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Post by Chris Singh on Mar 5, 2015 23:01:42 GMT
Ronnie’s 39 Tapes - TAPE 11 14/12/72 TOTP
TAPE 11
14/12/72 TOTP JOHN AND YOKO HAPPY XMAS 3MIN 20SEC
"Is this a long lost John Lennon film containing film of the recording session in 1971?
The BBC filmed the choir overdub session in New York in 1971 for use with the single release but the single wasn't released until 1972 in the UK. The BBC kept the film and showed the next year on TOTP. It is one of the only solo Lennon films that he never requested a copy of and his archive still don't have a copy."
CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS THE FILM LISTED ABOVE.
The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After The Break-Up 1970-2001 By Keith Badman. Under an entry for 31 October 1971.
As I previously stated I don't think the Lennon archive even have this. I have never seen this on any Lennon DVD, they all use photo's of the session.
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Post by williammcgregor on Mar 5, 2015 23:32:06 GMT
Hi Chris,
I did'nt see this posting by you until after I'd sent an e-mail to Keith Badman asking for his permission to use the information in your post above!
As I was going to answer you query with the same information from the same book, oh well, c'est la vie.
As you can see from my avatar I'm a great Beatles/Solo fan so I've always wondered why John decided not to film this classic as he and Yoko were prodigious in their archive at that point in time.
cheers
William
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Post by Chris Singh on Mar 5, 2015 23:49:14 GMT
The only worry after reading the entry in Keith Badman's book "a single film camera was used" is that it may mean a still's camera for photo's which were then made into a film. Since reading the book when it came out I been longing to see the clip and hoping for its return, I've always assumed that the entry referred to a film camera not stills. I think I read in Record Collector Magazine(possibly written by Badman)that that it was lost.
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Post by John Green on Mar 5, 2015 23:52:09 GMT
I think they mean no two- or three- camera setups i.e. only one bloke (?) and his cine camera so each action is only seen from one angle.
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Post by Chris Singh on Mar 5, 2015 23:57:47 GMT
I think so too.
I can't understand why more Beatles/Lennon fans don't seem to be interested in this lost film, I've rarely heard it mentioned over the years.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2015 1:10:59 GMT
The specially shot TOTP film does survive in the BBC archive though.
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Post by simonwells61 on Mar 6, 2015 11:11:05 GMT
I seem to recall is was still shots- but would like my memory proved wrong!
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Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Mar 6, 2015 14:14:07 GMT
Indeed - the BBC have it. It's not out on the collectors circuit.
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Post by Simon B Kelly on Mar 6, 2015 20:37:39 GMT
This video, which I've seen on one of the music channels in the past, seems to include film of the Harlem Community Choir overdubs. Is this the same black and white footage that the BBC have? www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc4EL-oGMzQ |
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Post by Barry Hodge on Mar 6, 2015 21:31:31 GMT
Looks like a Doors-esque 80s abomination to me  |
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Post by Ronnie Gerrard on Mar 8, 2015 14:32:25 GMT
Hi Chris Singh,just to let you know that the suggested 'Lennon Happy Christmas War Is Over' youtube clip from Simon Kelly(2 postings back)is NOT the same as what I have on my tape.
I cannot remember what it was exactly but defo not the same as this one.I did take a couple of screenshots but can't find them at present.
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Post by Ray Langstone (was saintsray) on Mar 9, 2015 11:56:04 GMT
Hi Chris Singh,just to let you know that the suggested 'Lennon Happy Christmas War Is Over' youtube clip from Simon Kelly(2 postings back)is NOT the same as what I have on my tape. I cannot remember what it was exactly but defo not the same as this one.I did take a couple of screenshots but can't find them at present. Correct. The video Simon pointed out was actually made after John Lennon died - in fact it was made less than 10 years ago using footage from a number of sources including contemporary ones. The original "promo film" to this song remains hidden from public view at the current time. |
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Post by John Green on Mar 9, 2015 16:21:15 GMT
I have to admit that I don't know where we are now.Is it the case that the original promo has always been at the BBC archives?
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Post by williammcgregor on Mar 9, 2015 18:01:17 GMT
I got a e-mail back from Keith Badman
Hi William,
Thank you for your kind words and also for the Happy Christmas tip-off, that is amazing to say the least. Incredible even. This is quite a find. I'm sure Yoko will be most interested. Yes, will read the posts and yes indeed, please feel free to use the info contained in my After The Break-Up book. Thanks for asking. I appreciate it.
Can you keep me posted if you hear anything more about the clip.
I approached the BBC about the film during research on my book in 1998 and they told me they no longer had it.
So the BBC don't have the film footage anymore... any thoughts?
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Post by johnstewart on Mar 9, 2015 21:49:20 GMT
Some of the TOTP films are apparently held in negative form only. Not saying that's the case here, but if so maybe no inventory existed for the films held in negative form at that time. I recalled something with a pic of John and Yoko shrouded in a cloud, possibly a mushroom cloud and vague other memories. TOTP2 seemed to show what I recalled some time in the 2000s, also featuring church windows and a large number of lit candles. Later Yoko is known to have made a number of her own animations to various tracks including this which does confuse the issue a bit. I've seen another film to the track in which parts of the 'power to the people' promo is mixed with shots of troops and a black choir shot in black and white which I don't recall as being footage shot at the time. As far as I knew as Ray Langstone said the film clip shown in one of the 1972 Xmas shows was held as a production insert despite the show itself being wiped. It may be that bits which were held over longer for Xmas shows tended to get shelved and just kept as there are other oddments that got forgotten about some of which didn't end up getting used in Xmas shows after all.
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