MUSIC
The band John Lennon couldn’t stop listening to before his death
In the final years of his life, it was clear that former Beatles member John Lennon had wrapped himself in many familiar musical comforts. Isolated in New York City, the singer remained immersed in musical favourites from the past and ignored most creative contemporaries that came his way. However, according to his son, there was one punk rock band he found himself particularly drawn to.
In 1980, Lennon told Playboy how much he appreciated the punk genre: “I love all this punky stuff. It’s pure. I’m not, however, crazy about the people who destroy themselves,” he said. His lyrical partner, Paul McCartney, likewise, discussed the appeal of energetic music, adding that “the music is really good rock ‘n’ roll”.
Listening to newer punk-rock music likely awakened something in Lennon akin to the fiery blaze of the rock ‘n’ roll sensibilities of the 1960s. As his son, Sean Ono Lennon, explained: “My father had an old Wurlitzer in the game room of our house on Long Island,” he told Rolling Stone. “It was filled with 45s, mostly Elvis and The Everly Brothers.”
“The one modern song I remember him listening to was ‘The Tide Is High’ by Blondie, which he played constantly,” he remembered. “When I hear that song, I see my father, unshaven, his hair pulled back into a ponytail, dancing to and fro in a worn-out pair of denim shorts, with me at his feet, trying my best to coordinate tiny limbs.”
However, this wasn’t the only song that Lennon adored; on a postcard addressed to Ringo Starr, he explained how he had recently grown attached to Blondie’s ‘Heart of Glass’, so much so that he even advised his former band member to emulate their musicianship. He wrote: “Blondie’s ‘Heart Of Glass’ is the type of stuff y’all should do – great and simple.”
‘Heart of Glass’ is a popular favourite among musicians and music lovers. Chris Stein, for instance, has also expressed his appreciation for the track, even calling it his favourite Blondie song. He later told Vulture: “All of our songs are part of a larger movement, so it’s virtually impossible to choose. All I can say is the only song I knew for sure was going to be a hit before we recorded it was ‘The Tide Is High.’”
Adding: “The original was so fantastic. I knew what our position was at the time: If we had the ear of the public and if we did a successful version of this thing, it would be successful.”
While Lennon and Blondie never crossed paths, his passion for music flowed firmly in his final days, mainly comprising high-energy, sugary punk like Blondie. Even now, with the release of The Beatles’ ‘Now and Then’, it’s clear that Lennon’s influences spanned a vast expanse of music, while his contributions live on within the various sonic journeys of countless others.
