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"Imagine" Poster to be Auctioned for J&Y's Spirit Foundation (Entered November 30, 2000)
Thanks to hollywoodandvine.com
Proceeds from the sale of the poster will benefit John and Yoko's Spirit Foundation. Founded in 1978, the Spirit Foundation was established to channel funds to numerous charities, including AIDS support services, abused and needy children and the elderly. The poster features John Lennon in headphones, singing into the microphone while seated at his white Steinway grand piano. The print is black and white, 37.5 inches by 49.5 inches, framed in black wood and preserved under plexiglass. The photo was taken in 1971 by Peter Fordham at John and Yoko's estate in Tittenhurst, Ascot during the "Imagine" recording sessions. The poster was packaged inside the original 1971 LP as a 2-by-3 panel foldout. The piece to be auctioned on eBay was donated by the Capitol Records website.
Fans Protest the Sale of Historic Bricks (Entered November 30, 2000)
Thanks to Harry Bluebond
The wording of the petition follows:
November 27, 2000 To: NBC Internet Inc., NBC Enterprises, FairMarket Inc., and Outhwaite & Litherland We resolutely and emphatically object to the sale of the bricks removed from John Lennon's former Menlove Avenue home in Liverpool and appeal to you to immediately cease this sale. Creating demand for pieces of historic landmarks inspires further destruction of these sites. One need only look at Frank Lloyd Wright homes to understand the impact of such actions--Wright homes are under constant threat of demolition because the market created for the individual components of the homes can mean the individual artifacts sell for more money than the intact homes. It is ludicrous and saddening that the filming of your Lennon movie at "authentic landmarks" would involve the conscious destruction of them. The packaged bricks referred to as "piece[s] of John Lennon history" have been created out of disrespect for Lennon's life and one of the places he loved. As Beatles fans, we would like to see the homes maintained and respected so that future generations can understand and have the opportunity to experience firsthand the story of these musicians who have given so much joy to so many people throughout the world. We would like to see the bricks put back in place in the home, or at least stored until such time as the owner might like to have the partition wall rebuilt. Given the number of houses that are similar in construction to 251 Menlove Avenue, there was no need to shoot all of the domestic scenes at this site. Where shots would have invited angles which required camera equipment to be located at the site of the wall, another home could have been used for the same purpose. That "a percentage of the auction proceeds [are] to be contributed to the Strawberry Fields Children's Home" in no way justifies the auction. Certainly your corporate coffers could locate the money you plan to donate (many, many times over) from the millions of advertising dollars you will generate from broadcasting the film on television. The National Trust of England bravely took the lead to preserve Paul McCartney's home, demonstrating the kind of respect and care the most significant sites in the lives of the Beatles deserve. NBC Internet Inc., NBC Enterprises, FairMarket Inc., and Outhwaite & Litherland, by creating and facilitating this sale, are showing disrespect not only to John Lennon, but to the millions of fans worldwide who value Beatles heritage. We will hold you accountable and will consciously refrain from any monetary interactions with your firms in the future if you do not act now to respect our request. Kandalyn also says you may want to write to the following: Write to her at kandalyn@earthlink.net and include your name with city/state. She will type it onto a group letter to be sent later this week Or, if inspired, you can write your own messages to the powers that be. Here's the email/contact info Kandalyn has obtained: - NBC Internet Inc. (the Internet company which created the auction): auctions@nbci.com ; Address: 225 Bush St., San Francisco, CA 94104 - NBC Internet's VP of Entertainment, Andrew Shotland: andrew.shotland@nbci.com ;Address: (same as above) - FairMarket Inc. (the online auctioneer): info@fairmarket.com ; Address: 500 Unicorn Park Dr., Woburn, MA 01801 - Outhwaite & Litherland (the auction house which authenticated the bricks): auction@lots.uk.com ; Address: Kingsway Galleries, Fontenoy Street, Liverpool L3 2BE, England - NBC Enterprises (jointly conceived and managed auction with NBC Internet, Inc.): No email contact available; Address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112 - NBC Enterprises VP Andrew Darrow: No email contact listed (try andrew.darrow@nbci.com ); Address (same as above)
John Lennon: In His Life To Air December 3 (Entered November 26, 2000)
Thanks to Harry Bluebond
'IN HIS LIFE: THE JOHN LENNON STORY,' dramatizes John Lennon's life from age 16-24 -- from his first guitar to The Beatles first trip to America to appear on 'The Ed Sullivan Show.' The story recreates the early musical performances of the young Beatles and was filmed entirely on location in Liverpool, England at many of the actual locations that helped shape the life of John Lennon. The two-hour movie will premiere on Sunday, December 3, 2000 at 9 PM (ET/PT) on NBC. Phillip McQuillan, a 23-year-old Actor/Musician from Dublin, Ireland is making his television debut in a very big way - starring in the title role of 'IN HIS LIFE: THE JOHN LENNON STORY.' In addition, 1999 Tony Award winner Blair Brown ('Copenhagen') stars in the role of Mimi Smith, the strict Aunt who raised John like her own son after John's mother Julia went off to raise another family. 'IN HIS LIFE: THE JOHN LENNON STORY' includes unprecedented access to such authentic landmarks as the actual house where John grew up and learned how to play guitar; St. Peters Church Hall (where John first met Paul); The Liverpool Art College and Quarry Bank High School where John was a student; and numerous musical venues where the young Beatles performed, including the recreated Cavern Club. Other locations include those that inspired future Beatle hits such as Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane and the cemetery where Eleanor Rigby is buried. 'IN HIS LIFE: THE JOHN LENNON STORY' is based on an original screenplay by Emmy-nominated writer/producer Michael O'Hara ('Switched at Birth' and the upcoming NBC miniseries 'First to Die'). O'Hara is the executive producer on the project. David Carson ('The Tenth Kingdom,' 'Star Trek: Generations') directs. 'IN HIS LIFE: THE JOHN LENNON STORY' is a Michael O'Hara Production in association with NBC Studios.
Alliance for Survival's Candle Lighting Ceremony (Entered November 26, 2000)
Thanks to Harry Bluebond
During the ceremony, a large John Lennon Peace Flame Candle will be lit (at 8:23PM Pacific Standard Time - the time of John's passing). At the same time - at 11:23 PM Eastern Standard Time) a similar Peace Flame Candle will be lit during a gathering in Strawberry Fields in New York City's Central Park. Fans around the world are invited to join in with their own candle lighting ceremony - wherever they are. The gathering in Los Angeles is sponsored by Los Angeles Alliance for Survival. For information call 310-399-1000. The New York Memorial Committee can be reached at 718-834-3894.
John's Art In Chicago (Entered November 17, 2000)
Thanks to Jerry Gomez
The show is being held November 17, 12Noon to 9PM; November 18, 11AM to 8PM; November 19, 11AM to 6PM. Yoko was interviewed by the Chicago Sun Times and Chicago Tribune for this event.
Menlove Avenue Bricks on the Block (Entered November 9, 2000)
Thanks to Richard Joly of Ono-Web
The NBC television network acquired the bricks from the house in Woolton during filming in Liverpool for a two-hour TV movie about John's teenage years. It was the first time a film crew of any sort had been allowed access to the house, which is privately owned but has become a regular stop on fan tours of the city where the Beatles were born. After long discussions, the 88-year-old owner agreed not only to let his house be used in the movie, but also to having a downstairs wall knocked through to allow more room for filming. "At first we were going to throw the bricks in a dumpster,'' writer and executive producer Michael O'Hara told Reuters. "Then I said 'hold on a minute', because this was a very expensive movie to make and we were over budget and I thought here's an opportunity to generate some revenue. We had a big laugh about it. But then I slept on it," O'Hara said. The bricks were removed and documented in the presence of an local Liverpool auctioneer and then "carted away almost under armed guard." O'Hara noted that 5,000 bricks salvaged from the demolition of Liverpool's Cavern Club several years ago are now fetching between $300 and $500 each on the Web. The owner of Lennon's house - who will only say his name is Ernest - will get 50 percent of the profits, some will be donated to the nearby Strawberry Fields children's home immortalized in the Beatles song, and the rest will go to cover the costs of the movie. The auction will begin on November 15 and end on December 4th and will be held at http://www.nbci.com/lennon .
Beatles on Cover of TV Guide (Entered November 7, 2000)
TV Guide for the week of November 11-17 (on sale now) is featuring four different collector's covers of John, Paul, George and Ringo. And no, my scanner isn't broken and your computer's monitor is not on the blink. The colors they've chosen for all but George Harrison's cover are pretty weird. They look like still scenes from a very bad early color television - before they figured out how to make the color look natural. Headlined "The Beatles 2000" - the issue features an overview story, "All You Need Is..the Beatles" which tells about various new projects; "Magical Mystery Tour," by Anthony Decurtis who tries to explain why the Beatles are still so facinating 30 years after their breakup; "Yesterday and Today," which is an interview with Paul McCartney; "Top of the Pops," features various stars revealing their favorite Beatle tunes; "Imagining Lennon," an article about the new John Lennon TV-movie. In the McCartney interview, Paul says about John, "John is a central figure in my life, always will be I will always be grateful for having so much intimate time with him. I used to do caricatures of John. When I painted him recently, I found myself saying, 'How do his lips go?' I can't remember.' Then I'd think, 'Of course you know. You wrote all those songs facing each other." Paul said about his early bond with John: "My mother died when I was 14. Three years on, I was up and running in the Beatles. It was actually one of my great bonds with John, because his mum died. Both of us had mothers snatched from us, and we both loved them dearly." In the "Imagining Lennon" article, Matthew Gwyther writes that some of the footage was shot in John's early home on Menlove Avenue where he was raised by his Aunt Mimi (Mary Smith). The owner of the house, an 88-year-old man who will only reveal his first name - Ernest - had refused to allow film crews inside his home, but made an exception for this film, which will air on NBC Sunday December 3 at 9PM Eastern Time. The film's title is "In His Life: The John Lennon Story."
John Lennon Tribute December 10 (Entered November 7, 2000) IK! has received an update about the "All You Need Is..." tribute to John Lennon. Tickets are going fast for the one-night only tribute concert with special guest appearance by John's original band, The Quarry Men. Tickets are on sale now by calling 0207 494 5098 Plus catch a radio interview on the James Whale Talk Show at 11:15 PM on November 13..and a November 16 is Live Promo Day at Virgin Megastore on Oxford Street at 12 Noon. This One Night Concert Musical Event to Commemorate the 20th Anniversary of John's death will be held at The Palace Theatre, Sunday, December 10th. Visit the official web site All You Need Is...
MOJO Announces a John Lennon Special (Entered November 2, 2000) Thanks to Lois Wilson of MOJO MOJO Magazine has announced a special John Lennon issue in December which will mark the 20th Anniversary of John's death. The magazine will contain brand new interviews with people like Klaus Voorman, Arthur Janov and Pete Best; Pete Townshend discusses the first time he heard "Strawberry Fields Forever"; there's a comprehensive interview with Yoko; a track by track commentary on John's songs; 50 fans discuss their favorite Lennon track from David Bowie through Marianne Faithfull to Paul McCartney; plus they will publish many previously unseen pictures. This is being called a "labor of love" from MOJO to John Lennon's fans. The magazine will be on sale November 27 and is available at book stores with comprehensive magazine departments, such as Barnes and Noble and other outlets...or you can order the issue directly from MOJO by phone: 01858438806...OR...e-mail them at emap@subscription.co.uk MOJO's web site , oddly enough, is featuring their July issue.
Beatles-Dot-Com! (Entered November 2, 2000) Thanks to Paul Boyd
Beatles to Enter Dotcom Era 30 Years After Split Paul, George and Ringo will launch an official Beatles web site, thebeatles.com , on November 13. A spokeswoman said, ``Over the past few years, given the thousands of unofficial sites, there has been much speculation as to when the Beatles would create their own. With a new CD coming out, it is the right time to put them on the Web and into the dotcom era.'' The launch of the site will be tied in to the release of the band's latest collection, simply called ``1,'' which features all 27 of the Beatles' number one hits. The band's management has been resistant to the idea of setting up a Beatles site until now but hopes the new venture will appeal to a younger audience more familiar with using a computer than an old-fashioned record player. ``They thought it was the right way to show the Beatles to a new generation,'' the spokeswoman said. The band's three surviving members, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, as well as John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, have all contributed to the site. The site will allow visitors to watch footage of the Beatles' performances, contact each other and take virtual tours through the famous Abbey Road studios where the band made most of their music. A team of web designers has been working on the site for a year. While the content will initially concentrate on ``1,'' new aspects will be added over time.
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