John Lennon

[dazwan]

Hi, just wondered if anyone else has been listening to the John Lennon stuff on Radio 2.

I guess you don't really realise just how influential he was on the whole word of Rock and Pop until you hear his stuff and hear other artists talk about his music. It makes me want to go out and get the Beatles and Lennon back-catalogue (bizarley I don't have a single Beatles record in my entire collection).

[SMW]

I heard it and found it interesting.

Today is the 25th anniversary of his death.

I didn't realise all that stuff about his childhood and his Mum and Dad. His Dad left when he was young and didn't stay in touch, his Mother abandoned him and he was raised by his Aunt. At 12 he found his real Mum and struck up a good relationship with her then when he was 16 she was run over and killed.

I was also surprised to hear that he came from a basically middle class background in terms of income etc. and that he used to emphasise his scouse accent to appear more working class.

Although it seems obvious to me now I also hadn't twigged that the lyric to 'How Do You Sleep' is an anti Paul McCartney song.

[Al J]

I'm a total Beatles fanatic and have read much about the group and, of course, Lennon. When I moved from Wales to Liverpool (when I first got a job there) I was delighted to find Strawberry Field just down the road from my lodgings and just around the corner on Menlove Avenue, the house where John grew up with his Aunt Mimi.

Mendips

[Clueless]

" Love Me Do" first Beatles hit.....McCartney was not supposed to sing lead vocals!

Lennon had laryngitis or some such which meant McCartney took his place up front. Who knows? If it had gone as planned would the Beatles have been as popular.

[Kev Mc]

" Love Me Do" first Beatles hit.....McCartney was not supposed to sing lead vocals!

Lennon had laryngitis or some such which meant McCartney took his place up front. Who knows? If it had gone as planned would the Beatles have been as popular.

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Just 1 of those things that no1 will ever know the answer to, it's best not to spend too much time thinking about the what-ifs, I always do it about football & it ruins me

[Bibbs]

Looks like I'm the only one who isn't fussed.

He was in a band .. *woo hoo* .. he died .. *shame* ..

Can we now get on with some good music instead of all this hippy "love everyone" rubbish that the beatles were all about.

The Stones were a hell of a lot better ;)

[Kev Mc]

The Stones were a hell of a lot better ;)

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And to think I had some respect for you, tut tut tut, I'm disappointed

[harry69koi]

Narr bring on ac/dc (bon scott of cousre) :D or iron maiden

[Pauline_329]

Hey all,

I have been to the Beatles museum, and apparently the fab four hated each other after the split; nobody wanted anything to do with the others. Shame.

Also remember the mighty Queen, who lost their star member Freddie Mercury to AIDS in 1991. I prefer to remember these groups in their prime.

They died, but their music lives on.

"Mama.... just killed a man..."

[Demonic Angel]

He was an icon - his music lives on - Imagine is one of the most beautiful songs ever written IMO.

The likes of him, and Freddie Mercury, such great talents who died young - people die, but you think what a waste of a talent.

And I never even knew the Beatles - I was born 9 months after Lennon died.

[Al J]

" Love Me Do" first Beatles hit.....McCartney was not supposed to sing lead vocals!

Lennon had laryngitis or some such which meant McCartney took his place up front. Who knows? If it had gone as planned would the Beatles have been as popular.

←

Yes.

John and Paul often swapped vocals between each other and there are versions of some songs where "the other Beatle" recorded the lead vocal. As far as Love Me Do is concerned, it says in the notes accompanying volume 1 of The Beatles Anthology that the main reason Paul did the lead vocal was after they added harmonica to the track, they realised John couldn't very well sing the lead while he was playing the mouth organ.

[GIDDLEPIN]

I suppose I could jump on this post and say something completely unrelated about some obscure group that has lucked out at this moment in time and sold a track or two (I won’t say record because they don’t count anymore), but as far as John Lennon and the Beatles go, NOBODY has the right to criticise because they were such an influence on music (even today).

I defy any one of you to listen to a Beatles song and not know the words or want to give it your all on a karaoke session. Yes, it is dated, yes they ceased to exist many years ago but the legacy they left has given many bands (including oasis) the inspiration to go out and make a name for them-selves.

WOW!!

I feel better for that

[Al J]

What he said.

[Clueless]

" Love Me Do" first Beatles hit.....McCartney was not supposed to sing lead vocals!

Lennon had laryngitis or some such which meant McCartney took his place up front. Who knows? If it had gone as planned would the Beatles have been as popular.

←

Yes.

John and Paul often swapped vocals between each other and there are versions of some songs where "the other Beatle" recorded the lead vocal. As far as Love Me Do is concerned, it says in the notes accompanying volume 1 of The Beatles Anthology that the main reason Paul did the lead vocal was after they added harmonica to the track, they realised John couldn't very well sing the lead while he was playing the mouth organ.

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True

(The harmonic was a late addition...)

I don't think anyone denies the influenece the Beatles as a group, and as individual performers, has had on the music industry. They have influenced many.