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John Lennon and Yoko Ono: The Playboy Interview
In mid-1962, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner was given a partial transcript of an interview with Miles Davis. It covered jazz, of course, but it also included Davis’s ruminations on race, politics and culture. Fascinated, Hef sent the writer—future Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Alex Haley, an unknown at the time—back to glean even more opinion and insight from Davis. The resulting exchange, published in the September 1962 issue, became the first official Playboy Interview and kicked off a remarkable run of public inquisition that continues today—and that has featured just about every cultural titan of the last half century.To celebrate the Interview’s 50th anniversary, the editors of Playboy have culled 50 of its most (in)famous Interviews and will publish them over the course of 50 weekdays (from September 4, 2012 to November 12, 2012) via Amazon’s Kindle Direct platform. Here is the interview with the musican John Lennon and artist Yoko Ono from the January 1981 issue.
- GenresMusicNonfiction
50 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 22, 2016
Must read for Beatles fans
One of John's last interviews make this a must buy for any Beatles fan. Imho, you need to get PolyGram's audio of this interview as well..,titled "A Heart Play".
One of John's last interviews make this a must buy for any Beatles fan. Imho, you need to get PolyGram's audio of this interview as well..,titled "A Heart Play".
January 6, 2022
In their own write... Er... Words
At this point, decades afterwards, John and Yoko's interview is a mix of grief and hope. It's pleasant enough to read John talking about being only 40 and still learning and improving, but, well... You know.
There's the signature Lennon biting humor and word play, interspersed with Ono's thoughtful responses. I don't envy the interviewer trying to keep up with the pair.
Much of the discussions about the music are now common knowledge now, such as the Q&A below:
Playboy: What’s an example of a lyric you and Paul worked on together?
Lennon: In We Can Work It Out, Paul did the first half, I did the middle eight. But you’ve got Paul writing, “We can work it out / We can work it out”—real optimistic, y’ know, and me, impatient: “Life is very short and there’s no time / For fussing and fighting, my friend.…”
There's definitely still salt in the wounds of the Beatles break up, especially with George and Paul, though there is kindness there as well.
At this point, decades afterwards, John and Yoko's interview is a mix of grief and hope. It's pleasant enough to read John talking about being only 40 and still learning and improving, but, well... You know.
There's the signature Lennon biting humor and word play, interspersed with Ono's thoughtful responses. I don't envy the interviewer trying to keep up with the pair.
Much of the discussions about the music are now common knowledge now, such as the Q&A below:
Playboy: What’s an example of a lyric you and Paul worked on together?
Lennon: In We Can Work It Out, Paul did the first half, I did the middle eight. But you’ve got Paul writing, “We can work it out / We can work it out”—real optimistic, y’ know, and me, impatient: “Life is very short and there’s no time / For fussing and fighting, my friend.…”
There's definitely still salt in the wounds of the Beatles break up, especially with George and Paul, though there is kindness there as well.
January 11, 2021
Fascinating and heartbreaking... P.S. They truly loved each other.
August 10, 2022
The greatest Plastic Ono Audiobook on CD!!!!!!!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2023
Good insights into a Time that has shifted into mythology
August 29, 2023
A balance to the truths we thought we knew.
Eleven more words are not needed and I don’t have them
Eleven more words are not needed and I don’t have them
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews