American Graffiti to Showaddywaddy, the first BACK ON NEW YORK'S East "Fame" constituted the final, `revival' period-that of early rock'n'roll -had begun. Side, Lennon began work on the Phil Spector would produce, while Dr John, Leon October '74 release, WalIsAnd leading-edge moment of his Russell, Steve Cropper and Jim Kelmer were among Bridges, an album he later disowned, pop-rock career, a diamond-hard those along for the musical ride. perhaps depressed and embarrassed Unfortunately, the party carried on into the by the period in his life that inspired paean to the futility of celebrity recording studio, with Courvoisier poured it. Yet it's among his better late abundantly down the necks of the gathered albums, an improvement at the very least on the promises to behave himself would hold good. musicians, as well as all over the control board in an plodding ennui of Mind Games. "Whatever Gets You "Our separation was a failure," Lennon announced incident that hastened the ejection of the Wrecking Through The Night" is the album's standout, a duet to the world. Crew from the studios by A&M. As the sessions with glam man of the moment Elton John. Vivacious The same year found Lennon collaborating with moved on to LA's Record Plant, Lennon's behaviour and infectious, dominated by the unholy blast of another rock superstar. Along with Carlos Alomar, improved but Spector's worsened- at one point, in a Bobby Keyes' sax, it's been taken as a sort of golden around whose funky riff the track was built, Lennon fit of tyrannical pique in the studio, he fired a gun pop memorial to his roistering days in LA. was co-credited on David Bowie's "Fame'; also a US into the air. Lennon never had much enthusiasm for it. But it did No 1. It constituted the final, leading-edge moment of Eventually, the better part of Lennon, the pragmatic have the effect of reuniting him with Yoko - not that Lennon's pop and rock career, a diamond-hard paean survivalist who'd always made sure he never got they'd ever been completely estranged, and had been to the rewarding yet futile condition of celebrity. With bogged down in his own excesses, reasserted itself. in constant telephone communication even the Supreme Court finally overturning Lennon's absconded with the Rock'n'RolI during the lowest dregs of his deportation order in October and, the same month, tapes, but they were retrieved by Lost Weekend. Lennon had Yoko giving birth to Sean Taro Ono, Lennon's only Capitol and played back to agreed to perform with Elton on child with Yoko, Lennon decided to walk away from Lennon, who was somewhat stage if "Whatever Gets You fame and enter a period of ostensible domestic mortified when he soberly listened Through The Night" reached No stability. to the drunken nonsense that had 1 in America, assuming it had no WHAT LENNON HIMSELF later caricatured as been committed to tape. He was chance of doing any such thing. The "bread-baking" years should have been a time of starting work on his next album, To Lennon's surprise, it did, and immense joy and personal satisfaction. His battles Walls And Bridges, but determined he honoured his side of the were mostly behind him. The Beatles had been first to salvage something from the bargain at what would be his last formally wound up in 1975. He had severed links wreckage of the Rock’N’'RoII ever stage appearance, at with Allen Klein. He'd made his peace, albeit by sessions. He rescued a handful of Madison Square Garden on telephone, with his errant father Freddie, shortly tracks from the original LP and November 28,1974. Yoko before the latter's death in 1976. recorded the remainder in a matter was backstage and she In July of that year, his application for a Green of a few days, eventually releasing finally agreed to take him Card was approved, with celebrities like Norman the Rock'n'Roll album in 1975. back, assured that his Mailer acting as character witnesses at a hearing, »

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