Growing up with the Beatles, by author Paul Feldwick

Vinyl Maelstrom

Poet and author Paul Feldwick arrived for the first day of school in 1963 just as it The Beatles were starting their domination of the decade. As Paul made the journey from awkward 11 year-old to a sixth-former on the cusp of entering the adult world, The Beatles embarked on a journey of their own, from lovable Merseyside mop-tops to conquerors of the world.
Paul takes us through what it was like growing up in sync with a band that was producing the most astonishing collection of pop songs witnessed before or since. He also expands on the other cultural changes of that decade, some familiar, many unexpected, from long hair and kaftans to the death of the steam train.
I've put together a playlist of songs name-checked in the episode, all of them by The Beatles apart from the first by Peter and Gordon.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2GLqeuCn3RK0qBy7dlSCNb?si=d894f20eb818441e
A world without love
Help
Michelle
Girl
Eleanor
She's leaving home
Lucy in the sky with diamonds
Penny Lane
Strawberry Fields Forever
A day in the life
Paul is a consummate raconteur, as well as being my first boss in London, by which time he had rather shorter hair. This is an episode rich in detail and reflection, not to be missed.

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Chapters

1. Growing up with the Beatles, by author Paul Feldwick (00:00:00)

2. Setting the scene (00:00:21)

3. The Beatles begin and so does secondary school (00:04:17)

4. Beatlemania and the two Beatles films (00:08:26)

5. The death of the steam train (00:11:01)

6. Rubber Soul (00:13:39)

7. The influences on The Beatles (00:16:24)

8. Revolver (00:18:00)

9. Sgt Pepper (00:21:05)

10. Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields (00:25:41)

11. The White Album (00:28:00)

12. Abbey Road (00:30:39)

13. Let It Be (00:31:45)

14. The End (00:33:12)

15. The Final Verdict (00:34:41)

16. Wrapping up (00:36:50)