McCartney Times

Denny Somach is the go-to guy for all things Beatles and classic rock — for good reason.

The Allentown native has decades of experience as an award-winning producer, historian, and best-selling author of “Get The Led Out: How Led Zeppelin Became The Biggest Band In the World.”

Over the course of his career, Somach has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, but perhaps none as intriguing or influential as Liverpool’s most fabulous four.

Somach has interviewed not only members of the Beatles, but also their producers, engineers and industry personnel. He’s also showcased his expertise on countless shows, including Howard Stern, The CBS Morning News, Good Morning America and The Today Show. Whenever someone wants to know about The Beatles, Somach is the one to call.

That’s what makes Somach’s new book, “A Walk Down Abbey Road” a must-have for any Beatles fan — May 8 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of “Let It Be.” Somach’s volume chronicles years of personal interviews with artists like Billy Joel, Elton John and Joe Walsh sharing anecdotes and recollections of how the band and their music affected and, in many cases, changed the trajectory of their lives.

With a foreword by Micky Dolenz of The Monkees, “A Walk Down Abbey Road” is not intended to go head-to-head with other Beatles biographies, but rather to serve as a complement and provide readers with a multi-faceted set of viewpoints on the impact of what was, arguably, the most influential band ever.

I recently spoke with Somach about his new book, his ties to the Lehigh Valley and more in this new interview.

Jim Wood: What inspired your new book, “A Walk Down Abbey Road?”

Denny Somach: Back in the eighties, I produced a weekly syndicated radio show about the Beatles called Scott Muni’s “Ticket To Ride,” which was on the air for 10 years. I’ve done a lot of first-hand interviews and have been collecting them for more than 30 years. During that time, I interviewed all of the Beatles, except for John [Lennon]. I also interviewed Yoko a few times as well as [producer] George Martin and pretty much everyone who’s ever worked with them. I knew that Beatles fans would love to hear all these stories, so the idea was to compile them all in one place.

What was the format of the radio show?

Every week we’d have a theme or a guest come on and tell Beatles stories and play their favorite songs. I also interviewed Paul, Ringo and George whenever they had a new album out to promote, and worked with John’s sons, Julian and Sean. I’ve also spoken with all the people associated with the Beatles, including the guys who worked behind the scenes for the band. If there was a Beatles story, I went and found it.

What was it about the Beatles that made them so special for you?

Like everyone else, seeing them on The Ed Sullivan Show back in 1964 was life-changing. I mean, here was a group that played their own music, wrote their own songs, wore matching suits, had long hair, and my parents hated them. They were perfect [laughs].

So many future artists were also blown away by them. Guys like Billy Joel and Joe Walsh told me that once they got to see the Beatles, they immediately knew what they were going to do with their life.

You’ve heard so many Beatles stories over the years. Was there one that surprised you?

I’m always collecting new stories and did pick up a new one a few years ago when I was in New York interviewing The Isley Brothers. Not many people know this, but Jimi Hendrix was a member of The Isley Brothers for about six months.

So as I’m interviewing Ron Isley, I asked him for a Beatles story. That’s when Ron told me all about the night he watched the Ed Sullivan Show with Jimi Hendrix sitting next to him on the couch. It’s a story I’d never heard before and it’s in the book.

Can you speak a little about the time you spent here in the Lehigh Valley?

I went to school at Moravian College and worked for WSAN, which was an album rock station. At the time, we also did concerts at The Roxy Theatre in Northampton. We did every major act: from Billy Joel’s first headline gig to Peter Frampton, Rush and Roxy Music. The Lehigh Valley was a great place to grow up because, musically, it was very sophisticated.

What would you like people to take away from reading “A Walk Down Abbey Road?”

I’d like them to know that every celebrity, no matter how big, has a Beatles story and this book is my way of sharing some of them. The cool thing is that you don’t even have to read it from beginning to end. You can just pick a story and read it. For this book, I wanted to document my interviews about the Beatles and and pass them along. This was my generation and I hope everyone enjoys it.

Music writer Jim Wood is a contributor to The Morning Call. Contact him at jimmywood@gmail.com and on Twitter @JimEWood