John Lennon Last Interview, 'Rolling Stone'

Thirty years after John Lennon's death, Rolling Stone is releasing what's believed to be Lennon's last print interview.

More on the Lost Lennon Tapes.

On December 5, 1980, three days before he was murdered, John Lennon sat down with Rolling Stone's Jonathan Cott for a nine-hour interview. Select excerpts from the interview ran in Rolling Stone's tribute to John Lennon the following month — but Cott never transcribed all of the tapes. For 30 years they sat in the back of his closet.

"Earlier this year I was cleaning up to find some files in the recesses of my closet when I came across two cassette tapes marked 'John Lennon, December 5th, 1980,'" Cott says. "It had been 30 years since I listened to them, and when I put them on this totally alive, uplifting voice started speaking on this magical strip of magnetic tape."

...In the remarkably candid interview Lennon lashes out at fans and critics who went after him during his five-year break from music. "What they want is dead heroes, like Sid Vicious and James Dean," Lennon says. "I'm not interested in being a dead f---ing hero...so forget 'em, forget 'em."

He also talked about plans for a possible return to the road. "We just might do it," he said. "But there will be no smoke bombs, no lipstick, no flashing lights. It just has to be comfy. But we could have a laugh. We're born-again rockers, and we're starting over...There's plenty of time, right? Plenty of time."

I'm surprised Cott and Rolling Stone left the tapes untouched for 30 years.

Cott was cleaning up his closet earlier this year and found the "magical strip of magnetic tape"?

That's very strange.

Did he forget that he had conducted a 9-HOUR interview with John Lennon? Did editors of Rolling Stone forget as well?

The tapes weren't really lost. They fell victim to a guy who doesn't clean his closet for 30 years.

From the Associated Press:

The interview, his last, was released Wednesday to The Associated Press by Rolling Stone magazine, which uses the full interview for a story that will be on stands Friday. While brief excerpts of Jonathan Cott's interview were released for a 1980 Rolling Stone cover story days after Lennon's death, this is the first time the entire interview has been published.

"His words are totally joyous and vibrant and hopeful and subversive and fearless," Cott told the AP on Tuesday. "He didn't mince words."

Lennon saves some of his harshest words for critics who were perennially disappointed with his music and life choices after he left the Beatles.

"These critics with the illusions they've created about artists—it's like idol worship," he said. "They only like people when they're on their way up ... I cannot be on the way up again."

...He also predicted that Bruce Springsteen, then hailed as rock's bright future, would endure the same critical barbs: "And God help Bruce Springsteen when they decide he's no longer God. ... They'll turn on him, and I hope he survives it."

Lennon also talked about trying to be a good father to his youngest son, Sean, and learning how to relate to a child (he admitted he wasn't good at play). He also spoke of his strong bond with wife Yoko Ono: "I've selected to work with ... only two people: Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono. ... That ain't bad picking."

At 40, he was also reflective of what he had accomplished and remained committed to his goal of peace and love on earth.

"I'm not claiming divinity. I've never claimed purity of soul. I've never claimed to have the answers to life. I only put out songs and answer questions as honestly as I can ... But I still believe in peace, love and understanding."

In retrospect, Lennon's words become especially moving.

Publishing the full interview now, 30 years later, may generate even more interest in the material than it would have received if it had been released years ago.

The passing of time gives it a certain historic value. Also, Rolling Stone will probably make a lot more money from the interview in the 21st century.
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Download free podcast episodes of the John Lennon Rolling Stone interviews via iTunes here.