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Michael Lindsay-Hogg, a pioneer in music videos showcases his art in a new exhibition
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Back to the fox hole please use your FaceBook or Twitter accounts and a live chat feature just below the screen -- -- -- me to send us your questions.
I'm so jazzed about our next guest he joins us now from our Los Angeles bureau.
And his name is Michael Lindsay Hogg.
He is the director of The Beatles videos for paperback writer.
For rain.
For a revolution.
He's the director of the film let it be The Rolling Stones rock and roll circus from 1968.
And several other landmarks from the crossroads where music and film in the counterculture all meet up.
Michael Lindsay -- thank you so much for joining us.
We begin with you're art exhibition.
Out in West Hollywood which is called time -- all tell us about your paintings and how -- got into that.
First I wanna send -- to be here.
All all my life I've drawn in from the time as a little boy.
But I hadn't many other things to do like directing rock and roll and stuff like that and writes it because it didn't work in -- theater.
And I never thought I'd have time to paint.
Or the space to paint.
Five when my wife and I moved into place I took over the garage and and she encouraged me to get some campuses that sector so I've been eating for about fifteen here -- And I detail enjoy your primary influences would you say.
I would say my primary influences are probably German expression has its.
Not expect when.
Paul Klee.
Although he didn't do so many people Bettman did should.
-- -- day in France had a period I'd say from the twenties to the forties are people I saw I saw a guy like we're going back -- pardon.
I saw a touch of Gerald scarf in their myself.
I saw some elements of caricature.
In what you do in the end what do you try to achieve with your paintings and wish -- we're showing some as we're speaking by the way.
Well I hope everybody likes them what I try to achieve.
I don't know what I try to achieve.
I start with usually -- shape.
The shape we usually turned into -- head since I can only draw people some time my brain is not abstract problem my brain is exactly that's not what I do.
I try to go to people and I try to make some relationship between the people which has to have something ambiguous to it.
That you know something is going on but you can't always tell exactly what it is that's going on.
So there's a little interpretation to be done but I -- not the interpreter.
Are you Brian I'm month.
I understand that I'm an artist myself and I can only draw people anything that requires precision or around sort of symmetry like motorcycles and their buildings I can't do very well.
Sort of like took an interest in your address in your paintings because I did see an element of caricature and it's been said that there's element of caricature and all portraiture.
But we said it would also I think sometimes a picture I think you can -- can be funny too as well as serious peanut.
Sure satirical and very serious.
Very.
I'm a huge Beatles freak I'm not gonna trying conceal this from you I have two boys their middle names are actually Lennon and McCartney which is evidence of -- -- -- and our white patients.
And right.
I wanna cover a few things with you and it's a real -- to have a chance to talk with you first worked with The Beatles in 1966.
And that was a transitional period for the group -- weighing if you will from beatle mania to psychedelic era was not something that transition.
That they were undergoing at that time something you were able to notice when you were working with them on paperback writer and -- Just fractionally.
I would suggest when we started to do talk about the paperback writer.
I hadn't -- quite got my sea legs I had never done a video before.
And to do a video with The Beatles in the form is famous people in the world.
I had to take a little second just to the rocking of the boat.
And then we get -- basically fairly simple video for paperback writer that's slightly more of the period one for rain.
No.
But what they did notice of the time compared with a few years later was how fairly harmonious they still work.
I wasn't so much I noticed a change from what's called rocket -- the second DeLia.
But -- -- is very good between them still in 1966 before the last tour.
Barton -- -- full disclosure and old pal of money tweets us to ask you if all seven versions of the videos for paperback writer and rain.
We'll ever be released in HD.
-- -- more ahead of me than I am not myself.
I don't know but we didn't do several versions of paperback writer.
And at one point the funny thing is the one that's played most often you have a lot of shots of the back of their heads and sort of their hair.
With the one of the cameras was out of position and it's got a lot of back of head shots and we played it back constitution did not dictate.
And they said no.
Let's let's use the one with the back -- the heads that's gonna really and surprise everybody and that's more beetles -- So the one that came out has more back and -- never actually thought they would be.
I don't know -- apple hasn't golden cave upon release things which we might talk about a minute.
And he would have to get on to them about that.
What I want to read a quote you from Richard Lester.
Who you'll know was the director of The Beatles first two films a hard day's night and help man he once told an interviewer around 1998 and I quote.
For three years I was in the center of the universe and I knew at that time that it would be the pinnacle of whatever I did.
But I'm perfectly happy because at least I had that experience so life is downhill OK but at least you've been up and seeing the view.
Did you find it painful weren't so -- heartbreaking to be around The Beatles because they were The Beatles and you weren't.
No I I don't agree with -- really because them.
You can never think any is that thing is the pinnacle of the -- could happen tomorrow.
-- my art show which is up now is the pinnacle but there may be something tomorrow no I didn't feel that because also I was in the same kind of dynamic plays the Dick was I was working both.
When I was preparing they were Rolling Stones rock and roll circus where I was also preparing to do what became let it be.
So my world wasn't only the vehicles it was The Rolling Stones The Beatles I knew I was in a very exclusive place I knew I wouldn't be there again.
But I knew I'd be another streets and another street corners and they'd be just as in.
Steve is where I am where I was them.
At the rehearsal session for the rock and roll circus.
John Lennon was joined by Yoko Ono and his son from his previous marriage Julian we're gonna show photograph of the three of them there.
You were probably -- very busy guy on that -- on that -- but.
I wonder if you were able to observe anything about Julian Lennon and his dad's relationship with him.
It's very sweet little boy and I think John and who knew it was a wonderful man but not the easiest man I think John.
That day thought he was able to do something for his son.
And I'm not sure he always felt equipped to do that because of the tensions between him and his first wife and -- he'll go.
It was very sweet they -- that day there was something find it happened is we that we were auditioning circus acts and one of the -- -- boxing kangaroos.
And after we got additional -- -- came to me and said if she is the kangaroos boxing John won't be on the show.
So we then -- the kangaroos.
And John was on the show.
Has a pretty easy choice us supposed.
-- lot of -- I think that as -- -- -- Now let it be from it was a movie about The Beatles trying to make a record together that was released in 1971 the Oscar for best score is our call.
It's a sort of a documentary style -- no narrator of The Beatles son.
Jamming and rehearsing in trying to get their music together for to make an album sort of on the spot and I think there was what something like sixty hours of film right.
Probably now okay.
And two people who know The Beatles this really became a chronicle of their dissolution as a unit.
And they can be seen in the final cut that you edited and directed to.
Squabbling and getting on each other's nerves and it's sort of the most disheartening beatle experiences to watch let it be when you were directing the film.
Was it clear to you Michael that The Beatles were in the process of breaking up.
Oh yeah.
Yes and -- but it and we know 11 and to break up -- because they represented so much to all of us -- anyone of that generation and as they probably do now.
But it was like about marriage they'd been together for our goodness you know ten or twelve years by that time.
They'd stop touring -- were living very separate lives separate musical -- separate romantic relationships.
It wasn't going to last had a lot of things -- to break up -- -- that -- been but you know sometimes divorce is a very very difficult.
Let it be what became let it be the movie was not going to be a movie originally was just gonna be documentary material support a television -- we were supposed to do.
But we all thought of so much about what the television special is going to be we just had all this stuff.
And I didn't know what was gonna happen to it and that's when I came up with the idea of going on the roof to do concert so we have a conclusion.
And it does IA I have read -- in Europe memoir.
And tell -- the name of your memoir.
Natalia my memoir is luck and circumstance.
It's luck and circumstance.
Published last year.
-- two of The Beatles resisted going up on the roof correct.
Yes yeah.
Weaned me it kind of plan because in those days The Beatles you'd only make it kind of plan.
Two do this rooftop concert and I had.
My eleven cameras ready and two way mirror built in the lobby in case police -- in which they did.
And we had a meeting just before he was gonna happen about twelve security -- that afternoon in London.
You know little room just off the staircase which led to the group and it was the roof of this -- Oakland me.
George didn't really want to perform in public anymore.
You want to really discuss -- with the music pure.
He didn't mind it really -- said and and it's cold up there and it was.
And then McCartney said c'mon let's just do something -- wanted to keep it together and that the way to do that was just to have activity to perform.
But we were stuck and I was really.
Getting to be very happy because I thought this is not going to happen.
So there was a silence for a minute and then out of this silence John Lannan said let's do it.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- And then they walked up this little wooden staircase and open the -- onto the roof and really walked in the history.
Because that was the last time they ever performed as a group.
They where in great spirits when they were together something about being up there in this weird place and a cold day.
Really gotten tight together Billy Preston playing organ and then the most extraordinary thing just -- because the movie.
Is John steps to the microphone when it's over and the police told us to stop.
And he says thanks for being and I hope on behalf of ourselves and the group we passed the audition.
Yes and if any classic -- in addition yeah it was a great.
Skip McCloskey.
And -- Julia Julia 809 who tweet us with the same question.
We'll let it be ever -- officially be released on dvd Blu-ray.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- I'm encouraged that it might you have to talk to -- people at apple but there is movement that way and the movie I saw quite recently.
Is wonderful and it's much more poignant now obviously than it was forty years ago and it's really good movie.
Good question.
Michael Lindsay -- thank you so so much for joining us good luck with your art exhibition in West Hollywood time -- all time is up for us here in the foxhole in Washington I'm James Rosen.
We'll see you again in two weeks time.
Right here on live dot foxnews.com.
Thank you.
