John Lennon, Yoko Ono & John Peel

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John Lennon, Yoko Ono & John Peel
An interesting undocumented recording of a little-known interview between popular British D.J. John Peel and John and Yoko, recorded in England on 29th March 1970; the interview largely between Peel and Lennon, took place over the telephone with John Peel asking questions from a Pop festival, attended by a crowd of several thousand at Victoria Park, Bethnal Green, East London organised on behalf of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament [CND]; the main topic throughout the interview is John and Yoko's Peace campaign with Lennon offering advice and support to fellow 'Peaceniks', Lennon makes a number of suggestions and revelations including:
- An announcement that he's calling from an unidentified hospital and that Yoko appears to be pregnant ..."We're going to have a baby for Peace";
- In answer to Peel's questions as to how ordinary people can work for peace, Lennon promotes the use of the weapon of advertising. He suggests starting on a personal level, by placing a note in the window advertising peace and taking it further to amongst other things the use of "chicks" in tabloid papers such as The Sun and The Mirror "Miss Teenage Peace - 38.38.38.";
- In answer to Peel's interpretation of Lennon's advertising suggestion that people should "Abuse the media in the way it's been abusing you.." [ John and Yoko], Lennon responds that people should not be afraid to infiltrate the media: "Don't be ashamed to take your trousers down for Peace";
- Lennon looks at the world stage and condemns the use of violence and the economics of war and urges everyone to put pressure on their governments to bring about change by perseverance and the power of the vote;
- John and Yoko end the interview with a rendition of the chorus of Give Peace A Chance accompanied by Lennon on guitar - approximate running time: 15 mins; - 1/2" BASF reel-to-reel tape accompanied by c.d. and cassette copies of the recording, and a document concerning the provenance
To be sold with copyright to the spoken word of the interview only.

Whilst the seller confirms that this property is sold with copyright, Christie's can accept no liability in relation to any matters arising as a result of any imperfection in copyright given.

Provenance

Ex-lot 462, Rock & Roll Memorabilia Auction, Sotheby's, London, 22 August 1989

Literature

COLEMAN, Ray John Lennon, London: Warner Books, 1994, p. 480

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Lot Essay

In this little known interview between two British cultural legends, Lennon's vivid responses to Peel's intuitive questions give a clear insight into John and Yoko's passionate beliefs and the reasoning behind some of the more flamboyant actions they took in their remarkable Peace campaign. Unlike Yoko's well documented miscarriage in November 1968 and another rather less publicised in October 1969, this unsuccessful pregnancy, announced by Lennon to Peel, is not generally known about.

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