大象传媒

This week, Johnnie and David Hepworth enjoy A Hard Day's Night from The Beatles and Mr Tambourine Man from The Byrds, part of a transatlantic two-way where each band was influencing the other.

We hear great memories from David sitting in his local cinema in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, sitting through multiple screenings of the film so he could see what the fab four were doing and exactly how they played. Johnnie talks about an early date at this time, where he lost his girlfriend when she ran to the front of the stage of the Plaza Ballroom in Handsworth in the West Midlands to see the Beatles play for the second time that evening.

David goes as far as saying it's probably the best record The Beatles made, and so the best album ever made, especially when you consider it was made to order for a film. He also says that although we all reach for the masterpieces Strawberry Fields Forever and A Day In The Life, the songs on A Hard Day's Night were actually the ones that caused the re-invention of pop music, influencing The Byrds amongst many others.

We learn, from Roger McGuinn himself, that John Lennon said the Byrds were their favourite band and George Harrison sent musical tributes across the atlantic with their press officer Derek Taylor. He also talks about meeting and working with Bob Dylan and the fact they bought a Rickenbacker 12 string straight after seeing the Beatles on film.

Other contributors include producer George Martin, film director Richard Lester, music publisher Dick James, broadcaster David Jacobs (who flew back into Liverpool with the band for the film's premiere there), Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, David Crosby and Stephen Stills. Some are taken from archive interviews with Johnnie, Nicky Campbell and Andy Batten Foster on Radio 1.