Re -Train Your Brain To Happiness: John Lennon

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October 28, 2016

John Lennon MBE Return Letter Valued At £60k

A letter John Lennon wrote to the Queen explaining why he was returning his MBE was found tucked in a record sleeve from a £10 car boot haul.

The anonymous owner took the document to a valuation day at The Beatles Story in Liverpool on Wednesday - and discovered it was worth about £60,000.

One expert believes the text is a draft of the letter Lennon sent in 1969, which remains in the Royal archives.

He returned the MBE in protest at Britain's involvement in a civil war.

The letter reads: "I am returning this MBE in protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts."

Lennon, along with the other members of The Beatles, initially accepted the MBE when it was awarded in the Queen's 1965 birthday honours, but later returned it in 1969.

The letter, which was recently unearthed in the owner's attic, has been described as an "incredible find" by music memorabilia expert Darren Julien.

It was originally discovered inside the sleeve of a record that was part of a collection of 45s, picked up for £10 at a car boot sale 20 years ago.

"My theory is that John Lennon never sent this draft because of the smeared ink," said Mr Julien.

"If you're writing to the Queen, you want the letter to look pretty perfect, you don't want the ink to be smudged.

"This suggests that he wrote a second version of the letter, which was the one that was actually sent."

[....]
From the BBC

More about the Beatles here.

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October 09, 2015

John Lennon Born 75 Years Ago Today

Today in 1940, John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England. Lennon was a co-founder, singer, songwriter and guitarist with The Beatles, who sold more than 20 million singles worldwide between 1962 and 1970, and scored more U.K. and U.S. No. 1 albums than any other group. Post-Beatles, Lennon enjoyed a successful solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance," "Working Class Hero" and "Imagine."

On Dec. 8, 1980, Lennon was killed outside his New York home by a gunman. In 2002, a BBC poll voted Lennon eighth in a list of 100 Greatest Britons. Lennon was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice — as a member of the Beatles in 1988, and as a solo artist in 1994.

Also, Today In:
1961 - Ray Charles started a two week run at No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "Hit The Road Jack."

1964 - The Beach Boys recorded "Dance Dance Dance," with Glen Campbell playing the lead-guitar intro. It would go on to become the Beach Boys' 12th Top 40 hit.
1964 - Because of an anti-apartheid embargo by the British Musicians' union, the Rolling Stones cancelled a South African tour.

1965 - The Beatles started a four-week run at No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with the Paul McCartney ballad 'Yesterday' giving the group their tenth US No.1.

1973 - Elvis Presley and Priscilla divorced after six years of marriage. Priscilla was awarded property, $725,000 cash and $4,200 a month support.

1975 - Sean Taro Ono Lennon was born, the only child of John Lennon by Yoko Ono; John and Sean share the same birthday (John was 35 when Sean was born). Sean went on to become a singer, songwriter, musician and actor.

1976 - Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band went to No. 1 on the U.S. singles chart with "A Fifth Of Beethoven," a disco rendition of the composer's Symphony No. 5, Op. 67, First Movement.

1978 - Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel died of cancer at age 49. Artists who have recorded Brel's songs include Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, David Bowie and Nina Simone.

1993 - Nirvana entered the U.S. album chart at No. 1 with In Utero, their third and final studio album.

2007 - The Imagine Peace Tower was officially unveiled near Reykjavik, Iceland. The memorial to John Lennon from his widow, Yoko Ono, consists of a tall "tower of light" projected from a white stone monument that has the words "Imagine Peace" carved into it in 24 languages.

With many thanks to The Current

Yoko Ono Celebrates John Lennon’s 75th Birthday In Iceland

Yoko Ono will commemorate her husband John Lennon’s 75th birthday today, October 9, with the annual lighting of Imagine Peace Tower on the island of Videy, Reyjkavik, Iceland.

Imagine Peace Tower is a conceptual tower of light emanating from a stone base into which the words ‘Imagine Peace’ are carved in 24 languages. It was unveiled by Ono in 2007 and she has visited Reyjkavik every year since then to initiate and participate in the lighting ceremony. This year is the 9th year.

Imagine Peace Tower is lit every year on October 9 and darkened on Dec 8, the day Lennon was killed.

Over 1 million hand written wishes have been received from people all around the world and these are buried beneath Imagine Peace Tower.

Yoko Ono said today: “Every year so many people celebrate John’s life in different and very special ways. I’m always so proud that John’s legacy just grows and grows and resonates with new generations all around the world. It always chokes me up to see his message still out there. Music helps create a global village and John’s music is very much woven into our lives and will continue to be so forever.

He wanted a better planet and together we tried to make it so. The message he was promoting was clear and direct and is as needed today as it was then. All we are saying is give peace a chance! I love you John”.

With many thanks to Noise 11

September 25, 2014

The Beatles: Good News For Fans This week

This has been a good week for Beatles fans, as George Harrison’s first six studio albums have been re-released and Conan, in turn, has celebrated “George Harrison Week.”

All week the show has been showcasing Harrison covers from various stars including (on Monday night) Beck, and last night the guest was Paul Simon.

Harkening back to his performance alongside Harrison in a 1976 Saturday Night Live episode, the singer performed a lovely cover of Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun (above).

By Aisha Harris

With thanks to Slate.

But there's more.....

The Sydney Opera House will play host to a new Beatles production, All You Need Is Love, in January.

‘All You Need Is Love’ will feature the 50 piece Strawberry Fields Orchestra with Musical Director Paul Gray , Conducted by Nicholas Buc , with Vocal Direction by Lindsay Field and Orchestra leader Adrian Keating.

Jack Jones, Ciaran Gribbin, Darren Percival and Jackson Thomas have lined up for vocals.
‘All You Need Is Love’ is the latest production in a line of Beatles musicals from Phil Bathols and Tim Woods.

The pair developed and produced Let It Be, The White Album Concert and Beatles Back2Back.

All You Need is Love is on January 2, 3 and 4 at the Sydney Opera House.
By Paul Cashmere

With thanks to Noise 11

Still more...

The Beatles Release Free 4 EP

The Beatles are offering a free EP ‘4’ via iTunes for fans.

The 4 song digital EP highlights each of the four Beatles solo.

The tracks featured are:

John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band – Love (from John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, 1970)

Paul McCartney – Call Me Back Again (from Venus and Mars, 1975)

George Harrison – Let It Down (from All Things Must Pass, 1970) - above

Ringo Starr – ‘Walk With You’ (from Y Not, 2010)

Download your free Beatles ‘4’ EP here.

By Paul Cashmere

With thanks to Noise 11

Conan O’Brien paid tribute to the late George Harrison this week with performances from Paul Simon and Beck earlier in the week. The week long tribute was to coincide with the release of the new George Harrison box set ‘The Apple Years’ featuring George’s first six Apple albums.

Norah will also perform this Sunday at George Fest at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.
The line-up includes:
George Fest 2014 Lineup:
Brian Wilson
Norah Jones
Brandon Flowers & Mark Stoermer (The Killers)
Wayne Coyne & Steven Drozd (The Flaming Lips)
Ben Harper
Ann Wilson (Heart)
Britt Daniel (Spoon)
“Weird Al” Yankovic
Nick Valensi (The Strokes)
Dhani Harrison
Ian Astbury
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Butch Walker
Cold War Kids
Karen Elson
Brian Bell (Weezer)
Big Black Delta
Chase Cohl
Jamestown Revival
Matt Sorum
Ryan Miller (Guster)
The Black Ryder
Ginnger Shankar

By Paul Kashmir
With thanks to Noise 11