Skip to main content

TL;DR:

  • May Pang discussed the origin of John Lennon’s “#9 Dream.”
  • She discussed why the tune did not become the lead single for one of John’s albums.
  • “#9 Dream” became a hit anyway.
John Lennon and May Pang in black-and-white
John Lennon and May Pang | Art Zelin / Contributor

May Pang said John Lennon dreamed up “#9 Dream” in their bed. In addition, she revealed the bed was called “Lennon Central.” Notably, “#9 Dream” was passed over as the lead single of one of John’s albums in favor of another famous song.

John Lennon and May Pang lived in the same building as a record executive

Pang was John’s girlfriend while he was taking a break from his marriage to Yoko Ono. In her 2008 book Instamatic Karma, Pang discussed living with John in the same apartment building as Eddie Germano, the general manager of Record Plant Studios. Numerous famous albums were recorded at the Record Plant, including Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours and The Eagles’ Hotel California.

“One great advantage of living in that apartment building was having a neighbor like Eddie,” Pang recalled. “He was the guy to go to if you needed anything, and he would always oblige John. If John needed anything at the studio, he’d tell Eddie and it’d be ready when we got there. He even outfitted our apartment with a state-of-the-art sound system so John would be enveloped in sound and could study his mixes.” 

John Lennon’s ‘Whatever Gets You Thru the Night’ was a lead single instead of ‘#9 Dream’

John’s bed became an important part of the recording process. “We brought in a platform king-size bed and the largest-screen TV available in those days: a 27-inch Sony Trinitron,” she said. “Our bed became ‘Lennon Central’ — with the cable box, telephone, and sound system all within reach. John dreamed his hit song ‘#9 Dream’ in this bed.”

Subsequently, John, Pang, and record executive Al Coury had to pick a lead single for John’s album Walls and Bridges. “Of course, ‘#9 Dream’ was a strong contender, as was ‘Surprise, Surprise’ and even ‘Move Over Ms. L’ (which was cut from the album at the last minute),” she recalled. Ultimately, Coury decided “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night” should be the lead single from the album, which surprised the former Beatle. He did not expect “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night” to do well, but it became a No. 1 single anyway.

Related

Why John Lennon’s Son Compared “#9 Dream’ to The Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’

How ‘#9 Dream’ performed in the United States and the United Kingdom

“#9 Dream” was one of John’s biggest solo hits. The tune fittingly reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 12 weeks. John included “#9 Dream” on the album Walls and Bridges, which topped the Billboard 200 for one week. The album lasted a total of 35 weeks on the chart.

According to The Official Charts Company, “#9 Dream” peaked at No. 23 in the United Kingdom and remained on the chart for eight weeks. Meanwhile, Walls and Bridges hit No. 6 in the U.K. and stayed on the chart for 10 weeks.

“#9 Dream” was one of John’s most popular post-Beatles songs and it wouldn’t be the same without a bed.

Best in Entertainment