Poster for peace

In 2011, Julien's auction sold (for $93,000) an autograph and drawing made by John Lennon and Yoko Ono during the Montreal Bed-In.   John drew on a large piece of poster board and signed it for Norman Seaman's three teenage daughters, who were in the room signing during the "Give Peace a Chance" session.   I found this information when I was locating information on the "All you need is love" bedspread and found it interesting.   Notice the "All you need is love" bedspread is on the floor in the photos and Norman has his foot on it.   (Reminder:  To make the letter written by Joy about this larger, just click on it).

The "All you need is love" Bedspread

The Story of the “All you Need is love” bedspread

By Sara Schmidt

Sources:

Give Peace a Chance  by Joan Athey and Paul McGrath

Culture 24 article written by Richard Moss http://www.culture24.org.uk/history%20%26%20heritage/literature%20%26%20music/art314075

Cooper Owen auction catalog 2004

If you look closely in the photos of the Montreal Bed-In, you will notice it, especially in a color photograph.  Among the white of the Bed-In, at the foot of John and Yoko lays a bright blue bedspread that says “love.”   Further photos will show that it is adorned with the Yellow Submarine cartoon Beatles.   A very cute display for the Bed-in. 

photo by Gerry Deiter

 

Over the years I had wondered about this bedspread.   You could tell that it was hand-made.  Who made it and what ever happened to it?    

I got a hold of a 2005 Cooper Owen auction catalog.    The bedspread was up for auction that year.   And according to the auction catalog it states:

“This blue felt bedspread with All You Need Is love hand sewn on it in brightly coloured lettering, was a gift from the local Hare Krishna chapter and is clearly visible on the bed in front of John and Yoko on the recording of Give Peace A Chance and in the multitude of photographs of the Bed-In which saw John and Yoko commandeer room 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Canada for seven days in the name of Peace. “

So I thought that this blanket was a gift from the Hare Krishna chapter of Montreal.   That didn’t really make a lot of sense to me, but that is what it said.   

In July 2013, I went to the Liverpool Museum and I was literally shocked to see the “All you need is love” bedspread on display there!   I knew it was on display at a museum somewhere in the world, but I had no clue that it was in Liverpool or that I was going to see it in person!   Along with the bedspread, was a marker that said that a girl named Christine Kemp had made the blanket and presented it to John and Yoko before the Bed-in.    Here is the true story of the bedspread.

Christine Kemp was a British girl who had relocated to Montreal where she worked as a designer.   Christine was a Beatles fan and had made what we know as a bedspread, as a wall hanging to decorate her office and to divide the room.   She made it out of felt and embroidered “All you Need is Love” onto it.   It was themed after the Beatles Yellow Submarine movie, which had been released the previous year.    It was hanging up in her office until she heard that John and Yoko were coming to town for a Bed-in like they had done a few months prior in Amsterdam.   

Christine decided that the wall-hanging would look better decorating the Bed-In and decided to go to the hotel and give it to John and Yoko as a gift.   She wrapped it up in a Union Jack and headed to the Queen Elizabeth Hotel.   As luck would have it, she wasn’t stopped by anyone.   She just got in the elevator and told the operator where she was going and he took her there.     Christine walked right into the room and presented the wall-hanging to John and Yoko, just as simple as that.    She hung around for a bit and then told the couple goodbye and left. 

Christine presenting the wall-hanging to John and Yoko.  Photo by Tedd Church

When Christine left, she had no idea if the couple was going to use her wall-hanging.   However, it appears that it was draped on the bed that they used for the Bed-In for most of their stay.   There are also photos that show it on the floor, and some of the people there are sitting on it.     Once the Bed-in was over, John and Yoko did not take the blanket with them.  They left it in the hotel room along with many drawings and other items.   An unknown journalist picked up the bedspread and some of the drawings and held onto them until he (or she) put them up for auction through Cooper Ownen in 2005 where it was purchased by the Liverpool Museum.    The museum re-stitched some of it  and made it look as good as it did in 1969.   

The bed at the end of the Bed-in.  Photo by Gerry Deiter

Pretty amazing to think that a wall hanging made a Beatles fan and given to John and Yoko as a gift ended up in a museum for the world to enjoy.

John lays on the bedspread while being interviewed by a blind reporter who is using braille.   Photo by Gerry Deiter

A journalist sits on the bedspread while talking with John and Yoko.   Photo by Gerry Deiter

The bedspread on display at the Liverpool Museum  Photo:  Sara Schmidt

Some close-up photos of the details of the bedspread.   Photo by Sara Schmidt

Just another day at the races

Give me a Chance: Book Review

Some stories of meeting one or more of the Beatles take more than just a magazine article to write, and such is the story of when Gail Renard met John and Yoko during the Montreal bed-in in 1969. Her story spans 8 wonderful days, and she has written a fabulous book about her days with the couple called Give me a Chance. I had the pleasure of just reading this book and I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share the information about this book with all of you.

In 1969, Gail was a typical 17-year-old Beatle fan living in Montreal, Quebec. She was a member of the fan club, bought all the records, watched them on TV, etc etc. John was her favorite member of the band, and so when she heard that John and his new wife, Yoko, were going to be arriving in her town, she HAD TO see him! Never did she dream that she would find herself in his suite! At first, she had just planned on interviewing him for her school paper, which would have been awesome enough, but after the interview, John asked her to come back for the rest of the Bed In! Her job was to watch Kyoko, help Derek Taylor answer the telephones and help organize radio interviews (because she was familiar with the local radio and television stations). But she also was able to spend time just hanging out with John and Yoko and talking to them.

One of the highlights for me in this book was when she talked about watching the movie, A Hard Day's Night with John! What a surreal experience that had to have been! Gail was also present for the writing and recording of the peace anthem, "Give Peace a Chance."

Those of you who have read Beatle Book Monthly issues may remember reading her story in one of the later 1969 issues. (I did.) In the book, she tells the story about how John set it all up for her to write that story for the magazine. It is really amazing!

This book was a quick read and just a story that is so amazing that, as a Beatles fan, you have to read it! Gail also took some really rare photos of the Bed-in that are worth getting the book as well. 

Oh, when I contacted Gail and told her that I wanted to post on this blog about her book, she gave me permission to use the photograph of her and John as well as the cover of her book. She asked that it only be used on this blog. Please respect her wishes and do not post the photo elsewhere.

The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon, where you can purchase this book.  I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link.  Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online.  Thank you for your support.  Sara

https://amzn.to/3wIk5UC

Oh Canada again

These Canadian fans are just too cute for words! Here is fan club president, Joy Koyama presenting the Beatles with signatures that she collected from 4000 Beatle fans welcoming them to Montreal! I love her glasses. What a doll!