“It was 40 years ago today, Dr Winston taught the band to play…”

February 12th 1970 saw BBC TV’s ‘Top Of The Pops’ first broadcast of the classic performance of ‘Instant Karma’ by John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band with – from left to right – John Lennon [vocals & piano], Yoko Ono [knitting & Kotex eyewear], the Beatles’ road manager Mal Evans [tambourine], BP Fallon [bass guitar & hat], the Apple Records official House Hippy Richard DiLello [camera], Klaus Voorman [bass guitar] and Alan White [drums].

‘Instant Karma’ produced by Phil Spector.

The following week John Lennon was to be heard being interviewed on BBC radio by Emperor Rosko and telling his host “BP Fallon playing the bass guitar, that’s concept art”.

“I can’t play bass” says BP today, laughing, “but it’s better than whacking a tambourine into John’s left ear and almost putting him off his singing”. Which – as our next two pictures show – is what BP did the previous week on the Top Of The Pops of February 5th 1970…

Instant Karma: John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band TOTP Feb 5th 1970

Poets Of Rhythm, Art From The Heart, People For Peace:
Yoko & John with Peter Fallon and Eamon Carr’s Tara Telephone
‘Capella’ publication, the very edition – ‘Capella 3’ – that contained the drawing that John Lennon had done for ‘Capella’ the previous year at his and Yoko’s Amsterdam Bed-In.
‘Capella 3’ cover artwork by Jim Fitzpatrick.
Yoko & John photographed 1970 by Richard DiLello.
Photograph printed 1970 by Pete Saunders for Peter Fallon.

“And we all shine on…”

Photography: A Misfit, a Teddy Bear and flowers, Strawberry Fields Central Park New York City by BP Fallon