Classic John Lennon Interview 1974

We once again rummaged through our dusty archives and found a real gem. This never before seen or heard interview with John Lennon was found underneath a stack of old Jai-Lai cards and nudist magazines. 

This Lennon interview, conducted by renowned rock journalist Claude Balzac, was recorded backstage at MSG on Thanksgiving night, November 28, 1974. John just made a surprise guest appearance at Elton John’s Thanksgiving concert. 

Madhouse Magazine: Hi John, thanks for talking to us and congratulations on your great performance tonight. 

John Lennon: Thank You – It’s been a while, I was a bit rusty up there but it felt good. I had 4 or 5 brandy alexanders before I went on and I am feeling no pain. I lost a bet to Elton so I did a few songs. By the way, I am a huge fan of Madhouse. Yoko never lets me read it at home so I have a copy hidden in the bathroom under the playboys. 

Madhouse: [laughing] That is amazing. Tell us about this bet with Elton John?

John Lennon: Well the old poof played on “Whatever Gets You Through the Night” and bet me the song would go to #1, and sure enough it went to #1. That cheeky monkey was right. I had to make good so here I am. 

Madhouse: So what happened at The Troubadour?

John Lennon: [laughs] The last few years have been a lost weekend. I have been drinking and partying and living in L.A. Me and Yoko separated and I have been with May Pang. The night you are referring to, I was drunk and hanging out with Nilsson. Usually when I get drunk and obnoxious, someone is there to calm me down, but not old Harry, he was egging me on. So I started heckling the Smothers Brothers and Harry says to keep up, they love it. He gave me a used menstrual pad and said throw it at Tommy Smothers, he will enjoy it. So I threw it and next thing I know the security guards are dragging us out. It made headlines of all the newspapers. Never listen to Harry Nilsson when you are drunk. 

Madhouse: That is hysterical. So you are back living in NYC now?

John Lennon: Yes I love it here. I love the smell of urine, I love the filth, I love the people. Just this morning I passed a 300 pound black homeless woman taking a crap in a garbage can on 5th Avenue. I looked at her and she threatened to cut me. Like I was doing something wrong by walking down 5th avenue and interrupting her morning bowel movement. You won’t see stuff like that anywhere else. I love the Hot Dogs from the carts, and those square potato thingys. 

Madhouse: Now that you are back in NYC, do you think you will reunite with Yoko?

John Lennon: It’s a possibility. Don’t tell May I said that, but I talk with Yoko everyday and there is some talk of a reunion. It was a nice break though. Off the record, Yoko can be a bit much. I love her, but all that squelching and screeching she calls singing is ridiculous. She embarrassed me in front of Chuck Berry and she broke up the Beatles. And for Christ’s sake that performance art stuff of hers is total rubbish. What was I thinking when I let her talk me into recording Revolution#9!? That was the most ridiculous embarrassing moment of my life. 

Madhouse: So Yoko DID break up the Beatles?

Lennon: Oh yeah of course. The lads were getting on my nerves too, and maybe the band did run it’s course, but Yoko definitely sped it up. She was always telling me I don’t need those other 3 and that she is a better singer and songwriter than Paul. She tried to take credit for writing “Imagine”. I said over my dead body. 

Madhouse: That is a startling revelation. While we are in a talkative mood, what is “Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds” about?

Lennon: It’s about LSD of course. Have you listened to the lyrics? Of course it’s about LSD. [laughs] I was joking when I claimed it was about my son Julian’s drawing. He may have shown me a drawing, a dog or something but I was high on LSD at the time and it looked like tangerine trees and marmalade skies and all that. Julian never knew anyone named Lucy. 

Madhouse: Tell us something the fans do not know about you?

Lennon: Well I love playing Monopoly. I carry the game with me wherever I go in hopes of playing. Matter of fact, I have it right here, let’s play a game now. I am obsessed with Boardwalk & Park Place and I must be the Thimble. If you try to cheat I will bash you in the nose. Oh and I love watching TV, put that telly on over there. It’s time for The Partridge Family. David Cassidy is a good friend of mine. He has nice hair. 

Madhouse: What current music do you like?

Lennon: Oh I really like that Bowie bloke and all of that glam and space stuff. Speaking of that, I saw a UFO this summer. Right here in NYC. I was straight as an arrow and I looked out my window. Clear as day. It was so close to me that I could have hit it with a brick if I had thrown a stone at it. I watched it for 10 minutes and a martian or whatever waved to me and made a Uranus joke and then it took off and made a left turn and headed towards NJ. The martian looked a lot like Richard Nixon with 3 heads. 

*Note we spent the rest of the night playing Monopoly and drinking brandy alexanders in the green room at MSG. We laughed and talked until the wee hours and then stopped for a hot dog and a square potato thingy. I convinced John to get back with Yoko and in October of 1975, they had Sean. John took a hiatus from music until 1980 and spent that time enjoying his family.