An Xperience Interview with May Pang

Interview by Richard Beach.

Few people knew John Lennon as intimately as May Pang.  Pang was Lennon’s lover during the infamous “Lost Weekend” which lasted 18 months during late 1973 through 1975.  During this highly creative time for Lennon, Pang took candid photos of Lennon in a comfortable, relaxed environment.  A collection of these private photographs will be on display and available for purchase at Artforms Gallery, 2050 Western Avenue in Guilderland, NY, on Friday, September 12 through Sunday, September 14.  Admission to the exhibit is free to the public. All works are available to purchase .

Our own Dick Beach had the opportunity to interview Pang last year, when she was last in our area. She graciously agreed to speak to him again in advance of this showing.

RRX: So, we’ve got the pleasure today of speaking once again with May Pang, whose exhibit of photographs of John Lennon is going to be at Artforms Gallery September 12th through 14th. May, thank you for joining us again.

MP: Oh, my pleasure. I can’t wait to come back up. I have to tell you I enjoyed my last visit.

RRX: And we enjoyed having you. I think it was a good success. For the folks out there who don’t know, this is “The Lost Weekend – The Photography of May Pang,” from the lost weekend with John Lennon, which lasted eighteen months?

MP: I think it’s a little longer than that.

RRX: It was a hell of a weekend. 

MP: Yeah, it was a hell of a weekend. It was more than that, you know. I put it down for about a year and a half, 18 months, but it was longer than that. My whole time as a relationship with him, knowing him, would span ten years, actually. 

RRX: And of course, the film, which is “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story.” If y’all have not seen it, go to Amazon Prime, go to Apple TV, go everywhere, take a look. It is streaming; you can take a look. That’s gonna go a long way to helping y’all understand the photographs, really get a feel for where they are and what their significance is. 

MP: Right. I think it gives the people out there a base to understand my relationship with John at the time. They’ll find some interesting info.

RRX: So, you have been one busy young lady. How many shows do you think you’ve done in the last couple of years?

MP: Seventy-three.

RRX: Okay, that’s a few. In between, of course, you have been provided an award for outstanding contribution at the International Beatleweek Hall of Fame, which is a pretty darn cool thing. Complete surprise?

MP: Complete surprise. I started tearing up because I said, “What’s happening here?” And I saw this award coming at me, and I went, “Oh my god.” There was a funny comment … I met for the first time Paul’s publicist – his name escapes me – his excellent publicist, anyway. And he said, “Oh, I know who you are.” And I said, “I know who you are.” He goes, “But right now, I’m not happy because I have to follow you.” Apparently, people were waiting. 

I was told by Jon Keats, who is one of the people from the Cavern … managing director. He said, “In all my years, I’ve never seen a line that was that long, waiting for your autograph.” For anyone. It went out the door. Some people were waiting an hour and a half.

RRX: Until the last few years, while you’ve been out and about and doing any number of things, it’s not as though you’ve been hiding your candle under a basket. But this has sort of propelled you a little further into the proverbial zeitgeist. 

MP: Well, I think yes, it has. It just made people realize there was somebody else out there that they had heard of. Some people have written, they said, “I’ve heard about you. I didn’t know much about you.” And now, it’s like there I am in person, in the flesh. And I start laughing. 

People are asking questions because the time period that they’re talking about, which was John’s most creative time period, I was the one who was there. Almost everything that everybody talks about now, I just sort of sit there and I go, “Yeah, I was there for this. Yes, I was there.” In fact, a couple of days ago, I wrote about the fact that John and I saw a UFO.

RRX: Really?

MP: 51 years ago. 

RRX: It is an odd one. 51 years ago was the last Alice Cooper Band record, and they just put a new album out. 

MP: Right. One of my good friends is Dennis Dunaway.

RRX: Really?

MP: Yes.

RRX: I will tell you that has been, as I like to put it, that’s been in heavy rotation.

MP: Love it.

RRX: It’s a great record. 

MP: I met all the guys and they’re all super sweet. They deserve it. Alice is lovely. Like I said, when I have my parties, Dennis always comes down and jams with the band. It’s great.

RRX: I’ve kind of kept an eye out, and I notice that recently – and this is a great photo – Cynthia has released a book called “John.” You were at the Cutting Room, which is one of my favorite places. A friend of ours plays there quite often. But that’s an interesting crew. That had to have been a fun time.

MP: Yes. When I knew that she was having a book release, I threw her the party at the Cutting Room because the guy who owns the Cutting Room is a good friend of mine. In fact, we celebrate our birthdays together, Steve and I. I said, “I’d like to throw a party.” He goes, “Absolutely, let’s do one.” 

RRX: You probably hang out with Felicia, too?

MP: Oh, Felicia Collins? 

RRX: Yeah.

MP: Yes.

RRX: She’s a doll. 

MP: Oh, she’s wonderful. What a talented guitarist, oh my god. And a singer.

RRX: Well, and she’s from right up around here. 

MP: Yes.

RRX: And was good friends with my late two-doors-down neighbor, Frank Daley. It’s odd how our paths cross. You were saying that your path has crossed, over the last couple of years, with people you never expected to run into. 

MP: That’s so true. It really is. What’s great about it is, I get a chance to see them again, and I’m glad. That’s really, to me, that’s a joy. It really is.

RRX: In this time, we don’t pick favorites, but there are some of the reconnections, some of the meetings, that are a little more personal and a little more unexpected in nature. Any one in particular that sticks out in your mind?

MP: Ooh. I’ve had so many. Just a couple of weekends ago, I was out in Sag Harbor. Here’s a good one. This woman comes up to me and says, “Do you know about the Montauk house?” I said, “Of course I do. John and I were going to buy it.” She goes, “My brother’s the exclusive realtor that represents the house.” I said, “I remember the kitchen. It was small, if I remember.” She said, “Oh, that place. It was very small.” I said, “Oh good. Then, I’m not wrong.” I said, “One of these days, if it isn’t sold, I’d like to go back to take a look at it.” But again, to go out to Montauk is a long drive. 

I’ll tell you who else came by to see me in Sag Harbor, Loraine Boyle.

RRX: Really?

MP: Because John and I used to go out and stay with them, out in Amagansett. 

RRX: Nice.

MP: So, all these little things and all the people that I’m seeing, coming back to me. I mean, it’s just like, how lovely. This is where I saw this girl, I was telling you. She showed up, and I didn’t remember her until she started telling me where she was. She was from the ‘hood, as I would say. 

RRX: Right.

MP: She still lives in the same building, the projects where I grew up. We were talking about – now obviously, I haven’t seen her in over 60 years, at least. I’m just sort of sitting there going, oh my god. Then, she’s telling me who still lives there. The people that I grew up with when I was a child, they’re still living there. They carried on. Well, where do I go? Where could we go to move to? Which is very difficult when you’re in New York City, and I understood that. 

But it was just the thought and the memories that I got, just talking to her. She saw that I was having the exhibition in Sag Harbor. She got out on the jitney, and she just took the ride out just to see me. 

RRX: That was nice. That’s awesome.

MP: Yes. I’m so appreciative. It’s terrific. I think it’s great. I also saw some of my high school friends that I went to school with, some of the girls. They would say, “Remember me?” I went, oh my god.

RRX: I know this happens to me. You look and you go, “I should know this person. I should know this person. I should know this person.”

MP: Yes.

RRX: Then, when they say who they are, you go, “Oy!” You hit your hand on your forehead. 

MP: Yes. Except that there was one guy. The last time I was at Sag Harbor – it was over a year ago – this guy came in. He goes, “I don’t know if you remember.” I said, “I definitely remember you.” He looked exactly like he was when he was young, and I went to school. He was one of the few that I would say, when I looked at him, I knew who it was. 

RRX: Nice. Don’t those people drive you crazy? 

MP: It’s crazy. It was great.

RRX: In this time, of course, you’ve had an opportunity to refresh the exhibit. To my mind, there are three in particular that I’ve noticed here that are new to the exhibit. Of course, folks will be able to purchase copies of them, et cetera, et cetera, autograph them, and the whole nine yards. These things are really pretty amazing. Let’s run these through, and you can give me a descriptor, if you don’t mind, of where these came from. 

One of them is entitled “Ha…It’s a Bunch of Shite!, Burbank Studios.” Now, that’s a funny picture. 

MP: Oh, right. It was just, you know, you get a moment, often you catch John in a fun mood. That’s what it is. You pick up a camera, and he just turns around and he gives you that wicked smile of his. That’s what it is. And he gives you the finger. 

RRX: Because so many people who haven’t been around as long as I or you, or most of my friends, don’t recognize that John really was a cut-up. 

MP: Oh, he definitely was. There were times when he didn’t think he was, but he would say things. He didn’t even know he was funny at times, but he was great. When he was on, he was on.

RRX: He really was wicked. Speaking of wicked, another one that caught my eye, and people will love this, “Oh Yeh!” Tony King as the Queen. Okay. 

MP: Tony King was a guy who worked for Apple in London. He happened to be on holiday in LA when we arrived in LA. We said, “Oh wow.” So, he came and joined us. In fact, he was the one who introduced us to Elton because Elton was a friend of his. We met Elton on my birthday, on that day. That photo was taken on my birthday, October 24th, back in ’73. 

So, it was filming for the “Mind Games” video for the album, for selling it, at Capitol. We didn’t know Elton was coming. He invited him along. So, it was just a break. John was under his dress as he was dressed as the Queen. It was kind of funny. 

That picture, John loved so much that in the following year, in ’74, we used it as our Christmas card that we sent out to everyone. 

RRX: Folks, it is absolutely priceless. You really should show up and see it in the flesh. Again, May Pang is going to be at the Artforms Gallery here in beautiful Albany. That is September the 12th through the 14th. So, you want to check out the times, and the dates, and the whole bit. 

MP: You can go to maypangphotography.

RRX: You can go to maypangphotography and see everything as well.

MP: Right, they’ll have my tour schedule there, and the times and whatever. 

RRX: Exactly. 

MP: They can see it.

RRX: The other one I noticed that you’ve got that is new – and who knew this? Okay, “If You Only Knew, Disney World.”

MP: Yeah. 

RRX: Okay. John at Disney World?

MP: Yes. That was our … 1974, after the Elton John concert, after we were supposed to … after George Harrison, seeing George in New York for his Dark Horse tour and all that. We were supposed to sign the agreement in New York. Everybody was supposed to sign it. The only one who didn’t sign it was John. It was because there was one clause that started to stick to him, that he realized he would be responsible. He said, “I’m not signing until this is fixed.” That was basically because he was the only one living in America at the time, he would be the one responsible for taxes. 

RRX: Oh.

MP: Yeah, really. And he didn’t want to sign it. 

RRX: I can’t blame him.

MP: Right? In the end, it was all worked out. When it was worked out, John had been on the phone with the lawyers a few times. Then, finally, he came down with his own personal lawyer, Harold Seider. The lawyer, I think it was the one lawyer, I think it was the British lawyer. Because there are so many people that I can’t even tell you, I forgot which lawyer it was that came with him and brought down all these papers. 

Because it’s not just one paper that says oh, the Beatles have broken up, that’s it. Because there are so many assets. We talk about the publishing, the film, Apple. When they were negotiating, you had anywhere up to like 30, 35 people, maybe more, in the room.

RRX: Yeah, let alone the masters.

MP: Right. So, you’re talking about everything that everybody owned from a certain time period, who gets what, where do we do, who’s paying for where, you know? It was everything. So, this went on. That’s why whenever they say, “Oh, they had an Apple meeting,” it was because that’s how long it took. It took a long time. 

RRX: The other photo that folks will be able to see is also John signing the document. 

MP: Yes.

RRX: That must have been quite a day.

MP: Well, you know, everybody thought it was going to be so intense. But actually, he had to call me in to say, “Will you take the photo already?” Because I was busy in the other room, minding Julian. Because … that “If You Only Knew,” it’s because it was our holiday with Julian, and we were down there. So, I was busy handling Julian as well, and all of a sudden, these lawyers are in town. They came down. So, we were just doing everything at once. It was a relief in a sense because everybody had signed it. So, John was the only one left. And that’s the picture that I took. 

RRX: And it is, it’s pretty spectacular. I guess what is interesting for folks who haven’t seen the exhibit is that it is such a combination of the serious John, the decidedly not-serious John, and John with a few other folks whom everyone would know. It really does give you a chance to roll through John’s life in a time period that an awful lot of people just said, “Oh yeah, there was this going on.” And they had no idea what the real deal was. 

MP: He was so on target then. John was so – I’ve read so many comments by so many people. I feel like saying, “You weren’t there. Stop putting the situation into something that it wasn’t.” It wasn’t happening the way other people saw it. 

I love when they would say, “Oh, he was out of his mind.” I’m not saying he didn’t drink. Yeah, but he wasn’t an alcoholic, and that’s the line I always say. He was out with his friends. We didn’t drink when we were home. We spent a lot of nights at home with the pizza and the whatever, and watched television … So, it was just like what people want to put in and put the spin on it.

RRX: Everyone has their own opinion. There’s a phrase that I will not use here about opinions. 

MP: Yes.

RRX: For folks here, the place that they will know – and it’s a lovely photograph – it’s the one with Shazam and Delilah. 

MP: Oh, right.

RRX: It’s in Ellenville, which is the stomping grounds for here. Having spent a lot of time in Saugerties, it’s right around the corner. 

MP: That was John’s favorite photo. 

RRX: Yeah, and it’s fantastic. It’s one of those – it has a quality that I think is very different than people would expect. Just the nature of the photograph, the dogs, the wooded road. Really lovely.

MP: Right. It was a time where John said, “We’ve done so much.” We’d been to LA, came back, worked on “Walls and Bridges,” came back, went to Caribou to do some stuff on Elton’s thing, came back. We had Julian. It was so many different things. John said, “Before I embark on the next thing that I have to do,” which was to finish up the “Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “I need a break.” 

A friend of mine said to me, “I have a place up in Ellenville. Would you like to go? You can have the place for as long as you want.” I said to John, “You want to do that?” He goes, “Yeah, let’s do it.” We just needed some time away from the maddening crowd, as I would say. 

So, we met – it was his dogs. So, they’re his dogs, Shazam and Delilah. They were showing us … his brother came by with a girlfriend. They go, “Here’s all the walking trails behind the house you can go to,” and all this. And that’s what we were doing. 

RRX: It really is. That and everything in the exhibit is really, really wonderful. So, I will ask, because I know you keep in contact. How is Julian?

MP: Julian’s fine, from the last time I had seen him. I saw him, I know it feels that it was a long time ago, it was in December. He had come to town because he was doing a talk, and it was about his new book of photographs called – I love the title – “Life’s Fragile Moments.” He was doing that, and I wanted to see him. It had been five years, only because nobody was traveling during a little time called the pandemic.

RRX: I’ve heard about that somewhere.

MP: Yeah. It was great to see him, and it was nice to do a little catch-up. It really was good. He had seen a whole bunch of people. We had dinner. It was just nice.

RRX: Nice. So again, May Pang with your photographs. Have you ever had one of those afternoons?

MP: Of course I do.

RRX: May Pang’s exhibit from her time with the Lost Weekend with John Lennon is going to be at the Artforms Gallery, September 12th, 13th, 14th. You can go to maypangphotography. You can go and take a look, see the dates, and the like. You can also call the lovely folks at Artforms, and I’m sure that they will be happy to regale you.

MP: Absolutely.

RRX: And we are so happy that you are going to be making it back up. I know it’s not a common thing for you to be back in a market at the same place and at the same venue, but we are very happy that you’re joining us.

MP: You know, Jan had been bugging us and wanting to have us back up there. Out of the 73 gallery showings, we’ve only gone back to maybe three places as a double-back on it. But every place has been a new place. It’s been wonderful. People have been absolutely fabulous. I love meeting new people. They can come in, they can talk to me. Believe me, I’ve gotten a lot of questions.

RRX: I can imagine that your teeth are clenched, grinning when they ask. 

MP: Well, you know, it’s funny. There isn’t a question that shocks me anymore for anything. They say, “I bet you haven’t been asked this.” I’ve been asked a lot of questions. 

RRX: Yeah, exactly. That said, May, thank you so much for your time. It’s much appreciated. We are so happy to be seeing you again. Of course, for us, you’re just a chip shot away. You’re a two-and-a-half-hour train ride. Well, provided the trains are running on time.

MP: I love taking the train. I was asked if I want to fly. I said, “Why?” I’d rather be on the train and just take the sights in.

RRX: It would take you longer to get to the airport, and get through security, get to a queue where they’ll tell you that the airplane isn’t going to be flying for some lame reason, or that it’s going to be delayed. Then, you have to get to the Albany airport. At the moment, there’s construction, so some of the ins and outs there are not perfect. It’s going to be a great transformation, but the fact is, it’s construction. Take the train, hop off at Rensselaer, and there you go.

MP: I am so looking forward. I love train rides. My hope one day is … try and do like the Orient Express in Europe.

RRX: Oh, that would be great, yeah.

MP: I would love that. That’s something I would like to do.

RRX: Again, thank you so much for joining in the fun.

MP: Thank you for having me. 

RRX: You bet.