Tuesday 26 October 1976 | Travel | Singapore → Hong Kong
John Lennon flew from Singapore to Hong Kong on 26 October 1976, returning to the city near the end of a week-long private journey through Asia. He had arrived in Singapore on 22 October, after earlier time in Hong Kong and Macau.
Hong Kong was his final stop before the journey home. Lennon subsequently returned to New York, arriving on 27 October.
The trip also became part of his songwriting story. In a 1980 interview, Lennon connected an experience of separation and failed telephone contact with Yoko Ono to the feelings behind “I’m Losing You”.
The journey at a glance
| Date | Tuesday 26 October 1976 |
|---|---|
| Traveller | John Lennon |
| Departure city | Singapore |
| Destination | Hong Kong |
| Earlier Singapore arrival | 22 October 1976 |
| Journey home | Return to New York, arriving 27 October |
| Later musical connection | I’m Losing You, released on Double Fantasy in 1980 |
A return to Hong Kong
This was not Lennon’s first Hong Kong stop on the journey. The dated chronology begins with his travel from New York to Hong Kong on 19 October, followed by a visit to Macau and a move to Singapore.
The return on the 26th brought the Asian portion of the journey towards its close. It was a private trip, not a concert tour, so the itinerary should not be read as a sequence of performances or promotional appearances.
That distinction fits the wider period. Lennon had stepped away from regular record-making and public music-business activity, and his travels belonged to life outside a touring schedule.
The dated travel sequence
- 19 October 1976: travel from New York to Hong Kong.
- 21 October 1976: travel from Hong Kong to Macau.
- 22 October 1976: travel from Hong Kong to Singapore.
- 26 October 1976: flight from Singapore to Hong Kong.
- 27 October 1976: arrival back in New York from Hong Kong.
These entries identify the principal dated movements in the account. They do not supply an airline, flight number or exact departure time for the 26 October leg.
Travelling as a private individual
Lennon later described the journey as an opportunity to find a sense of himself outside the public role that had dominated his adult life. His recollection was not simply about visiting another city: it concerned the unfamiliar experience of managing ordinary travel without the usual framework around him.
He remembered looking over the bay in Hong Kong and recognising something of his earlier self, a person whose identity did not depend on applause or another hit record.
The account carries both discomfort and reassurance. Separation could feel alarming, but being away also offered a moment of recognition and independence.
The telephone call and I’m Losing You
In the interview published in the 29 September 1980 issue of Newsweek, Lennon spoke of being unable to reach Yoko by telephone and feeling cut off. He linked the song to an intense sense of loss.
He also described the more positive Hong Kong realisation, recalling that he eventually called Yoko with the greeting, Guess who. It’s me!
This is a later reflection on the journey, not a contemporary diary entry fixing every emotional episode to 26 October. The dated event here is the flight; the interview supplies the broader personal connection.
That separation keeps the chronology clear without losing the human reason the trip is remembered.
From the 1976 journey to Double Fantasy
“I’m Losing You” became part of Double Fantasy in 1980. It was not recorded during the Singapore-to-Hong Kong journey.
The official Double Fantasy account describes Lennon’s private travels during his years away from regular recording and places the song within the album’s less tranquil emotional passages.
Our 12 August 1980 recording article follows the later studio work on “I’m Losing You”, alongside “I’m Moving On” and “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)”.
Inspiration, composition and recording need not share a date. A memory from 1976 could contribute to a song developed and recorded years later.
Back to New York
After the Hong Kong return, Lennon headed home, reaching New York on 27 October. The Asian journey thus ended with a return to his family life rather than a new run of concerts.
The most useful way to remember the 26th is as a connecting date: the move from Singapore back to Hong Kong, immediately before the journey home, within a trip that later acquired musical significance.
Map: Singapore and Hong Kong
The map shows the two cities linked by this travel entry.
Frequently asked questions
Where did John Lennon travel on 26 October 1976?
He flew from Singapore to Hong Kong.
When had he arrived in Singapore?
On 22 October 1976, after earlier time in Hong Kong and Macau.
Was this a concert tour?
No. The account describes a private journey, not a run of musical performances.
When did Lennon return to New York?
He arrived back on 27 October 1976 after travelling from Hong Kong.
Which song is connected with the journey?
I’m Losing You. Lennon later linked its feelings of separation to an experience of being unable to reach Yoko by telephone.
Was I’m Losing You recorded in 1976?
No. The journey contributed to its later background; the Double Fantasy recording belongs to 1980.
Continue exploring: I’m Losing You recording, 12 August 1980 · On This Day in Beatles History.
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