Now they live an almost hermit-like existence, rarely going out, rarely coming into contact with the media. The goldfish bowl they existed in has had the blinds pulled down - and it has had the effect of stabilizing Yoko as a person, John as a writer and helped them get their life into perspective.

"I think it would have been very different if I were an English girl," says Yoko, picking up the theme of public criticism of their marriage. "In a way, I'm still trying to recover from it now."

I interrupted her to point out that people must, by now, have accepted her marriage to John. She feels not: "If it were just something that was said about us in the papers, it wouldn't have been so bad. But,for instance, at one time I received a doll with needles stuck in it. It gets down to that. Also,John got letters saying, 'That Jap wife of yours is going to slit your throat at night, so be careful.' That kind of terrible letter. In a way, it's laughable but it does send out vibrations. And John was feeling very guilty because he thought his country people felt like that."

How much influence, I ask, has John had upon her songwriting?

"I probably wouldn't have gone into rock if it hadn't been for John. The kind of song that I would be writing still, and the kind of song that seems to come naturally to me, is 'Winter Song,' which is sort of classical. That is something I can write without thinking. The rock things I have to think of first in terms of writing in classical style, and then rocking them up."

What were your early musical influences?

"Classical, then jazz. Most people in avant garde music derived from a classical background, and are rebelling against classical music. Jazz was something that I just came across - I didn't really get into it but I was very interested, and I did a few things with jazz people. I'm into rock mainly because of John."

The "Song for John" track on "Approximately Infinite Universe" album was, she says, written before she met Lennon. "I met John in 1966 to be exact, but we weren't really good friends then. A record company had suggested I do an album of my sort of freak-type freestyle things, one of which was 'Song for John.' When I was writing it, I was thinking about wanting to meet somebody who could fly with me. Then suddenly, he came into the picture and was the first person who listened to the demo - so I felt a sentimental reason for the name to be John."

I ask Yoko what music or musicians excite her at the present time.

"Naturally, I'm very proud and excited by my husband's songs, but recently I listened to the Beatles 'White Album' just to check what it was like. John was listening as well. He gets interested in other people's songs as well but, in my opinion, his songs stood out like a gem because there is so much power in them. Ringo is always very charming, and there's also a little philosophical side to George's songs that I'm impressed with. Paul is a brilliant musician and a very talented writer. John, I think, has not just got the lyrics but also this extra power there. He is also probably the best singer among them too. They are all very talented people, but I just felt that John stood out. His albums,too, I think,will be remembered for a long time."