08.07
WINNER (DENNIS MEALOR) OF NATIONAL ART COMPETITION (GO-SET MAGAZINE 1970.
PRIZE: JOHN LENNON ALBUM FROM LENNON’S PERSONAL COLLECTION, SIGNED WITH CARTOON DRAWING BY LENNON.
In 1969 (or was it 1970?), Australian rock journo guru Ian (Molly) Meldrum interviewed John Lennon and Yoko Ono in England, for now legendary Australian rock magazine Go-Set. During the interview, Lennon gave Meldrum his latest record album “Plastic Ono Band – Live Peace in Toronto.” On Meldrum’s return to Australia, he put the album up for a prize in an art competition in Go-Set.The theme of the art comp. was “John and Yoko Doing Their Thing.”
The album is signed by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and the Plastic Ono band’s bass player Klaus Voormann. Voormann was also bass player on Lennon’s debut solo album “Mother”, as well as being the artist who did the cover art for the Beatles’ “Revolver” album. Significantly, as well as the signatures, the Lennon album also features a small rough piece of Lennon’s art in the top right hand corner. It depicts a cartoon of John and Yoko doing the finger peace sign. All this is written in blue ballpoint pen, and etched into the album cover’s clear plastic coating. The signing on the cover says, “To Ian [Molly Meldrum] love from John Lennon and Yoko Ono”, and also “Klaus Voormann.”
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I won the art competition with a cartoon strip about Lennon trying to win his album back (see below). I was 18 years old then, and on the dole. The day I won this certainly picked up my spirits, and to this day perks me up if I hit a flat spot. It came out of the blue, when I was quite down and out – and yet after I drew the cartoon strip, I felt that I was definitely going to win! The idea came to me in a half dream, one late morning when I was having trouble getting myself out of bed. I still have the album – record and cover – which of course is my pride and joy. It was badly framed for many decades as shown, and I am about to reframe it.