34 Montagu Square
London W1H
The square was named after Elizabeth Montagu, who was highly regarded by London society in the late 18th century. The basement flat in 34 Montagu Square was occupied by Ringo Starr briefly in 1965 before he moved out and leased the flat to his friends – including Jimi Hendrix.
But nowadays it is better known as the home of John Lennon and Yoko who lived here in 1968. It was in October of that year that the police raided the flat and John and Yoko were charged with possession of cannabis.
Paul McCartney recorded some demo songs at that address, including “I’m Looking Through You”, and also reportedly worked on various compositions, including “Eleanor Rigby”. With the help of electronics technician and computer programmer Ian Sommerville, they converted the flat to a studio for Apple Corps’ avant-garde Zapple label, eventually recording William S. Burroughs for spoken-word Zapple albums.
In addition, Jimi Hendrix and his manager, Chas Chandler, also later lived there with their girlfriends. Whilst living there, Hendrix evidently composed “The Wind Cries Mary”.
For 3 months, John Lennon and Yoko Ono rented the flat, taking a photograph there that would become the cover of their Two Virgins album. After the the Scotland Yard Police drug raid, the landlord of the property got an injunction against Ringo to prevent it from being used for anything illegal. Starr sold the lease in February 1969. In 2010, this location aka John Lennon’s London address was named as a Heritage Site and there was a blue marker plaque placed at the site.
Map Link: https://goo.gl/maps/KTW9hktypNmvYmN67
