That previously reported unheard John Lennon interview gets its first UK broadcast tomorrow. The interview, conducted by Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner, was recorded in December 1970, eight months after The Beatles split up. In it Lennon dispels his former band's clean cut image - no surprises there then - as well as criticising his former bandmates and rock rival Mick Jagger.
In the recording, Lennon likens The Beatles rock and roll lifestyle to the decadence of Rome, describing the band's behaviour whilst on tour: "If you couldn't get groupies, we had whores. Whatever was going. There were photos of me crawling round on my knees coming out of whorehouses in Amsterdam with people saying: 'Good morning, John.'"
He goes on to criticise his former collaborator Paul McCartney. "We got fed up of being sidemen to Paul after Brian Epstein died," he says. "Paul took over and supposedly led us. What's leading us when you wander round in circles? All our best work, apart from the really early ones like 'I Want to Hold Your Hand', were written apart." Lennon does, however, allow McCartney some credit, saying "he's capable of great work and he will do it." On George Harrison, he says "He was working with two brilliant songwriters and he learnt a lot from us."
Lennon dismisses rival Mick Jagger as "a joke", saying "I'd like to list what we did and what the Stones did two months later on every album. Mick imitates us." These comments, of course, precede the friendship that Mick Jagger claims developed between the two men in 1973, before being 'disallowed' by Yoko Ono.
The interview is broadcast tomorrow at 7pm on Radio 4.