ALS, two pages, 8.5 x 11, Apple memorandum letterhead, December 13, 1971. Lennon writes to durable New York television personality Joe Franklin. In full [Lennon’s spelling and punctuation retained]: “I know you’re a musician at heart! and especially I know you dig jazz.—Well, Yoko’s music ain’t quite jazz But … to help you get off on it, or understand it, please listen to a track on the ‘Yoko/Ono/Plastoc Ono Band,’ called ‘AOS,’ which was recorded in 1968 (pre Lennon/Beatles!) with Ornette Coleman at Albert Hall London, you could call it free form, anyway Yoko sits in the middle of avante-garde, classic, jazz—and now through me and my music—rock ’n’ roll! On the new album ‘Fly’ the experiment goes a step ‘further’—free form music—with robot musicians! (not computer—electronic—)—check the inside of Fly double-album for info and photo of the ‘musicians,’ of course Yoko can explain her music better in person, this is a kind of introduction. For something rather more ‘straight,’ a track called ‘Mrs. Lennon’ on ‘Fly’ is an example of her more conservative side! She was trained as a classical musician, and took music composition in Sarah Lawrence College as her major. It’s far out, but don’t let it frighten you. With love….” After signing, Lennon adds his trademark thumbnail sketch of himself and Yoko, as well as a postscript: “The book ‘Grapefruit’ speaks for itself, now in its 4th edition paperback. Yoko calls them, ‘instructions’ to help you through life rather than poetry!” Lennon has also added to each page a red rubber stamp of his own sketch of himself and Yoko, as well as that of an old-fashioned “pointing finger.” Letters by Lennon with such detailed musical content are of the utmost desirability; the present example, in which he makes a clear, concerted, and perhaps even desperate effort to attract favorable notice for his wife’s notoriously unpopular music, is likely one of the most significant of his post-Beatles career. In fine condition, with a few very faint bends that do not detract in the least. COA Roger Epperson/PSA/DNA and R&R COA.
