Rock N Roll Archaeology

• Special Edition: Strange Days Indeed

  A sober, chronological narrative of the tragic final day of John Lennon on December 8, 1980. This episode tracks Lennon's last hours, his final interview, and the chilling, parallel actions of his killer, Mark Chapman, waiting outside the Dakota. We go inside the frantic rush to Roosevelt Hospital and recount the surreal, historic moment the news broke during Monday Night Football. This is the definitive, fact-based oral history of an empty, violent act that shattered a generation and a world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• (ICYMI) Episode 8: Meet The Beatles Part 2

  The show opens December 27th, 1961, at the Cavern Club where Pete Best calls in sick, and the boys bring in Richard Starkey - Ringo Starr to the world - to sit in on drums, his first paid gig with the Beatles. It clicks musically; the band really swings with Ringo on drums. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• (ICYMI) Episode 7: Meet The Beatles Part 1

  Arrival: we begin the show on February 7th, 1964, in the first-class cabin aboard Pan American Airlines Flight 101 from London to New York City. It’s a raucous, party atmosphere, but John Lennon, for a moment anyway, feels alone in a crowd.  A door opens, pandemonium ensues, and a new era arrives.  Some housekeeping, and we move on to the Soho District, West London, and lay some foundation for today’s story—and for future discussions. Then we pull back a bit, and look at some of the political, economic, and cultural forces at play in 1950s England. We then move on to Liverpool, late 1950s, and meet John Lennon and Paul McCartney, before they was fab. Then we pull back once again, and talk about alchemy and catalysts—and about a shared bond of shared loss.  One catalyst comes in the form of a person: Paul’s school chum George Harrison, the baddest young guitar-slinger in Liverpool.  John, Paul and George settle in together in the spring of 1958, and begin a four-year apprenticeship that will take them from coffee-house skifflers to the “Toppermost of the Poppermost.” Then it’s off to Hamburg, fall of 1960. The Beatles work hard and play hard, and learn the basics of being a professional Rock N Roll band. We briefly meet a sad-eyed bloke who plays drums—and plays them well—in a competing band on the circuit.  We will also meet two founding Beatles: Stu Sutcliffe and Pete Best, and tell some of Stu’s story, a story with a tragic ending.  At the end of the second tour, the Beatles become a four piece, and acquire their signature instruments. At the end of the third Hamburg tour, they come back to Liverpool as conquering heroes.  June of 1962, and John, Paul, and George stand on the brink.  Departure: there is one final move, one last step to take. And the Beatles already have someone in mind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Episode 29: Whatever Gets You to the Light

  Synopsis  Rock N Roll Archaeology excavates the divergent paths of Elton John and John Lennon in the first half of the 1970s, a period where one man sprinted toward the brightest spotlight on Earth while the other desperately sought an escape. From Elton's star-making coronation at the Troubadour to Lennon's chaotic "Lost Weekend" in Los Angeles, their journeys collide in a New York studio with a high-stakes wager over the song "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night."  This is a story of two friends, two paths, and the unforeseen consequences of getting exactly what you wish for, set against the backdrop of the post-Beatles power vacuum and the dizzying heights of 70s superstardom. Producer and Host: Christian Swain  Head Writer: Richard Evans  Sound Designer: Jerry Danielsen  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Pearl Jam's Revolution: Author Salena Fragassi on 35 Years of Live Music & Legendary Shows

  In this episode of RNRA Digs Deeper, host Christian Swain sits down with veteran music journalist Selena Fragassi to excavate the history of one of modern rock's most significant acts: Pearl Jam. Delving into her beautifully crafted new book, Pearl Jam Live: 35 Years of Legendary Music and Revolutionary Shows, Salena provides a unique perspective on the band's incredible journey.The conversation explores Pearl Jam's origins, born from the ashes of Seattle's "tragedy-stricken" music scene and bands like Mother Love Bone. Fragassi discusses how the band fused the arena-rock grandeur of The Who and Led Zeppelin with the raw, DIY ethos of punk rock, creating a sound that was both monumental and deeply personal.Discover the stories behind Pearl Jam's revolutionary struggle against the corporate music machine, including their famous battle with Ticketmaster and their conscious decision to step away from music videos and mainstream promotion. Fragassi explains how this "era of no" was a survival mechanism that allowed the band to maintain its authenticity and ultimately ensured its remarkable longevity.This in-depth interview also highlights: How Eddie Vedder, an outsider from San Diego, fundamentally altered the band's DNA. [cite: 20:21] The unique, collaborative, and "beautifully incestuous" nature of the Seattle scene that fostered their growth. [cite: 13:12] The evolution of the Pearl Jam live experience, from the raw, chaotic energy of their first-ever show in 1990 to the celebrated institution it is today. [cite: 22:48-23:4, 42:44] The creation of the Ten Club and how Pearl Jam redefined the artist-fan dynamic, making them a true "band for the people." [cite: 33:21] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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