Martin Lewis Tapped to Produce Major Beatles Project

Leading Beatles Radio Show Contender Withdraws From Consideration

One of the front-runners to become permanent host of KLSX's "Breakfast With The Beatles" weekly radio show has withdrawn his name from consideration after being picked to produce a major Beatles project. TV personality and Beatles historian Martin Lewis has been chosen to produce the highly-anticipated official DVD release of the Beatles first movie "A Hard Day's Night" for Miramax/Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

"It's been like a fun vacation guest-hosting the show occasionally this year - but my responsibilities to Beatles projects must always take precedence over the enjoyment of doing a radio show about the Beatles. And I've also got all my other performing and writing responsibilities to fulfill."

(Lewis is frequently seen offering satirical commentary on politics and pop culture on American TV networks ranging from CNN and Fox News to HBO, VH1 and E! He is also a frequent contributor to Time Magazine's website and Salon.com)

"Doing this show as currently formatted on a regular basis is really much better suited to a good local radio deejay than someone with a performing and producing career that entails frequent travel. The other prospective hosts are all solid L.A. deejays who like the Beatles. I think that any one of them will be just fine to fulfill the station's vision of the show."

The station wants a full time host from early September - a time when Lewis is already committed to being in London hard at work filming additional material for the Beatles DVD.

With a full time career as a successful performer Lewis had already experienced difficulties in finding time to host as frequently as he was requested. Lewis missed two radio shows recently when his one-man show "Great Exploitations!" was selected for the prestigious Toyota Comedy Festival in New York.

Lewis was originally approached to be one of the show's guest-hosts after the station's Promotion Director Jeffry Martini received a phone call from George Harrison's sister-in-law Linda Arias suggesting that Lewis was an ideal candidate because of his extensive credentials both as a participant in the Beatles world and as a high profile TV personality.

Lewis' Beatles-related career stretches back to 1968 when as a teenager he was hired to compile the discography for the Beatles' only authorized biography (by Hunter Davies) - all the way to being consultant to Capitol Records on the "Anthology" and "Live At The BBC" - projects which reunited him with his mentor, legendary Beatles publicist, the late Derek Taylor. He has also hosted 27 official Beatle fan conventions in the USA and hosted/produced TV specials for E! on the Beatles.

As a comedic performer, Lewis has become a very familiar face on American TV in the past 11 years - following his earlier career as a producer with Monty Python and Peter Cook (films such as "The Secret Policeman's Other Ball.") Lewis is also credited by Pete Townshend with having started the 'unplugged' phenomenon with his benefit productions for Amnesty International featuring Townshend, Sting, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck , Bob Geldof, et al.

Though KLSX urged Lewis to "just play a lot of music - especially the hits" - with his writer-producer-performer background Lewis found himself reflexively creating themed radio specials with celebrity guests and musical rarities. Themes have included the band's extensive movie connections, its American musical roots and even a fun show on their favorite foods.

Lewis's final show for the station was a celebration of the Beatles' humor.

Exclusive interviews Lewis secured for his radio specials using his longtime Beatles connections include Sir Paul McCartney, Sir George Martin, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Richard Lester, Neil Innes (The Rutles) - and celebrity pals such as Sting, Mike Myers, Drew Barrymore, Kathy Bates and Richard Lewis. He also presented live Beatles music in the studio from former Wings guitarist Laurence Juber and Pete Townshend's "Quadrophenia" arranger Raphael Rudd. On one show listeners heard a live harp and cello rendition of "Cold Turkey" ("a world's first!" said Lewis confidently.)

Lewis' plans for the "A Hard Day's Night" DVD - which does not yet have an official release date - include multiple soundtracks including 5.1 and digitally restored mono; multiple audio commentaries with cast and crew members; never-before-available original trailers (from UK and US) and promotional featurettes; and much more.

"Miramax and Buena Vista are utterly dedicated to making this the definitive DVD. They are totally supportive of honoring the film's legacy as one of the greatest movies of all time. Beatles fans are going to get everything they could want and lots more beyond their wildest dreams."

Lewis has a long association with the Beatles' first film. He was a longtime friend of the film's producer - the late Walter Shenson. In 1995, Lewis conceived, produced and hosted the Motion Picture Academy's salute to the film. He also effected Shenson's introduction to Bob & Harvey Weinstein which resulted in Miramax Films acquiring the film's distribution rights. Lewis was engaged as consultant on the film's theatrical reissue. He recently won the advertising industry's equivalent of the Oscar - the coveted "Gold Pencil" award - for creating and writing the new website for "A Hard Day's Night."

Last fall he made news when he discovered the long-lost first draft of screenwriter Alun Owen's original screenplay of the film - buried deep in the producer's vaults. The script will be reproduced on the DVD.

Lewis is also in the news in Beatles circles because of a recent article he wrote for Salon.com which defended Sir George Martin's honor and exposed the culprits in the fraudulent tabloid story claiming the imminent death of George Harrison.