John Lennon Letters: Feuds with Paul and Linda McCartney, a 'throbber' and feeding his cats burgers... things we learned from new book
Nine revelations from new book taken from ex-Beatle's archive, edited by Fab Four biographer Hunter Davies
By Richard Arrowsmith
10 Oct 2012
Throbber not pictured: Lennon and Yoko Ono in a bathtub during the 1960s, when this kind of thing was normal
At 400 pages long and as tastefully presented as you'd imagine given its subject is a man who lived in an all-white mansion, the newly-released John Lennon Letters are sure to be on plenty of Christmas lists.
At £25 though, it doesn't come cheap so whet your appetite with these nine things we learned from a quick skim...
He thought George Martin got too much credit
Enraged by a 1971 Melody Maker interview with the producer, Lennon wrote to the now-defunct music magazine: "When people ask me questions about 'What did George Martin really do for you?,' I have only one answer, 'What does he do now?' I noticed you had no answer for that! It's not a putdown, it's the truth." He added: "Of course, George Martin was a great help in translating our music technically when we needed it, but for the cameraman to take credit from the director is a bit too much."
He didn't like Cornflakes.. .
A shopping list for Dakota Building assistant Rosa from 1979 begins: “MiLK (3 cartons) ORANGES GRAPENUTS (NOT FLAKES)”
...and he fed his cats hamburgers
A note to New York assistant Fred Seaman reads: "Fred, Lights in kitchen (bulbs), Honey Candy, Kitchen Air Con is 'On Heat' (Something Wrong), Cabbage, Grape-oil (ask where), Onions, Peas (NB the Korean Shop Shells Them!), Sesame Oil, Tomatoes, Berries, Yoghurt, Hamburger Meat (for the cat!)"
He had a pop at Linda McCartney
In an undated letter to his former partner's wife - but sent from the Lennons' home in Ascot, which would put it before 1972, John reacted angrily to a missive accusing he and Yoko of snubbing the McCartneys.
He wrote: "Who do you think we/you are? The 'self-indulgent doesn't realize who he is hurting' bit - I hope you realize what shit you and the rest of my 'kind and unselfish' friends laid on Yoko and me, since we've been together. It might have sometimes been a bit more subtle or should I say 'middle class" - but not often. We both 'rose above it' quite a few times - & forgave you two - so it's the least you can do for us, you noble people. Linda, if you don't care what I say, shut up! Let Paul write - or whatever."
He tried to patch things up with his absent dad...
In a September 1967 letter to Alfred Lennon, John wrote: "Dear Alf Fred Dad Pater whatever, It's the first of your letters I've read without feeling strange... I know it will be a bit awkward when we first meet and maybe for a few meetings but there's hope for us yet."
He couldn't spell
A letter to Beatles publicist Derek Taylor includes the line: “how come us genious’s’s are so dumb?”
He didn't like criticism of the missus
In a 1971 letter to a fan who criticised Yoko Ono, Lennon sniped: "Yoko's been an artist before you were ever a groupie. Why dont you open your box and dig 'Mind Train' on (Yoko/Plastic Ono band album) 'Fly'? Your prejudices can't be that deep.
"You might have an ageing problem. Me? I wouldn't go back one day!"
And to another fan who failed to see Yoko's Godlike genius, he write: "I'd forgotten about people like you! Well, well - you still exist, of course, in small towns across the world."
And he loved his first missus once...
An April 1962 letter from Hamburg to then-girlfriend Cynthia includes the memorable phrase: "I love you Cyn Powell and I wish I was on the way to your flat with the Sunday papers and cherries and a throbber! Oh Yes! "
It ends: "I love you, I love you please wait for me and don't be sad and work hard and be a clever little Cyn Powell. I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, write soon ooh its a naughty old Hamburg we're living in!!"
A letter home from a US tour in 1965 ends: "I'll go now 'cause I'm bringing myself down thinking about what a thoughtless bastard I seem to be - and it's only short of three o'clock in the afternoon, and it seems the wrong time of day to feel so emotional - I really feel like crying - its stupid - and I'm choking up now as I'm writting - I don't know what's the matter with me - It's not the tour that's so different from other tours - I mean I'm having lots of laughter (you know the type hee! hee!) but in between the laughter there is such a drop - I mean there seems to be in between feelings."
He took someone's bike to save his pocket money
In a 1955 note to a pal, Lennon wrote: “HARRY I HAVE TAKEN DAVIDS BIKE I WILL RETURN IT TOMORROW (SO AS NOT TO BREAK INTO THE £1)”.
Enjoyed that? You'll love our gallery of the Beatles' weirdest pictures...
Beatles - 50 weirdest Beatles pics
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