John Lennon 1980 footage -Insanely Uber Rare

lordcat · Jul 26, 2021

AngusStanley said: ↑

The other three didn’t look as bad as that in 1980. Even Ringo, who was a binge drinking alcoholic and George who was a chainsmoker.
Click to expand...

Lennon was also old emotionally, talking like some middle aged person.
Though most of the 60's r
I'm 50 and still very youthful in my outlook.

john lennonist said: ↑

This picture (from Page 6 in this thread) looks like it was taken at Cafe La Fortuna.

Given my story (which follows) about him going there almost every day -- and the fact that he was in Japan 3-6 months a year -- it sorta makes Albert Goldman's "he just stayed in bed and smoked Thai stick all day for months at a time" seem as accurate as the rest of his, er, "biography":

Here's my previous post on the subject:

There's a quote from Lennon even before Sean was conceived where he said he thought the first five years of a child's life is by far the most formative (he may have opined this because of his incredibly chaotic first five years).

So I think that once Sean was born, he followed his belief and just shut it down for that period. Plus, he'd delivered the last album his EMI contract required and he stated that for the first time since he was 21 or so he didn't have the pressure of having to create on a schedule.

Regarding his lying in bed stoned for weeks or months at a time -- I have a one-degree-of-separation source who strongly refuted that:

During his reemergence, when asked what he'd been up to during the five "private" years, one of the things he said was that there was a little coffee patio place around the corner from the Dakota that he used to go to a lot (I have two pictures of him and Yoko sipping coffee there -- they’re on two different 45 picture sleeves).

When I made a pilgrimage to the Dakota in the mid-80's, I decided to seek this place out.

When I couldn't find anything "around the corner," I asked several locals who passed by if they knew of it before one finally did -- it was actually about a block-and-a-half away and its entrance was so small I could see how it could easily be missed.

I went in, ordered something, and sat at one of the tables in the little patio.

At a point when he wasn't serving customers, I worked up the nerve to speak to the proprietor (who had a European or Eastern European accent... and who, due to the linked story below, I found out to be named Vincent Urwand) -- told him I was a big Lennon fan, had read that Lennon had frequented this place, yada, yada, yada.

He proceeded to talk to me for about 15 minutes... and you could see how shattered he still was from the loss. He said that when John was in town, he used to come there almost every day (at about the same time, IIRC), and usually sit at the same little table (which he pointed out to me).

He said that he sometimes brought Sean, and/or sometimes Yoko would accompany him (but that most of the time John came alone).

He said John was very friendly and they often talked for quite a while... and that often John would be talking about, and showing new photos of, Sean. He clearly was in love with that kid, according to this proprietor.

He said every time John would travel (to Japan or on the trips that Yoko sent him due to her astrologists and numerologists -- if they were so damn prescient, maybe they should have told him not to enter the Dakota at the main entrance on the night of the 8th ) he would bring back a gift for the proprietor.

He also said John brought him some of the bread he baked a couple of times (and was very excited about it)... though I agree with other sources that John exaggerated the extent of his "bread-baking" period during the December 1980 interviews.

He pointed to a framed picture on the wall behind him (behind the coffee machine, not in clear public view) of John, Yoko and Sean in Halloween costumes that John had given him.

I asked what John's favorite coffee order was, then ordered a cup (and I don't even like coffee) and sat at John's table -- and tried to send vibes of love and how much he was missed into the great beyond.

BTW, it was here (IINM) an incident took place that John told a funny story about in one of those interviews shortly before he was killed:

Apparently there was an older couple who were having coffee there and recognized John. He said he could tell they were working up the nerve to come over and say something to him and, that when they finally did, they said they loved his music, but especially his song "Yesterday"

Cafe La Fortuna, New York City - John Lennon's favorite haunt, to be closed - Exploring Monkey

Cafe La Fortuna, New York City - John Lennon’s favorite haunt, to be closed [ in Feb 2008 ]
Click to expand...

The area today, I think Cafe La Fortuna was where HEYDAY is:
Google Maps

john lennonist · Jul 26, 2021

lordcat said: ↑

Lennon was also old emotionally, talking like some middle aged person.
Though most of the 60's r
I'm 50 and still very youthful in my outlook.

The area today, I think Cafe La Fortuna was where HEYDAY is:
Google Maps
Click to expand...

Love the Google Maps pic... looks about right from my long-ago memories.

Disagree re Lennon having the "outlook" of a middle-aged person.

He was very up on -- and enjoyed a lot of -- the new music coming out at the time... I know he mentioned the B-52's, for starters.

lordcat · Jul 26, 2021

john lennonist said: ↑

Love the Google Maps pic... looks about right from my long-ago memories.

Disagree re Lennon having the "outlook" of a middle-aged person.

He was very up on -- and enjoyed a lot of -- the new music coming out at the time... I know he mentioned the B-52's, for starters.
Click to expand...

Well I just mean he seemed so middle aged and settled down in his outlook on life.
I dunno...I would of liked him to have flown off to Liverpool and had a few bears in one of his old pubs or something.
Though yeh true about new music and new wave.
I like the fact he knew of Sid Vicious.

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John Lennon 1980 footage -Insanely Uber Rare

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john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...

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John Lennon 1980 footage -Insanely Uber Rare

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john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...

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