Editing John Lennon (section)

==={{Anchor|Lost weekend}} "Lost weekend": 1973–1975===
[[File:John Lennon last television interview Tomorrow show 1975.JPG|thumb|Publicity photo of Lennon and host [[Tom Snyder]] from the television programme ''[[The Tomorrow Show|Tomorrow]]''. Aired in 1975, this was the last television interview Lennon gave before his death in 1980.]]
As Lennon was about to record ''[[Mind Games (John Lennon album)|Mind Games]]'' in 1973, he and Ono decided to separate. The ensuing 18-month period apart, which he later called his "lost weekend" in reference to the [[The Lost Weekend (film)|film of the same name]],{{sfn|Harry|2000b|pp=698–699}}<ref name="InterviewMayPang">{{cite web |first=Dave |last=White |url=http://classicrock.about.com/od/johnlennon/a/may_pang.htm |title=Lennon's "Lost Weekend" Lover |publisher=About, Classic Rock |access-date=9 June 2011 |archive-date=7 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207203838/http://classicrock.about.com/od/johnlennon/a/may_pang.htm |url-status=dead}}</ref> was spent in Los Angeles and New York City in the company of [[May Pang]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Owen |last=Gleiberman |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/the-lost-weekend-review-may-pang-john-lennon-1235290486/ |title='The Lost Weekend: A Love Story' Review: May Pang Tells Her Story, and a Piece of John Lennon's, in a Compelling Documentary |date=11 June 2022 |work=Variety |access-date=11 June 2022}}</ref> ''Mind Games'', credited to the "Plastic U.F.Ono Band", was released in November 1973. Lennon also contributed "[[I'm the Greatest]]" to Starr's album ''[[Ringo (album)|Ringo]]'' (1973), released the same month. With Harrison joining Starr and Lennon at the recording session for the song, it marked the only occasion when three former Beatles recorded together between the band's break-up and Lennon's death.{{sfn|Jackson|2012|p=97}}{{refn|group=nb|An alternate take of "I'm the Greatest", with Lennon singing a guide vocal, appears on ''[[John Lennon Anthology]]''.{{sfn|Urish|Bielen|2007|p=47}}}}

In early 1974, Lennon was drinking heavily and his alcohol-fuelled antics with [[Harry Nilsson]] made headlines. In March, two widely publicised incidents occurred at [[Troubadour (West Hollywood, California)|The Troubadour]] club. In the first incident, Lennon stuck an unused [[menstrual pad]] on his forehead and scuffled with a waitress. The second incident occurred two weeks later, when Lennon and Nilsson were ejected from the same club after heckling the [[Smothers Brothers]].{{sfn|Harry|2000b|pp=927–929}} Lennon decided to produce Nilsson's album ''[[Pussy Cats]]'', and Pang rented a Los Angeles beach house for all the musicians.{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=735}} After a month of further debauchery, the recording sessions were in chaos, and Lennon returned to New York with Pang to finish work on the album. In April, Lennon had produced the [[Mick Jagger]] song "Too Many Cooks (Spoil the Soup)" which was, for contractual reasons, to remain unreleased for more than 30 years. Pang supplied the recording for its eventual inclusion on ''[[The Very Best of Mick Jagger]]'' (2007).<ref>''[[The Very Best of Mick Jagger]]'' liner notes</ref>

Lennon had settled back in New York when he recorded the album ''[[Walls and Bridges]]''. Released in October 1974, it included "[[Whatever Gets You thru the Night]]", which featured [[Elton John]] on backing vocals and piano, and became Lennon's only single as a solo artist to top the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart during his lifetime.{{sfn|Badman|2001|loc=1974}}{{refn|group=nb|"Imagine" topped the US singles chart compiled by ''[[Record World]]'' magazine, however, in 1971.{{sfn|Spizer|2005|p=59}}}} A second single from the album, "[[Number 9 Dream|#9 Dream]]", followed before the end of the year. Starr's ''[[Goodnight Vienna]]'' (1974) again saw assistance from Lennon, who wrote the title track and played piano.{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=284}} On 28 November, Lennon made a surprise guest appearance at Elton John's Thanksgiving concert at Madison Square Garden, in fulfilment of his promise to join the singer in a live show if "Whatever Gets You thru the Night", a song whose commercial potential Lennon had doubted, reached number one. Lennon performed the song along with "[[Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds]]" and "[[I Saw Her Standing There]]", which he introduced as "a song by an old estranged fiancé of mine called Paul".{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=970}}

In the first two weeks of January 1975, Elton John topped the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] singles chart with his cover of "[[Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds]]", featuring Lennon on guitar and backing vocals - Lennon is credited on the single under the moniker of "Dr. Winston O'Boogie". As January became February, Lennon and Ono reunited as Lennon and Bowie completed recording of their co-composition "[[Fame (David Bowie song)|Fame]]",<ref name="auto"/><ref>Jones, David Bowie A Life, Windmill Books 2018 {{ISBN|978-1-78609-043-0}}</ref>{{sfn|Cherry|2022|p=137}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.johnlennon.com/music/collaborations/david-bowie-fame |title=Fame |website=John Lennon official website|access-date=5 July 2022|archive-date=28 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628234356/https://www.johnlennon.com/music/collaborations/david-bowie-fame/|url-status=live}}</ref> which became [[David Bowie]]'s first US number one, featuring guitar and backing vocals by Lennon. In February, Lennon released ''[[Rock 'n' Roll (John Lennon album)|Rock 'n' Roll]]'' (1975), an album of cover songs. "[[Stand by Me (Ben E. King song)|Stand by Me]]", taken from the album and a US and UK hit, became his last single for five years.{{sfn|Harry|2000b|pp=240, 563}} He made what would be his final stage appearance in the [[Associated TeleVision|ATV]] special ''A Salute to [[Lew Grade]]'', recorded on 18 April and televised in June.{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=758}} Playing acoustic guitar and backed by an eight-piece band, Lennon performed two songs from ''Rock 'n' Roll'' ("Stand by Me", which was not broadcast, and "Slippin' and Slidin{{'"}}) followed by "Imagine".{{sfn|Harry|2000b|p=758}} The band, known as Etc., wore masks behind their heads, a dig by Lennon, who thought Grade was two-faced.<ref>Madinger, ''Eight Arms to Hold You'', 44.1 Publishing, 2000, {{ISBN|0-615-11724-4}}</ref>