This episode, we take inspiration from some written history by our leading contributor, ‪Gary Wells‬. First, we discuss the sequel to the groundbreaking 1973 movie classic, American Graffiti, as we follow the fortunes and misfortunes of our favourite characters in an increasingly troubled 1960s America.

We also learn about an independent film studio and distributor, American International Pictures, which transformed the movie-going audience and carved its own niche in film history as the old Hollywood crumbled around it.

Join us on your favourite podcast platform, or at our website;

⁠https://dec4podcast.com/2025/09/10/gary-wells-double-feature-more-american-graffiti-american-international-pictures/⁠

This episode, we take inspiration from some written history by our leading contributor, ‪Gary Wells‬. First, we discuss the sequel to the groundbreaking 1973 movie classic, American Graffiti, as we follow the fortunes and misfortunes of our favourite characters in an increasingly troubled 1960s America.

We also learn about an independent film studio and distributor, American International Pictures, which transformed the movie-going audience and carved its own niche in film history as the old Hollywood crumbled around it.

Join us on your favourite podcast platform, or at our website;

https://dec4podcast.com/2025/09/10/gary-wells-double-feature-more-american-graffiti-american-international-pictures/

For this episode, we’ve put together a special omnibus edition of our series on the pioneering 1973 satellite concert broadcast, Elvis Aloha From Hawaii, with our leading contributor Gary Wells.

There's so much to explore; preparations and rehearsals, critically important people behind the scenes, the intense pressure on everyone involved, creative and corporate conflict, a near catastrophe as technical faults threatened to derail the broadcast at the last minute; and finally an entertainment event that would present to an international audience Elvis at the top of his game, dominate television ratings around the world, afford him a number one album - the final in his lifetime - and create the definitive image of his later career.

On this episode’s dedicated webpage, we link to each original episode's own pages containing additional background, images, links and suggestions for further reference. We also provide a content guide for easy navigation and note some corrections, clarifications and additional context;

https://dec4podcast.com/2025/06/26/gary-wells-elvis-aloha-from-hawaii-the-complete-story-omnibus-edit/

(Financial details in this clip credited to Peter Guralnick, author of 'Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley')

This episode, we take inspiration from some articles by our leading contributor, Gary Wells, on his hit website soulrideblog.com. First, we discuss the sequel to the groundbreaking 1973 movie classic, American Graffiti, as we follow the fortunes and misfortunes of our favourite characters in an increasingly troubled 1960s America.

We also learn about an independent film studio and distributor, American International Pictures, which transformed the movie-going audience and carved its own niche in film history as the old Hollywood crumbled around it.

This episode's dedicated webpage has additional background and suggestions for further reference, including a directory to Gary's articles;

https://dec4podcast.com/2025/09/10/gary-wells-double-feature-more-american-graffiti-american-international-pictures/

The very first time Gary Wells‬ joined us back in 2021, we talked about the 1970 MGM concert documentary, Elvis That’s the Way It Is, which we presented as a two-part podcast. We've now combined those two episodes, with some additional content, as an expanded omnibus edit.

It's the summer of 1970, and Elvis is riding a wave of renewed commercial and artistic success; he is once again making some great music, topping the charts, and is already the number one live act in Las Vegas. From a number of different perspectives, Elvis That’s the Way It Is documents the lead-up to Elvis’ third season at the International Hotel, and takes us into the showroom, and backstage, for the first few performances. The director, two-time Oscar winner Denis Sanders, said that, “What we’re trying to do is capture Elvis the entertainer, from the point of view of the fans, the hotel, the city, the audience."

Elvis That's The Way It Is remains a fascinating, eccentric time capsule of Elvis’ career, of a disappearing Hollywood, and of a new business model for Las Vegas hotels and casinos which had undergone a seismic shift transitioning from organised crime to corporate control. We discuss some of the fascinating people that made this unique era what it was, and discover the artists and crew that created a remarkable cinematic moment in time.

Join us for the full edition on your favourite platform or at our podcast website;

https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/22/elvis-thats-the-way-it-is-parts-i-and-ii/

The very first time ‪Gary Wells joined us back in 2021, we talked about the 1970 MGM concert documentary, Elvis That’s the Way It Is, which we presented as a two-part podcast. We've now combined those two episodes, with some additional content, as an expanded omnibus edit.

It's the summer of 1970, and Elvis is riding a wave of renewed commercial and artistic success; he is once again making some great music, topping the charts, and is already the number one live act in Las Vegas. From a number of different perspectives, Elvis That’s the Way It Is documents the lead-up to Elvis’ third season at the International Hotel, and takes us into the showroom, and backstage, for the first few performances. The director, two-time Oscar winner Denis Sanders, said that, “What we’re trying to do is capture Elvis the entertainer, from the point of view of the fans, the hotel, the city, the audience."

Join us for the full episode on your favourite podcast platform or at our website;

https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/22/elvis-thats-the-way-it-is-parts-i-and-ii/

The very first time ‪Gary Wells joined us back in 2021, we talked about the 1970 MGM concert documentary, Elvis That’s the Way It Is, which we presented as a two-part podcast. We've now combined those two episodes, with some additional content, as an expanded omnibus edit.

It's the summer of 1970, and Elvis is riding a wave of renewed commercial and artistic success; he is once again making some great music, topping the charts, and is already the number one live act in Las Vegas. From a number of different perspectives, Elvis That’s the Way It Is documents the lead-up to Elvis’ third season at the International Hotel, and takes us into the showroom, and backstage, for the first few performances. The director, two-time Oscar winner Denis Sanders, said that, “What we’re trying to do is capture Elvis the entertainer, from the point of view of the fans, the hotel, the city, the audience."

Elvis That's The Way It Is remains a fascinating, eccentric time capsule of Elvis’ career, of a disappearing Hollywood, and of a new business model for Las Vegas hotels and casinos which had undergone a seismic shift transitioning from organised crime to corporate control. We discuss some of the fascinating people that made this unique era what it was, and discover the artists and crew that created a remarkable cinematic moment in time.

We’ve also added some supplementary points, including more on Colonel Parker’s influence on the film’s final edit, and a comparison between That’s The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour in terms of how the fans were represented. We’ve also included part of a later conversation on the corporatisation of Las Vegas in the years leading up to Elvis’ residency at the International Hotel.

We hope you enjoy this new edition. Find some additional background at this episode's webpage;

https://dec4podcast.com/2023/01/22/elvis-thats-the-way-it-is-parts-i-and-ii/

In this clip from our extended conversation with David Leaf, we learn about the challenges of putting together an event television programme featuring some of the biggest names in music, and which would become a pivotal moment in Brian Wilson's journey toward the completion of SMiLE.

Join us for the full conversation on your favourite podcast platform

https://dec4podcast.com/2025/04/09/david-leaf-smile-the-rise-fall-resurrection-of-brian-wilson/⁠

"...This episode, we’re enormously privileged to welcome award winning filmmaker and author, David Leaf, to discuss his latest book, SMiLE: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Brian Wilson. This celebratory work takes us to the very heart of Brian Wilson’s lost musical masterpiece; its traumatic unravelling in 1967, and the road to a triumphant rebirth in 2004 as an ecstatically received live concert experience and studio album…"

(This episode was recorded prior to Brian's passing)