Come sail away with John

 

I love how John just blends in with the group and he looks happy.  He looks relaxed.  

Everyone wants to see Paul and Linda

 

Karate Moves

 

Here is something you don't see every day -- Paul and Linda McCartney with Chuck Norris.  

Paul at MPL

Photos by Tore Skaar and Anne Kristin Ekern

Paul at MPL

McCartney Observer

By Tore Skaar and Anne Kristin Ekern (Norway)

Summer 1980

 

After a lot of struggling, we managed to meet Paul and Wings for the first time on June 15, 1979 – the very last day of our visit to London.  It was merely an hour before our bus left for the airport!  Wings were being interviewed live on Capital Radio when “Back to the Egg” had just been released.  Ray Brown (at the Musique Boutique) had hinted that the group was to be interviewed live about 3 pm.  It was our last chance to see them, and we had to hurry.  Naturally, we were somewhat depressed this last day in London, after all the seeking that gave no result.  Well, Wings arrived, all of them in good spirits, and the dream of seeing Paul had come true.  He was very nice, joked and smiled, ever the diplomat!  We took some pictures and well, the end of the story is rather sad.  Somehow the film disappeared when it was sent for developing, and we’ve never seen anything of it since.

So, therefore we set out with bigger hopes when we made our trip the second time around this year.  Having arrived in London on Saturday, July 5^th, we went up to St. John’s Wood on Sunday.  Paul was not living there this time either, so we walked to Abbey Road/EMI aftwerwards.  We didn’t really expect Paul to be there, and we were right.  Someone there said, when we asked where Paul was, “I think he’s in Scotland.” Now, that made us a little depressed again.  After all, it was July, the album (McCartney II) was out quite a while ago, and it wouldn’t really be strange if Paul was on holiday.  But we were determined not to give up.  Having gained quite a lot of experience from the first trip, we learned one thing:  Trust no one!  They all tell you different things!  Whether it’s Tony Brainsby, Sue at MPL, or someone at the EMI Abbey Road – well, it’s a shame, but you can’t really trust any of them.  One of them says Paul is out of the country on holiday; the other says he’s rehearsing at a secret place (far away from London, of course) or that he’s in Scotland, etc etc. so once again – here’s the advice that you all ought to go by: TRUST NO ONE!  THEY ALL TELL YOU DIFFERENT THINGS!

Soon already the next day, this statement proved to be true.  On our way to Oxford Street – we came from “Musique Boutique” – we decided we might as well drop by the MPL in Soho Square.  It was just after 4 o’clock in the afternoon, and the door was locked.  However, a girl came out and was actually very friendly.  Answering the questions about where HE was, she said, “He’s upstairs.”  We couldn’t believe it, and we got so excited.  So, of course, we couldn’t leave the place now, and we started to wait for him to come down.  A Mexican boy called Enrique was also there.  And whom did we see when we had just crossed the street and looked toward the first floor, but Paul! It made us so happy, and we waved at him with a lot of gestures.  He smiled and waved back.  It looked as if he was happy to see us.  He was sitting in a chair, so we could only see his head.  He had a conversation going on with an unidentified person.  Apparently, it was a day of business meetings for Paul, and we were pretty lucky to be here this day, as he's very seldom at the MPL.  Later on, we also saw Linda and baby James on the 3^rd or 4^th floor.  We waved at them, too, and they waved back.  Linda helped every smiling James with his waving.  They all seemed happy that day. Well, Paul finally went out of the room and seemingly took the elevator to another floor, so we had to wait longer.  And, would you believe it, who came walking towards MPL just after we had arrived there – George Martin!  We didn’t get to speak with him when he arrived, but after an hour or so, he came out again, so we ran to him and said “hello” and “thank you for all the great records that you produced.”  He was very nice, wrote autographs and posed for us.

And we waited for Paul.  After two hours of waiting, he finally came down with James on his arm.  Linda also came.  As we started for the front door, Paul suddenly opened the door and waved us towards him!  “What the hell, is he going to invite us in?” we thought.  He didn’t do that, but he asked us if we were going to take photos, and we said yes, and he just said, “OK.  Well, just wait and few minutes, and we’ll come out.”  We could hardly believe it.  It was so nice of him!  It just goes to prove that he cares about his fans.

There were some people inside, and they chatted for a couple of minutes.  Then they came out, and Paul started posing at one, and then Linda too.  We clicked away with our cameras, and we managed to get some good photos of the event.  Paul then said that they had to leave, and they went into their Rolls.  We ran out into the street to take as many photos as possible.  Paul rolled down his window, and James sat on Linda’s knees.  Linda smiled – so did Paul – and we all said goodbye to each other.  Then they drove away. 

It was Monday, July 7, 1980, at 6 pm, and a day we’ll never forget. 

Happy times with John

Photo by Paul Goresh 

 

Enjoying the music

 

Five minute break

 

Boating with the Lennons

 

Strumming in the Sun

 

Singing sea chanty songs

 

John & Yoko (new photos!)

 

Photos taken by Tony Palmieri  

December 1, 1980 - John and Yoko at the Que Vadis Restaurant in New York City 

Nothing makes me as happy as seeing photographs of John Lennon that I have never seen before. It is amazing that after all these years, we STILL see "new" shots. I love these. John was looking good!

Sailing with John

 

Waving goodbye

 

Three people that were on the rooftop

 John and Yoko with Ethan Russell  - 

I Saw Them Walking There

 Tonight's story is a lovely story of a fan that met John and Yoko outside of the Dakota in 1980.    Photos were not taken, so I am including this photo of John and Yoko from August 9, 1980  (this story takes place on August 1).   I can't help but wonder, knowing what we know now if the fan in this story regrets auctioning off her autograph of John and Yoko on October 1, 1980.   

I Saw Them Walking There

By Allison Villone

Maxwell’s Silver Hammer Fan club Publication

1980

 

(Note from Editor-- On July 30, I was hanging around the Dakota hoping for John and/or Yoko to come out, with some friends.  With no warning, a cab pulled out, and who came out of the cab but John and Yoko.  They walked across our path and into the building.  I vowed to go back two days later, since I now knew they weren’t on vacation.)

 

Undaunted, I went back with Eileen, a McCartney friend.  As I’m a Lennon Lover, one would think that she might not be for me.  But we get along well together so I invited her to come along to spend the day with me hanging out at the Dakota.  We took the train from Larchmont and 45 minutes later we ended up at Grand Central Station.  Then we walked from Grand Central up to Fifth Avenue and then all the way to East 72^nd Avenue.  Then we walked across Central Park.  If you are at all familiar with this route, you’ll know how tired we were.  By then it was 12:00.  We decided to just wait at the Dakota for a few minutes, and then go to lunch at the Dakota restaurant.   We were just standing on the south side, right next to the brass booth where the doorman stands.  It was August 1, and we were enjoying one of those humid, sweltering, red-hot August days.  I remember that we were looking at the windows and I noticed that the doorman was sweating.

 

We had only been standing outside for three minutes when I looked to my left.  No one.  Then my right.  John and Yoko were walking toward us.  Since Eileen is not a Lennon fan, I said, “That’s them” and decided to calm my shock and start trying to talk.  John was wearing his hair, that looked very blond, in a ponytail.  He was wearing a tannish terry-cloth shirt, shirt, white pans (the painter’s kind), his old pecs, and his white tennis shoes.  He really looked great and much younger than I expected.

Yoko looked great too.  She actually looked younger than I remembered in pictures, in fact, I thought she looked prettier than I remembered.   And since I always thought that she was attractive, I was really happy to see her looking so young.   She was really relaxed and subdued in an orange caftan shirt and pants.  They walked out, talking to each other, Yoko holding on to John’s arm loosely.  I don’t know how I did it, but I moved my mouth.  I looked at John and said, “excuse me, John, but would you please sign something for me?”  He said “sure” rather politely and seemed sort of amused.  I reached into my bag and pulled out my very favorite album, Imagine.    I handed him my indelible blue magic marker and the record.  He said “it’s goin’ to rub off, I think.  I’d sign it but it’d rub off.”  I shrugged because I sort of knew he would end up signing it. 

I looked at Yoko, who was sort of quiet, and asked her, “would you please sign something for me, too Yoko?”  She smiled and I gave her the Wedding Album postcard.  She took the marker from John and signed it.  I had the card in a blue notebook because I didn’t want to get it bent since it’s a collector’s item.  John took it out of my hand and signed it without me even asking him!  Then he gave it to Yoko and she signed it.  She gave him the Wedding Album postcard and gave the book back to me.  My membership card from Here There and Everywhere fell out.  Yoko said, “Look, someone fell out” and reached down and picked it up.  When she stood up straight, she handed it to me!  I couldn’t believe it!  Then John looked at me and said, “Well, I might as well try the album cover, anyway,” really sweetly.  He signed it and handed it to Yoko.  Yoko started signing on his face.  “Singing on me nose, eh?” he said kidding around.  No matter how American he is, he sounds more British than anyone I know.

 

He asked me, “So where ya from?”  He started signing Eileen’s single, “Revolution.” He put the top on my pen and handed the marker to me.

“Upstate – Larchmont, Westchester County.”  I was still sort of nervous.  I really hadn’t expected that I would have to answer questions!  Eileen asked Yoko to sign the single, and she was really happy about it, I noticed.  John made a remark about the “bloody sticky weather.”  He said a few more things before he and Yoko seemed to be edging away.  They were so nice and pleasant.  I was really, really, pleased.  

“Thank you so much, John and Yoko,” I said.  Maybe I sounded a little overzealous or silly but I didn’t care!  I have a feeling that they understood, they acted that way, anyway.

John shrugged and said, “Really nice to meet you.  Catch you later,” like he had known us for a hundred years.  He had a way of making you feel relaxed.  I mean, to contain myself when talking to my favorite person for five minutes, I must have been relaxed!  Then Yoko said, “Yes, it was very nice.”  Then they said “goodbye” and walked away.

After that, we stood outside of that Dakota for a while, watching them go.  We just looked at the autographs and everything.  A guy I met passed by in a cab and yelled out, “Hey, you finally got him, huh?”

The doorman, a nice, young guy wanted to know what happened.  I recounted my experience again and again and will probably do it forever.  That five minutes was the happiest moment of my life.  I met my two favorite people, and they were the two nicest people on earth!

Thanks, John and Yoko for living up to my experiences and then some and for being the two nicest people I ever met!

 

(I am willing to sell the autograph John and Yoko gave me in the little notebook.  It is a small piece of paper, a bit smaller than an index card.  IT is signed by both John and Yoko in dark blue marker ink.  John signed on top and it was signed on August 1, 1980.  The way I will conduct this sale is to have a silent auction.  I will accept all bids until October 1, 1980.  Bids received after that are void.  The highest bid will win.  If bids are ridiculous, I will consider all of them void.  Thanks!)

John leaving the lions

Photo by Lawrence Warren (posted with his permission)

 

Lawrence Warren snapped this photo of John Lennon walking away on November 30, 1980.   He used a 110 camera (remember those?), so it didn't turn out the best -- BUT it is a photo of John and so it is still amazing.   

Here is what Lawrence had to say about his memory of John that day:

I took this picture of John on the last day of November 1980..as he was dodging fans outside the Dakota....I was on my way overseas with the USAf..only 19 then...now 60 ? Sure do fly....met Johnny Ace a few times but I thought you might like this shot....none of us knew what was on the way in 8 days .....it took me 40 years to find this picture...me and my late mom spoke to him for a few minutes as he was walking up 72nd street...had a laugh...then he said gotta run...the lions are out !...it still kills me to this day...not much of a shot but ...it was..well, then.

Lucky meeting with John

 

 

July 11, 1980

Ethan Russel

 Ethan Russel is trying to give off a "John Lennon" vibe when he was photographing John and Yoko in 1980.  

Sean and his Daddy