Jay Bergen - Raging Pages

  by Lisa Torem

published: 26 / 11 / 2022

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In her 'Raging Pages' book column, Lisa Torem examines Jay Bergen's new memoir 'Lennon, the Mobster and the Lawyer', which tells of his experiences representing John Lennon against Morris Levy, the Mafia-connected owner of Roulette Records, for the rights to his 1975 LP, Rock ‘n’ Roll’.

Author Jay Bergen enjoyed an impressive career as a partner in a prestigious law firm. Over the course of his more than 40-year career as an attorney, he represented members of the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and the San Francisco Giants. His musical clients have included: rock managers Terry Knight (Grand Funk Railroad) and Albert Grossman (Bob Dylan’s manager). He negotiated record deals with Aimee Mann’s ‘Til Tuesday’ and Face to Face, but perhaps to us music fans, the highlight of his career involved representing John Lennon from 1975-1977. Bergen’s relationship with John Lennon had been life-changing, and, among other things, had led Bergen to return to the very music he loved as a teenager. Also, because he had represented Lennon, he had at his disposal transcripts, testimony and documents saved from the 1976 trial of John Lennon versus Morris Levy, and was in a position to enlighten Lennon fans about this remarkably under-the-radar event. Bergen has been hard at work promoting this book. He conducted multi-media presentations at the 92nd St. YMCA in NYC, The Peace Center for The Performing Arts in Greenville, South Carolina and TFAC, the Tryon Performing Arts Center in North Carolina. This memoir/legal account involves Morris Levy, the late Mafia-connected owner of Roulette Records, who released ‘Roots,’ a bootleg version of ‘John Lennon Rock ‘n’ Roll,’ a 1950s-focused album Lennon was in the process of producing. It’s a fascinating story but there’s a lot to process: Levy claimed that Lennon had given him his verbal okay to market the album by TV. Capitol Records then quickly released a version of the album that led fans to believe that this was the official version. Levy then initiated two lawsuits which resulted in Lennon’s counterclaims. A U.S. District Court battle followed, where Bergen represented Lennon over the rights to his own recording. Throughout the book, Bergen outlines strategy sessions where he and Lennon worked jointly to conceptualize and outline Lennon’s testimony. Lennon, and his wife, Yoko Ono, committed themselves to spending time on the case both in and out of the courtroom. But tin lighter moments, their lunches at the now defunct Sloppy Louie’s allowed them to recap litigious events and share a few well-deserved laughs. When Lennon appeared in court as a key witness, he judiciously explained the steps he took to record and produce his music to a judge who knew little about the studio practices of rock musicians or rock music in general, although he did possess a knowledge of classical music. Lennon also briefed the judge about the Beatles’ musical history, his own significant role in the success of the band and offered insights into influential albums he produced during his solo career. Furthermore, Lennon summarised the cultural importance of the ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ album and explained his decision to produce an album of 1950s cover material. But most pertinent to the trial, was his explanation of how his reputation had been damaged by Levy’s ‘cheesy’ production of the ‘Roots’ bootleg album. The book includes anecdotes and stories featuring recording insider May Pang, the late producer Phil Spector, Elton John, Yoko Ono, producer Jimmy Iovine, Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood and Mick Jagger, the late Jesse Ed Davis, Klaus Voormann, Jim Keltner and Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh. ‘Lennon, Mobster & the Lawyer, The Untold Story’ includes sharp visual images and a foreword by acclaimed Lennon photographer Bob Gruen. Keep in mind that one doesn’t need to be a legal expert to enjoy this essential book; Bergen’s attention to litigious detail is balanced with observational wit; he brings Lennon and the rest of the courtroom characters to life, while keeping in mind the seriousness of the trial and its obvious legacy.

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