SPECIAL COLLECTIONS: THE BRITISH INVASION

After more than 750 episodes, I’ve observed that many of my remarkable guests are connected by one or more common threads. Each episode of Special Collections focuses on a particular thread that ties together some of my guests. In this episode, that common thread is the British Invasion era of the 1960s. The era began, in essence, with the appearance of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. It was the most-watched television broadcast up to that time, with an audience of more than 70 million people. And like other “invasions,” this one had a global impact. It sparked a revolution in music, fashion, and culture that changed the world. One British musical act after another came to America and captured the imagination of a generation. The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, and many others led the way, taking over American radio and redefining popular music and culture. I was a teenager at the time, and like millions of others, I was completely captivated. I wanted to look like them, sound like them—and be part of that world. Now, more than 60 years later, I’ve had the extraordinary opportunity to speak with a number of my boyhood idols from the British Invasion era on this podcast. This episode reintroduces seven remarkable musicians from that era, each of whom has been a guest on the show. Each had a front-row seat to the excitement, the success, and yes—the chaos of the time. And importantly, each has continued to perform and create music over the decades. Here they are again. Peter Noone (Herman’s Hermits) Peter Asher (Peter and Gordon) Rod Argent (The Zombies) Jeremy Clyde (Chad and Jeremy) Billy J. Kramer (Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas) Allan Clarke (The Hollies) John Lodge (The Moody Blues)   Listen to this Special Collections episode for more on each artist including an excerpt from one of their hit songs. This is Robert Miller with Follow Your Dream.