Yoko hints at role in Lennon's songs

John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono hosted a Top of the Pops tribute to the former Beatle last night. And while it proved a touching and revealing programme, it will have raised eyebrows among some fans.

John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono hosted a Top of the Pops tribute to the former Beatle last night. And while it proved a touching and revealing programme, it will have raised eyebrows among some fans.

In her reminiscences about the songs, Yoko Ono gave the impression that the creation and recordings were joint efforts between Lennon and herself - an impression that will be new to many.

About his classic "Imagine", for example, she uses the pronoun "we", saying: "To me it is the culmination of a partnership. John and I and making music together and communicating the message we wanted to communicate to the world. I remember 'Imagine'. I remember the studio in Ascot where we recorded the song. It was great. At the time we just thought it was another day and in hindsight those were very, very special days - every day."

In TOTP2 on BBC2 marking the 60th anniversary of the birth of John Lennon, Ono introduced recordings including "Give Peace A Chance", "Power to the People" and "Mind Games". None of those songs was recorded with The Beatles.

The most poignant memory for Ono was "Starting Over". She said: "Life is so strange because while he was singing 'Starting Over' and we were rejoicing in this beautiful song there was some spirit sneaking behind us to take John away."