🎧 Hear the full interviews on The Plug w/ Justin Jay → https://www.theplugwithjustinjay.com/
🎤 Exclusive conversations with celebrated artists, actors, musicians & creators.
Subscribe now →https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNH5UGRKI5E1AUBWAk-OkrA?sub_confirmation=1
What was John Lennon’s life really like in early 1970s New York? Academy Award-winning director Kevin Macdonald takes us inside his groundbreaking new film One to One, a deeply immersive documentary that reconstructs Lennon and Yoko Ono’s West Village life entirely through archival footage—news clips, protest coverage, sitcoms, vintage commercials, and never-before-heard personal recordings.
On this episode of The Plug w/ Justin Jay, Kevin reveals how the film moves beyond traditional biography to show Lennon as a man navigating political activism, personal loss, and the pressures of fame.
Discover how Bob Dylan’s music, Jerry Rubin’s radical politics, and John & Yoko’s Bank Street apartment played pivotal roles in shaping his post-Beatles journey. Hear the astonishing story behind Yoko Ono’s art, the intimate audio tapes recorded by Lennon himself, and the extraordinary effort to recreate their apartment with obsessive historical accuracy.
This conversation also uncovers the film’s unexpected parallels to today’s world, highlighting how history, activism, and art intersect across generations. Whether you’re a die-hard Beatles fan, a documentary aficionado, or simply curious about one of the most fascinating periods of New York’s cultural history, this episode offers unparalleled insight into Lennon and Ono like never before.
Timestamps / Chapter Markers
00:00 – Introduction & John Lennon’s political awakening
01:08 – The parable of the blind men & the vision for One to One
03:12 – Filming in New York & recreating the Bank Street apartment
04:38 – Immersive archival storytelling approach
07:09 – Recreating 1972 TV, news, and cultural context
08:08 – Lennon’s love of television & the chaotic New York landscape
09:31 – Balancing concert footage, activism, and narrative flow
12:10 – Comparing One to One to Life in a Day projects
13:31 – The apartment as a character & meticulous set design
17:45 – Lennon’s evolving approach to activism & peace
20:35 – The benefit concert for Willowbrook & political change
23:21 – Discovering 30 hours of Lennon’s private audio recordings
28:25 – Yoko Ono’s conceptual art & the “flies” story
30:19 – Yoko Ono’s personal struggles & humanizing portrayal
34:35 – Music as art: Yoko’s confessional performances
36:52 – Insights from Sean Lennon on capturing Yoko’s essence
38:46 – What makes One to One different from other Lennon films
39:44 – Experiencing intimacy, humor, and context with John & Yoko
About The Plug
---
The Plug w/ Justin Jay is a bi-monthly arts and culture podcast featuring unfiltered, long-form interviews with the artists, entertainers, and innovators shaping today’s world. Each episode explores career challenges, inspirations, and the stories behind music, sports, design, and politics.
---
Follow the audio podcast of The Plug w/ Justin Jay every other Thursday → https://www.theplugwithjustinjay.com
---
Topics: music production, New York City history, hip-hop history, creative process, professional surfing, comedy, photography, arts & entertainment
---
Subscribe & Stay Connected
• YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNH5UGRKI5E1AUBWAk-OkrA?sub_confirmation=1
• Website → https://www.theplugwithjustinjay.com
• Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-plug-w-justin-jay/id1517322794
• Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3M3BwnadvgbuwtErUHN1pl
• Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/justinjayphoto/
---
• Have comments, feedback, or guest suggestions?
We’d love to hear from you!
Email The Plug w/ Justin Jay → theplugpodcast.jj(AT)gmail.com
