Excerpts from John Lennon Interview

Excerpts from.
John Lennon Interview
Jonathan Cott
Rolling Stone, 23rd November 1968, pp. 11-13+

The interview took place at John Lennon’s and Yoko Ono’s temporary basement flat in London — a flat where
Jimi Hendrix, Ringo Starr, and William Burroughs, among others, have stayed. But the flat seemed as much John’s and Yoko’s as the Indian incense which took over the living room. The walls were covered with photos of John, of Yoko,a giant Sgt. Pepper ensign, Richard Chamberlain’s poster collage of news clippings of the Stones bust, the Time magazine cover of the Beatles…

When we arrived the next afternoon, September 18, John was walking around the room, humming what sounded
like “Hold Me Tight” — just singing the song to the air. Old ’50’s forty-fives were scattered about the floor, and John played Rosie and the Originals’ version of “Give Me Love.” We talked about the lyrics of Gene Vincent’s “Woman Love.” In spite of having slept only two hours, John asked us to sit down on the floor and begin the interview…

What’s the flip side of “Angel Baby” called – the song you played before we started the interview?
“Give Me Love” by Rosie and the Originals. An amazing record. It’s one of the greatest strange records, it’s all just out of beat and everybody misses it – they knocked off the B side in ten minutes. I talk Yoko’s leg off telling her this is it, this is what it’s all about. There’s just one line in this Miracles’ record – “I’ve Been Good To You” – where it goes “You got me Cry-y-y-y-eying” – no breath, a beautiful little piece, I always love to hear it. I think he’s [Smokey Robinson] got the most perfect voice, you know, I just think the group’s got into such a samey groove that it spoils it really.