Travel: John Lennon – Los Angeles to San Francisco – 21 May 1970
Thursday 21 May 1970 | John Lennon, Travel
Los Angeles to San Francisco, California, USA
John Lennon and Yoko Ono flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco on 21 May 1970. Since late April they had been undergoing primal therapy with Dr Arthur Janov at the Primal Institute in Los Angeles. The stated reason for the trip was to spread word about primal therapy and place an advertisement in the San Francisco Chronicle — though Lennon later admitted this was largely an excuse.
Primal Therapy
Lennon and Ono had begun primal therapy with Dr Arthur Janov at the Primal Institute in Los Angeles in late April 1970. Janov (1924–2017) was an American psychologist who had developed primal therapy — a form of psychotherapy based on the idea that neurosis is caused by repressed childhood pain, and that healing requires the patient to re-experience and express that pain, often through screaming. His book The Primal Scream had been published in 1970 and attracted wide attention.
The therapy had a profound effect on Lennon. His experiences during the sessions directly informed the raw, confessional character of his debut solo album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, recorded later in 1970. Songs including 'Mother', 'Working Class Hero', and 'God' reflect the emotional excavation of the primal therapy process.
Lennon on the San Francisco Trip
Lennon later reflected on the real motivation for the trip in an interview with Jann Wenner, published in Lennon Remembers (1971):
Well, I think that's something people go through at the beginning of that therapy, cause you're so astounded at what you find out about yourself, you think, surely this is something. Because it happens to you, you think, well this must be the first time it's happened. So I was just full of it, like that. Also, I need to have a reason for going somewhere, otherwise I'm too nervous. So I conned meself, and that was a good way of coming to San Francisco [laugh] to see you. Then I have an objective: I'm going to do an advert… Then we settle down, we just talk. So it's really like that. But I still think the therapy's great, but I just don't want to make it into a big Maharishi thing. You were right to tell me, 'Forget the advert.' And that's why I don't even want to talk too much about it. If people know what I've been through there, and if they want to find out, they can find out. Otherwise it turns into that again.
— John Lennon, Lennon Remembers, Jann S Wenner
The Limousine Incident
Jeff Jacobson and Marsha Williams, part-time employees of San Francisco limousine service Carey Systems, were sent to the airport to collect “Mr and Mrs Ghurkin” — though both had been told of the celebrity booking. At the airport, Jacobson approached and asked if “Mr Ghurkin” was, in fact, Lennon. “Yes, dammit, I am John Lennon,” he was told. “How the hell did you know?”
Lennon and Ono were each given a red carnation from the Carey Systems office, but Lennon took umbrage at Williams' informal dress. “How dare you bring this girl? She serves no function,” he told Jacobson. Williams left in tears. Carey's assistant manager Bob Higi placed a local ban on any further bookings from Lennon, telling the San Francisco Chronicle on 23 May 1970:
Careys elsewhere may give him a ride, but as for this office, we will hereafter refuse service to Mr. Lennon. The inconsistency of the man! His lovable image, and this rudeness, the very opposite. Why, he didn't even offer a tip.
— Bob Higi, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 May 1970
Dinner with Jann Wenner
In the evening, Lennon and Ono had dinner with Jann Wenner, founder and editor of Rolling Stone magazine. Wenner (born 1946) had founded Rolling Stone in San Francisco in 1967 and had built it into the most influential rock music publication in the world. The dinner was the beginning of a relationship that would produce one of the most celebrated interviews in rock journalism: the extended conversation published as Lennon Remembers in 1971, from which the quotation above is drawn. The following day, at Wenner's suggestion, Lennon and Ono checked out of the San Francisco Hilton and moved to a more private location.
Key Facts: 21 May 1970
- Travel: Los Angeles to San Francisco
- Reason given: To place an advertisement for primal therapy in the San Francisco Chronicle
- Actual reason: To visit Jann Wenner (Lennon's own admission)
- Therapy: Primal therapy with Dr Arthur Janov, Primal Institute, Los Angeles (from late April 1970)
- Alias used: Mr and Mrs Ghurkin
- Limousine company: Carey Systems, San Francisco
- Hotel: San Francisco Hilton
- Evening: Dinner with Jann Wenner, founder of Rolling Stone
- Limousine ban reported: San Francisco Chronicle, 23 May 1970
Frequently Asked Questions
What was primal therapy?
A form of psychotherapy developed by Dr Arthur Janov (1924–2017), based on the idea that neurosis is caused by repressed childhood pain. Healing required patients to re-experience and express that pain, often through screaming. Janov's book The Primal Scream was published in 1970. Lennon's experiences during therapy directly informed his debut solo album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.
What was Lennon Remembers?
An extended interview between John Lennon and Jann Wenner, conducted in late 1970 and published in Rolling Stone magazine before being collected as a book in 1971. It is one of the most celebrated interviews in rock journalism, covering Lennon's views on The Beatles, Yoko Ono, primal therapy, and his solo career.
Who was Jann Wenner?
The founder and editor of Rolling Stone magazine, established in San Francisco in 1967. Wenner built Rolling Stone into the most influential rock music publication in the world. He had dinner with Lennon and Ono on the evening of 21 May 1970.
Why did Lennon use the alias Mr Ghurkin?
To travel without attracting attention — a common practice for celebrities. The alias was not entirely effective: the limousine driver recognised him at the airport.
How did primal therapy influence Lennon's music?
The raw, confessional character of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970) directly reflects the emotional excavation of primal therapy. Songs including 'Mother', 'Working Class Hero', and 'God' are widely understood as products of the therapeutic process.
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