British Pop Legend Petula Clark Reveals How She Accidentally Ended Up on John Lennon’s Protest Song
What To Know
- Petula Clark recounted how she unexpectedly joined John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s “Bed-In for Peace” protest in Montreal, where “Give Peace a Chance” was recorded.
- Clark described arriving at the hotel unannounced, being welcomed into Lennon and Ono’s room, and joining a group of celebrities and activists present for the event.
- She revealed that she sang along with the group on the iconic song without realizing she was being recorded, making her an uncredited participant on the track.
One of the most famous protest songs of all time is “Give Peace a Chance” by John Lennon. Famously performed from Lennon and wife Yoko Ono‘s hotel room in Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal, Canada, the former Beatle wrote the song during his and Yoko Ono’s famous “Bed-In for Peace” protest. Surrounded by journalists, activists, and celebrities, Lennon improvised the song after being asked what protesters could do to help the peace movement.
Among the celebs who were there for that historical moment — which included Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg, and Tommy Smothers — was British pop singer Petula Clark, whose recollection of events from that day was recently shared on BBC’s The One Show.
Paul Bailey / TV Guide / Courtesy Everett Collection
“I heard that John Lennon was in town. Well, everybody heard, because, you know, that was big news. I thought maybe I’ll talk to John Lennon, whom I didn’t know,” recalled Clark. “So I nipped over in the pouring rain from the theater to his hotel, and the concierge said, ‘Ah, bonsoir madame,’ Okay. I didn’t know how he recognized me. I was drenched, mascara running down my face. I said, ‘I want to see John Lennon.’ He said, ‘He’s up there.'”
“No security. So, I go up there, and the door is half open, and so I stand in the doorway, and there is John and Yoko in their nighties in bed. And John looks up, sort of squints a bit, and he says, ‘Is that you, Petula?’,” recalled the singer.
Courtesy of Everett Collection
So after a strange first meeting, Clark went on to explain who she ended up as part of the backing vocals for the era-defining song.
“Well, it wasn’t backing vocals, actually, because after I told him the story, he said, ‘You need a drink.’ He was right,” laughed Clark. “So I went into the sort of sitting room, and one or two people I knew in there, and they were playing some very simple music on the system. And somebody gave me a glass of wine.”
“Someone came around with some lyric sheets. I looked at it: ‘All we are saying is give peace a chance,'” sang Clark. “And we were all singing along, and we had no idea that we were being recorded. And that I’m on the record. You won’t hear me, but I’m there!”
View this post on Instagram
So, when you hear that crowd of voices chanting along on the record, keep in mind that it’s not a studio chorus, but a real-time peace protest full of 1969’s counterculture icons packed into one hotel room.
Remind