John Lennon

  • |

    How Paul McCartney Clipped His Wings In Japan

    On this day in 1980…. …ex-Beatle Paul McCartney was arrested in Japan. He was caught with 219 grams of marijuana in his bag at New Tokyo International Airport in Narita, the airport was then known. McCartney had arrived in Japan for a concert tour with his band, Wings. He arrived at Narita after a long flight from London, accompanied by his wife, Linda, and their four kids. Customs officials found marijuana in his luggage during a routine check. The discovery shocked many fans and the media worldwide. He had made little effort to conceal the stash, which was in a suitcase. “This stuff was too good to flush down the…

  • |

    Ringo’s Ring-in, Awesome Aussie Anime Highlight the Fab Four’s Oz Oddities

    Just as the Beatles created an iconic scene with their 1966 arrival in Tokyo wearing traditional Japanese happi coats, so too did the Fab Four make waves when they toured Australia two years earlier at the height of Beatlemania and establishing a quirky relationship with Down Under at the same time. 　羽田空港にてハッピー姿で飛行機から降りたビートルズが日本で1996年講演の代表的な場面となった同様、その2年前オーストラリアに訪ねた時も「豪州らしい」イメージがあると同時に同バンドがオーストラリアとの一味違う関係を築いた。 Australia’s archetypical Beatles image features the Fab Four standing around while holding didjeridoos, an indigenous Australian instrument that Ringo Starr on the far left of the picture appears to be tackling with greater fervour than bandmates Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison. 　その典型的な「オージーっぽい」場面は、1964年6月に撮られた4人が豪州先住民の楽器であるディジェリドゥを吹いている写真だ。立派な写真だが、問題が一つあった。 It’s a great pic, but the only problem is that Ringo’s involvement in the…