The Beatles, Drugs & the John Lennon–Paul McCartney Bond | Ian LeslieWhat happens when a lifelong Beatles obsession meets a podcast about drugs, addiction, and dumb shit? Author Ian Leslie joins Dave on Dopey to discuss his book John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs and explore the complicated bond between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. From the childhood losses they shared to the jealousy, affection, and creative chemistry woven into their music, Ian offers a deeply human perspective on the partnership that helped change popular music forever.
Dave and Ian trace the Beatles’ relationship with drugs, from amphetamines during their Hamburg years to Bob Dylan introducing them to marijuana, their experiences with LSD, Paul McCartney’s cocaine use, and questions surrounding John Lennon’s heroin use. Along the way, they discuss John’s accidental acid trip at Abbey Road, the dream behind “Let It Be,” and how songs including “Two of Us,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” and “Jealous Guy” can be heard as part of an ongoing conversation between John and Paul. It’s a funny, personal, and sometimes emotional discussion about music, grief, fame, friendship, and the stories we tell about our heroes. Check out Ian Leslie’s John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs, and subscribe to Dopey for more conversations about drugs, addiction, recovery, and everything in between.
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Chapters |
00:00 Ian Leslie and John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs
02:01 Becoming Beatles Fans
04:54 Why John and Paul’s Partnership Was Different
08:09 Paul McCartney and Phil Collins’ Feud
12:33 John or Paul?
13:29 Childhood Trauma and the Lennon–McCartney Bond
19:58 The Beatles’ Influence on Dave’s Drug Use
20:59 Speed and the Hamburg Years
23:17 Alcohol, Ambition, and Performing
26:34 Tea, Cigarettes, and Beatles Chemistry
28:58 Bob Dylan Introduces the Beatles to Marijuana
30:55 Fame, Weed, and the Beatles’ Inner Circle
34:09 How Marijuana Changed Their Music
36:53 “We Can Work It Out” and John’s Changing Perspective
39:33 LSD, Alcohol, and John Lennon
41:32 Revolver and the Psychedelic Shift
42:38 Paul’s Caution About LSD
43:38 John’s Accidental Acid Trip at Abbey Road
45:41 John and Paul Trip Together
47:23 Paul McCartney, Cocaine, and “Let It Be”
50:22 India, the Maharishi, and the Turn Toward Heroin
52:25 John Lennon’s Heroin Use: What Do We Know?
57:11 Were John and Paul Writing Songs to Each Other?
1:00:14 “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Jealous Guy”
1:03:45 Abbey Road and “The End”
1:06:23 Paul’s Grief and Remembering John
1:07:44 The Two of Us Film
1:09:15 Ian’s Next Beatles Book and Lessons for Life
