If John was here today... | Page 8 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

@HMBeatlesfan said

@SgtPeppersBulldog said
He and Yoko would go on tour (possibly world tour) in early 1981 to promote Double Fantasy , although I doubt the Milk And Honey tracks would get released. Free As A Bird ,  Real Love and Now And Then are recorded and become tracks on his following albums.

There’s a problem with that. You see, after The Beatles split up, John only played a handful of live performances, so it’d be wrong to assume he’d go on a tour for the album if he lived. If he were to go on tour to promote the album, he would’ve not been in New York at the time and it’s very clear he didn’t want to tour for the album.  

There’s a problem with your assessment, @HMBeatlesfan: John was talking about touring at the time of his death. Asked about touring in David Sheff’s Playboy interview, and whether he’d consider it, John replied:

I wouldn’t have believed it a month ago. But then I thought, “What the hell, why not?” If it’s enjoyable and if it doesn’t become something that one doesn’t want to do, ’cause it’s nice to get up and sing sometimes, like it’s nice to make music. I don’t want to get mixed up in deals and business and spin-offs and pressures, though, because I don’t need that anymore. Once was enough. But sure, I’d like to get up on stage with Yoko and a good band and play these songs, and really do ’em, because the band’s hot as shit. They just came off the album and they were all good — we’ve got the good feeling among ourselves. So it would be great. I’m just a little nervous about all that goes on around it. But I think we can probably handle it a bit better this time.

The day after John’s birthday, 9 October, Fred Seaman told the press that John was planning to tour the UK, Japan and United States the following year. During his BBC interview on the 6th, John would talk about a trip to England the following year.

More details have emerged about a possible 1981 tour since John’s death.

It was to be known as the “One World, One People” tour, and was planned for around May 1981. To those places already suggested by Seaman before John’s death, it has been said he was considering South Africa, Australia and Canada to the itinerary. John had the band until the end of January, as they were due to be finishing off Milk And Honey  during that month. According to guitarist Earl Slick, John was increasingly talking touring during the August and September sessions, and was talking to all the main Double Fantasy  musicians about their availability by the end of September.

Roadie Henry Smith tells a convincing story of being employed as road manager and de-facto booking agent, on a 5% cut. Smith says he had the idea of using video during the shows, and brought in Mark Fisher to help with the staging. John was discussing performing rearranged versions of earlier songs, including Beatles songs, with producer Jack Douglas.

While John may have got cold feet and kiboshed the tour before a single date was announced, but at the time of his death a major, and possibly very innovative, 1981 tour seems to have been well into the planning stages.

While Playboy is/was a magazine that displays naked women, it has always been considered one of the most important American publications for its journalism and interviews. Nearly every major figure in American life over the last 70 years, from Presidents to entertainers, including all the other Beatles, has been interviewed by Playboy.