Stevie Wonder Remembers John Lennon, Paul McCartney Jam Session In VMan Magazine

After a bitter breakup and nasty callouts in their solo albums, Beatles legends John Lennon and Paul McCartney spent a night jamming together in Los Angeles. It's become stuff of legend -- and there was another music legend there who remembers it all.

Talking to V Magazine, Stevie Wonder recalled that night of rock lore.

"I was in Studio B and they were in Studio A, at Record Plant, and they were jamming, putting stuff down, laying different tracks, trying to come up with something, really just having fun," Wonder told the magazine. "And I think we did 'Stand by Me' together, just being crazy. It was funny. I think Phil Spector was there, too. I can't remember where we were, but I was in the restroom or something like that and I was singing and he said, 'Shut the f**k up!' and I was like, 'F**k you!'"

It was just one of many times Wonder and McCartney got together, but he also had a relationship with Lennon before his untimely passing in 1980 that went beyond music.

"Whenever we saw each other, there was definite respect and love. I just loved his heart. I just liked his desire to want to see peace, to want to see people come together and live together and make this world a better place. The last time I saw him, I remember he was working on the last album and he and Yoko were getting back together, and, you know, it was just a nice thing."

Wonder talks about much more in the interview, including writing music, rap music, violent words and their impact on our actions -- including the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Check out the upcoming issue of V Magazine for the entire interview.

Comments

[MarkInTexas]

10:31 AM on 02/28/2011

The bootlegs of that session are easy to come by. It's just musicians jamming and fooling around. Nothing special really. No one knew it would be the "last time". Fun to hear but don't expect anything profound. Wish Lennon could have made the "Venus and Mars" sessionscas planned.

[Pepin]

01:11 AM on 02/28/2011

I was attending a Stevie Wonder concert in Oakland, California on the night of John's murder.
Stevie gently and lovingly broke this horrific news to a stunned gathering.

Thanks for this flashback and thank you Stevie Wonder for the revelations and joy that you have bestowed on me

[notretsehc2010]

12:44 AM on 02/28/2011

"Whenever we saw each other, there was definite..." Oops.

[Athletes Foot]

01:17 AM on 02/28/2011

Clever. Make fun of a blind man for using a common expression.

[Madampotential]

11:09 PM on 02/27/2011

just listening to Stevie a few days ago.......... his compositions are incredible.

[MeanNick]

08:40 PM on 02/27/2011

Dont be jealous.

[rjk111]

07:56 PM on 02/27/2011

I have a difficult time with Lennon's legend, that way. He all but abandoned his first son....

[Ekata]

08:27 PM on 02/27/2011

..until you walk a mile in another man's shoes....

[Nelson Montana]

10:48 PM on 02/27/2011

Lennon was flawed man, but at his most inspired, he was a great artist.

[powindah]

07:37 PM on 02/27/2011

Does anyone know what year Stevie witnessed this Lennon-McCartney jam?

[manumoka]

07:51 PM on 02/27/2011

1974. It was kind of a stoned mess actually.

[powindah]

08:17 PM on 02/27/2011

Many thanks.

[SteveStephens]

09:46 PM on 02/27/2011

Do the recordings still exist?

[Edward Standley]

06:48 PM on 02/27/2011

Love 'em as musicians, love 'em more as humans.

[Keith Williams]

06:21 PM on 02/27/2011

Now those are the tapes I would want. Somebody somewhere must have them.

[TerryCollier]

06:55 PM on 02/27/2011

Try typing the words

toot snore 74

into a well known 10 minute video clip site

[comment from grandpa]

04:52 PM on 02/27/2011

McCartney and Lennon together couldn't muster half the musical chops of the man from Motown.........

[MountPanic]

05:03 PM on 02/27/2011

Art is not a race.

Stevie is amazing, but that doesn't have to take anything away from anyone else. Your denial of their talents is disingenuous.

[hjo4]

05:05 PM on 02/27/2011

Amen ,from the choir.And the truth.

[Aardvaark]

04:51 PM on 02/27/2011

Mr. Wonder and Mr. McCartney are still alive, still excellent musicians.

Mr. Lennon is undeservedly dead, and Specter, for all his brilliance, is where he was destined to go, in jail.

Thanks for the snapshot in time, Mr. Wonder.

[omega777]

04:40 PM on 02/27/2011

Here's a shout out for Bill Preston......too much forgotten.. (

[omega777]

04:41 PM on 02/27/2011

"Billy"

[Edward Standley]

06:45 PM on 02/27/2011

Yay you! Love him! faved.

[MillieNeon]

03:56 PM on 02/27/2011

Stevie has a great sense of humor too. A long time ago, Frank Sinatra recorded an album called "Old Blue Eyes is Back". Blue Eyes was a Sinatra nickname. Stevie told CREAM magazine he was going to put out an album called "Old No Eyes is Black." Hilarious. Also, one of the best MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) posters I ever saw was of Stevie, with the slogan: "Before I get in a car with a drunk, I'll drive myself."

[livesimply]

10:17 PM on 02/27/2011

That man is all heart. :)

[MarcoEsquandolas]

03:53 PM on 02/27/2011

I was 11 when Stevie showed up one day at the music store my dad worked at, 15 minutes outside of d.c. my brother and i had our picture taken with him - one of my most prized possessions. this was a few months after 'the cosby show' appearance. j-j-j-j-j-j-jammin' on the 1.

[chanook106]

03:49 PM on 02/27/2011

Macca (Paul McCartney) and Wonder's friendship goes back to at least the early 70's.

[timelord999]

11:08 PM on 02/27/2011

Yes and they did some wonderfull music together