Forty years ago today, John Lennon released a very controversial record. Bob Dearborn tells the story at The Olde Disc Jockey's almanac, including how this led to Bob interviewing John & Yoko...
"April 24, 1972…John Lennon's controversial single, "Woman Is the Nigger of the World" was released in the U.S. The song reached #57 on the Billboard Hot 100, even though only two major radio stations – KDAY in Los Angeles and WCFL in Chicago – aired it. Yoko Ono originally uttered the phrase during a magazine interview in 1967 and John explained that he was making a point that women deserved higher status in society. In conjunction with the record's release and my station's decision to air it, your editor enjoyed a 20-minute interview on WCFL with John & Yoko regarding the new song, his thoughts on current music, why it was important for them to reach out to Mike Douglas' audience, and his post-Beatle life in New York. They couldn't have been more interesting, charming, engaging and compelling. It was a thrill for me and remains a highly cherished memory."
Dick Cavett also interviewed John & Yoko about the song, before they performed it live...
