Podcast #28: How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin

MusicFilmWeb: See It Loud

Tweet

In his music film How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin, the distinguished British documentarian Leslie Woodhead tackles the untold story of a generation of young Soviets’ illicit love for the Fab Four, and how that passion ripped a gaping hole in the Iron Curtain. It’s a tale of crude bootleg vinyl, homemade guitars, and befuddled apparatchiks featuring a varied cast of true Beatle believers, from a wild-eyed John Lennon worshiper to one of Vladimir Putin’s right hand men. It was also a personal journey for Woodhead, who shot the first footage of the Beatles in Liverpool’s Cavern club in 1962 and has been making films in Russia and the former communist world for 25 years.

In this edition of See It Loud, the music documentary podcast, Woodhead talks about discovering the alternate history of Beatlemania and other tales of the Soviet Union’s tangled dance with Western music, including the extraordinary story of Dean Reed, the Eastern bloc’s American pop idol.

The See It Loud opening theme by Los Musicos de Jose comes from Mevio’s Music Alley. The closing snippet of (what else?) “Back in the USSR” is by the Czech cover band Humbug; you can download the full version at their website or watch the video here. And if you’re interested in other movies about how rock ‘n’ roll won the Cold War, check our 5+1 list of Iron Curtain-related music films.

Movies in this one:

How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin

The Long Way Home

The Incredible Case of Comrade Rockstar

The Red Elvis

American Rebel: The Dean Reed Story

Tweet