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On March 30, 1967, The Beatles strolled into Michael Cooper’s photographic studio at 4 Chelsea Manor Studios, London, prepared to turn the music world’s expectations on their head. Or maybe they were just bored. After all, if you’re already the most famous band on the planet, why not have a little fun with it? The…
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January 24, 1962, wasn’t just another cold Liverpool morning. It was the day four scruffy lads—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Pete Best—put their faith in a well-dressed, fast-talking record store manager named Brian Epstein. With a few strokes of a pen, they signed a management contract that would change the course of music…
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January 16, 2025, marks the 45th anniversary of a moment that shook rock ‘n’ roll to its core and almost put Paul McCartney behind bars for seven years. The world’s most famous bassist—Beatle, hitmaker, and knight-to-be—was arrested at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport for smuggling nearly half a pound of marijuana. What could’ve been just another…
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Claude Lemaire thinks Led Zeppelin is so seminal to hard rock, he chooses them twice for Episode 3. King Crimson also makes the cut.
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On December 31, 1970, as a damp London chill settled over the city, Paul McCartney made his way into the High Court of Justice. The man who once penned “Yesterday” was now stepping into tomorrow with a heavy heart. In his hands, he carried a lawsuit that would dissolve The Beatles, a band that had…
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It was December 14, 1969, a cold Sunday night, but the stage at CBS Studio 50 was sizzling with energy. The Ed Sullivan Show, a revered institution in American television, had introduced countless icons to the world—The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Supremes. That evening, five brothers from Gary, Indiana, became the latest in that storied…
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There’s a peculiar weight to history when it happens in real-time. December 5, 1965, at the Liverpool Empire Theatre wasn’t just another stop on The Beatles’ UK tour—it was a homecoming charged with energy, nostalgia, and, unbeknownst to most, a bittersweet farewell. For the 2,550 fans lucky enough to score tickets from a pool of…
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Imagine it’s a chilly December 1 evening in 1957. TV screens across America flicker to life with that iconic Ed Sullivan introduction: “And now, ladies and gentlemen… Buddy Holly and the Crickets!” For just a few minutes, Buddy Holly—only 21 at the time—commands the national stage, bringing rock ‘n’ roll into America’s living rooms like…
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Tom Gibbs didn’t just like the performance of the US$ 1000/pair XSA Labs Vanguard monitors—he was gobsmacked!
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In this episode, writer and self-taught musicologist Claude Lemaire chooses Iron Butterfly, Jeff Beck, and even the Beatles as pioneering heavy rock influencers.
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Frank Zappa was never one to tread lightly, especially when it came to tearing down cultural idols. So when he and the Mothers of Invention decided to parody The Beatles’ iconic Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band cover for We’re Only In It For The Money, they went all in, crafting a visual riot that…
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In the cold, metallic Liverpool air of November 9, 1961, a moment was brewing in the dank, sweaty underbelly of The Cavern Club that would soon send shockwaves across the music world.
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It was November 4, 1963, and London’s Prince of Wales Theatre was buzzing. The Royal Variety Performance, that stately British showcase, was in full swing. London’s cultural pulse was racing, charged by a new phenomenon: Beatlemania. But inside, the atmosphere felt more upper-crust than counterculture—a space typically reserved for polite applause and tasteful applause for…
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Welcome to Claude Lemaire’s new series, in which he explores the history of hard rock, heavy rock, and heavy metal—including metal’s many subgenres.
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In the autumn of 1964, America was a cauldron bubbling over with change. The civil rights movement was in full swing, the Vietnam War was escalating, and the Beatles had already ignited a British Invasion that left teenagers screaming and parents scratching their heads. But on October 25th, a new kind of British export hit…