BBC Radio 4: An in-depth portrait of John Lennon, told through the edited audio of Jann Wenner's seminal 1970 New York interview with Lennon for Rolling Stone magazine. 45 minutes. Originally broadcast July 6th, 2007.
It’s 1970 and John Lennon is about to release his first solo album. He’s not long emerged from months of Primal Therapy with its creator, Arthur Janov and he’s about to give his first major interview with Rolling Stone magazine.
In the interview, he’ll talk openly about his solo career, the break-up of the world’s most famous band, his marriage and a lot more besides.
Wenner and Yoko Ono also look back on the event, but the focus is very much on Lennon, who seems energised by what he sees as his freedom from the Beatles. It’s John Lennon at his most honest - and on occasion, his most abrasive. There is frequent use of strong language.
The program is available for listening as well as for downloading from BBC Radio 4.
The full 3.5 hours of interview is also available as a FREE iTunes podcast at the iTunes music store, courtesy of Rolling Stone magazine.