Something About The Beatles

137: With Billy Preston

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:43:34 — 237.0MB)

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To call the stunningly-talented musician/singer/songwriter a “Beatles sideman” is to sell short his tremendous gifts and the tangible effect he had on the group when they most needed a spark plug. Billy Preston was a keyboard savant for sure, but he was also someone the Beatles embraced as an equal; going so far as to float him as an actual  “fifth Beatle.”

I’m joined by multi-instrumentalist/producer/recording artist/Beatles author Anthony Robustelli for a conversation covering not just the “Get Back”/Let It Be sessions, but also Billy’s collaborations with the ex-Beatles going into the solo years (and with the Rolling Stones).

Check out Anthony’s work here: https://www.anthonyrobustelli.com/

 https://www.thebeatlesiwanttotellyou.com/

https://www.shadybear.com/

https://shadybearbklyn.podbean.com/

and the video I referenced here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXSPZd9hYy4

Comments

7 responses to “137: With Billy Preston”

  1. Tony D

    Everything you said in here is true and it makes me sad because you’re right that the Beatles would have been better off if Paul listened to George and John’s ideas or if they had taken breaks but remained a band while doing solo projects. Especially the collaborations John could have done in the 70’s if he had remained independent from Yoko is sad to think because he so close to playing with Paul again. Incredible podcast once again. Also it’s ridiculous that Apple won’t release all those demo tapes you played commercially. THe Anthology CDs were mega hits therefore other demo tapes could be huge sells too.

    Reply
  2. Rob

    Great podcast. So sad that they didn’t do their side projects but keep the Beatles alive. Lennon’s heroin use affect his judgement? Paul’s stubbornness to let others join the band? I guess we should be thankful for what we have. The music.

    Reply
  3. David M

    Interesting podcast I learnt quite a bit about Billy, but not really a shame John rejected the idea of going to Berlin to make Low with Bowie or make more mediocre records with Elton in order to start a family with Yoko. If those last 5 years of “domestic bliss” are somewhat exaggerated, at least John made an effort to be a decent father second time round. He could not have spent his last 5 years in a better way.

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  4. Tony Moore

    Really great chemistry – this is how a podcast should sound and feel.

    Reply
  5. Robert

    More McCartney bashing. I get it, it’s Paul fault that Lennon was on heroin with Yoko Ono too I am guessing is the next line in the argument. McCartney was supportive of Lennon doing a re-run of One After 909- yet that is ignored in Robustelli’s argument that it was all Paul’s fault that he didn’t show interest in old material. Paul put a lot of enthusiasm into what is (by Beatles standards) the average Dig A Pony. I guess that is overlooked in the quest to bash Paul.

    Hot as Sun is one of the best unreleased Beatles songs…and yet no one ever talks about Paul’s songs that were overlooked. Why is that? Is it because he is a tall poppy?

    Reply
  6. robert

    Instead of every Let It Be related show being a Paul bashing session…yes he made mistakes but the other three weren’t perfect either. Allan Klein anyone? Why was Paul the only one to pick up this guy was a crook? Anyway, every time I listen to one of your podcasts on the Let It Be sessions it ends up being about how Paul misjudged this, or did that wrong.

    Why not focus on the unreleased music- eg I’ll Wait till tomorrow, Lowdown Blues Machine, the rock n roll version of Two of Us, The River Rhine etc..I even like John’s raw version of Maybe Baby and the humorous version of House of Rising Sun why isn’t there pressure to release this material?

    Reply
  7. John Ferdinand

    A lot of Paul bashing here, but I have to think that if they would have let Billy Preston join the group officially that quickly and easily, that Yoko would have not been far behind. This group was doomed as soon as Yoko met John. It was just a matter of time.

    Reply

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