# Is John Lennon chewing gum? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2006, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688 "2006-01-26T13:27:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/1 "2006-01-26T13:27:10Z")
Here is a video from what appears to be [the studio recording of Love is all you need](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3823464469274403028&q=beatles). It might be me, but it does look like John and Paul are chewing gum between their singing parts. It’s not very strange compared to all the other stuff happening there, but it appears sort of unprofessional. ---
**Author:** ![DrMemory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DrMemory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrMemory)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/2 "2006-01-26T13:48:58Z")
Yes, John chewed a Lot of gum. In many of his vids/ concert movies I too notice he’s chewing gum. He ( as well as the other Fabs) was a smoker, so mayhaps he chose to chew rather than smoke while he played. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/3 "2006-01-26T13:59:12Z")
> [@cactus waltz](#): > > Here is a video from what appears to be [the studio recording of Love is all you need](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3823464469274403028&q=beatles). It might be me, but it does look like John and Paul are chewing gum between their singing parts. It’s not very strange compared to all the other stuff happening there, but it appears sort of unprofessional. Yeah…they better watch it. Their careers will never get off the ground if they do stuff like that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/4 "2006-01-26T15:29:49Z")
I’ve seen clips of live shows where he was chewing gum. I just find it amazing that while watching him wail out “Mother” that he didn’t accidentally “fwwoooom!” his gum out of his mouth. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/5 "2006-01-26T15:38:15Z")
Now we know what Bob Dylan meant: _I said, “Your words aren’t clear, You’d better spit out your gum.”_ ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/6 "2006-01-26T16:09:43Z")
I’ve seen clips of Greg Lake chewing gum while singing too. I wonder if it helps lubricate the throat. ---
**Author:** ![ddgryphon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8c91f0/32.png) [@ddgryphon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ddgryphon)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/7 "2006-01-26T16:15:09Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Yeah…they better watch it. Their careers will never get off the ground if they do stuff like that. 😉 Yes, vile habit, reminds me of cows chewing cud – Sir Paul is still addicted to it. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/8 "2006-01-26T16:22:07Z")
> [@sqweels](#): > > I’ve seen clips of Greg Lake chewing gum while singing too. I wonder if it helps lubricate the throat. I suppose it might, as chewing makes you salivate. I’d think drinking water between takes would be better though, you don’t want to choke on a gum on a perfect recording session. You don’t really see many singers chew gum on their concerts. Not from what I’ve seen. On the other hand, weren’t John and Paul pretty stoic? They weren’t exactly running around. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/9 "2006-01-26T19:00:27Z")
Patti LaBelle is well-known for always having a well-chewed piece of gum in her mouth - how the hell she hits the notes she does while stashing the gum to one side is beyond me… ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/10 "2006-01-26T22:05:36Z")
Hey, I sing with chewing tobacco 'tween the cheek and gum. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/11 "2006-01-26T23:09:34Z")
I remember seeing that film on TV at the time and have always considered that they weren’t actually singing but miming (“lip synching”, I believe you chaps call it). ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/12 "2006-01-27T00:17:16Z")
> [@cactus waltz](#): > > I suppose it might, as chewing makes you salivate. I’d think drinking water between takes would be better though, you don’t want to choke on a gum on a perfect recording session. > > You don’t really see many singers chew gum on their concerts. Not from what I’ve seen. On the other hand, weren’t John and Paul pretty stoic? They weren’t exactly running around. Pavarotti chews gum during concerts. Sorry, I don’t have a cite. It’s something that Happy Rhodes said in concert once. She said she was watching him on TV and was shocked to notice that he was chewing gum. After thinking about it, she thought it was a pretty good idea to keep the saliva flowing, and started doing it herself. If anyone’s interested (I realize no one is), [here’s a bit](http://suspended-in-gaffa.com/happy/HappyRhodesLive_TinAngel03-15-97_2_GumPhobos.mp3) from a different show where she mentions why she chews gum in concert (I left the song that comes after and the very funny patter later, and the gum doesn’t affect any of it at all). ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/13 "2006-01-27T01:01:49Z")
No, he’s a breath mint. > [@seosamh](#): > > I remember seeing that film on TV at the time and have always considered that they weren’t actually singing but miming (“lip synching”, I believe you chaps call it). They were performing with a pre-recorded backing track, but Lennon’s lead vocal was done live on the air. (The instrumentation was partly live, partly taped.) ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/14 "2006-01-27T01:28:04Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > No, he’s a breath mint. > They were performing with a pre-recorded backing track, but Lennon’s lead vocal was done live on the air. (The instrumentation was partly live, partly taped.) If you watch carefully, you’ll notice that Ringo doesn’t match up exactly with what you hear the drums doing. During the verses, you can hear the snare drum going 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4, but Ringo appears to play 1-2-3-4-1—3–. There are also a few spots where McCartney’s mouth is pointing at John instead of at his microphone, yet there is no reduction in his volume. ---
**Author:** ![deevee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@deevee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deevee)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/15 "2006-01-27T02:31:24Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Now we know what Bob Dylan meant: > > _I said, “Your words aren’t clear, > You’d better spit out your gum.”_ Pot. Kettle. Blashamizmmmmmph. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/16 "2006-01-27T06:39:24Z")
> [@cactus waltz](#): > > Here is a video from what appears to be [the studio recording of Love is all you need](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3823464469274403028&q=beatles). That performance of _All You Need Is Love_ at Abbey Road Studios was the British segment of the first live worldwide satellite television broadcast, seen in 24 countries on June 25, 1967. It was originally in black and white; what you are seeing is very good computer colorized version. [_The Whole World Is Watching_](http://www.airandspacemagazine.com/ASM/Mag/Index/1996/AM/twww.html), by Tom Huntington. Note the close-up of Mick Jagger among the audience in the studio. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/17 "2006-01-27T10:15:40Z")
> [@Phase42](#): > > If you watch carefully, you’ll notice that Ringo doesn’t match up exactly with what you hear the drums doing. During the verses, you can hear the snare drum going 1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4, but Ringo appears to play 1-2-3-4-1—3–. There are also a few spots where McCartney’s mouth is pointing at John instead of at his microphone, yet there is no reduction in his volume. The video clip you see now has the original audio replaced by the record version. The original broadcast survives in pristine video and audio quality, and they match perfectly. They made a pre-recorded backing track and played live to it for the TV broadcast. Then later they went back and did some more work on it. If you see this clip in color, it’s the doctored version, as it was broadcast in black and white. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/18 "2006-01-27T10:30:25Z")
So John Lennon is actually repeating “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah” for the broadcast live version? I heard that was a spur-of-the-moment ad-lib in the original take. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2006, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-john-lennon-chewing-gum/341688/19 "2006-01-27T10:39:28Z")
Yes, he was singing that there. He had also sung it in previous takes, so it was something he had planned to do.