I saw John a few more times socially over the coming months, at a Grammy Awards party, in Ashley’s bar, once in the Oyster Bar at the Plaza Hotel when he was with Harry Nilsson, whom I’d met and interviewed previously, and again at a small private party at an apartment on the Upper East Side. I remember watching John autograph an Italian Beatles album at this party, and instead of just signing his name he added dialogue in bubbles coming from each of the Beatles’ mouths on the live shot on the front. George’s bubble read: “Anyone fancy a curry after the show?” while Paul’s read: “Come on lads, we need to rehearse more.” Ringo’s read: “What song are we playing?” and John wrote:”I’m leaving to form my own group” in his bubble. Ashley’s bar and restaurant was a regular haunt of mine, and its proprietor Ashley Pandel and I were firm friends. John was there one night with his friend Peter Boyle, the actor, and Boyle’s companion Lorraine Alterman who wrote for Rolling Stone and also contributed to Melody Maker. Yoko, whom I never met, had evidently been with them earlier but had left before I arrived, and John invited me to join their table. He was on good form that night, cracking jokes and signing autographs for fans and at one point in the evening he turned to me and said: “Have you noticed that it’s always men with moustaches and beards who ask me for my autograph?” I said I hadn’t but that I’d watch out in future and, sure enough, it seemed he was right. Only men with moustaches and beards asked John for his autograph. “It was always the same,” he said. “Me and George got the guys with beards wanting to know the meaning of life, while Paul and Ringo got the women!” Inevitably, perhaps, a short while later a girl came to ask John for his autograph. Much to our amusement, though doubtless to her amazement, John grabbed her around the waist and sat her down on his knee. “Where are you now McCartney?” he shouted. “I’ve got a girl at last.”
Chris Charlesworth (journalist), Rock’s Backpages: Memories of John Lennon. (2001)
