John Lennon Interview Releases

Heart Play - Unfinished Dialogue

Heart Play - Front cover Heart Play - Rear Cover
Heart Play - Front Cover Heart Play - Rear Cover
Label Polydor
Catalogue No. 8172 381
8172 384 (cassette)
Release date 16th December 1983
Detail : The first release of a John Lennon interview on record.

It features a 42 minute extract taken from the 30 hours of taping for a Playboy interview from September 1980.
At the end of the "Double Fantasy" sessions John decides to do the mother of all interviews for David Sheff of Playboy magazine.
John says, "This will be the reference book".
The sessions started on September 10th at the Dakota, and concluded 28th September in La Fortuna coffee chop,
which is where the cover photograph was taken.

The interviews appear on the album in seven "sections", and included as an insert with the L.P.
is a signed "letter" from Yoko describing each of the seven sections.

The first printed extract of these interviews appears in the "Playboy" which reaches the bookshops on 6th December 1980.

A portion of the profits from the "Heart Play" L.P. was donated to the Spirit Foundation, in 72nd Street, New York.



Reflections And Poetry

Reflections - Front cover
Reflections And Poetry - Front Cover
Label Silhouette Music
Catalogue No. SM 10014
Release date June 1984 (Imports from the U.S.)
Detail : This interview double album contains excerpts from a two and a half hour interview that John did with RKO Radio on
8th December 1980 just hours before his murder, plus some previously released poetry readings.

The album was withdrawn after some legal action by Yoko, but not before some copies had gone on sale in U.K. record shops.
The same interview appeared in a longer format on two later releases, "The Last Word" and "Testimony".


The Last Word

Last Word - Front cover Last Word - Rear Cover
Last Word - Front Cover Last Word - Rear Cover (and the C.D.)
Label Baktabak
Catalogue No. BAK 2096
CBAK 4014 (C.D.)
MBAK 6027
Release date 11th July 1988
Detail : Contains 55 minutes and 13 seconds of excerpts from the interview John did with RKO Radio on 8th December 1980,
which is longer than was previously available above.
It also comes with a one page print of an official Beatles Fan Club letter dated March 1964.
The reason for this is, on the reverse is an advert for an "Official Beatles Badge" priced 3 shillings and sixpence,
the SAME badges are also offered for sale with this release, price £9:95.

The cassette release took place in January 1992.

My scan of the cover above only looks thin, because more than half of the left side of the cover was plain black.
The rear cover shot is the same as the actual C.D. but was clearer, so I have used that and not shown the actual C.D.



John and Yoko - The Interview

Label B.B.C.
Catalogue No. BBCCD 6002
ZBBC 1195 (Double cassette)
Release date 12th November 1990
Detail : The first official release of the interview John gave to the B.B.C. D.J. Andy Peebles on 6th December 1980.
It had originally been broadcast in five one hour radio specials commencing Sunday 18th January 1981.
These five shows were also interspersed with some Lennon music.
The full transcript of the interview had been released in the book The Lennon Tapes.


Testimony

Label Thunderbolt
Catalogue No. CDTB 095
Release date 14th December 1990
Detail : Contains 73 minutes and 54 seconds of excerpts from the interview John did with RKO Radio on 8th December 1980,
which is even longer than was previously available above.


Bedism

Bedism - Front of Box Bedism - Postcard
Bedism - Front of Box
with postcard detail visible through cut-out.
Bedism - The whole postcard
when pulled out from the box cover.
Bedism - Front Cover of C.D. Bedism - Rear Cover of C.D.
Bedism - Front Cover of C.D. Bedism - Rear Cover of C.D.
Bedism - Rear Cover of Booklet Bedism - Inside Rear of C.D.
Bedism - Rear Cover of Booklet Bedism - Inside Rear of C.D.
Bedism - The C.D.
Bedism - The C.D.
Label Dressed To Kill
Catalogue No. DRESS 155
Release date 14th September 1999
Total Time 54:09
Detail : A terrific package of John dialogue.

One
31:33 - Montreal "Bed-In" Highlights.
Room 1742, Hotel Reine - Elizabeth, Quebec, Canada. Monday May 26th - Monday June 2nd 1969.
With comedian Tom Smothers, the separatist Jaques-Larue, cartoonist Al Capp and Patrick Watson.

Two
22:30 - A Visit To Canada.
Press conferences held at the University of Toronto on Wednesday 17th December 1969, plus
An interview with American media expert Marshall McLuhan on Saturday 20th December 1969.
      (Sleeve says American, but M.M. is actually Canadian - jpgr webmaster)

Some great packaging, an interesting variety of pictures in an 8-page booklet, and a picture C.D. (shown above).
As well as great pictures, the booklet gives an insight into the mind of Lennon,
with a report on their journeys of 1969 and a collection of "Lennon Quips" over the years.

The C.D. comes in a white cardboard wrap-around with a postcard tucked behind the front (both also shown above).

For ordering information see Dressed To Kill



Any further interview album's will have their detail following in here ....

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