JOHN LENNON when I was straight out of therapy and I'd been mentally stripped 11 -year -old son Julian on drums. Julian was visiting his father in NewYork bare and I just wanted to shoot my mouth off to clear it all away. Now and dropped by to lend a hand, and they chose this old Lee Dorsey track. it's different. There's a beautiful, singing guitar break by Jesse Ed Davis on "Nobody "When I slagged off the Beatle thing in the papers, it was like divorce Loves You When You're Down And Out", and as the standout track it will pangs, and me being me it was blast this and fuck that, and it was just like close the album. Lennon listened intently to all the songs and we totalled the old days in the MM, you know, 'Lennon Blasts Hollies' on the back the playing time to 42 minutes, 32 seconds. page. You know, I've always had a bit of a mouth and I've got to live up to "Great -I've only got just over two minutes to cut. No trouble. I was it. DailyMirror.' Lennon beats up local DJ at Paul's 21st birthday party'. really worried that it would be too long, and I just like albums, not triples Then we had that fight that Paul and me had through the MM, but it was or double albums. One album's long enough for me to do what I can." all a period I had to go through. The engineers said the record was a beauty, John collected the tapes to "Now, we've all got it out and it's cool. I can see The Beatles from a new go home and place them in order, and we were out into the hot New York point of view. Can't remember much of what happened, little bits here night air at 9.30. and there, but I've started taking an interest in what went on while I was in that fish tank. It must have been incredible! I'm into collecting TAXII WE'RE OFF to John's flat, and it strikes me as a bizarre memorabilia as well. Elton came in with these gifts, like stills from the contrast with the police -protected limousine rides we shared Yellow Submarine drawings and they're great. He gave me these four 10 years ago in various parts of the world, when Beatlemania dolls. I thought, 'Christ, what's this, an ex-Beatle collecting Beatle dolls?' ruled. Do you get cabs often in NewYork, John? But why not? It's history, man, history! "Yeah, all the time. I used to get paranoid "I went through a phase of hating all those about going out, but then I found out all the years and having to smile when I didn't want to paranoia was in my own head - nobody cares smile, but that was the life I chose, and now I'm "When I much. There's no hassles here in NewYork; I get out of it, it's great to look back on it, man. Great! 'em all the time. Not in California so much - "I was thinking only recently -why haven't slagged off the they're still looking for stars there." I ever considered the good times instead of One cabbie said to John: "Hey, aren't you moaning about what we had to go through? And John Lennon?" and Lennon replied: "I wish Paul was here and we spent two or three nights Beatle thing, I had his money." together talking about the old days and it was He looks around at the flickering city lights cool, seeing what each other remembered from as our cab drives off, and tells me what it is Hamburg and Liverpool. it was like about aggressive New York that he finds so "So y'see, all that happened when I blew my compelling: "It's all here. It's just alive. There's mouth off was that it was an abscess bursting, divorce pangs" a buzz here, and I like the wayyou can do except that mine as usual burst in public. anything or get anything you want at any time. "When we did a tour as The Beatles, we hated it It'sALIVE, y'know. It's where the world's at just and loved it. There were great nights and lousy nights. One of the things now and I want to be here. I mean, years ago it was Rome, and if I'd been about the therapy I went around then I'd have wanted to be there when it was falling. forcing you to get rid of the negatives in your head. It wasn't all that pie "NewYork may well be falling right now -it sometimes feels like it -but and cookies being a Beatle, there were highs and lows, but the trouble is I know it's the right place at this time. I think if I couldn't live here I'd have people just wanted bigmouth Lennon to shout about the lows. So I made a to make it Paris. I love the French; they're so bloody rude. But New York's quick trip to uncover the hidden stones of my mind, and a lot of the bats right -we'll get home now and have the TVon and cable TV films for hours flew and some of them are going to have to stay. I've got perspective now, and hours. Better than the BBC Light Orchestra, eh? that's a fact." "Oh, and Christ, then there was Watergate! Any country that produces that has got to be number one. I sat watching every bit of it on TV and rr0 SOME OF us who have enjoyed the irrational madness of couldn't believe it. When they kept asking questions and the guy kept a less balanced Lennon, the new one might come as an replying, 'That is inoperative.' Everything they were asked that was meant unnerving experience. But out re-entry to Studio C proved that, to make 'em tell the truth, they said, 'That is inoperative.' I'm gonna try it above all, his music is intact and even richer from the years of turmoil. when they start asking me hard questions. 'Sorry, but that's inoperative.'" "This is an unconcept album. I'll never make a concept album. I just John cherished the fact that he had remembered this crucial line. like records," said John, and the engineer played back a raunchy "Yeah," he whispered, "I've gotta remember that! Inoperative!" instrumental track called "Beefy Jerky" (sic) which John named as a spoof Just before we arrived at John's flat, he told of his split with Yoko. "Yoko on Booker T's "Green Onions". Half an hour passes and at last the record is and I, we had this little... thing. She's still living in our house, but I've * ready for a complete play -through, ready for John to decide on the order of tracks. "This is always one of the hardest parts of it for me," John November 28,1974 says. "Getting them in sequence for correct contrast is vital. backstage with Elton JohnatMadison "Like with you and the MM- if you don't put this article on SquansGarden,NYC the right page, like the front page, then it's all lost. Well, with these songs, they've got to be in the right order." The album has on it "Number Nine Dream"/ "Beef Jerky"/ "Scared" -with a great tune and the sounds of crying wolves before these immortal words: "You don't have to wortyl In heaven or hell /Just dance to the music I You do it so well..." -"Bless You"/ "Surprise Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)" with Elton on vocal/ "Nobody Loves You When You're DownAnd Out" (no relation to the Bessie Smith classic but equally spinechilling, a majestic track)/ "Going Down On Love"/"Whatever Gets You Through The Night" (with Elton on piano)/ "Steel And Glass"/ "What You Got"/ "Old Dirt Road" (with Harry Nilsson on vocal and co -writer). Topping it off is a short burst of "Ya Ya", featuring Joh n's IltlflOrl cinigh g Wader! Ammica Tea mars attar tM -.