Today is the 32nd anniversary of John Lennon’s first #1 hit in America. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night by Mr. Lennon was #1 for one week starting on November 16, 1974. John Lennon was the first of the Beatles to release a single when he released Give Peace a Chance in 1969 while he was still a member of the group. That is the same year the Beatles released The Ballad of John and Yoko. A few months later John released his next solo effort with Cold Turkey. The Beatles, mostly Paul, refused to do Cold Turkey so Lennon did it alone. Both songs where hits on the Billboard charts and entered the top 40 but neither were #1. Later he released his more commercial sounding single Instant Karma (We All Shine On) but it peaked at #3. His next single, Imagine, had more impact but it too peaked at #3.
When I researched this I was surprised to see Imagine only peaked at #3. It is probably John Lennon’s most popular song after he left the Beatles. I always thought it was #1.
While John had many previous attempts to top the charts and was the first Beatle to go out on his own, he was the last Beatle to top the Billboard charts with a solo effort. Yes, even Ringo beat John to the top. George Harrison was the first Beatle to reach #1 with My Sweet Lord/Isn’t It a Pity. Considering the legal battle over the song George may have wished it wasn’t a hit at all. The second Beatle to reach #1 was Paul McCartney with Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey. Some people might say that Paul was the last Beatle to have a #1 hit on the Billboard charts as he was usually billed with either his wife Linda or with his group Wings. If that is the case then Paul would be the last Beatle with a solo effort with the song Coming Up (Live at Glasgow). Perhaps we should say Mr. Lennon was the last to get a post-Beatles #1 hit. Ringo beat John to the #1 spot with Photograph in 1973.
Whatever Gets You Thru the Night was recorded for the Walls and Bridges album. At that time he was going through emotional stress from his separation from Yoko and battling the United States Immigration Service who was trying to have him deported. On the song he was joined by his friend Elton John. Elton was to play the piano, the organ and sing background. Elton’s voice comes through loud and strong, nearly over powering John on his own song. You could really call this a duet instead of a solo effort. Lennon said when they were done Elton was convinced it was a #1 hit record. John is quoted in the biography titled Lennon as saying “It would be nice but it’s not a number one.” Elton made a bet with John that if the song went to the top that Lennon would have to appear at Elton’s next concert to perform the song. John was so convinced that the song would not be that he agreed. The song entered the charts the last week of September of 1974. Seven weeks later it was #1.
John made good on his promise and appeared in concert with Elton on Thanksgiving night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Elton also asked John to perform Imagine but he turned him down. He said “I don’t want to come on like Dean Martin, doing my classic hits.” John was quoted as saying “I wanted to have some fun and play some rock ‘n’ roll. And I didn’t want to do more then three because it was Elton’s show.” The other two songs they did together were Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds and I Saw Her Standing There.
All of those songs with Elton were eventually released on record. They had taken on a historical significance. It was the last time John Lennon appeared to preform on stage.
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