John Lennon and Paul McCartney.Photo: Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty; David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage
John Lennon’s exMay Pangsays that the late musician still wanted to write withPaul McCartneyeven afterThe Beatlessplit.
Pang — who dated Lennon for 18 months from 1973 to 1975 amid a break in his marriage withYoko Ono— spoke withUSA Todayin an interview published Friday about the retelling of her relationship with the legendary musician in her documentary,The Lost Weekend:A Love Story.
She then explained: “The pressure was off. All of them were now free to do whatever they wanted to do.”
May Pang and John Lennon.Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty
“So in January 1975, Paul andLinda [McCartney]were saying, ‘We’re going to go down to New Orleans and do a new album [Venus and Mars].’ So John says, “Oh, great, New Orleans, always loved it,’” Pang recalled.
She continued, “A couple of days later, he’s tinkling on the guitar, and he goes, ‘What do you think if I wrote with Paul again?’ You talk about shock: The reference is likeThe Exorcist, the head flips back. And I said, ‘I think it would be great.’"
“Then he goes, ‘Maybe we should go down.’ He really wanted to do that,” Pang told USA Today. “I knew if I’d gotten him down to New Orleans, it would have happened.”
The idea that Lennon — who wasfatally shotat age 40 in 1980 — would want to make music again with McCartney, now 81, may surprise fans after the musicians’now famous falloutin the years that followed the legendary rock quartet’sdissolutionin the spring of 1970.
(L-R) John Lennon, 23, George Harrison, 20, Paul McCartney, 21, and Ringo Starr, 23.Bettmann/Getty
Bettmann/Getty
In a late 2021 interview with BBC Radio 4 seriesThis Cultural Lifewith John Wilson, McCartneyset the record straight on the band’s split, revealing that it was Lennon and not himself who “instigated” the breakup.
“I didn’t instigate the split. That was our Johnny,” McCartney said of when McCartney, Lennon,George HarrisonandRingo Starrdecided to go their separate ways.
“I am not the person who instigated the split. Oh no, no, no,” he continued. “John walked into a room one day and said, ‘I am leaving the Beatles.’ Is that instigating the split, or not?”
McCartney said he felt Lennon was “always looking to break loose” of the band, as he reflected on what “could have been.”
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(L-R) Paul McCartney and John Lennon sing into a microphone at the taping of a segment for ‘Toast of the Town’ in August 1965.CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
Fortunately, the two former bandmates laterreconnectedbefore Lennon’s untimely death at age 40 when he was fatally shot outside his apartment in Manhattan on Dec. 8, 1980.
McCartney recently remembered Lennon on what wouldhave been his 83rd birthdayon Oct. 9.
“Celebrating the birthday of my wonderful friend and collaborator,@johnlennon- Paul 🖤,” McCartney captionedhis Instagram postof him performing in front of a big screen featuring his former bandmate.
source: people.com
