DEC4 Podcast: Recent Episodes
George Fairbrother
A deep dive into classic entertainment and culture, with an emphasis on the United Kingdom, US and Australia. Talking film and television, social history, nostalgia, and a little rock and roll. Produced and presented by George Fairbrother, who is joined by regular contributors and special guests. Email geordie.ent@gmail.com
This episode, we take inspiration from some written history by our leading contributor, Gary Wells. First, we discuss the sequel to the groundbreaking 1973 movie classic, American Graffiti, as we follow the fortunes and misfortunes of our favourite characters in an increasingly troubled 1960s America.
We also learn about an independent film studio and distributor, American International Pictures, which transformed the movie-going audience and carved its own niche in film history as the old Hollywood crumbled around it.
Join us on your favourite podcast platform, or at our website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2025/09/10/gary-wells-double-feature-more-american-graffiti-american-international-pictures/
For this episode, we’ve put together a special omnibus edition of our series on the pioneering 1973 satellite concert broadcast, Elvis Aloha From Hawaii, with our leading contributor Gary Wells.
There's so much to explore; preparations and rehearsals, critically important people behind the scenes, the intense pressure on everyone involved, creative and corporate conflict, a near catastrophe as technical faults threatened to derail the broadcast at the last minute; and finally an entertainment event that would present to an international audience Elvis at the top of his game, dominate television ratings around the world, afford him a number one album - the final in his lifetime - and create the definitive image of his later career.
On this episode’s dedicated webpage, we link to each original episode's own pages containing additional background, images, links and suggestions for further reference. We also provide a content guide for easy navigation and note some corrections, clarifications and additional context;
https://dec4podcast.com/2025/06/26/gary-wells-elvis-aloha-from-hawaii-the-complete-story-omnibus-edit/
(Financial details in this clip credited to Peter Guralnick, author of 'Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley')
This episode, we take inspiration from some articles by our leading contributor, Gary Wells, on his hit website soulrideblog.com. First, we discuss the sequel to the groundbreaking 1973 movie classic, American Graffiti, as we follow the fortunes and misfortunes of our favourite characters in an increasingly troubled 1960s America.
We also learn about an independent film studio and distributor, American International Pictures, which transformed the movie-going audience and carved its own niche in film history as the old Hollywood crumbled around it.
This episode's dedicated webpage has additional background and suggestions for further reference, including a directory to Gary's articles;
https://dec4podcast.com/2025/09/10/gary-wells-double-feature-more-american-graffiti-american-international-pictures/
The very first time Gary Wells joined us back in 2021, we talked about the 1970 MGM concert documentary, Elvis That’s the Way It Is, which we presented as a two-part podcast. We've now combined those two episodes, with some additional content, as an expanded omnibus edit.
It's the summer of 1970, and Elvis is riding a wave of renewed commercial and artistic success; he is once again making some great music, topping the charts, and is already the number one live act in Las Vegas. From a number of different perspectives, Elvis That’s the Way It Is documents the lead-up to Elvis’ third season at the International Hotel, and takes us into the showroom, and backstage, for the first few performances. The director, two-time Oscar winner Denis Sanders, said that, “What we’re trying to do is capture Elvis the entertainer, from the point of view of the fans, the hotel, the city, the audience."
Elvis That's The Way It Is remains a fascinating, eccentric time capsule of Elvis’ career, of a disappearing Hollywood, and of a new business model for Las Vegas hotels and casinos which had undergone a seismic shift transitioning from organised crime to corporate control. We discuss some of the fascinating people that made this unique era what it was, and discover the artists and crew that created a remarkable cinematic moment in time.
Join us for the full edition on your favourite platform or at our podcast website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/22/elvis-thats-the-way-it-is-parts-i-and-ii/
The very first time Gary Wells joined us back in 2021, we talked about the 1970 MGM concert documentary, Elvis That’s the Way It Is, which we presented as a two-part podcast. We've now combined those two episodes, with some additional content, as an expanded omnibus edit.
It's the summer of 1970, and Elvis is riding a wave of renewed commercial and artistic success; he is once again making some great music, topping the charts, and is already the number one live act in Las Vegas. From a number of different perspectives, Elvis That’s the Way It Is documents the lead-up to Elvis’ third season at the International Hotel, and takes us into the showroom, and backstage, for the first few performances. The director, two-time Oscar winner Denis Sanders, said that, “What we’re trying to do is capture Elvis the entertainer, from the point of view of the fans, the hotel, the city, the audience."
Join us for the full episode on your favourite podcast platform or at our website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/22/elvis-thats-the-way-it-is-parts-i-and-ii/
The very first time Gary Wells joined us back in 2021, we talked about the 1970 MGM concert documentary, Elvis That’s the Way It Is, which we presented as a two-part podcast. We've now combined those two episodes, with some additional content, as an expanded omnibus edit.
It's the summer of 1970, and Elvis is riding a wave of renewed commercial and artistic success; he is once again making some great music, topping the charts, and is already the number one live act in Las Vegas. From a number of different perspectives, Elvis That’s the Way It Is documents the lead-up to Elvis’ third season at the International Hotel, and takes us into the showroom, and backstage, for the first few performances. The director, two-time Oscar winner Denis Sanders, said that, “What we’re trying to do is capture Elvis the entertainer, from the point of view of the fans, the hotel, the city, the audience."
Elvis That's The Way It Is remains a fascinating, eccentric time capsule of Elvis’ career, of a disappearing Hollywood, and of a new business model for Las Vegas hotels and casinos which had undergone a seismic shift transitioning from organised crime to corporate control. We discuss some of the fascinating people that made this unique era what it was, and discover the artists and crew that created a remarkable cinematic moment in time.
We’ve also added some supplementary points, including more on Colonel Parker’s influence on the film’s final edit, and a comparison between That’s The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour in terms of how the fans were represented. We’ve also included part of a later conversation on the corporatisation of Las Vegas in the years leading up to Elvis’ residency at the International Hotel.
We hope you enjoy this new edition. Find some additional background at this episode's webpage;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/22/elvis-thats-the-way-it-is-parts-i-and-ii/
In this clip from our extended conversation with David Leaf, we learn about the challenges of putting together an event television programme featuring some of the biggest names in music, and which would become a pivotal moment in Brian Wilson's journey toward the completion of SMiLE.
Join us for the full conversation on your favourite podcast platform
https://dec4podcast.com/2025/04/09/david-leaf-smile-the-rise-fall-resurrection-of-brian-wilson/
"...This episode, we’re enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson’s lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album…"
(This episode was recorded prior to Brian's passing)
This episode, we're enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson's lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album...
(Our conversation was recorded prior to Brian Wilson's passing.)
Join us on your chosen podcast platform for the full conversation, or link directly to our website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2025/04/09/david-leaf-smile-the-rise-fall-resurrection-of-brian-wilson/
Frank Williams (1931-2022) is remembered with enormous fondness by generations of fans as Timothy Farthing, the perpetually exasperated Vicar in the BBC’s Dad’s Army; on television, radio, stage, and in two feature films separated by almost half a century. Victoria Wood once described Dad’s Army as ‘the most affectionately regarded comedy programme in the history of television’, and Frank Williams made his own unique contribution to that universal love for the programme in all its forms, the characters, and the actors who brought them to life.
This brief clip is from our podcast tribute episode, co-produced by Frank Williams' friend, author and publisher, Oliver Crocker. Huge thanks to Oliver for providing the audio from his own personal archive.
Join us for the complete episode on your chosen podcast platform.
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/06/26/oliver-crocker-remembering-frank-williams/
This episode, we're enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson's lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album...
(Our conversation was recorded prior to Brian Wilson's passing.)
Join us on your chosen podcast platform for the full conversation, or link directly to our website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2025/04/09/david-leaf-smile-the-rise-fall-resurrection-of-brian-wilson/
For this episode, we’ve put together a special omnibus edition of our series on the pioneering 1973 satellite concert broadcast, Elvis Aloha From Hawaii, with our leading contributor Gary Wells.
There's so much to explore; preparations and rehearsals, critically important people behind the scenes, the intense pressure on everyone involved, creative and corporate conflict, a near catastrophe as technical faults threatened to derail the broadcast at the last minute; and finally an entertainment event that would present to an international audience Elvis at the top of his game, dominate television ratings around the world, afford him a number one album - the final in his lifetime - and create the definitive image of his later career.
On this episode’s dedicated webpage, we link to each original episode's own pages containing additional background, images, links and suggestions for further reference. We also provide a content guide for easy navigation and note some corrections, clarifications and additional context;
https://dec4podcast.com/2025/06/26/gary-wells-elvis-aloha-from-hawaii-the-complete-story-omnibus-edit/
(The segment timeline set out in the content guide on the webpage is based on the YouTube upload. For this version, there appears to be a minor variance in timing)
This episode, we're enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson's lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album...
(Our conversation was recorded prior to Brian Wilson's passing.)
Join us on your chosen podcast platform for the full conversation, or link directly to our website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2025/04/09/david-leaf-smile-the-rise-fall-resurrection-of-brian-wilson/
This episode, we present part II of our conversation with leading UK author, publisher, podcaster and television historian, Oliver Crocker . In part one, we discussed his acclaimed book on the iconic BBC television series, All Creatures Great and Small. This time, we focus on his ongoing success, The Bill Podcast, according to Listen Notes in the top 1.5 % worldwide, and Oh, What a Lovely Memoir, the autobiography of actor Larry Dann, edited by Oliver and published by Devonfire Books.
Born in 1941, Larry Dann worked as a child actor in movies, which included a brush with Hollywood Royalty, was part of Joan Littlewood’s theatre workshop, worked with David Niven, and appeared in several Carry On movies, but became a household name on television as Sgt Alec Peters in one of the most popular and influential police shows of all, The Bill.
We talk a little more about the Carry Ons, and a fascinating series currently running for Oliver’s podcast subscribers, The Evidence Room, where Oliver takes us deep behind the scenes of of The Bill, thanks to an extensive archive of never before seen production documents and correspondence, provided exclusively by The Bill’s long serving production scheduler, Nigel Wilson.
Find additional background, images and links to further reference at this episode's webpage;https://dec4podcast.com/2025/06/03/oliver-crocker-behind-the-scenes-of-the-bill-larry-danns-lovely-memoir-a-right-carry-on/
Clarification:
Regarding a point made during the podcast about Joan Sims’ health and financial situation in her declining years, there are conflicting reports about whether or not Carry On producer Peter Rogers did, in fact, provide assistance. Some reports claim that Joan Sims’ request, either made personally or by her friend Liz Frazer depending on the source, was refused.
Although not referencing Joan Sims specifically, in 2009 Julie Carpenter wrote in the Daily Express;
“…Further contradicting Rogers’s tight-fisted image is the fact that he could be charitable. He provided homes for redundant pit ponies, helped guide dogs for the blind (he loved his Alsatians) and continued to be sympathetic to old colleagues in need of help and advice. Leslie Phillips always said he was “very fond” of Rogers and called him an “amazing man”…”
In this clip from our extended conversation with David Leaf, citing the example of how the advent of music streaming affected Levon Helm, we ask how Brian Wilson himself might have been impacted. In the course of answering that question, David gifted us some bonus gold dust on the way the career of The Beach Boys was guided...or not...
Join us for the full conversation on your favourite podcast platform;https://dec4podcast.com/2025/04/09/david-leaf-smile-the-rise-fall-resurrection-of-brian-wilson/
"...This episode, we’re enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson’s lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album…"
(Post edit: We note with sadness Brian’s passing, (announced) June 11, 2025, aged 82.)
Our leading contributor, Gary Wells, explains how reluctance by Universal Studios executives nearly derailed the release of George Lucas' landmark film, American Graffiti, which went on to make the equivalent of over half a billion dollars (adjusted for inflation) and boast one of the highest cost-to-profit ratios in movie history...
Related podcasts; https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/09/50th-anniversary-supplement-gary-wells-on-american-graffiti-aloha-from-hawaii/
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/01/gary-wells-end-of-year-special-2021-previewing-our-aloha-from-hawaii-series/
This episode, we're enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson's lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album...
Join us on your chosen podcast platform for the full conversation, or link directly to our website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2025/04/09/david-leaf-smile-the-rise-fall-resurrection-of-brian-wilson/
(Post edit: We note with sadness Brian’s passing, (announced) June 11, 2025, aged 82.)
In this our second Elvis and the Press episode, we're joined once again by our leading contributor, Gary Wells, to take a deep dive into the coverage of Elvis' New Year's Eve performance in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the end of 1976. The jumpsuit of choice for the night was the black-on-white phoenix style, about which there is an interesting backstory.
Find the full episode on your chosen podcast platform, or at our website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/11/11/elvis-and-the-press-pittsburgh-pennsylvania-new-year-1976-77/
This episode, we’re enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson’s lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album.
David affords us some fascinating, behind the scenes insights into his 2001 television special recorded at Radio City Music Hall, An All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson, his Grammy-nominated documentary, Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of SMiLE, and talks candidly about some of the life experiences that shaped Brian’s exquisite artistry.
Brian Wilson’s epic journey through the music of SMiLE is a dramatic and inspirational story, and we’re so lucky to learn about it from someone with such a uniquely close and personal perspective, who was critical to bringing SMiLE back to life, and to whom Brian Wilson himself said, ‘I can’t do this unless you’re there with me every day’.
Our dedicated webpage for this episode has some additional background, images and links, with some suggestions for further reference;
https://dec4podcast.com/2025/04/09/david-leaf-smile-the-rise-fall-resurrection-of-brian-wilson/
(Post edit: We note with sadness Brian’s passing, (announced) June 11, 2025, aged 82.)
Our leading contributor, Gary Wells, joins us to explore two tumultuous decades in the lives of the Beach Boys, through the lens of Malcolm Leo’s 1985 BAFTA nominated biographical documentary, The Beach Boys: An American Band.
We learn about some of the key people on both sides of the camera, and of Malcolm Leo’s established method of sourcing a wide variety of music and interview clips (long before the easy accessibility of digital archives) to create an intimate, first-person narrative.
The Beach Boys: An American Band is a fan’s movie; if you already love the Beach Boys, you’ll love them even more after immersing yourself in this documentary. But, it’s worth noting that it was far from the complete story even then, and there have been 40 more years of eventful Beach Boys history since.
Main episode on all the usual platforms, and at our website;https://dec4podcast.com/2025/03/05/gary-wells-the-beach-boys-an-american-band/
(Post edit: We note with sadness Brian’s passing, (announced) June 11, 2025, aged 82.)
It's a great thrill and privilege this episode to welcome multi-talented actor, writer and music artist, Andrew Mackintosh, who carved his own special niche in British television history as Detective Sergeant Alistair Greig, a key character in over 300 episodes of one of the most successful and influential television dramas of all time, The Bill.
In this clip, Andrew remembers his friend and fellow cast member, Kevin Lloyd, whose character, DC Tosh Lines, was one of the most popular characters of all...
Find the complete conversation on your favourite podcast platform, with some additional background at this episode's webpage;
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/09/17/a-conversation-with-andrew-mackintosh/
Our leading contributor Gary Wells (www.soulrideblog.com) joins us to explore two tumultuous decades in the lives of the Beach Boys, through the lens of Malcolm Leo’s 1985 BAFTA nominated biographical documentary, The Beach Boys: An American Band.
We learn about some of the key people on both sides of the camera, and of Malcolm Leo’s established method of sourcing a wide variety of music and interview clips (long before the easy accessibility of digital archives) to create an intimate, first-person narrative.
The Beach Boys: An American Band is a fan’s movie; if you already love the Beach Boys, you’ll love them even more after immersing yourself in this documentary. (Spoiler – we love it!). If you’re just starting out on a journey of discovery learning about the Beach Boys and their impact on 20th century music and culture, this is a wholly enjoyable place to begin. But, it’s worth noting that it was far from the complete story even then, and there have been 40 more years of eventful Beach Boys history since.
More background, images, and suggestions for further reference can be found at this episode's dedicated webpage;https://dec4podcast.com/2025/03/05/gary-wells-the-beach-boys-an-american-band/
It's a great thrill and privilege this episode to welcome multi-talented actor, writer and music artist, Andrew Mackintosh, who carved his own special niche in British television history as Detective Sergeant Alistair Greig, a key character in over 300 episodes of one of the most successful and influential television dramas of all time, The Bill.
In this clip, Andrew recalls being on location for The Bill, and being pleasantly surprised by a new level of luxury for relaxing between scenes...
Find the complete conversation on your favourite podcast platform, with some additional background at this episode's webpage;
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/09/17/a-conversation-with-andrew-mackintosh/
We’re delighted to be joined once again by leading author, publisher and podcaster on classic British television, and hugely valued contributor to this podcast, Oliver Crocker. This episode we take an in-depth look at his definitive history of the iconic BBC television series, All Creatures Great and Small, based on the bestselling books by James Herriot, which ran for 90 episodes between 1978 and 1990.
For All Memories Great and Small, Oliver sourced rare production documents and photographs, and personally interviewed 75 cast and crew, including the producer and stars, so we get unprecedented access behind the scenes and learn about the series directly from those who made it.
Oliver shares some personal anecdotes about meeting the fascinating people who were key to making All Creatures Great and Small one of the BBC’s most beloved series of all time, and we find out just how warmly Oliver and his work have been embraced in the heart of James Herriot country.
Our dedicated webpage has additional background, images, and suggested links;
https://dec4podcast.com/2025/02/07/oliver-crocker-all-memories-great-and-small/
In this clip from our podcast series taking a deep dive into Elvis' 1973 satellite concert broadcast, Aloha From Hawaii, our leading contributor, Gary Wells (https://soulrideblog.com/), is with us to discuss what happened immediately after the international live broadcast went out.
Once the audience had departed, Elvis and his band returned to the stage to record some inserts for the US television edit under the direction of Marty Pasetta, preliminary audience figures came in, and Colonel Parker expressed his feelings in a 3.00 am letter to Elvis.
Our source for Colonel Parker's correspondence is Peter Guralnick's definitive biography, Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley.
Find the complete episodes here, and on all the usual podcast places:
https://soundcloud.com/georgefairbrother/sets/gary-wells-elvis-aloha-from
Remembering the last of Dad's Army's 'Magnificent Seven', Ian Lavender (Private Pike), who passed away February 2nd, 2024, aged 77.
This is a preview short from our main tribute episode, available at our website or on your favourite podcast platform.
(Please note that there is the use of in-context profanity in Oliver's anecdote)
Leading UK television historian, publisher, author and podcaster, Oliver Crocker, joins us to share his thoughts on this very talented gentleman, and to recall his own memorable experience working with Ian Lavender on a segment for ITV’s This Morning.
Although Private Pike remains his most enduring and universally beloved creation, we also take a wider look at Ian Lavender’s remarkable career beyond Dad’s Army, encompassing television, radio, feature films and theatre.
Episode's Webpage:
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/04/08/oliver-crocker-remembering-ian-lavender/
In this clip from our podcast series taking a deep dive into Elvis' 1973 satellite concert broadcast, Aloha From Hawaii, our leading contributor, Gary Wells, (https://soulrideblog.com/), joins us to discuss Wayne Harada's review of Elvis' Hawaiian shows in late 1972, as well as local entertainment writer Eddie Sherman's charitable initiative, the Kui Lee Cancer Fund.
Find the complete series on SoundCloud or your favourite podcast platform, with more information and background at our podcast website, dec4podcast.com.
https://soundcloud.com/georgefairbrother/sets/gary-wells-elvis-aloha-from
In this clip from our podcast series taking a deep dive into Elvis' 1973 satellite concert broadcast, Aloha From Hawaii, our leading contributor, Gary Wells, joins us to discuss the importance of producer-director Mary Pasetta, and a memorable pre-production meeting with Elvis and the Memphis Mafia.
Find our complete series on Aloha wherever you get your podcasts, on SoundCloud, or at dec4podcast.com;
https://soundcloud.com/georgefairbrother/sets/gary-wells-elvis-aloha-from
Our leading contributor , Gary Wells, helps us get to grips with the ending to Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, offering his fascinating personal take on the unexpected twist that 'slightly' tampers with history. (Spoiler warning reminder!). This was the very first segment we recorded back in 2021, and we've also added a wishful moment from our more recent discussion on Buddy Holly and the Winter Dance Party, imagining a similar rewriting of history.
Episode webpage:
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/03/18/gary-wells-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-spoiler-american-actors-abroad/
In this clip sampled from our 'Beach Boys Book Club' episode, Gary recalls meeting Carl Wilson backstage at Canada's Wonderland in the early 1990s.
In the full episode, we discuss some important and fascinating books on the Beach Boys - The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience (1994), by Timothy White, and Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy (2016), by Mike Love with James S Hirsch. For a little additional context, we also refer to I am Brian Wilson, (2016) written by Brian himself with Ben Greenman.
Find the main episode on your favourite podcast platform, and some additional background, information and links at dec4podcast.com
In this clip from our podcast catalogue, our leading contributor, Gary Wells (soulrideblog.com), recalls a visit to 1034 Audubon Drive, the Presley family's first home in Memphis.
Find the full episode, From Memphis to Vegas: A Vintage Leisure Tour, at our podcast website, dec4podcast.com, or on the usual platforms:
On Spotify;
https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/avNDJcoWpPb
Thank you for listening.
For this final upload of 2024, sampled from our end of year special back in 2021, our leading contributor, Gary Wells (www.soulrideblog.com), shares some personal Christmas and New Year reading, viewing and listening traditions for the vintage leisure enthusiast.
The complete episode also features a discussion on the 1973 George Lucas classic, American Graffiti, and a preview of our podcast series on Elvis’ iconic 1973 satellite broadcast, Aloha From Hawaii.
Find the complete episode with additional background, images and links, here;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/01/gary-wells-end-of-year-special-2021-previewing-our-aloha-from-hawaii-series/
In this our second Elvis and the Press episode, we’re joined once again by our leading contributor, Gary Wells (soulrideblog.com), to take a deep dive into the coverage of Elvis’ New Year’s Eve performance in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the end of 1976. This was the second consecutive New Year’s Eve Elvis had worked, with touring now continuing throughout winter by financial necessity. Elvis’ Pittsburgh show, concluding a very well-received, high energy tour over just five nights, proved to be a remarkable moment in time, and was widely considered one of the best performances of his later career.
Gary takes us through some of the show’s highlights, and we consider in detail a thoughtfully compiled review in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by music columnist, Mike Kalina, who observed that Elvis ‘had perhaps the most captive audience since Johnny Cash played Folsom Prison, and rarely did he lose his iron grip on the crowd during his 90 minutes on stage’.
We also go on to look at Mike Kalina’s eventful and very successful career as a food writer and cooking personality, and his sad passing in the midst of a professional scandal to which there appears to be much more than meets the eye.
And in our post-credits segment right at the end, Gary recalls his most recent visit to Memphis, and what can only be described as an 'interesting' stay at Days Inn, Elvis Presley Boulevard.
Podcast webpage, including additional background, research notes and links to our sources, with some suggestions for further reference;
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/11/11/elvis-and-the-press-pittsburgh-pennsylvania-new-year-1976-77/
Actor, writer and music artist Andrew Mackintosh carved his own special niche in British television history as Detective Sergeant Alistair Greig, a key character in over 300 episodes of The Bill, one of the most successful and influential television dramas of all time.
In this clip from our recent conversation, Andrew remembers his friend and colleague Kevin Lloyd (DC Tosh Lines), recalls the consistently high quality scripts in The Bill, the careful selection of guest artists, and the art of ensemble acting.
In the full episode, Andrew talks more about The Bill and his remarkable career beyond, including his long-term musical collaboration with Joe Dooley, and his latest creation, the hit fiction podcast, Letter From Helvetica.
Our companion webpage for this episode has the complete conversation as well as some additional career details, images, links and recommendations for further reading, viewing and listening:
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/09/17/a-conversation-with-andrew-mackintosh/
Oliver Crocker is a filmmaker, podcaster, publisher, and leading writer and historian on classic British television. In this clip from a two-part podcast recorded in 2021, we discuss Oliver's friend and mentor, BAFTA nominated television director Mervyn Cumming (1943-2021), including his extensive CV and brush with the BBC's ill-fated soap, Eldorado. We also talk a little more about Ian Cullen in terms of his career beyond Z-Cars, along with his co-star in When The Boat Comes In, Roger Avon.
Find the full episode here, with additional background, links, and suggestions for further viewing, reading and listening;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/29/in-conversation-with-author-filmmaker-and-podcaster-oliver-crocker-a-two-part-podcast/
In this clip from our previous Winter Dance Party (supplement) episode, our leading contributor, Gary Wells (soulrideblog.com), joins us to discuss some press coverage of a dispute within the family of the late JP Richardson (The Big Bopper), over the allocation of royalties.
Find the original episodes, additional background, as well as detailed research notes and links to our sources, with some suggestions for further reference, at a dedicated page at our podcast website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/02/23/gary-wells-the-winter-dance-party/
It's a great thrill and privilege this episode to welcome multi-talented actor, writer and music artist, Andrew Mackintosh, who carved his own special niche in British television history as Detective Sergeant Alistair Greig, a key character in over 300 episodes of one of the most successful and influential television dramas of all time, The Bill.
But as we discover, there's so much more to his varied career, encompassing acting, music and writing. We learn about Andrew's current project, the hit fiction podcast, Letter From Helvetica, talk about his early life and how his professional journey in music and acting began, and he shares with us some of his creative influences.
We explore his continuing musical collaboration with Joe Dooley, and get to grips with some general acting and career matters, including authenticity in casting, accents, received pronunciation and the art of speech, and the mixed blessing of being in a long-running series. We also discuss opportunities for mature actors and, inspired by an unstoppable generation of rock and roll performers, if perceptions of age are evolving in a positive way within the arts and beyond.
Our companion webpage for this episode has some additional career details, images, links and recommendations for further reading, viewing and listening:
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/09/17/a-conversation-with-andrew-mackintosh/
Selected content guide for fans of The Bill:
(24:07) Casting – (29:39) DS Greig’s accent – (34:02) Main segment: Remembering Kevin Lloyd, script quality, cast and character dynamic, notable guest artists and production anecdotes – (57:30) Social and political awareness and activity – (1:21:18) Effect on career
Special thanks to Andrew, and to Oliver Crocker for making this episode possible.
In this clip from our 2022 episode, From Memphis to Vegas: A Vintage Leisure Tour, our leading contributor, Gary Wells (https://soulrideblog.com), talks about the serenity of an early morning visit to Graceland's Meditation Garden. He also takes us inside the mansion itself and to other significant areas including the racquetball court.
Find the full episode here (website embed with images, links, background and additional local information);
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/26/gary-wells-from-memphis-to-vegas-a-vintage-leisure-tour/
Oliver Crocker is a filmmaker, podcaster, publisher, and leading writer and historian on classic British television. In this clip from a two-part podcast recorded in 2021, prior to the passing of Frank Williams (Vicar Timothy Farthing), Oliver shares some personal encounters with Dad's Army legends.
Find the complete episode with some additional background, images and links, here:
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/29/in-conversation-with-author-filmmaker-and-podcaster-oliver-crocker-a-two-part-podcast/
In this clip from our 2022 episode, From Memphis to Vegas: A Vintage Leisure Tour, our leading contributor, Gary Wells (soulrideblog.com), recounts his joyous experiences at the Stax museum, and a memorable visit to Al Green's Full Gospel Tabernacle Church.
Find the full episode here (website embed with images, links, background and additional local information);
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/26/gary-wells-from-memphis-to-vegas-a-vintage-leisure-tour/
(Information and commentary about destinations and city conditions generally are correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of the original episode's publication. We understand that personal experiences will vary, and everyone should consider information from a wide variety of credible sources before making a decision on personal safety when travelling).
Oliver Crocker is a filmmaker, podcaster, publisher, and leading writer and historian on classic British television. In this clip from a two-part podcast recorded in 2021, we discuss Oliver's friend, Z-Cars legend Ian Cullen (1939-2019), and the evolution of police drama from Z-Cars to The Bill.
Find the complete episodes, with links to suggestions for further viewing, reading and listening, at our podcast website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/29/in-conversation-with-author-filmmaker-and-podcaster-oliver-crocker-a-two-part-podcast/
In this clip from our podcast series taking a deep dive into Elvis' 1973 satellite concert broadcast, Aloha From Hawaii, our leading contributor, Gary Wells (soulrideblog.com), joins us to discuss some highlights from 1972.
We consider Colonel Parker's hesitancy to play New York, and compare how the fans were showcased in two documentary movies, Elvis That's The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis on Tour (1972). We also take a lighthearted look at Elvis' memorable encounter with the Mayor of Roanoke, VA, Roy Webber.
There doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of available information on Roy Webber himself – it appears that he had two stints as Mayor of Roanoke (1949-1954 and 1968-1975). He also owned a florist, which traded until 2008, and which, unsurprisingly, provided the floral guitar presented to Elvis upon his arrival in Roanoke. Roy Webber passed away in 1975, aged 70.
Find the complete episodes on all the usual podcast places or at our podcast website;
https://dec4podcast.com/
Oliver Crocker is a filmmaker, podcaster, publisher, and leading writer and historian on classic British television. In this clip from a two-part podcast recorded in 2021, we discuss how The Bill evolved throughout the course of its run, and how the skills of the writers and actors created some of the most admired and fondly remembered characters in British television.
The Bill was an iconic ITV police series which ran for nearly 2500 episodes, from 1983 to 2010. Oliver's series of interviews with cast and crew is in the top 1.5% of podcasts globally.
Find the complete episodes, along with additional background and links, at our podcast website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/29/in-conversation-with-author-filmmaker-and-podcaster-oliver-crocker-a-two-part-podcast/
In this clip, we revisit our earlier podcast episode, From Memphis to Vegas: A Vintage Leisure Tour, in which our leading contributor, Gary Wells (soulrideblog.com), takes us on an audio journey to some of the important cultural sites in Memphis and Las Vegas. Here we recall Gary's visit to 1034 Audubon Drive (the Presley family's first home in Memphis), and to Sun Records.
In the complete episode, available on our podcast website and the major platforms, we also visit the Stax Museum, Al Green’s Full Gospel Tabernacle Church, Beale Street, and we explore Elvis Presley’s Graceland in detail, of which Gary says, “It’s a hundred percent worth it, and what you get is the feeling, the experience. Elvis worked, lived, operated here. This is his home. It really does add an intangible and a strong dimension to your pursuit of the man and his world.”
Find the complete episode, with additional local information, background, images and links, at the dedicated page at our podcast website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/26/gary-wells-from-memphis-to-vegas-a-vintage-leisure-tour/
In this supplement to our episode on the Winter Dance Party tour, headlined by Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP Richardson (the Big Bopper), our leading contributor, Gary Wells (soulrideblog.com), joins us to discuss in more detail some of the friendships and professional relationships forged during the tour. We examine the culpability of the promoters taking into account the context of the time, and learn that the Ritchie Valens biopic, La Bamba, might have been a very different movie if not for a notable intervention. We also look at how the tragedy shaped the future of JP Richardson’s family, and share some personal thoughts on the often forgotten fourth occupant of the plane; the young pilot, Roger Peterson.
Find the original episode, additional background, as well as detailed research notes and links to our sources, with some suggestions for further reference, at a dedicated page at our podcast website.
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/02/23/gary-wells-the-winter-dance-party/
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In this clip from our 2022 episode, From Memphis to Vegas: A Vintage Leisure Tour, our leading contributor, Gary Wells (https://soulrideblog.com), talks us through the excitement of arriving in Memphis, first impressions and safety, and settling in ahead of visiting Graceland and other important cultural sites.
Find the complete episode, including additional background, images and links, at our website:
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/26/gary-wells-from-memphis-to-vegas-a-vintage-leisure-tour/
(Information and commentary about destinations and city conditions generally are correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of the original episode's publication. We understand that personal experiences will vary, and everyone should consider information from a wide variety of credible sources before making a decision on personal safety when travelling).
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In this clip from our 2021 two-part podcast taking a deep dive into Elvis That’s The Way It Is (MGM 1970), featuring our leading contributor Gary Wells (soulrideblog.com), we look at one of the more interesting editorial decisions taken by two-time Oscar winning director, Denis Sanders (1929-1987).
“What we’re trying to do,” Sanders told Jerry Hopkins for a feature in Rolling Stone, “is capture Elvis the entertainer, from the point of view of the fans, the hotel, the city, the audience.” The director also predicted that, “the film will make a fortune…but it will also change things stylistically.” It would be the first documentary to be shot in Metrocolor and Panavision, and to have a budget exceeding one million dollars.
Find the complete podcasts here, including some additional background, images and links, and suggested further reading and media;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/22/elvis-thats-the-way-it-is-parts-i-and-ii/
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Actor and playwright Frank Williams passed away June 26th, 2022, just short of his 91st birthday. He is remembered with enormous fondness by generations of fans as Timothy Farthing, the perpetually exasperated Vicar in the BBC’s Dad’s Army; on television, radio, stage, and in two feature films separated by almost half a century.
This is a clip from our complete tribute episode which was released to coincide with the first anniversary of Frank Williams' passing. His friend, leading television historian, author, podcaster and publisher, Oliver Crocker, joined us to share some personal memories of this incredibly talented, generous and exceedingly kind gentleman.
In this clip we sample some very special audio of Mr Williams himself, reminiscing about the adventures and misadventures of a working actor as a film extra, on live television, and in Dad's Army. This was part of a longer segment on the original episode, courtesy of Oliver's personal archive.
Hear the complete episode here, including some of Oliver's own recollections, our favourite Frank Williams moments, and much more from Mr Williams himself:
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/06/26/oliver-crocker-remembering-frank-williams/
Very special thanks to Oliver Crocker. Find The Bill Podcast on all the major platforms, along with the acclaimed scripted audio series, Letter From Helvetica, written by and starring Andrew Mackintosh, and also starring Natalie Roles.
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In this episode we pay tribute to the last of Dad’s Army’s ‘Magnificent Seven’, Ian Lavender (Private Pike), who passed away on February 2nd, 2024, aged 77.
Leading UK television historian, publisher, author and podcaster, Oliver Crocker, joins us to share his thoughts on this very talented gentleman, and to recall his own memorable experience working with Ian Lavender on a segment for ITV’s This Morning.
Although Private Pike remains his most enduring and universally beloved creation, we also take a wider look at Ian Lavender’s remarkable career beyond Dad’s Army, encompassing television, radio, feature films and theatre.
There's more background, as well as images and links to further reading, viewing and listening, at this episode's webpage;
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/04/08/oliver-crocker-remembering-ian-lavender/
A note for our listeners: There are a couple of instances of in-context profanity during the podcast
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In this episode our leading contributor, Gary Wells (soulrideblog.com), joins us to take an in-depth look at the Winter Dance Party tour of early 1959, and explore what led up to a critical midtour decision to charter a light plane for a late night, 300 mile flight from Mason City, Iowa, to Fargo, North Dakota. Around five miles northwest of Mason City Airport the plane crashed on private farmland, killing the pilot, Roger Peterson, along with his three passengers, touring musicians Buddy Holly, Jiles Perry ‘The Big Bopper’ Richardson, and Ritchie Valens.
Drawing primarily from personal, first-hand accounts in a variety of credible sources, we examine how the hopelessly mismanaged tour came together, the inhuman travel conditions in ageing, inadequately maintained buses crisscrossing the frozen Midwest; a joyous night in Iowa during which around 1500 teenagers - and many parents - packed Clear Lake's Surf Ballroom, and the terrible chain of events that immediately followed.
We also look beyond mythology and cliché, and examine the longer term consequences of the tragedy with our focus on those most directly affected.
There's additional background, as well as detailed research notes and links to our sources, with some suggestions for further reference, at this episode's page at our podcast website.
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/02/23/gary-wells-the-winter-dance-party/
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In this clip compiled from our 2022 Beach Boys Book Club episode, with our leading contributor, Gary Wells (www.soulrideblog.com), we focus on Timothy White's wide-ranging 1994 biography, The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, The Beach Boys and the Southern California Experience. Gary explains what sets this apart as more than just a rock and roll bio, we discuss Timothy White's assessment of family patriarch Murry Wilson, and how, in the early 1960s, emerging artists in Southern California transformed the corporatised music scene.
In the original 62 minute episode, we expand a little on Timothy White's distinguished career as a music writer and industry advocate (he sadly passed away in 2002, aged just 50), and provide some additional context from other sources on the Wilson family dynamic, on both a personal and business level. We also go on to discuss Mike Love's autobiography co-written by James S Hirsch, Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy, and take some additional context from I am Brian Wilson, by Brian himself and Ben Greenman, both from 2016. We also try to get to grips with why Mike can be such a polarising figure within the fan universe and beyond.
Some more background on this episode here;
https://dec4podcast.com/2024/01/02/gary-wells-clip-beach-boys-biographer-timothy-white-murry-wilson-and-the-legacy-of-pain/
Find the original episode here;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/29/gary-wells-the-beach-boys-book-club/
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Our leading contributor, Gary Wells, joins us this episode to take a close look at Elvis' concert at the St Paul Civic Centre on April 30th, 1977, which was the subject of a devastating review in the St Paul Pioneer Press, by a very well regarded sports reporter named Charley Hallman. Many claims in the article are open to question, and it's an interesting chapter in the saga of Elvis and Colonel Parker's relationship, or deliberate lack thereof, with local press while on tour.
In a pre-internet and social media age, with no other available context or information, these reviews tended to be taken at face value, many have been quoted as authoritative sources in subsequent biographies and have, for better or worse, become the definitive account. We consider whether or not it was Colonel Parker's own policy of keeping the press at arm's length that left them open to misrepresentation and misunderstanding, accidental or otherwise.
Gary gives us his thoughts on the show based on an unofficial recording (available on our podcast website) and we then look in detail at the Pioneer Press review. We also examine some other unwelcome publicity surrounding Elvis and the Colonel around this time.
We're delighted that supremely talented voiceover artist, Alistair McMillan, has joined us to read some of the background information.
Find additional background, concert audio and links to suggested further listening and reading at our podcast website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/10/07/elvis-and-the-press-st-paul-minnesota-april-1977/
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Oliver Crocker is one of Britain’s leading and most respected authors, historians, podcasters and publishers on classic British television, whose work on iconic productions like The Bill and All Creatures Great and Small is valued and appreciated as much by the creators as by the fans. He has put together something very special for us this episode, as we remember actor and playwright, Frank Williams, who passed away June 26th, 2022, just short of his 91st birthday.
Frank Williams is remembered with enormous fondness by generations of fans as Timothy Farthing, the perpetually exasperated Vicar in the BBC’s Dad’s Army; on television, radio, stage, and in two feature films separated by almost half a century. Victoria Wood once described Dad’s Army as ‘the most affectionately regarded comedy programme in the history of television’, and Frank Williams made his own unique contribution to that universal love for the programme in all its forms, the characters, and the actors who brought them to life.
Oliver joins us to share some personal memories of this incredibly talented, generous and exceedingly kind gentleman, and has also gifted us some very special audio from his own personal archive, of Mr Williams himself, reminiscing about the adventures and misadventures of a working actor from his earliest theatre and film roles, to pioneering and undoubtedly terrifying live-to-air television drama and, of course, Dad’s Army. We also learn about his real life role with the General Synod of the Church of England, and his final, emotional onstage appearance in the West End in 2021, celebrating his 90th birthday.
Huge thanks to Oliver for producing and presenting this special tribute especially for us. Find out more, including some additional background, research notes and links, at our website:
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/06/26/oliver-crocker-remembering-frank-williams/
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In this episode we sample a clip from our Beach Boys Book Club conversation, as our leading contributor Gary Wells tells us how he and an accomplice managed to find themselves backstage at an early 1990s Beach Boys concert in Canada, chatting to Mike, Al and Carl. It’s a little comical, poignant, and slightly eccentric at various moments, but it’s a great story with some treasured memories.
We also recommend a conversation between Gary and singer and actress, Donna Loren, to be found at her Love's a Secret Weapon Podcast, and in our post-credits segment, we recall a light-hearted look at Elvis' encounter with the Mayor of Roanoke, VA, in a memorable scene from Elvis on Tour, and which featured in Part One of our Aloha From Hawaii series.
Some more background, research notes and relevant links at our website;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/05/06/gary-wells-clip-backstage-with-the-beach-boys-donna-loren/
Special thanks to Gary for sharing his Beach Boys adventure with us. In the original episode, we discuss some important and fascinating books on the Beach Boys - The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience (1990), by Timothy White, and Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy (2016), by Mike Love with James S Hirsch. For a little additional context, we also refer to I am Brian Wilson, (2016) written by Brian himself with Ben Greenman.
Find the original Beach Boys Book Club episode here;
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/29/gary-wells-the-beach-boys-book-club/
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In this latest episode, we present clips sampled from our conversation with Australian radio legend, Steve Collins, Once Upon a Time in Sydney, in which Steve took us on a nostalgic, personal journey through the intense Sydney music scene of the 1970s.
As well as his studio work for pioneering rock radio station 2JJ, Steve was at the heart of an incredible era of authentic, in-your-face live music, working at iconic venues – sound and lighting at Revesby Workers Club and security at Hordern Pavilion – and mixing with era-defining Australian and international artists.
In this brief sample, Steve tells how he scientifically established that Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs were the loudest band of all, remembers the night Chuck Berry played the Revesby Workers Club, and meeting an incredible Chicago blues outfit, Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers. He also recalls the thrill of sitting in at a recording session with one of the most influential musicians in the formative years of rock and roll, Alexis Korner.
Additional background and links at our website:
https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/13/steve-collins-clip-chuck-berry-billy-thorpe-and-hound-dog-taylor/
Keep up with Steve's travel adventures at his YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxc3mw-BR6gEorJjed6s3fg
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In this episode, we reflect on a couple of important 50th anniversaries in 2023; Elvis’ pioneering satellite concert, Aloha From Hawaii, which was broadcast internationally in January of 1973, and the August release of one of the iconic movies of the 1970s, American Graffiti, both of which we’ve discussed in previous episodes.
These were landmark moments in entertainment, but both faced potential disaster right up until the last moment. Aloha From Hawaii nearly collapsed due to catastrophic technical faults, while Universal Studios executives had major reservations about American Graffiti.
Our regular contributor Gary Wells (www.soulrideblog.com) joins us for some personal thoughts on American Graffiti at 50, and we revisit our previous segment on the movie which we recorded in 2021.
We also add to our three-part series on Aloha From Hawaii with some background on legendary Hawaiian music promoter and DJ, Tom Moffatt, who briefly interviewed Elvis upon his arrival in Hawaii ahead of the satellite broadcast. We also mark the sad passing of Gabe Baltazar Jnr, who played the perfect flute solo in American Trilogy.
Gary's in-depth series of articles on American Graffiti, More American Graffiti and Wolfman Jack, featuring on his website, are highly recommended. Follow the links from our companion newsletter.
https://dec4.substack.com/p/dec4-podcast-companion-american-graffiti
Podcast theme by Gainesville. www.gainesville-band.de
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In this special extended episode, Gary Wells (www.soulrideblog.com) is our guide for an immersive audio tour through Memphis and Las Vegas. We’re considering these destinations wholly in the context of mid-twentieth century entertainment and culture, and what are essential places of interest for the ‘vintage leisure’ enthusiast.
We begin in Memphis, and visit Sun Records, the Stax Museum, Al Green’s Full Gospel Tabernacle Church, Beale Street, and a highly significant site on Audubon Drive. We explore Elvis Presley’s Graceland in detail, and of this Gary says, “It’s a hundred percent worth it, and what you get is the feeling, the experience. Elvis worked, lived, operated here. This is his home. It really does add an intangible and a strong dimension to your pursuit of the man and his world.”
We then reconvene in Las Vegas to investigate a colourful history, from its early beginnings as a wild west desert railroad stopover, to its post-war glory years as the ultimate gambling and entertainment destination; epitomised by the Flamingo and the Sands, Bugsy Siegel, the Rat Pack, Elvis and the Showroom Internationale. We also seek out some undaunted traces of vintage Vegas, still to be discovered amongst the corporate splendour of the Bellagio and the MGM Grand.
Lots more information and links in our companion newsletters;
https://dec4.substack.com/p/the-dec4-podcast-companion-gary-wells
https://dec4.substack.com/p/the-dec4-podcast-companion-gary-wells-24a
Podcast theme by Gainesville (www.gainesville-band.de)
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This episode is inspired by our regular contributor Gary Wells’ popular website, www.soulrideblog.com, Your Home for Vintage Leisure; specifically, his reviews of two important and fascinating books on the Beach Boys - The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience (1990), by Timothy White, and Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy (2016), by Mike Love with James S Hirsch.
Gary joins host George Fairbrother to take us through why the ambitious scope of Nearest Faraway Place makes it much more than just a rock and roll bio. We discuss the emerging music scene in California of which the young Beach Boys were a critical part, and how Timothy White’s work helps us to better understand Murry Wilson, and assess his complicated legacy. For a little additional context, we also refer to I am Brian Wilson, (2016) written by Brian himself with Ben Greenman.
Gary also gives us some detailed analysis on Mike Love’s autobiography, a major theme of which is his long fight for song writing credits on some of the Beach Boys’ most iconic tunes. We look at why Mike can be such a polarising figure within the fan universe and beyond, and expand upon Mike’s account of Charles Manson’s disturbing incursion into the Beach Boys’ orbit.
More background and links to sources and additional learning at our companion newsletter;
https://dec4.substack.com/p/dec4-podcast-companion-gary-wells?sd=pf
Podcast theme by Gainesville
https://gainesville-band.de/
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We're delighted for this episode of the DEC4 Podcast to be joined by a genuine legend of Australian radio, Steve Collins, who takes us on a nostalgic, personal journey through the intense Sydney music scene of the 1970s. As well as his studio work for pioneering rock radio station 2JJ, Steve was at the heart of an incredible era of authentic, in-your-face live music, working at iconic venues, and mixing with era-defining Australian and international artists.
Steve takes us back to the earliest days of ACDC, the night Chuck Berry played the Revesby Workers’ Club, and Alexis Korner at ABC studios; and when maverick acts like Chain, Cold Chisel, Radio Birdman, Wendy Saddington, Jeff St John, and Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs could be seen any night of the week. We find out who was the loudest live band of all, to the nearest decibel, and celebrate some of the pioneering rock music programming on radio and television.
Hear Steve’s current work at www.tellmewhere2go.com
Our companion newsletter features some additional background and images, with links and suggestions for further reading, viewing and listening:
https://dec4.substack.com/p/dec-4-podcast-companion-steve-collins?s=w
Podcast theme thanks to Gainesville
www.gainesville-band.de
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Gary Wells is back with us for our final instalment in our deep dive into the landmark entertainment event, Elvis Aloha From Hawaii. This time, we look beyond the international concert broadcast to the hit double-album release, the single, and then the domestic television special that aired in the US in April, 1973. This is the only available preserved visual record in its original edit, and we see this time capsule exactly as Marty Pasetta intended, and how audiences did half a century ago.
Meanwhile, RCA were moving to gain complete control over Elvis’ back catalogue, and to more closely oversee his work in the studio. We learn about some of the manoeuvres taking place behind the scenes, and we try to get our heads around the evolving financial arrangements between RCA, Elvis and the Colonel. (Not sure that we succeed!).
Finally, we reflect upon how things would play out for Elvis professionally in the years to come, in the shadow of this towering, career-defining achievement; a once-in-a-century collaboration between tough professionals with talent, vision and courage, led by a uniquely gifted artist.
Some additional background and links at the companion newsletter;
dec4.substack.com/p/dec4-podcast-c…-elvis-aloha-bce
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Welcome to our second of three episodes taking a deep dive into the landmark concert via satellite, Elvis Aloha From Hawaii, with Gary Wells (www.soulrideblog.com).
In this instalment, we consider the lessons learnt from the dress rehearsal show, then Gary takes us on an in-depth and personal journey into the music and the performance of the international broadcast event. We recognise the supporting talent on stage, including Hawaiian jazz legend Gabe Baltazar Jnr, who played the perfect flute solo in American Trilogy, and learn how Elvis’ introduction of actor Jack Lord (Hawaii Five-0) came about and how their friendship unfolded.
We discuss the post-concert recording session in preparation for the domestic television special, the audience figures and early press reaction, and examine what might have been one of the final periods of genuine emotional connection and unity between Elvis and Colonel Parker, albeit by means of a letter.
Next time: The live album, the domestic TV version, and we try to get a handle on some tricky financial manoeuvres as RCA moves to exert more control over Elvis’ catalogue.
Links, images and some additional background in our companion newsletter here;
https://dec4.substack.com/p/dec4-podcast-companion-elvis-aloha-3e8
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Welcome to the first of our three-part series as we take a deep dive into Elvis' pioneering live satellite concert broadcast, Aloha From Hawaii. Gary Wells (www.soulrideblog.com) joins host George Fairbrother to discuss the most iconic single performance of Elvis’ later career, and very possibly one of the most significant entertainment events of the 20th century.
In this first episode, we follow Elvis’ career during the stunningly successful and busy year of 1972, and look at planning and preparations in staging, wardrobe and publicity taking place during the months leading up to the international broadcast, scheduled for January 1973. We find out about some of the key talent behind the scenes, in particular producer and director Marty Pasetta, and discover how the broadcast was nearly derailed at the very last minute by catastrophic technical failures.
In our post-credits segment right at the end, we take a light-hearted look at some of the quirkier moments in Elvis’ award-winning concert documentary from 1972, Elvis on Tour, including a memorable sequence involving the Mayor of Roanoke, a paper bag full of money, a floral guitar, and a slightly bizarre civic reception on Elvis’ private jet.
More background, images and links in this episode’s newsletter;
dec4.substack.com/p/dec4-podcast-c…nion-elvis-aloha
Next Time: Gary takes us on a personal journey through the music and spectacle of the dress-rehearsal and satellite shows.
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Gary Wells is back with us to preview our upcoming three-part series on the pioneering 1973 satellite live concert, Elvis Aloha From Hawaii, which will be available across January of 2022. There’s a lot explore; the lead-up, preparations and rehearsals, important people behind the scenes, the intense pressure on everyone involved, a near catastrophe as technical faults threatened to derail the broadcast at the last minute…and finally an entertainment event that would present to an international audience Elvis at the top of his game, dominate television ratings around the world, afford him a number one album, and create the definitive image of his later career.
In this episode we also expand on a couple of outstanding points from our previous episodes about the 1970 concert documentary Elvis That’s The Way It Is (continued in the post-credits bonus segment), and talk a little about the 1973 George Lucas blockbuster, American Graffiti, and the sequel, More American Graffiti.
Gary also shares with us some Christmas media traditions and recommendations.
A big thank you to everyone who has supported the podcast on all our platforms this year. We wish all our friends and listeners Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year.
Lots more background, images and links in the companion newsletter, including to Gary’s four-part series on American Graffiti at www.soulrideblog.com, your home for vintage leisure:
https://dec4.substack.com/p/the-dec4-podcast-companion-elvis
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Thank you for joining us for this interim episode featuring a recap of Gary Wells’ fascinating personal take on the ending to Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. (Spoiler warning reminder). Gary has written some very interesting stuff on his website, www.soulrideblog.com, on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the soundtrack, and also a review of Quentin Tarantino’s novelisation. There are also associated pieces on an actor called Michael Parks with an interesting Tarantino connection, so we present this episode as a tie-in to those articles. This time, in lieu of a newsletter, we’ve linked directly to the relevant web pages, and you can navigate to further articles from there:
https://soulrideblog.com/2021/09/11/book-talk-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood/
https://soulrideblog.com/2020/08/03/the-flickers-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-part-one/
(Links may not work on some platforms. Head to soulrideblog.com and navigate to the books and movies categories).
Original music by Gainesville.
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Highly accomplished author, podcaster and filmmaker Oliver Crocker is back for part 2, in conversation with host George Fairbrother and this time talking adventures in guerrilla indie filmmaking, Dad's Army, some memorable and poignant encounters with authentic legends of British television, and lots more. We thank Oliver for being so generous with his time and sharing so many candid and fascinating insights.
There is a companion newsletter for this episode, with some additional background and links to further reading, watching and listening;
https://dec4.substack.com/p/the-dec4-podcast-in-conversation
Check out the webpage for Oliver's books, Witness Statements: Making The Bill Series 1-3, and All Memories Great and Small, here;
www.devonfirebooks.com
Hear more from Oliver at The Bill Podcast;
https://soundcloud.com/thebillpodcast
Original music for the DEC4 Podcast is written and performed by Gainesville;
https://gainesville-band.de/
(Links may not work on all distributed platforms. Find the podcast website at www.georgefairbrother.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dec4/message
Welcome to the first of two episodes in which host George Fairbrother is joined by highly accomplished filmmaker, author and podcaster, Oliver Crocker. With around 200 000 listens as of August 2021, Oliver's ongoing project, The Bill Podcast, is loved not only by fans of the iconic ITV police show (2500 episodes, 1983-2010), but also by the artists and crew behind it. He has written a very well-received companion book, Witness Statements - Making The Bill Series 1-3, with another on the way, and has also applied his forensic research and outstanding interviewing skills to another legendary British television classic, with All Memories Great and Small.
In this episode Oliver talks about his passion for the Bill and those who brought it to us, and shares some fascinating behind-the-scenes insights into the making of the series, the researching and writing of Witness Statements, the art of the interview, and lots more.
There is a companion newsletter for this episode, with some additional background and links to further reading, watching and listening;
https://dec4.substack.com/p/in-conversation-with-filmmaker-author
Explore the entire catalogue of Oliver's interviews here, and you can also link to Oliver's Patreon channel where you can access additional content, learn more about Oliver's books and follow him on social media;
https://soundcloud.com/thebillpodcast
Podcast theme by Gainesville.
Links may not function on all distributed platforms. Find the podcast webpage at georgefairbrother.com
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dec4/message
Welcome to part two of our deep dive into the influential 1970 MGM concert documentary, Elvis That's The Way It Is. Host George Fairbrother is joined once again by Gary Wells, whose website, soulrideblog.com, Your Home for Vintage Leisure, is loved by thousands of readers in over 100 countries.
It's the summer of 1970, and Elvis is riding an exhilarating wave of renewed commercial and artistic success. Having escaped his declining movie career and returned to live performance and non-soundtrack work in the studio, he is once again making some great music, topping the charts, and is already the number one live act in Las Vegas. From a number of different perspectives, Elvis That’s the Way It Is documents the leadup to Elvis’ third season at the International Hotel, and also takes us into the showroom for the first few performances. Director Denis Sanders said, “What we're trying to do is capture Elvis the entertainer, from the point of view of the fans, the hotel, the city, the audience.”
The movie came about at a time of huge upheaval in the world of entertainment. George and Gary discuss some of the fascinating people that made this unique era what it was, and discover the artists and crew that created a remarkable cinematic moment in time.
There's a companion newsletter to these episodes with some additional insights, links and suggested reading, viewing and listening. Link here.
Original podcast theme music by Gainesville.
(Links may not work on all distributed platforms. You can also head to www.georgefairbrother.com/dec4)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dec4/message
Welcome to part one of our deep dive into the influential 1970 MGM concert documentary, Elvis That's The Way It Is. Host George Fairbrother is joined for this two-part special by Gary Wells, whose website, soulrideblog.com, Your Home for Vintage Leisure, is loved by thousands of readers in over 100 countries.
It's the summer of 1970, and Elvis is riding an exhilarating wave of renewed commercial and artistic success. Having escaped his declining movie career and returned to live performance and non-soundtrack work in the studio, he is once again making some great music, topping the charts, and is already the number one live act in Las Vegas. From a number of different perspectives, Elvis That’s the Way It Is documents the leadup to Elvis’ third season at the International Hotel, and also takes us into the showroom for the first few performances. Director Denis Sanders said, “What we're trying to do is capture Elvis the entertainer, from the point of view of the fans, the hotel, the city, the audience.”
The movie came about at a time of huge upheaval in the world of entertainment. George and Gary discuss some of the fascinating people that made this unique era what it was, and discover the artists and crew that created a remarkable cinematic moment in time.
For a little bonus segment at the end of this episode, George and Gary talk about the ending to Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. (Spoiler Warning!)
There's a companion newsletter to these episodes with some additional insights, links and suggested reading, viewing and listening. Link here.
Original podcast theme music by Gainesville.
(Links may not work on all distributed platforms. You can also go to www.georgefairbrother.com/dec4)
Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dec4/message