One Sweet Dream: A Beatles Podcast

Welcome to the first series of this season, Lennon Reveals: The St Regis Series , where we dive deep into one of the most fascinating and underappreciated interviews John Lennon ever gave: the St. Regis interview from September 1971. It is as wide-ranging and entertaining as  Lennon Remembers but even more insightful. Dr. Duncan Driver joins me as co-host to unpack the many layers of this conversa...

In this episode, we set the stage for Season 3 by diving into the heart of  One Sweet Dream . We explore the background of the podcast, what drives it, and the big subjects we’ve been tackling so far. Plus, we unpack some of the core ideas seeded in  Lennon Remembers —the legendary interview that’s key to understanding what comes next. Stay tuned for the first episode of the Series Lennon Reveals...

In part two of Cleave's profile of George Harrison, Diana, and Duncan explore the second half of the interview, which includes topics such as George's home, his home life with his wife Pattie, his thoughts on war, the old guard, and religion. In this interview, George is amusingly blunt and endearingly earnest. Originally posted in the Evening Standard, these interviews provide rare, intim...

In this two-part episode, Diana and Dr. Duncan Driver explore Cleave's profile of George Harrison. In the first installment, they discuss the first segments of the interview where Harrison is remarkably candid and forthcoming. Originally featured in the Evening Standard during the spring of 1966, these extraordinary interviews offer a rare peek into the lives of The Beatles at the height of th...

In this episode, Diana and Dr. Duncan Driver dive into the second half of Maureen Cleave's interview with Paul McCartney as it appeared in the Evening Standard in 1966. This interview captures McCartney when he is on top of the world and fully immersed in the counterculture and avant-garde scene, depicting a period when he and the Beatles reigned supreme. These exceptional interviews provide u...

This is part one of the Cleave profile on Paul McCartney. In this episode, Diana and Dr. Duncan Driver explore the first half of Cleave's interview with McCartney.  This interview series was originally titled "How A Beatle Lives" and appeared in the Evening Standard. They are remarkable because they give us a rare glimpse into the world of the Beatles in 1966. This fascinating intervie...

This is part two of the Maureen Cleave interview with John Lennon. In this episode, Diana and Dr. Duncan Driver dig into the second half of the Cleave interview visiting John's library, exploring his Phantom V Rolls Royce, and accompanying him to the doctor. John, as always, is entertaining and opinionated on the subject of money, power, and his future. This profile was originally written for...

In this episode, host Diana Erickson and regular guest Dr. Duncan Driver dive into the first part of Maureen Cleave's 1966 profile of John Lennon, originally published in The Evening Standard under the title "How A Beatle Lives." These extraordinary interviews offer unique insight into the Beatles' world and lives at this time. John Lennon captivates with his swagger and charm. The...

The Cleave Series is an exploration of the interviews of the Beatles that were done for the Evening Standard in March 1966. Titled "How Does A Beatle Live," these exceptional profiles provide us with a rare glimpse into the world of the Beatles at a time when they were riding high. Dr. Duncan Driver joins Diana Erickson in this series. Episode one explores her piece on Ringo Starr. Here is...

This is part two of our host's epic exploration of the Beatles' final masterpiece: "Now and Then." Diana Erickson and Halle Ryan discuss how this stunning composition, alongside its anthology companions, elegantly rewrites the closing chapter of the iconic Beatles story. This episode provides a comprehensive examination of the gorgeous masterwork "Real Love" and the Beatles...

In this episode, Diana Erickson and Halle Ryan explore the Beatles' final masterpiece: "Now and Then." They unravel the intricate narrative of its path to public release and discuss how this stunning composition, alongside its anthology companions, "Real Love" and "Free As a Bird," elegantly rewrite the closing chapter of the iconic Beatles story. Part One explores the...

Author Ian Leslie discusses the songs that made his Hidden Gems list. Ian writes about psychology, culture, technology, and business for the New Statesman, the Economist, the Guardian, and the Financial Times — and he has a newsletter called the Ruffian. He is also the author of the book Conflicted and is working on a book about Lennon and McCartney. What do you think of Ian's list? Any favori...

Journalist, broadcaster, and author, Pete Paphides discusses his impressions of Get Back and the Beatles in 1969. This episode was recorded before the Get Back Documentary Series was fully available to the public. Pete's review of Get Back: https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/peter-jackson-beatles-documentary-review-get-back-disney-plus-b968008.html Pete's memoir, Broken Greek: https:...

This episode revisits my interview with RAM engineer, Eirik "The Norwegian" Wangberg, the engineer that spent two months alone in a studio with Paul and Linda McCartney during the making of RAM. Due to these circumstances, Wangberg was able to observe the McCartneys at a time when they were quite insular, so it was a treat to speak to the charming Norwegian. According to Wangberg, McCartne...

This episode with brilliant musician Michael Penn is worth revisiting! We explore Michael's inspiring list of Hidden Gems and Unsung Masterpieces, which include: Anytime At All Things We Said Today She Said She Said The Family Way (Soundtrack and Movie) Within You Without You Penny Lane The End Maxwell's Silver Hammer Jenny Wren I Know I Know (Diana's choice) Michael Penn songs referen...

In this episode, Diana explores Paul McCartney's artistry and creative process with Phillip McIntyre and Paul Thompson, authors of the book: “Paul McCartney and His Creative Practice. The Beatles and Beyond.” Phillip, Paul, and Diana have a wide-ranging discussion that covers topics such as flow state, collaboration, Crocodile Dundee, and how Paul McCartney is like James Bond. Phillip McIntyr...

In this interview, Diana and Erin discuss the Fab 4 Myth—how it was constructed and how the Beatles tried to break free of it. They also discuss core ideas from Erin Torkelson Weber's book: Beatles and the Historians: An Analysis of Writings about the Fab Four. It also includes an all-new postscript at the end of the episode. Please check out Erin's book and her blog: https://beatlebiorevi...

In this episode, Diana and Joshua Wolf Shenk, author of Powers of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs, discuss the Lennon/McCartney partnership, and how they exemplify and light up many of the core tenets of creative pairings, which gives us new ways to think about their legendary partnership. This reprised version includes a new intro and reflections on the episode upfront (3...

This episode is jam-packed and full of goodies! Including meditations on the podcast — why it exists, what it's trying to do — and an announcement about what we're doing next, and reprised episode with Aimee Mann. I adore this episode, it was an honor to have her on One Sweet Dream, and she was full of stellar insights and observations about the band's dynamics — drawing on her own exp...

In this episode, Host Diana Erickson and regular contributor Dr. Duncan Driver dig into Paul McCartney's commentary on the song, Dear Friend, from the book, The Lyrics. This episode considers the musical conversation between Lennon and McCartney at this time, in 1971, so God, How Do You Sleep, and Jealous Guy are all explored. Dear Friend is not only a beautiful song but an important one in th...

This is part two of the Hidden Gems and Unsung Masterpieces Series with the hosts of Screw It We're Just Going To Talk About the Beatles. We go through the second half of their list! The "SIWJGTTATB" group includes Will Hines, Joel Spence, Katie Plattner, and Brett Morris. Diana is a big fan of their podcast. Check out the Screw It We're Just Going To Talk About the Beatles Podcast...

In the next installment of the Hidden Gems and Unsung Masterpieces Series, Diana is joined by the hosts of the brilliant podcast: Screw It We're Just Going To Talk About the Beatles. The "SIWJGTTATB" group includes Will Hines, Joel Spence, Katie Plattner, and Brett Morris. Diana is a big fan of this podcast. Check out the Screw It We're Just Going To Talk About the Beatles Podcast:...

In this two-part episode, Diana and Dr. Duncan Driver explore Cleave's profile on George Harrison. In part two they explore the second half of the interview which focuses on George's home, his home life with Pattie, and his thoughts on war, the old guard, and religion. As in part one, George is amusingly blunt, witty, and endearingly earnest. These exceptional interviews, originally posted...

In this two-part episode, Diana and Dr. Duncan Driver explore Cleave's profile on George Harrison. In part one, they examine the first half of the interview, going on an adventure with George Harrison, who is unusually open and revealing at this time. These exceptional interviews were originally posted in the Evening Standard in March and April 1966; They provide rare intimate glimpses into th...

This is part two of the Maureen Cleave interview with John Lennon.  In this episode, Diana and Dr. Duncan Driver dig into the second half of the Cleave interview: visiting John's library, exploring his Phantom V Rolls Royce, and accompanying him to the doctor. John, as always, is entertaining, opining on money, power, and his future. Titled "How A Beatle Lives," these exceptional inter...