Chewing gum addiction - was it to calm him down ?

[Berkeleyan]

Lennon chewed gum while singing "All you need is love"at that worldwide TV broadcast - I believe he got hooked right about that time - mid '67. I think he used gum during the rooftop concert in '69, the Beatles' last "gig".

During his "Concert for NYC" gig in 1972 it was chewing gum all throughout it. I wonder if he did so during his appearance at an Elton John concert on Thanksgiving day 1974 to sing a couple of tunes....

I guess chewing gum calmed him down, or controlled his nerves to sing with confidence. I wonder what other forum members think of that.

[funkbeatle]

Never noticed about it...you may be right. I can't remember if John chewed gum in any early Beatles live concert, have you ever noticed it?

[Berkeleyan]

Hi there, sorry I could not reply to your poster earlier.

Anyway, if memory serves me right, I don't believe John chewed gum in any clips or movies by the Beatles prior to 1967/ the "All you need is love" clip. In 1968 I recall John was chewing when playing w/ the lads on the "Hey Jude" clip. There was also the "Revolution" clip with his singing and chewing. Before 1967, no chewing gum Lennon, as far as I recall.

[Cologne girl]

I'm not sure, but I think I've seen him chewing gum in earlier footage as well, for instance during some performance of "I Feel Fine", if I'm not mistaken. I think it might simply be a substitute for smoking where or when you are not supposed to or it might also be a substitute for eating (remember, he was a bit upset about his "Fat Elvis" period around 1965).

Don't know about John of course, but I've used it for both of these, and it might not be such an horrific addiction after all. It just comes quite handy sometimes. Besides, in Germany at least it was the rage in the 50s and early 60s as people thought of it as something sensational brought to Europe by US soldiers. And I'm quite sure I've seen all of the Fabs chew every once in a while, notably Macca in this bit where they ask him about John's assassination and he says this thing about it being a drag.

[james1985]

i love it when the boys are chewing in the old footage, they look so cool and egdy.

is macca chewing at somepoint during the Fool On The Hill sequence of MMT? Any road, he looks so cool in that sequence

[Berkeleyan]

I'm not sure, but I think I've seen him chewing gum in earlier footage as well, for instance during some performance of "I Feel Fine", if I'm not mistaken. I think it might simply be a substitute for smoking where or when you are not supposed to or it might also be a substitute for eating (remember, he was a bit upset about his "Fat Elvis" period around 1965).

Don't know about John of course, but I've used it for both of these, and it might not be such an horrific addiction after all. It just comes quite handy sometimes. Besides, in Germany at least it was the rage in the 50s and early 60s as people thought of it as something sensational brought to Europe by US soldiers. And I'm quite sure I've seen all of the Fabs chew every once in a while, notably Macca in this bit where they ask him about John's assassination and he says this thing about it being a drag.

Good point about chewing as a substitute for food ! Had John known at that time that ELVIS would balloom up incredibly a few years later he'd changed his comment on "Fat Elvis period" He was no fat Elvis !!

If you say all the Fabs would chew gum occasionally....well I don't know.
I trust your memory; it's just that I don't recall, I guess I never paid much attention to it. But since it's getting harder and harder to come up with any interesting thread topic,....

[dennisy23]

probably to calm him...you should see lennon grinding the wrigley during al capp's abuse at the (either) montreal or toronto bed-in for peas,1969.
capp was baiting john,making rude remarks about yoko and generally being an a**hole and was practically begging john to smack him ala
bob wooler.i wish john did...derek taylor told capp to get out...
dennisy23

[Berkeleyan]

Yeah, I watched a documentary on Lennon last year on TV and they showed a bit of the bed-in event; there was some of All Capp's verbal abuse and John's (while kind of frantically chewing) retort. Bravo, John !

[theDingle]

Capp shoulda declined the invitation to drop by. One of his objections (probably his agenda) was the Two Virgins pic, one of John's less finer, et al, STOOPID moments. Even the other 3 Beatles privately felt that pic was a dumb-ass move. Is there one person in the whole world besides that couple who cared one whit about seeing John's twig&berries/Yoko's flapjacks? ICK.

John obviously had respect for Capp's Li'l Abner work (Al was a great comic artist) to have invited him, but it does seem apparent that he didn't anticipate Capp's public ambush. It seemed John kind of struggled to maintain class and composure. I thought it was all kinda funny.

[Berkeleyan]

Hey Dingle !

Yeah, the "Two Virgins" pics.....EEWWWWWWWW !
BUT I think John wanted to shock and get the spotlight on him and Ono to call attention to his (at the time) priority one gig: PEACE ON EARTH. His and Ono's "exposé" led to their "bed-ins for peace. A worldwide known name, John Lennon, got a lot of media attention and used it for, among other things, to discuss the implications of the Vietnam War and war itself on humans.

So what the pics lacked in COVERAGE he got it with the press

P.S. too bad he had to fall in love with One and not with a hot babe.....