John goes to John's (repost)

It is funny how things change. I first posted this fan story on this blog in August 2009. At that time I only had a very bad photocopy of a black and white photo of John and I wasn't sure if it was really him. Plus the story itself just seemed too good to be real. However, after I posted the story I got a copy of the photograph in color in a lot off ebay and was sure that it was indeed John. Now a few days ago, I located a 2nd photo taken that same day. That made me want to re-visit this story and post it again for you all. Both color photos are included this time. Enjoy!

John Goes to John’s

First published in the April/May 1976 Issue of “TheWrite Thing”
By Jim Marazzo from St. Paul , Minnesota

One afternoon in my beach house in Ventura, Calif. (in ’72) as I was writing a song, my
roommate ran up the stairs shouting John Lennon and Yoko were at John’s, a seaside restaurant. We, like made (sic), dashed over there and found him and Yoko playing pool. He was in good spirits at the time, cracking jokes.

Then people started asking him to play some songs, he said he hadn’t any guitar. So somebody said he had one close by and he’d run and get it. John said, “OK, lad, off with you.” He returned with is guitar moments later, John took it and said, “I see a piano here someone play with me.” I had a camera with me so I took a picture. About three people, including my friend Charlie (the one at the piano in the picture), dashed forward for the piano, and Charlie got there first. Little did John know that there happened to be two people there who knew EVERY chord to every
Beatles and post-Beatle song (me & Charlie). Well here we were in Calif. Two struggling musicians influenced greatly by the masters: Lennon and McCartney (Beethoven & Chopin, etc)…

Standing and playing piano with John Lennon. Lennon shouted out “Revolution, key of A.” With acoustic guitar he did the first guitar lick and where Paul screams on the record Charlie took Paul’s part. Lennon and Yoko did an about face in amazement and looked stunned. During the song he’d yell to Charlie, “really rockin’ Lad.” It made me feel really good to hear that. Charlie knew all the chords. They played songs like, “Give peace a chance,” “Roll over Beethoven,” “In my life,” “Woman is the Nigger of the World,” “Luck of the Irish,” “New York City,” and “Imagine.”

When it was all over he went out, us along with him. He said I wish we could have had some electric guitars, it would have been a gas. We said ya. As we just stood there looking at each other in silence for awhile, he said, “well, bye Lads, bye.” We felt like saying, take us with you. But the dream was over. Fast……..