New York City, New York
December , 1980
Even though his 'comeback' album with Yoko, Double Fantasy, had only been released weeks before, John was already working on new material for their next album. Tonight they'd been working on mixing Yoko's song 'Walking On Thin Ice' at the Record Plant Studio. They wanted to go out for dinner when they were done, but first they wanted to head home, tuck in Sean, who stayed up late just like them, and sign autographs for any fans that might be waiting outside the Dakota Apartments where they lived, right on Central Park.
At about 10:50 they got out of the limousine and walked in the front door. The doorman Jose Perdomo was the only one there, no fans that night. As they walked an intrusive memory came to Yoko of the night three and a half years previously when John woke up screaming with night terrors and said, "A ghost grabbed my soul." John had been feeling good about his life recently, but suddenly he had a feeling of optimism flood over him, a sense that his future was unlimited. Jose thought he saw a shadow behind Lennon, but when he looked more intently he figured it was a trick of the shadows, for nothing, no one, was there.
Around the world life went on. On the other side of the nation I was taking a late nap, it was only 7:50 there. Nothing disturbed me, no one woke me up with terrible news. I woke up about a half an hour later to an uneventful evening. Millions of Americans were watching the NFL Sunday Night Football game on ABC. The Patriots and the Dolphins were just seconds away from the end of the game, a tied game, and the Patriots were driving down the field to score and didn't make it. Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell excitedly announced the game as the Patriots failed to score and the game went into overtime where the Dolphins won. There was no reason to interrupt the game, no call had come from Roone Arledge, their superior and the head of the News Division, with terrible news that they had to inform the nation. The fans enjoyed the game, either upset the Patriots didn't make the drive or thrilled the game went into overtime.
Paul McCartney in London left the Oxford Recording Studio where he'd been working on material. No reporters were waiting for him. He quitely went home to join his family. The same wave of optimism that had swept over John, swept over him also.
Ringo Starr had had three narrow escapes from death in the last few years. In April of 1979 he had a serious problem related to his childhood peritonitis and had to be rused to the hospital in Monte Carlo where he almost died during the operation to remove some of his intestines. Later in November a fire destroyed his Hollywood home, but not him. Then in May of 1980 he and his new girlfriend, Barbara Bach, were in a terrible car accident in Surrey, England, but again he survived. His life was good. He and Barbara intended to marry and his film career was due for a boost with their recent film, Cavemen, to be released in a few months. But Ringo's emotions were not always up, due to his recent near death experiences. But suddenly the same emotion rushed over him. He'd survived! Life was good. The future was unlimited.
George Harrison was vacationing in Hawaii. It was late afternoon there. He and John had been alienated for a while and George had no interest in working with him or even seeing him. Suddenly he was filled witih a terrible grief, a sense that we could lose our loved ones at any time. He had to contact John, he had to reconcile. God would want it. Why are these petty material world issues keeping him and a man he loved apart? With that decision in a moment that made no sense that that moment had happened, George too felt the same feeling of optimism and hope.
He was working on a song for Ringo. He knew John was too. He'd contact him and see if they could record them together.
