60 years ago today, on 4 March 1966, JOHN LENNON‘s said in an interview with British newspaper The London Evening Standard that The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus“.
This quote drew no attention in the UK, but when republished in the US a few months later, angry reactions flared up in Christian communities. Extensive protests broke
out with some radio stations banning Beatles songs, and their records were publicly burned.
Years later…
“Christ, you know it ain’t easy
You know how hard it can be
The way things are going
They’re gonna crucify me”
John Lennon: “‘Woman’ came about because, one sunny afternoon in Bermuda,
it suddenly hit me what women do for us. Not just what my Yoko does for me, although
I was thinking in those personal terms, but any truth is universal. What dawned on me
was everything I was taking for granted. Women really are the other half of the sky, as
I whisper at the beginning of the song. It’s a ‘we’ or it ain’t anything.”
JOHN LENNON had his first solo LP, following the split of The Beatles out today 55 years ago, on 11 December 1970. The album was credited to John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.
It went to #8 in the UK, #6 in the US,
#1 in Japan, Canada, and the Netherlands.
Co-produced by Lennon, Ono, and Phil Spector the record contains a largely raw
production sound with songs heavily influenced by Lennon‘s recent primal therapy.
Its lyrics reflect Lennon‘s personal issues and include themes of child-parent
abandonment and psychological suffering.
Creem (legendary American rock magazine said: “It’s totally enthralling to see
that Lennon has once again unified, to some degree, his life and his music into a
truly whole statement”
John Lennon: “You’re just left with yourself all the time, whatever you do anyway.
You’ve got to get down to your own God in your own temple. It’s all down to you,
mate.”
Yoko Ono: “My husband John Lennon was a very special man. A man of humble
origin, he brought light and hope to the whole world with his words and music.”
Turn Up The Volume:Lennon always was my favourite Beatle – the rocker,
the big mouth, the challenger, the dreamer, the maverick, the misfit, the open
minded musician/human – and this solo debut is his best post-Beatles work.
After leaving music behind him for five years in order to be as much as possible
with his son Sean, immortal rock & pop legend JOHN LENNON went back in the
studio, with the love of his lifeYOKO and Sean‘s mother to work on what became
their 5th and final collaborative LP.
DOUBLE FANTASY was released 45 years ago on 17 November 1980. It wasn’t an impressive one and got knifed down by the press, but it was so special just because
it was the last one by one of the greatest singer-songwriters that ever lived.
Only three weeks after the LP’s release the working class hero was killed cowardly by Mark Chapman. Lennon was, unquestionably, my favorite Beatle, he was the rocker and much more. As part of the Fab Four, he changed pop, along with his twin songwriter buddy Macca. And let’s not forget he became an influential peace activist, under the influence of Yoko.
Queen Elizabeth II honored The Beatles with their MBE‘s medals
(Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) – at Buckingham Palace.
According to an account by John Lennon the group smoked marijuana in one of the palace bathrooms to calm their nerves. Many former recipients gave their MBE’s back in protest, to which John Lennonresponded: “Lots of people who complained about us receiving the MBE received theirs for heroism in the war, for killing people. We received ours for entertaining other people. I’d say we deserve ours more.”
He paid £1.45m (1.940.591 US dollars). Michael said: “I know that when my
fingers touch the keys of that Steinway, I will feel truly blessed. And parting
with my money has never been much of a problem, just ask my accountant.”
This month British music monthly magazine MOJO focuses on : the untold story
of JOHN LENNON’s radicalisation in New York’s West Village, 1971-73, and the extraordinary music that came out of it.
Also in the issue: Bruce Springsteen on the new Nebraska box and inside the new biopic; Jimi Hendrix trips out on Axis: Bold As Love; Prince rewrites the rulebook with Around The World In A Day; Lucinda Williams in The MOJO Interview. Plus: The Beatles; Patti Smith; Miles Davis; Eagles; Brigitte Fontaine; Wreckless Eric; Fine Young Cannibals; The Replacements; The Congos; and multiple album reviews.
You can purchase a copy of this new issue and
let it be sent to your home address. Info HERE.
This months Free CD, named Power To The People; an exclusive sampler of John Lennon tracks from the new box set. Features killer versions of Come Together, Instant Karma! (We All Shine On), Cold Turkey, Well Well Well, previously unreleased Lennon
A statue in the memory of JOHN LENNON was unveiled in London’s Trafalgar Square.
The sculpture featured a revolver with a knotted barrel created by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reutersward.
Listen up, Putin, Netanyahu and all you disgusting war pigs in the world.
