FEATURE:
Grow Old with Me
it will be forty years to the day since John Lennon was assassinated. Before then, we remember his eightieth birthday on 9th October, and it is a chance for fans around the world to mark a musical genius that is desperately missed. From The Beatles to his work with Yoko Ono (in The Plastic Ono Band) and everything else, Lennon was one of the most influential and amazing songwriters the world has ever seen. A complex man and near-peerless songwriter, I grew up listening to his music with The Beatles as a child, and I became more aware of his solo work a little later. A new Beatles auction has been announced, and there will be some Lennon memorabilia to snap up – including a pair of his glasses that have an extremely high estimate! On his birthday, there is a new Lennon compilation, GIMME SOME TRUTH, that unites some of his best solo tracks. This article explains more:
“Capitol/UMe will mark what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday, and celebrate his life and work, with a suite of collections titled GIMME SOME TRUTH. The Ultimate Mixes, out on October 9.
The retrospective is named after Lennon’s biting rebuke of deceptive politicians, hypocrisy and war that was part of 1971’s Imagine album. The new compilations gather together some of the best-loved songs from his solo years, remixed from scratch. They have been executive produced by Yoko Ono Lennon and produced by Sean Ono Lennon.
Ultimate listening experience
The 36 songs are thus radically upgraded in sonic quality and are presented as an ultimate listening experience, mixed and engineered by multiple Grammy Award-winning engineer Paul Hicks. He also helmed the mixes for 2018’s universally-acclaimed Imagine – The Ultimate Collection series. Assistance is again provided by engineer Sam Gannon, who also worked on that release.
The new mixes use brand new transfers of the original multi-tracks, cleaned up to the highest possible sonic quality. Following weeks of painstaking preparation, the final mixes and effects were completed using only vintage analog equipment and effects at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles. They were then mastered in analog at Abbey Road Studios in London by Alex Wharton”.
There will be a lot of events held around the world to celebrate the birthday of a musical giant. Although he has been gone for forty years, his spirit and influence can be heard and seen far and wide! I wonder what his Beatles bandmates, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, will do to mark Lennon’s eightieth birthday, and whether there might some special performances. It is clear that Lennon’s departure left a huge void in the world, and there has not been a songwriter like him since. I will end with a playlist of John Lennon’s best Beatles and solo tracks, but I want to introduce a couple of articles before then. In this article from The Express, we learn that there is a Lennon photo exhibition happening next month:
“Next month marks what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday. And to celebrate, Morrison Hotel Gallery is opening a free virtual exhibition to celebrate The Beatles legend’s life. Titled, In His Life, the event opens on Thursday October 1, 2020. And the works of the likes of Bob Gruen, Ethan Russell, Astrid Kirchherr, and Allan Tannenbaum will be on digital display for fans to enjoy.
IN THIS PHOTO: John Lennon in New York in 1973/PHOTO CREDIT: Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
From a rock star, husband and father to being a New Yorker and peace activist.
And aside from the fine art music photography at the virtual exhibition, the centrepiece are four of Lennon’s original handwritten lyric sheets.
These include Yer Blues, I’m So Tired, Dear Prudence and Watching the Wheels.
The sheets have made available in limited edition fine art prints by the John Lennon Estate on behalf of Yoko Ono.
John Lennon “In His Life” virtual exhibition launches on October 1, 2020 here.
Next month also sees a free streamed John Lennon tribute concert.
The line up includes KT Tunstall, John Illsley of Dire Straits, Richard Curtis, Laura Jean Anderson, Blurred Vision and many more”.
I will end things soon, but there is a lot happening next month, and I think we all need to come together and celebrate one of music’s absolute legends. We have all been touched by Lennon’s music and brilliance. His quest for peace and togetherness never seemed cynical to me, and he definitely affected culture and the world in a very meaningful and profound way. I wonder what Lennon would be doing if he were still with us. Would he be making records like Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, or would he be retired or producing more experimental works? Actually, before I get there, we there is a two-part anniversary show on BBC Radio 2 from Sean Lennon, where he remembers his father. As the BBC report, there is a long-awaited treat that we will get:
“For the first time, Sean Ono Lennon has interviewed Sir Paul McCartney about his relationship with his father, John.
"I look back on it now like a fan," says Sir Paul of meeting Lennon.
IN THIS PHOTO: The Beatles at the West London home of their manager, Brian Epstein, on 19th May, 1967/PHOTO CREDIT: John Pratt/Keystone/Getty
"How lucky was I to meet this strange Teddy Boy off the bus, who played music like I did and we get together and boy, we complemented each other!"
The discussion will be part of a special two-part Radio 2 programme, John Lennon at 80, marking what would have been the late Beatle's birthday.
During the chat, Sir Paul also plays one of the first ever Lennon-McCartney songs, Just Fun.
Written as the teenagers played truant from school, it has never been officially recorded - although a snippet was previously heard in the Beatles' Let It Be movie.
Speaking to Sean, Sir Paul admitted his first attempts at writing with John "weren't very good".
"Eventually, we started to write slightly better songs and then enjoyed the process of learning together so much that it really took off."
The documentary will also feature interviews with Sean's half-brother, Julian, and his godfather Sir Elton John.
Radio 2 boss Helen Thomas said: "John Lennon is one of the Radio 2 audience's most popular and best-loved musicians, so we're thrilled and honoured that Sean's first ever radio programme in which he talks at length about his father, alongside his brother Julian, Paul McCartney and Elton John, will be broadcast on our network."
The programmes will be available on 3 and 4 October, ahead of Lennon's birthday on 9 October.
The star was shot dead outside his New York apartment in 1980. Earlier this week, it emerged that his killer, Mark Chapman, had apologised to Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, at a parole hearing in August.
"I just want to reiterate that I'm sorry for my crime," Chapman told the parole board at the Wende Correctional Facility in New York.
"It was an extremely selfish act. I'm sorry for the pain that I caused to her [Ono]. I think about it all of the time".
Returning back to the question regarding John Lennon and what his legacy is. Many people have had their opinion, and there are so many different angles one can approach that question. This interesting article from The Social Man a few years back discussed John Lennon’s legacy:
“The iconic John Lennon reflected a new age ideology shared by men everywhere – a new persona defined by an internal conflict spurned by international awareness.
And Lennon was international, his words against a world wrapped in conflict would ignite the passions of an entire movement of rebellion towards archaic politics at large.
At the time, breakthrough anthems such as “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” would unite the young and restless against the Vietnam War.
To this day, the sounds of “Give Peace a Chance” and “Imagine” continue to heal where violence ignites. Without the influence of Lennon, even the shape of cinema would not be the same.
The Beatles would influence monumental works such as Hard Days Night and Across the Universe ensured the survival of Lennon and the legacy he would leave society at large.
John Lennon forever will the man who defined the modern man, defined culture, and society”.
To honour the great John Lennon and look ahead to his eightieth birthday, I have compiled a playlist containing some of his best tracks – from the earliest days of The Beatles through to his final studio album, Double Fantasy, of 1980 (a posthumous album, Milk and Honey, was released in 1984). Next month, some truly great and fascinating releases and events will take place to mark the eightieth birthday of a true genius. Now, more than ever, we need Lennon’s wisdom, spirit and extraordinary music…
IN the world.