Abbey Road Visitor

It's very well known that once John and Yoko got together and became inseparable, Yoko was a constant presence in the studio while The Beatles were making music. Paul, George, and Ringo weren't exactly thrilled with this new thing John was doing - the recording studio was their sanctuary. It was one thing with George Martin, Geoff Emerick, Brian Epstein, Neil Aspinall, and Mal Evans were looming around (after all, they were working!) but having someone sit there, day after day, barely doing anything (to her credit, Yoko did bring along an "activity bag" to keep herself occupied when boredom comes). Prior to Yoko's presence, the wives and girlfriends have visited the studio. Maybe the whole day happened rarely. I would say both Linda and Pattie came the most, followed by Maureen, then Cynthia, and finally Jane when no working commitments. If there by chance, they would sing backing vocals. I mentioned in my previous post The Hidden Singer of the Lennons that Cynthia sang backup on Yellow Submarine; unfortunately at the time I didn't find this particular quote I had wanted to use. The great news is I have recently found the quote from the article I was looking for... 7 years later since I last wrote about Cynthia singing. As well as some more additional quotes and information while I am on the subject. Better late than never.

In May of 1972, Cynthia apparently was willing to have a singing career while married to Roberto Bassanini at the time. In media reports then, it was rumored that John was willing to produce her album.... obviously not. I'm sure Cynthia was willing to put herself out there as a singer, but that dream went nowhere for a little over 20 years. However, while married to John Twist and running Oliver's Twist, Cynthia dabbled in songwriting with Angie McCartney playing the piano. I believe that was more of a lark than serious business. Fast forward to the 1990s when Cynthia was soon approached to record a single:

"It was a German record company trying to poach my son Julian for their label.  I was just telling them I couldn't help when Jim told them I would be willing to make a record.  At first it all seemed a bit of a joke.  I had only sung once before, and that was just in the backing vocals for Yellow Submarine."

Cynthia, 1995

"I was a good friend of Mary and was present when the song was recorded. I always thought the song was for an older woman and I hope I do it justice."

Cynthia, 1995

Hmm, that sounded puzzling - the song was recorded by Mary on July 28, 1968 and was produced by Paul McCartney. By then John and Cynthia had already broken up and John was running around with Yoko. Unless Paul invited Cynthia to Abbey Road Studios to watch the sessions, I don't think so. Yet, then again, I wasn't there, Cynthia was. Anyway, let's continue on:

"I was a little surprised when I heard that Cynthia had recorded the song. But I wish her all the best."

Mary Hopkin, 1995

"It was so exciting to be doing what I had watched others do for years.  I spent so much time in the studio in the early Beatles days and even sang in the chorus of Yellow Submarine.  Now singing is something for me.  I know there will be all kinds of criticism, but at this stage in my life I don't care.  I don't seriously imagine I will be a pop star, but its not bad for someone who hasn't sung properly since she was in a church choir aged 13."

Cynthia, 1995

Ringo Starr, Neil Aspinall, and Cynthia arriving at EMI/Abbey Road Studios on August 11, 1964.

I don't know exactly when Cynthia first visited EMI/Abbey Road Studios - it certainly wasn't before February of 1964 because Cynthia didn't meet George Martin until they were both in Miami, so it's safe to know that after the first US visit, Cynthia started visiting her husband working on new songs in a recording studio. I don't know if she visited during A Hard Day's Night, but definitely Beatles For Sale.

Cynthia was present when The Beatles worked on Baby's In Black on August 11, 1964. The following year, Cynthia took John's sisters, Julia and Jacqui, to watch The Beatles record Day Tripper (on October 16, 1965) and We Can Work It Out (recorded on October 20, 1965) during their visit from Liverpool.

"While John and the boys got to work in the studio, Jacqui, Cynthia, and I  were shown into the control room. We were joined by producer George Martin and his chief engineer Normal Smith who had been out on the floor making last-minute adjustments to the amps and microphones."

Julia Baird (John Lennon My Brother, 1985)

On June 1, 1966, Cynthia, along with Mal Evans, Neil Aspinall, George Martin, Geoff Emerick, Pattie Harrison, Brian Jones, Marianne Faithfull, and Alf Bicknell, sang backup vocals on Yellow Submarine. Unfortunately, Cynthia is often overlooked on credit while everyone else got named but according to both herself and Pattie, Cynthia did indeed sang backup (and I believe them) as I posted earlier. 

In December of 1966, Pete Shotton came to Weybridge to surprise John, but he wasn't home. Cynthia told Pete John was still at the recording studio, recording Sgt. Pepper. Pete decided to surprise John there and, despite his unfamiliarity getting around London, Cynthia provided him with excellent directions. During the recording of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Cynthia accompanied Mike and Phyllis Nesmith to EMI/Abbey Road Studios to watch The Beatles and an orchestra worked on A Day in the Life (already posted on Hey, Hey, With The Monkees on February 10, 1967.

Cynthia and John leaving the recording studio on March 3, 1967

Photographed by Denise Werneck

On March 3, 1967, The Beatles started work at 7 PM on the brass section of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the basic track of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. The session ended at 2:15 AM. Cynthia was there and was seen wearing John's black cape when leaving.

Tony Barrow, Judith Sims (editor of Teen Set magazine), Terry Doran, and Cynthia sitting on the sidelines while The Beatles worked on March 29, 1967

Photographed by Leslie Bryce

John and Cynthia leaving EMI/Abbey Road Studios in the early hours of March 30, 1967

On March 29, 1967, The Beatles worked on Good Morning Good Morning, Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!, and With A Little Help From My Friends. Judith Sims reported that Cynthia had recently dyed her hair as ash blonde. Session end times varied: some say 2:45 AM and others say 5:45 AM.

"Yoko being in the studio a lot was a new thing. It was all new. We're very Northern: the wives stayed at home and we went to work - we dug coal and they cooked dinner. It was one of those flat-cap attitudes which we were losing by then. I think if Maureen came to the studio 5 or 6 times that would be about it, and in all the years Pattie came several times at the most. I don't remember Cynthia coming much when she was married to John. It was just something that didn't happen. And suddenly we had Yoko in bed in the studio."

Ringo Starr

Life With a Beatle

"Well, John's married to a non-celebrity, so there you go."

Paul McCartney, 1964

"You can't just erase so many years of living together or the memories."

Cynthia, 1990

John, Julian, and Cynthia at home on the dining room’s floor in Kenwood, Spring of 1965.

Photographed by Henry Grossman

When Cynthia became John's wife, she must have known right from the start that John wouldn't be home often. John started to "tour" outside of Liverpool since around 1959, 1960 - still early on in his relationship with Cynthia. Understandably, Cynthia got it, but it wasn't an easy thing. She wasn't alone: Julian, her mother, housekeeper Dot, Maureen, Pattie, family members, friends, the lot. But they weren't John. But, like their parents before, both fathers Alfred and Charles were part of the merchant sea men, they were gone a lot... (it destroyed Alfred's marriage to Julia yet for Charles he returned home to Lillian and became a commercial salesman... Cynthia had her dad, John did not) and I suppose that's what it felt like for Cynthia: if her mother could live through that than so can Cynthia! In this blog entry, we're going to take a look into life with a Beatle during the touring years of 1964-1966, as well as 1967, on what their relationship was like. 

According to The Beatles press officer Tony Barrow, when he and John drank Scotch at the Speakeasy Club, John mellowed away his Beatle persona and revealed the husband/father side of himself: discussing his deep love for Cynthia, needing her support, and his shame for missing out the majority of Julian's childhood. This showed Tony how normal John's instincts over his family were, how caring he was, and he did care what Cynthia thought or said. Yet despite this, Tony still believed that John and Cynthia were never made to last... Well, he was right as they didn't last. 

"Well, she's beautiful, you know, and what people don't know is how smart she is. No matter what's happening, you know, she's always there for me."

John, 1964

"In two years I went from a bedsit in Liverpool to a mansion in Surrey with gardeners and chauffeurs and a housekeeping allowance of £50 a week. It was enough to blow anybody's mind."

Cynthia, 2000

Overall, their relationship was a good relationship, John and Cynthia were happy at this point. Everything was new and exciting, meeting celebrities, getting to go to exclusive parties, eating luxurious food, riding in a Rolls Royce, and living in a mansion. For John, he definitely saw himself as the breadwinner, going on tours, and risking his life by getting pulled in all sorts of directions - physically and mentally. 

"He'd go from one thing to another, from his notepad to the piano, and then he'd listen to music, gawp at television, and read newspapers. He was basically dropping out from what was happening, thinking about things, and resting. Everything he was doing outside the home was pretty high-powered."

Cynthia, 1987

John, Julian, and Cynthia at home on the dining room’s floor in Kenwood, Spring of 1965.

Photographed by Henry Grossman

By 1966, The Beatles were tired of it. Screaming fans wore off the excitement, the press questions were ridiculous and repetitive, there were also serious talks with the Vietnam war and segregated protests. The sound system to perform sucked, technology isn't is then as it is today with special effects and tape loops to help along the live music... The Beatles couldn't perform anything from Revolver then as they could now. The fun wore out. They wanted to be home and in the studio. 

I am getting a little ahead of myself here. By now, after A Hard Day's Night, John's marriage was now well known, Julian now publicly existed, they settled into Kenwood, and can be an abnormal yet happy family. There were problems - mostly John being out of date on the things going on, particularly Julian. John would leave a baby who couldn't roll over and then arrive home to a toddler that can run around independently. I'm sure that was a bit troubling and had to adjust quickly. I'm sure John felt pangs of sadness that he wasn't able to see Julian's milestones himself (like first steps, first day of school). 

"It was hard for him to come to terms with what was going on at home."

Cynthia, 1999

"As John said, 'Life what happens to you when you're busy making other plans'. The years that followed were so intense that whatever was around the Beatles had to be just totally supportive of them. It didn't bother me, I was very happy to be in the background. I was never one for the limelight, although life changed that for me. John wasn't difficult to live with through it all. We got on like a house on fire. There were inevitable stresses because he was so tired and pressured by all the work that was being done."

Cynthia, 1995

"We had no problems at home. We were two people living in the best way we could under the circumstances. We really didn't have a cross word."

Cynthia

"As far as our marriage was concerned, we got on great. It wasn't the greatest whizzo-active relationship, and once he became a Beatle we didn't go out much and see the sights as husband and wife. But we had holidays with other Beatles and we were strong as a unit in that home."

Cynthia

"I suppose I could have but even when I was living in the mansion in Weybridge, I never blew my money. Sheets and shoes were my only luxury. John and I both came from comfortable homes but he never knew the love and support that there was in my family. So when the whole Beatles thing happened I kept my feet on the ground while he went off on some kind of lunar trajectory."

Cynthia, 2000

"During my first travels with the Beatles in 1964, John was eager to talk about his familyof three. When the subject turned to Cynthia, his eyes, always mysterious and rarely revealing of his mood, would sparkle and dance."

Larry Kane, Journalist 

"It was never an easy marriage... During their time together, I often visited them at Kenwood, John's luxurious house in Weybridge, and it was a much more equal relationship than it is portrayed in any numerous biographies. Certainly, Cynthia liked her sleep and used to go to bed early, which left John to go off into London and behaved like any self-respecting rock star would. But Cynthia was nothing like the clinging wifey that people who have never met the couple seem to imagine. And John was nothing like the rakish, thoughtless, faithless husband."

Alistair Taylor

Q: Do you trust anybody implicitly? (Interview, September 1966)

"Only the other three, and my wife." John 

"As far as I can tell you, we were all friends, we were a group, we were friends and they were playing music together, and happily as far as I know. As with any other sort of relationship, they had their ups and downs. They were only kids. They were just close friends. I can’t say brothers, no. I wouldn’t say that, but very good friends with the same thing in common: music."

Cynthia, 1982

John, Julian, and Cynthia at home on the dining room’s floor in Kenwood, Spring of 1965.

Photographed by Henry Grossman

 By 1966, things were drastically changing. John was getting deeper into drugs, mostly LSD and marijuana. Cynthia didn't do drugs and their relationship started to drift. After The Beatles stopped touring, instead of getting closer, they actually drifted apart. In 1967, Hunter Davies spent some time with them while writing his authorized biography on The Beatles (published in 1968, after John and Cynthia got divorced): on one particular evening, two salesmen came to the door and had an exchange with John while Cynthia made dinner (a slice of melon, cold meat, mash potatoes, and cauliflower). Dinner was served at 6:30. John decided to be a vegetarian and didn't eat the meat. They drank milk (to which Cynthia confirmed that was their dinner beverage). John was having a problem with his tooth, a filling was coming out. When John decided to get a helping of milk from the refrigerator, he drank from the bottle to which Cynthia thought it wouldn't be good for his tooth... I'm wondering if that's the same tooth John pulled out and gave it to their housekeeper, Dot? The tooth went up for auction after her death in 2014, and a dentist bought it. While eating, they watched television with John or Cynthia getting up to change the channel (before the remote control) as they never seem to agree on any programs for more than 10 minutes. After dinner, John continued to stare abstracted while Cynthia read the Daily Mirror and Julian started to draw. Julian would chatter away and narrated whatever he was drawing while John and Cynthia smiled at him. Then Cynthia cleared up dinner, John and Julian went outside for some fresh air. John sat on a step by the pool while Julian threw some oars in and took them out of the pool before going back in the house. Terry Doran arrived, Julian sat on his knee. It was his bedtime, so Cynthia jokingly asked if Julian wanted either Terry or John to put him to bed. Julian picked Terry but Cynthia ended up putting him to bed. Meanwhile, John and Terry shared a joint. Cynthia returned and they watched television until midnight when Cynthia made hot cocoa. Terry left, John and Cynthia went up to bed; John wanted to read this book someone gave them that Cynthia wanted to read first. That was the average evening route of the Lennon family. Cynthia did noticed a change in John: more nicer, quieter, more tolerant, but still doesn't communicate much. Because he wasn't touring anymore in 1967, John tried to get up more earlier than 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Out of the Beatles, I think John was the most laziest and being a homebody - to which I can relate... maybe it's a Libra thing? Sure, we can go to work, travel, etc. but overall staying at home, puttering around, and not being too social the day away is the typical way to live. 

"Perhaps I'm being selfish. It's just easier for me if he tells me things."

Cynthia, 1968

"I don't have to go anywhere now, perhaps a club now and again. Cyn cons me into it. We went to some opening night, some old friend. David Jacobs was everywhere. I went with George. He realized what was going to be like the minute we got to the door but I didn't. I looked round and he'd gone. He never even went inside. But I was in and was stuck. It was horrible."

John, 1968

It was hard to go out now that John was famous and can get recognized. The place, like a movie theater or a shopping department store, would have to be notified in advance so they could empty out or after hours of closing time to let The Beatles shop in peace. 

"But we can't do a simple thing together as a family, like going for a walk. It's terrible. Sometimes I wish it had never all happened."

Cynthia, 1968

Another thing that's been going on was John's habit of zoning out, especially when he watched television. Cynthia would talk to him, but he wouldn't respond. Some commentators would say that he was ignoring her, yet Cynthia didn't mind. George also had the same habit: Pattie would talk to him while George's mind would be zoning elsewhere. Both women chalked it up to song creativity.

"Sometimes I would start to talk and he'd [George] be so deep in thought about the lyrics or the melody he was writing that he was writing that he wouldn't answer. We'd be in the same room but he wasn't really with me: he was in his head. Most of the time I didn't mind. I'd think, Oh, good, he's writing a new song - he was always happiest when he was being creative."

Pattie Boyd, from her book Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me, 2007

"When John wasn't working he lay on the sofa, apparently watching the TV - which he liked to keep permanently switched on - but often a million miles away, lost in a daydream. I'd talk to him and he wouldn't hear me. This was nothing new: he had always been able to 'tune out' his surroundings and the busier his life became the more often he was 'present but absent'. I didn't mind: it was his way of coping with the stresses of his life, and these 'absent' moments were a vital part of the creative process. After an hour or two he'd often get up, go to the piano and start writing a song."

Cynthia, from her book John, 2005

"If I am on my own for three days, doing nothing, I almost leave myself completely. I'm just not here. Cynthia doesn't realize it. I'm up there watching myself, or I'm at the back of my head. I can see my hands and realize they're moving, but it's a robot who's doing it."

John, 1968

Here's a conversation John had with Tony Barrow, year unknown:

"Should we have waited, do you reckon? If Cyn hadn't been pregnant, would I have married her? If the Beatles get really big, maybe I could have a Hollywood film star for a wife!" John

Q: I think one famous person in the family was enough

"We can always have a film star or two as well, can't we? I'd hate to come home to an empty place. I couldn't live on my own" John

Q: You know, you love your own company. Even Cyn says you can go for days without speaking to her. She feels a million miles away from you.

"Ah, but she's not, is she? She's in the kitchen putting the kettle on." John

Cynthia and John at the the launch of The Beatles' Apple Boutique at Baker Street in London, England on December 5, 1967

"She was a really nice girl. I lived just down the road from John and Cynthia in Weybridge. We’d take the kids out — their son Julian, and Zak my eldest. Everyone thinks we were in this cage, but we would live semi-normal lives. If the locals know you, it’s okay. We’d have bonfire night. John would have Julian on his lap and I’d have Zak. Cynthia was a caretaker in many ways. If you were crazy she’d say, ‘Come and sit over here,’ and she’d talk you down.”

Ringo Starr, 2015

"He was definitely on a different planet during the making of Sgt. Pepper. Although for a time the drugs were part of it... I think the drugs destroyed a lot of his creativity."

Cynthia

"Creatively, it’s very difficult to say. I think drugs were an escape at the time. And that’s my view, and they were still – no matter what they did, as far as drugs were concerned, I think they were creative in themselves. So the creativity would still be there. It might be heightened or lessened – but they were still very creative."

Cynthia, 1982

*That’s true. That’s true, because they evolved together from such an early age and they went through so much together, that I think it would be impossible. It was impossible, really."

Cynthia, 1982

"I think those years were our growing years, growing into individuals. And John's path was a different path to mine."

Cynthia, 1995

"Of course there were terrible moments but my life has been fascinating. I lived through a crazy, chaotic and unique part of history and I have a beautiful son because of my marriage to John Lennon."

Cynthia, 1980

"Cynthia was also out a good deal, especially in the evenings, and I soon noticed with surprise how very little time she and John spent in each other's company. In fact such was the irregularity of their respective comings and goings that they had agreed that whoever came home last would sleep in the guest room so as not to disturb the other. The master bedroom, which they normally shared, was actually a vast room on the first floor housing a massive eight-foot double bed and a sunken bath at the far end, and it was here that John loved to lie in till late in the morning. I observed very few dialogues between John and Cynthia, and the only conversation which struck me as significant took place in the study when they were sharing a drink with Freddie and myself from the 'globe' cocktail cabinet. John, spawled out unceremoniously across one of the plush velvet armchairs, was clearly in one of his uncompromising moods. And when the discussion turned to diet, he announced bluntly to Cynthia 'You're getting pretty fat, aren't you?' The tone of the comment was far from jocular, and the recriminating glance which Cynthia threw back at him confirmed to Freddie and myself that things were far from good between them. But in spite of the isolation Cynthia seemed contented and her daily routine was well organized. She was still meditating- a legacy from the Maharishi- and claimed that it was only by meditation that she was able to withstand the pressures she inevitably faced as the wife of a superstar. It certainly must have worked for her as she was always a very calm and serene woman."

Pauline Lennon Stone, Alfred's widow

"Yoko had 10 years and I had 10 years and I would rather have had the 10 years I had than the ones she did. I had the raw talent and the raw human being, before the sycophants arrived."

Cynthia, 2000

“I knew the man up until our divorce – after that I didn’t know the man, but it didn’t stop me caring about him and worrying because of the complete change that I saw in him. He’d lost his sense of humour and he got aggressive; he wasn’t for the world any more, he was just for Yoko. Before that he opened his arms and embraced the world with his wit and humour – afterwards he was a completely different kind of person.”

Cynthia, 2005

Battie the Beautiful Flimsy Butterfly

Pattie, Cynthia, and George in his home in Surrey, Spring of 1965

Photographed by Henry Grossman

Pattie and Cynthia met in March of 1964 while The Beatles were filming A Hard Day's Night. Pattie was in the cast as a schoolgirl; Cynthia occasionally visited the set. By the end of the month, George and Pattie were a couple. The foursome attempted to take their first vacation together in Ireland, but the press was very interested in George's new girlfriend so the vacation was cut short. In May, they tried once again to take a vacation to Tahiti (already posted) with much success to be away from fans and the media scrutiny. During this Tahitian holiday Cynthia and Pattie got to know each other. Pattie and Cynthia shared a tight bond a year later (1965) when they shared the first LSD experience; their dentist invited them and their Beatle companions over for dinner and served after dinner tea, with sugar cubes laced with LSD without their knowledge. It definitely proved to be a tight bond between John and George. In Pattie's autobiography, she wrote that she found it hard to get along with Cynthia as they had little in common. Don't get Pattie (and me) wrong: they did get along very well and I never heard anything ugly between them, no fights, no problems other than how much they didn't have much in common. Which is true, Pattie isn't wrong. Cynthia was almost 5 years older than Pattie. Cynthia had a serious personality while Pattie liked to giggle with her girlfriends. Cynthia was the youngest of her siblings; Pattie was the oldest. Pattie came from a divorced family; Cynthia did not. Pattie had a career; Cynthia did not. It's basically oil and water- impossible to mix together. The only thing Cynthia and Pattie had in common was being in a relationship with a Beatle. Pattie felt Cynthia behaved more like a mother than as a wife to John (yet it's okay for Yoko? John used to call her Mother! Little hypocritical if you ask me). Pattie would occasionally take Cynthia along on shopping trips, but for the most part Pattie would let Cynthia be in her own devices... besides, Cynthia was more closer and relatable with Maureen. Oddly enough, Cynthia and Pattie were closer in age than Cynthia was from Maureen by almost 7 years but I think Maureen had a very similar upbringing as Cynthia and both knew The Beatles as unknowns. 

"Pattie and I got on famously. She was friendly bubbly character, a great girl full of fun and boundless enthusiasm, very childlike but in no way immature. She always reminded me of a very beautiful flimsy butterfly. I envied her, her figure, her dress sense and her confidence. Whenever fashions changed Pattie was in there first with all the right gear, looking beautiful as ever. George, I thought, was a lucky fellow. Pattie handled George very well considering their different backgrounds. George's northern bluntness and lack of tact must have been hard to come to terms with in comparison with the smooth southern sophistication of the escorts she would have previously experienced. I liked Pattie very much and it was lovely to have female company once more."

Cynthia, from her book A Twist of Lennon, 1978

"She was blond, beautiful and a sophisticated Londoner, like Jane Asher. But, like the rest of us Beatles girls, she was friendly, too, and easy to get on with. The two Liverpool girls, Maureen and I, and the two London girls, Jane and Pattie, got on well from the beginning. We were all living through the same thing and it was wonderful to have friends to share it with. From the start, it was obvious that Pattie and George were serious, and we were all pleased for them. The other three Beatles were all in happy relationships and until now George had been on his own.

Pattie and I were becoming close friends. I admired her gorgeous figure and perfect fashion sense, and I think she enjoyed the company of someone who'd been with the Beatles from the beginning and knew the ropes. John and George had an easy, comfortable relationship and they headed for the beach while Pattie and I went shopping."

Cynthia, from her book John, 2005

"I liked Cynthia, but of all the Beatle wives and girlfriends I found her the most difficult to make friends with. She and I came from such different backgrounds; she had no career, she was a young mother, and we had no point of reference apart from our attachment to a Beatle. She wasn't like my friends, who enjoyed a giggle and some fun: she was rather serious, and often, I thought, behaved more like John's mother than his wife. I tended to leave her to her own devices but invited her to join me for shopping. I think she felt a bit out of her depth in the smart, sophisticated circles in which the Beatles were now moving in London. And I don't think it helped that John thought I looked like Bridget Bardot, or that I got on so well with him."

Pattie Boyd, 2007

"Cyn, Maureen, and Pattie developed a mutual closeness and understanding that almost paralleled that of the Beatles themselves. The odd woman out was Paul’s fiancé, Jane Asher, an aristocratic London redhead who seemed to feel that she was cut from somewhat finer cloth than the other Beatle ladies."

Pete Shotton, 1983

"When Cynthia, Maureen, and Pattie got together it was usually in the kitchen, for many cups of tea or coffee if it was middle of the day or several bottles of win if it was the afternoon. There were two main types of topic for discussion among this close-knit clique: family gossip that circulated solely within The Beatles' own tight inner circle and the wider issues that arose from sometimes scandalous rumors that was rife among the group's fans. I saw this group as the glue that helped to hold The Beatles' marriages together at least for the time being. To share happiness and sorrow, success and disappointment, was a good way of patching up the cracks as soon as they appeared. As part of such a warm and secure little group they felt more at ease than if they had been dealing with the traumas and crises of their extraordinary lives on their own. But for the sharing of information on the perks, pitfalls, problems, and sheer insanity of successfully partnering a Beatle, the womanfolk might have teetered on the brink of despair or simply broken free even sooner than they did. It is to their credit that these faithful first partners kept their lives so private over the years. The media would have agreed to almost any conditions to get their individual stories, but I was never allowed to fix any interviews or photo shoots for the women other than at general photo calls for show business functions or exclusive pictures to mark weddings and births."

Tony Barrow, 2005

Pattie and Cynthia

Both Cynthia and Pattie have said that Cynthia felt out of her depth while living in London, perhaps a little envious of Pattie for being a model and being able to socialize with upper class society. However, I do think the closest Cynthia and Pattie were was in 1967 when it seemed they were almost inseparable and it was during the time Maureen was expecting her second child (Jason); While their husbands worked on Sgt. Pepper, Pattie and Cynthia went on a quick weekend getaway to Paris. During the Maharishi period while in India, Pattie and Cynthia were there from the start until the abrupt end- Maureen lasted 10 days because she couldn't stand the insects and Jane wasn't all that interested. By the end of 1968, Pattie and Cynthia had barely any interaction after Cynthia as divorce from John. There were very few encounters (including a housewarming party Cynthia threw with her new husband Roberto Bassanini) until around 1973 when a communication mishap brought them together: their phone lines happened to crossed and Cynthia recognized Pattie's voice... Ah, I remember that... before cell phones. Occasionally while talking to someone on the "landline", I would hear a 3rd party cutting in. It did happened. Anyway, that mishap helped mend their friendship and they got together before Cynthia took Julian to America to reconnect him with John. By that time, Pattie's marriage with George was over and she took on another whirlwind adventure with Eric Clapton until 1989. During her marriage to Eric, Pattie and Cynthia saw each other at a Nordoff-Robbins Musical Therapy Trust charity event in London in June of 1985 after several years of distance. They were also at another charity event in 1988 with Ringo and his wife Barbara Bach. After Pattie divorced Eric, I believe the next public appearance was the London premiere of Backbeat in March of 1994. In November of 2009, Cynthia and Pattie held a joint book event for their autobiographies in Yerevan, Armenia. Their last known public appearance together was in September of 2010 for Julian's first photography exhibition, Timeless, in New York City. Until Cynthia's death in 2015, they kept in touch and saw each other while in their vicinity. Whenever they see each other, it's like no time had passed and I do think there was more public and private gatherings that I either don't know about or it's not coming to me for the moment, however take my word for it. After Cynthia's death, it's obvious that Pattie does miss Cynthia very much and thinks of her fondly and caring. 

“On and off when we’re in the vicinity. It’s so difficult to catch anyone. If I’m here in London, Maureen’s in Los Angeles, and Pattie’s somewhere else. It’s a miracle when we do get together. But when we do, it seems time has stood still.” 

Cynthia, 1991

“We have survived. We have lost so many people along the way.” 

Cynthia, 2009 

John, George, and Pattie in India, 1968

While I'm on the subject of Pattie, I might as well dive in a bit on the relationship between her and John: Overall they liked each other. When Pattie had a recurring eye sty during both vacations to Ireland and Tahiti, John teased her. His nickname for her was 'Battie'. There had been numerous reports that John and Pattie had an affair- I think it sparked from the Magical Mystery Tour dress up party as Pattie was dressed like a belly dancer and John was all over her, dancing. However, Pattie always deny it, even after Cynthia's death, and I do believe her.

"There was a rumor- I don't know where it came from- that John and I had an affair, and I suppose Cynthia may have believed there was something in it. It was completely untrue: we never had an affair. I wouldn't have dreamed of it and neither, I am sure, would John."

Pattie Boyd, 2007

"No way! Cynthia was a very sweet girl. I think when they moved from Liverpool she felt out of her depth. I tried to encourage her to come to London from their home in Surrey but she never really wanted to."

Pattie Boyd, 2018

I'm not too sure when Pattie last saw John; presumably during the time when Pattie began her life with Eric Clapton. When she and Eric got married in March of 1979, they had a wedding celebration in May in England where George, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr got up the stage and jam... it was the first Beatles reunion since the breakup. Unfortunately, John wasn't there. Pattie thought he was stuck in America and couldn't leave the country; for a time, that was true but John did receive his green card in 1976 and was able to leave and return to America whenever he wanted. I suppose Pattie didn't know that... let's say it's not often John and Pattie chatted on the phone. Anyway, when John heard what had happened, he expressed interest of attending if he had known about it. When Pattie later heard that, obviously it was heartbreaking. 

"I did feel remorseful afterwards that I hadn't invited John to our wedding party, but I knew he wouldn't come. He was living in America at the time, and the authorities were threatening not to allow him back in if he left the country."

Pattie Boyd, 2004

"John felt he couldn’t come because he thought if he left America they wouldn’t let him back in, and it was important for him to be in America."

Pattie Boyd, 2018

After an argument with Eric, Pattie went to bed in a separate bedroom. In the early hours of December 9, 1980 after hearing the news, Eric woke Pattie up to inform her the news of John Lennon's death. Pattie went to Apple Corps in Savile Row to mourn.

“I had heard about John’s death from Eric. He and I had been arguing and had spent the night in separate rooms. The next morning – 9 December 1980 – he came to wake me with the news that John had been shot dead in New York. I was appalled. I left Eric in Ewhurst and went to London, to the Beatles’ office, and hung out with everybody there. I had no idea how to get in touch with Yoko, or where she was, but the offices in Savile Row were the heart and soul of what had been the Beatles’ kingdom. That day it was where I wanted to be.” 

Pattie Boyd, 2007

"John was always fun to be around. He had a certain energy and was super talented, quite wonderful." 

Pattie Boyd, 2004

"I was around John Lennon a fair bit, too. He was exciting but could be a bit scary." 

Pattie Boyd, 2018

"The John Lennon I knew was respectful, gentle and kind. He was always gracious to me and I have treasured memories of us all being together during Beatlemania and beyond. Thinking of him today." 

Pattie Boyd, October 9, 2020

“John was great fun, if a little scary because you would never know what he was going to say, but he was fascinating, riveting, clearly the leader. He was very attractive, very sexy, and I loved that he thought that I looked like Brigitte Bardot. He was very cool.” 

Pattie Boyd, 2018