Glass Onion: On John Lennon

And so we bring to an end Glass Onion's 7th year… John Lennon's 1975 is mostly remembered for being the year that he became a father for the second time and dropped out of the music biz for 5 years, apparently to become the most famous househusband in the world (the jury's still out on that one). Before he did that though, he front-loaded the year with the usual frenetic activity you'd expect from a year in the life of our hero. There were albums and singles of his own, musical collaborations with others, his final ever live appearance, interviews for TV, radio and print, lots of written letters to friends and family, some Beatle contact, a public appearance here and there, lawsuits and his ongoing fight with America's powers that (probably shouldn't) be. Oh, and he also found time for a sudden change in his lovelife, his past lover quickly consigned to (Lennon) history. Best wishes for the season Enjoy!   Feedback to [email protected]   Support the show at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/glassonionjlpod   Twitter handle https://www.twitter.com/OnionLennon   Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) https://www.lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com   episode links John's albums of 1975: Rock 'n' Roll https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_'n'_Roll_(John_Lennon_album) Shaved Fish https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaved_Fish   Previous Glass Onion episode on the Rock 'n' Roll album and legal shenanigans https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com/episode-65-rock-and-roll-1975-album-review-paul-or-nothing-swapcast-1   The majestic 'Angel Baby' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4kea1yZj0E   John's 2 TV interviews of 1975 (Bob Harris/Tom Snyder) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKDpCWO3nes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OQl10ZlfqU   John's final live performance (Imagine, April 1975) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtbzOENU3ec   John and *BOMF perform for 'The Old Grey Whistle Test' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkLXcQTusUw   John Paul (not that one) and Art at The Grammy's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUlR8jWUKd8   John does a bit of 'Lady Marmalade' on piano https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rs6Px9Cl-cg   May Pang's 'The Lost Weekend: A Love Story' https://www.maypang.com/the-lost-weekend   Was John actually hypnotised by Yoko? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOsspa7uEis   Recommended books: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29501681-lennon-on-lennon https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21514255 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13528387-the-john-lennon-letters   Lennonology website https://lennonology.com   David Bowie's 'Fame' (John on guitar and vocals) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypgq0qdgVZA   Operation Paperclip (important history) https://explorethearchive.com/operation-paperclip

For our final offerings of the year, we present a 2-part look at 1975, the year of Antony's birth. As is traditional, we first cover the year itself in terms of world events, births & deaths, films and (non-Lennon) music, before turning to the John Lennon events of the year.   The Vietnam War is finally winding down, and there are numerous other examples of progress and destruction in another memorable 12 months on our blue planet. Ali & Frazier fight the fight to end them all and there are great films, singles and albums galore.   We'll look at John Lennon's part in all this fun and games in December   Enjoy!   Feedback to [email protected]   Support the show at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/glassonionjlpod   Twitter handle https://www.twitter.com/OnionLennon   Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) https://www.lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com   episode links 1975 in film and music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_in_film https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_in_music   Jaws 4k clips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCzncv0ISaE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOe3n9eO6Lc Film Gold audio commentary (2021) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1c_E-LuSxs&rco=1 Documentary on the film's legacy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgtJEhEppu4 Mr Jaws! (spoof song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeYCOFblZRg   The Thrilla in Manila fight in HD and 2007 documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olp9gsmD_A0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEtCq6X7fUI   Paul Simon on the Dick Cavett show (Still Crazy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjtOa8d_BHU   Rolling Thunder Revue documentary (Dylan by Scorsese) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9577852/   'The Eleventh' podcast series (available everywhere podcasts are found) https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/truecrime/presents-the-eleventh/105982868   Eoghan Lyng's book about George Harrison https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61043229-george-harrison-in-the-70s   George Carlin on 'The Owners of the Country' (tough love) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dY4WlxO6i0   Christopher Hitchens gives the case against Henry Kissinger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNi-rhLGNj8   Baby You're A Rich Man 'video' (Beatles in Greece) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nECfL2_rqVk

David 'Ghosty' Wills is back once more to look at another biopic that's not really very good (we'll do something classic next time, I promise!), though our levels of (non-)appreciation of 2010's 'Lennon Naked' differ slightly Christoper Eccleston gives something of a powerhouse performance as a very brutal and cutting version of John Lennon, starting in 1964 but mostly focusing on the 1967-71 period. All the main events of that time in John's life are covered here, with a soap-opera style reminiscent of the previously reviewed 'John & Yoko: A Love Story'. Antony and Ghosty also discuss biopics in general, and the difficulty in capturing charismatic figures and writing dialogue worthy of them There'll be another Glass Onion 2-parter to round off 2025, the first part due to come out in November Enjoy!   Feedback to [email protected]   Support the show at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/glassonionjlpod   Twitter handle https://www.twitter.com/OnionLennon   Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) https://www.lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com   Ghosty's Cliff Richard/Shadows podcast and you tube channel https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-p5kf8-10892e3 https://www.youtube.com/@GhostyTMRS/videos   episode links Lennon Naked film pages and full film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560164/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennon_Naked   The fictional Magical Mystery Tour press conference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdXLdbJ_xk8   Scene comparisons with real events https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mFsahlxZZc   Glass Onion's 2020 episode on depictions of John Lennon on film (including Lennon Naked) https://glassoniononjohnlennon.com/episode-30-john-lennon-on-film-the-good-the-bad-and-the-cameos-with-ed-chen   Elliot Roberts watched every Beatles biopic… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eon5X1W8uGc   John & Yoko's real encounter with Gloria Emerson (keep smiling) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIM7D_IfCtI   Freddie Lennon's 1965 smash-hit Xmas single (not quite) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azAiSG09FBk   The World of John & Yoko (BBC 1969) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dqVemtlJvk   Pete Shotton's recommended memoir https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1154066.John_Lennon   John Lennon at his humorous best (Get Back 1969) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K9zuXRTul0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XdYb-16F7c

We complete our look at 'Birth of the Beatles', the 1979 biopic which holds a unique place as the only one of its kind made while all 4 Beatles were still alive. The timeline goes somewhat awry but we go from the boys having departed Hamburg in late-1960 to the tragic death of one of their band members and then the arrival in the story of their well-groomed, well-spoken but also fragile guardian angel. From there, destiny takes its course… Before this, Antony offers a short item on 'The John Lennon Letters' print/audio book, a fine entry in the canon of Lennon/Beatles books that offers us personal and valuable insights into the eternal enigma that was and is John Lennon. The voice of Christopher Eccleston, who portrayed John in the TV film 'Lennon Naked', can be heard reading some of the letters   Enjoy!   Feedback to [email protected]   Support the show at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/glassonionjlpod   Twitter handle https://www.twitter.com/OnionLennon   Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) https://www.lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com   episode links Birth of the Beatles film page and full film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078865/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VpIA_87cxM   Scene comparisons with real events https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAY0_CGZNRY   Backbeat (1994)- Stu's death & John's tribute https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3WmUNvMpKo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T5h_Cr0i7o   Pete Best on the Letterman show and TV-Am (1982/1990) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3j7nqx0Pgs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_p_zKrKWFE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQpBXrESRig   Mona & Pete Best discuss Pete's dismissal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_p_zKrKWFE   'Drummed Out!' book (recommended) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2372130.Drummed_Out_   'The John Lennon Letters' (essential Lennon reading) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13528387-the-john-lennon-letters   John promotes 'In His Own Wife' with a little help from George https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1SjHkEepuk   'A Shot of Rhythm and Blues' BBC version (powerful Beatles rock cover) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VgvJj4EBpc

Following our last exploration of a biopic of dubious quality, Antony flies solo this time to explore another one which, despite having some sense of time and place, is also somewhat lacking and to some extent unintentionally comedic. 'Birth of the Beatles', which came out in 1979, will always hold a unique place as the only Beatles biopic made while John Lennon was still alive. Considering that he'd reacted negatively to Cynthia's apparent rewriting of history in her book 'A Twist of Lennon' in 1978, it's quite something to ponder what he might have thought of this Dick Clark-produced TV film. Preceding this, Antony offers a guitar lesson for the Bob Dylan song 'Masters of War' and then the song that it inspired (musically at least)- John Lennon's 'Working Class Hero.' There are also pre-outro Easter Eggs to be found in this episode…   Enjoy!   Feedback to [email protected]   Support the show at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/antonyrotunno OR https://www.buymeacoffee.com/antonyrotunno   Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/glassonionjlpod   Twitter handle https://www.twitter.com/OnionLennon   Antony's website (music, podcasts, blog, life coaching) https://www.antonyrotunno.com   Antony's 'Life And Life Only' podcast (on Psychology and Alternative media) https://www.lifeandlifeonly.podbean.com   Antony demonstrates Beatles guitar parts on 'Pop Goes The 60s' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_Y4f1efz6s   episode links Birth of the Beatles film page and full film https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078865/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VpIA_87cxM   Scene comparisons with real events https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAY0_CGZNRY   Backbeat scenes (Prellies/Astrid photographs the band) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIpUr1wX5Rw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq3l4frmFDo   The development of the Scouse accent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcpXePrrCIk   Working Class Hero official video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMewtlmkV6c   Saturday Night And Sunday Morning (Angry Young Man) https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B_G9niYeB8Q   Cry For A Shadow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4WMeOLHp28