post-Beatles politicking

The post-Beatles lives of The Beatles also seems
to argue that, on the whole, they just were not
very political -- not uncommon among great
artists, who are focussed on their art rather
than politics.

George Harrison did organize the concert for
Bangla Desh, which Pakistan may have taken in
a political way but which was billed and
carried out as a charity. And so far as I know,
the money raised was spent just to help the
victims in Bangladesh.

Paul McCartney is well known to be involved with
animal rights, but he not known as any
dogmatic fanatic.

I don't recall hearing about any political
activity from Ringo, though maybe I missed it.

The exception of course is John, though even his
political activity was sporadic and peetered out
as he attempted to keep his single career going
and was more into drugs, until his death.

Following the breakup of The Beatles, he became
more openly identified with the peace movement.
There's the recording of "Give Peace a Chance,"
the Bed-In for peace with he and Yoko. Performing
at Peace concert in Toronto in 1973 -- who among
us who actually listened to the second side
of that album ever forget it?

The first side was John and the stage band playing
old rock and roll songs. It's fun but nothing
spectacular. But the second side -- all 20 minutes of
Yoko screaming . . . well, that's an artistic
triumph of the ages.

Yet when they did their Christmas song with the
children's choir celebrating the end of the war,
they kept it fuzzy, pro-peace in a way that
not even us rightwing military fanatics could
object to.

I heard a local dj comment that he wished he could
give the song to Phil Spector to edit out Yoko's
singing, but of course Yoko owns the rights and
will never allow that.

Actually, it doesn't bother me. I listened and
couldn't even hear her -- but maybe that's
because I was listening through standard car
radio speakers instead of professional
earphones.

Still, I enjoy hearing the song every Christmas.
It's probably my favorite post-Beatles songs.
It still chokes up me.

I've never heard his album "Woman is the Nigger
of the World" -- and have no motivation to ever
hear it. Politically correct 1970s feminism
by a rich man who dumped his first wife for
Yoko Ono. Please.

And that brings me to the one political act
that will outlive John for many more years.

One I wish I could get hold of the master
for -- I'd keep the music but erase almost
all the words.

History travel