Norwegian Wood was the keystone of the Beatles album Rubber Soul but what is the story behind the song. Who was the girl who once "had" John Lennon, did she even exist? John Lennon had the idea for the song while on a skiing holiday with his wife Cynthia, in St Moritz in the Swiss Alps. It seems the inspiration was the original Pirelli girl Sonny Drane seen here with Ringo and John during the filming of Help!
Help!
But perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves. Robert Freeman was working in London as an up and coming photographer. He'd even been to Moscow to photograph Nikita Khruschev. On an assignment he met German model Sonnhild Spielhagen, her father, Deputy Mayor of Breslau, had been executed by the Nazis in the dying days of WWII. Sonnhild, or Sonny as she prefered had been coy about her origins in 60s London which was still pockmarked with bomb sites from the Blitz. If asked about her accent she would claim to be Norwegian, Norwegian would?
Freeman sent a portfolio of his work to Brian Epstein who showed it to the Beatles. His worked reminded the Fab Four of iconic Astrid Kirchherr black and white photos from Hamburg. Freeman was hired for the With The Beatles album sleeve. Freeman and Sonny became firm friends with John and Cynthia. The Freemans' found John and his wife a flat above their own, wood panelled affair, in South Kensington. Some evenings John and Sonny would stay up long after their partners, drinking wine and talking to the wee hours until Sonny would say "It's time for bed". John didn't have far to go home, just a flight of stairs and he wouldn't even have to sleep in the bath.
Sonny with the Beatles' WAGs on a ski holiday
Freeman was involved in subsequent Beatles projects including attending the skiing scenes of Help! in Austria; Sonny joined him as she was now a friend of the Beatles WAGs. Sonnie met with Cynthia Lennon, Maureen Starkey and Pattie Boyd everyday while the men were working on the film. They'd sunbathed together, walk around the village, ski, or just sit and talk in the hotel.
and returning from the slopes
Freeman's last project was the album sleeve of Rubber Soul. Years later Sonny confessed to a nearly 2 year affair with Lennon. Freeman was frequently away on photoshoots. Cyn was busy with baby Julian and well, Sonny was just a flight of stairs away. Be rude not to.
Obertauen With the WAGs
Cynthia recalled "One evening there was a knock at the door. John answered. Bob and Sonnie, the Beatle's photographer and his wife were on the doorstep. Bob looked furious and Sonnie, a stunning Swede (sic), was in tears, cowering behind him. Bob ignored me and said he wanted to talk to John. When John came back into the kitchen I asked him what had been going on, but he shrugged and disappeared upstairs to this music room. Not long afterward I heard that Bob and Sonnie were divorcing. I couldn't escape the conclusion that she'd had an affair with John, although I never had any proof." Cynthia and John would divorce in 1968 after the pregnancy of Yoko Ono, the affair too far.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 3-01-24 20:09; edited 1 time in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Fascinating. Thank you. And what wonderful photographs.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Didn’t John or Paul have a brief fling with an Austrian resident during that visit? Only admitted by her, despite years of speculation, in an interview not so long back.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Rob Mackley, yes.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Wouldn't this thread be better in AOB rather than clogging up The Piste?
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Or Resort Reviews. “Neighbours very friendly and accommodating“.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
halfhand wrote:
Wouldn't this thread be better in AOB rather than clogging up The Piste?
I read everything through "recent posts" anyway, does it make much difference where it resides ?
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Funnily enough, I have just been re-listening to RS after about, oh, 3 decades. Norwegian Wood is still an incredible song! Some of John's finest lyrics -- the line about having to work and sleeping in the bathroom is brilliant.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I enjoyed reading this, and looking at the photos.
If it had been in the Apres section I would have missed it cause I rarely read anything there.
Sure the link to skiing is a little tenuous, but so is a thread which is essentially how do you go about meeting up with people in the daytime!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@ski3, shows just how hard that gear was too ski on.
What I found interesting was how aspirational skiing was seen as and where better than St Moritz to find inspiration?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Pasigal, timeless
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
It's a bit before my time. It would help if the photos identified who is who.
Quote:
What I found interesting was how aspirational skiing was seen
I haven't seen the film (anyone got a link?).
15 years after that, it was still seen as massively aspirational in the part of the world those blokes came from.
It's interesting that 60 years later folk complain about how expensive it now is.
I saw a Ringo Star concert in August; he wasn't at all bad. Not sure if he can ski.
@ski3, I was actually in the audiance in the Albert Hall when the gymnastics was filmed. Sadly the techniques then were terrible. Gymnastics has moved on a very long way.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@davidof, fabulous photos and story retold.
I remember boots like that and the really long skis, Solden ‘64 or ‘65. And then seeing the Beatles live at the Hammersmith Odeon.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
phil_w wrote:
I saw a Ringo Star concert in August; he wasn't at all bad. Not sure if he can ski.
I could not hear anything the sceaming was just too loud, but the first warmup band were great.. The Kinks.
I've got a pair of Kniessle skis and a Beatles T-Shirt to go with them.
Have you seen "Yesterday" movie?
I first saw it on a flight to the US, I was blubbing .. Nostalgia kicked in big time at the scene
outside the "Ramsholt Arms" when they gave him a guitar...
I used to go to that pub with mates to sail down the Deben.
Wouldn't this thread be better in AOB rather than clogging up The Piste?
After donkeys' years on I have no idea what AOB is...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@mountainaddict, Any Other Business - it's a thread in Apres, on which people seem mostly to post videos.
After all it is free
After all it is free
mountainaddict wrote:
Quote:
Wouldn't this thread be better in AOB rather than clogging up The Piste?
After donkeys' years on I have no idea what AOB is...
#metoo
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Hurtle wrote:
@mountainaddict, Any Other Business - it's a thread in Apres,
Ah the cesspit of hate, I think a lot of folk avoid it
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
davidof wrote:
... watch to the end and all is revealed..
Thanks. That's a "no", then.
Rubber Soul: I listened to it a couple of times and it's maybe my least favourite of their stuff.
Oh well, perhaps you had to be there. Rolling Stone and others liked it though; ah well.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
I have no idea what AOB is... 
