Signs of the times

Farewell to New York

What's in the Daily News?

You're up and you're down

You're up and you're down:   an interview with John Lennon
By Robert Hilburn
Los Angeles Times Service
January 6, 1974

"Well it's possible," John Lennon said without hesitation when asked the inevitable question about the Beatles getting back together for another album.   
 
"If you had asked me last year, I would have said, 'No.  No way. I'm not going back one step.'  But I just think anything is possible now.  It's not like it is in the offing or anything, but I'm not ruling it out." 
 
"If it happens, I am sure we'll do something wonderful," he says with a dab of familiar Lennon wit surfacing.  "And I am just as sure that everybody would say that it wasn't good enough...that we were better separate or something." 

Far from the intense, brooding, even arrogant reputation that has sometimes been painted of him, Lennon was relaxed, open, even a touch shy as he sat of the patio of a friend's Bel-Air residence and talked of his colorful, often controversial career. While each of the ex-Beatles has acknowledged the possibility of a one-time reunion, Lennon until now has been constantly outspoken of his opposition.  In both his music, and infrequent interviews, he argued against the wastefulness of clinging to what he called the "Beatles myth" and stress that he preferred  to move forward in his solo career. The fact that Lennon is now open to the possibility of working with George, Paul and Ringo again (he is far from actively promoting such a move, however) is symptimatic of a larger change in his life. By his own admission Lennon, now 33, has become a bit more flexible.

"Oh, I'm still trouble," he said, sitting on the Bel-Air patio, softly strumming an acoustic guitar.  "I'm a complete neurotic, but I've got to swing with it a bit more like when I was younger.   There's nothing I can do about it, so I just have to go along with it. " Since the break-up of the Beatles, Lennon has made four solo albums, including the current "Mind Games."  The first two "Plastic Ono Band"  (sometimes called 'Mother' the title of the opening selection) and Imagine - are quite possibly the best albums of the 1970's and as artistically impressive as anything done by the Beatles. The first album, particularly,  was a frightfully honest, deeply moving work that dealt with various phases of experience, from early  childhood through adolescence through his days as a pop music superstar. Lennon's third album, "Sometime in New York City," in 1972 was a disappointment, a collaboration with Yoko Ono that seemed at times to subjugate his art to his socio-political concerns.  "Mind Games," while a bit uneven, is a sharp improvement, an album that contains some moments that are as welcome as anything released last year. Lennon's next album will be a collection of old rock n roll hits.  He has been recording in Las Angeles with producer Phil Spector.  The sessions emphasized the good-time, party-flavor of the early days of rock. After the tensions and distractions of such varied but equally draining  matters as the complex business problems with Apple records and his deportation struggle (his case is still on appeal), Lennon was obviously glad to be back in his favorite role -  a musician.

Earlier in Bel-Air he talked about the new album, the aftermath of therapy, touring, Yoko, and, of course the Beatles. Why did you decide to do an oldies album? "I started thinking about it when I was doing 'Imagine.'  I started doing 'Ain't that a shame' and a few things like that, but I just put them down and forgot about them.  When we were doing 'Sometime in New York City,' I did about 15 oldies, but with all different words because I couldn't remember the original lyrics.  I just sort of adlibbed the words. Even the ones I used to do as a teenager, I could only remember half of it.  I try not to listen to the original versions because you remember them differently.  We're changing them anyway... "The thing that always inhibited me before about doing an oldies album was that I thought people would say, 'Oh, he can't write anymore.'  It was this sort of ego problem and although I always profess not to care what anybody thinks -- which I don't in general -- now and then I do.   But now I feel this oldies album is all right, especially  doing it right after having finished an album of my own."

I read the news today....

More the mighty

Ride your white bike for peace

Catching up on the news

Karma....

Aaron Wilbury?

Manila: The Hard Days Fright

When the Fab 4 woke up on the morning of July 5, 1966, they knew something was going on in Manila, but they weren't totally sure what.    They tried to order some breakfast, but did not get any response from the hotel management.      So they asked Mal Evans to go down to the desk and see what was going on.    When Mal got to the lobby, he found the hotel to be totally empty and then he saw a newspaper and realized why.   The variety of headlines said everything from "Imedla Stood Up" to "Beatles held for taxes."  

At 8 am, the Internal Revenue bureau was knocking on Brian Epstein's door with a bill for $80,000.  Vic Lewis, who had made the arrangements with the promoters, explained to the officials that it was the promoter that was responsible for paying the tax on the concerts and not the Beatles managers.   Brian also had not received any money at that point from the promoters for the concerts and didn't want to leave without the money they made.  

Meanwhile, George and Paul were being interviewed in the suit by a reporter for the Manila Times, who had planned all along to do a multi-part series about the Beatles for the paper.    Paul told him, "We don't want to offend anyone, especially since we're visiting this country.  We just want to sing."  However George simply said, "We didn't even want to come here."  

But Paul then made  what could have been another mistake for the Beatles---he started to question the reporter about the poor people he had seen in the streets of Manila the early morning when he explored.   He stated how there was social inequality in the country because the extremely wealthy were bragging of their wealth with the fancy yachts and all the while there were people living on the streets nearby.     The reporter didn't seem to want to discuss any of that and told Paul that the Beatles could have solved the problem and make people happy if they had only agreed to move the meeting at the palace to later in the day.  Paul was quoted as saying,  "We weren't supposed to be there in the first place.  What  were we going to do?  Show up and say, 'We're here!  Sorry we're late!'  Why should we apologize for something that's not our fault?  We didn't ask for the appointment."   The reporter simply explained that an  invitation from the First Lady "amounted to an invitation from one who represented all the people."    John walked in at this point and sad something, "We got a few things to learn about the Philippines, first of all is how to get out of here."

Should have read--"Read Ivor's Column"

My first thoughts:   George looks like a vampire!   My second thoughts:   I know the guy that really wrote the articles using George's name!   If you haven't read Ivor Davis' book---you need to get it!

I read the news today....

"Which one are you again?"

Passing the time

The Japanese News

The Beatles are here!

It is time for these Indianapolis Beatle fans to celebrate!   The Beatles had made it to their city and life couldn't be any better!

Read all about it!

50 years ago: Beatles learn about MBE!

Paul was arriving back in London  from a trip to Portugal with Jane on June 11, 1965 when the news came in that the Beatles were to be awarded with the M.B.E.! 

We've arrive and to prove it we're here