This episode, we're enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson's lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album... (Our conversation was recorded prior to Brian Wilson's passing.) Joi...
Jul 06, 2025•3 min
For this episode, we’ve put together a special omnibus edition of our series on the pioneering 1973 satellite concert broadcast, Elvis Aloha From Hawaii, with our leading contributor Gary Wells. There's so much to explore; preparations and rehearsals, critically important people behind the scenes, the intense pressure on everyone involved, creative and corporate conflict, a near catastrophe as technical faults threatened to derail the broadcast at the last minute; and finally an entertainment ev...
Jun 26, 2025•2 hr 49 min
This episode, we're enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson's lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album... (Our conversation was recorded prior to Brian Wilson's passing.) Joi...
Jun 17, 2025•3 min
This episode, we present part II of our conversation with leading UK author, publisher, podcaster and television historian, Oliver Crocker . In part one, we discussed his acclaimed book on the iconic BBC television series, All Creatures Great and Small. This time, we focus on his ongoing success, The Bill Podcast, according to Listen Notes in the top 1.5 % worldwide, and Oh, What a Lovely Memoir, the autobiography of actor Larry Dann, edited by Oliver and published by Devonfire Books. Born in 1...
Jun 02, 2025•50 min
In this clip from our extended conversation with David Leaf, citing the example of how the advent of music streaming affected Levon Helm, we ask how Brian Wilson himself might have been impacted. In the course of answering that question, David gifted us some bonus gold dust on the way the career of The Beach Boys was guided...or not... Join us for the full conversation on your favourite podcast platform; https://dec4podcast.com/2025/04/09/david-leaf-smile-the-rise-fall-resurrection-of-brian-wils...
May 23, 2025•9 min
Our leading contributor, Gary Wells, explains how reluctance by Universal Studios executives nearly derailed the release of George Lucas' landmark film, American Graffiti, which went on to make the equivalent of over half a billion dollars (adjusted for inflation) and boast one of the highest cost-to-profit ratios in movie history... Related podcasts; https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/09/50th-anniversary-supplement-gary-wells-on-american-graffiti-aloha-from-hawaii/ https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/...
May 10, 2025•3 min
This episode, we're enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson's lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album... Join us on your chosen podcast platform for the full conversation, o...
Apr 29, 2025•2 min
In this our second Elvis and the Press episode, we're joined once again by our leading contributor, Gary Wells, to take a deep dive into the coverage of Elvis' New Year's Eve performance in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the end of 1976. The jumpsuit of choice for the night was the black-on-white phoenix style, about which there is an interesting backstory. Find the full episode on your chosen podcast platform, or at our website; https://dec4podcast.com/2024/11/11/elvis-and-the-press-pittsburgh-p...
Apr 17, 2025•1 min
This episode, we’re enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson’s lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album. David affords us some fascinating, behind the scenes insights into his...
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 38 min
Our leading contributor, Gary Wells, joins us to explore two tumultuous decades in the lives of the Beach Boys, through the lens of Malcolm Leo’s 1985 BAFTA nominated biographical documentary, The Beach Boys: An American Band. We learn about some of the key people on both sides of the camera, and of Malcolm Leo’s established method of sourcing a wide variety of music and interview clips (long before the easy accessibility of digital archives) to create an intimate, first-person narrative. The Be...
Mar 20, 2025•59 sec
It's a great thrill and privilege this episode to welcome multi-talented actor, writer and music artist, Andrew Mackintosh, who carved his own special niche in British television history as Detective Sergeant Alistair Greig, a key character in over 300 episodes of one of the most successful and influential television dramas of all time, The Bill. In this clip, Andrew remembers his friend and fellow cast member, Kevin Lloyd, whose character, DC Tosh Lines, was one of the most popular characters o...
Mar 10, 2025•59 sec
Our leading contributor Gary Wells ( www.soulrideblog.com ) joins us to explore two tumultuous decades in the lives of the Beach Boys, through the lens of Malcolm Leo’s 1985 BAFTA nominated biographical documentary, The Beach Boys: An American Band. We learn about some of the key people on both sides of the camera, and of Malcolm Leo’s established method of sourcing a wide variety of music and interview clips (long before the easy accessibility of digital archives) to create an intimate, first-p...
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr 12 min
It's a great thrill and privilege this episode to welcome multi-talented actor, writer and music artist, Andrew Mackintosh, who carved his own special niche in British television history as Detective Sergeant Alistair Greig, a key character in over 300 episodes of one of the most successful and influential television dramas of all time, The Bill. In this clip, Andrew recalls being on location for The Bill, and being pleasantly surprised by a new level of luxury for relaxing between scenes... Fin...
Feb 24, 2025•59 sec
We’re delighted to be joined once again by leading author, publisher and podcaster on classic British television, and hugely valued contributor to this podcast, Oliver Crocker. This episode we take an in-depth look at his definitive history of the iconic BBC television series, All Creatures Great and Small, based on the bestselling books by James Herriot, which ran for 90 episodes between 1978 and 1990. For All Memories Great and Small, Oliver sourced rare production documents and photographs, a...
Feb 06, 2025•43 min
In this clip from our podcast series taking a deep dive into Elvis' 1973 satellite concert broadcast, Aloha From Hawaii, our leading contributor, Gary Wells (https://soulrideblog.com/), is with us to discuss what happened immediately after the international live broadcast went out. Once the audience had departed, Elvis and his band returned to the stage to record some inserts for the US television edit under the direction of Marty Pasetta, preliminary audience figures came in, and Colonel Parke...
Feb 05, 2025•6 min
Remembering the last of Dad's Army's 'Magnificent Seven', Ian Lavender (Private Pike), who passed away February 2nd, 2024, aged 77. This is a preview short from our main tribute episode, available at our website or on your favourite podcast platform. (Please note that there is the use of in-context profanity in Oliver's anecdote) Leading UK television historian, publisher, author and podcaster, Oliver Crocker, joins us to share his thoughts on this very talented gentleman, and to recall his own ...
Feb 01, 2025•59 sec
In this clip from our podcast series taking a deep dive into Elvis' 1973 satellite concert broadcast, Aloha From Hawaii, our leading contributor, Gary Wells, ( https://soulrideblog.com/ ), joins us to discuss Wayne Harada's review of Elvis' Hawaiian shows in late 1972, as well as local entertainment writer Eddie Sherman's charitable initiative, the Kui Lee Cancer Fund. Find the complete series on SoundCloud or your favourite podcast platform, with more information and background at our podcast...
Jan 26, 2025•5 min
In this clip from our podcast series taking a deep dive into Elvis' 1973 satellite concert broadcast, Aloha From Hawaii, our leading contributor, Gary Wells, joins us to discuss the importance of producer-director Mary Pasetta, and a memorable pre-production meeting with Elvis and the Memphis Mafia. Find our complete series on Aloha wherever you get your podcasts, on SoundCloud, or at dec4podcast.com; https://soundcloud.com/georgefairbrother/sets/gary-wells-elvis-aloha-from...
Jan 21, 2025•10 min
Our leading contributor , Gary Wells, helps us get to grips with the ending to Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, offering his fascinating personal take on the unexpected twist that 'slightly' tampers with history. (Spoiler warning reminder!). This was the very first segment we recorded back in 2021, and we've also added a wishful moment from our more recent discussion on Buddy Holly and the Winter Dance Party, imagining a similar rewriting of history. Episode webpage: https://d...
Jan 15, 2025•11 min
In this clip sampled from our 'Beach Boys Book Club' episode, Gary recalls meeting Carl Wilson backstage at Canada's Wonderland in the early 1990s. In the full episode, we discuss some important and fascinating books on the Beach Boys - The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience (1994), by Timothy White, and Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy (2016), by Mike Love with James S Hirsch. For a little additional context, we also refer to I am ...
Jan 05, 2025•59 sec
In this clip from our podcast catalogue, our leading contributor, Gary Wells ( soulrideblog.com ), recalls a visit to 1034 Audubon Drive, the Presley family's first home in Memphis. Find the full episode, From Memphis to Vegas: A Vintage Leisure Tour, at our podcast website, dec4podcast.com , or on the usual platforms: On Spotify; https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/avNDJcoWpPb Thank you for listening....
Dec 18, 2024•59 sec
For this final upload of 2024, sampled from our end of year special back in 2021, our leading contributor, Gary Wells ( www.soulrideblog.com ), shares some personal Christmas and New Year reading, viewing and listening traditions for the vintage leisure enthusiast. The complete episode also features a discussion on the 1973 George Lucas classic, American Graffiti, and a preview of our podcast series on Elvis’ iconic 1973 satellite broadcast, Aloha From Hawaii. Find the complete episode with addi...
Nov 25, 2024•8 min
In this our second Elvis and the Press episode, we’re joined once again by our leading contributor, Gary Wells ( soulrideblog.com ), to take a deep dive into the coverage of Elvis’ New Year’s Eve performance in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the end of 1976. This was the second consecutive New Year’s Eve Elvis had worked, with touring now continuing throughout winter by financial necessity. Elvis’ Pittsburgh show, concluding a very well-received, high energy tour over just five nights, proved to b...
Nov 11, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Actor, writer and music artist Andrew Mackintosh carved his own special niche in British television history as Detective Sergeant Alistair Greig, a key character in over 300 episodes of The Bill, one of the most successful and influential television dramas of all time. In this clip from our recent conversation, Andrew remembers his friend and colleague Kevin Lloyd (DC Tosh Lines), recalls the consistently high quality scripts in The Bill, the careful selection of guest artists, and the art of en...
Oct 19, 2024•8 min
Oliver Crocker is a filmmaker, podcaster, publisher, and leading writer and historian on classic British television. In this clip from a two-part podcast recorded in 2021, we discuss Oliver's friend and mentor, BAFTA nominated television director Mervyn Cumming (1943-2021), including his extensive CV and brush with the BBC's ill-fated soap, Eldorado. We also talk a little more about Ian Cullen in terms of his career beyond Z-Cars, along with his co-star in When The Boat Comes In, Roger Avon. Fin...
Oct 09, 2024•8 min
In this clip from our previous Winter Dance Party (supplement) episode, our leading contributor, Gary Wells ( soulrideblog.com ), joins us to discuss some press coverage of a dispute within the family of the late JP Richardson (The Big Bopper), over the allocation of royalties. Find the original episodes, additional background, as well as detailed research notes and links to our sources, with some suggestions for further reference, at a dedicated page at our podcast website; https://dec4podcast....
Oct 01, 2024•9 min
It's a great thrill and privilege this episode to welcome multi-talented actor, writer and music artist, Andrew Mackintosh, who carved his own special niche in British television history as Detective Sergeant Alistair Greig, a key character in over 300 episodes of one of the most successful and influential television dramas of all time, The Bill. But as we discover, there's so much more to his varied career, encompassing acting, music and writing. We learn about Andrew's current project, the hit...
Sep 17, 2024•1 hr 40 min
In this clip from our 2022 episode, From Memphis to Vegas: A Vintage Leisure Tour, our leading contributor, Gary Wells ( https://soulrideblog.com ), talks about the serenity of an early morning visit to Graceland's Meditation Garden. He also takes us inside the mansion itself and to other significant areas including the racquetball court. Find the full episode here (website embed with images, links, background and additional local information); https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/26/gary-wells-from-...
Aug 30, 2024•9 min
Oliver Crocker is a filmmaker, podcaster, publisher, and leading writer and historian on classic British television. In this clip from a two-part podcast recorded in 2021, prior to the passing of Frank Williams (Vicar Timothy Farthing), Oliver shares some personal encounters with Dad's Army legends. Find the complete episode with some additional background, images and links, here: https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/29/in-conversation-with-author-filmmaker-and-podcaster-oliver-crocker-a-two-part-pod...
Aug 16, 2024•8 min
In this clip from our 2022 episode, From Memphis to Vegas: A Vintage Leisure Tour, our leading contributor, Gary Wells ( soulrideblog.com ), recounts his joyous experiences at the Stax museum, and a memorable visit to Al Green's Full Gospel Tabernacle Church. Find the full episode here (website embed with images, links, background and additional local information); https://dec4podcast.com/2023/02/26/gary-wells-from-memphis-to-vegas-a-vintage-leisure-tour/ (Information and commentary about destin...
Aug 05, 2024•6 min
