- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: YOKO ONO GIVES INTERVIEW DURING HER EUROPEAN TOUR
- Date: 23rd May 1996
- Summary: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (MAY 23, 1996) (RTV) YOKO ONO TALKING ABOUT "FREE AS A BIRD", SAYING IT WAS DONE WELL, BETTER THAN I THOUGHT. I WAS WORRIED ABOUT IT, ALTHOUGH THE TECHNICAL SIDE WAS BETTER AND I KNEW IT MIGHT BE ALRIGHT - YOU NEVER KNOW. I THINK THAT TO PUT JOHN'S VOICE ON MULTI-TRACK - IT WORKED VERY WELL (INTERVIEWER ASKS DO YOU THINK JOHN WOULD HAVE LIKED THE FIN
- Embargoed: 7th June 1996 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM/ FILE LOCATIONS
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA60TXC2ZHPBBQGWD38VQ9PMTWQ
- Story Text: Yoko Ono, the woman Beatles fans once loved to hate, is enjoying a musical revival, performing her abrasive avant-garde music around the world with her son.
Sean, 29, has enthusiastically embraced his mother's work and his new band, Ima, backs her screams, howls and chanting on their new album, "Rising", and on the current American and European tour.
But despite her efforts to be seen as a serious artist, 63-year-old Yoko will always be associated with former Beatle John Lennon, who brought her riches and fame.
Japanese-born Yoko first met John at an exhibition of her work -- and remained unaware who he was until an art student told her.
"There was an instant attraction," she remembers.
Their relationship took more than a year to develop - Yoko Ono had a daughter from a marriage in 1957 and was concentrating on her career. "In a strange way we were in a similar condition," she said.
Known as the woman who invented the "bed-in"-- a week-long stunt in the name of peace during which John and Yoko stayed in their bed shortly after their marriage in 1969. They invited as many radio and television journalist as possible to film.
They took to their bed again in Quebec the same year and recorded the single "Give Peace a Chance". Yoko believesworldwide efforts for peace have borne fruit.
"When we did the bed-in...we were looking at a future where we thought 1984 was going to be a disaster and there was going to be a third World War. Now no-one thinks there is going to be a Third World War." When the Beatles split in 1970, Yoko was blamed for getting between John and the band.
"I think I was a convenient target, a scapegoat," she said.
"But between John and I something was going on that ws incredible, we felt good about it." Ironically, Yoko is responsible for bringing the remaining three Beatles -- Paul, Ringo and George -- closertogether, 16 years after John was shot dead in 1980.
She released some of John's home made tapes, allowing the single "Free as a Bird" to be produced as one of 60 Beatles songs assembled in a new anthology of their work.
Although hearing John's voice reproduced proved an emotional experience for her, Yoko was satisfied with the result.
"It was done well, better than I thought...My feeling is that under the circumstances, (John) would have liked the finished product." Yoko will take her trademark shrieks on rare perfomances in Europe as follows: France May 31, Berlin June 3, Hamburg June 5, London June 8.
"Rising", released late last year, is her first album in 10 years. Much to her surprise, it won great critical acclaim -- previously her wailing, warbling vocals have irritated critics since her recording career began after marrying Lennon.
Still energetic and youthful, Yoko laughs off her age. "The only thing is time passes so quickly , there's so much you still want to do, you're in a hurry." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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