John Lennon and the number nine

The long-awaited digital remasters of The Beatles' back catalogue were finally released on 9 September 2009, along with the group's Rock Band video game. The choice of 09-09-09 was no accident, for the number has had a recurring association with the group - and John Lennon in particular - over the years.

Lennon's songs included Revolution 9, One After 909 and #9 Dream. Revolution 9, in particular, had the most significant use of the number. It appeared on The Beatles' ninth original UK album, their self-titled double long-player commonly known as the White Album.

Revolution 9 featured a series of tape loops, the most memorable of which is the recurring 'Number nine' announcement. It was culled from examination tapes from the Royal Academy of Music, formerly stored at Abbey Road.

Revolution 9 was an unconscious picture of what I actually think will happen when it happens; just like a drawing of a revolution. All the thing was made with loops. I had about 30 loops going, fed them onto one basic track. I was getting classical tapes, going upstairs and chopping them up, making it backwards and things like that, to get the sound effects. One thing was an engineer's testing voice saying, 'This is EMI test series number nine'. I just cut up whatever he said and I'd number nine it. Nine turned out to be my birthday and my lucky number and everything. I didn't realise it: it was just so funny the voice saying, 'number nine'; it was like a joke, bringing number nine into it all the time, that's all it was.

Revolution 9 was probably the main reason for the remasters release date being chosen as 9 September 2009. But the connections with The Beatles, John Lennon and the number nine didn't end there.

Lennon was born on Wednesday 9 October 1940 (some reports say at 6.30am) in Liverpool.

The first home he lived in was at 9 Newcastle Road, Wavertree, Liverpool - three names which each contain nine letters. Newcastle Road was his grandfather's house, and while living there Lennon later wrote One After 909.

I lived in 9 Newcastle Road. I was born on the ninth of October, the ninth month [sic]. It's just a number that follows me around, but, numerologically, apparently I'm a number six or three or something, but it's all part of nine.

Numerous events throughout Lennon's life were connected with the number nine, or numbers which add up to nine.

• Lennon travelled on the number 72 bus to Liverpool Art College, where he was friends with Stuart Sutcliffe.
• His first meeting in 1957 with Paul McCartney proved a pivotal role in Lennon's life. McCartney's surname has nine letters, as does Sutcliffe's.
• The Beatles' first appearance at the Cavern Club was on 9 February 1961.
• Brian Epstein, The Beatles' manager, first saw them perform on 9 November 1961.
• The group's contract with EMI was confirmed on 9 May 1962.
• The Beatles' debut single, Love Me Do, was on Parlophone R4949.
• Their record-breaking debut appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show was on 9 February 1964.
• The Beatles disbanded in 1970, after nine years together.

After The Beatles split up, Lennon embarked on a solo career. He also made a number of recordings with his second wife Yoko Ono, whom he met on 9 November 1966.

Various further connections with the number nine can be traced to this second stage in Lennon's life.

• In April 1969 he changed his name to John Ono Lennon. There are nine 'o's in the combined names of John Ono Lennon and Yoko Ono Lennon.
• Lennon and Ono lived for a time in an apartment on West 72nd Street, New York City.
• Their first apartment in the Dakota Building was number 72.
• Their son, Sean Lennon, was born on 9 October 1975, John's 35th birthday.
• #9 Dream was a song on Lennon's 1974 album Walls And Bridges. The album was his ninth non-Beatles album, and was issued in the ninth month of the year.
• The album's cover featured a painting done when Lennon was 11 years old. It depicts a footballer with a number nine on his back.
• When released as a single, #9 Dream peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States. The refrain in the chorus - 'Ah! Böwakawa poussé, poussé' - featured nine syllables.
• Mind Games and Rock 'N' Roll, the albums released before and after Walls And Bridges, each contained nine letters in their titles.
• After he was shot, Lennon was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital on 9th Avenue, Manhattan. Roosevelt and Manhattan both have nine letters.

As a footnote, Lennon was shot in New York City on 8 December 1980. However, it has been pointed out that, due to time differences, it was 9 December in his birthplace of Liverpool.

Individually, these occurrences may amount to little more than coincidence. However, in his later years Lennon became fascinated with numerology, and was well aware of the role of the number nine throughout his life.

Related articles:

• One After 909
• Publishers announced for The Lennon Letters
• Tributes held worldwide to mark 30 years of John Lennon's passing
• John Lennon is born
• UK LP release: The Beatles (White Album)