Here is some information about these tapes taken from Keith Badman's revised edition of "The Beatles After The Break Up" published 2001.
Friday March 24th 2000 It is revealed that more than nine hours of private black & white footage of John and Yoko, circa February 1970, has been uncovered in the States. The amazing videotape, shot by Yoko's ex-husband. Tony Cox, has been sold to a consortium of Beatles fans in America who are planning to issue the footage as a documentary later this year. Cox talks about the tapes: "Several scenes focus on Lennon and Ono's visit to the Black House, a centre run by Michael X, a Trinidadian counterpart of Malcolm X, who was later executed for murder. The couple (John and Yoko) shoot a promotional film for the Black House and then smoke hashish with Michael X." Other scenes in the footage describe Yoko as being stoned, and John snapping at her, "As usual, she doesn't know what we're talking about." In an intimate scene, John is seen perched on the edge of the bed, humming and strumming, trying to pick out a tune that would eventually be the song 'Mind Games' while Yoko is seen tucked up in bed, apparently asleep. In another, they are talking about Yoko's new hairstyle. "It took years off her," John remarks. "She was an old hag before I met her." Other scenes include John discussing whether he should pay for a new lake at his Ascot estate or consider "conning Apple again!" Then, during a tour of London's sights, John gives vulgar names to landmarks such as Nelson's Column and refers to piles of rubbish in the streets as "Prince Philip's mess".
Ray Thomas, a member of the consortium who is believed to have paid $1million (£625,000) for the tapes, remarks: "I have asked Yoko to be executive producer for the planned documentary, but I have had no response. Many of the scenes show her to be a very intelligent, articulate woman ... These films capture John's creative genius in his most intimate surroundings, the couple's behaviour together, interaction with their two children, strong opinions about drugs, politics, communism, music and plans for manipulating critics, reviewers and the general press." But before any of this footage can be made public, Yoko must sign a release form.
The following report appeared on totalaccesslive.com in 2005
The dates were February 8th, 9th and 10th and the year, 1970 (only weeks before the break-up of The Beatles) and the “crowning date” when a solo John Lennon (and The Plastic Ono Band) scored his first #1 song with “Instant Karma”. John Lennon was about to make history (again) – a little over thirty-five years ago.
John Lennon and (newfound buddy) Tony Cox (Yoko’s former husband) were in the midst of an untitled, intimate, no-holds barred film based on “3 days in the life of John Lennon and company”. Hours upon hours of documentary b&w videotape were shot and today, the film is owned by World Wide Video LLC. They, in the past, have tried to market the “unseen raw footage”. They decided against it and now, there is a new distinct purpose being planned for the film. The three Boston-based partners/World Wide Video LLC are initially planning to offer the film for “educational purposes”. The formerly untitled film is now named “3 Days In The Life” and there are plans to offer “college film & music students” across the country an opportunity to see the one-of-a-kind historic documentary beginning in Fall 2005.
“3 Days In The Life” is in the pre-production stages of “an early edit”. Originally, the film was shot in a “cinema verite style” (“let the camera roll” – edit later technique) and plans call to develop and cull the footage into a full 90-120 minute documentary format. There are almost 10 hours of “35 year-old raw videotape” and when you consider that “production” stemmed from a 1970 Sony reel-to-reel pre-Beta professional video deck, the film is in need, today, of a full restoration and cleansing. While that process is underway, an informed panel is scheduled to present a “promotional viewing” of portions of “3 Days In The Life” at: GEMS – The Global Entertainment and Media Summit in New York on May 14th
The panel introducing “3 Days In The Life” will include: New York music & entertainment lawyer Ronald S. Bienstock, film partners, John Fallon and Ray F. Thomas and music journalist Joe Bosso. At both presentations, the university and GEMS, the “3 Days In The Life” panel will show “a promotional preview” and discuss candidly the historical and musical significance of the Lennon documentary. It’s interesting to note too, upon viewing “3 Days In The Life” it does “appear” that it could be said that the film is “the original grand-daddy of all reality shows as we know them today”. The panel’s presentation will run approximately one hour.
“3 Days In The Life” is also taking on another “life of its own”. The New York-based StarFile photo syndication agency will be posting never-seen-before b&w photos of John Lennon culled from the original videotapes. The b&w pictures will include: Lennon at home, strumming his guitar, composing, joking, reading the morning paper, talking frankly, awaiting word on “Instant Karma”, touring the estate, in the “creative process of songwriting”, going to the office, on a London street, filming footage himself, discussing politics, testing his solo status, etc. Maybe, they knew it or maybe not, but as the film unfolds, the film is a “reality show in a documentary format” starring John Lennon – a documentary filmed debut recording history in the making.
Oddly enough, “3 Days In The Life” is still a best kept secret but this year, the film will finally debut uniquely at pre-selected colleges nationwide this Fall. The students today will travel back in time with the film and for John Lennon, 1970 was a turning point in his career/life, as well as those around him. The “never-seen-before film” culminates with John Lennon’s rehearsal for the BBC show “Top Of The Pops” where he performed “Instant Karma” for the first time publicly. The song had just gone to #1 in the US and it certainly drove a stake into the “collective heart of The Beatles”. Lennon is quoted directly on film speaking to Yoko, ‘he was finished with the band’. The exact filmed quote, in itself, disputes the popular misconception that “others or outside forces” were responsible for the Fab Four break-up.
Presently, “3 Days In the Life” is limited to college audiences. The reason - World Wide Video LLC/the partners felt after all these years, they would maintain the “integrity of the film” by doing the right thing and hold true to its overall purpose – seeing “a reel John Lennon”. Although Tony Cox sold the film, he did copyright the video under the name of “Tony Cox’ Video Of John Lennon” dated May 2, 1997 – it was his property until the sale was consummated in Jan. 2000 . No matter what the criteria is, “3 Days In The Life” is a rare, powerful and many ways, voyeuristic journey into “3 days in the life” of John Lennon (circa 1970). A “b&w view” of an icon composer (plus family and friends) - in residence, an artist in transition, a reborn solo artist, creating and evolving.
And Foster's Online ran this report on February 22nd 2007
Berwick Academy will host the debut of "3 Days in The Life" on Tuesday, March 6. "3 Days in The Life" is a 2-hour documentary of never-before-seen footage of John Lennon and his friends and family, presented in a most intimate and no-holds-barred, cinema vérité style. The entirety of the footage was shot over three days in early February, 1970, just weeks before the break-up of The Beatles. This historic and educational film was the idea of John Lennon himself and has been called by those who have authenticated it the 'granddaddy of all reality shows.' Owned by World Wide Video LLC, the film has remained a well-kept secret — until now. Following its debut at Berwick Academy, the film will continue on a tour to colleges and schools, allowing students across the country the opportunity to see a one-of-a-kind historic documentary. It is the hope of executive producer Ray Thomas and his production partner, John Fallon, that the documentary "will inspire and challenge young minds to think differently and make a difference in the world — just as Lennon did."
The grainy images on the black-and-white videotapes are more than 30 years old. It's February 1970, and John Lennon, 29, will be a member of the Beatles for just two more months. He's in the middle of one of his most creative periods; he's recently released "Instant Karma," and soon he'll undergo the primal therapy that will help shape his seminal first solo album, "Plastic Ono Band."
Unseen and undisturbed for decades, the tapes capture three days in Lennon's life. Tomorrow, people can see some of the images for the first time, when a two-hour documentary of the footage, "3 Days in the Life," is released and shown for free at Berwick Academy in Maine.
The tapes might not have been seen at all if it wasn't for John Fallon . Fifteen years ago, the Cape Cod art collector was approached by an acquaintance of Tony Cox , Yoko Ono's former husband, who asked if he'd be interested in buying 13 charcoal drawings done by Lennon. Fallon said yes, and soon he was in touch with Cox, who was selling all of the Lennon-associated artwork and memorabilia he had collected during 1969 and 1970, when he spent time with the couple in Denmark and England. After Fallon bought the drawings, Cox pitched him his largest John and Yoko cache: 10 hours of raw footage from a documentary he had planned but never finished. The footage was shot by Cox on a video camera from Feb. 8 to 10, 1970, at Lennon's Tittenhurst Park estate in England. The film shows Lennon writing "Remember" and "Mind Games," and performing "Instant Karma."
Fallon spent eight years negotiating with Cox over the price of the film. During that time, he persuaded former Boston musician, sound engineer, and Beatles memorabilia collector Ray Thomas (who now lives in Rye, N.H.) and Providence businessman Bob Grenier to invest in the unfinished documentary. In 2000, the three paid $1 million for the 10 hours of tapes.
At first they thought they'd finish the documentary, but to do so, they needed Ono to sign off on the project. "She didn't remember making the movie," said Thomas. He was unsuccessful in his attempts to get her involved in the film. Without a written release from Ono, the tapes sat untouched for years.
With the documentary off the table, Fallon said, the group had no definitive plans to do anything with the tapes. Now, he said, he simply wants to share them with the public. "I'm hoping I can just add to a better feeling of how people can understand John's life," said Fallon.
Thomas came up with the idea of showing an edited version of the tapes to high school and college students for free, which he said he can do legally, for educational purposes. In addition to the Berwick Academy showing, the film's producers plan public viewings of the documentary at colleges throughout the country
Lennon fans may find it a challenge to follow the film, which is unscripted and not narrated. In it, we see Lennon and Ono playing with Julian Lennon and Kyoko Cox , children from previous marriages. Journalists come and go from the 100-acre estate during the three days; Lennon meets with Michael X , a black civil- rights advocate who was later convicted of murder and hanged in Trinidad ; Lennon appears on the BBC.
There are no quick cuts or high-end cinematic effects here. Though Cox had served as the director for Ono's film "Bottoms" in 1966, it appears he was a beginner with the camera. The film is shot cinema verité, and several segments are out of focus or poorly lighted. This was on purpose, said Thomas.
"Everything was intentionally done. They wanted it out of focus, they wanted it bouncing around. This is what John Lennon wanted," said Thomas.
Fallon said the idea behind the film was to show Lennon and Ono during their transformation from musician and artist to political activists. "Tony was going to show it to friends of Yoko's and to a beatnik crowd out of New York City," said Fallon.
While the unsteady shooting is often distracting, there are scenes that lend great insight into Lennon's persona, creative process, and relationship with Ono.
One thing we learn is that Lennon was seemingly oblivious to background noise. He holds interviews while Ono sits next to him talking on the phone. He also has the radio on wherever he goes, and the music from that era serves as a soundtrack to the film. As Lennon blow-dries Ono's hair, they listen to "Leaving on a Jet Plane"; Lennon rests on his bed, smiling as Dylan's "Just Like a Woman" plays; in his chauffeur-driven Mercedes, Lennon turns on the radio and we hear Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now."
Lennon doesn't allow distractions to get in the way of the creative process, either. When we see him composing "Remember," he's hunched over an upright piano banging out chords and singing near-complete lyrics. Cox hands the camera to Yoko and plays air piano next to Lennon, who isn't faze d . The Beatle vamps for the camera and finishes the song.
There are serious moments, too. At one point, Lennon talks openly about the couple's overcoming drug addiction. "We've resurrected hope in ourselves, and we're hoping to spread it around a bit -- to tell people you can get off speed, you can get off H [heroin], you can get off pot. You know, because whatever they say, you do get hooked on it," says Lennon.
Thomas, who managed the Psychedelic Supermarket and the Unicorn Coffee House rock clubs in Boston, said he hopes the footage will inspire a new generation to explore Lennon's work.
"I hope they'll get an education and learn firsthand, historically, who and what this guy was all about," said Thomas. "In the film he's a father, he's a songwriter, he's an artist, he's a husband, he's a lover, but he's also a very outspoken political activist, and he uses that celebrity to drive that activist vehicle."
For more information on the film, go to 3daysinthelife.com.
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