Throughout Double Fantasy, it is easy to hear how Yoko’s songs had become so inspiring to New York’s new wave scene. I wanted a book that would let me feel that excitement - the excitement of taking one last stab at greatness and pulling it off. By 1980, however, his elevated profile upon reentry to pop culture drew an increasingly large number of fans to the Dakota, where Lennon was gunned down on December 8. I was really struck by your depiction of that in the book…. And maybe that’s because he contrasts also with some of his more cruel moments. I am a Chicago-based writer and broadcaster who's tracked the changing music industry since the mid-90s with frequent contributions to WGN Radio and the Daily Herald. When it comes to writing about someone like John Lennon or something like the Beatles, where seemingly everything has been said or written, how do you go about telling a new tale or putting a unique spin on a familiar one after all these years? (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). How important to this story are both the Dakota and New York City? KW: It was everything. In 1982, Double Fantasy won Album of the Year at the 24th Annual Grammy Awards. Lennon, who had never sailed a boat like this, felt real fear, but in facing the challenge he found a renewed sense of self-confidence. I still miss you and your music. And John lived in his very specific neighborhood. His energy at the end of his life is amazing. What the most rare copy of this record for collectors (pressing, mistakes,etc.) But I always temper this by reminding myself that he barely gets to be 40. Well I do like the album I always thought it came across as John and yoko’s version of The White Album. In the end, David Geffen, whose own label had been a considerable success throughout the decade, impressed both Yoko and John with his willingness to treat Yoko with respect, and so he secured the album. The album got its title after John had reached Bermuda on his sailing adventure, where, at a botanical garden, he saw the name of a freesia on a small plaque. After years of trying to find his creative muse, John heard Paul’s “Coming Up” on the radio and, four months later, after two months of recording in Bermuda, he had 12 demos for Double Fantasy finished. At the famed Dakota Apartments, the couple sought greater security, especially following Sean’s birth in 1975. John and Yoko had initially thought they might record just an EP, but it quickly became clear that there was such a wealth of material, both from old demos that they revisited and brand new songs, that there was more than enough for an album. Yoko’s ‘Beautiful Boys’ is equally sensuous, and highlights the innovative musical oeuvre that she had made her own. “I was smashed in the face by waves for six solid hours. How important was it to strike that tone? There’s always a certain relevance. We’ve still got the family.” It touches me so much. And he could be, as you said earlier, sometimes very cruel. But John is in such a good place. But it’s not selling fast enough and she’s worried it won’t be #1. I found that fascinating. The former Beatle fought to live there and moved with wife Yoko Ono from Greenwich Village to the city’s Upper West Side in 1973. NEW YORK - 1977: Former Beatle John Lennon poses for a photo with his wife Yoko Ono and son Sean ... [+] Lennon in 1977 in New York City, New York. There are absolutely lots of books on John Lennon. And even the way he picks on Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan - Elton John there in ‘79 - that’s all a product of that lack of confidence. You may opt-out by. I felt like I was reveling in the unbridled enthusiasm that seems to have defined those sessions alongside each of the players despite the inevitable ending I knew was coming. It was hard not to in the 1970s, as we know, but he did listen to Paul. I love the selfless John Lennon. Because in addition to telling the story of John’s last days, you do explain, in great detail, the history of the Dakota Apartments, where he lived at that point, and why it was such a great fit for him and Yoko Ono. The album marked Lennon's return to recording music full-time, following his five-year hiatus to raise his son Sean. The sad tragedy of the Dakota is it does seem like this fortress-like place that will protect you. Best Pat Benatar Songs: 15 Power Ballads and Pop-Rock Bangers, Badu Babies: How Erykah Badu’s Vocal Style Transformed Music, How The ‘Hackers’ Techno-Forward Soundtrack Captured The Future, Best Amy Winehouse Songs: 20 Soulful Essentials, About Us • Contributors • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy • © 2020 uDiscoverMusic. But I wanted that to be palpable to the reader. We could really use your songs and love in these troubled times.Thank you for changing the world. Because it was a different world back then. CBS television studios in Manhattan, where the Fab Four are performing their nationwide television debut. My cousin had heard of you first. KW: Oh yeah. Don't expect the Top 10 list to stay the same. That’s where he had his optometrist. And he also liked the anonymity that it seemed to provide - probably mostly because New Yorkers don’t like to be bothered either, so they don’t really bother other people. But I don’t know that that would’ve even mattered. Paul McCartney and John Lennon hold their guitars while on the set of The Ed Sullivan Show at the ... [+] CBS television studios in Manhattan, where the Fab Four are performing their nationwide television debut. And he says, “Don’t worry. Especially by the time work on Double Fantasy starts, the book takes on a very optimistic tone. Author Kenneth Womack on his latest book 'John Lennon 1980: The Last Days in the Life,' the quick sessions which led to the album 'Double Fantasy' and much more. ? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I come away with that feeling all of the time when I think about his experiences: He really liked people and loved to have conversations and hear about how other people’s lives were going. Early in the summer of 1980, John sailed from Newport, Rhode Island to Bermuda on board a 43-foot sloop, the Megan Jaye, and during this trip, they were buffeted by a huge storm that left everyone suffering the effects of acute seasickness. John and Yoko got apartment 71 at the Dakota so they could store all of their stuff in it. And I hope that, at some level, the fact that John just - you can talk about his upbringing if you want or chalk it up to other things - but he genuinely liked people. You go to great lengths in your book to show not how John Lennon died but how he lived. NEW YORK - AUGUST 1980: Former Beatle John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono pose for a portrait outside ... 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