23 Dec Lennon’s Christmas Fast
MONTREAL – (UPI)
John Lennon, swinging his little “bag of laughs,” announced a Christmas Day “peace fast” with comedian Dick Gregory yesterday, and indicated there may he something to rumors that The Beatles are headed for a splitup.
Lennon was asked about the rumors at a press conference.
He hesitated before replying:
“Well, we’ll see how it works out in July. We’re going to see then about doing another album together.”
He said a new Beatles movie would be released shortly, a documentary- type film showing “how emotionally draining it is to make an album.
“In the old days Paul (McCartney) and I used to do all the writing. But now George (Harrison) is coming up with some good Stuff, and when you get three people trying to squeeze their songs on one album, it can be a real bind,” he said.
Lennon is in Canada with his wife, Yoko, promoting their peace campaign. They get “good vibrations” for peace in Canada, he said.
Lennon said that his song Give Peace A Chance was written during their “bed- in” in Toronto last July.
He said he talked with Gregory on Sunday, and they had tentative plans to stage a faki for peace together on Christmas Day but had not yet picked a place for it.
Lennon also had harsh words for the British press.
A London newspaper last week named him Clown Of The Year.
Lennon said he moved his peace campaign to Canada because of the hostile attitude of the British press.
“In England, talking to the press is like trying to tell your parents where it’s at.” he said. “They weren’t convinced of our sincerity.”
Lennon showed up with a “bag of laughs,” a fist-sized red pouch, with a tiny tape recorder inside, playing a tape of mocking laughter.
He dangled the bag in front of photographers, as it laughed at them,
“If we could get 50,000 people with these little bags, and hold them up at the people who make war I think that would be great.” Lennon said.