Did John Lennon do TV interviews in 1980?

There's that bit of footage walking in the park from 20/20, Playboy and the radio interviews--but did Lennon do any TV interviews in 1980--just prior to his death?

 

I think there's been some amateur interview footage recorded at the Record Plant circulating for years, but I never saw Lennon make any TV appearances to promote Double Fantasy. Things were just kind of getting started for promoting the album around the time of his death. One imagines he might have done stuff like SNL in the New Year.

 

The most famous one he did was with Tom Snyder in 1975. I think that was the last interview he did at any length, anyway. I'm probably wrong.

 

No TV in 1980. He started with a print interview in Newsweek in October, then Playboy, the BBC and the RKO radio network in December.

 

what about the abc 20/20 material central park walk?. did abc film that?

or did lennon contract someone to film it and then offer it to abc?

was abc planning on interiewing him?

 

I was always under the impression that the park footage was filmed under the direction of John and Yoko themselves, to be used for promotional purposes (ie, music video, etc.). Wasn't that 20/20 segment basically just a promo video for "Woman"? I think ABC got the rights to show it that one time from Yoko following Lennon's death. I vaguely recall ABC promoting it as the only time the clip would be shown.

I'm sure there were plans in the works at the time for Lennon to do TV interviews and other promotional appearances. Almost certainly had any of the networks gotten as far as actually filming an interview, it would have surfaced by now.

 

Supposedly there was some professioally shot footage durung the Double Fantasy footage that hasn't shwon up anywhere. I'm sure there are people here with all the details...

 

Yes, I've seen this. It's an interview conducted at the Record Plant during the recording of Double Fantasy. It's not clear who is doing the interview and what was for. The footage is rough and the interview isn't all that revealing. John seems tired or a little stoned.

Steve

 

I think there is more footage than that clip though. Supposedly it was a fair amount of footage that was shot - much more than a short interview. Maybe Jack Douglas talked about this in an interview? I read somewhere than Lennon looked too skinny and/or strung out and that's why it wasn't used?

 

The Andy Peebles radio interview is wonderful. One of my most cherished music related possessions....

 

The Central Park footage, excerpted in "John Lennon: Imagine" and elsewhere was filmed by John and Yoko's friend, Ethan Russell, the British photographer who also shot the Let It Be photos, The Rolling Stones' Rock And Roll Circus photos, The "Who's Next" cover and many, many more great rock scenes now considered classics. If you can still find it, check out his book, Dear Mr. Fantasy.

 

OK,we're talking about 2 different pieces of video.The interview,which is circulating.Was done while they were overdubbing Empire Strikes Back,several times during the interview,the sound effects drown out John.
The OTHER video is another story...filmed in August,there's an audio tape from the filming courtsy of the tapes Jack Douglas always kept running.John claimed he destroyed the tape...BUT... two tiny pieces of YOKO's session appeared on different Yoko documentarys.
There was an article on this in Beatlefan awhile back.Nobody involved has a clue as to the whereabouts of the footage,the article quoted "an unnamed Dakota source" who said "Oh yes,it still exsists,but Yoko'll never release it"...

 

http://www.vintagebb.com/lennon.html

is this it?

also--you mention overdubbing the empire strikes back? wasn't empire released in may 1980? lennon didn't arrive at the hit factory to record until aug. 80?

i've never seen the interview. what does lennon say...please provide info

 

The interview I've seen is the one with the sound effects in the background (and foreground!). (They are definitely Star Wars-type sounds.) I don't remember John saying anything that wasn't covered in the other interviews published at the time. He does seem intrigued by the type of video camera being used. He can't figure out where the lens is.

Steve

 

How long is the interview? Is it a formal type interview? Who is interviewing? A TV crew? How is the quality? Pro-shot?

How is John dressed?--from 1980? This would be his last ever video interview?

 

Fred Seaman is the main source of Lennon audio and video. As part of a court verdict he had to return everything he hadn't sold, which came down to all but one of John's diaries and a few other items. A lot got out and Yoko has been quietly buying back what she can.

 

I remember that interview with Snyder. It was great!