Full Transcript for Figure Eights (A Music Podcast) Episode 75 w_ Madeline Bocaro (Author: In Your Mind - the Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono)

00:04:22.480 And Ringo's art dealers there selling. Ringo's does some artwork. 72 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:27.319 And it's usually like just a lot of there's a 73 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:30.639 stage all day with bands playing in different events all day. 74 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:33.759 So that's good. And the authors have their own little corner. 75 00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:38.720 There's usually about twenty authors with their books, all Beatles related. 76 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.360 Very cool. So did you grow up in New York? 77 00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:43.439 Yeah? 78 00:04:43.879 --> 00:04:47.000 Okay, which part New York City or out Long Island. 79 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:49.879 About thirty miles thirty minutes away from New York City 80 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:53.199 by train. So that was perfect. I had my nice, little, 81 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:56.240 comfy suburban home and I'd go into the city for 82 00:04:56.279 --> 00:04:58.319 the wildness and then go back home. 83 00:04:59.560 --> 00:05:03.480 Gotcha, gotcha? Were you a big music fan as a kid, Oh. 84 00:05:03.319 --> 00:05:06.240 Very big, since I was very young, and in fact, 85 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:08.319 the Beatles were one of my first things I got 86 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:14.000 into and Yo Go as well, and David Bowie, Louie, 87 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:17.199 Iggy Pop, the New York Dolls, you know all that 88 00:05:17.319 --> 00:05:20.160 and CBGB's. I was there every weekend with the Ramones 89 00:05:20.240 --> 00:05:23.519 and the Cramps and Blondie like I saw it all. 90 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:24.959 It was the best. 91 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:28.000 Wow, that's a good time to be there. 92 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:30.519 It is. It was. I wouldn't trade it for the world. 93 00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:35.439 That's cool. So who the Beatles were that was that 94 00:05:35.519 --> 00:05:38.639 kind of your entry way into into music. 95 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:40.680 I think it was everybody's, you know. I was six 96 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:43.600 when they were on the Ed Sullivan Show, So of 97 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:45.759 course I asked my mother to get me the records. 98 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:49.000 I had the Chipmunks sing the Beatles hits. She got 99 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:50.759 back from me, and then I was like, no, look, 100 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:53.360 get me the real stuff. So I got you know, 101 00:05:54.040 --> 00:05:58.240 the Hate Jude and Revolution single, and she kept bringing 102 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:00.360 it back to the store telling me there's something wrong 103 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:03.639 with the B side Revolution because it was all fuzzy guitar. 104 00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:06.120 I'm like, no, it's supposed to sound like that. No, 105 00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:07.439 that doesn't sound right. 106 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:13.480 That's not good. I like that every generation's parents, you know. 107 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:15.600 I had a moment last night where I was watching 108 00:06:15.639 --> 00:06:19.639 that the La Fire Aid concert and there was like 109 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:21.519 a new artist on there, and my kid walked and 110 00:06:21.519 --> 00:06:24.240 he's like, you're listening to so and so yeahs on 111 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:28.040 like it's awful, and he's like, of course you think it, 112 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:30.639 think it's awful. It's kind of that thing that happens 113 00:06:30.680 --> 00:06:34.279 every every generation looks at the next one going this 114 00:06:34.360 --> 00:06:37.759 isn't good. So it's funny. I love when you see 115 00:06:37.879 --> 00:06:41.560 some of those old Beatles reviews from magazines and newspapers 116 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:43.519 where they're just talking about how terrible they are, and 117 00:06:43.560 --> 00:06:47.319 you're like, yep, every every generation has that problem built 118 00:06:47.279 --> 00:06:51.160 they oh, yeah, so awesome. So you were a music 119 00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:54.920 kid growing up. Did you ever play any instruments or anything, 120 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:55.680 or you're. 121 00:06:55.560 --> 00:06:58.800 Just a My mom made me take piano lessons, but 122 00:06:58.879 --> 00:07:01.560 I didn't want to play anything classical. I wanted I 123 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:03.759 had a guitar and I could play by ear, but 124 00:07:03.800 --> 00:07:06.639 I didn't ever join a band or anything. But I 125 00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:10.480 was writing for a magazine CMJ, doing concert reviews and 126 00:07:10.600 --> 00:07:14.040 interviews and got a lot of free records that way. 127 00:07:14.279 --> 00:07:16.519 And you know, did that for about three or four 128 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:18.519 years till I had to get a real job with 129 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:19.240 it paid rent. 130 00:07:20.439 --> 00:07:24.079 And was that your first writing gig? 131 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:26.439 CMJ was my first? 132 00:07:26.519 --> 00:07:28.959 Yeah, And how old were you when you started at CMJ? 133 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:31.439 I was about eighteen? 134 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:36.000 Cool? How did that come come along? That's a pretty 135 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:36.560 great gig. 136 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:37.839 It was great. 137 00:07:37.879 --> 00:07:40.319 It was right at the ground floor there, but Bobby 138 00:07:40.360 --> 00:07:43.639 Haver had just started it up as CMJS for College 139 00:07:43.680 --> 00:07:46.959 Media Journal if people don't know, and college radio stations 140 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:50.959 would phone in and you know, their playlists and we'd 141 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:53.920 compile the lists and find what out was number one 142 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:58.120 in the country. So that was cool. And uh, I 143 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.759 think I found it. He was a name. He lived 144 00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:03.800 not too far away, so I heard about the magazine 145 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:06.399 and I just went over there and

started writing for them. 146 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:10.439 That's really cool. Did you get free concert tickets or anything? 147 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:14.000 And yeah, so you were doing a lot of that. Yeah, 148 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:17.800 what were some of those shows that you got free 149 00:08:17.800 --> 00:08:18.399 passes too? 150 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:21.279 Oh? I know that. I interviewed Joe Jackson when his 151 00:08:21.319 --> 00:08:25.879 first album came out and saw him the Psychedelic Furs. 152 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:32.279 I remember Ian Hunter iggy pop albums and you know 153 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:35.480 the Blondie, the Bowie all that stuff like nineteen seventy 154 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:39.200 seven that was coming out Low and Heroes and Lust 155 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:42.360 for Life and The Idiot, like all this great stuff 156 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:46.000 coming out every six months by these artists. It was amazing. 157 00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:49.159 And you were interviewing them as well, just writing about 158 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:49.960 the um. 159 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:53.080 Yas and the Ramones from the Cramps. 160 00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:56.000 What were some of the more memorable interviews you had. 161 00:08:57.480 --> 00:08:59.440 Oh, I loved the one with Joe Jackson because he 162 00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:03.159 was really fun and I went he was into like 163 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:07.480 the pinschipes and Polka Dots at the time, and Bloomingdale's 164 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:10.080 had a Polka Dots apartment. I had just been there 165 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:11.840 and he he said, oh my god, you got to 166 00:09:11.879 --> 00:09:13.720 take me over there. So I took him shopping and 167 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:14.399 looming to. 168 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:20.240 That's hilarious. And how long were you writing for them? 169 00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:22.480 About thirty four years? 170 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:26.440 Three or four years? Okay? Were you into writing as 171 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:29.080 a kid or in high school or you just were 172 00:09:29.159 --> 00:09:30.799 into music and you were like, hey, I want to 173 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:32.440 write or were you kind of doing that? 174 00:09:32.679 --> 00:09:34.960 So I was into music, actually, I think I started. 175 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:37.639 I started a newsletter from my block and I called 176 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:41.639 it The Ursula Drive Times, and I wrote about everything. 177 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:43.840 People were nervous when I was going to write about 178 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:47.240 the families in the neighborhood. It was really like silly stuff, 179 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:49.720 and I had in the obituaries I'd have when in 180 00:09:49.759 --> 00:09:52.559 the gurbil died or the dog or whatever. 181 00:09:53.080 --> 00:09:56.600 I just like, you know, started writing then. And then 182 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:58.759 I got into music and start

writing about that, and 183 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:02.840 I started my block in two thousand and two. I 184 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:06.159 started putting all my past writings up and continuing with 185 00:10:06.279 --> 00:10:10.240 new writings and doing like fiftieth anniversary retrospectives on my 186 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.919 favorite records and what they mean now. And so it became. 187 00:10:13.960 --> 00:10:17.000 It's a huge thing now. It's mattelinex dot com if 188 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:17.960 you want to check it out. 189 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:21.519 Very cool, very cool. And did did you ever get 190 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:23.480 a chance to meet any of the Beatles? 191 00:10:23.799 --> 00:10:27.120 The Beatles? No, I went well, except for Yoko. She's 192 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:29.720 like the fifth Beatle, right, But I did see John 193 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:32.559 and Yoko's concert when I was fourteen, the one time 194 00:10:32.600 --> 00:10:35.879 he played in America, a full. 195 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:37.000 Concert Square Garden. 196 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.960 Madison Square Garden. There's a film about that now, a 197 00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:43.159 documentary about that whole time. So yeah, that was a 198 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:43.759 great show. 199 00:10:44.039 --> 00:10:46.559 Oh you were at that? Wow? Yeah, I've got to 200 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:48.759 copy of that show somewhere. I think that came out 201 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:50.159 as an album too, didn't. 202 00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:53.240 It an album and a VHS and I eventually I 203 00:10:53.279 --> 00:10:55.720 think it's EVD But now they really cleaned it up. 204 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:58.919 I mean, Sean worked on it, and you know, it's 205 00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:02.000 it's probably to come out on another album. 206 00:11:02.679 --> 00:11:08.960 Very cool, awesome. So your whole life basically has been 207 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:11.240 writing about music, it sounds. 208 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:14.519 Like well, aside from being having real jobs that I 209 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:17.840 hated nine to five, but luckily I was still going 210 00:11:17.879 --> 00:11:21.519 to the concerts at night and writing for my own 211 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:26.159 self really, and then as I got older, people would 212 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:29.000 kind of had a lot of friends in the industry, 213 00:11:29.039 --> 00:11:31.120 and they knew that I kind of was an expert 214 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:35.679 on certain bands, and whenever somebody was doing a big 215 00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:40.960 feature on like Bowie or anyone that I loved, they 216 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:43.120 would contact me and I kind of helped them out 217 00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:47.679 and they've used my research. So it's cool. 218 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:50.919 That's cool. What kinds of jobs were you doing back. 219 00:11:50.840 --> 00:11:54.720 That, administrative assistance and all kinds of industries.

I hated 220 00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:56.399 it all, but I had to do it just to 221 00:11:56.440 --> 00:11:59.559 survive and go to the concerts and farm records and 222 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:00.639 do it I wanted to do. 223 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:03.200 Yeah, and you've lived in New York pretty much the 224 00:12:03.240 --> 00:12:08.600 whole time. Yeah, okay, very cool. So what I find 225 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:10.720 pretty fascinating. I was doing some research on you in 226 00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:13.279 your background. But I find kind of fascinating and cool 227 00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:16.720 is you know, there's so many books about the Beatles, 228 00:12:16.759 --> 00:12:19.600 There's so many books about John Lennon, and in fact 229 00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:23.679 they're all right there, but there are not a lot 230 00:12:23.679 --> 00:12:26.679 of books about Yoko. She's in the books, but Yoko 231 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:31.320 centric books are not as common. So why Yoko? What 232 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:32.240 leg you to Yoko? 233 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:35.000 Oh? There are books about her, but they're all about 234 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:37.480 her art, and they're really just pictures of her artwork 235 00:12:37.559 --> 00:12:42.559 and intellectuals driveling on about it when it's really just simple, 236 00:12:42.919 --> 00:12:46.759 meaningful work that you don't really need to go down 237 00:12:46.919 --> 00:12:50.360 deep into. But I was drawn to her when I 238 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:52.200 was ten years old. I saw a picture of her 239 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:56.679 in Time magazine that my mother had, and she was 240 00:12:56.679 --> 00:13:00.320 standing in front of a film frame of the the 241 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:05.240 movie she made about it was Bottoms. It was filling 242 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:10.080 the fake bottom cheeks, walking on a treadmill and close 243 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:13.879 up and I thought, Wow, this is an adult doing 244 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:17.320 something really wild. I love this, and I love the 245 00:13:17.320 --> 00:13:20.240 picture of her. She looks a little bit mischievous and smiling. 246 00:13:20.679 --> 00:13:23.600 I kept the picture, I kept the article, and I'm like, 247 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:26.399 I just how do I find out more about her? 248 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:28.879 You know? And I just put it aside. And then 249 00:13:28.879 --> 00:13:31.039 the next thing I know is I get the Beatles 250 00:13:31.080 --> 00:13:35.519 White album and I hear that she was singing on it, 251 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:38.240 you know, and that continuing story of Bungalow Bill with 252 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:41.399 this the chorus, and I think, is that that girl? 253 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:44.240 My god, that's her. So now she's with John Lennon 254 00:13:44.279 --> 00:13:46.240 and I can find out more about her. So I 255 00:13:46.279 --> 00:13:49.720 started like saving every interview I could find about them,

256 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:54.600 recording things off the radio and clippings and saving it all. 257 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:58.759 And I eventually had this archive, luckily in chronological order 258 00:13:58.759 --> 00:14:04.440 because I saved it and folders by year. And then 259 00:14:04.519 --> 00:14:08.440 I began writing about her, and you know, just for 260 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:12.519 my own whatever she said on TV, or writing about 261 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:14.960 an album when I got it, all my thoughts about 262 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:18.320 the album. And then I started writing to her and 263 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:22.279 she would write back. So I had this relationship like 264 00:14:22.360 --> 00:14:25.480 where she realized that I really understood her work and 265 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:27.720 loved it and got it because most people back then 266 00:14:27.799 --> 00:14:33.759 didn't pay her any attention. So then my friend convinced 267 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:37.159 me to go with her to the Dakota, and she 268 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:39.440 used to stand outside and see John and Yoko, and 269 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:43.679 I didn't really like stalk them like that. But after 270 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:45.440 John died, she said to me, you know, I think 271 00:14:45.559 --> 00:14:48.080 Yoko really needs to meet you. I'm like, well, I 272 00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:49.679 never thought of it that way, and she said, well, 273 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:52.080 let's go. We'll go on her birthday so she knows 274 00:14:52.120 --> 00:14:55.320 we're not, you know, there for Beatles or John. So 275 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:57.840 he did that, and I brought her a present and 276 00:14:58.120 --> 00:15:01.120 when she saw my name on the package and she 277 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:03.200 realized who I was, she let out a little scream. 278 00:15:03.240 --> 00:15:04.919 She like, go, oh my god, you have to come 279 00:15:04.919 --> 00:15:07.279 to my art exhibition next week. And then from then 280 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:10.399 on she started getting me invited to all these you know, 281 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:14.279 exhibits and her concerts backstage, and it was just great 282 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:16.600 to spend time with her and ask her a lot 283 00:15:16.600 --> 00:15:19.519 of questions. And it was nothing formal. I never really 284 00:15:19.639 --> 00:15:23.360 interviewed her, but I had a lot of insight. And 285 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:28.480 during COVID, my boyfriend gave me software that I could organize. 286 00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:30.759 He said, dump all your word documents in here and 287 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:33.600 you could organize them. And I realized I had a 288 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:35.919 five hundred page book. And it took me like two 289 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:38.679 more years to flesh it out and make it flow 290 00:15:38.759 --> 00:15:42.600 and add to it, and it became this the Yoko Bible, 291 00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:43.679 people are calling it. 292 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:46.200 So what year did you finally meet her? 293 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:48.480 I met her in nineteen eighty four. 294 00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:57.360 Nineteen eighty four, eighty four, Okay, gotcha. That's interesting that 295 00:15:57.440 --> 00:15:59.720 she was so open to meeting people at that point 296 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:04.960 because everything was still probably pretty fresh. So wow, that's 297 00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:07.279 that's incredible. What years were you writing to her? 298 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:11.559 Was that from like seventy four to seventy seventy four 299 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:15.480 to eighty four, like on and off, And yeah, it 300 00:16:15.559 --> 00:16:20.000 was fantastic. She was always responsive and really sweet, and 301 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:23.360 she said she always had an affinity also for John's 302 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:25.960 fans because they went through the same loss that she did, 303 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:29.840 and she's always tried to put out something at the 304 00:16:29.879 --> 00:16:33.919 beginning every year of his that was maybe unfinished or 305 00:16:34.279 --> 00:16:36.799 you know, she wanted to give to the fans something 306 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:38.879 so they wouldn't miss him so much, and she was 307 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:41.279 really really caring about that. 308 00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:46.799 I bet that first time that she responded to your message. 309 00:16:47.159 --> 00:16:50.320 I literally screamed and fell on the floor. I'm feeling 310 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:57.240 it was amazed. But yeah, yeah, when I that's where 311 00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:00.080 I would write, That's how I knew where she of. 312 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:04.279 A sudden you gotta let her back. Wow, And you 313 00:17:04.319 --> 00:17:05.240 still have all of those. 314 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:08.680 Of course I have bad letters and albums that she 315 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:11.799 sent me signed, and a lot of beautiful things. But 316 00:17:12.759 --> 00:17:15.240 she wrote to everyone, you know. She tried to answer 317 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:18.079 all the mail, even if it was just signing a 318 00:17:18.119 --> 00:17:22.480 postcard whatever. Christmas cards. She sent a lot of Christmas 319 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:24.440 cards to many, many, many people. 320 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:31.920 That's cool, and it's amazing because I think a lot 321 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:36.240 of this time. I think time has been kind to Yoko, 322 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:40.960 because for years she was vilified wrongly in most cases, 323 00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:45.640 and I feel like people have come around on her. 324 00:17:45.960 --> 00:17:51.440 They start to realize that she's extremely talented, she has 325 00:17:51.480 --> 00:17:54.960 a cool worldview. Obviously John loved her for a reason, 326 00:17:55.519 --> 00:17:58.119 and it's been kind of fun to watch it.

But 327 00:17:58.200 --> 00:18:00.319 she just turned about ninety two the other day, like 328 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:02.599 I think, was it last week? That's crazy. 329 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:06.240 I mean, there are still some people, especially these Beatles fans, 330 00:18:06.359 --> 00:18:10.480 they believe all the lies they've heard, and they refuse 331 00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:13.480 to research it themselves and find the truth, and they're 332 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:19.640 always just gonna hate. But the younger generations who weren't 333 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:22.680 raised with all that nonsense, they see her for who 334 00:18:22.759 --> 00:18:26.119 she is. They're loving her. Her work is traveling all 335 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:30.799 over the world, huge exhibitions. Young people love it, children 336 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:34.960 love it. It's getting amazing reviews. So you know, her 337 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:37.720 time has come. She was always way way ahead of 338 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:38.160 her time. 339 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:43.759 Well that was the problem, Yeah, for sure. I assume 340 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:46.559 you watched the Get Back documentary as well that they did, 341 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:50.079 which was so fun, so great. I thought. One of 342 00:18:50.119 --> 00:18:53.680 the things that was very interesting about that is, you know, 343 00:18:53.880 --> 00:18:56.319 for years they wrote about how she was interfering, and 344 00:18:56.359 --> 00:18:58.160 she was there and she was getting in the way 345 00:18:58.160 --> 00:19:00.680 of the process and all this stuff. You watch this 346 00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:04.680 thing and you're like, and so were George's friends, and 347 00:19:04.759 --> 00:19:08.960 there's Paul's. All of this stuff is washed away. It's 348 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:11.039 like she was not the only one that was at 349 00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:11.960 the recording session. 350 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:15.759 It was just reading and knitting, knitting whatever, you know, 351 00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:19.200 doing her all. She's thinking of her next artwork, making notes. 352 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:22.599 Anybody else would be like not blinking and staring at 353 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:26.319 the Beatles, but she was just John wanted her there 354 00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:29.519 and so she sat with him. But that's all it was. 355 00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:34.440 And I think the time, you know, I know, Paul, 356 00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:37.880 years years after the fact, made a statement that she 357 00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:40.759 really had. No, she didn't break up the Beatles. 358 00:19:40.839 --> 00:19:42.640 Oh yeah, I don't know why you wait, it's all 359 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:43.519 long to say it. 360 00:19:43.559 --> 00:19:47.359 I mean really, but you know maybe at the time 361 00:19:47.400 --> 00:19:49.480 maybe he thought she did. But you know, I think 362 00:19:49.480 --> 00:19:54.200 as you get older, you start to realize that things 363 00:19:54.200 --> 00:19:57.759 do run their course too. And you know, they were 364 00:19:57.799 --> 00:20:01.000 together all throughout their twenties. Ever get to this age 365 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:03.640 where you know, they were growing up and they had 366 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:07.079 families and different things, and of course, when you have 367 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:11.079 that much success, egos get a little control as well. 368 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:14.240 So you know, the time had come and I think 369 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:16.119 she just ended up being kind of the brunt of 370 00:20:16.160 --> 00:20:18.160 the whole thing. And I think people are starting to 371 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:20.039 I'm sure there's plenty of people out there, like you 372 00:20:20.039 --> 00:20:22.279 said that we'll never stop. 373 00:20:22.519 --> 00:20:23.359 I'll never let it go. 374 00:20:23.680 --> 00:20:27.359 I'll never let it go. But I'm like, she's you know, 375 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.519 I think she's got a raw deal over a lot 376 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:35.440 of years. So you know, so you were you were 377 00:20:35.480 --> 00:20:37.960 even into her music back then, because you know that's 378 00:20:37.960 --> 00:20:40.519 where people get like, oh, I like her ideas or 379 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:42.920 art and all of that. Her music is pretty out there, 380 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:44.839 So you were always into her music as. 381 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:49.119 Well, Yes, yes, And you know she might not have 382 00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:52.079 ever gotten into music if it wasn't for John. I mean, 383 00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:55.200 she did the javant guard stuff with John Cage and yeah, 384 00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:57.519 those things, but as far as making her own records, 385 00:20:57.519 --> 00:21:00.720 that never entered her mind. But she had some songs 386 00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:03.559 and she showed them to John and you know, and 387 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:06.720 it's funny because the most beautiful, delicate ones were like 388 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:09.720 her first ones, and they were like listen the snow 389 00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:13.640 is falling and remember love, which is just so beautiful 390 00:21:13.640 --> 00:21:18.279 and quiet and sweet. But when John was recording his 391 00:21:18.359 --> 00:21:23.839 first album in nineteen seventy, his solo album, he set 392 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:26.480 up a session for Yoga with the same musicians was 393 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:30.240 Ringo and Klaus Worman and John on guitar, and she 394 00:21:30.440 --> 00:21:36.480 just kind of went wild and said some crazy improvising 395 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:40.240 and tape loops and editing and it was just really 396 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:43.160 it came out really cool, like a lot of avant garde. 397 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:48.119 But basically after that, he gave her a beat and 398 00:21:48.160 -->

00:21:50.920 she gave him the freedom to go wild, so they 399 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:53.680 kind of like switch positions in a way. It was 400 00:21:53.720 --> 00:21:57.559 really cool, And a lot of people don't know that 401 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:02.759 she has such a diverse spectrum of genres that she 402 00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:05.599 cover well, not to cover like her songs are just 403 00:22:05.799 --> 00:22:10.000 there's reggae, there's a forty style, there's fifties rock style, 404 00:22:10.119 --> 00:22:13.079 there's ballads, and some of them are really beautiful that 405 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:15.559 if like Barbara Streisan sang one of these, it could 406 00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:19.359 it would have been number one. So they just refused 407 00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:23.440 to open up and listen. So, but there are a 408 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:26.480 lot of Yoko fans, music fans. I mean, her concerts 409 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:28.240 are sold out whenever I would go. 410 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:31.559 So, do you have a favorite Yogo song? 411 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:36.319 I love the one that I mentioned remember Love and 412 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:39.559 listen to Snow is frawling, and there's another one called 413 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:42.680 Winter Song that's beautiful. But the wild ones are cool too. 414 00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:45.240 I love mind Train that goes on and on. 415 00:22:45.240 --> 00:22:46.519 And yeah, that's a cool one. 416 00:22:46.759 --> 00:22:52.599 Yeah, and uh Catman like some of our really cool rockers, 417 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:55.640 some heavy music. And then her Season of Glass album 418 00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:58.720 that came out after John was killed. A lot of 419 00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:03.119 those songs sound just like a widow was writing them, 420 00:23:03.400 --> 00:23:05.880 just like she had looked, but she had written them 421 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:10.279 in the seventies. A lot of prescians in these songs 422 00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:13.480 that even throughout her life. There's a lot of issues 423 00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:16.680 where I have a whole chapter called Premonitions and it's 424 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:20.200 about things that were said and warnings they'd had received 425 00:23:20.240 --> 00:23:22.839 about the way their life was going to go. And 426 00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:25.319 it's very chilling and interesting. 427 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:28.920 I didn't realize that a lot of those songs were 428 00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:35.880 older songs on that record. That's interesting. Wow, Yeah, that's incredible. 429 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:39.039 So yeah, I'm sure the life they were living, there 430 00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:41.519 were probably you know, John made comments about gids and. 431 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:45.480 Show yeah, yeah like that, but also things that psychics 432 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:49.599 had said. And she was very into psychics and tao 433 00:23:49.960 --> 00:23:57.519 and directionalists and all this mysticism, and you know, she 434 00:23:57.720 --> 00:24:01.279 really really believed in it. In a way, I think 435 00:24:01.319 --> 00:24:03.880 it kind of crippled her, although she thought it was 436 00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:07.720 connecting her to some higher power and helping her through life, 437 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:11.000 but she was so reliant upon it. But it is 438 00:24:11.079 --> 00:24:13.759 eerie that a lot of the mote she was receiving 439 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:19.039 came true. And you know the fact that she Everybody says, well, 440 00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:23.599 if you knew all this, you know, psychic awareness, why 441 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:27.640 did John get killed? And she said, well, why do 442 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:30.039 you think I kept sending him away from New York. 443 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:32.759 She sends him to m Bermuda, she sends him to 444 00:24:32.839 --> 00:24:36.000 Hong Kong, she sends he went around the world, and 445 00:24:36.480 --> 00:24:41.000 I couldn't keep sending him away. So that's. 446 00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:47.200 That's fascinating. Yeah. No, I read something Sean wrote recently 447 00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:49.839 where he was talking about growing up in that environment 448 00:24:49.880 --> 00:24:50.839 where she was. 449 00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:56.079 I know, poor kid. But you know, John is very 450 00:24:56.119 --> 00:24:59.680 supportive of the book. He loves it some thrilled, and 451 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:02.559 her daughter, Kyoko loves it. A lot of her colleagues, 452 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:05.160 a lot of people that worked on her films. I'm 453 00:25:05.240 --> 00:25:08.839 getting really good, good response from everyone, so I can't 454 00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:09.720 be happy with that. 455 00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:13.680 So Kyoko's around these days, Kyogo. 456 00:25:13.720 --> 00:25:15.640 I saw last week she was in New York. There 457 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:19.880 was this symposium on Yoko and her wist trees were 458 00:25:19.920 --> 00:25:22.960 on display at the Park Avenue Armory. So she came 459 00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:27.599 out for that, and yeah, it's good to see her. 460 00:25:27.960 --> 00:25:30.319 And you don't hear a lot about her. So I 461 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:32.599 was wondering, what, you know, if she doesn't. 462 00:25:32.279 --> 00:25:35.519 Want the spotlight, she's it's an artist actually herself. 463 00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:38.480 What kind of stuff have you seen? 464 00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:41.079 It a little bit of a grel like sculpture and 465 00:25:41.599 --> 00:25:44.559 strange stuff. But it's cool, that's. 466 00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:47.319 Very cool, okay. And how did you meet her just 467 00:25:47.400 --> 00:25:48.480 at some of these events? 468 00:25:48.880 --> 00:25:51.720 Well, she has a book and friends on you know 469 00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:55.240 social media and met up with her at the event. 470 00:25:56.039 -->

00:25:59.880 Nice Sean as well, same sort of thing. Excuse me, 471 00:26:00.440 --> 00:26:02.599 Sean as well, you've met at these events. 472 00:26:02.839 --> 00:26:05.240 I met Showan at some of his concerts, and yeah, 473 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:11.279 he has the book. Her grandchildren have it, so it's good. 474 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:13.519 I want them to really know. 475 00:26:13.720 --> 00:26:19.079 Who she was, gotcha. Yeah, and she listened to a 476 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:22.279 lot of public events at this point. Right now, I 477 00:26:22.319 --> 00:26:24.759 think I think I heard she moved moved out of 478 00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:26.240 the Dakota event and is kind. 479 00:26:26.119 --> 00:26:30.599 Of Yeah, she's upstate and she's her health isn't so great, 480 00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:34.960 so she's really retired. Yeah, good for her. She doesn't 481 00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:37.519 need to be miss what's going on now. 482 00:26:38.119 --> 00:26:43.119 Yeah, of all the people, I'm sure she's not very pleased. 483 00:26:44.440 --> 00:26:48.319 It's pretty awful. So when was the last time you 484 00:26:48.359 --> 00:26:48.880 saw Yoko? 485 00:26:50.359 --> 00:26:56.160 When her exhibition she had a she had a imaginary 486 00:26:56.240 --> 00:26:59.400 exhibition in nineteen seventy one at the Museum of Modern Art, 487 00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:05.799 ated this thing in her head where she released flies 488 00:27:05.880 --> 00:27:08.400 in the Garden at MoMA, and she had a catalog 489 00:27:08.519 --> 00:27:11.319 printed up with a little map where you're supposed to 490 00:27:11.319 --> 00:27:16.279 find these flies, and then she had a cameraman and 491 00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:20.680 an interviewer with a microphone outside the entrance, and she 492 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:23.240 they were asking what did you think of the yogo 493 00:27:23.240 --> 00:27:27.000 Ono exhibition and some people said, oh, it's great, like 494 00:27:27.039 --> 00:27:28.960 they don't know and so on said what, I didn't 495 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:31.039 see it or it was just and then she gets 496 00:27:31.039 --> 00:27:34.400 a phone call from the director of MoMA. What's going on? 497 00:27:34.440 --> 00:27:37.519 They're saying, you have an exhibition here, and she says, oh, yeah, 498 00:27:37.519 --> 00:27:40.200 but don't worry, it's in my head. Right. So then 499 00:27:40.680 --> 00:27:44.039 it was called Yoko on a One Woman Show. So 500 00:27:44.279 --> 00:27:48.400 in twenty fifteen, what happens three floors of MoMA, Yoko 501 00:27:48.519 --> 00:27:51.799 on a One Woman's Show came true. So that's when 502 00:27:51.839 --> 00:27:54.720 I saw her last, and it was in her glory 503 00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:59.279 and going through the exhibit, and it's just fantastic to 504 00:27:59.279 --> 00:28:01.559 see her in that way and just giving her a 505 00:28:01.640 --> 00:28:03.480 hug and saying you did it, he did it. 506 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:10.000 Oh that's so cool.

Yeah. No, I I missed her 507 00:28:10.039 --> 00:28:12.519 on social media for as much as social media has 508 00:28:12.599 --> 00:28:20.559 kind of become a hellscape. Yeah, she was always such 509 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:22.880 a good follow and I was fun of fascinating because 510 00:28:22.920 --> 00:28:26.240 she would follow everybody back to which usually people of 511 00:28:26.279 --> 00:28:29.160 that level of fame don't do that sort of thing, right, 512 00:28:29.279 --> 00:28:30.960 So it's just fast. 513 00:28:32.599 --> 00:28:34.960 Yeah. I think she said Twitter was a great meeting 514 00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:37.200 for her. John would have loved it too, He would 515 00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:40.279 have been done every day. I mean just a lot 516 00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:43.759 of the quotes in my book are from her lengthy 517 00:28:43.839 --> 00:28:46.680 quotes as well, but a lot of little things from Twitter. 518 00:28:46.759 --> 00:28:51.960 And they're really like as if Confucius wrote for the 519 00:28:52.000 --> 00:28:55.640 fortune cookies and gave you really good words of wisdom 520 00:28:55.720 --> 00:28:59.039 every day, just a beautiful thing to contemplate and think 521 00:28:59.079 --> 00:29:01.720 about and help you in life. And that's what her 522 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:07.319 whole m o is about, healing and you know, going 523 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:11.480 towards world peace and just you know, communicating. She wanted 524 00:29:11.559 --> 00:29:14.960 us all to communicate and see our own inner power 525 00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:15.799 and work together. 526 00:29:17.599 --> 00:29:21.559 Gotcha? So what else did You're doing a lot of 527 00:29:21.839 --> 00:29:25.599 Beatles events? What other events are you doing with the book? 528 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:27.440 And when did the book come out? Was it? You 529 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:29.559 said it took a couple of years. 530 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:32.240 Well it was twenty twenty two. This is the hardcover 531 00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:36.839 just came nice And this cover is by an Australian artists. 532 00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:38.400 I didn't know what to put on the cover and 533 00:29:38.480 --> 00:29:39.200 I just love this. 534 00:29:39.240 --> 00:29:41.640 And asked her it's so good, a good cover. 535 00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:46.119 So that's her in a Nutshell, and yeah, I did 536 00:29:46.200 --> 00:29:51.000 the hardcovers out now and might be working on an ebook. 537 00:29:51.640 --> 00:29:55.200 I've done some library discussions. I did a reading at 538 00:29:55.200 --> 00:29:58.960 the Park Avenue Armory last weekend. Just wherever I can 539 00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:01.079 do or reading that I wasn't involved getting in a 540 00:30:01.119 --> 00:30:03.119 plane and costing a lot of money, you know, because 541 00:30:03.160 --> 00:30:06.359 it doesn't really pay off. So I do these local 542 00:30:06.440 --> 00:30:10.000 things New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, whatever I can do. 543 00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:17.079 Yeah, I've I'm in Minneapolis and I've been to well, 544 00:30:17.119 --> 00:30:19.000 I've been to a couple of the John Art shows 545 00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:21.519 that have come through, which are really fascinating. But they 546 00:30:21.519 --> 00:30:24.319 had a Yoko one at the Walker Art Center and 547 00:30:24.359 --> 00:30:25.799 I was like, I need to go to that. That'd 548 00:30:25.799 --> 00:30:28.799 be really fun. And I showed up like ten minutes. 549 00:30:28.839 --> 00:30:30.319 I didn't realize they're about to close. It was like 550 00:30:30.359 --> 00:30:33.400 ten minutes before closing, and I was like, oh, shooting. 551 00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:36.240 They'd like go ahead, so I'm like, oh, So I 552 00:30:36.279 --> 00:30:38.160 got in freed, was able to go. They had the 553 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:41.519 ladder with the magnifying glass then all this stuff. It 554 00:30:41.559 --> 00:30:43.359 was really kind of a neat thing to see. So 555 00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:46.640 I'm glad I got that opportunity. But I've always been 556 00:30:46.680 --> 00:30:50.039 a I've always been a big John fan, so I've 557 00:30:50.680 --> 00:30:53.119 you know, with that, I've learned a lot about her 558 00:30:53.160 --> 00:30:54.799 as well. I got to read your book because that'd 559 00:30:54.839 --> 00:30:55.960 be fascinating to learn. 560 00:30:56.079 --> 00:30:56.920 Oh definitely. 561 00:30:57.799 --> 00:31:00.400 Yeah. So what what else you were? Can I gonna 562 00:31:00.519 --> 00:31:03.200 write some more books? What's what's the plan for the future? 563 00:31:03.680 --> 00:31:07.720 Well, my popular demands. I'm trying to compile a lot 564 00:31:07.720 --> 00:31:11.799 of things on my blog into a cohesive, you know 565 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:15.839 form somewhat. It's probably gonna have to be an ebook 566 00:31:15.839 --> 00:31:20.759 because it's massive, So we'll see it's it's it's album reviews, 567 00:31:20.799 --> 00:31:23.480 concert reviews. But I'm talking like from the seventies, eighties, 568 00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:29.200 you know, like really yeah, and just an analysis of albums, interviews, 569 00:31:29.880 --> 00:31:32.960 a lot of great stuff, gotcha. 570 00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:36.960 So who are you listening to these days? Anybody pop up? 571 00:31:37.039 --> 00:31:40.799 Everybody I loved since my childhood and growing up. Nothing 572 00:31:40.920 --> 00:31:45.440 really that new, I can't say, you know, I guess 573 00:31:45.440 --> 00:31:48.720 it's like that with every generation. But I can't get 574 00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:49.799 into this new stuff. 575 00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:55.720 Yeah, I hear you. So what are those you mentioned 576 00:31:55.720 --> 00:31:58.839 some of them early on Bowie and the Beatles and 577 00:31:58.839 --> 00:32:00.799 all of that, But what are some those favorites? What 578 00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:03.440 are in regular rotation at your house. 579

00:32:05.039 --> 00:32:08.799 Well, I didn't mention Sparks. They're a big one, oh Sparks. 580 00:32:08.799 --> 00:32:13.039 And I've been writing their newsletter, their official newsletter for 581 00:32:13.079 --> 00:32:14.119 about twenty years. 582 00:32:14.680 --> 00:32:17.680 So they I saw that. How did that come along? 583 00:32:17.920 --> 00:32:20.119 Well? I loved them since I was a kid too, 584 00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:20.960 and I saw. 585 00:32:20.880 --> 00:32:21.920 You love artie stuff. 586 00:32:22.880 --> 00:32:27.079 Yeah, And I mean, I just love them and I 587 00:32:27.119 --> 00:32:31.799 always wanted them to be my big brothers. And you know, 588 00:32:31.880 --> 00:32:34.240 I did see them in the seventies a few times, 589 00:32:34.319 --> 00:32:36.200 and then they didn't really play much because they were 590 00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:39.759 working on this musical that never came to be for 591 00:32:40.079 --> 00:32:43.000 they didn't tour for about ten years. And then when 592 00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:45.880 I got a computer, I started searching, like, what are 593 00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:49.079 Sparks up to? It was nineteen ninety six and they 594 00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:51.920 just put out an album and they went on tour, 595 00:32:52.119 --> 00:32:55.319 and so I couldn't go to that because my mom 596 00:32:55.359 --> 00:32:58.799 passed away that year. But then they toured again, and 597 00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:02.559 I started this little cereal on the internet about all 598 00:33:02.599 --> 00:33:05.119 my adventures and meeting them when I was a kid 599 00:33:05.160 --> 00:33:09.079 and getting backstage and all this, and Russell the singer, 600 00:33:09.160 --> 00:33:13.400 read my messages and he said, oh my god, we 601 00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:16.359 love your writing. Would you like to start writing our newsletter, 602 00:33:17.039 --> 00:33:19.319 and in this newsletter I've been getting in the mail 603 00:33:19.400 --> 00:33:23.079 since I was fourteen, every year, it was like this 604 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:26.200 holy grail to me, and I'm like, wow, yeah, I'll 605 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:28.720 do it. So I would write this ten page thing 606 00:33:28.960 --> 00:33:32.480 twice a year about them, and I started going on 607 00:33:32.480 --> 00:33:35.680 the tours with them and the greatest guys. So now 608 00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:37.519 they are my big brothers. 609 00:33:38.880 --> 00:33:39.880 Oh that's so cool. 610 00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:43.759 They have a new album coming out in May, a. 611 00:33:43.720 --> 00:33:48.799 New album called Today, what's it called Mad? 612 00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:52.880 Exclamation Point and mab gotcha. 613 00:33:53.359 --> 00:33:54.240 You know if they're going to tour? 614 00:33:54.880 --> 00:33:59.519 Yes, the tour days came out everywhere Japan, Europe, England 615 00:33:59.720 --> 00:34:04.720 and eventually North America. They did the Hollywood Bowl last year, 616 00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:08.000 they did the Royal Albert Hall, two nights sold out, 617 00:34:08.400 --> 00:34:10.599 and they did a big tour list was see last 618 00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:12.519 year or two years ago? Already gave over the list. 619 00:34:12.559 --> 00:34:17.480 Twenty three two, egger Wright did the documentary The Sparks Brothers, 620 00:34:17.840 --> 00:34:21.039 which is fantastic. It's about their whole career and ever 621 00:34:21.079 --> 00:34:25.159 since then they've gotten a lot more younger fans, newer fans, 622 00:34:25.199 --> 00:34:26.599 and it's incredible. 623 00:34:28.119 --> 00:34:29.440 So when you went on tour with. 624 00:34:29.480 --> 00:34:33.400 Them, well, yeah, we go. We went the first time 625 00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:36.360 they played in Japan in two thousand and one, we 626 00:34:36.440 --> 00:34:41.199 went to Tokyo and Osaka, so that was really cool. 627 00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:45.679 Every time they played in England, we got about five 628 00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:49.119 or six shows in England and then the ones in America. 629 00:34:51.199 --> 00:34:54.320 Where else. I mean, that's where we pretty much stick to. 630 00:34:56.079 --> 00:34:59.800 I'd rather see like five in one area than go 631 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:01.400 the universe all over. 632 00:35:01.559 --> 00:35:06.039 Yeah. Yeah, how is the reception in Japan? 633 00:35:07.519 --> 00:35:12.320 Fantastic? Now? Japanese audience are very different. They're very quiet, 634 00:35:12.480 --> 00:35:15.440 you can hear a pin drop, but then you know, 635 00:35:15.519 --> 00:35:17.719 after the song is over, they go wild. So they 636 00:35:17.719 --> 00:35:19.920 come up to them afterwards with the albums the sign 637 00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:23.000 and they're crying and shaking. It's really cool. 638 00:35:24.840 --> 00:35:27.760 That's cool. Yeah, it's funny. I think we've just become 639 00:35:27.800 --> 00:35:33.599 desensitized in America. We stand around like this like other 640 00:35:33.679 --> 00:35:37.039 countries appreciate I think art music probably a little bit 641 00:35:37.079 --> 00:35:42.079 more than we do these days. Unfortunately, So what other records? 642 00:35:42.119 --> 00:35:44.639 That's that's a really cool story about Sparks. 643 00:35:45.400 --> 00:35:47.639 Oh what of the records? Well, I still love my 644 00:35:47.719 --> 00:35:50.880 Alice Cooper, I still love my Ian Hunter and Mick 645 00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:56.840 Ronson and the old Boie and oh cool, and then 646 00:35:57.199 --> 00:36:01.000 you know, all glam Susie Quatro this I always. I 647 00:36:01.039 --> 00:36:02.920 love the Sweet I stick them on all the time, 648 00:36:03.079 --> 00:36:07.039 Iggy the Stooges, Oh my God, live on the Students. 649 00:36:07.119 --> 00:36:11.639 I love Nico, the Vellat Underground, you know, lou Reed 650 00:36:11.719 --> 00:36:16.239 of course, the sex Pistols, the Remote like you know, 651 00:36:16.679 --> 00:36:19.559 just there's plenty of

bit I'd rather have everything that 652 00:36:19.599 --> 00:36:25.840 these bands did than get into fifty new bands, you know, 653 00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:26.920 I just love them. 654 00:36:26.960 --> 00:36:29.039 So you're in the right place. 655 00:36:29.360 --> 00:36:30.039 The right time. 656 00:36:30.159 --> 00:36:31.920 Yeah, a lot of New York. 657 00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:38.039 Yeah, definitely, that's very cool. For the early stuff. And 658 00:36:38.800 --> 00:36:40.800 I got to see Sly in the Family Stall and 659 00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:44.280 I saw Stevie Wonder you know, seventy two, seventy three. 660 00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:48.639 I mean, it's a great, great shows the Stalls back then. 661 00:36:48.719 --> 00:36:52.880 In seventy five I saw and I saw Mick Jaggers 662 00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:56.920 do were solo concert at what was Webster Hall, and 663 00:36:58.159 --> 00:37:01.480 that was amazing being right up front for Mick Jagger's show. 664 00:37:02.440 --> 00:37:04.159 What year was that? 665 00:37:04.159 --> 00:37:06.159 That was the Wandering Spirit album. 666 00:37:06.199 --> 00:37:08.920 It was probably in the nineties, the nineties record. 667 00:37:08.639 --> 00:37:10.880 And the great Yeah, it was so good. 668 00:37:11.039 --> 00:37:12.599 Who did playing with him? Do you remember? 669 00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:15.519 I could get it to you later because it was 670 00:37:15.639 --> 00:37:17.679 up on YouTube for a while with all the listing 671 00:37:17.719 --> 00:37:20.559 of who played fantastic. Oh my god to hear Mick 672 00:37:20.800 --> 00:37:24.159 with a kick ass band behind him and not just 673 00:37:24.239 --> 00:37:26.480 the Stone, Like the Stones are the Stone, They're great, 674 00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:30.920 but this is, oh my good god, really heavy, really great. 675 00:37:32.559 --> 00:37:40.039 Yeah, it's you know those guys. It's like, I'm gonna 676 00:37:40.039 --> 00:37:42.360 put together a backing band. It's pretty much like you 677 00:37:42.400 --> 00:37:45.719 get to pick whatever you want. Yeah, I'll play with 678 00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:47.119 Mick Jagger's Yeah. 679 00:37:47.159 --> 00:37:49.239 Well, you remember when he was on Saturday Night Live 680 00:37:49.400 --> 00:37:53.280 with I think Dave Grohl on drums and I think 681 00:37:53.320 --> 00:37:55.400 they did Painted Black or something. It was like, oh 682 00:37:55.440 --> 00:37:57.880 my god, this is a punk song. This is amazing. 683 00:37:58.440 --> 00:38:01.280 Yeah, it's crazy. It was just it's a totally different vibe. 684 00:38:01.320 --> 00:38:05.000 But you know, mix that has been kind of adventurous 685 00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:07.360 in what he's liked. You know, even you listen to 686 00:38:07.360 --> 00:38:10.119 some of the different changes that the Stones did over 687 00:38:10.159 --> 00:38:11.760 the years. You know, they even got a little disco 688 00:38:11.920 --> 00:38:15.519 at time. Oh yeah, so you know, I always been he 689 00:38:15.559 --> 00:38:19.119 had prints opening for them early on. When Prince was. 690 00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:21.199 I saw Prince a lot of times in the eighties. 691 00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:22.400 I was sick. 692 00:38:24.079 --> 00:38:27.159 Uh yeah, I'm a big Prince. 693 00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:29.599 Oh well, that's nice. 694 00:38:30.719 --> 00:38:33.679 Yeah, so you saw prints in the eighties, that's pretty 695 00:38:33.719 --> 00:38:34.320 pretty cool. 696 00:38:34.679 --> 00:38:37.480 Yeah. I go and I go by myself because none 697 00:38:37.480 --> 00:38:40.920 of my friends liked him or whatever. And he would 698 00:38:40.960 --> 00:38:43.519 play like he did the Garden with Sign of the 699 00:38:43.599 --> 00:38:48.239 Times Madison Square Garden and then and he did the Palladium. 700 00:38:49.239 --> 00:38:52.599 But but I would sneak down from like I always do, 701 00:38:53.199 --> 00:38:55.360 and I talked to all the kids down there, and 702 00:38:55.400 --> 00:38:59.000 they would bring me to the after shows like he 703 00:38:59.039 --> 00:39:01.360 would stop it, you know, eleven thirty at night at 704 00:39:01.400 --> 00:39:04.360 the at the Garden, and then at like one he'd 705 00:39:04.400 --> 00:39:07.639 gone at this little club and played like three hours. 706 00:39:08.480 --> 00:39:09.519 That was even better. 707 00:39:10.559 --> 00:39:13.880 Yeah, well it's funny. I guse I'm in Minneapolis, so 708 00:39:13.880 --> 00:39:15.960 I'd gone to Paisley Park where you would have parties 709 00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:18.719 that you would have those I speaking of slide in 710 00:39:18.760 --> 00:39:20.880 the family Stone. There was one time I was out there. 711 00:39:20.880 --> 00:39:23.320 I was five feet like, have you ever been to 712 00:39:23.320 --> 00:39:29.159 Paisley Park, all Minneapolis. Okay, It's it's got like a 713 00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:31.119 giant sound stage in there, and then there's like a 714 00:39:31.159 --> 00:39:33.320 smaller room and it was in the smaller room and 715 00:39:33.360 --> 00:39:35.320 I was five feet in front of Larry Graham from 716 00:39:35.400 --> 00:39:38.480 slanting the Family Stone and five feet from Prince and 717 00:39:38.480 --> 00:39:41.920 they were doing Sli in the Family Stone songs wow, 718 00:39:42.679 --> 00:39:46.519 and it was insane. And then they did also strange 719 00:39:46.880 --> 00:39:49.320 ballot at Dorothy Parker from Son of the Times as well. 720 00:39:49.360 --> 00:39:52.079 They did that night too, So yeah, he was just 721 00:39:52.840 --> 00:39:53.840 that guy was a wizard. 722 00:39:54.000 --> 00:39:56.000 It's just incredible. 723 00:39:56.880 --> 00:39:58.519 Do you have you seen the new slang in the 724 00:39:58.519 --> 00:40:01.320 Family Stone documentary? Yes, they did great. 725 00:40:01.679 --> 00:40:05.400 Yeah, it's always great seeing Sly. I mean I could 726 00:40:05.480 --> 00:40:08.159 just watch him and I just get a kick out 727 00:40:08.159 -->

00:40:10.679 of him, you know, it's so funny. I saw him 728 00:40:10.840 --> 00:40:14.960 again and two thousand and seven because I always vowed 729 00:40:14.960 --> 00:40:17.519 if he ever me and my friend Nicole would always 730 00:40:17.559 --> 00:40:20.760 go in through the eighties and nineties like we got 731 00:40:20.760 --> 00:40:22.800 a fine slide. We just got to find him and 732 00:40:23.280 --> 00:40:26.320 just help him, like whatever. He's just got to get 733 00:40:26.360 --> 00:40:28.519 back on a stage. He's like, nah, he's probably just 734 00:40:28.519 --> 00:40:31.119 happy eating his froot loops in the morning, like whatever. 735 00:40:31.239 --> 00:40:34.480 But so he started to speak in two thousand and 736 00:40:34.519 --> 00:40:37.519 seven and he does a few shows. He did two 737 00:40:37.639 --> 00:40:41.400 nights at bb King in New York City. So I 738 00:40:41.400 --> 00:40:45.199 got tickets for the first night, the first show on 739 00:40:45.239 --> 00:40:47.360 the first and maybe it was two shows in one night, 740 00:40:47.400 --> 00:40:51.400 I went to the first show, and it was that 741 00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:54.360 thing where he would come on for five minutes and 742 00:40:54.400 --> 00:40:56.519 go off for ten minutes, and come on for ten 743 00:40:56.559 --> 00:40:59.039 minutes and go off for twenty minutes. I got he 744 00:40:59.280 --> 00:41:02.199 was not but when he was great, he was great. Right, 745 00:41:02.280 --> 00:41:06.039 So I don't know why to get tickets for both shows. 746 00:41:06.320 --> 00:41:07.880 I mean, I think I know why because I was 747 00:41:07.960 --> 00:41:09.960 my boyfriend. I don't want to torture him, and it 748 00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:12.079 was nice enough that he went with me to the one. 749 00:41:12.519 --> 00:41:15.000 So I left and I saw my friend Laurie going 750 00:41:15.079 --> 00:41:18.239 into the second show, and I go, good luck, Laurie. 751 00:41:18.400 --> 00:41:21.480 She's like whatever. So the next day she tells me 752 00:41:21.519 --> 00:41:24.280 he was fantastic. He did the whole show, on the 753 00:41:24.280 --> 00:41:25.280 stage the whole time. 754 00:41:25.320 --> 00:41:31.039 I'm like, so you picked the wrong show. Yeah. His 755 00:41:31.599 --> 00:41:37.119 story is incredible because just so immensely talented, and it 756 00:41:37.159 --> 00:41:39.559 comes through in that documentary when you're watching it, how 757 00:41:39.719 --> 00:41:42.320 just insanely talented that band. 758 00:41:42.599 --> 00:41:44.679 And that's where Prince gets it all from me. 759 00:41:48.280 --> 00:41:50.960 But they had that quote in there about one of 760 00:41:50.960 --> 00:41:53.360 its bandmates was like all he wanted to do twenty 761 00:41:53.400 --> 00:41:56.920 four to seven was play music, And you're like, mm, 762 00:41:57.199 --> 00:41:58.719 Prince even took that from him. 763 00:42:00.760 --> 00:42:04.440 Yeah, I read his book. Did you read his book 764 00:42:04.440 --> 00:42:06.239 that came out last two years? 765 00:42:06.679 --> 00:42:07.320 I haven't read it. 766 00:42:07.400 --> 00:42:09.679 No, I've did a review of it. You can read 767 00:42:09.679 --> 00:42:12.079 that and get the whole picture. It's really great. 768 00:42:12.440 --> 00:42:15.639 Is it? Is he all there these days? 769 00:42:15.679 --> 00:42:15.760 Like? 770 00:42:15.920 --> 00:42:18.199 Is he pretty? Did he have a ghostwriter with him 771 00:42:18.280 --> 00:42:20.679 or did he. 772 00:42:19.760 --> 00:42:22.960 Helped writing it? But but you could tell it's a 773 00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:24.519 lot of him talking. 774 00:42:24.880 --> 00:42:26.400 Yeah, it sounded like him. 775 00:42:26.800 --> 00:42:27.199 It's him. 776 00:42:27.639 --> 00:42:31.800 That's good. Yeah, he's I can't imagine that. I told 777 00:42:31.800 --> 00:42:34.280 the drugs took on him because he was at it 778 00:42:34.320 --> 00:42:37.800 for years and years. There's that clip of him in 779 00:42:37.800 --> 00:42:39.800 the dock talking in front of the r V and 780 00:42:39.840 --> 00:42:42.480 I'm like, oh, yeah. 781 00:42:42.599 --> 00:42:45.480 There's another documentary on him that a fan made and 782 00:42:45.519 --> 00:42:48.679 it's called Looking for a Sly or Searching for Sly. 783 00:42:48.840 --> 00:42:52.159 It's fantastic. I don't know if you could find it. 784 00:42:52.199 --> 00:42:54.039 I'll see if I can find a link to it. 785 00:42:54.320 --> 00:42:54.880 So good. 786 00:42:56.159 --> 00:42:59.760 Where's he living in California. 787 00:43:00.159 --> 00:43:02.840 He's got a little house now. His daughters take good 788 00:43:02.840 --> 00:43:05.519 care of him, and yeah, he's all right. 789 00:43:06.920 --> 00:43:10.760 That's good. Yeah, It's just I think sometimes when you're 790 00:43:11.559 --> 00:43:13.760 there are very few you don't want to use the 791 00:43:13.840 --> 00:43:15.840 term very often because it gets overused, but there are 792 00:43:15.960 --> 00:43:19.239 very few geniuses in the world, and I think that 793 00:43:19.360 --> 00:43:22.920 genius can take a toll on your mental health, as 794 00:43:22.960 --> 00:43:25.400 could be seen by Prince It's flying the family stone 795 00:43:25.400 --> 00:43:27.920 and a sly and all of these spolks like that. 796 00:43:28.039 --> 00:43:31.119 So it's it's good that he's out there still trucking 797 00:43:31.199 --> 00:43:35.079 and hopefully he's staying clean. And you know, yeah, I 798 00:43:35.079 --> 00:43:37.119 was just kind of wonder what those folks do. Is 799 00:43:37.119 --> 00:43:39.519 he out like just making music on his own and 800 00:43:39.599 --> 00:43:41.679 not releasing it, or you know, what does he do 801 00:43:42.400 --> 00:43:43.119 these days? 802 00:43:43.199 --> 00:43:45.320 You know, I would like to know. They did a 803 00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:48.760 piece on him on like CBS this morning when his 804 00:43:48.800 --> 00:43:51.360 book came out, and it showed him at home with 805 00:43:51.440 --> 00:43:56.079 his family and his son, and I'm sure he's just chilling. 806 00:44:07.360 --> 00:44:15.719 That was Madelyne Baccaro, author and music of Ficcinado. Really 807 00:44:15.800 --> 00:44:20.480 fun conversation with her and really good insight on Yoko 808 00:44:20.840 --> 00:44:23.760 and Sparks. Haven't had a lot of Sparks mentions on 809 00:44:23.800 --> 00:44:26.800 the podcast and many friends that are very big fan 810 00:44:26.920 --> 00:44:30.239 of Sparks, so I think that was a nice surprise 811 00:44:30.280 --> 00:44:33.840 as well. So thank you for listening this week. You 812 00:44:33.880 --> 00:44:39.400 can get her book online at conceptualbooks dot com, and 813 00:44:39.480 --> 00:44:42.400 she will be signing books at the twenty twenty five 814 00:44:42.639 --> 00:44:47.639 Beatles Fest March twenty eighth, twenty ninth, and thirtieth at 815 00:44:47.679 --> 00:44:51.480 the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Jersey. So that's coming 816 00:44:51.559 --> 00:44:54.599 up here in just a couple of weeks, and go 817 00:44:54.840 --> 00:44:58.039 visit her, get a book, get it signed, say hello, 818 00:44:58.400 --> 00:45:03.239 tell her Figure Eights podcast, and thank you for listening. 819 00:45:03.280 --> 00:45:08.400 As I mentioned earlier, make sure you're supporting John Monson 820 00:45:08.400 --> 00:45:12.239 from Semi Sonic. There's a go fundme due to his 821 00:45:12.519 --> 00:45:15.920 recent stroke. He's done a lot for local music as 822 00:45:15.960 --> 00:45:18.920 well as music around the world. Come On, Closing Time 823 00:45:19.039 --> 00:45:22.159 was probably the most played song of the year the 824 00:45:22.239 --> 00:45:26.400 year that thing came out. So support John and thank 825 00:45:26.440 --> 00:45:30.039 you for listening. From Minneapolis Studio twenty four, this has 826 00:45:30.079 --> 00:45:32.280 been the Figure Eights podcast. 827 00:45:32.760 --> 00:45:47.639 God that Suys Brezal agreed, Salon when you go, sus see. 828 00:45:50.039 --> 00:47:14.800 Miss A down pastimes 829 00:48:11.039 --> 00:48:11.440 Rum the