wonder if it’s just more details (which would be fine!) Is there anything that really stands out in the expanded volume?
So refreshing seeing serious Conan. I love funny Conan but his Harvard education really shines here. It’s nice to see his other side.
I can't believe TH-cam only recommended this five years later! I must up vote
"I hate talking about the Beatles as icons and legends. Anyway, on to these miracles."
Miracles vs icons and legends. Sounds like Ionian vs ... I forget the other one.
@@p0llenp0ny Dorian
Wow. Mark & Conan are so knowledgeable about the greatest band of all time !! Awesome interview
Glad Conan is doing more of these - best interviews!
Now I want to hear the recording of the lunch afterwards with Conan and his friend and perhaps Lewisohn to talk Beatles.
Great interview. LOVE Serious Jibber-Jabber! Thank you for this series.
Give the people what they want: THIS IN A PODCAST. It's great stuff!
Conan should do a podcast
Awesome interview!
Similarly to Conan, it was a running joke, that whenever me and a few of my friends would go to the local pub, the conversation would inevitably always end up being about The Beatles.
Mark's dedication is awe inspiring!
nice to see talk show host conduct a proper interview and let the guest speak at length!
Yes!
Conan looks so thrilled. I am not sure if I am sarcastic or genuine.
Conan looks like a dad visiting a school event.
well played
Truly amazing. Thanks Conan and Mark.
Conan, you've got the voice of the people. Please keep up this style of programming.
I listen to Conan's podcasts and I think this is my favourite of his interviews. He knows his Beatles and I love that it is in depth.
Great interview...thanks!
Conan's intro is bang on. If you're seriously into The Beatles, musically, culturally, historically, Mark Lewisohn's the only person who can make you feel like a newcomer. And it's a great feeling, for a number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that every solid Beatles fan gets to a point where they're reading or hearing the same information, or variations on themes, over and over. Lewisohn is 'the source'.
He's not "the source". He's just able to reach the sources. Apart from that, the guy has zero emotional intelligence.
This is the greatest Beatles interview, thanks Conan and Mark. Just great stuff!
YES! You've brought JJ back. Thank you.
I so look forward to these. Conan just sitting down, and talking serious. Mostly...
*Drummers at EMI:*
*6 June 1962:* Pete Best.
*4 Sept 1962:* Ringo Starr.
*11 Sept 1962:* Andy White.
_On my first visit in September [4 Sept] we just ran through some tracks for George Martin. We even did "Please Please Me". I remember that, because while we were recording it I was playing the bass drum with a maraca in one hand and a tambourine in the other. I think it's because of that that George Martin used Andy White, the_ *_"professional",_* _when we went down a week later [11 Sept] to record "Love Me Do"._
- Ringo Star
_"George [Martin]_ *_got his way_* _and Ringo didn't drum on the first single [11 Sept]. He only played tambourine."_
_"Ringo, at that point, was not that steady on time"._
- Paul McCartney
Engineer Geoff Emerick in his book on page 46 stated that George Martin, Norman Smith and *Paul McCartney* were all dissatisfied with Ringo's timekeeping on 4 Sept. McCartney *got his way* as well.
Ringo's poor performance on 4 Sept led to sessions drummer Andy White being brought in for the _'Love Me Do'_ 11 Sept session.
_"I didn't rate Ringo very highly. He couldn't do a roll - and still can't - though he's improved a lot since. Andy was the kind of drummer I needed. Ringo was only used to ballrooms. It was obviously best to use someone with experience"._
- George Martin
_[Ringo] lacked drive._
- Ron Richards
_"He [Ringo] didn't have quite enough push"_
- Engineer Norman Smith
_I would like to have auditioned the group when they had a better range of songs to offer, but_ *_NOT_* _after they fired Pete Best. In my humble opinion he was a better drummer than Ringo._
- DECCA producer Mike Smith
Ringo was impressed with _professional_ Andy White, buying a Ludwig drum set, the make White used.
this is lovely. Conan is really good at this
I read the book and learned a lot and enjoyed it very much. Excited for Volume 2!
Conan is spot on with what he says, starting at 2:35, I found Paul's interviews Anthology interviews to be trying.
Agreed. Conan is a natural podcaster. Intelligent, well read, funny as hell.
Phenomenal. I'm buying this book.
poor conan. he's sick in this. I can tell. he is a real trooper. xo
a serious and fascinating exploration of a highly historically significant biography.
I wish Conan would do more of these. They allow him to drill down into his varied interests in a way his main show doesn't, and they've got to be cheap to make.
Can you guys put these conversations up as a podcast on iTunes? The video is nice, but you get 90% of the content with just audio and these would be incredible for car rides, etc. I'm sure I am not the only fan who would love that.
How have I not come across this interview before? I'm a huge fan of Conan, Lewisohn's books, and of course the Beatles. Hope Lewisohn's 2nd volume of his Beatles biography comes out soon-ish.
this guy rly likes the beatles...
This is a quality post. Please continue to present entertainment interviews as intelligent and interesting as this.
Much as I love the podcast I miss these jibber jabber interviews. And this is my favorite, as a huge beatle and Conan fan. I probably watched this half a dozen times by now.
Having read thee first installment it is thee book,a must read about the story we thought we knew.When reading this book you can get a true sense of the times in Liverpool, the smell,the streets,the people it is of great research. A must read for anyone who wants to find out what you have missed.A treasure of information.Cant say enough about Mark Lewisohn for taking on a huge story that needs to be told .
Mark over emphasized violence. As if you could not walk down an Liverpool street without being set upon.
I love these. If he ever retires from the late night gig, this should be Conan's next move.
Never even heard of these books till now....and I work at a used bookstore. I see ALL the Beatles books....and own and have read most of them. I'll definitely have to give these volumes a look.
Also......I LOVE the titles. The first book is called Tune In. I can only surmise the next two are....Turn On and Drop Out.
And man....what a brilliant stroke of insight to title them like that. PERFECTLY captures the band's trajectory via the metaphor of the 60s most iconic catch phrase. Tim Leary's words live on....
Awesome interview.
Love how Conan always has his humor.
33:56 "Watch the language" - nobody does deadpan like Conan. He's superb.