This year marks the 40th anniversary of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “bed-ins.” Putting their psychedelic spin on the form of nonviolent protest known as “sit-ins,” the pair spent a week in bed at an Amsterdam hotel in March 1969, giving a repeat performance a few months later in Montreal.
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This year marks the 40th anniversary of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “bed-ins.” Putting their psychedelic spin on the form of nonviolent protest known as “sit-ins,” the pair spent a week in bed at an Amsterdam hotel in March 1969, giving a repeat performance a few months later in Montreal. To commemorate these events, Yoko has posted a request on imaginepeace.com, requesting that any fans staging tribute reenactments send in documentation of their versions for publication on the website.
Though the main object of the 1969 protests was the Vietnam war, Lennon and Ono bed-ins called for an end to all war. Each day, the couple invited members of the press to visit their hotel suite during the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. to discuss world peace with them. As the culmination of the second bed-in, John and Yoko invited such personalities as Tommy Smothers and Timothy Leary to record the song “Give Peace a Chance” in their hotel room. Dismissed by some as a mere publicity stunt, the concept nevertheless continues to influence pop culture, appearing in song lyrics, music videos, and even comedy sketches. Other notable artists have held their own bed-ins during the last couple of decades, including lead singer of Green Day Billie Joe Armstrong and his wife.
If your interested in the above story….you might be interested to learn about what’s happening in Montreal to celebrate the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Bed-in anniversary:
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DISCOVER MONTREAL THIS SPRING AND GIVE PEACE A CHANCE
Montréal, February 1, 2009 – This year marks the 40th anniversary of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-in staged in Montréal in May 26 to June 2, 1969 at The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel, which promoted a message of peace.
To commemorate the event, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (www.mmfa.qc.ca), in collaboration with Yoko Ono, has curated an exhibition called IMAGINE: JOHN & YOKO’s PACIFIST ANTHEM which will run from April 2 to June 21, 2009. The exhibition will be free.
The exhibition will follow the wide-ranging artistic and musical dialog that took place in the name of peace conducted by the pop icon and the conceptual artist with ties to the Fluxus group.
The bed-in instantly grabbed worldwide media interest; John and Yoko spoke to over 150 journalists each day, and in the US alone, 350 radio stations carried reports on the world’s best known peaceniks, who wanted to get their message out to all those around the world already protesting against the war in Vietnam. The highlight of this unique event was John Lennon’s composition of Give Peace A Chance on June 1st. He wrote the song on the spur of the moment and converted the suite into a recording studio under the direction of André Perry. Some 50 people contributed to the recording of the song, which was immediately broadcast worldwide. Celebrities included Tommy Smothers, Dr Timothy and Petula Clark.
Through the presentation of various documents, works of arts, records, soundreals and photographs, the exhibition will raise awareness of the historical and political context of 1969 which formed the backdrop to the Bed-In and will revive the thinking John Lennon and Yoko Ono and their urgent message for peace.
WHERE TO STAY
To mark the 40th anniversary The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel invites guests to relive the legend and experience their own bed-in through the IMAGINE PACKAGE.
The package includes one night accommodation; One CD featuring Give Peace a Chance; Breakfast in bed for two or buffet breakfast in Le Montréalais restaurant and a copy of the lyrics of Give Peace a Chance. This package is available from March 1 to June 21, 2009, subject to availability. Rates start from $199 per night, based on double occupancy, in a Fairmont room or from $599 per night, based on double occupancy, in the actual John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite (#1742) where the bed-in took place. For more information please visit: http://www.fairmont.com/queenelizabeth. To make a reservation in the Lennon Suite, please call the hotel directly at 514-861-3511.
For visitors seeking a more economical alternative, twenty plus hotels in Montréal are offering A SECOND NIGHT AT HALF PRICE with rates starting at $104. This SWEET DEAL package runs from January 1 until May 31, 2009. For more information and to book a room please visit: http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/Offers/Winter.