John Lennon: Between The Lines

complete home recordings 1975–1980

Disc 1: 1975 – 1977 [48:21]

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LYRICS for disc 1

Guide to the track notes

Tennessee [take 1] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 0:35
- recorded: c. 1975
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.113, #5:a.1
- source: Unbootlegged 9 [88-09 + 91-48]
Tennessee [take ?] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:30
- recorded: c. 1975
- instrumentation: piano/drum machine
- 8 Arms ID: p.113, #5:b.1
- source: LLT 31 [91-48]
Tennessee [take 4] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:05
- recorded: c. 1975
- instrumentation: piano/drum machine
- 8 Arms ID: p.113, #5:c.1
- source: LLT program 88-49 + Dreaming Of The Past [88-09]
- This pleasant tune, inspired by the playwright Tennessee Williams, and its subsequent reworkings were unfortunately featured rather haphazardly in the LLT series, and tape copies reportedly circulating have yet to surface. The song dates back to John and May Pang's time together during the so called "Lost Weekend", but contrary to what she says in her memoir and what has been reported, 'Tennessee' is not really a precursor to 'Watching The Wheels' — the similarity is mainly in the piano figure (a separate song fragment, 'Howling At The Moon' which eventually ended up in 'Tennessee's 1980 incarnation, 'Memories', was also included in 'Watching The Wheels' for a short period). Along with 'Tennessee', Pang also mentions in her memoir another song, 'Popcorn', for which a tape apparently exists but has not been heard. In any case, the exact date of these three surfaced versions is unknown and it's not clear if any of them come from the Lost Weekend period or not; at least take 4, however, comes from the same sitting as the demos of 'Everybody' and 'Sally And Billy' below. Unfortunately, only the take aired in episode 91-48 is available to us in unadulterated form. Only a fragment of take 1 was broadcast, and a combination of the two airings of take 4 do not yield a version free from voice-over.
Everybody PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:49
- recorded: c. 1975
- instrumentation: piano/drum machine
- 8 Arms ID: p.112, #4:a.1
- source: LLT 33 [91-47]
- Taking inspiration from his UFO witnessing in 1974, John seems to have re-discovered this song among the batch of old tapes he took with himself to Bermuda and returned to it some five years later in Summer 1980, turning it into 'Nobody Told Me', a standout track on the posthumous Milk And Honey LP.
Sally And Billy [take 2] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 3:30
- recorded: c. 1975
- instrumentation: piano/drum machine
- 8 Arms ID: p.112, #3:a.1
- source: LLT 31 [91-48]
Sally And Billy [take 3] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 3:20
- recorded: c. 1975
- instrumentation: piano/drum machine
- 8 Arms ID: p.112, #3:b.1
- source: News Of The Day [88-34]
- Dating back to at least November 1970, John curiously returned to this song, which is more in the style of Paul McCartney than himself, around 1975 on these takes heard here. It's worth noting that in the meantime the chorus had been mined for the Mind Games track 'Only People'.
Mucho Mungo PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:28
- recorded: c. 1976
- instrumentation: acoustic guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.113, #3:a.1
- source: Anthology + LLT program 88-05
- Originally demoed in 1973 for Jesse Ed Davis' benefit; John worked on the song with Phil Spector during the ill fated R'n'R sessions; a version was eventually included on the Lennon produced 1974 Harry Nilsson LP Pussy Cats in a medley with 'Mt. Elga'. This rendition, however, comes from the househusband years — the exact date is unknown, but must of course be after Sean's birth. Anthology has more complete introduction than the LLT version, but edits out a substantial section that was intact in the radio series. The broadcast fades out the song just as it reaches the point where the Anthology edit continues (and soon fades out, too).
Cookin' (In The Kitchen Of Love) [take 1] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:40
- recorded: Spring 1976
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.112, #1:a.1
- source: The Lost Sleepy Blind Lemon Lennon Album [89-30]
Cookin' (In The Kitchen Of Love) [take ?] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:33
- recorded: Spring 1976
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.112, #1:b.1
- source: Serve Yourself [89-38]
Cookin' (In The Kitchen Of Love) [take 8] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:28
- recorded: Spring 1976
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.112, #1:c.1
- source: LLT program 88-17
- Like 'I'm The Greatest' and 'Goodnight Vienna', another LP and composition for Ringo. Unfortunately, what had started as a good recipe for success on 1973's Ringo was now running pretty thin on each front, including John's contribution which is not one of his shining moments. Anyway, these takes (from a sequence of nine) date to Spring 1976; on June 12, John supplied his piano skills on the version for Ringo's Rotogravure LP, in what would prove to be his last studio effort for more than 4 years. From apparently the same time, the other side of the tape has two takes of 'She's A Friend of Dorothy's' bookending an early instrumental version of 'That's The Way The World Is'.
She Is A Friend Of Dorothy's [take 2] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:41
- recorded: Spring 1976
- 8 Arms ID: p.112, #2:a.1
- instrumentation: piano
- source: Hidden Archives [91-48]
- Reportedly composed for the planned but unrealized stage play The Ballad Of John And Yoko, 'She's A Friend Of Dorothy's' is a rather interesting and unlikely Lennon composition. It's unclear in what setting the song would have been featured in a presumably autobiographical play based on the life of John and Yoko...
She Is A Friend Of Dorothy's [take 7] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 4:15
- recorded: 1977
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.112, #2:b.1
- source: Free As A Bird: The Dakota Beatle Demos [89-33]
- From another cassette and demo session, "take 7" dates to 1977 according to LLT narration.
I Don't Want To Lose You PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 5:01
- recorded: 1977
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.114, #1:a.1
- source: Free As A Bird: The Dakota Beatle Demos [tape]
- Surfaced originally from a tape source on the Vigotone bootleg The Dakota Beatle Demos under the title "Now And Then", taken from Jeff Lynne's comments on the song which was intended to be the basis for the third "reunion" single accompanying the Beatles Anthology. The actual title, 'I Don't Want To Lose You', was confirmed in 2005 when the composition was featured in the John Lennon broadway musical. The buzz running throughout the demo is part of the original recording, as Lynne mentions having trouble with restoring the demo for overdubbing purposes by the remaining Beatles. Fortunately, the cause of this problem was sorted out and the rest of the tape with three takes of both 'Free As A Bird' and 'Whatever Happened To..?' is free of it. It's unclear how much work on the song was done in 1995 before it was abandoned and Anthology 3 didn't feature a new song but was forced to open with 'A Beginning' instead.
Free As A Bird [take 1] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 3:26
- recorded: 1977
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.114, #2:a.1
- source: The Lost Sleepy Blind Lemon Lennon Album [89-30] + Free As A Bird: The Dakota Beatle Demos [tape]
Free As A Bird [take 3] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:42
- recorded: 1977
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.114, #2:c.1
- source: Free As A Bird: The Dakota Beatle Demos [90-27]
- Take 1 of 'Free As A Bird' appears from a tape source on Pegboy's (i.e. Vigotone's) disc The Dakota Beatle Demos. Although longer at the end than the broadcast LLT version, it suffers from noise reduction and is of inferior quality. An acoustic version is also rumored to exist, having been found in the 90's, but remains unconfirmed.
["turned out nice again"] PLAY
- length: 0:06
- recorded: 1977
- 8 Arms ID: —
- source: Free As A Bird (CD single)
- A message included at the end of the Beatles re-union track, presumably from the "FAAB tape". John makes a reference to George Formby's catchphrase. Uncannily, it sounds like "made by John Lennon" when played backwards. Paul McCartney's comments in his Club Sandwich fan club magazine interview suggest that this was unintentional and discovered accidentally. The ukulele at the end of the Beatles track is accordingly another reference to Formby.
Whatever Happened To...? [take 1 (fragment with voice-over)] PLAY
- length: 0:19
- recorded: 1977
- instrumentation: electric guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.115, #3:a.1
- source: Unbootlegged 9 [88-15]
- Only a fragment from the end of take 1 is available as a bed under Elliot Mintz' introduction for take 2.
Whatever Happened To...? [take 2] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 4:53
- recorded: 1977
- instrumentation: electric guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.115, #3:b.1
- source: Free As A Bird: The Dakota Beatle Demos [tape] + LLT program 88-15
- The Dakota Beatle Demos has take 2 from a tape source in somewhat superior sound, but the LLT version is more complete.