John Lennon was a man who wasn’t afraid to make bold fashion statements. All he had to do was wear an item once and it instantly became popular! From his love of leather caps to his iconic round glasses. Today’s topic is connected to this, it’s all about Lennon’s favourite necklace.
The shield-shaped centre is made of brown leather, and attracted to a leather collar. The shield is studded with metal eyelets and embellished along the top edge with three coloured resin flower heads, in the colours of two white and a green one in the middle. Four dark blue glass hoop beads on either side frame the main part of the talisman “dream catcher” necklace. It’s fastening is a mother-of-pearl and yellow metal button clasp. The necklace was worn Lennon in the infamous nude cover photograph for John & Yoko's "Two Virgins" album in 1968. John seemed to be very attracted to his new necklace, because between May 1967 and late '68, John was rarely seen without the talisman and due to this is seen in many, many photos during the time period. Photos taken from outside Abbey Road Studios in February '67 are some of the earliest photos of John wearing the collar. It was first seen by the wider public in pictures in newspapers taken at the "Sgt. Pepper" launch party in May 67.
(John Lennon signs autographs in 1967, photo from Meet The Beatles for real website)
As well as wearing and near enough living in it during day to day live and recording sessions, he also wore it during The Beatles performance of ‘All You Need Is Love" during the live telecast of "Our World," (the first worldwide satellite television transmission, it had a potential audience of 400 million in 26 countries. The necklace has been reproduced for lennon fans and tribute bands. In many tribute bands the member playing ‘John’ wears the necklace with his lime green Sgt Pepper jacket, but John did not wear the necklace during the world famous photo shoot that produced the iconic album cover.
Lennon wore the talisman during his stay with the other Beatles in Rishikesh, India, in February 1968. After many months of wear, and the necklace appearing as johns only item of clothing on the cover of John and Yoko’s album ‘Two Virgins’, Lennon eventually gave the necklace to a friend. John Alexis Mardas, was the head of The Beatles' Apple Electronics. He was nicknamed “Magic Alex" by Lennon, Mardas had a few items related to his years as a friend of The Beatles and John, most of them he sold off over the years.
(John Lennon in 1968, photo found on google image search)
The necklace went up for sale in a London auction in 2005. It has been hidden from public view for nearly forty years and not worn in that time either. The talisman was handmade well but made well and lucky it was, otherwise it might not have been here today. When it was sold the 20" well-worn leather necklace with with its Indian swirl cones, in a display box was estimated to fetch $500,000-$600,000. It sold at Christies then it was sold again to a private collector. It is rumoured that the necklace was at some point sold to Noel Gallagher of Oasis for his brother (and massive Lennon fan) Liam. In an interview Noel told of the necklace, “I bought him a few presents in the 90’s I bought him a thing from an auction which was an Indian necklace thing that John Lennon wore when he went to see the Maharishi its worth a fortune it was round the mans neck when he wrote Sexy Sadie, so I sent it to him for Christmas and next time I saw him he had it on. He took it out the frame and the label saying worn by John Lennon. I said “what are you doing its fuckin memorabilia” and he said “John Lennon wore it I’m wearing it”. He’s probably flushed it down the toilet by now I don’t know, haven’t seen it since.”
(John Lennon and Yoko Ono's album cover, photo from google images)
The necklace, what john said gave him ‘good energy’ was (if the rumours are true) nearly destroyed by Liam Gallagher one night! In an interview he told, “It came in a glass case, but I wanted to try it on. So one night I came in, tanked up and took a hammer to it. All these beads started falling off and rolling across the floor. I thought, ‘Fuckin’ hell, John Lennon’s beads! It’s back in a case now.” It is not known if these stories that the Gallagher brothers shared are actually fact or fiction. There is no evidence to prove either way, as no photos have ever appeared of Liam Gallagher wearing the necklace.
Very interesting and informative. Thanks for the detailed description and explanation! Cool stuff!
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