JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO WROTE TO PAUL & LINDA McCARTNEY IN 1972

Recently, a letter from John Lennon and Yoko Ono to Paul and Linda McCartney has come to light. The letter, penned in 1972, reveals an attempt by Lennon to mend his strained relationship with Paul McCartney by extending an invitation to him and his wife.

Using the playful aliases “Sonny and Cher O’Lennon,” Lennon and Ono invited the McCartneys to join them, the Plastic Ono Band, and the Rolling Stones for a charity concert at Madison Square Garden. The goal of the event was to raise money for Ireland, a cause close to the McCartneys’ hearts after their single with Wings, “Give Ireland Back to the Irish,” became a hit.

Lennon also proposed that the McCartneys participate in the “One to One” concert, which supported children at the Willowbrook State School. This idea may have been inspired by George Harrison’s “Concert for Bangla Desh” the previous year.

The letter, which will be included in the upcoming “Power to the People” box set curated by Sean Lennon, shows a different side of the Lennon-McCartney relationship than was previously understood. The collection features remastered audio and video from the “One to One” shows.

Lennon’s heartfelt plea, “Let’s forget our past and save some people!,” stands in stark contrast to the common belief among Beatles fans and Beatles historians that the two were still at odds in 1972. John Lennon also mentions that he’d spoken to Mick Jagger about the concert and ends the letter with an encouraging, “Good luds, anyway, we’re proud of you!”

Despite John’s efforts, neither Wings nor the Rolling Stones accepted the invitation. The letter also includes a pointed note at the bottom: “No A.K. at MSG if it’s uncool,” referring to Allen Klein, the business manager who was despised by both McCartney and Jagger. Even with the guarantee that Klein would not be involved, the concert never came to fruition with both bands participating.