Do we really need to be reminded about John Lennon on this, his 70th birthday?
Music critic Allan Kozinn says, "Perhaps not, but Lennon himself would have been the first to recognize, and run with, the commercial potential of a big, even-numbered anniversary. He built his 1969 peace campaign, after all, on the notion that since the press was following his every move anyway, he might as well use the attention to put across his message. He described his Bed-In for Peace as 'an advertisement.'”("Long After Death, Lennon Remains Inspiration," The New York Times, October 8 2010)
Sam Taylor-Wood’s feature film, “Nowhere Boy,” is among many projects associated with Lennon's birthday. The film explores Lennon’s adolescence and his complicated, often conflicted relationship with his Aunt Mimi, who raised him, and with his more footloose mother, Julia. Nowhere Boy premiered at the London Film Festival last year and received four BAFTA Awards nominations. The Weinstein Company is distributing Nowhere Boy in the US. Here is a clip of the film.
How Do People Remember John Lennon?
George Martin, Beatles' record producer, arranger, composer and musician remembers, "It's a funny thing, but John never liked his voice. I don't know why, because I always said he had the greatest of voices, but I guess it's the same problem you have when you wake up in the morning and you shave yourself and you look at your face and say, 'What an awful face.' He was always wanting to distort it, always wanting me to do things to it, to ADT it or double-track it or whatever. 'Don't give me that thing again, George,' he'd say. 'Give me another one.' He was always wanting something different."
"Nothing was sacrosanct with John," says Ken Sharp, author of Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy," "His life was an open book reflected in song. As an artist, he never placed himself on a pedestal above his audience. He was one of us, which is one of the major reasons his work resonated so strongly then and today. We identified with him, we shared the same insecurities, vulnerabilities, raw emotions and dreams. It's all there in the music. Not only one of the most brilliant songwriters, John was real, he spoke the truth, and that's why we still love him today." (Edna Gundersen, "John Lennon: 'Patina of Fascination' for Fans of All Ages," USA Today, updated 2010)
"But it goes beyond music. Lennon’s great sense of humor revealed a sharp mind and a wit as quick as Groucho Marx’s, not just in film but in appearances also, which always amused me. He jousted with others in press conferences and on talk show appearances. He also made political statements through actions like the Bed-Ins for Peace and the guests he brought on The Mike Douglas Show, such as Black Panther Party president Bobby Seale and Yippie Jerry Rubin. These activities got the attention of the U.S. government, which is detailed in The U.S. vs. John Lennon." ("Happy 70th Birthday, John Lennon -- 'Let's Hope It's a Good One,'" blogcritics.org., October 8 2010)
"Now a younger generation can say, 'There are places we remember,' linking moments in their lives with the music Lennon created, whether with the Beatles or as a solo artist. Younger fans have discovered the hits of Lennon & McCartney through the film "Across the Universe," through the Cirque du Soleil show "Love" or through the interactive joy of playing "The Beatles: Rock Band" videogame. And they've taken to the streets to protest wars from Iraq to Afghanistan, chanting Lennon's still-all-too-relevant demand, 'Give Peace a Chance.' (Thom Duffy, "The Lennon Legacy," Billboard.biz, October 9 2010)
Celeste Headlee, host of the Takeaway, reports, "John Lennon was brilliant and arrogant and fearless. He loved fiercely, sometimes rashly, and he was an intrepid creator. Lennon opened himself to inspiration and let it guide him where it would. He allowed himself to change, to be influenced by the people and events around him. Lennon was perhaps the ultimate pop star, who gave voice to a generation. Thirty years after his death, still irreplaceable." ("Remembering John Lennon: Fans Share Reflections, Favorite Songs with WNYC," WNYC Radio, October 8 2010)
This John Lennon interview was recorded at the Dakota apartment in NY in 1980. It can be found on The John Lennon Collection CD.
"Lennon's admirers accept those (Lennon's) faults, just as Martin Luther King's personal failings are put in perspective by the greatness of his achievements. We know that heroes are flawed. And we are sad for those they hurt. However, those weaknesses don't diminish the overall achievements. They are simply a reminder of human limitations...
"Of all Lennon's legacies, one of the most enduring, and perhaps the most impressive, is who his enemies were. The true measure of his greatness was that in the 1970s he terrified the most powerful man in the world...
"It's hard to think of a single artist or entertainer prior to, or since, John Lennon who had that kind of impact. No other creative artist has ever induced that level of fear in a man who is ostensibly the most powerful man in the world. Ideas, honesty, passion, humor and brilliant empathetic songs it seems were more powerful. Just imagine that...." (Martin Lewis, "Remembering Lennon," Time, December 2000)
The Washington Post, "The Legacy of John Lennon" -- Troy Witcher, Photo Editor, Producer: This is a great slide-show presentation.
On this day 70 years ago, Oct. 9, 1940, John Lennon was born in Liverpool. It’s tragic that he is not around to celebrate his birthday today. But this can also be a happy occasion for fans, a time to reflect on all the joy that this great artist brought into the world before his senseless murder in 1980.
To honor John's birthday, here is a collective poem (I compiled) of Lennon lyrics. Also included is some video and photography. Happy birthday, John. We still live and breathe our lives with your beautiful gift of music.
"At Seventy" John Lennon
So long ago
Was it in a dream, was it just a dream?
I know, yes I know
Seemed so very real, it seemed so real to me.
I was shivering inside
I was trying to catch your eyes. Woman I know you understand
The little child inside the man.
Nobody told me there'd be days like these
Strange days indeed -- strange days indeed People asking questions lost in confusion,
Well I tell them there's no problem,
Only solutions.
On a river of sound
Thru the mirror go round, round
I thought I could feel (feel, feel, feel)
Music touching my soul, something warm, sudden cold In a brotherhood of man.
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world... Singing power to the people,
Power to the people!
Power to the people!
Power to the people, right on!
Life is just what happens to you, While your busy making other plans. You don't know what you got, until you lose it, So keep on playing those mind games together
Faith in the future out of the now.
What in the world you thinking of
Laughing in the face of love Love is the answer and you know that for sure
Love is a flower you got to let it grow.
It's time to spread our wings and fly,
Don't let another day go by my love,
Love has opened my eyes. It'll be just like starting over - starting over....
Lyrics have been taken from these John Lennon compositions: Instant Karma, You Are Here, What You Got, Jealous Guy, Mind Games, Watching the Wheels, Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy), Woman, Imagine, Nobody Told Me , #9 Dream, and Starting Over.
