Publisher at The American Bystander
is Blogmom of Hey Dullblog. His novels and parodies have sold 1.25 million copies in 25 languages. He lives in Santa Monica, CA, and runs The American Bystander all-star print humor magazine.
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John and Yoko being interviewed, Dec. 6, 1980
As much as we’ve (rightly) discussed the enervation of John’s Dakota years — the weight loss, the torpor — and been generally skeptical of the “househusband”-focused PR John was doing in late 1980, it’s fun/sad to remember just how young and charming Lennon still was, and how much promise there seemed to be for the future. Beatles reunion or not, whether his tunes were goldies or moldies, it was always great having John Lennon in the world. That’s what I try to convey to the young people I know, people who never knew him alive. A remarkable, lively, essential fellow.
Related posts:
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I recently finished the new tome The Way the Music Had to Go – incidentally, a book I’d enjoy reviewing for this site if I could find the time and you were game – and think I may have physically winced when the author described Serve Yourself as the man’s last masterwork. Masterwork? It’s barely even a song! Might have to listen to the above to cheer myself up…
We’re game! Start writin’ 🙂
He died with the same hair he had when he arrived in Hamburg. As Charles Shaar Murray remarked at the time: Hello Goodbye.
He was so conflicted about touring. And his demand for Yoko acceptance over a decade later is revealing.
I would have gone to see him, but not with her warbling on the stage.
At least hide her up back like Linda
Well, she was sitting right there. John’s m.o. with “Mother” changed a bit depending on whether she was there or not.
In “Dakota Days,” Lennon tells John Green he doesn’t think Yoko is cut out for touring, that she doesn’t have the patience, or the respect for the audience, to make it work, and it would be a huge financial risk knowing she might suddenly bail in the middle of it.
I’m not sure Lennon would have had the energy or the patience to do it night after night at that point either. I can’t see him wanting to leave the Dakota for long. I could see them doing sporadic shows maybe, here and there. I think realistically that could have happened.
I think mostly though they were floating the idea to help promote Double Fantasy, and that’s as far as it went.
It strikes me in that last interview, the most ‘himself’ and relaxed he sounds is at the very end, where he’s signing things and talking spontaneously. He does sound happy, but I also don’t think it’s irreconcilable with his being personally depressed. Lennon was always ‘on’ with people around, and those reporters are getting his public face; whereas, some of those last demos like ‘Dear John’ sound profoundly defeated.
@Matt, I can’t see John and Yoko lasting more than two weeks on tour. Pop-up appearances? Sure. But a tour?
For one thing, wouldn’t it quickly become common knowledge that Yoko was using again?
That’s a good point. And the probability that John himself – codependent as he and Yoko were, under the stress of a tour – would relapse (if, indeed, he had not already by December 1980) seems high.
The bottom line is though, these are two people – full of innumerable paranoias and deep psychological insecurites – who spent a decade building their own fortress to avoid contact with lower earth. Unless they underwent a complete mutation of personality, touring would have been anathema to them in every regard.
Good point! I wonder if he was scared of repercussions, or subconsciously afraid in some way.
If it really comes from when it says it comes, it is pretty horrifying. I don’t share the warmth you have for John any more, but the thought of what happened in a few days’ time is chilling. But I remember reading here all this very dark stuff about his death and his state of health and the general darkness of the Dakota years, and he doesn’t sound all the depressed here. Although… I don’t know. I just admire how invested you guys still are.
I never would’ve said this earlier, but I think maybe being alive when Lennon was alive is a big part of his magic?
Like, he was basically the first person to use old media like everyone uses new media, and that was really thrilling and innovative when he was the only one doing it.
He does sound unusually amiable there. Do we know anything about this interview?
Maybe it was all promotion.
3 hours with Andy Peebles:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z15Zgn3P6cM#:~:text=The%20complete%20John%20Lennon%20and%20Yoko%20Ono%20Interview%20with%20Andy%20Peebles.%20He%20was%20in%20full%20swing%20in%20late%201980%20giving%20long%2C%20time%20consuming%20interviews%20promoting%20Double%20Fantasy%20and%20getting%20the%20message%20out%20that%20he%20was%20back%2C%20rested%20and%20raring%20to%20go.%C2%A0
Paul, the interview on Dec 8 was with RKO radio. Peebles was a few days earlier, on the 6th.
there is also one of his audio diaries on YouTube, 35 minutes.