Tequila, Coke, & Elephant's Memory

[Norbert K]

"Work on the 'Sometime in New York City' album was followed by the recording of a double Elephant's Memory album before Ono's 'Approximately Infinite Universe' was committed to tape. 'I came into the studio at the end of the recording sessions for 'Sometime in New York City,' [Bob] Gruen recalls of his photographic role,' 'but they were in there for almost a year doing the Elephants' and Yoko's album.' As Gruen remembers, a considerable amount of tequila was enjoyed during protracted recording sessions. 'There were months and months of nights in the studio, so there was a lot of drinking.' He also told Philip Norman: "There'd be maybe ten bottles of tequila between eight people -- and that was every night. Then after working in the studio, we'd go out drinking. We'd have more shots of tequila.'"

"[Engineer Roy] Cicala claims a huge quantity of 'that mirror stuff' was consumed too. 'To hear Roy talk, you'd think we were drunk and stoned the whole night,' [Elephant's Memory bassist] Van Scyoc laughs. 'That's not the way we were. We were a party band, but we couldn't have been that out there and played that kind of stuff. If you'd already laid down a track, then you smoked a joint or had a couple of extra shots of tequila. But not before you took care of business. It was *after* you had your parts done.' Van Scyoc insists that it was Lennon's notorious drunken weaknesses presented more of a problem than any group indulgences did. 'John didn't hold his liquor well, that was his problem. But it was blown out of proportion because he was a Beatle.'"

-- from Come Together: Lennon & McCartney in the Seventies, by Richard White

*Ten* bottles of tequila between eight people and large quantities of cocaine? No; they were not waiting till their parts had been recorded before starting in. I've heard the music, for one thing.