Yoko Ono interview 2
By Steve Marinucci
Published 8/1/2018
(This was my second interview with Yoko. She was a little more serious than the first time, but it was great talking to her. Unfortunately, this tape wasn't the greatest quality and I had some trouble getting all the dialogue from it. But here's my best effort at a transcript.)
YO: Hello.
Q: Good morning, Yoko. How are you?
YO: Fine thank you. How are you? Steve, right?
Q: Nice to talk to you again. I was looking through the book last night, talking about the 'Real Love' book.
YO: Isn't that beautiful?
Q: It's very interesting. And you know what caught me the most is John's public image has always been this kind of harsh, not harsh...
YO: I know, I know. It's just that rockers have this kind of macho image that he has to project, I think, you know.
Q: And it just seems to show a more gentle side.
YO: I think, you know, both of them. He was indeed (unintelligible) when he was exerting that macho side. He's got a very macho side, too. But at home he was kind of a sweet, gentle person.
Q: Were the pictures originally in color?
YO: No.
Q: They were originally in black and white?
YO: Yes, black and white. And I usually do the coloring because I always feel that maybe he wouldn't have minded if I did it myself. But this time it was true that is a kind of professional, special coloring that you do for children. So I let the professionals do it.
Q: Yeah, we talked about the last time we talked when you were discussing the coloring but this time other people did it.
YO: Yeah, well somebody who professionally what you are supposed to do for children. (Unintelligible)
Q: How old was Sean when these were done? You remember?
YO: He would have been like 3, 4, 5, around then.
Q: So that would make it anywhere from '78 to '80, right?
YO: Right. '80 when he was 4. He became 5 on Oct. 9. Around that time John was very busy doing the album. I don't think there was much doing on in that sense around then. So I can say Sean was 2, 3, 4.
Q: Do you have any specific anecdotes about any of the pictures maybe one picture that stands out that you saw them working on together?
YO: I was mostly there. I would just kind of look at it not to see them, but with one eye just keeping track of it, you know? I guess I don't have one favorite because I guess whatever he did with Sean was such a sweet thing to do. And he did, I think, there was an incredible separation from what he did with Sean and what he did as his own artwork. In his own artwork, there was a lot of (unintelligible) as well. But with Sean, he didn't wear that hat.
Q: Some of the titles are obviously John's. You can tell that John made them up. And I was wondering if some of them were made up by John and Sean together.
YO: Yeah, it's very possible.
Q: There's some of them – and I have the book sitting over here – there's the 'Horse Laugh' one. Obviously that's got to be a little bit of John.
YO: I think that one might be a little of Sean.
Q: How does Sean feel about the pictures today? Do they bring back happy memories or sad ones for him do you know? Have you discussed that with him?
YO: Um, I didn't discuss this whole book with him at all.
Q: Really.
YO: Because he's on tour now. One of the reasons I don't want to bring up these subjects with Sean is because it still hurts him. He has a mental block about it.
Q: Well, that answers the question then. Last week in Entertainment Weekly, did you see the little article they did on you and John?
YO: Instant Karma? Yes. We were so proud of it, the whole family.
Q: I saw it in there and it brought a big smile on my face. What was really the point was that much of your lives together were musical, your initial meeting was on an artistic basis and that made me wonder …
YO: That's the reason why it kind of tickled his artistic bone or whatever you call it. He said, 'Oh, I'd like to some artwork as well.'
Q: Well, I was wondering it was specifically, if you remember, that attracted John to your artwork. Your art has bits of humor.
YO: I think it's the fun quality, I think, that he was surprised that there was some sense of humor because usually when he goes to art exhibitions or something, he told me it was kind of too serious and he didn't know … too serious or angry or something. And mine was like selling fresh apples for 200 pounds or something. You know, a fun joke in a way, you know. And also you have to climb up the ladder that says, 'Yes.' There's some kind of playful quality to my work. And in the playfulness was something that caught his eye.
Q: For about six months last year on my way to work I had to drive by a billboard that had the Apple Computer ad of you and John. And I wondered what did you think of that?
YO: Oh, that was marvelous. That was extremely lucky that we were chosen as well. I feel good about it. I think everything was really politically correct. They told me they would like to give 100 computers to schools where children didn't have computers instead of paying. And I thought that was just right. So, usually in a situation like that I would have asked them to donate to the Spirit Foundation, but it's the same thing. They wanted to give the computers to kids. So it was in the mind of how I liked it. John and I used to like that kind of thing. So even down to how they dealt with us but also the ad was also, I think, very cool.
Q: Yeah, it was a wonderful picture. I saw in two places. I saw it up here in Northern California and I also saw it in Los Angeles. It caught me by surprise in Los Angeles because we didn't know we were coming up on it. And it was on the side of a huge building in Los Angeles. It just blew us over.
YO: Isn't it (unintelligible)? Fantastic planning. Think about ads as a kind of art medium.
Q: Your art has gotten some special recognition lately. I noticed 'Walking on Thin Ice' was selected for the Rhino box set 'R-E-S-P-E-C-T.'
YO: Oh yes. That was lucky.
Q: And there's also the American Century exhibit at the Whitney that's currently.
YO: I know. I'm in there.
Q: How do you feel about those two things? That's really kind of special.
YO: I think it's rather special. It's just something that I never thought would happen. Thinking that those things coming back like that while I'm alive. That's beautiful.
Q: Billboard recently reported a film of mostly unreleased John footage taken during the 'Imagine' sessions called 'Gimme Some Truth' is coming to TV and DVD with remastered footage. When is this going to happen? You have a release date on it now?
YO: We're thinking in terms of Valentine's Day next year, but I don't know. If it happens, it happens. Usually, you have a kind of deadline and Valentine's Day is great. And they might …
Q: Now the Boston Globe mentioned a Lennon surprise. Is this the surprise or is there something else going on?
YO: Well, I think I was mainly talking about this.
Q: OK. That's kind of what I thought. Are there any other Lennon projects or even Beatle projects in the works that you want to drop hints about?
Yo: No. I don't usually believe to drop hints because it's better just not to say anything and keep it a surprise. But this one by now everybody knows because it was shown for business people to buy. Everybody knows about it and that it's going to be out there. So let's talk about it. Around the time I was saying there will be a surprise I think I was busy working on it. (Laughs.)
Q: Oh, ok. I think that's about all I have. I think last time we went over a half hour. I'll make it up to you this time and I'll stop a few minutes early.
YO: That's really sweet of you, Steve. Now the thing is my message is just enjoy, please.
Q: Yeah, OK. The article's basically going to be geared toward the exhibit. I've already talked to Richard but I appreciate the chance to talk to you again and hope it happens again.
YO: I hope it happens.
Q: You take care of yourself, Yoko, and thanks very much.
YO: Thank you, Steve.
Q: Bye.
YO: Bye.
