Watch a clip from the AMERICAN MASTERS: LENNONYC, a new film that takes an intimate look at the time Lennon, Yoko Ono and their son, Sean, spent living in New York City during the 1970s. The film premieres nationally Monday, November 22 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings). In this clip see archival performance footage and interviews with the musicians and recording engineers who worked with Lennon – Jim Keltner, Jack Douglas, Roy Cicala, Andrew Newmark, Klaus Voorman, and Earl Slick – all discussing John Lennon’s particular genius.
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I’m looking forward to watching this program tonight. John with or without the Beatles was a great musician and above all else, human being. Thanks for broadcasting this for all to watch.
He would not want any of us saying we “wish” he was back to stand up for the injustices in the World. He would have hoped he had taught us how to do it ourselves. From all of our small corners of this universe, eventually coming together and living in peace.
He was a great teacher.
We are in Italy and can’t watch this preview because it is not available in this region. Why not?
Please allow the preview. We would love to see it.
Thank you.
As an arts critic, my opinion about this film is published elsewhere. But as a John Lennon fan who had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know him, I must say that although this is a fairly well produced work of fiction, it takes an unintentional pratfall as a documentary. Ms Ono’s odd determination to rewrite history, giving herself the starring role, of course, could be just another joke made about the woman whose very name means bad news in popular culture. But this PBS co-production raises hopes of a definitive account of the New York years. It also cuts those close to her late husband. Neither Paul McCartney nor Ringo Starr participated in this film. With the exception of some craftily edited quotes, also missing is May Pang, John’s longtime lover and the one who encouraged a reunion with his (also missing) elder son, Julian, during the 18 months the couple lived together. By painting over the cracks in the Lennon/Ono marriage, it drops that often called “Lost Weekend” when John Lennon enjoyed his most successful and prolific period since the breakup of the Beatles. Times are tough, but shame on you, PBS.
Sid Berstein the legendary concert promoter who brought the Beetles to America is 92 years old now! He brought not only the legendary Beetles but also The Rolling Stones into the states! He also promoted Ray Chrales, James Brown, The Rasceles and many more! if iit wasn’t for Sid there may have been no Beetles, or Rolling Stones, or some of the many legendary artists who changed the future of music! So to all who does not now Sid Bernstein started it all!! We should send letters to any popular show like Oprah or Larry King Live to have him on the show. He is a great man and deserves to be recognized!!
Well done. Thank you. Also glad the ending made no mention of his assailant by name. We know who it was, and didn’t need to hear it. It was an omission that did not go unnoticed, and was appreciated.
Thank you for this WONDERFUL biography of a great artist. I was post high school/college at the time; and involved in my own affairs. I felt like this was the TRUE picture of Lennon. The 1970’s media put such a black mark on Lennon and the constant efforts to have him deported. I have no doubt how much he loved America, and how much American music and life influenced him. LENNONYC redeemed the true artist that John was; and put the dark media of the time regarding the deportation efforts where they belong- in the garbage.
I’ve always loved Lennon’s music, and thought I knew something about his life, but this superb documentary, with all these wonderful interviews with the musicians he worked with, and then Mrs. Yoko Ono sincere insight, reminds you of the great artist and man he truly was!
thank you for this PBS, what a wonderful way to remember a genius, and one cannot stop smiling when listening to him having fun at the studio, great times shared!
Hello Taxman.
Okay. Evidence to support my statement that Lennon did not dedicate his life to political activism, nor after the abject failure of Sometime In New York City did he have any intention of continuing it in the future…..
At a rough count Lennon released 77 songs as a solo artist, of which 15 could be deemed as “political.” (And I’m being very generous in what constitutes a “political” song).
This represents a paltry 19% of his output. Couple this with the fact that the vast majority of this was released during or prior to SMTINY and I think that’s pretty strong evidence.
Regarding my “fixation” with commercial success; i.e. the charts. Quality is subjective, and my (and your) opinion of what is good or not is meaningless beyond our own little worlds. So in an effort to measure what people thought of his work at the time (I’m not getting involved in any post-murder rose-tinted retrospection here) the only measure I can think of is chart placings and contempory critical reception. Not perfect I know (marketing can have as much effect on sales as the product itself) but the best I can come up with. I’d welcome any suggestions as to a better way to measure contempory opinion. His big political statement, Sometime in New York City bombed in the charts(showing the public didn’t think much of it) and was almost universally panned by critics (showing they didn’t care for it either)
Finally, as to his intention to resurrect his long dead political activism, we have the politically free last albums Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey. But maybe most damning of all is this statement by the great man himself in a September 1980 Newsweek interview:
Q: “How do you look back on your political radicalism in the early ’70’s?”
JOHN: “That radicalism was phony, really, because it was out of guilt. I’d always felt guilty that I made money, so I had to give it away or lose it. I don’t mean I was a hypocrite. When I believe, I believe right down to the roots. But being a chameleon, I became whoever I was with. When you stop and think, what the hell was I doing fighting the American Government just because Jerry Rubin couldn’t get what he always wanted – a nice cushy job.”
Preview excerpt from LENNONYC
What you cannot show this in the uk where does he come from again?
This is why PBS is so great. They really try to recognize great souls like Lennon
Lennon was one of the greatest song writers who ever lived. It is just so great that PBS did something like this
Thanks for magic.
Lennon and the Beatles always shine.
Excellent movie.
In my life….Nothing to do to say his life, call his wife in.
Remembering December 8, 1980
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Remembering John Lennon thirty years later:
http://tomdegan.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-8-1980.html
Give peace a chance!
Tom Degan
good Kharma keeps the wheel turning…
Out of all of this, I think I laughed hardest at JL’s last post when he called him “Bob”. Truly sumptuous reading.
LOL. Well, i assume he stopped putting the D string on his Guitar slightly flat by the time he was in the Double Fantasy sessions. Like Neil Young, John’s a force of nature!
After all, that’s hilarious considering that he’s so good a Singer – Songwriter . I wonder if Paul or EC ever noticed how funny he is with the tuning… It might go something like this: ‘John, here’s yer Gold Record from the oven and it’s a Db in bar 4.’ LOL. John was a true free spirit and he is truly missed.