John Lennon
Birthday: 1940-10-09 Place of Birth: Liverpool, England, UK
Synopsis
John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Along with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century. Born and raised in Liverpool, Lennon became involved as a teenager in the skiffle craze; his first band, The Quarrymen, evolved into The Beatles in 1960. As the group disintegrated towards the end of the decade, Lennon embarked on a solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". Lennon disengaged himself from the music business in 1975 to devote time to his family, but re-emerged in 1980 with a new album, Double Fantasy. He was murdered by Mark Chapman three weeks after its release. Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, his writing, his drawings, on film, and in interviews, and he became controversial through his political and peace activism. He moved to New York City in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him, while his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement. As of 2010, Lennon's solo album sales in the United States exceed 14 million units, and as writer, co-writer or performer, he is responsible for 27 number-one singles on the US Hot 100 chart. In 2002, a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted him eighth, and in 2008, Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer of all-time. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
Acting
The Beatles: Get Back - The Rooftop Concert
On the 30th of January, 1969, the Beatles performed an unannounced concert from the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters at Savile Row, within central London's office and fashion district. Experience the final and unforgettable iconic performance of The Beatles in a special 60-minute presentation, digitally remastered into the image and sound quality of IMAX DMR technology.
The Beatles: Get Back
The three-part documentary series, compiled from over 60 hours of unseen footage, captures the warmth, camaraderie, and creative genius that defined the legacy of music’s most iconic foursome. The series also includes – for the first time in its entirety – The Beatles’ final performance at London’s Savile Row.
Meeting the Beatles in India
Filmmaker Paul Saltzman retraces his journey of 50 years ago when he spent a life-changing time with the Beatles at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram on the banks of the Ganges River. In 1968, he discovered his own soul, learned meditation, which changed his life, and hung out with John, Paul, George and Ringo. Fifty years later, he finds "Bungalow Bill" in Hawaii; connects with David Lynch about his own inner journey; as well as preeminent Beatles historian, Mark Lewisohn; Academy Award nominated film composer, Laurence Rosenthal; and Pattie and Jenny Boyd. And much of this is due to Saltzman's own daughter, Devyani, reminding him that he had put away and forgotten these remarkably intimate photographs of that time in 1968.
Lennon's Last Weekend
In December 1980, John Lennon and Yoko Ono had not spoken to the media for more than five years. With a new album to promote Lennon was prepared to speak in New York to Radio One D.J. Andy Peebles of the BBC. John surprised everyone by candidly discussing a variety of subjects he'd never spoken of before including The Beatles break-up, his relationship with Paul McCartney, his battles with addiction, political issues in the US and UK, his family and his homesickness for Liverpool. Lennon's heartfelt honesty and forthright revelations make this film all the more potent as he was brutally shot and murdered 48 hours later. John Lennon was just 40 years of age when he died. December 2020 is the 40th anniversary of his death. He would have been 80 years of age.
Their Way: A Film About the Sex Pistols
A erratic and spontaneous documentary chronicling the Sex Pistols's short reign on London, made completely of footage from the 1970s.
The Beatles: The Long and Winding Road
An epic documentary documenting the Beatles’ worst recording sessions, ending with the iconic rooftop concert.
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years
The Beatles stormed through Europe's music scene in 1963, and, in 1964, they conquered America. Their groundbreaking world tours changed global youth culture forever and, arguably, invented mass entertainment as we know it today. All the while, the group were composing and recording a series of extraordinarily successful singles and albums. However the relentless pressure of such unprecedented fame, that in 1966 became uncontrollable turmoil, led to the decision to stop touring. In the ensuing years The Beatles were then free to focus on a series of albums that changed the face of recorded music.
The Nation's Favourite Beatles Number One
The Nation’s Favourite Beatles Number One tells the stories behind some of the greatest Beatles songs ever. With interviews from Beatles’ insiders including musicians, friends, fellow performers and celebrity fans, we’ll hear about the stories behind the Fab Four’s best-loved hits
Good Ol' Freda
The story of Freda Kelly, a shy Liverpudlian teenager asked to work for a young local band hoping to make it big: The Beatles. Their loyal secretary from beginning to end, Freda tells her tales for the first time in 50 years.
The Beatles - Unsurpassed Promos
This set includes at least one version of every surviving song The Beatles ever mimed to. The audio has been re-laid and precisely synchronised from the mono mixes and presented in lossless wav format for maximum listening pleasure. The video has also been upgraded and enhanced and is completely free of timecodes and other screen junk. Included are all the "Intertel" promo videos recorded by the band in 1965 and 1966 in newly-sourced unbooted form, as well as a host of other rare mimed performances from such shows as "Ready Steady Go", "Thank Your Lucky Stars" and "Big Night Out". Rounding off volume one are ten songs from The Beatles first two films, remastered with mono sound and presented in uncropped 4:3 format. "Tell Me Why", "If I Fell" and "The Night Before" have been restored to full length and all the tracks from "A Hard Day's Night" now run at their correct speed.
Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?)
The life and work of the enigmatic singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson.
The Day John Lennon Died
Reconstructing John’s last day in detail by way of radio and TV reports, the memories of people John knew and those he encountered before his assassination by Mark Chapman, relive one of the most momentous and tragic events in music history.
The Beatles - Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964
The "Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964" concert film in its entirety is available for download with the special digital "Beatles Stereo Box Set" on iTunes. The boxset contains the 13 remastered studio albums with iTunes LPs and all mini-documentaries and "Past Masters".
Paul McCartney Really Is Dead: The Last Testament of George Harrison
In the summer of 2005, a package arrived at the Hollywood offices of Highway 61 Entertainment from London with no return address. Inside were two mini-cassette audio tapes dated December 30, 1999 and labeled "The Last Testament of George Harrison". A voice eerily similar to Harrison's tells a shocking story: Paul McCartney was killed in a car crash in November of 1966 and replaced with a double!
LennoNYC
This documentary takes an intimate look at the time Lennon, Yoko Ono and their son, Sean, spent living in New York City during the 1970s. It features never-before heard studio recordings from the Double Fantasy sessions and never-before-seen outtakes from Lennon in concert and home movies that have only recently been transferred to video. It also features exclusive interviews with Ms. Ono, who cooperated extensively with the production and offers an unprecedented level of access, as well as with artists who worked closely with Lennon during this period, including Elton John and photographer Bob Gruen (who took the iconic photograph of Lennon in front of the skyline wearing a “New York City” T-shirt).
John Lennon: Love Is All You Need
This incredible documentary features in-depth contributions from wives Yoko Ono and Cynthia Lennon, son Julian Lennon and many previously unseen interviews with John himself. Through rare footage, we learn of his rise to fame with the Beatles, his divorce from Cynthia, his first meeting with Yoko, split-up of the band, and his decision to become a solo artist and advocate for world peace.
The Beatles: A Magical History Tour
This is the candid and unabridged story of the Beatles as told by the insiders who worked, recorded and toured with the group from the Hamburg days to the bitter end. Featuring a meticulously researched and a comprehensive array of inside sources, here at last is the whole uncensored story of the life and work of the Beatles.
The Beatles on Record
A collection of interviews and footage of the band detailing how their sound progressed and how their albums were made.
Classic Albums: John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band
A documentary about the making of John Lennon's seminal solo debut album, "Plastic Ono Band," featuring historical analysis and playbacks of the original multi-track session tapes. Includes interviews with the musicians and personnel involved with the recording sessions as well as Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and other associates of the Lennons.
Rare and Unseen: The Beatles
The Beatles. Their story is told for the very first time using original rare film and video of the band, including home movies, concert footage, newsreels and photographs from private collections. There are also interviews with those who surrounded the band, and those who were there from the very start. Also included is an exclusive interview with fan and star in his own right, Phil Collins. For the first time we can see The Beatles relaxed, at play, on and off stage, on film and is a rare glimpse inside the lives of four musicians who shook the world.
The Beatles: Help!
30 minute documentary about the making of the film Help! with Richard Lester, the cast and crew. Includes exclusive behind the scenes footage of The Beatles on set.
The U.S. vs. John Lennon
A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.
John Lennon & Yoko Ono: Give Peace A Song
John Lennon & Yoko One: Give Peace A Song
I Killed John Lennon
On the 25th anniversary of John Lennon's murder, the first public hearing of newly-released taped interviews with his killer by the respected journalist Jack Jones.
The Beatles: Love Me Do - A Documentary
On October 5th 1962, the Beatles released their first single, Love Me Do. It was a moment that changed music history and popular culture forever. It was also an extraordinary year in social and cultural history, not just for Liverpool but for the world, with the Cuban missile crisis, John Glenn in space and beer at a shilling a pint. Stuart Maconie explores how the Beatles changed from leather and slicked back hair to suits and Beatle mops, and how their fashion set the pace for the sixties to follow. Pop artist Sir Peter Blake, Bob Harris and former Beatles drummer Pete Best join friends to reflect on how the Beatles evolved into John, Paul, George and Ringo - the most famous band in the world.
The Beatles: Watching Rainbows
The complete original BEATLES promo films from 1964-1969 1 . YOU CAN'T DO THAT 2 . HELP dartless version 3 . I FEEL FINE 4 . TICKET TO RIDE 5 . WE CAN WORK IT OUT 6 . DAY TRIPPER version 3 7 . PAPERBACK WRITER version 4 8 . RAIN version 3 9 . STRAWBERRY FIRLDS FOREVER 10 . PENNY LANE 11 . A DAY IN THE LIFE 12 . ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE 13 . HELLO GOODBYE version 3 14 . LADY MADONNA 15 . REVOLUTION 16 . HEY JUDE version 1 17 . GET BACK 18 . TWO OF US 19 . DONT LET ME DOWN 20 . LET IT BE 21 . THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO 22 . SOMETHING BONUS PROMOS 1 . HEY BULLDOG 1999 AMERICAN BANDSTAND 1 . STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER 2 . PENNY LANE
