John Lennon was often his own worst enemy as his public comments and convictions would often lead to intense public relations problems. Here is a good example – this unpublished book containing his comments and quotes about politics over several years. Put together at a time when he arrived in the US and his political leaning were labelled as being to the left. The impact of these views at this time certainly negatively impacted his record sales as is evidenced by the poor sales of Sometime in New York City!
John Lennon
Power to the People: the Political Thoughts of John Lennon, London: New English Library, 1972
Though the book was never published, a few prototype copies exist. The book was probably was withdrawn from publication for fear it would jeopardize John’s attempt to remain in the US during the American government’s attempts to deport him. The reasons for the deportation were stated by the Immigration service as due to a marijuana conviction in the UK. However, the more likely reason was the conservative leanings of the government in power who feared John’s influence with the youth during the Sixties. Tried to find a prototype copy of the book to buy, but when I saw the price, that eliminated me from contention as it was listed at several thousand dollars at a few auction venues. As the Rolling Stones quoted in their song, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” I posted this book cover on Facebook when I had a Beatles print page there and many people in their comments objected to the cover photo saying the likeness was not an accurate depiction. I see the artist’s attempt to draw similar to the style of Klaus Voormann in the portrayal of John’s head and face but I may be wrong in that perception.
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Buzz
A GREAT SELECTION OF BOOKS ON JOHN LENNON HERE AT THE BEATLES BOOKSTORE
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In Your Mind – The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono (Signed Hardback)£44.00 -
In Your Mind – The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono (Softback)
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Inside Number Three – The Illustrated History of Apple Records -
Bill Zygmant – Where Did You Get That Shirt? (Signed Limited Edition)£75.00 -
Just Like Starting Over: John Lennon and The Quarrymen£15.00 -
The One After 9:09£2.16 -
Shoulda Been There (Vol. 1) 1940 – Dec 1961£7.20 -
Shivering Inside (Vol 2) Dec 1961 – Jan 1963£7.20 -
She Loves You (Vol. 3) 1963 – 1st March 1964£7.20
Oops, two typo mistakes. (1). Published by University of California Press; which details for you THAT Lennon…. (2). I wonder if any of those documents that Clyde Tolson shredded, EXPLAINED why the Dutch gentleman…..
The rest of the story (of course), you can find in Jon Wiener’s second book, ‘ Gimmie Some Truth: The John Lennon FBI Files’. Published by University of California Press; which details for you the Lennon, who among plenty of other, actors, writers, musicians and artists, was on Nixon’s Enemies List. The culmination of all of this being ( of course), J. Edgar Hoover dropping dead, followed by his longtime boyfriend Cylde Tolson, shredding every document in sight for months and then ( of course) Watergate. I wonder if any of those documents that Clyde Tolson shredded, why the Dutch gentleman who managed Elvis Presley, and called himself The Colonel, was never investigated; as he was an illegal immigrant and also a suspect in a woman’s murder back in Breda, Holland, where he came from. Hummmmm……