Beatles ’76 pt7

Yesterday and Today

It's the summer of 1976 and Wings are finishing their victory lap over North America with a lavish party attended by the rich & famous of Los Angeles. With two monster singles: Silly Love Songs and Let Em In, catapulting to the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic (well, the #2 spot in the UK), Paul McCartney and his rock n roll quintet were riding high, and enjoying the fruits of their labors. Back in New York, another victory was at hand for John Lennon, who after nearly half a decade of struggle at last obtained the coveted green card that would signify the end to his immigration troubles. By September, another verdict (this time less than ideal) would be handed down in the case of George Harrison and his My Sweet Lord copyright infringement case. A New York City judge found George guilty of plagiarism, responsible for monetary restitution to the copyright holders of the song "He's So Fine", despite Harrison's recognizably sincere denial of having pinched their melody for his 1970 smash single. This landmark decision cost George quite a sum, as well as setting an important precedent for composers and song publishers for decades to come. While George and John respectively celebrated victory and mourned defeat in the New York City courts, Ringo Starr released a new LP on September 17th 1976: Rotogravure. A follow-up to his successful 1974 album Goodnight Vienna, this new collection of songs featured contributions from all four former Beatles, as well as a new producer: the acclaimed Arif Mardin. Despite the musical pedigree of the album's contributors, and Ringo's own enthusiasm, this record's underperformance would signify yet another dramatic sea change in the career trajectory of one of the most successful graduates of the fab four....

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