Paul McCartney back in Europe after 10 days jailed in Japan

Saturday, January 26, 1980

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Arriving in Amsterdam, from Japan, Paul McCartney was interviewed for the Dutch television:

What happened ?

Paul McCartney. I was in jail for 10 days, didn’t you hear it?

Yes indeed… How did you get out?

How I did get out… Walking on foot.

What did the authorities do?

They dropped the charges.

Why?

Don’t ask me, ask them.

Don’t you know?

Yeah, it was because it was not considered… (pausing)… l don’t know. They just told me today that I get out…

Any idea of the consequences on the whole thing?

How do you mean?

Financially…

Yeah, you know…it’s a bit of a drag financially and stuff.

Do you think you’ll ever go back to Japan?

I don’t know.

You want to go?

Maybe… I’m not sure.

You left disappointed fans over there.

True but I’m disappointed too, so that makes two of us.

Isn’t it usual that somebody else carries the drugs for you into the country?

No, do you do that?

No, but that’s what I heard.

You hear a lot of things in the newspapers that aren’t true….and on TV.

How was your treatment in jail?

It was okay, it was not bad but it was a drag being in there.

Last question, what are you going to do now?

Sleep….and go home.

Interview from “The Solo Beatles Film & TV Chronicle 1971-1980“, by Jörg Pieper (with Ian MacCarthy)

During another interview, he declared:

The last 10 days I tried to get our of Japan and try to get home with the wife and kids. As I say, that was the main worry for me, that maybe they’ve been stuck there for years, you know. The British counsel showed up the first night and said “Yeah, maybe eight years”.

From Wikipedia – Nationaal Archief, Den Haag, Rijksfotoarchief: Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Fotopersbureau (ANEFO), 1945-1989 – negatiefstroken zwart/wit, nummer toegang 2.24.01.05, bestanddeelnummer 930-6404
From Sounds – January 26, 1980

Last updated on March 20, 2023

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