On Sunday 13th October on Future Radio 107.8FM – Norwich Groove Britain presents a very special programme remembering John Lennon after his 84th birthday. This programme contains much great music from The Beatles and his solo career, which encases his vision, effect, and ability to understand the art of music to the fullest degree. So join Nigel Pearce on GROOVE BRITAIN at 3 pm UK Time for a really wonderful exploration of the man’s music that enlightens us all after those 54 years of The Beatles split !! go to www.futureradio.co.uk and click listen live !! then enjoy.
Inside Number Three – The Illustrated History of Apple Records
Inside No3 takes you through that famous door, deep into the minds of all who worked there at Apple Records. This is done also in a very different way. This is not a kiss-and-tell diary, it is through fan adulation and understanding via a personal collection of artifacts and memorabilia that author Nigel Pearce has built up over the last 50 years.
A few years ago, I was fortunate to be able to obtain a signed photo print from the late official Beatles photographer, Dezo Hoffmann. I chose this photo to purchase because the Beatles are all handling Apples possibly signaling a portend of things to come
Photo of The Beatles
Saw this on YouTube -some brief home movies shot by Dezo and his crew in 1963
John Lennon’s blunt nature often displayed truth in the observation that he could be his own worst enemy at times, especially with his “More Popular Than Jesus” comments! Public relations were certainly not his area of expertise. That was more of Paul’s realm! Though some would argue that John’s airing of his viewpoints was one of their favorite Lennon qualities as they made people “think” about social problems rather than just blindly accepting them as normal aspects of everyday life. Some subjects are certainly more controversial than others and discussing them can often lead to spirited conflict. Well, the Beatles were not immune to controversial subjects during their tenure at the top of the musical hierarchy…
John Lennon, in the mid-sixties made a comment to journalist Maureen Cleave that many believed was taken out of context that the influence of religion on the youth was declining whereas the mass following the Beatles were receiving was having more of an impact on the youth culture at that particular point in time.
Though his religious comments did not have a significant impact in Europe when they were made to journalist Maureen Cleave, when the comments appeared in the States, quite the controversy ensued as there was burnings of Beatles records and threats made on the Beatles lives. No doubt that this contributed to the 1966 decision for the Beatles to stop their touring careers!
Here are a few items from my collection dealing with this controversy
The September and October issues of Datebook magazine
September 1966 issue – the Cleave interview appears in this issue:
John’s More Popular Than Jesus Comments Appeared Here
The October 1966 issue where the publisher defends Lennon’s comments:
An excerpt of the Datebook publishers letter surrounding the controversy:
Finally, the “I Apologize” LP put together to market the controversy. It contained a news conference surrounding the matter and interviews with individual band members. It was not a big seller!However, I did add a copy to the collection primarily because of all the heated conversations about the incident.
In your opinion, what was the most controversial aspect of the career of the Beatles? What event seemed to bother you the most?
Buzz
Discover More about John Lennon at The Beatles Bookstore
Discover Jude’s Fascinating John Lennon Series here
Shivering Inside (Vol 2) Dec 1961 – Jan 1963
But for John Lennon, the hectic rise to glory failed to cure the constant Shivering Inside. He was still searching for something…or someone…to fill the hole in his heart. There are no hard copies left but you can get it on Kindle here for $9.99.
“A short, sharp podcast for busy Beatles People in-the-know!”
Bruce Spizer
He has “music in his bones.” Actually, he has music everywhere – in records, in notes, in notes about records, and in books from the notes about the records…Bruce Spizer is The Beatles Music Man!
Enjoy this conversation about his latest release, The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night and More!
The concept of the PLASTIC ONO BAND fit in well with Yoko’s concept of conceptual art. The medium is flexible and so the band should also be flexible in both it’s membership and format. Technically anyone that participates is a member of the band. Towards the end of the Beatles, you get the distinct impression that several of the Beatles were looking to play with other musicians, to expand the horizons, so to speak.
However the pressure of the “expected” commercial success of the Beatles could inhibit that type of choice for the band. John suggests in the “Get Back” by Peter Jackson movie that they incorporate Billy Preston permanently into the band as the group seemed to come to life with his contributions and presence. Paul offhandedly scoffs at that notion suggesting they have trouble enough with satisfying the needs of 4 members never mind expanding the group adding the odds of even more disagreements among a larger membership.
A Thought to Ponder on the Plastic Ono Band:
Band decisions that are made are often trade-offs. To get something desired, decisions made about band direction often can mean giving up something else. The concept of having a band that consistently has the same members offers the elements of predictability of knowing where a song is going to go because of one’s familiarity with the other musicians in the group as a result. It could also offer having a tighter band musically because of that familiarity.
Conversely, a possible negative perception is boredom through that predictability and not being exposed to the talents, suggestions, and contributions of other great musicians. Witness the life that Billy Preston’s keyboard playing interjected into the performance of “Get Back.” Another factor is group dynamics as the Plastic Ono Band concept means that if you are comfortable with the members, you could possibly ask them to return for future recording sessions. If you had problems with one of the members, you would not ask them to return. That flexibility could be construed as both a positive or a negative depending on the people involved and their respective communication skills and talent levels.
Bad Chemistry or Rejected Proposal?
Band chemistry has a lot to do with whether a fixed-format band is preferred to a more flexible set-up. If you have numerous songwriters in a group, tensions could abound as the individual members could see their contributions as being subordinated depending on the group’s individual personalities. An interesting question to ponder would be is if the suggestion proposed by John at the Sept 1969 meeting of John George and Paul had been accepted would that have restored their dynamic or simply have bought some time for an inevitable split.
Here is another question to consider. If the Beatles had agreed to do occasional Beatle albums and solo albums, would they have saved their best material for the “Beatles” albums or would their egos have prompted them to save the best material for their own solo projects to “make a statement” to the others and the public at large?
For me as fan, it was always an interesting exercise to see what musicians John and Yoko were using for their projects. However I must admit, certain musicians because of their talents with their instruments were preferred over others. It was a fun exercise seeing the eventual lineups on the individual recordings.
The front cover of my copy of the July 5, 1969 issue of NME which featured John’s design of Yoko’s concept of flexibility in the perception of the make-up of their conceptual band. The flexible plastic containers with the tape machine, microphones and a phone directory indicated that virtually anyone could be a member of the band.
The Plastic Ono Band Newspaper Advert
You Are the Plastic Ono Band
The back cover of the Plastic Ono Band NME issue is presented below the “Rock Peace” mentions below. When John and Yoko formed their Plastic Ono Band, Billy Preston performed in the band not only on the Plastic Ono Band LP but he also played in the Christmas Lyceum Ballroom benefit show back in 1969. It is also rumored that it was at a jam session that Billy Preston played on during the recording of George’s “All Things Must Pass” album that John may have suggested to George that the jam session that was conducted that he heard should be released as a Plastic Ono Band recording called “Rock Peace.”
There is no formal substantiation for this story at this point but it is true that a song called “Rock Peace” had been considered or at least talked about. Tony Bramwell had even written a news report about the song in an August 1969 issue of the famous Beatles Monthly magazine which I have included below. Bramwell described the song as a long and heavy instrumental.
Here is a picture I took from my copy of the August 1969 issue of the Beatles Monthly news column where Bramwell mentions the Rock Peace track.
Plastic Ono Single
Here is an interesting bit of speculation about the Rock Peace track from the excellent Steve Hoffman Music Forum:
Interview with Lennon expert, Chip Madinger, where he discusses the unreleased Plastic Ono Band Song called Rock Peace and other fascinating subjects. “Things We Said Today” is one of the most informative and interesting podcasts on the net.
The answer to the ROCK PEACE mystery will be forthcoming in a book by Lennon scholar, CHIP MADINGER! YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THAT BOOK!!! The previously unknown Lennon information that Chip Madinger is able to dig up is simply profound!!!
The back cover of my copy of the Plastic Ono Band NME issue featuring a Billy Preston Apple recording promotional ad.
Billy Preston
Are you the Plastic Ono Band? What did you think of the concept?
