The sun comes up
The sun goes down
The sun goes round
And round and round
The moon comes out
Behind the clouds
The clouds give in
And suddenly there's rain
Not enough to hurt the grain
Just enough to ease the pain
All I need is a bit of rain
WINTER 1973
While George Harrison was getting
curiouser and curiouser about that thing called spirituality, Ringo Starr was spending quality time with Elton John in Los Angeles.
But here comes
the sun a question:
When does a
crash pad become a
launching pad?
And there goes an answer:
For Rock&Roll superstars, that would be the "home" of another superstar, where life's necessities, amenities, recording equipment and pharmaceuticals would be boundless.
For Ringo and Elton, it was Harry's house but not Harry Chapin nor Harry Belafonte nor Harry the Horse. This was the Harry better known by his surname, NILSSON.
At this time, Mr. Nilsson's guest list included the likes of Paul McCartney, David Bowie, and Mick Jagger.
Please allow this graduate of the Lewis Carroll School of Logic to express himself in terms of what we called "classroom jargon."
Let it be Winter 19XY and you are in New York City.
Then, in addition to its beatitudes, the streets of Manhattan are full of snow and slush and flotsam and jetsam.
But if XY = 73 we can zero in on the Winter of 1973...
A telephone rings in a most luxurious dwelling on Central Park West.
The call is from La La Land and the caller is Richard Starkey, better known as Ringo Starr.
"Good morning, Yoko. I think I have the solution for the Johnny Problem."
"Richard, you must be referring to that thing in the living room having a loud dueling match with Phil Donohue."
"It is good to know that John is having company at the Dakota."
"Richard that is only true if you consider never turning off the television as 'having company.' But please tell me, Richard. What is the solution to the Johnny Problem?"
One hour later, Yoko was on the phone with her travel agent while her most reliable and experienced assistant hurriedly packed five suitcases. John Lennon was too busy yelling at the television to get involved with another set of Samsonite.
The assistant had packed enough John&Yoko suitcases that she could competently perform the task blindfolded.
Yoko's saying nothing about the destination came as no surprise to the assistant but "two travellers instead of three" was not a customary arrangement. Yoko was staying home where she needed an environment of "problem-free" behavior.
Chauffeurs, chartered planes, and more chauffeurs would safely get the pair to Harry's house.
Yoko Ono did not know the difference between Nilsson and the Nislson Ratings but, according to her mindset, delivering John Lennon to Ringo Starr would be like having Mother Theresa babysit for a troubled child.
*
Please allow this Lewis Carroll student to quote from one of his Variable Philosophy
professors. The information above "may or may not be pure fact but might as well be."
However, there is a foreshadowing pun within that quote because the person referred to as the
assistant is the woman most intimately involved with John Lennon's LOST WEEKEND. Her name is
May Pang
To put her significance in perspective, imagine a photographer with a front row seat at the Crucifiction who publishes a book called "The Last Weekend."
Sometime during or after John's wild and wildly productive "weekend," he referred to Harry Nilsson as his
favorite American artist.
May Pang is seated between Lennon and Nilsson
Holy Schmacaroni!
Photo on left...text on right.
Isn't that how this page began?
The first half of the title (and the parenthetical suffix) are self-explanatory but who exactly are the four Liverpoodles?
According to George Harrison's post-humous autobiography,
Paul Is Not Dead But I Am, he tells a tale about a pre-historic, undocumented and poorly-attended Beatles performance at the Cavern Club in their hometown of Liverpool.
At the end of the night, Paul and Ringo harmonized barking sounds for an audience of empty chairs & Tables. John shouted "We're going to the dogs but we're shrinking."
To which I added
"And changing our names to the Four Liverpoodles."
If the rain comes they run and hide their heads
They might as well be dead.
If the rain comes, if the rain comes.
When the sun shines they slip into the shade
And sip their lemonade.
When the sun shines, when the sun shines.
Rain, I don't mind.
Shine, the world looks fine.
Blogger's Notes
Curiouser and curioser is straight outta
Alice in Wonderland
The Lewis Carroll
Variable Philosophy professor quoted above is the late great matriarch, Etta Seamster.
