Previously Unreleased John Lennon Cassette Interview Sold

A never before released cassette tape with an interview of John Lennon and Yoko Ono has been sold at auction at Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers for EUR 64.700 / USD 75.500 (including a buyer’s premium). Nineteen colour photos and 10 black and white photos taken during the interview were also included.

The tape was made during the couple’s winter visit to Thy in Northern Jutland in 1970. The 33-minute recording captures the conversation between the couple and the four 16-year-old Danish schoolboys who interviewed them, as well as a performance of the never-released song, Radio Peace.

The schoolboys were allowed to interview the couple for the local school magazine, and more than 50 years later they have sold the cassette tape recording of the interview.

The school friends recall that they persuaded their school principal at Skovgårdsskolen near Brovst to let them postpone their schoolwork to interview Lennon, after reading in the newspaper that he was in Northern Jutland.

Anthony Cox, Ono’s ex-husband, had moved to rural north Jutland in Denmark, bringing their five-year-old daughter, Kyoko with him. The custody rights were still unresolved, and Ono and Lennon travelled to Denmark to discuss the future of Kyoko. They were in Denmark for a month, and when the press found out, an official press conference was organised.

Due to severe weather conditions, a small group of journalists and the four students turned up late for the press conference. Lennon and Ono agreed to talk to them anyway, and the recording took place in an intimate setting with around 10 people in attendance.

The recording primarily consists of Lennon speaking. Journalists ask questions and Lennon answers these at length, occasionally joined by Ono. He speaks of the reason for being in Skyum Bjerge, how their art and music champions world peace and how everybody can contribute to world peace.

There is talk about the length of his hair, their micro-macro diet, how it was to perform with the Beatles, and the Beatle image. A student asks if they would consider recording blues music, to which Lennon replies that "all they play is blues".

At one point someone suggests a dance around the Christmas tree whilst singing a Danish Christmas carol (Lennon partly tunes in despite not knowing the lyrics).

A student asks whether Lennon would play the guitar, and he plays Radio Peace, followed by Give Peace A Chance.

One of the four schoolboys, Karsten Højen, was present at the auction. Now 68, he is still just as preoccupied with the message of peace that Lennon and Ono represented – a message that he wants to pass on by letting the cassette tape find a new owner.

"I am happy and surprised by the great hammer price achieved for the cassette tape,” he said.

“The meeting with John Lennon and Yoko Ono has had a great impact on our personal lives because we considered them as sort of political prophets and symbols of peace. I hope that the new owner will enjoy listening to our conversation and be inspired in the same way as we were 50 years ago.”

The tape is accompanied by several photographs from the meeting, which were taken by one of the boys, Jesper Jungersen.

"The unique experience and the commitment that has been among our employees to orchestrate the sale of the John Lennon tape, once again solidifies Bruun Rasmussen’s status as an international auction house that can not only procure the attention of the world press, but also international customers and impressive hammer prices," said Alexa Bruun Rasmussen, head of branding at Bruun Rasmussen.