Quoted from Bobber

John Lennon refused to wear glasses when he played live. There is one notable exception to this, July 2 1966 when as part of a hastily arranged Japanese tour he wore a pair of his trademark gold rimmed glasses.

Got any pics of that - I've never seen any.

I don't even know if it's true!    I read it somewhere. I'll try to find a picture of it.

Cool!

Was their Japanese tour hastily organised? I imagine it would have taken some planning to play those shows at the Budokan.

Quoted from The End

Cool!

Was their Japanese tour hastily organised? I imagine it would have taken some planning to play those shows at the Budokan.

I just copied and pasted. It's most likely not a fact. Just a rumour.  

Ha ha!

Quoted from Bobber

John Lennon refused to wear glasses when he played live. There is one notable exception to this, July 2 1966 when as part of a hastily arranged Japanese tour he wore a pair of his trademark gold rimmed glasses.

Is this before the NHS glasses phase?

Well... John started wearing his "trademark" NHS specs during the filming of How I Won The War which began filming in September 1966 - which was AFTER their final concert at Candlestick Park (29 August 1966). So I don't think John wore those specs at their Budokan gig on 2 July 1966.

John did have a pair of sunglasses in that style though, before he filmed How I Won The War - this pic was taken at a press conference, London 8 July 1966 (22 days before I was born and England won the World Cup!).

Was the NHS glasses thing really a statement about being working class?

No, I think he just got fed up with wearing contacts.

I think I remember after he died the media hyped up the 'working class hero' thing and suggested the NHS glasses were connected with that.

Freddie (of The Dreamers) and Cliff both wore them, and I don't think they were into making political statements.

Just hype then. Glad I got the right info on that one.

Quoted from GreenApple

Was the NHS glasses thing really a statement about being working class?

They weren't actually NHS specs, just round ones. Just that all round glasses in those days - and for quite a few years after - got known as NHS. Another name I remember mine being called was 'National Port Holes'!