(x-post, obviously)
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 17 November 2017 22:03 (six years ago) link
The fact that the likes of 'Free as a Bird', 'Now and Then' and 'Real Life' didn't make it onto Double Fantasy or Milk and Honey is neither here nor there. They still got written.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 17 November 2017 22:06 (six years ago) link
it's fairly well documented, Jann Wenner says as much in his new bio, there's Robert Rosen's Nowhere Man (sourced from Lennon's diaries). even the Philip Norman bio has allusions to it. obviously the truth lies somewhere between the baking bread myth and the nightmare that Albert Goldman concocted. anyway the question is when did he write the songs on DF & MH - I don't know of any songs on those records written before 1980.
― flappy bird, Friday, 17 November 2017 22:07 (six years ago) link
& should've been clear initially: it inspired him to start writing songs for a new record, with the intention of releasing it, not puttering about writing a song every six months or something
― flappy bird, Friday, 17 November 2017 22:10 (six years ago) link
I can't imagine raising a baby while smacked out but I guess ppl do
― Οὖτις, Friday, 17 November 2017 22:11 (six years ago) link
Kurt & Courtney
also they obv had help, nannies, etc.
― flappy bird, Friday, 17 November 2017 22:11 (six years ago) link
and what a bang-up job they did
― Οὖτις, Friday, 17 November 2017 22:12 (six years ago) link
How can you be sure that he wasn't intending on doing something with those songs when he wrote them? How can you be sure they weren't in contention? How do you even know how frequently Lennon was writing songs between 1975-1979? The answer to questions of course are: you can't be sure and you don't know.
We can only go off the evidence that exists, which is that he was still writing songs during his "house husband" days.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 17 November 2017 22:15 (six years ago) link
Now, Lennon might very well have heard 'Coming Up' and thought "hmm, I'd better get back in there and make a record", but that's something different. We know he hadn't made a record for years.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 17 November 2017 22:19 (six years ago) link
He'd let his record contract lapse- and signed a new one with Geffen for Double Fantasy, which was seen very much as comeback record:
PLAYBOY: "The word is out: John Lennon and Yoko Ono are back in the studio, recording again for the first time since 1975, when they vanished from public view. Let's start with you, John. What have you been doing?"LENNON: "I've been baking bread and looking after the baby."
― Luna Schlosser, Friday, 17 November 2017 22:43 (six years ago) link
"baking bread" "looking after the baby"
https://i.imgur.com/TMLjbG8.gif
― Terry Micawber (Tom D.), Friday, 17 November 2017 22:50 (six years ago) link
Yes, he'd let his record contract lapse and so what? He was John Lennon! I don't think he would have had a problem getting another record deal when he felt the need to look for one, and I'm pretty sure he knew it.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 17 November 2017 22:56 (six years ago) link
Even Stiff Records tried to sign Lennon.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Friday, 17 November 2017 22:57 (six years ago) link
Ha, right, they sent him a message saying, "$1000! And that's our final offer!" Lennon briefly (thought probably jokingly) entertained taking them up on it.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 18 November 2017 00:05 (six years ago) link
The timeframe probably doesn't line up, but imagine Lennon making the deal and then recording w/Rockpile* and/or The Attractions!
*Which reminds me of an anecdote from a recent Nick Lowe interview I read wherein he describes a scene from when Brinsley Schwarz opened for Wings. The Brinsleys were having an aftershow party and where singing Beatles songs when Paul shows. They were reluctant to continue because they were under the impression he was really trying to shake off "the Beatles thing", but he joined in, and Lowe noted that afterwards more and more Beatles songs started popping up in Wings sets.
― to fly across the city and find Aerosmith's car (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 18 November 2017 01:11 (six years ago) link
Hard to reconcile his casual appreciation of “coming up” with “How do you sleep nightssssssss?”
― calstars, Saturday, 18 November 2017 12:14 (six years ago) link
Only a person who loved Paul could have written "How Do You Sleep?"
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 18 November 2017 12:25 (six years ago) link
'How Do You Sleep?' and 'Coming Up' were released 9 years apart. That's more time than The Beatles' recording career from 'Love Me Do' to Abbey Road.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 18 November 2017 12:33 (six years ago) link
For what it's worth, here's the Fred Seaman account of John's reaction to hearing 'Coming Up':
We were driving past a vast shopping mall, near Walt Whitman's birthplace, when a familiar voice boomed over the four speakers."Fuck a pig!" John shouted. "It's Paul!".Indeed it was Paul McCartney's new hit single, "Coming Up', a catchy tune built around a repetitive staccato riff. John frowned, turned up the volume, and began to nod to the beat."Not bad," he said at the end of the song, sounded surprised and even somewhat disappointed. When the announcer mentioned that Paul played all the instruments himself, John mumbled something to the effect that it made perfect sense as Paul had always wanted to be a one-man band. John turned down the volume and fell silent for a while. Then he asked me to get him a copy of Paul's new album and set up a stereo system in his bedroom.....The next day at breakfast, John hummed the melody of Paul's new single, which he said he could not get out of his head." It's driving me crackers!" he exclaimed cheerfully. He said the album was uneven, but he acknowledged that it was an unusually adventurous effort by Paul, and far superior to his previous release 'Back to the Egg' which John had dismissed as "garbage'. He gave Paul credit for trying his hand at something new.
"Fuck a pig!" John shouted. "It's Paul!".
Indeed it was Paul McCartney's new hit single, "Coming Up', a catchy tune built around a repetitive staccato riff. John frowned, turned up the volume, and began to nod to the beat.
"Not bad," he said at the end of the song, sounded surprised and even somewhat disappointed. When the announcer mentioned that Paul played all the instruments himself, John mumbled something to the effect that it made perfect sense as Paul had always wanted to be a one-man band. John turned down the volume and fell silent for a while. Then he asked me to get him a copy of Paul's new album and set up a stereo system in his bedroom.....
The next day at breakfast, John hummed the melody of Paul's new single, which he said he could not get out of his head." It's driving me crackers!" he exclaimed cheerfully. He said the album was uneven, but he acknowledged that it was an unusually adventurous effort by Paul, and far superior to his previous release 'Back to the Egg' which John had dismissed as "garbage'. He gave Paul credit for trying his hand at something new.
― Luna Schlosser, Sunday, 19 November 2017 12:20 (six years ago) link
I mean, if anyone thinks a songwriter with instruments lying around the house can just switch off their creative impulses for five years, then y'know, that's just naive.
nah, not really. there is certainly a thing called "writers block". there is certainly a thing called "creative burnout". as a musician there is nothing more that helps the quality of my work than taking a break. it's not like being a creative person is this all consuming thing going at 100% your entire life. like anything, especially to do with creativity/emotional/imaginative intelligence there are rhythms, there are ups and downs, fluxuations. but you tend to have unrealistic demands from your artists.
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Thursday, 23 November 2017 15:19 (six years ago) link
There's no evidence to suggest that Lennon had writers block, though.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, 23 November 2017 16:27 (six years ago) link
a five year gap between albums might be one piece of evidence, js
― FREEZE! FYI! (dog latin), Thursday, 23 November 2017 16:47 (six years ago) link
are we like required now to have an extremely stupid argument about the beatles on this board once a month
― ToddBonzalez (BradNelson), Thursday, 23 November 2017 16:49 (six years ago) link
The timeframe probably doesn't line up, but imagine Lennon making the deal and then recording w/Rockpile* and/or The Attractions!*Which reminds me of an anecdote from a recent Nick Lowe interview I read wherein he describes a scene from when Brinsley Schwarz opened for Wings. The Brinsleys were having an aftershow party and where singing Beatles songs when Paul shows. They were reluctant to continue because they were under the impression he was really trying to shake off "the Beatles thing", but he joined in, and Lowe noted that afterwards more and more Beatles songs started popping up in Wings sets.
― Modern Zounds in Undiscovered Country (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 23 November 2017 16:51 (six years ago) link
I mean, I’ve heard the one about when The Basher was electrocuted more than once, so...
― Modern Zounds in Undiscovered Country (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 23 November 2017 16:52 (six years ago) link
a five year gap between albums might be one piece of evidence, js― FREEZE! FYI! (dog latin), Thursday, November 23, 2017 4:47 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― FREEZE! FYI! (dog latin), Thursday, November 23, 2017 4:47 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
This proves nothing other than he didn't release an album for five years, which of course everybody knows. Everything else is just pure speculation, but we do know he was writing songs during that period because evidence of that actually exists.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, 23 November 2017 18:39 (six years ago) link
So, what, 20, 30 songs?
― The buttermilk of Beelzebub (Tom D.), Thursday, 23 November 2017 18:43 (six years ago) link
More?
Maybe he wrote 500 songs.
― The buttermilk of Beelzebub (Tom D.), Thursday, 23 November 2017 18:45 (six years ago) link
20, 30, 500 songs, still lazy. only if he had come up with an album concept singles release schedule and branding schema now we would be talking real creativity
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:06 (six years ago) link
Everything else is just pure speculation, but we do know he was writing songs during that period because evidence of that actually exists.― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, November 23, 2017 6:39 PM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, November 23, 2017 6:39 PM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:20 (six years ago) link
You never answered my question.
― The buttermilk of Beelzebub (Tom D.), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:22 (six years ago) link
I did, it's above.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:26 (six years ago) link
How many songs did he write in that period, is the question.
― The buttermilk of Beelzebub (Tom D.), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:29 (six years ago) link
I genuinely don't know and you seem to.
Can someone explain the love for “Whatever Gets You Through the Night”? There’s virtually no tune to speak of, the arrangement is this godawful Steve Douglas disco groove that somehow doesn’t groove. And the lyrics leave no impression whatsoever. How on earth this became his biggest hit remains a mystery to me.
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:30 (six years ago) link
(x-post)
Yeah, and I already answered it!
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:31 (six years ago) link
What, three songs?
― The buttermilk of Beelzebub (Tom D.), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:34 (six years ago) link
Can someone explain the love for “Whatever Gets You Through the Night”? There’s virtually no tune to speak of, the arrangement is this godawful Steve Douglas disco groove that somehow doesn’t groove. And the lyrics leave no impression whatsoever. How on earth this became his biggest hit remains a mystery to me.― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, November 25, 2017 7:30 PM (thirty-seven seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
How on earth this became his biggest hit remains a mystery to me.
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, November 25, 2017 7:30 PM (thirty-seven seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
It wasn't anywhere near as successful on the UK chart as it was on the US one - I suspect that's because Lennon, as a consequence of living in America at that point, was pretty much paying attention to American trends rather than British ones. I'm unsure as to how much Elton John being on it would have helped his chart position in the US, it didn't do much for it here.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:35 (six years ago) link
x-post to Tom D:
Everything else is just pure speculation, but we do know he was writing songs during that period because evidence of that actually exists.― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, November 23, 2017 6:39 PM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, November 25, 2017 7:20 PM (fifteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, November 25, 2017 7:20 PM (fifteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:36 (six years ago) link
So how many songs did he write?
― The buttermilk of Beelzebub (Tom D.), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:39 (six years ago) link
Yeah, I'm not repeating it again. If you didn't grasp it the first time, there's no hope for you.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:41 (six years ago) link
this is the worst argument currently running on ILX
― gimme the beet poison, free my soul (Doctor Casino), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:42 (six years ago) link
Yeah, can't disagree with that.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:43 (six years ago) link
It is indeed ridiculous and completely incomprehensible.
― The buttermilk of Beelzebub (Tom D.), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:43 (six years ago) link
My father has the NY Post from some point shortly after his death when the headline was “YOKO: DON’T BLAME N.Y.”
― calstars, Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:51 (six years ago) link
And right beneath it is a photo of John’s face in his coffin. Brutal tabloid shit
― calstars, Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:52 (six years ago) link
(xx-post)
I agree, so far we've had people saying that Lennon suffered from writers block from 1975-1979 when there's no evidence to support this. His lack of releases during this period only proves that he didn't release anything, it doesn't prove he didn't write anything, and there is evidence that he had been writing songs during that period. All of this is based on fact. Everything else is speculation.
It's ridiculously SO not difficult to grasp.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:52 (six years ago) link
why on earth is this important to you
― gimme the beet poison, free my soul (Doctor Casino), Saturday, 25 November 2017 19:58 (six years ago) link
LOL yes!
(xp) So all you say is, "I don't know how many songs he wrote in this period, I'm not sure I can even provide a rough estimate, but I know he wrote some songs, I know the names of three of them". Goodnight Vienna... hold on that's Ringo.
― The buttermilk of Beelzebub (Tom D.), Saturday, 25 November 2017 20:00 (six years ago) link