Director/Producer Michael Epstein

For the upcoming premiere of LENNONYC for American Masters on PBS on November 22nd at 9p.m. (check local listings), producer Jessica Levin and director/producer Michael Epstein sat down to discuss the making of the film and answer some questions about the creative process. In this interview, they discuss why they chose John Lennon for a profile, what makes the English born artist an American Master, the creative choice to exclude a lengthy discussion of Lennon’s murder from the film, and Yoko Ono’s creative support for the project, as well as what it was like to work with a legendary personality like her. If you enjoyed this behind the scenes look into LENNONYC, check out the full podcast episodes for LENNONYC: Beyond Broadcast (Episode One with Jack Douglas is here and the full subscription feed can be found here).

Download the MP3 of the film maker interview here or listen below.

Highlights from the interview -

On why Lennon is an American Master: “John in New York was always a part of how I saw John’s story… John’s a New Yorker. New York is just the right lens, I’ve said before, to look at John’s post-Beatles life.”

On Double Fantasy: “I really did not connect with Double Fantasy when it came out – I was in high school – they were beautiful songs, but they didn’t have meaning, didn’t have emotion, didn’t connect, because how the hell could they? I was a teenager…. [Double Fantasy] is not for the sixteen year olds… It’s an album that is profoundly important to me as I think it would be to any parent as they get older.”

On why John’s murder isn’t explored in the film: “Chapman killed John for two reasons, one was he thought John had sort of become a phoney… the other was that he wanted to be famous. I didn’t want to give Chapman more fame – another platform, another pat on the back for killing John.”

On Yoko Ono’s participation in the film: “There’s this notion that she’s still a witch, that she broke up The Beatles, that she had John under her thumb and therefore has us under her thumb and that’s just not true.”

Listen below:

Klaus Voorman

Klaus Voormann, a longtime friend of John Lennon, has played on solo projects and recordings by Lou Reed, Carly Simon, James Taylor, and Harry Nilsson amongst others. He was a session bassist for Lennon’s albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine as well as Yoko Ono’s Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band.

Download the MP3 or listen below.

Each podcast will consist of slightly edited interviews conducted for the film American Masters LENNONYC introduced by Susan Lacy, series creator and executive producer of American Masters and a producer of LENNONYC and Michael Epstein, director/writer of LENNONYC. New “episodes” will post weekly every Thursday until the Thursday after broadcast on November 22. The final episode will be a question and answer session using the best questions submitted by users via email at lennonycpodcasts@thirteen.org. The content will be available here on the American Masters Web site and iTunes. Users can check back in these locations or subscribe to keep up to date with the newest episodes.

Earl Slick

Earl Slick, legendary lead guitarist, originally met Lennon during David Bowie’s Young Americans sessions. In 1980, Jack Douglas brought Slick on to play guitar for Double Fantasy.

Download the MP3 or listen below.

Each podcast will consist of slightly edited interviews conducted for the film American Masters LENNONYC introduced by Susan Lacy, series creator and executive producer of American Masters and a producer of LENNONYC and Michael Epstein, director/writer of LENNONYC. New “episodes” will post weekly every Thursday until the Thursday after broadcast on November 22. The final episode will be a question and answer session using the best questions submitted by users via email at lennonycpodcasts@thirteen.org. The content will be available here on the American Masters Web site and iTunes. Users can check back in these locations or subscribe to keep up to date with the newest episodes.

John Lennon. © David Spindel.

Colin Hall, the curator at Mendips, John’s childhood home, and Colin Hanton, the original drummer for The Quarrymen talk about Liverpool, American Rock ‘N’ Roll, and John’s childhood relationship with his Aunt Mimi and his mother, Julia.

Download the MP3 or listen below.

Each podcast will consist of slightly edited interviews conducted for the film American Masters LENNONYC introduced by Susan Lacy, series creator and executive producer of American Masters and a producer of LENNONYC and Michael Epstein, director/writer of LENNONYC. New “episodes” will post weekly every Thursday until the Thursday after broadcast on November 22. The final episode will be a question and answer session using the best questions submitted by users via email at lennonycpodcasts@thirteen.org. The content will be available here on the American Masters Web site and iTunes. Users can check back in these locations or subscribe to keep up to date with the newest episodes.

Adam Ippolito

Elephant’s Memory was a protest band of the 1960’s and 70’s in New York City’s East Village. The group became the Plastic Ono Elephant’s Memory Band after John and Yoko arrived on the scene in 1972 and asked them to be their backing band. Adam Ippolito played keyboard.

Download the MP3 or listen below.

Each podcast will consist of slightly edited interviews conducted for the film American Masters LENNONYC introduced by Susan Lacy, series creator and executive producer of American Masters and a producer of LENNONYC and Michael Epstein, director/writer of LENNONYC. New “episodes” will post weekly every Thursday until the Thursday after broadcast on November 22. The final episode will be a question and answer session using the best questions submitted by users via email at lennonycpodcasts@thirteen.org. The content will be available here on the American Masters Web site and iTunes. Users can check back in these locations or subscribe to keep up to date with the newest episodes.

Gary Van Scyoc

Elephant’s Memory was a protest band of the 1960’s and 70’s in New York City’s East Village. The group became the Plastic Ono Elephant’s Memory Band after John and Yoko arrived on the scene in 1972 and asked them to be their backing band. Gary Van Scyoc played bass.

Download the MP3 or listen below.

Each podcast will consist of slightly edited interviews conducted for the film American Masters LENNONYC introduced by Susan Lacy, series creator and executive producer of American Masters and a producer of LENNONYC and Michael Epstein, director/writer of LENNONYC. New “episodes” will post weekly every Thursday until the Thursday after broadcast on November 22. The final episode will be a question and answer session using the best questions submitted by users via email at lennonycpodcasts@thirteen.org. The content will be available here on the American Masters Web site and iTunes. Users can check back in these locations or subscribe to keep up to date with the newest episodes.

Roy Cicala

Roy Cicala worked for almost 20 years as a producer and sound engineer at Record Plant Studios in New York City. Known to be one of the best in his field, Cicala worked with John and Yoko all through the 1970’s. He was there and can attest to all of the madness and all of the magic as John put his music to tape.

Download the podcast here or listen below.

Each podcast will consist of slightly edited interviews conducted for the film American Masters LENNONYC introduced by Susan Lacy, series creator and executive producer of American Masters and a producer of LENNONYC and Michael Epstein, director/writer of LENNONYC. New “episodes” will post weekly every Thursday until the Thursday after broadcast on November 22. The final episode will be a question and answer session using the best questions submitted by users via email at lennonycpodcasts@thirteen.org. The content will be available here on the American Masters Web site and iTunes. Users can check back in these locations or subscribe to keep up to date with the newest episodes.

Elton John

After losing a friendly bet that “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night” would never go to number one (it did), John Lennon played his last live show with his good friend Elton John at Madison Square Garden in November, 1974.  John and Yoko always claimed that this concert was the catalyst for their reconciliation. In fact, when Sean was born a year later they ask Elton to be his godfather.

Download the podcast here or listen below.

Each podcast will consist of slightly edited interviews conducted for the film American Masters LENNONYC introduced by Susan Lacy, series creator and executive producer of American Masters and a producer of LENNONYC and Michael Epstein, director/writer of LENNONYC. New “episodes” will post weekly every Thursday until the Thursday after broadcast on November 22.  The final episode will be a question and answer session using the best questions submitted by users via email at lennonycpodcasts@thirteen.org.  The content will be available here on the American Masters Web site and iTunes. Users can check back in these locations or subscribe to keep up to date with the newest episodes.

Download the MP3 here or listen below.

Each podcast will consist of slightly edited interviews conducted for the film American Masters LENNONYC introduced by Susan Lacy, series creator and executive producer of American Masters and a producer of LENNONYC and Michael Epstein, director/writer of LENNONYC. New “episodes” will post weekly every Thursday until the Thursday after broadcast on November 22.  The final episode will be a question and answer session using the best questions submitted by users via email at lennonycpodcasts@thirteen.org.  The content will be available here on the American Masters Web site and iTunes. Users can check back in these locations or subscribe to keep up to date with the newest episodes.

Download the MP3 here or listen below.

Each podcast will consist of slightly edited interviews conducted for the film American Masters LENNONYC introduced by Susan Lacy, series creator and executive producer of American Masters and a producer of LENNONYC and Michael Epstein, director/writer of LENNONYC. New “episodes” will post weekly every Thursday until the Thursday after broadcast on November 22.  The final episode will be a question and answer session using the best questions submitted by users via email at lennonycpodcasts@thirteen.org.  The content will be available here on the American Masters Web site and iTunes. Users can check back in these locations or subscribe to keep up to date with the newest episodes.

Slated to appear on later podcasts are Bob Gruen, personal friend and Lennon photographer, Jim Keltner, drums on various Lennon/Ono albums, Elton John, musician, and Yoko Ono, multi-media artist and peace activist.

Download the MP3 or listen below.

Each podcast will consist of slightly edited interviews conducted for the film American Masters LENNONYC introduced by Susan Lacy, series creator and executive producer of American Masters and a producer of LENNONYC and Michael Epstein, director/writer of LENNONYC. New “episodes” will post weekly every Thursday until the Thursday after broadcast on November 22.  The final episode will be a question and answer session using the best questions submitted by users via email.  The content will be available here on the American Masters Web site and iTunes. Users can check back in these locations or subscribe to keep up to date with the newest episodes.

Slated to appear on later podcasts are Bob Gruen, personal friend and Lennon photographer, Jim Keltner, drums on various Lennon/Ono albums, Elton John, musician, and Yoko Ono, multi-media artist and peace activist.