Glass Onion: On John Lennon
A deep dive into the music and complex psychology of John Lennon, featuring interviews with such noted authors and podcasters as David Bedford, Dan Richter, Jude Kessler, Kit O'Toole and Ken McNab, as well as ex-Quarrymen bandmates Rod Davis and Colin Hanton
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Episode 109- John & Yoko: A Love Story with David 'Ghosty' Wills (Part 1 of 2)
04/26/2025
Episode 109- John & Yoko: A Love Story with David 'Ghosty' Wills (Part 1 of 2)
We’re happy to welcome back David ‘Ghosty’ Wills to discuss John & Yoko: A Love Story, a 1985 biopic starring Mark McGann and Kim Miyori that was very dear to our hearts, at least until we rewatched it! We discuss some of the better scenes and also the unintentional comedy and ‘TV movie tropes’ of others. We cover about two thirds of the film here, and next time round we’ll complete our review and also look at a couple of other presentations from the same year. The conversation is preceded by Antony’s thoughts on two recent John & Yoko documentaries, namely ‘Daytime Revolution’ and ‘One To One: John & Yoko’ Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Ghosty’s Cliff Richard/Shadows podcast and you tube channel episode links IMDB page and the full film ‘Daytime Revolution’ and ‘One To One: John & Yoko’ trailers John and Yoko with David Frost 1972 Mark Chapman gets John Lennon’s autograph (Chapter 27 film)
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Episode 108: The Gospel According To John Lennon (Part 4 of 4)
03/13/2025
Episode 108: The Gospel According To John Lennon (Part 4 of 4)
Another podcast journey comes to an end as we conclude our look at John Lennon (and The Beatles’) religious, spiritual and philosophical journey by use of Steve Turner’s excellent book ‘The Gospel According To The Beatles’ After a brief recap of the previous episodes, Part 4 picks up from the formation of Apple in 1967, our four favourite rock gods soon discovering that utopian ideals, while often a good thing for the world, usually run into problems when they rub up against harsh reality. From there we cover the break-up of the Beatles, John’s psychic solo adventures (therapy, zen, astrology, magic) and an encounter that Steve Turner had with John & Yoko in 1971. We hope you’ve enjoyed this alternative look at the many changes that John and his bandmates went through in those crazy and remarkable years up to 1980, when one quarter of the famous foursome was gunned down by an individual who was apparently grappling with the forces of light and darkness in his head, even possibly praying to Satan himself. Like everything else, an exploration of the world just beyond visible light can be used for good or bad. If nothing else John Lennon was mostly striving, through various means, to improve his life and make himself a better person, which is something we can all aspire to. See you soon for our next podcast adventure Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Steve Turner’s book episode links John, Paul and Apple (New York 1968) It’s all going wrong at Rutle Corps! What is Primal Therapy? Zen Alan Watts on the Zen game How to access your Higher Self John Lennon: Knocking on Dylan's Door ‘The Art & Music of John Lennon’ by Peter Doggett
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Episode 107- The Gospel According To John Lennon (Part 3 of 4)
02/14/2025
Episode 107- The Gospel According To John Lennon (Part 3 of 4)
Continuing our lengthy exploration of John Lennon’s religious, spiritual and philosophical journey by use of Steve Turner’s excellent book ‘The Gospel According To The Beatles’, Part 3 covers some fascinating chapters spanning the years 1964 to 1968 in the book’s rough chronology. John starts to consider the limitations of fame, is influenced by Bob Dylan and starts to finally put some of the spirit of his books into his song lyrics. The lads are ‘turned on’ by Dylan and take a somewhat logical trajectory through pot, LSD and meditation, always looking for some kind of answer and meaning. The concept of ‘love’ is changing in society at this time, and it seems that more and more people are trying to find God on their travels, usually without entering a church. The figure of Jesus Christ continues to linger in John’s life in this period, culminating in one of his most offbeat revelations in May 1968 after returning from their meditation sojourn in India. Tune in for Part 4 next month Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Jon Stewart’s book ‘Dylan, Lennon, Marx & God’ Steve Turner’s ‘A Hard Day’s Write’ book episode links John and George discuss meditation on the David Frost Show in 1967 (parts 1 & 2) All You Need Is Love in colour! (June 1967) Joe Goodden’s superb look at the Beatles and drugs (reviewed in episodes 49 & 50 of this podcast) What is LSD? Albert Hoffman gets on his bike (LSD discovery) Paul McCartney spliffing very recently Revolver: Death and Rebirth Religion in the Beatles’ songs The religious views of The Beatles ‘The Art & Music of John Lennon’ by Peter Doggett Excellent audiobook about the Rolling Stones’ Altamont disaster
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Episode 106- The Gospel According To John Lennon (Part 2 of 4)
01/07/2025
Episode 106- The Gospel According To John Lennon (Part 2 of 4)
We kick off 2025 with the continuation of our lengthy exploration of John Lennon’s religious, spiritual and philosophical journey. Part 2 starts with more of John and the Beatles’ general beliefs about the world before starting a chronology of the Beatle years from the particular perspective of Steve Turner’s book ‘The Gospel According To The Beatles’ We go back to John’s Sunday School grounding and his always ambivalent attitude to Jesus Christ and the religion he spawned, through the school years, his ‘religious’ (so to speak) devotion to rock and roll, Stu and Astrid, Hamburg, existentialism and finally the freedom-loving philosophy and behaviour of the Beatlemania-era foursome in 1963 and 64. Ref- the intro clips come from John Lennon’s Playboy interviews shortly before his death in 1980. The outro song is by ‘The Fab Four’ Beatles tribute band Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Jon Stewart’s book ‘Dylan, Lennon, Marx & God’ Steve Turner’s ‘A Hard Day’s Write’ book episode links Royston Ellis on the 1960 Beatles The original ‘Beatnik Horror’ article from 1960 Jude Kessler on John & Stu’s relationship (‘Pop Goes The 60s’ channel) ‘Angry Young Men at the Kitchen Sink’ (linking 2 genres) Existentialism Did Lewis Carroll’s migraines inspire his ‘Alice’ books? ‘Looking For Lennon’ documentary ‘The Art & Music of John Lennon’ by Peter Doggett The religious views of The Beatles Liverpool’s Anglican cathedral
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Episode 105- The Gospel According To John Lennon (Part 1 of 4)
12/16/2024
Episode 105- The Gospel According To John Lennon (Part 1 of 4)
We end Glass Onion’s 6th year with the start of another multi-part series, the first 4-parter in the history of the podcast. Using (mostly) the John Lennon parts from Steve Turner’s excellent 2006 book ‘The Gospel According To The Beatles’, we trace our hero’s religious, spiritual and philosophical journey through its many twists and turns in his intense four-decade ride through life. Antony also comments on his own journey in these areas, some of which overlaps with that of John Lennon and The Beatles. Part 1 looks at the first two chapters of Steve’s book, focusing a lot on the ‘Bigger Than Jesus’ controversy of 1966. This is preceded by an attempt to lay some groundwork for this series by defining ‘religion’ and ‘spirituality’ and pondering what the differences (if any) between them are. There are multiple audio clips at the start to help us along, and you will find many useful web links in the show notes below Enjoy! And see you in January 2025 for part 2. Best wishes from Antony Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) episode links Steve Turner’s book Jon Stewart’s book ‘Dylan, Lennon, Marx & God’ Steve and Jon on the ‘Unbelievable ?’ podcast John defends ‘Bigger Than Jesus’ in Chicago Brian Epstein speaks about the controversy John Lennon- God ‘video’ Andrew Hickey’s podcast on the Beatles in 1966-67 (including ‘Bigger Than Jesus’) Beatles interviews database Joe Goodden’s superb book on the Beatles and drugs ‘The Rest Is History’ podcast about Jesus’s existence (2 parts) John Cleese and Michael Palin defend ‘The Life of Brian’ in 1979 Band Aid 40th anniversary documentary William Mann ‘oustanding composers’ article in The Times in 1963
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Episode 104- John Lennon The Actor with Ross Marshall (Part 2 of 2)
11/28/2024
Episode 104- John Lennon The Actor with Ross Marshall (Part 2 of 2)
We conclude our look at John Lennon as an actor, starting from 1965’s ‘Help!’ and with particular emphasis on what was arguably his only ‘serious’ role, albeit in an anti-war satire ‘How I Won The War’. He also voices a famously sprawling Beatles TV film about a bus, and there’s a film cameo and brief comedy sketch in amongst it all as well. Antony is joined once again by professional actor Ross Marshall, and there are multiple audio clips to complement the conversation. Glass Onion will return in December for 1 or possibly 2 more episodes looking at John Lennon’s religious and spiritual life. Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Ross’s acting page and his new film, currently streaming on A***** Prime episode links John’s scenes in ‘Help!’ How I Won The War (filmed in 1966, released in 1967) John’s scenes in ‘How I Won The War’ Our original review of the film John is interviewed on the set of the film in Almeria, Spain John as the doorman of the ‘Ad Lav’ (‘Not Only But Also’, Nov 1966) James Hargreaves’s very imaginative interpretation of the ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ film John riffs with Little Nicola on the bus ‘I Am The Walrus’ in 4k (glorious!) Mr Creosote scene (somewhat influenced by Magical Mystery Tour) The Beatles’ cameo in the ‘Yellow Submarine’ film John needles Peter Sellers in Twickenham ‘Daytime Revolution’ trailer (new doc about John & Yoko) John at his charismatic peak playing DJ in 1974
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Episode 103: John Lennon The Actor with Ross Marshall (Part 1 of 2)
11/13/2024
Episode 103: John Lennon The Actor with Ross Marshall (Part 1 of 2)
The show keeps rolling with a look at John Lennon as an actor, both in films and TV sketches and also in his persona as Beatle John with the press and on stage. Antony is joined in this endeavour by professional actor Ross Marshall, and the conversation also looks at the craft of acting itself in terms of styles and John Lennon’s (un)suitability for it. Part 1 reaches the end of 1964, including discussion of John’s performance in ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. Part 2 will be out in a few weeks Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Ross’s acting page and his new film, currently streaming on A***** Prime episode links John’s scenes in ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ John on ‘Not Only But Also’ in Jan 1965 (2 appearances, both filmed in Nov 1964) Eoghan Lyng analyses and discusses John’s acting Antony discusses A Hard Day’s Night on the ‘Classic Film Jerks’ podcast Marlon Brando talks about acting and has a friendly disagreement about it with Dick Cavett David Mamet’s book on acting Michael Caine’s acting masterclass and Peter Serafinowicz’s parody of it
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Bonus Episode #15- Antony interviewed by James Jarman in 2016
10/09/2024
Bonus Episode #15- Antony interviewed by James Jarman in 2016
For our latest bonus episode, we offer a diversion and a trip back to the past as your humble host is interviewed about his and other people’s music by a friend in Madrid in 2016. Topics touched upon include songwriting, creativity, performance, recording and (no surprise) The Beatles and John Lennon. Preceding the interview are Antony's thoughts after a reread of the Ray Coleman revised and updated 'Lennon' biography. The next regular episode will be out at the start of November Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) episode links James Jarman in action with the Gines in 2015 TTFN- iAddict- Antony interviews James in Madrid in 2015 Creativity, Communal Experience & Mental Health ('Life And Life Only' episode 19 - relevant part starts at 10.30) ‘Lennon: The Definitive Biography’ by Ray Coleman John & Yoko: A Love Story (1985 TV film) Imagine: John Lennon (1988 documentary)
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Episode 102- Toronto 1969 Part 2: Sweet Toronto with Dave Thurmaier
09/18/2024
Episode 102- Toronto 1969 Part 2: Sweet Toronto with Dave Thurmaier
We complete our 2-part look at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival concert of September 1969 and the ‘white-suited apostle’ John Lennon’s involvement in it with the highly flexible Plastic Ono Band. Following ‘Revival ‘69’, Antony and Dave Thurmaier turn their attention to a 1971 film that should be in every Lennon fan’s video collection, namely D.A. Pennebaker’s film ‘Sweet Toronto’. Antony also reads some other articles and opinions about the event (Goldman despisers, please look away now) and gets Dave’s take on a few Lennon questions that used to be regularly tackled on Glass Onion, involving reality and also a parallel universe where John is still alive (and well?...). As you listen, try to imagine an 80s and 90s where his presence is still active rather than being consumed by his legend, and Cobain gets or makes the call (Kurt plays The Beatles- see below) Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Dave’s podcast episode links Sweet Toronto film (appropriately grainy) Revival ’69 trailer Alternative John Lennon performances of the songs from the Toronto set (BBC 1963, Hollywood Bowl 1965, Rock and Roll Circus, Madison Square Garden, a Montreal hotel room) Yoko Ono’s Why (with graphics) A Yoko pop album you should check out Rubber Soul film (comparison of Lennon 1970 and 1980 interviews) Cold Turkey at the Lyceum isolated tracks (a song about pain!) Kurt Cobain- And I Love Her Pennebaker and Dylan’s ‘Don’t Look Back’
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Episode 101- Toronto 1969 Part 1: Revival '69 with Dave Thurmaier
08/28/2024
Episode 101- Toronto 1969 Part 1: Revival '69 with Dave Thurmaier
And so the next century of Glass Onion begins. We’ve got another fine 2-parter for you, with Antony joined by Dave Thurmaier, the co-host of the ‘I’ve Got A Beatles Podcast’ and former guest of the show way back in 2019 and 2020. The Toronto Rock and Roll Revival concert of September 1969 yielded a live album for John & Yoko plus D.A. Pennebaker’s film ‘Sweet Toronto’ (which will be reviewed in the next episode) and most recently a fantastic 2022 documentary by Ron Chapman. This latter doc is the focus of part 1 of our talk, and before that Antony and Dave discuss Beatle releases of the past year such as the ‘Now And Then’ song and video and the new Mind Games box set. Enjoy!! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Dave’s podcast episode links Revival ’69 trailer The Plastic Ono Band set (to be fully reviewed in the next episode) The Doors play ‘The End’ in Toronto (video from Isle of Wight 1970) Bo Diddley and his riff at Toronto Alice Cooper and the feral chicken John, Yoko & Zappa play ‘Baby Please Don’t Go’ (1971) John Lennon 1976 interview (1980 schtick in place) Mike Tree on ‘Something About The Beatles’ podcast
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Bonus Episode # 14- Revolution 9 Revisited (Antony on 'Pop Goes The 60s')
06/27/2024
Bonus Episode # 14- Revolution 9 Revisited (Antony on 'Pop Goes The 60s')
Over 4 years on from our original episode about ‘Revolution 9’ (episode 25, in the show notes), we return to the topic with an audio version (including multiple sound clips) of a discussion that originally went out on video on Matt Williamson’s excellent you tube channel ‘Pop Goes The 60s’ back in March. We discuss our origin stories with the track, it’s conception and recording, some of the ‘musique concrete’ works that influenced it, the other Beatles’ reaction to it and a few other things. This is preceded by Antony’s thoughts on the new version of the ‘Let It Be’ film and some discussion/defence of Albert Goldman from a Mojo magazine special about John Lennon. There are multiple links below to some interesting work, including quite a few avant-garde pieces that may not seem accessible but do have some rewards to be found if the mood is right, rather like ‘Revolution 9’ itself. Enjoy!! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) The ‘Pop Goes The 60s’ you tube channel and the video version of this discussion episode links The original Glass Onion episode on Revolution 9 Revolution 9 songfacts Revolution 9 isolated tracks Revolution1 take 18 (the origin of Rev 9) ‘Avant-Garde’ and ‘Musique Concrete’ Giles Martin mixes critiqued Liverpool vs Albert Goldman (1988) One Hour with Albert Goldman John Cage’s Rozart Mix Gesang Der Junglinge The Lovin’ Spoonful’s ‘War Games’ Luis Bunuel’s ‘Un Chien Andalou’ Dream Scene from the ‘Wonderwall’ film (1968) 2001: A Space Odyssey Stargate sequence Salvador Dali dream sequence from Hitchcock’s ‘Spellbound’ (1945)
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Episode 100b- John Lennon In The 1960s (Part 2 of 2)
06/05/2024
Episode 100b- John Lennon In The 1960s (Part 2 of 2)
And so we complete the milestone! Scott Phipps once again joins Antony to complete their whistle-stop, greatest hits tour through John Lennon and the 1960s. Scott gives us a brief sketch of each year through a few news events (some extremely random but no less interesting) before our two intrepid heroes each pick a Beatles/Lennon talking point, this time covering the years 1965 to 1969. Thanks once more to all those who’ve been on the Glass Onion journey. My heart has truly been touched by the interest shown in what has been a 5-and-a-half-year odyssey exploring the utterly unique creature that was and is John Lennon. He has been gone from this earth for over 43 years now, but – forgive the cliché – the music lives on, and with modern technology allowing us to access untold amounts of interviews, alternate takes, documentaries and the like, he’s arguably never been more alive than right now. Glass Onion: On John Lennon will continue, and the next couple of episodes are already well into the planning stage. For now, enjoy!! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Scott's Podcasts (Rainbow Valley, Reel Britannia, The Stinking Pause) episode links ‘The Other 1960s’ with Frances Rotunno (my mother!) The Beatles At Shea Stadium (original audio) John Lennon in ‘How I Won The War’ John trips out at the Ally Pally! ‘A Day In The Life’ isolated tracks (majestic) The Beatles react to Brian Epstein’s death The Rock and Roll Years: 1967 'One After 909' on the roof! John Lennon vs Al Capp (full version) The Abbey Road Medley- vocals only (sublime!) Stevie Riks does Johnny Rotten
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Episode 100a- John Lennon In The 1960s (Part 1 of 2)
05/12/2024
Episode 100a- John Lennon In The 1960s (Part 1 of 2)
What better way to mark Glass Onion’s century than with a traditional multi-parter? In the first of two shows to celebrate our milestone, Antony is joined again by Scott Phipps to take a whistle-stop, greatest hits tour through John Lennon and the decade that made him and which he helped propel into history. Scott puts on his ‘Rainbow Valley’ trousers (see show notes) to sketch out each year for us before we each pick a Beatles/Lennon talking point for discussion. This time we tackle 1960 to 1964 as our hero goes from pure rocker to public figure and part of a national obsession. He also starts to wonder if songwriting could be more than ‘I love you and you love me’. Thanks to all those who’ve been on the Glass Onion journey, especially those who’ve consumed every episode and left inspiring and generous feedback Enjoy!! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Scott's Podcasts (Rainbow Valley, Reel Britannia, The Stinking Pause) episode links The Beatles at the Star Club 1962 (cleaned-up, stereo) Stuart Sutcliffe biographical information Lennon’s first Lost Weekend (‘The Beatles Naked’ podcast) The Beatles at the Cavern 1962 (colorised) The Hours and Times (recommended film) John talks about ‘In His Own Write’ Antony discusses ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ film on the ‘Classic Film Jerks’ podcast Scott discusses ‘The Big Freeze’ 1962-63
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Episode 99.5- Paul Is Dead
04/01/2024
Episode 99.5- Paul Is Dead
We felt it in poor taste to add show notes at such a sad time for the world...
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Episode 99- Gimme Some (More) Truth
02/15/2024
Episode 99- Gimme Some (More) Truth
In the last episode before we notch up our century, Antony flies solo to muse on and discuss various items of Lennon interest. In order, these are the 40th anniversary of the ‘Milk And Honey’ album, the cancelling and virtues of the Lennon-penned Beatles song ‘Run For Your Life’, May Pang’s 2022 documentary ‘The Lost Weekend: A Love Story’, the work of Mike Williams and his theory on the impossibility of the recording of ‘Rubber Soul’ (Antony gets tied in knots at this point negotiating his position in the middle ground of the mainstream-conspiracy continuum!), and an extended look at the 2000 ‘Gimme Some Truth’ documentary. Finally there’s a look at the recent Apple TV documentary ‘John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial’ and David Whelan’s new book ‘Mind Games: The Assassination of John Lennon’, both of which naturally focus on the grisly events of December 8th 1980. There are multiple audio clips as ever and what is probably a record number of links in the show notes. Episode 100 will appear in March Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) episode links John Lennon Real Life childhood Antony’s ‘white reggae’ song ‘New World (Order)’ Mike Pachelli guitar lesson for ‘Run For Your Life’ ‘The Lost Weekend: A Love Story Tony King as the Queen of England Julian Lennon - Saltwater Mike Williams on the impossibility of ‘Rubber Soul’ and other theories Olivia Harrison- ‘Hello Billy’ or ‘Hello babes’? Ably House play ‘I Feel Fine’ What did John Lennon play on George Harrison's songs? Trailer for ‘John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial (on Apple TV) David Whelan’s Substack page David’s ‘Mind Games’ book David on the ‘Something About The Beatles’ podcast The Man Who Shot John Lennon (1988 documentary) Dr Stephen Lynn squirms!
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Episode 98- John Lennon And Me
12/19/2023
Episode 98- John Lennon And Me
We round off Glass Onion’s 5th year with a personal episode. Antony explores further his origin story with John Lennon and the ongoing relationship and fascination with the subject of our show (yes, it’s our show). You will also hear some writing that didn’t quite culminate in a book this year, and there’s some discussion of childhood, both Antony’s and John’s, and the glorification of it. Finally, did you know myopia was a superpower? Enjoy the show and see you in 2024! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) episode links Glass onion book intro (early draft) Raw and melodic (Plastic Ono Band outtake 1970) Gloriously weird John & Yoko (1972 film) Birth of the Beatles/John & Yoko: A Love Story (bad but strangely charming TV films)
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Episode 97- John Lennon in 1967 with Tony Green (Part 3 of 3)
12/06/2023
Episode 97- John Lennon in 1967 with Tony Green (Part 3 of 3)
We conclude our 1967 odyssey by picking up from mid-June and detailing all the main Lennon and Beatles events for the rest of 1967. The Beatles are linked by satellite to hundreds of millions, they almost buy a Greek island, the Maharishi enters their lives and they make their own TV special just in time for it to be shown in black-and-white among the traditional wholesome Yuletide entertainment. In between all this, the rather sad life of Brian Epstein comes to an end, John Lennon’s first solo film project is unleashed onto the world, and a few more classic Beatlesongs are created. We hope this deep dive into another incredible year for the Fabs and the world has pleased you. The hippy dream of course didn’t quite work but there was truly something in the air in ’67 and a communal spirit amidst the turmoil of the Vietnam War and the general madness of a crazy world. The next Glass Onion episode will be out in a couple of weeks Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) links to Tony Green’s work Review of Peter Jackson’s ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ Facebook page with links to novels and essays episode links Our World 1967 The Beatles perform ‘All You Need Is Love’ (colourised) The Rutles ‘Love Life’ The Death of Brian Epstein Magical Mystery Tour film clip (John & Little Nicola) James Hargreaves tries to make sense of the film! Mr Creosote from ‘Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life’ (inspired by MMT film) George goes to Haight-Ashbury John & George with David Frost (about meditation) Paul and George ‘have a word’ with the Maharishi in Sweden The Fool On The hill session photo montage The Magical Mystery Tour party (21/12/67) Sam Whiles dives deep on ‘Now And Then’
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Episode 96- John Lennon in 1967 with Tony Green (Part 2 of 3)
11/03/2023
Episode 96- John Lennon in 1967 with Tony Green (Part 2 of 3)
In this episode we start to work our merry way through the Lennon/Beatles events events of this most swinging of Beatleyears, reaching mid-June. The Fabs start off by releasing what could be their greatest single ever and then turn their full attention to creating what is surely at least their most famous album, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. We cover the recording, album cover, launch party, release and legacy of ‘Pepper’, as well as some of the other songs recorded around the same time and used for other singles and projects. In amongst all this, John Lennon trips out in public at one of the premier British psychedelic events of the hippie era… Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) links to Tony’s work Review of Peter Jackson’s ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ Facebook page with links to novels and essays episode links Strawberry Fields Forever video (in shimmering colour!) Strawberry Fields Forever take 26 (brass & strings score) A Day In The Life ‘video’ (orchestra overdub session) A Day In The Life take 1 (echoey counting starts at 2.10) John Lennon at the 14-Hour Technicolor Dream (music by Pink Floyd) Yoko Ono performs ‘Cut Piece’ Sgt Pepper’s launch party Who’s who on the Sgt Pepper album cover ‘Paul Is Dead’ clues on the Sgt Pepper cover Sgt Pepper’s Musical Revolution (Howard Goodall) Howard Goodall - The Beatles: A Musical Appreciation Cynthia Lennon ‘John’ audiobook
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Episode 95: John Lennon In 1967 with Tony Green (Part 1 of 3)
10/16/2023
Episode 95: John Lennon In 1967 with Tony Green (Part 1 of 3)
1967 is a year that has gone into legend for various reasons. Was it the year of peace and love? Was there any real love in it at all? Or was it just like any other year, a heady mix of everything good and bad about the human race and society? Before looking at what was undoubtedly a ground-breaking and life-changing year for John Lennon and The Beatles, myself and my guest, writer Tony Green, have a look at the year of 1967 out there in the big, bad world. As is traditional in this series, we discuss some key events of the year, births and deaths, films and non-Beatles singles and albums Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) links to Tony’s work Review of Peter Jackson’s ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ Facebook page with links to novels and essays Tony's 4th birthday party (a slice of 1960s working class life) The 'Forthlin Road' tapes episode links The Rock and Roll Years: 1967 Dan Richter- From Beat Poets to Summer of Love Acid Dreams: The Complete Social History of LSD The Six-Day War Monterey Pop documentary The 14-Hour Technicolour Dream Muhammad Ali refuses the draft Jimi plays Sgt Pepper (dramatisation) The Doors on the Ed Sullivan Show The Rolling Stones- Let’s Spend ‘Some Time’ Together The Who’s ‘explosive’ appearance on the Smothers Brothers show The Fog of War documentary
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Episode 94- Shake It Up Baby!- The Beatles and 1963 with Ken McNab (Part 2 of 2)
09/26/2023
Episode 94- Shake It Up Baby!- The Beatles and 1963 with Ken McNab (Part 2 of 2)
Ken McNab and I complete our discussion about his new book 'Shake It Up Baby!: The Rise of Beatlemania And The Mayhem of 1963' and the general atmosphere and events of that breathless year. This time round, we cover the second half of the year as our four intrepid musical explorers continue their furious work rate and have their first proper brushes with the British establishment. They also record and release their second album and yet more seminal singles, and slowly set their sights on the ‘land of milk and honey’ across the Atlantic while conquering their homeland completely and finding time to record the first of their special Christmas messages for their growing number of fan club members… Links to Ken’s work can be found below Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) links to Ken’s 1963 book and his other work Ken’s previous appearances on Glass Onion episode links Beatles 1963 timeline The Beatles at the London Palladium (October 1963) The Fabs rock out on Swedish TV! The Beatles’ ‘rattle yer jewellery’ Royal Variety Show performance (colourised and sound-enhanced) The Beatles Come To Town (Manchester 1963) The Beatles Xmas Record 1963 Beatles Studio Outtakes (funny!)
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Episode 93- Shake It Up Baby!: The Beatles and 1963 with Ken McNab (Part 1 of 2)
09/22/2023
Episode 93- Shake It Up Baby!: The Beatles and 1963 with Ken McNab (Part 1 of 2)
Following the shows on 1962, we seamlessly move to 1963 with the welcome return of Ken McNab to talk about his new book 'Shake It Up Baby!: The Rise of Beatlemania And The Mayhem of 1963'. After Ken gives some thoughts on Peter Jackson’s ‘Get Back’ (his previous appearances on Glass Onion were prior to its release), we cover the events of the first half of the year and the slow creep of Beatlemania. The Beatles move from also-rans to bill-toppers while covering an incredible amount of ground criss-crossing the country on British tours. They also record and release their first album and a couple of seminal early singles, John Lennon becomes a father and John and Brian Epstein go on holiday… Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) links to Ken’s 1963 book and his other work Ken’s previous appearances on Glass Onion episode links Beatles 1963 timeline The Beatles at Stowe Please Please Me album remastered Helen Shapiro on a programme about child stars
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Episode 92- John Lennon In 1962 with David 'Ghosty' Wills (Part 3 of 3)
08/29/2023
Episode 92- John Lennon In 1962 with David 'Ghosty' Wills (Part 3 of 3)
We complete our deep dive into 1962 in the outer world and in the Beatles family psychodrama, picking up from late July with Beatles events including a historic change of drummer, John Lennon’s marriage, the group’s first radio interview, their more than troublesome experience recording the simplest song in the world (Love Me Do), gigs with one of their biggest musical heroes Little Richard, and their final rather obligatory two trips back to Hamburg, the second of which yielded the infamous Star Club tapes Ghosty and I’s casual chemistry (see part 1) yields tangents in some of the right places, and there are the usual array of diverse audio clips, the vast majority of which are relevant to the conversation… Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Ghosty's podcast and you tube channel episode links The Beatles’ first radio interview (October 1962) The Beatles at the Star Club (fan clean-up in stereo) The story of the Hamburg tapes (BBC 1973) The Backbeat Band (Thurston Moore, Mike Mills, Dave Grohl) Merseybeat Reunion in Liverpool (1971) Rare interviews with Beatles associates ‘Love And Let Die’ review (Beatles and Bond book)
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Episode 91- John Lennon In 1962 with David 'Ghosty' Wills (Part 2 of 3)
07/27/2023
Episode 91- John Lennon In 1962 with David 'Ghosty' Wills (Part 2 of 3)
In this episode, Antony and Ghosty start discussing the Beatles/Lennon events of 1962, covering January to June. Particular focus is put on the Pete Best issue and the death of Stuart Sutcliffe, not to mention John Lennon’s contentious and highly unique reaction to that death. Every year in the Beatles story from around 1960 was packed with activity and full of psychodrama, and 1962 is no exception. As ever, there are interesting audio clips to complement the conversation, and our two intrepid Beatle commentators go on tangents in most of the right places… Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) Ghosty's you tube channel episode links Stuart Sutcliffe: The Lost Beatle (documentary) Eric Taros & Richard Buskin deep dive on Lennon’s first ‘Lost Weekend’ post-Stu Sutcliffe’s death ‘Guess the Beatles song’ challenges from the David Bennett Piano channel (search the channel for more) Aunt Mimi interview from 1981 Aunt Mimi vs George Harrison
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Episode 90- John Lennon In 1962 with David 'Ghosty' Wills (Part 1 of 3)
06/24/2023
Episode 90- John Lennon In 1962 with David 'Ghosty' Wills (Part 1 of 3)
Our latest Lennon odyssey starts with a review of the events of 1962, a tangential conversation in which Antony and guest David ‘Ghosty’ Wills freewheel into all kinds of other territory before setting the listeners up with some pre-1962 context on the Beatles’ progress on their own journey to musical and cultural world domination. 1962 was marked by a massive historical event, the Cuban Missile Crisis, which happened in the same year as the first appearances in the world of the Beatles’ music and a certain famous undercover spy known to absolutely everyone he meets, and as we often do in this series, we talk about the relative importance of these events in the grand sweep of history Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology) Ghosty's you tube channel episode links Vasily saves the world! Operation Northwoods (please read) 1962 in all its glory Fred Seaman vs Elliot Mintz (and Geraldo) Other interviews with Lennon insiders Lenny Bruce at Berkeley Teach Yourself Paul McCartney (Stevie Riks)
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Episode 89- All We Are Saying: The 1980 Playboy Interviews (Part 3 of 3)
05/25/2023
Episode 89- All We Are Saying: The 1980 Playboy Interviews (Part 3 of 3)
We complete our latest Lennon journey with the conclusion of my analysis of some of the more telling quotes from the series of interviews conducted in September 1980 for Playboy magazine by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. This episode contains a lot of clips from the original audio of the interviews and focuses mainly on John's comments about who wrote what in the Lennon-McCartney catalogue, including John#s analysis of the deeper meanings behind the song 'Strawberry Fields Forever'. I have also included (by kind permission) an extended segment from the excellent 'Yesterday and Today' podcast that deals with a certain seafaring adventure that John undertook in June 1980 and which would have a profound effect on him. Finally, there's a little bit of music from your humble host... Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology) episode links The full available audio from the interviews Rubber Soul film (about the 1970 and 1980 John Lennon interviews) The Hours and Times (recommended film) The 'Yesterday and Today' podcast 'Between The Lines' (the John Lennon album that never was) David Whelan's interview with Howard Hughes 'Jealous Guy' documentary (Lennon and Chapman)
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Episode 88- All We Are Saying: The 1980 Playboy Interviews (Part 2 of 3)
04/24/2023
Episode 88- All We Are Saying: The 1980 Playboy Interviews (Part 2 of 3)
This episode starts with a ‘short intro’ of around 45 minutes, with yet more Coleman vs Goldman material, before continuing our in-depth look at John Lennon’s series of interviews for Playboy magazine in September 1980, which also included Yoko Ono. The interviews offer a fascinating and multi-layered study of a highly eccentric artist and also form an integral part of the official narrative of John and Yoko’s relationship in 1980 before John’s sudden and brutal demise. There are numerous audio clips to complement the conversation, including some of John from the interviews themselves. You will also hear from Arthur and Vivien Janov talking about Primal Therapy, and comedy genius Bill Hicks discussing drugs. Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology) episode links The Playboy Interviews (more than 3 hours of audio clips) trailer for May Pang’s new documentary Jon Stewart’s highly-recommended book ‘Dylan, Lennon, Marx & God’ John and the Beatles rip through ‘Too Much Monkey Business’ John Lennon at ‘The 14-Hour Technicolour Dream’ (1967) Bill Hicks at his brilliant best!
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Episode 87- All We Are Saying: The 1980 Playboy Interviews (Part 1 of 3)
03/18/2023
Episode 87- All We Are Saying: The 1980 Playboy Interviews (Part 1 of 3)
John Lennon’s series of interviews for Playboy magazine in September 1980, which also included Yoko Ono, are not only a fascinating and multi-layered study of a highly eccentric artist but also form an integral part of the official narrative of John and Yoko’s relationship in 1980 before his death and of the genesis of the songs for their joint album ‘Double Fantasy’. This episode is the first of a 3-parter that picks out some interesting extracts from the book ‘All We Are Saying’, based on the transcripts of the interviews. A lot of the narrative promoted by John & Yoko in these interviews has been reasonably debunked, including the obvious and provable point that John's songs for 'Double Fantasy' were worked on for years rather than being the product of pure inspiration. The overall contention over what the truth is has helped form the Coleman-Goldman continuum that has been a almost frequent topic of study on this podcast Before the main topic, there is also a recommendation and critique of Madeline Bocaro’s epic new 500-page book on Yoko Ono, whose narrative fits neatly with the interviews being studied in this episode. There are numerous audio clips to complement the conversation, including some of John from the interviews themselves. Enjoy! Feedback to Support the show at OR Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology) Antony on Luke’s English Podcast talking about meditation episode links The Playboy Interviews (more than 3 hours of audio clips) link to Madeline Bocaro’s new book on Yoko Ono Madeline and Dan Richter on the ‘Things We Said Today’ podcast ‘John Lennon’s Original Lost Weekend’ (episode of ‘The Beatles Naked’) Double Fantasy Revisited (‘Something About The Beatles’ podcast) Kirby Ferguson’s ‘Everything Is A Remix’ website, documentary and TED talk Huxley vs Orwell (dystopia and modern reality) ‘Amusing Ourselves To Death’ audiobook ‘Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah’ by Richard Bach audiobook
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The Beatles And A Mass of Humanity
01/31/2023
The Beatles And A Mass of Humanity
The Beatles were a pop/rock group and were and are a phenomenon that has been a major part of my life and my psyche for over 30 years, ever since the day in about 1988 when a boy in his early teens brought up on mainly commercial 1980s music suddenly encountered music that was largely new to his ears but which had been created 25 years previously. The music I'd known up to that point mainly featured the 'self-conscious synths' of the New Romantics and the 4-minute single created by gifted songwriters but with an overemphasis on production and electronic technology. Through the compilation 'A Collection of Beatles Oldies... But Goldies', which spanned the singles and most famous album tracks from 1963 to 1966, I marvelled first at the 2-minute immediacy of 'She Loves You' and 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' from '63, so direct, exciting and driven by guitar and voices that were young, raw and uninhibited with the power and energy to immediately excite the ears and lift the spirit. From there came the still catchy but more world-weary 'Ticket To Ride' from '65 and then the next sensation of 'Eleanor Rigby' from '66, 3 years on from 'She Loves You' but a quantum leap in terms of progress. Rather than go through the incredible Beatles story and try to make it my own, I'm instead going to just jump to one small but significant aspect that perhaps typifies both their appeal and what we are all striving for. In around 2010, I watched some video clips of Beatles expert Mark Lewisohn, a veteran of many reference books and radio specials about the group, discussing a forthcoming trilogy of Beatles books called 'All These Years' that he was writing and which would eventually offer the complete story up to the split in unprecedented detail and drawing from truly obsessive full-time research. Even when I saw the length of the first one released in late 2013 (900 pages, with an 'author's cut' edition of 1700 pages!), I didn't really believe that there could be much information that a seasoned Beatles expert like me hadn't already come across. Tackling the author's cut this year, it turned out to be a 3-month odyssey of steady reading and one fantastic revelation after another, giving a much clearer sense of why the Beatles became so big. Bear in mind that this first book of the trilogy, entitled 'Tune In', only takes the story up to the end of 1962, where The Beatles are on the cusp of fame but without a hit single to their name, so the utter powerhouse that The Beatles have already become is at this point without the force of the now-legendary Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership and their incredible creations that have been with us 50 years and are probably going to last for as long as music is appreciated. What comes across clearly from 'Tune In' is that The Beatles were stars from about 1961, 2 years before anyone outside their immediate part of the world (the north-west of England) and one city in Germany had ever heard of them. After an incredible Hamburg apprenticeship which encompassed 415 stage hours in 14 weeks from August-December 1960, followed by a mind-boggling 503 hours in 92 straight evenings from April-July 1961 and would include 3 more visits of varying lengths in 1962, the basic elements of their appeal were already there, and they had a following which was intensely loyal and already showing signs of becoming obsessional. They weren't the only band to log this approximate number of hours on stage in Hamburg, but crucially they were the ones who seemed to take full advantage of the remarkable opportunity to grow that the relentless Reeperbahn slog, which began on the 20-year anniversary of the first Nazi bombs hitting Liverpool, afforded. To cut a very long story short, they learned incredible stagecraft, being able to take all the various elements of the music they loved and meld them into something hard rocking but also soulful, soaring harmonies of incredible beauty contrasting with a relentless beat and the raw brilliance of John Lennon's driving rhythm guitar. They weren't afraid to branch out and play all kinds of songs, including show tunes and music hall numbers. They provided cabaret and comedy, able to ad lib when there was electrical failure in the venues they were playing, but they also had 'the toughness of hard lives in dangerous places', as Lewisohn's book puts it. Their shows seemed to have everything and encompass the history of music and the experience of life in every note, chord and beat. Two glorious nights at 'The Cavern', the legendary venue on Mathew Street in the centre of Liverpool that in its original form was a converted fruit warehouse cellar used as an air-raid shelter during the Second World War, exemplified The Beatles' appeal. (For the record, the Liverpool tourism industry rather dishonestly omits to mention that the Cavern that exists now is a replica, built a few doors down from the original, which was demolished in the 1970s to make way for a car park!) The venue itself had a pungent aroma (odour) that none who played there have ever forgotten, a mixture of disinfectant, damp, fruit from the warehouses, toilets, perspiration, body odour, soup, hot dogs and cigarettes, an awful but incredibly evocative combination. The Beatles played theirs and the club's first all-night session in summer 1961, with all the usual raw energy and breathless atmosphere heightened in this '6-act, 10-hour party'. One can only imagine what it was like, all the smells previously described intensified even further by even more heaving bodies than usual and the cooking, serving and consumption of large amounts of scouse (onions, carrots, potatoes and meat), once the favourite dish of Norwegian sailors and which gave Liverpudlians their nickname. There are overflowing toilets, pouring ceilings and walls, blown fuses, and lots of musical equipment being lugged through the crowds and into the crowded club. In early April 1962, they managed to top this night with a private party aptly called 'The Beatles For Their Fans', a farewell before their 3rd 'tour' of Hamburg, which saw them become headliners at the newly-created Star-Club. The night was everything they hoped it was going to be, and the 650 or so who attended were treated to a set by the leather-clad Beatles who, after an interval and then an announcement by resident D.J. Bob Wooler, suddenly appeared in their new mohair suits, which garnered a mixed reaction initially from the fans who couldn't quite let them evolve from what was familiar to them but which was eventually accepted as inevitable to ensure progress. Aside from their usual set, The Beatles and support act The Four Jays jammed the jazz standard 'Mama Don't Allow' for a full 20 minutes, including George on trumpet (which he couldn't play at all), everyone taking solos and improvisation to the fore. John and Paul later don Santa outfits (in the middle of spring!) and George wore a silk Noel Coward dressing-gown and Christmas-cracker hat. At the end of this incredible night, the Beatles delivered a special pre-planned parting message along the lines of 'don't forget us', the group having a genuine fear despite their apparently untouchable status that in their absence the fickle audiences might move on to someone else, and step down from the stage into a version of what is later to be called 'Beatlemania'. Local music newspaper 'Mersey Beat' wrote this up as their 'greatest-ever performance', and personally it may well have been the highpoint of their collective life together, especially because they were about to be dealt a blow that even these tough Liverpool boys would find it hard to recover from, namely the death at 21 of their friend and former band member, the gifted painter Stuart Sutcliffe. On an April night in this tiny space in the world, unknown to anyone outside its immediate vicinity, there was all kinds of magic created, largely through human connection created by music and the sense of belonging to something, which I believe is that vital and sometimes elusive element that may be the key to a happy life. For all their success, perhaps this is one of the last times that it felt real, with the fans showing a remarkable appreciation for the group's incredible talent without the wild-eyed and berserk hysteria that would eventually drive The Beatles away from live performance into becoming the studio band of 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', a million miles away from sweaty Cavern nights. This particular Cavern night in 1962 was most bittersweet for drummer Pete Best, whose tenure in the group was, probably unbeknownest to him, coming to an end. He was front and centre of one of the many highlights of the night, as the Beatles added a new gimmick to their stage act with the song 'Peppermint Twist', which reflected the still-popular but ultimately short-lived dance craze. Pete came out front from behind his drums to both sing and dance the song, with Paul taking over on drums and George playing Paul's left-handed bass upside down. Best was joined in the twist by a fan and regular 'Cavernite' Kathy Johnson, and as the song went on and on without ever looking like it was going to stop, Pete and Kathy began a romantic partnership that has so far lasted more than 50 years. Was Pete, who was sacked as drummer just before stardom but who has maintained his health, sanity and privacy while eventually getting financially-rewarded through royalties from the 'Beatles Anthology' project, the ultimate loser or the ultimate winner? Without wishing to lapse into cliches, the music world and the public were the ultimate winners of the Beatles story.
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The Rather Strange Last Day In The Life of John Lennon
01/31/2023
The Rather Strange Last Day In The Life of John Lennon
First, the facts as they are known John Lennon was born in 1940 and died in 1980, 2 months after his 40th birthday. It's fair to say that he packed a lot of living into his half-a-lifetime, and it's also universally acknowledged that his death in New York on Monday December 8th 1980 came as a huge shock worldwide, prompting a mass outpouring of grief which seemed to be particularly strong in America, more so than in England, the place of Lennon's birth. Inevitably, there have been rumours about whether it really was a 'lone assassin', as seems to be so often the case in high-profile American murder cases, or another hand, but it's fair to say that Lennon and Yoko Ono almost certainly didn't know that anything out of the ordinary was going to happen on that day. What's also strange about that day is that it seemed to play out as both a microcosm of and epilogue to Lennon's life, as will be seen. It might be expected that on an otherwise ordinary day in the life of a rock superstar, the star himself would not be particularly visible, and we probably wouldn't have photos of him, audio of his voice or a picture of him signing an autograph for a fan, but we have all three and more. Lennon's movements on that day, up to the moment of truth, are now well-known . He started the day with coffee at La Fortuna, a favourite local cafe of his, and the events of the rest of the day make quite eerie reading in retrospect. The haircut Fairly innocuous in itself, but Lennon happened to choose this day to have a throwback 50's-style, faux Teddy Boy haircut, as well as wearing a leather jacket throughout the day. The 50's were his years of teenage development, the seminal period of his life, and his love for Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and the rest were some of the main reasons why ultimately The Beatles happened. He had recently taken to wearing his old school tie, and had recorded his comeback single, (Just Like) Starting Over, in a vocal style that he called 'Elvis-Orbison'. The photoshoot In the late morning, John and Yoko did a photo session with well-known New York photographer Annie Liebowitz. Easily the most famous shot to emerge from this session was one of a fully-naked John Lennon in a foetal embrace with a fully-clad Yoko Ono. 'That's it!, that's our relationship' said Lennon after the photo had been posed for. The idea of being a naked 'artist', both literally, artistically and spiritually, had been perhaps the second great theme of his life and work, after rock'n'roll. In the mid-60's, after the thrill of Beatles fame had long since become more of an empty irritation than a glorious thrill, he had gone into a drug-addled period of seclusion, broken only by Beatle commitments, before he started a relationship with Yoko who, like her or hate her, did seem to bring him back to life. From then to the end of his life, he considered himself an artist, open to ideas and willing to lay himself bare, literally or otherwise, before his audience. He had of course been pictured naked before, with Yoko in a similar state, for the cover of their barely-listenable 'concept art' album, 'Two Virgins'. At that time, the picture seemed to be of two people reduced to a child-like state of innocence in the glow of their new love, but 12 years later, with Lennon alone in the virginal state and having dubbed Yoko 'mother' some years back, the balance of power in their relationship seemed clear. John and Yoko had also recently shot a video of them naked, simulating love-making, to promote one of their latest songs. The interview Between 1-4pm on December 8th 1980, Dave Sholin became the recipient of John Lennon's final interview, held in one of the vast rooms of John and Yoko's many apartments in the Gothic Dakota building, located at West 72nd Street, New York, and formerly the setting for the film 'Rosemary's Baby', made in 1968 by Roman Polanski. One year after the film, Polanski's pregnant wife Sharon Tate was butchered by the Manson family, who wrote in Tate's blood near her body, 'Helter Skelter', the name of a Beatles song from their most-recent album. Lennon was late getting back for the interview, apologising and announcing that Annie Liebowitz had wanted 'one more shot' before he was free to leave. Yoko had taken the floor before his arrival. In the 3-hour Sholin interview, John Lennon, with literally hours to live, ran through a potted history of his whole life, from his troubled family history to the famous meetings with Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono to his hopes for the future of himself and mankind. Towards the end of the interview, John Lennon announced that 'i always consider my work to be one piece, and it won't be finished until i'm dead and buried and i hope that's a long, long time'. Lennon seemed upbeat to all who knew him at this time, while others believe he was actually clinically depressed and addicted to very potent pharmaceuticals. His excessively thin frame was either the result of a healthy diet or heroin. At this very moment in time, a 25-year-old from Georgia, now based in Hawaii, a world away from the superstar John Lennon in terms of status and the love of others, was very close to him, standing outside the Dakota apartment chatting to other fans as well as an amateur photographer of Lennon's acquaintance called Paul Goresh. Mark David Chapman, by his own admission, was holding a gun in his pocket in the crisp December air, waiting for one of the voices in his head, God or Satan, to step forward and help determine the course of his actions and his and Lennon's destinies, just as Lennon spoke those last words. The autograph At around 5pm, Lennon's and Chapman's worlds collided for the first time. John Ono Lennon, world superstar and cultural icon, a man prone to depression and mood swings, stepped out of the Dakota apartments with his wife on his way to a recording studio. Mark David Chapman, a nobody who'd previously attempted suicide and was a man prone to depression and mood swings, stood outside the same building. Suddenly, out of nowhere, there he was, the superstar, the icon, and Chapman froze. His first instinct was not to draw his gun. He simply froze, like any awed fan face-to-face with John Lennon. He'd bought Lennon's latest album, Double Fantasy, the day before, and as Lennon approached, he wordlessly thrust the album in front of him. Lennon dutifully signed the album 'John Lennon 1980'. Amateur photographer Goresh, an opportunist who had once posed as a delivery man in order to get into the Dakota, saw his opportunity and snapped the final pictures of John Lennon alive, signing an autograph for the man who would soon end his life. In the picture (below), Chapman's smile/smirk could be equally interpreted as a devilish appreciation of what was to happen later or simply that of a fan, his demons temporarily set aside, happy to get his album signed by the man himself. One source has stated that Chapman asked Lennon for a job during their encounter, but this is unverified. It's also been written that after giving the autograph, Lennon asked Chapman, 'is that all you want?' , and some even go further and have Lennon asking him a second time and there being a moment suspended in time, as if Lennon had some mystical (or at least vibrational) awareness of something 'fated'. The recording session John Lennon went to the Hit Factory to record guitar on Yoko Ono's 'Walking On Thin Ice', his final contribution to the music business. The end Chapman waited with Goresh, who eventually left for the night. Many hours later, at 10.50pm, Chapman saw Lennon's limousine approach from the distance and park by the kerb outside the Dakota. Yoko got out first, quite a way ahead of John and passed Chapman. Lennon passed him next and may or may not have acknowledged him, and at this point Chapman fired the shots heard around the world. Lennon's painfully thin frame was no match for the hollow-point bullets of the .38 Charter Arms pistol, which ripped through him and sealed his fate. He had enough left to moan 'I'm shot' but was D.O.A. at nearby Roosevelt Hospital 20 minutes later. As if the day couldn't get any stranger, Chapman, upon shooting the star, simply put the smoking gun down by his feet and started reading 'The Catcher In The Rye' by J.D. Salinger, a book he had become seemingly obsessed with over the previous 2 years. So John Lennon, sporting his vintage rock'n'roll haircut and leather jacket, having given the world a final set of pictures and a retrospective interview encompassing most of his life story, and signed an autograph for the worst kind of fan, was gone. The aftermath As a final expression of how media-dominated the world had become even then, there was one more John Lennon photo taken that day before his cremation, of the rock star and ex-Beatle lying on the slab. The world chose to remember him as a saint, something that Astrid Kirchherr, who'd befriended the young Beatles in Hamburg, thought he would have found quite amusing. Chapman has now served over 40 years in Attica Prison, mostly in solitary confinement. Such is the nature of his crime and the person he killed, he will probably never be released. Is this right, when others have done similar things to nobodies and served far less time? It is thought that if he was released, one of those misguided Beatles fans, young or old, who really thinks that John Lennon wrote songs for them and them alone, might earn themselves a life sentence for an act of retribution. It should be remembered that in the end, however gifted, John Lennon was just a man, all too human, so perhaps this is above all a story of the power of celebrity. Postscript As if the story needed any more bizarre twists, how about this recollection from a rock journalist interviewing David Bowie recently. 'I’ve been rattled more than once by a revelation from a musician for which there had been no previous report , but none more sobering than the one David Bowie gave me when the recording machine was turned off : according to Bowie , New York City police discovered that his name was second on a hitlist of targets of John Lennon’s assassin , Mark David Chapman . At the time of Lennon’s December 8 , 1980 murder outside of his Manhattan apartment , David Bowie was starring just blocks away on Broadway in the play “The Elephant Man” . “I was second on his list,” Bowie told me in the New York studio we shared near Madison Square Garden . “Chapman had a front-row ticket to ‘The Elephant Man’ the next night . John and Yoko were supposed to sit front-row for that show, too. So the night after John was killed there were three empty seats in the front row . I can’t tell you how difficult that was to go on . I almost didn’t make it through the performance .” The irony is that David Bowie’s first #1 hit “Fame” , from the Young Americans album , was co-written with Lennon who also played guitar on the track . And it was indeed their fame as rock stars which drew Mark David Chapman to stalk them, and subsequently, to murder Lennon.'
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Bonus Episode #13- John Lennon Compilation Albums (Antony on 'When They Was Fab' podcast)
01/28/2023
Bonus Episode #13- John Lennon Compilation Albums (Antony on 'When They Was Fab' podcast)
Compilation albums come in many shapes and sizes and some can be justified while others rely on good marketing and glossy packaging to persuade consumers to part with their hard-earned money for the same material. This is an appearance by your humble host on the ‘When they Was Fab’ podcast back in December 2020 discussing the mind-boggling number of John Lennon compilation albums that have been foisted on the public since 1975. The conversation is preceded by a long introduction from Antony discussing various talking points from a recent reread of ‘The Beatles: The Authorised Biography’ by Hunter Davies. Enjoy! Feedback and voluntary Paypal donations to OR Support the show at Facebook page- Twitter handle Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology) ‘When They Was Fab’ podcast ‘When They Was Fab’ review the Two of Us TV film (previously reviewed on Glass Onion Episode 86) Antony on ‘2Legs: A Paul McCartney Podcast’- John & Paul’s relationship Antony on ‘Pop Goes The 60s discussing ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’ episode links List of John Lennon compilation albums Hunter Davies Beatles Authorised Biography Paul McCartney with Hunter Davies- May 1981 Jimi Hendrix great one-liner with Dick Cavett The Chilis do ‘I Found Out’ Cheap Trick rip through ‘Cold Turkey’ Yoko Ono Give Peace A Chance 2005 Remix SATB podcast on Philip Norman
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