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6.12pm
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1 May 2011
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Note: This isnt meant to be another ‘should the beatles have gotten back together’ thread, its more about Johns comments in Playboy and whats been written and said since his death.
Ive heard it be said that John was up for going back out on tour in 1981 and revisiting old Beatle tracks like I Want To Hold Your Hand and Help !. I’ve also heard it be said that John was up for meeting up with George, Paul and Ringo and doing something. However reading John’s comments during the September Playboy Interview he is very vocal when asked about playing together again
PLAYBOY: John, you’ve been asked this a thousand times, but why is it so unthinkable that the Beatles might get back together to make some music?
LENNON: Do you want to go back to high school? Why should I go back ten years to provide an illusion for you that I know does not exist? It cannot exist.
PLAYBOY: Then forget the illusion. What about just to make some great music again? Do you acknowledge that the Beatles made great music?
LENNON: Why should the Beatles give more? Didn’t they give everything on God ‘s earth for ten years? Didn’t they give themselves? You’re like the typical sort of love-hate fan who says, “Thank you for everything you did for us in the Sixties — would you just give me another shot? Just one more miracle?”
PLAYBOY: We’re not talking about miracles — just good music.
LENNON: When Rodgers worked with Hart and then worked with Hammerstein, do you think he should have stayed with one instead of working with the other? Should Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis have stayed together because I used to like them together? What is this game of doing things because other people want it? The whole Beatle idea was to do what you want, right? To take your own responsibility.
So is that reunion talk a normal media taking one part and spinning it in out of context such a way that you get complete drivel thing or was there anything more to it? Is there any evidence from John which says he was willing or thinking of meeting up with the others? I havent seen anything to suggest there is.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
8.24pm
25 September 2012
Offline I thought that Lennon agreed to work on what would become Anthology before he passed. Would you happen to know what I was talking about MMM, or was that a rumor? I wouldn’t know where to begin to find it so maybe you know better than I do.
8.28pm
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1 May 2011
Offline I’d never heard that before just that John was looking to work the other 3 which seems so the opposite of what he was saying just 2 and but months before. Maybe the Double Fantasy sessions changed all that. Does anyone know anything? Maybe its a play on words and it wasnt a reunion but a meeting up like what happened with the Ringo album and Im The Greatest. Was the what become Ringo ‘Stop and Smell the Roses’ lp what was being looked at as common ground without the bullshit and pressure from the press and world?
The Beatles Anthology was lingering at that point (but known as The Long And Winding Road ) so maybe John was.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
9.01pm
15 June 2011
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John generally used to say a lot of things he felt at the moment. In other interviews he’s answered more positively to the idea of a Beatles reunion. So I don’t ignore what he sed on this interview but I don’t take for granted that he really meant what he said either. He probably wasn’t in that mood that paricular time for a reunion. You never know…
Sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble.
9.07pm
14 December 2009
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Wasn’t all the “reunion” talk just to give himself a legal pretext for his opposition to “Beatlemania” continuing to perform?
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
9.08pm
25 September 2012
Offline Von Bontee said
Wasn’t all the “reunion” talk just to give himself a legal pretext for his opposition to “Beatlemania” continuing to perform?
I literally just read that in “You Never Give Me Your Money “.
1.08am
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1 May 2011
Offline linkjws said
Von Bontee said
Wasn’t all the “reunion” talk just to give himself a legal pretext for his opposition to “Beatlemania” continuing to perform?I literally just read that in “You Never Give Me Your Money “.
That certainly rings a bell. But who is the reference point (i dont own the book, i borrowed it from the library)? If true it would therefore appear even more the case that John was not in favour of returning to the fold (so to speak).
As I Me Mine said John was one for speaking his mind at the time but it could change depending on where he was.
I suppose it comes down to source and who you believe. Did John ever state on record he was going to go out on tour and do beatle numbers of was it someone who ‘heard’ him say it? Was it Jack Douglas who said John was going to tour again i forget?
Its more taking it back to the core but again who do you believe and where do you draw the line.
Obviously we’ll never really know but it would be nice to get to the facts and eliminate the hearsay, gossip, and lines spun to preserve the idea that the Beatles would reunite and save the world.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
3.40am
25 September 2012
Offline meanmistermustard said
linkjws said
Von Bontee said
Wasn’t all the “reunion” talk just to give himself a legal pretext for his opposition to “Beatlemania” continuing to perform?I literally just read that in “You Never Give Me Your Money “.
That certainly rings a bell. But who is the reference point (i dont own the book, i borrowed it from the library)? If true it would therefore appear even more the case that John was not in favour of returning to the fold (so to speak).
As I Me Mine said John was one for speaking his mind at the time but it could change depending on where he was.
I suppose it comes down to source and who you believe. Did John ever state on record he was going to go out on tour and do beatle numbers of was it someone who ‘heard’ him say it? Was it Jack Douglas who said John was going to tour again i forget?
Its more taking it back to the core but again who do you believe and where do you draw the line.
Obviously we’ll never really know but it would be nice to get to the facts and eliminate the hearsay, gossip, and lines spun to preserve the idea that the Beatles would reunite and save the world.
From the book:
“You Never Give Me Your Money ” pg 268
“The next day Lennon visited Apple’s New York lawyers, who were preparing a court case against the producers of “Beatlemania”. He swore an affidavit, which included the startling statement “I and the three other former Beatles have plans to stage a reunion concert, to be recorded, filmed, and marketed around the world”. The claim was obviously designed to reinforce the case against the imitation Beatles by suggesting that their activities might impinge on the authentic version of the group. But it amounted to little less than perjury as there was no definite plan for a reunion. One of Lennon’s staff attempted to contact McCartney at MPL to ask him to support the deposition, but without success.*
*There was a strange addendum to Lennon’s affidavit: that week the New York Parks Department was approached by an unknown organization asking if it would be possible for the city to prepare a feasibility study for a Beatles reunion concert in Central Park. The details are lost in time; all that remains is this tantalizing fragment of a rumor, which might have been nothing more than an attempt to justify Lennon’s sworn testimony.”
Also from “YNGMYM” pg 269
“He (Lennon) talked excitedly to Jack Douglas about his plans to return to Britain after New Year as part of a world tour, and admitted that he was looking forward to rearranging Beatles standards such as ‘She Loves you’ and ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand ‘. On 6 December he phoned his Aunt Mimi to tell her he was coming home.”
8.19am
15 September 2012
Offline I quoted from ‘You Never Give Me Your Money ‘ a few weeks ago about this very thing, which made me start reading it again. Doggett has a comfortable writing style, and this is one of the better bios that deserve another read.
There are more ironic (and tragic) instances the author mentions of almost-planned reunions that never happened for some reason or other.
8.33am
25 September 2012
Offline Wildcat said
I quoted from ‘You Never Give Me Your Money ‘ a few weeks ago about this very thing, which made me start reading it again. Doggett has a comfortable writing style, and this is one of the better bios that deserve another read.There are more ironic (and tragic) instances the author mentions of almost-planned reunions that never happened for some reason or other.
There were a ton of possible reunions mentioned, to the point where it seemed like if they breathed the same air it was a “reunion possibility” and it seemed ridiculous. However all that said, it made me realize a little what they all lived with for so long. The constant barrage of “is it happening yet?” must have been exhausting. It was seemingly impossible for them to get away from it right up until it could no longer happen because of the most tragic of circumstances =/
5.28am
15 September 2012
Offline Though there were many instances that would suggest otherwise, I firmly believe John never totally ruled out a Beatles reunion in the decade between their breakup and his untimely death. John was mercilessly cruel towards Paul, George and even George Martin when he let his vitriol loose in Rolling Stone and other print interviews; he was also the most easily forgiven member within the group & from others who were closest to him, either despite of or because of his inability to maintain a consistent temperament, or to keep his fleeting thoughts to himself in similar circumstances.
If John had led a full life, being allowed to come full circle with the legacy and context of his remarkable past, as the other three were, he could have very well become the one to instigate a full-on reunion: don’t forget that his last public performance at a concert, less than five years after that seemingly irrepairable breakup, was a song he comfortably acknowledged was written by Paul, at a time when all of The Beatles still had years left to get over themselves and the situations that had come to define their lives.
I could go on forever about this, but instead I’ll just give this opinion & then shut up about it-
If there had been all four members of The Beatles alive and well, in 1990, or 2000, or most certainly at this writing- there is no way in Hell that Mick and Keith, or Jimmy and Robert, or The Who, or The Beach Boys or The Monkees or Bob Dylan would be entertaining their audiences with fortieth- and fiftieth- anniversary concerts and reverential retrospectives without The Beatles themselves having eventually joined in, only doing it better and more profoundly than these other artists could.
And I don’t think any self-respecting Beatles fan would allow them to do otherwise!
11.43am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline The thing with the MSG concert in 1974 with Elton where they played 2 Beatles tracks (Lucy (Elton’s latest single) and I Saw Her Standing There ) was that John had hung out with Paul earlier in the year and met up with Ringo a lot, not sure about George. It was only a few months after the John and Paul had considered going down to, was it Saturday Night Live. Basically John had been in a place of meeting old friends and more receptive to the beatles history whilst astranged from Yoko. 6 years later he was back with Yoko, Sean was 5, and a new stage of Johns career was beginning.
There would have have to have been a lot of things to work out people-wise for any reunion tho even in ’81. George was totally fed up with the music business and wanted out and im not convinced Yoko would have been that keen on John going back. Time changes things tho and further down the road it would have happened – even if just for the tv show. Not tours tho and i cant see there being an album or all new material – tho you never know.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
1.41am
19 April 2010
Offline According to the PBS American Masters documentary on Lennon, during the interview with Jack Douglas (Double Fantasy producer), Douglas claims Lennon was planning to “get the boys back together” to work on Ringo’s album. John kept saying over and over “gotta get the boys back together to help Ringo”
So, who knows, huh?
"She looks more like him than I do."
6.47pm
14 December 2009
Offline That certainly suggests just what it says: That they intended to make contributions to the Ringo album that became “Stop And Smell the Roses”, and Paul and George indeed did so. Would’ve counted as a symbolic reunion, anyways.
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
3.44pm
3 October 2012
Offline According to numerous statements John made around 1975, he was.
According to May Pang, she and John were going to New Orleans during the ‘Venus And Mars ‘ sessions to join Paul, when Yoko invited John to join her at the Dakota for a ‘hypnosis session’ to help him quit smoking…John never returned, and that was all SHE wrote.
6.03pm
19 April 2010
Offline frankdialogue said
According to numerous statements John made around 1975, he was.According to May Pang, she and John were going to New Orleans during the ‘Venus And Mars ‘ sessions to join Paul, when Yoko invited John to join her at the Dakota for a ‘hypnosis session’ to help him quit smoking…John never returned, and that was all SHE wrote.
Exactly – John never returned, he never went to New Orleans to record with Paul AND John never quit smoking. Hmmmm.
"She looks more like him than I do."
7.19pm
3 October 2012
Offline robert said
Exactly – John never returned, he never went to New Orleans to record with Paul AND John never quit smoking. Hmmmm.
Yes, he never came back…It was so sad what happened to John, being cut off from all of his mates and family back in England and never seeing them again…He was such a strong guy, but when it came to a certain female, he seemed to give up everything that made him John, to a great extent….God shelter his soul and forgive him his human foibles.
9.19pm
14 December 2009
Offline LOL at that last picture…You gotta appreciate Yoko titling an album “Yes, I’m a Witch” in the context of that one.
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
9.38pm
2 June 2014
Offline Im not 100% sure but i’ve read that john, a few hours before his death said something this
Paul and I are like brother and i’ll do anything for him and im sure paul will do anything for me
12.11am
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Offline Whatever John was thinking about a reunion I suspect Yoko would have stopped it as she would not want him back with his old mates in case she lost control. I’m not hating on her here, it was just the nature of their relationship and John chose Yoko.
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