Yoko's Fly LP was accompanied by a single, released September 29th, 1971 in the US, which paired two surprisingly conventional numbers from the album: the ballad "Mrs. Lennon" and the rocker "Midsummer New York".
She promoted the new releases in an interview at the St. Regis with WNEW-FM's Scott Muni, who had been interviewing John and his cohorts since their first New York visit in 1964. The first half of the interview is largely devoted to Yoko, but John participates, and takes a larger role in the second half. (Unfortunately, the circulating tape was dubbed on a machine with dying batteries, and speeds up dramatically as it reaches the end).
One of John and Yoko's final film projects was produced in their hotel suite that month. Titled Clock, in best Warhol fashion, it consisted of a one-hour continuous shot of the face of an alarm clock. Its only redeeming factor would have been the soundtrack, consisting of John singing Buddy Holly tunes and other oldies while strumming an acoustic guitar.
Perhaps the film's only screening (no copy circulates at present) was during Yoko's first major American art exhibition, in October at the Everson Museum in Syracuse, NY. John and Yoko talked about the preparations for that event to their old pal Howard Smith of WPLJ radio. The interview also found John defending himself against a number of attacks, both real and perceived, ranging from a letter in the Village Voice, to the lyrics of Ram, to George Martin, of all people!
Oh man, another Howard Smith interview!!! Awesome!
ReplyDeleteHas Yoko Ono disavowed or at least distanced herself from Clock? YES YOKO ONO (Japan Society, Inc. 2000) lists her works but fails to include this. Yoko's various Clock Piece(s) are discussed. There's a chapter devoted to her films including those with John Lennon. Ono's concept and use of time is highlighted here in discussions of films like Match, Eyeblink, Film No. 5 and Erection, yet there's no mention of Clock.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone here have something from the Everson that indicates it was actually shown there (not a later source like the LLTs)? Have any blog readers seen it in later presentations of Yoko Ono films?
Poor George Martin!
ReplyDeleteEverytime I think of John saying "Will someone just play me some of George Martin's music?", I think: John, listen to the "I Am The Walrus" arrangement!!
Every time I think of George Martin saying, "Produced by George Martin. Over produced by Phil Spector," I want to ask, "Aren't you the guy who arranged and produced 'Goodnight'?"
ReplyDeleteAwww, I wouldn't have "Good Night" any other way!!! (but, point taken!)
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be nice to have John's rehearsal run throughs for Ringo? :)
DeleteI collect demo versions of Cookin' In the Kitchen Of Love, of course I think it would be nice to have John's rehearsal run throughs of Good Night!
DeleteCollecting demo versions of "Cookin' (In The Kitchen of Love)" would seem to be a VERY narrow field of collecting...no?
ReplyDeleteOh man, listening to the Scott Muni interview....I love "Fly" (and "Approximately Infinite Universe") but man oh man......it's 2:34 seconds before poor old Scott can get a word in edgewise! Muni's voice ALWAYS makes me laugh....
ReplyDeletea funny story about Scott Muni, it's a darkly funny story but I'm telling you, John himself would crack up at it:
Scott Muni had this thing for years at noon, where he'd play a four song set of Beatles/Beatle solo. I have to say, it was horrible! The station was wall-to-wall rock and he'd play a set like Til There Was You, then Ding Dong Ding Dong and then, to drive home the absence of a "theme", we'd get, say, "Woman" and then "Bony Moronie" from the Rock 'n' Roll album.
So now it's that saddest of days, December 8th, and all morning on the station they are promoting Scott's "special tribute" to John Lennon. Well, after all, Scott knew the man...what could he impart? Sounded promising!
Noon rolls around, and they introduce the Scott segment...Scott starts talking and is talking for about a minute when.....he starts skipping! A CD skip! We all know how horrible a CD skip is! And it's just skipping through Scott's entire eulogy. No one at the station is listening, and Scott keeps skipping, and now we're skipping through "Imagine"...and now "Instant Karma"....no one at the station caught on.....I was at work, rolling on the floor.
Anyways....Yoko, she sure can talk, man! Love her, but wow, a little "full of herself", god bless her!
Amend my last comment! Yoko naming "Help" as her favorite early Beatles song and describing the first time she heard "Strawberry Fields" at a party is great, and sweet, and her enthusiasm is so genuine, that's great. Ohhhh Yoko!!!
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