04 August 2011

John Lennon with Elton John, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA November 28, 1974


When I pulled up the DOUBLE FANTASY WORKING VERSION and heard John directing the band through the studio mic a tremor ran through me. Not sure how you all feel about magic and positive energy and all that, but I felt some of the magic from that afternoon had been captured on tape, digitized and stored if only to be released into the universe over and over again. I felt like John's voice poured into the mic and hit my ears same as it did the ears of the musicians in the studio that day. Like the digital filter that existed chronologically and geographically was no different than a crystal ball of divining mirror.

So instead of writing I searched for a few more fragments of magic and found them on Youtube. Elton John wanted John Lennon to appear on stage with him in New York City. The thought of it scared the pants off of Lennon, who agreed to do it only if "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" hit number one, which he was sure it wouldn't. John Lennon lost the bet, and these three performances mark the last time he ever appeared on stage. Here they are in the order they appeared on the setlist.





THE MUSIC AND PRESTON BLACK John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Double Fantasy Working Version


Buy the book on Amazon.

From THE DEVIL AND PRESTON BLACK:

    Mick watched from his stool, arms crossed. After a moment to let me calm down he replied with sudden earnestness, "I suppose you have to ask yourself if it's worth it. You think I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and went to bed that night dreaming about running a music shop? My band gigged five or six nights a week anywhere we could—roller rinks, amusement parks. But you know what? I met a girl and had some kids. Now I have grandkids. I figure my life's okay. Not what I'd hoped, but okay." Mick stiffened as a pair of high school students came in. They headed straight back to Stu's drum kit.
    "And at least once a day I ask myself, what if I'd have kept at it for another year more?" Mick waved me aside. Once his line of sight cleared he relaxed. "What if I'd have given it another year?"


Had a John Lennon dream this morning. First one ever, despite having written one into my book. It's a weird one, so hang on: Heidi and I were locked in the Uniontown Burger King after hours. There was a music festival across the street at Mt. St. Macrina, and we were hanging out with some type of R&B band before they went on, singing and playing guitar and fooling around. At first it was just the seven of us, but then the place got more crowded. John was sitting in a corner with Sean. John was wearing that silver puffy jacket from the late Seventies.

He showed me a few videos of Sean fooling around in the studio--the only thing I really remember was Sean holding a guitar and singing "Two of Us", except he changed the lyrics to "Three of us," a reference to him and John and Yoko. We sat there awkwardly for a moment, then I started telling him about my situation with my dad--how after not speaking to him for most of my adult life we finally reconciled. Then how just a year after that he had a stroke that would mean I'd never get him back the way I hoped.

The last bit we discussed was his new stuff, especially DOUBLE FANTASY. I asked how working with Yoko differed from working with Paul, or even just competing with Paul. John didn't acknowledge the comment except to say he felt the Seventies were a really creative time for him, and that being in the studio recently was a lot of fun.

That's all I can remember, try as I might to get a little more of the dream back.

Download the DOUBLE FANTASY WORKING VERSION at Sugarmegs.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Double Fantasy Working Version
MBE CD
69 Minutes
CD/EAC/WAV/FLAC

1. Starting Over (Intro Session)
2. Starting Over
3. I'm Your Angel
4. Beautiful Boy (With Sean's "oyasuminasai" ("good night")
5. Don't Be Scared
6. Watching the Wheels
7. Everyman Has A Woman
8. I'm Losing You ***
9. Walking On Thin Ice
10 Dear Yoko
11 Woman
12 I'm Moving On (Cheap Trick Version)
13 Clean Up Time
14 Hard Times Are Over
15 I'm Stepping Out
16 I Don't Wanna Face It
17 Nobody Told Me
18 Borrowed Time
19 (Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess
20 Nobody Sees Me Like You Do

All Unreleased Nothing Official
***I'm Losing You was the Cheap Trick Version released on "John Lennon Anthology" so I replaced it with a unreleased version.

31 July 2011

Happy birthday, MTv!


Happy birthday, MTv! Here are ten from 1981 to remind you that you got to ditch Snooki and get back to the music!

Kim Wilde KIDS IN AMERICA


Men at Work DOWN UNDER


Soft Cell TAINTED LOVE


Elvis Costello OLIVER'S ARMY


Phil Collins IN THE AIR TONIGHT


The Go-Go's WE GOT THE BEAT


Queen UNDER PRESSURE


The Vapors TURNING JAPANESE


The Human League DON'T YOU WANT ME


Blondie THE TIDE IS HIGH