New York City (John Lennon and Yoko Ono song) Lennon incorporating a bit of New York City vernacular with the statement "what a bad ass city." Music critic Johnny Rogan claims that "the melody sounds like a direct lift from 'The Ballad of John and Yoko.'" Music critic Paul Du Noyer describes "New York City" as a "solid, rousing rocker." Music critic Paul Blaney describes it as "a rough and tumble rocker" and a "dense exciting street rocker." Lennon is backed by Elephant's Memory, whose provide a brassy sound. Beatles expert Bruce Spizer describes Lennon's guitar playing as being in "Chuck Berry style." According to Du Noyer, Lennon performs
John Lennon fulfilment of his promise to join the singer in a live show if "Whatever Gets You thru the Night", a song whose commercial potential Lennon had doubted, reached number one. Lennon performed the song along with "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "I Saw Her Standing There", which he introduced as "a song by an old estranged fiancé of mine called Paul". Lennon co-wrote "Fame", David Bowie's first US number one, and provided guitar and backing vocals for the January 1975 recording. In the same month, Elton John topped the charts with his cover of "Lucy in the Sky