Hi everyone

I'm looking for any articles and/or info pertaining to Yoko suing Jack Douglas (or vice versa) over royalties for Double Fantasy.


From what I remember, for some reason Yoko didn't pay or refused to pay Jack his due royalties. Later on, she apparently tried to use her media machine to discredit him (like she did with Fred Seaman) however, this failed. She tried to claim Jack stole things from John, and was a nobody trying to exploit Lennon, even though he was a well known and successful record producer, having produced bands like Aerosmith.

Interview with Jack Douglas here, from Beatlefan:

http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Rec/rec.music.beatles/2005-12/msg00250.html

Interesting for a number of reasons, really.  



Short NYT article on the outcome of the lawsuit here:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E0D91F39F930A35757C0A962948260

Quoted from Geoff

Interview with Jack Douglas here, from Beatlefan:

http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Rec/rec.music.beatles/2005-12/msg00250.html

Interesting for a number of reasons, really.  



Short NYT article on the outcome of the lawsuit here:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E0D91F39F930A35757C0A962948260

Yes, this was the article I was looking for. Thanks so much.

It makes one wonder, really...  

Cool articles; I've never read these before.  Thanks for sharing!

Very interesting. Thanks Geoff.

I've never read that before , thanks Geoff for posting it , it's a really interesting read .

You're welcome, and I wonder if any of the session musicians on Double Fantasy have ever said anything about working with John on that record: theirs would be interesting outsiders' perspectives on John (and Yoko) in 1980 and- perhaps- useful supplements or maybe correctives to the official line John gave in his interviews that year.  

Quoted from Geoff

You're welcome, and I wonder if any of the session musicians on Double Fantasy have ever said anything about working with John on that record: theirs would be interesting outsiders' perspectives on John (and Yoko) in 1980 and- perhaps- useful supplements or maybe correctives to the official line John gave in his interviews that year.  

I've often wondered why those musicians have never spoken out more about their time with Lennon in 1980. The good side of me would like to think that they're honouring his memory by not profiting from his death. Of course, the cynical me thinks that Yoko has probably paid them all off to keep her version of the Lennon myth alive!

Quoted from BlueMeanie

I've often wondered why those musicians have never spoken out more about their time with Lennon in 1980. The good side of me would like to think that they're honouring his memory by not profiting from his death. Of course, the cynical me thinks that Yoko has probably paid them all off to keep her version of the Lennon myth alive!

I hadn't thought of that angle, but as a longstanding (and frequently backsliding) member of Cynics Anonymous, I find the thought shall we say intriguing.  

On the other hand, with a worshipful rock press safely on board for the myth, I wonder if anybody's even bothered to ask those people some questions. Here's a great example of the sort of thing I mean, which I stumbled upon this morning;

http://www.chrishunt.biz/features26.html

It's not a bad article; it's just entirely conventional and familiar in its approach.  

Hmm, quite interesting! I'm in the pay-off camp. Yoko is a savvy business woman, and she makes her living by exploiting her fabricated image of John. I consider Julian, May, and Cynthia's accounts reliable regarding some of her tricks. She also has squashed Paul's ideas on a number of occasions. And let's not forget her lawsuit trying to prevent singer Lennon Murphy from using her own name. She's always been canny about her meal ticket. As long as she's the grieving widow, her income is assured. Sorry to be so cynical about her, but I definitely am.

Thanks for the links, Geoff!

Another interesting read. Will we ever fully understand Yoko's ways?

Quoted from harihead

And let's not forget her lawsuit trying to prevent singer Lennon Murphy from using her own name.

I hadn't heard about that one. I think I'm going to tear up that Cynics Anonymous card and just go back to being my old surly self.

Quoted from Bobber

Will we ever fully understand Yoko's ways?

I doubt it myself, but clues abound:  

Thanks Geoff , i enjoyed reading that artical too.
I'm so glad John got out of the Dakota in the last few months of his life , and had a bloody good adventure .
When i was reading it  , i thought there's a great film here ?

Quoted from Geoff

Interview with Jack Douglas here, from Beatlefan:

http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Rec/rec.music.beatles/2005-12/msg00250.html

Interesting for a number of reasons, really.  



Short NYT article on the outcome of the lawsuit here:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E0D91F39F930A35757C0A962948260

Wow, really great interview, thanks Geoff!

A few random things that really caught my attention:

1) "John had really small hands, so he really couldn't play lead on guitar ...". What a great little factoid!!

2) "John would double track his voice incessantly ..." . That really caught my eye. In the early to mid-60's John, as much as he hated his voice single tracked, really hated going through the effort it took to double a voice live. So when Geoff Emerick (? or Norman Smith?) invented ADT (automatic double track), John went bezerko on it - he never had to double track again! So, fast forward 15 years, he could have used ADT or it's shiniest new iteration to do his double tracks, but NO ... he was doing it "manually", the old fashioned way! And, according to this Jack Douglas guy getting interviewed, with absolutely amazing skill. John ... he was good.

3) That piano intro to "Watching the Wheels Go By" - made up by John while doodling. IMO, one of the best parts of the song, or of the album. The boy still had IT