May Pang

File:LenPangLimo.jpg

John Lennon & May Pang 1974.

May Fung Yee Pang (玫潘; born October 24, 1950) was hired as a personal assistant and production coordinator for John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1970. In 1973, Lennon and Ono separated and Lennon and Pang had a relationship that lasted over 18 months - a time that Lennon referred to as his "Lost Weekend." Although Pang continued to work for the Lennons until December 1975, she and Lennon reportedly had an off-and-on relationship (that was at times sexual) over a ten-year period from 1970 to 1980.

Biography

May Pang was the daughter of Chinese immigrants who lived in New York's Harlem and Spanish Harlem. After graduating from high school, she continued to college but realized after a year she was not happy with her studies.

She happened upon Apple Records, which was located in the same building where she was being interviewed for a job at another company. Pang was immediately hired as assistant at ABKCO Records, Allen Klein's management company which represented Apple Records and three former Beatles: John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. When the opportunity came to help Lennon and Ono with several film projects in December 1970, she was given the position to work with them whenever they needed her in New York or England. This eventually led to a permanent position as their personal assistant and production coordinator when the Lennons relocated permanently to New York in 1971.

The "Lost Weekend"

In the summer of 1973, Lennon and Ono were having marital problems and decided to separate. Ono informed Pang that she was to accommodate Lennon both as an assistant and a lover. Ono amusingly recounts this in an interview with Larry Kane in his 2005 book, Lennon Revealed.

In September 1973, Lennon and Pang left New York to live in Los Angeles for approximately 6 months, living mostly at the homes of friends and at a rented a beach house in Santa Monica in March 1974 with Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson and Keith Moon. Since John was producing Nilsson's Pussy Cats album at this time, he thought it would be a good idea for the musicians to live under one roof to ensure they'd all get to the studio on time.

Lennon also decided to collaborate with Phil Spector to record an album of oldies. Unfortunately, these alcohol-fueled recording sessions from December 1973 are legendary not for the music produced, but for the drunken chaos that ensued. The most famous incident was Spector firing a loaded gun in the studio control room, detailed in both Pang's 1983 memoir, Loving John (Warner Books) and in length by Mark Ribowsky in his Phil Spector biography, He's a Rebel (Tearing Down The Wall of Sound).

By March 1974, the party continued for Lennon and his drinking buddy, Harry Nilsson, with two infamous drinking incidents at The Troubadour which garnered international press (the first when John placed a Kotex on his forehead and scuffled with a waitress and, two weeks later, when Lennon and Nilsson were booted from the same club for heckling the Smothers Brothers). Lennon talks about both of these incidents in a 1975 Rolling Stone interview with Pete Hamill.

In April 1974, Lennon and Pang returned to live in New York City permanently, where Lennon stopped drinking and concentrated on his recording.

In the early summer of 1974, while Lennon was working on Walls and Bridges, the couple moved into a penthouse apartment where Lennon and Pang claim to have seen a UFO on their balcony. This is also where Lennon was famously photographed by Bob Gruen wearing a New York City tee shirt. The album Walls and Bridges features Pang's voice whispering Lennon's name as well as singing background vocals on the song "#9 Dream." Pang also says that Lennon's song, "Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox)," which was also included on this album, was written for her.

The period dubbed Lennon's "lost weekend" was also the most prolific period of Lennon's solo career. Pang continued her work as production coordinator of Lennon's many recording projects with credits on the albums' liner notes. These included albums by Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr, Elton John and David Bowie, as well as Lennon's Mind Games, Rock 'n' Roll, and his #1 hit album, Walls and Bridges. Lennon scored his only #1 single in his lifetime with Whatever Gets You Thru The Night. Pang received an RIAA gold record award for her work on Walls and Bridges.

Lennon and Pang saw Ono periodically, and received daily phone calls during the separation. In February 1975, Lennon and Ono reconciled. Soon after, Ono became pregnant with Sean Ono Lennon and Lennon remained in The Dakota with Ono until his death.

Although Lennon would publicly lament this period (rather diplomatically), privately it was a slightly different story. Noted journalist Larry Kane, who befriended Lennon in 1964 while covering the first Beatles U.S. tour, wrote a comprehensive biography of Lennon, Lennon Revealed, in 2005. Not only does the book fully and impartially explore the "lost weekend," Kane is the only biographer who interviews the two surviving parties, May Pang and Yoko Ono, specifically about this time. While both Pang and Ono bring new light (and confirmations) about this period, the most interesting comment on the subject comes from Lennon himself.

In May, 1975, three months after Lennon returned to Ono, Kane invited him to participate in a charity marathon weekend in Philadelphia. Lennon obliged and took a train down to Philly by himself. In this exchange with Kane, Lennon succinctly explains his feelings about this period:

"You know Larry, I may have been the happiest I've ever been," John explained to me in the limo of his time in L.A. "I loved this woman, I made some beautiful music and I got so fucked up with booze and shit and whatever."

I was puzzled. "Why did you return?"

"I love Yoko, too. Finding where you belong can be most difficult, if you know what I mean, young fellow.".

Later years

In 1983, Pang published her memoir, Loving John (Warner Books) to mixed reviews. Tired of being "airbrushed out of the Lennon history," Pang decided to set the record straight. Unfortunately, the original 500 page book which focused more on Pang's role on Lennon's albums and sessions was edited down to 300 pages which focused more on the salacious and sensational aspects of their relationship. Pang was forthcoming in her book, warts and all. In her book, Pang said that she and Lennon remained in contact until his death. She included few postcards Lennon had written to her from his travels throughout the world in the late 70s.

Pang later married record producer Tony Visconti, with whom she had two children, Sebastian and Lara. She is currently divorced and living with her children in New York. She creates an original line of Feng Shui jewelry that is available on her website.. Pang remains in touch with some of the people from her time with Lennon. She was invited by Paul McCartney to the memorial service for Linda McCartney. She stated at the time of McCartney's split from his second wife Heather Mills McCartney: "This separation will not stop Paul from being a good father, as he has always been." She was also an invited guest at The Concert for George in 2003 , and remains close to Cynthia, her husband Noel Charles and Lennon's first son, Julian Lennon.

In March 2008, Pang will release Instamatic Karma, a book of photographs taken by her during her time with Lennon.

External links

• May Pang: Lennon planned to visit McCartney in 1974
• May Pang Official Website
• Instamatic Karma Official Website

References

• Lennon, Cynthia (2006). "John". New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 030733855x. Retrieved 2007-08-15. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
• Kane, Larry (2005). "Lennon Revealed". New York,PA: Running Press. Retrieved 2007-08-16. {{cite book}}: Text "0762423641" ignored (help)
• Coleman, Ray (1992). Lennon: The Definitive Biography. New York: HarperPerennial Publishers. ISBN 0060986085. Retrieved 2007-08-13.