Beschreibung:

John Lennon An important three-page mimeographed typescript letter, signed , sent to journalist Richard Williams in response to an interview with Paul McCartney, published in Melody Maker , 20th November, 1971, the letter addressed in typescript to Paul, Linda, et al the wee McCartneys , 20th November, 1971, with a handwritten inscription in Lennon's hand at the top of the page requesting that Williams, then deputy editor of Melody Maker , publish it in order to give Lennon's side of the story [the text of this letter, with 9 lines omitted, was subsequently published in Melody Maker , 4th December, 1971] - Lennon's bitterness and ill feeling towards McCartney at this time is apparent throughout the letter in which he addresses several issues raised by McCartney in his interview, in turn: - Initially Lennon discusses taxation problems which had arisen as a result of McCartney's desire to leave Apple: ... 1. We give you money for your bits of Apple. 2. We give you more money in the form of royalties, which legally belong to Apple... for the millionth time in these past few years I repeat, What about the TAX? It's all very well playing 'simple, honest ole' human Paul' in the Melody Maker, but you know damn well we can't just sign a bit of paper... - Next Lennon refers to Paul's 'warning' about Allen Klein and their differing opinions regarding Klein and Lee Eastman; He then contradicts McCartney's comments about the text on the Let It Be album cover: ... Let It Be was not the first 'bit of hype' on a Beatle album. Remember Tony Barrow? And his wonderful writing on Please, Please, Me, etc. etc. the early Beatle Xmas records! And you gotta admit is was a 'new phase Beatle album', incidentally written in the style of the great Barrow himself!... - Lennon then addresses remarks Paul had made about him living in New York and McCartney's comments about him playing live with the Plastic Ono band: ..You were right about New York! I do love it; it's the ONLY PLACE TO BE....I'll bet you your piece of Apple you'll be living in New York by 1974 (2 years is the usual time it takes you - right?). Another thing, whadya mean 'big thing in Toronto'? It was completely spontaneous, they rang on Friday - we flew there and played on the Saturday...(We'd never even played together before!) Half a dozen live shows - with no big fuss - in fact we've been doing what you've been talking about doing for three years!... - Next Lennon discusses McCartney's remarks about John's latest album Imagine ...So you think 'Imagine' ain't political, it's 'working class here' with sugar on it for conservatives like yourself!! You obviously didn't dig the words. Imagine! You took 'How Do You Sleep' so literally....Your politics are very similar to Mary Whitehouse's -- 'saying nothing is as loud as saying something!'.. - Lennon then addresses McCartney's stated reasons for not playing at George Harrison's Bangledesh concert and his fears that had he done so the world's press would have interpreted this move as the reformation of The Beatles: ...Listen my obsessive old pal, it was George's press conference - not 'dat ole debbil Klein'. He said what you said - 'I'd love to come, but...' Anyway, we did it for basically the same reasons - the Beatle bit - they still called it a Beatle show with just two of them... - Finally, Lennon makes sarcastic comments about McCartney's voiced intention to put his own picture on the Wings label ...Wanna put your photo on the label like uncool John and Yoko, do ya? (Ain't ya got no shame!).... - Lennon ends the letter ...No hard feelings to you either, I know we basically want the same, and as I said on the phone and in the letter, whenever you want to meet, all you have to do is call. All you need is love, Power to the people, Free all prisoner, Jail the Judges, Love and peace, Get it on, and rip 'em off! signed in black felt pen John Lennon , adding one typescript postscript P.S. The bit that really puzzled us was asking to meet WITHOU