Loving John Lennon

Friday, July 11, 2008

By MATT DUNN

mdunn@sjnewsco.com

 

It's been called "the lost weekend" -- the 18 months John Lennon spent apart from Yoko Ono.

 

It wasn't a weekend.

It wasn't "lost" either, according to May Pang, former personal assistant, confidant and personal friend of the legendary musician and former Beatle.

 

Pang, who lived with Lennon as his girlfriend between 1973 and 1975 and recently published a book of photos she took of the him during that time, was the honored guest at a book signing Thursday night at SR Riley's Musical Cafe.

 

Although Lennon himself dubbed his time with Pang as "the lost weekend", the Beatle well-known for his dry wit was not referencing an actual weekend but the book and film, "The Lost Weekend".

"The Lost Weekend" tells the story of a writer coping with writer's block by self-medicating himself with alcohol.

 

According to Pang, the comparison was a bit of an exaggeration.

 

"It was a very productive time," Pang told the crowd gathered Thursday at Bridgeton's Beatles-themed restaurant, explaining her reason for releasing was the book was to clear up misconceptions that the year and a half she spent with John was wasted. "A friend convinced me to write the book before the myths (about the lost weekend' became truths."

 

Pang's book is called "Instamatic Karma."

 

In 1983, Pang wrote "Loving John: The Untold Story", a memoir of her relationship with Lennon, which she wrote with a co-writer "while she was still green."

 

"Instamatic Karma" is closer to Pang's heart.

 

Make no mistake, while the alcohol flowed freely while Pang was with Lennon, so did his creativity.

In 1974, Lennon wrote and recorded the album, "Walls and Bridges". Pang provided back-up vocals on the song, "#9 Dream" and was the subject of the song "Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradise)."

He had his only #1 hit as a solo artist from that album with "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night".

 

Lennon re-connected with his son Julian, who he had not seen since Julian was six.

 

According to Pang, she and Lennon spent a lot of time with Lennon's former bandmates and fellow musicians.

"Paul and Linda would come to our house a lot in New York," she said, adding that they also spent time with David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Elton John.

Oh yeah, then there's the Beatles reunion which almost was.

"I got him that close," Pang smirked.

 

According to Pang, Lennon was going down to New Orleans when he caught wind his former bandmate, Paul McCartney, would be in the area.

"Do you think I should write with Paul again?" Lennon asked Pang.

Pang answered "Yes", and Lennon immediately got self-conscious.

"He never thought he was a good singer," Pang later told the crowd.

When Lennon asked Pang why she felt he should write songs with Paul again, Pang told him, "Because when the two of you write together, it's John and Paul. There's nothing like it."

 

Years later, a postcard was discovered written by Lennon to his publicist, where he said he considering meeting with Paul in New Orleans.

"If we do a one-off, I'm in for it," Pang said Lennon had once remarked to her.

The closest Lennon and McCartney ever got to a reunion was a drunken jam session with Stevie Wonder, which Pang said was surreal -- "like being in a Fellini film."

A reunion of one of the greatest rock-and-roll bands of all time never happened.

 

A few years after Lennon and Pang's relationship fell apart, Lennon was shot to death in New York City.

Lennon's death was not brought up at all during Thursday's book signing, however.

 

Pang focused on the happier times, revealing a few personal facts about Lennon, such as his fondness for television and the Johnny Carson show.

"He loved cable TV when it came out," she said.

Pang said Lennon would have loved the Internet.

"He was always interested in new technology," she said. "The Internet would have been for him. He would have loved recording at home."

 

Pang laughed and said Lennon was "lazy."

"He loved sitting in bed and watching TV," she said.

Lennon's famous "bed in" protest must have come naturally again, but when asked by a fan if Lennon would have done that again today in opposition to the war in Iraq, Pang said no.

"He was very creative. He would have done something else," she said.

 

Fans listened attentively and asked Pang dozens of questions during the hour she spoke.

The event attracted Beatles fans of all ages and from all over South Jersey.

Ruth Arnold, of Dorothy, said this was her second time visiting SR Riley's and heard about the book signing from a friend who read about it in the newspaper.

"It was an excuse to go out an have a nice dinner," said Arnold, who was there with her husband and daughter.

 

Do you think May Pang (who later married Bowie/Bolan producer Tony Visconti & had two children with him) has been overlooked in the story of John Lennon or not?

I think she has by and large, most people would struggle to remember her at all.