Beatles Facts - BeatlesFacts.org: John Lennon

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Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Free as a Bird

"Free as a Bird" was written as a demo in 1977 by John Lennon. While working on The Beatles Anthology, Paul McCartney asked Lennon's widow Yoko Ono if she had any of Lennon's unreleased tapes. McCartney's plan was to have the remaining Beatles clean up and augment the track with their own instruments while adding extra lyrics. "Free as a Bird" was one of two songs that Ono offered (the other was "Real Love"). The tape, circulating as a bootleg, was simply a poor-quality cassette that Lennon had made at the Dakota in New York City, where he and Ono resided.

The song was used at the end of the first two-hour special of The Beatles Anthology on ABC television in November, 1995. It also appeared on Anthology One, the first of three two-CD sets that accompanied the TV series. The song was produced by the remaining Beatles with the help of Jeff Lynne, formerly of the Electric Light Orchestra and The Traveling Wilburys. George Martin's production skills were not used because by then Martin had developed hearing problems and did not think he could give his best effort to the project.

The track that was given to McCartney was a tape of Lennon singing and accompanying himself on piano. The new arrangement, recorded in McCartney's home recording studio in Sussex, England in February and March of 1994 included breaks in the Lennon song so that McCartney and Harrison could insert and sing extra lines, which was the only time that the Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison all sang lead on the same song except for a Christmas song issued many years earlier for the Beatles Fan Club. Scenes of the recording sessions can be seen in The Beatles Anthology.

For the music video aired at the end of Part One of TV's The Beatles Anthology, the camera angle depicts scenes as if from a bird's point of view. During this "flight," scenes suggestive of many Beatles songs are seen, such as "Eleanor Rigby," "A Day in the Life," and "Paperback Writer." More than eighty such allusions to the life and music of the Beatles exist in the short clip.

The surviving Beatles themselves loved the final result of the overdubs, feeling as if the Beatles had really succeeded in finally reuniting. Fans and critics also gave the song high marks

Lennon plays piano and does a lead vocal; McCartney plays acoustic guitar, bass, and does lead and backing vocals; Harrison played acoustic and slide guitars, ukulele, and does lead and backing vocals; and Starr played drums and percussion.

The song was released as a single in December of 1995 in both the UK and United States on the Apple label. The B side was "Christmas Time (Is Here Again).

The song won a 1997 Grammay Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group.

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

I'll Be Back

One of the fascinating Beatles facts about "I'll Be Back" is that this Lennon composition was originally conceived as a slow song in 3/4 time. As evidenced on Anthology, Vol. I, Lennon realized during Take 2 that the song wasn't working at this slow tempo, and the Beatles switched to 4/4 time on the next take.

The song was recorded during a single session at Abbey Road Studios on June 1, 1964 for the LP A Hard Day's Night (Parlophone issue), with a total of sixteen takes used to find the right sound. John frequently wrote his songs at a slower tempo only to speed them up later, with other examples being "Please Please Me" and "Revolution."

The song is a favorite of Beatles fans and has a distinctive sound because McCartney, Lennon, and Harrison all play acoustic guitars, giving the song a rich, full sound. McCartney played bass, Starr drums. Lennon handled the lead vocal, with McCartney doing the backing vocal.

Lennon was quite fond of the song, although he believed the middle eight to be "tatty." In the U.S., the song was issued on Beatles 65.

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Thursday, May 7, 2009

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band: The Album

The most important of several Beatles facts for John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is that it was the debut solo album for Lennon (discounting three experimental albums with wife Yoko Ono) and is considered to be one of Lennon's best efforts in his solo career. Rolling Stone ranked it # 22 on its list of all-time greatest albums. The album was recorded at the same time as Yoko's Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, which featured her avant garde style. The band backing Lennon was dubbed "plastic" because of various musicians called upon by Lennon and Ono since 1969 for solo work--a "conceptual band," as it was termed--as compared to the four permanent members of the Beatles.

The album is generally regarded as an outgrowth of the primal scream therapy Lennon undertook with Arthur Janov, producing cathartic feelings expressed in the LP's tracks. One example is "God," in which Lennon sings that he only believes in himself as opposed to any deity or authority/celebrity figure (Beatles, Elvis, etc.). The album was produced by Phil Spector (with production credits also assigned to Lennon and Ono) and recorded at Abbey Road Studios and Ascot Sound Studios from September 26, 1970 to October 23, 1970. It was released on December 11, 1970 on the Apple label, and was well received by critics in both the United States and Great Britain.

Musicians working on the album included Klaus Voorman (bass), Ringo Starr (drums), Alan White (percussion), Billy Preston (piano), and Phil Spector (piano). Lennon handled vocals and played guitar, piano, and electric keyboard.

Tracks include:

Mother
Hold On
I Found Out
Working Class hero
Isolation
Remember
Love
Well Well Well
Look at Me
God
My Mummy's Dead

With impetus from Yoko Ono, the album was remixed and re-issued for CD format in 2000 with two bonus tracks: "Power to the People" and "Do the Oz."

The artwork for the album was a shot of Lennon and Ono leaning against a tree. The photo was taken with an ordinary Instamatic camera.

The guitar work by Lennon on "Look at Me" is similar to that on "Julia" and "Dear Prudence" and was taught to Lennon, according to most sources, by Donovan when the two musicians were in Rishikesh, India in 1968.

For more information on Beatles albums (group and solo), go to Beatles Albums: Background and History or see the Sitemap below.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

The Ballad of John and Yoko

The main Beatles facts for "The Ballad of John and Yoko" are that the song was written by Lennon within a few days after his marriage to Yoko Ono on March 20, 1969 in Gibraltar, and also that Lennon and McCartney recorded the song by themselves, with no help from Starr or Harrison even though the song was released as a Beatles recording. This is surprising inasmuch as the feuding between Lennon and McCartney was at its peak during this time. The song recounts Lennon and Ono's trouble finding a place where they could be married, their subsequent honeymoon, and trips to Paris and Amsterdam, and staying in bed for a week (e.g., the bed-in at the Amsterdam Hilton).

The song was released in the UK on May 30, 1969 and in the U.S. on June 4, 1969. Ironically, it was the first Beatles' single to be released in stereo but was also the last song recorded with the intention of it being issued as a single. The song was banned on many radio stations in both the United States and Great Britain because of the line "Christ, you know it ain't easy." Because McCartney helped with the recording session, Lennon reciprocated by giving McCartney co-authorship credit for "Give Peace a Chance."

The song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios on April 14, 1969. Lennon played acoustic and lead guitars. McCartney played bass, drums, and piano. Lennon sang lead vocal, with McCartney turning in a great performance with harmony vocal. The two band members recorded a basic rhythm tracks (doing eleven takes) with only acoustic guitar, drums, and the lead vocal. They then decided on the best take and overdubbed the rest of the instruments in a single day. It is reported that John addressed Paul as "Ringo," while Paul addressed John as "George."

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Fool on the Hill

The interesting Beatles facts for "Fool on the Hill" are that, although this is a McCartney composition, Paul first played the song for John at his (Paul's) house at St. John's Wood while the two were collaborating on "With a Little Help from My Friends."

The track was recorded at Abbey Road Studios on September 25, 1967, with flutes added on October 20th of that year. Lennon told interviewers over the years that he believed the song to be one of McCartney's best lyrics, as it represented a completely formed idea.

The portion of Magical Mystery Tour devoted to this song features Paul in Nice, France. McCartney has attested in Anthology and other interviews that he crossed the English Channel to shoot the footage on a lark, forgetting his passport. His small crew also didn't bring the right camera lenses, causing them to request that the lenses be sent at a price of 4000 British pounds. The footage was shot on November 1 and 2, 1967. The scenes were regarded as some of the more successful of Magical Mystery Tour, which was thoroughly panned in Britain. The film segment was used in Anthology, and McCartney still uses this portion of the film in concert when performing "The Fool on the Hill." The iconic portion of the film segment shows McCartney, wearing a dark navy-blue peacoat, standing on a hilltop against a backdrop of clouds. He is also seen hopping and skipping around various locations in and near Nice.

McCartney sings vocal and plays piano, flute, and recorder; Harrison plays lead guitar, Lennon maracas and harmonica, Starr finger cymbals. Some sources attribute an additional harmonica to Harrison.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

A Day in the Life

Of the many Beatles facts associated with "A Day in the Life" from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the most important is that the song is a mixture of a Lennon tune gleaned from articles in the newspaper and a partial song by McCartney, the latter representing the middle of the track that starts after the orchestral buildup and an alarm clock ringing. McCartney's contribution to the track, a snippet he couldn't fully develop, is about waking up and catching a bus.

In the song, Lennon wrote of a car crash in South Kensington that caused the death of Tara Browne, the twenty-one-year-old male heir to the Guinness family. Lennon also used other details he saw in the paper, such as the fact that four thousand potholes needed to be filled in Blackburn, Lancashire. The lyric "I saw a film today ... the English army had just won the war" is a reference to How I Won the War, a Richard Lester film in which Lennon appeared.

The song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios between January 19 and February 10, 1967, with overdubs added later. The original backing track featured Lennon playing an acoustic guitar and McCartney playing piano--nothing more. Lennon counts into the song by saying "Sugarplum fairy, sugarplum fairy," which can be heard on the Anthology version.

Lennon's unusual vocal quality was produced by use of a tape echo. The vocal was sent into the tape machine, where it was split into "record" and "replay," with the "replay" being fed into the machine again (as well as Lennon's headphones).

Roadie Mal Evans counted from one to twenty-four to measure each bar that would later be filled in by an orchestra building to a crescendo. Evans set the alarm clock for timing purposes and was left in because it fit the motif of McCartney's "Woke up, got out of bed ..." The orchestra was McCartney's idea, although George Martin originally believed a building crescendo was over the top.

It was George Martin's idea to have the last note of the song last as long as possible. The note was achieved by three of the Beatles hitting the note on three pianos, with sound engineers controlling the rate of fade-out. The note lasts for forty-five seconds and precedes what is known as "The Inner Groove," a few seconds of repeating gibberish heard if old stereo tone arms were left on the vinyl.

Composer Leonard Bernstein was especially impressed with this track.

Instrumental attributions for Harrison and Starr vary depending on the sources consulted. Lennon and McCartney sang lead vocals for their respective parts. Lennon played his acoustic Gibson J-160E, McCartney piano. The orchestra was a forty-one piece assembly of classical musicians. Most sources agree that Lennon, McCartney, and Starr played the last piano chord, with some sources also putting Starr on toms, drums, or both. Harrison's contribution is unclear, although some sources say he played bongos and one of the pianos at the end. Other sources also have McCartney playing bass guitar. Most sources agree that Martin scored the strings for parts of the song but that McCartney directed the orchestral crescendo.

The song is regarded by fans and musicians alike as one of the most innovative tracks ever written and performed by the band. Lennon thought it to be among his finest work.

Monday, April 13, 2009

All You Need Is Love

The Beatles facts for "All You Need Is Love" go beyond the mere recording of the song since it was performed for Our World TV on June 25, 1967, a global telecast using new satellite technology. The program was a six-hour telecast seen by 400,000,000 people in over twenty countries. Many other performers took part in the event, which was designed to unify the people of the world.

The song was recorded on June 14, 1967 at Olympia Studios, although overdubs were added at Abbey Road later. The song is a Lennon composition, although there is disagreement among George Martin and the remaining Beatles as to whether Lennon wrote the song specifically for the telecast. It was released in the UK on July 7, 1967 and in the U.S. on July 17, 1967.

The song has a very long fadeout that includes material from the Beatles (such as McCartney singing "She loves you, yeah yeah yeah") as well as scores from George Martin that include "Greensleeves," "In the Mood," and Bach.

For the tracks that were combined from the sessions at the two studios, McCartney plays upright and electric bass, Lennon harpsichord, Harrison guitar and violin, Starr drums, George Martin piano. Session musicians played trumpets, trombones, saxophones, violins, cellos, and an accordion. The chorus for the live TV performance included Jane Asher, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Keith Moon, Patti Harrison, Graham Nash, Marianne Faithful, and others.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Within You Without You

This George Harrison composition from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has many interesting Beatles facts. It was recorded on March 15, 1967 at Abbey Road Studios, with overdubs added on March 22 and April 3. Harrison wrote the melody for the song on a harmonium (not his sitar) while visiting the home of Klaus Voorman. The lyrics essentially describe what he and Voorman had been talking about that evening, and hence the first line of the song.

Harrison stated in many interviews that he didn't believe the other three band members were very interested in the track, although John Lennon said in his 1980 Playboy interview that he believed it was one George's best songs because of its clarity of purpose and a solid performance by Harrison.

A carpet was put on the floor of the studios, with flowers and incense added, to create the ambiance necessary for the Indian studio musicians. George Martin scored violins and cellos to mesh with the Indian instruments: dilruba (an Indian violin); tabla (Indian percussion); and swordmandel (similar to a zither).

Harrison said that he was especially fond of the 5/4 time of the interlude and the other distinctive cadences he borrowed from Indian music for the track.

The laughter at the end of the track was Harrison's idea because he believed the song was "too heavy" and wanted to lighten the atmosphere in order to segue into the next song. There was some disagreement on adding the laughter from the other Beatles.

Harrison sang lead vocal. Harrison and Neil Aspinall played the tamboura. Session musicians played all other instruments. No other Beatle aided in the recording of the song.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Ticket to Ride

One of the most interesting Beatles facts for "Ticket to Ride" is that John Lennon, the sole composer, believed that it was the first heavy metal song. If one stretches the imagination, it's possible to listen to the heavy lead and rhythm guitars and understand what Lennon was saying. It's as if the song was more of a precursor than the actual first heavy metal song. A better case for "the first" can be made for "Helter Skelter" from the White Album.

The song was recorded on February 15, 1965 at Abbey Road Studios and featured on both Parlophone and Capital LP releases of Help. It was released as a single in in the UK on April 9, 1965 and in the U.S. on April 14, 1965. Like the single "Help," the label on the 45 rpm of "Ticket to Ride" also said, "From the United Artists screenplay Eight Arms to Hold You, which was the working title for the film.

Lennon sang lead vocal, with McCartney adding harmony. McCartney played bass and the distinctive lead guitar line. Lennon played rhythm guitar and Starr drums. Harrison played electric guitar, although sources disagree as to his studio contribution. Harrison did play lead during live performances, such as the performance of "Ticket to Ride" on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965, a version which was played ridiculously fast and, like the other songs on their 1965 appearance on the Sullivan show, indicate performances not nearly as clean as their 1964 appearances (with the exception of McCartney's "Yesterday"). Lennon even fumbled the lyrics for both "Help" and "I Feel Fine," although he recovered quickly.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Imagine: The Album

There are many Beatles facts for John Lennon's Imagine, but the most important is that it is his most popular solo project owing to the title track (and also because it was recorded for its potential commercial value as opposed to Lennon's more avant-garde material before and after). It was recorded from June to July of 1971 and released on the Apple label on September 9, 1971 and October 8, 1971 in the U.S. and UK respectively. Production credits are assigned to John Lennon, Phil Spector, and Yoko Ono. The album is listed as number seventy-six on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Many of the basic tracks for Imagine were laid down at Lennon's home studio at Tittenhurst Park, with overdubs added at New York City's The Record Plant. Footage of several of the album's sessions was released on the documentary Gimme Some Truth.

One of the more popular tracks on the LP is "Jealous Guy," which was composed during the Beatles visit with the Maharishi in India in 1968. "Oh Yoko" has also remained one of Lennon's more popular songs, an upbeat homage to his wife. "How Do You Sleep?" is generally considered to be addressed to Paul McCartney. Its sarcastic tone was considered to be in bad taste by Ringo Starr, although George Harrison played on this track (and a few others on the album). The song "How?" is a reflection of Lennon's Primal Scream Therapy. The most popular ballad on the album is the very gentle "Oh My Love."

Session musicians for Imagine included Alan White (drums), Klaus Voorman (bass), George Harrison (electric and slide guitars and dobro), The Flux Fiddlers (strings), King Curtis (sax), Andy Davis, (acoustic guitar), Nicky Hopkins (piano), and Mike Pinder (of the Moody Blues--tambourine). Some sources also add Joey Molland, Rod Linton, Ted Turner, and Tom Evans on acoustic guitars.

Lennon provided vocals and played piano, acoustic and electric guitars, and harmonica.

Under the supervision of Yoko One, the album was remixed and remastered for a 2003 reissue.

The tracks include:

Imagine
Crippled Inside
Jealous Guy
It's So Hard
I Don't Want to Be a Soldier
Gimme Some Truth
Oh My Love
How Do You Sleep?
How?
Oh Yoko.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Double Fantasy

Of the many Beatles facts related to Double Fantasy, the saddest is that is was John Lennon's last release (not counting anthologies, compilations, archival material, and performances released posthumously since Lennon was assassinated on December 8, 1980, shortly after the double album's release). It was recorded at The Hit Factory for the Geffen label from August 4, 1980 to late September of that same year. Produced by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and Jack Douglas, it was released on November 17, 1980.

The album marked Lennon's new burst of creativity, one that followed a five-year period, beginning in 1975, during which he suspended his recording career (except for occasional demos done at his apartment in the Dakota) in order to take care of his son Sean. His new creative energies had been kindled after sailing to Bermuda on the schooner Megan Jayne. When the schooner ran into heavy squalls and the crew became ill, Lennon lashed himself to the chrome railing and began to sing old Liverpool sea chanteys. It was as if he were exorcising himself of personal demons that had plagued him for years. Upon arriving in Bermuda, he began to compose again, calling Yoko on the phone to play early drafts of the songs. Indeed, so prolific was his output at this time that he would accumulate enough songs for more than just Double Fantasy. Another album, Milk and Honey, was already in the planning stage when Lennon was killed. In the months before he was shot, Lennon even called Julian in England to ask his older son's opinion of some tracks, and the greatest tragedy perhaps is that Lennon's road to reconciliation with Julian was cut short at this time of their lives.

The album was re-released in 2000. Singles issued from "Double Fantasy" (both releases) included "Watching the Wheels," "Woman," "Walking on Thin Ice," and "Just Like Starting Over." Double Fantasy won the Grammy Award for 1981 Album of the Year.

Lennon believed the personal demos of some of the tracks were exceptionally good because they conveyed immediacy and emotion, and he reworked some of the demos at the Dakota as well as the recording studio. The concept of the album was that the songs were John and Yoko singing to each other, an idea that appealed to the Lennons inasmuch as they were releasing to the public an intimate side of themselves. (Seven of the album's tracks are Ono's.) The LP's cover, showing a black and white photo of John and Yoko kissing, has become iconic in the world of music and beyond.

The tracks include:

(Just Like) Starting Over
Kiss Kiss Kiss *
Cleanup Time
Give Me Something *
I'm Losing You
I'm Moving On *
Beautiful Boy
Watching the Wheels
Yes I'm Your Angel *
Woman
Beautiful Boys *
Dear Yoko
Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him *
Hard Times Are Over *

(Songs with asterisks represent Yoko Ono's contributions.)

The 2000 re-release included the following extra tracks:

Help Me to Help Myself
Walking on Thin Ice *
Central Park Stroll (brief conversation)

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Inside John Lennon: Free Online Film

A great Beatles fact for those who have not seen the 2003 Inside John Lennon is that it is now available for free online viewing (if you are willing to sit through a sixty second commercial every now and then).

There have been numerous documentaries about John Lennon, many of them hopelessly redundant except to the hardcore Beatles or Lennon fan. Inside John Lennon , however, is an exception. While the film does indeed cover the familiar phases of his life, from his birth in Liverpool to rise to fame with the Beatles to his solo career and days as peace activist with Yoko Ono, the film is compact and approaches Lennon's life with clarity through great interviews and lesser-used film footage.

Both Paul McCartney and George Martin have relevant and informative comments on their former colleague, and there are many interviews with former members of The Quarrymen, who relate what it was like to play music with Lennon during the skiffle craze in Liverpool. There are also comments from the Beatles' first manager, Allan Williams, and John's half-sister, Julia Baird. This is definitely a film worth watching.

Inside John Lennon may be purchased from Amazon or may be viewed online for free at Inside John Lennon

Friday, February 27, 2009

Give Peace a Chance

"Give Peace a Chance" is associated with many interesting Beatles facts, a perfect example being that the song was the first solo single to be released while the Beatles were still together. It was a Lennon composition credited to the songwriting team of Lennon-McCartney. (The McCartney credit was later removed with the issue of Lennon's posthumous Live in New York City, an LP recorded with the his Elephant's Memory Band.)

Released on July 4 and 7, 1969 in the UK and U.S. respectively, the song was recorded on June 1, 1969 on a four-speed tape recorder at the Lennons' bed-in at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal Canada, the first bed-in having been held in Amsterdam. The song was rehearsed for several days in the hotel room, and the subsequent recording session was attended by Tommy Smothers, Petula Clark, Timothy Leary, Dick Gregory, Allen Ginsberg, Murray the K, Al Capp, Derek Taylor, and others. Lennon could not always recall the exact lyrics to the last verse and switched them frequently when performing the song.

"Give Peace a Chance" was the A Side of the single, with "Remember Love" as the B Side. The song was also issued on The John Lennon Collection, Shaved Fish, Lennon, and the soundtrack for The U.S. vs. John Lennon.

Like "Imagine," the song quickly became an anthem for peace and was used for many charitable and political events, including the demonstration in Washington, D.C. on Vietnam Memorial Day on October 16, 1969. The song was performed by a host of celebrities on that occasion, including Pete Seeger and Peter, Paul, and Mary. It has also been included in the soundtracks for countless films.

The song has been covered by hundreds of artists. Some include: Paul McCartney (live), Ringo Starr (live), John Frusciante, Lenny Kravitz, Sean Ono Lennon, Bonnie Raitt, Steven Van Zandt, Tom Petty, Cindi Lauper, Bruce Hornsby, Peter Gabriel, MC Hammer, LL Cool J, and Michael McDonald. Lennon friend Elton John used the song as the B Side to his single "The Club at the End of the Street."

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Instant Karma

This single by the Beatles' John Lennon has an interesting history with several relevant facts about Lennon's solo recording career. The song was recorded on January 27, 1970 and released on February 6, 1970, only ten days after the track was laid down. "Instant Karma" was, almost literally, an instant record. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, it was produced by Phil Spector and issued under the Apple label, with "Who Has Seen the Wind" on the B Side. The A Side had the words "Play Loud" stamped near the spindle hole, while Side B had "Play Soft" stamped in the same place.

Some biographers believe Lennon used Spector as the producer for this track in order to gauge how he worked since the band was considering giving the Let It Be tapes to Spector to remix. Ultimately, Spector's work would not pass muster with the Beatles, especially McCartney, and the band's final response came with the issue of Let It Be Naked over twenty-five years later, with a different mix of the album.

Recorded the very same day it was written, "Instant Karma" featured an impressive group of musicians backing Lennon. Klaus Voorman played bass, Billy Preston piano, Alan White drums, and George Harrison lead guitar. (Harrison was naturally interested in promoting the idea of karma.) Harrison and Yoko Ono provided backing vocals, and former Beatles roadie Mal Evans provided handclaps. Lennon sang lead vocal and played the electric piano, the latter instrument giving the track its now-famous and distinctive opening two chords.

"Instant Karma" is one of Rolling Stone magazine's Top 500 Records of all time. Covers for the song were done by many artists, including Duran Duran, U2, John Hiatt, and The Rascals. The title of Stephen King's The Shining derives from the song's lyric "We all shine on." The song has been featured in many movies, and it also prompted a sketch on the cult TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Lennon Song: Imagine

This post-Beatles song by John Lennon has many interesting facts associated with its long history. It was recorded on June 23, 1971 and released on Imagine on September 9, 1971 in the U.S. and on October 8, 1971 in the UK. Its origin is in dispute. Some have claimed that Lennon's use of the word "Imagine" in "I'll Get You" spurred the composition. Others say that the word "imagine" appeared frequently in Yoko's poetry (her book Grapefruit). It is the A Side to "It's So Hard."

Lennon acknowledged that the song was intended to criticize capitalism, religion, and nationalism. Despite it's verse on imagining "no heaven," the song transcended any original criticism of the song and has become Lennon's unofficial anthem and is widely played all around the world and is considered an anthem, above all, for peace. The song was also the inspiration for Lennon's imaginary country of peace--Nutopia--where anyone could claim citizenship regardless of where he or she lived.

Besides the controversy over the song's sentiment about religion, it has been criticized frequently for advocating the abandonment of possessions even though its author was worth over a hundred million dollars. Lennon responded by saying that he was advocating an abandonment of mental possessions and outmoded ways of thinking. This criticism seems overtly trivial since Lennon was obviously making a philosophical statement and merely suggesting that people try to envision a world with different values.

Lennon's opening piano chords have become famous and recognizable in hundreds of cultures. The song was produced on the Apple label by Phil Spector, with suggestions from Yoko Ono.

Several dozen artists have covered the song since it was first recorded. Among the many are Ray Charles, Joan Baez, Diana Ross, Jefferson Starship, Dolly Parton, Blues Traveler, and Avril Lavigne. The song is frequently featured in movies and television shows.

The word "Imagine" is written in the middle of the Strawberry Fields monument in Central Park in New York City, about a hundred yards from the Dakota Building, where John and Yoko lived at the time of his death.

The promotional video made for this song in the early 1970s shows John and Yoko, dressed in white, in an all-white room as John plays a white piano while Yoko opens one window shudder at a time, allowing more and more light into the room to symbolize the dawn of hope.

Rolling Stone named the song as #3 on its all-time list of greatest songs.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Beatles Song: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

There are many myths and facts about the Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Ever since the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, people analyzing the song claimed that the letters of the first words in the title formed the acronym LSD. This was denied by Lennon, who said that the title came from a drawing made by his four-year-old son Julian, who at school had rendered a sky full of exploding stars and named his artistic creation “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Paul McCartney, George Martin, and Pete Shotton have all verified Lennon’s story, saying that they themselves saw the picture. The BBC nevertheless banned the records from its airwaves because of the alleged drug reference.

While this is undoubtedly the case, Lennon was using acid heavily at the time and there has been little doubt in the minds of most biographers that the song, to a certain extent, used some degree of psychedelic imagery. Lennon also said some of the images were from Alice in Wonderland, a work of extreme surrealism. McCartney has verified in interviews that the general approach to the song was to capture the dreamlike quality of Alice. Lennon also said that some lines, such as “a girl with kaleidoscope eyes” was a reference to meeting Yoko Ono and that the song might well have been called “Yoko in the Sky with Diamonds.”

A fossilized skeleton was named Lucy by the famous archeologists, the Leakeys, who had been playing the song in camp when the discovery had been made at their dig.

The song, recorded March 1, 1967 at Abbey Road, was primarily a Lennon composition, although McCartney is said to have helped with some of the lyrics.

Lennon sings lead, with Harrison and McCartney both lending backing vocals. Lennon played lead guitar, McCartney bass and Hammond organ, Harrison sitar, and Starr drums.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Beatles Song: Mother Nature's Son

This McCartney song is related to numerous Beatles facts. It was recorded at Abbey Road on August 9, 1968 and issued on The White Album. The song shows the fragmentation occurring within the Beatles since McCartney, George Martin, and session musicians worked on this without the other Beatles present, a growing trend in 1968.

Other great facts are that the bongos and timpani were put in the hall to make them sound distant. When John and Ringo entered the studio, the session became filled with a great deal of tension until the two Beatles left. The song was inspired by a lecture about nature by the Maharishi while the Beatles were in India. Lennon later said that his "Jealous Guy" was inspired by the same lecture.

McCartney sings and plays acoustic guitar, bongos, and timpani. Session musicians play brass, scored by George Martin. The brass is most prominent at the end of the song.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Hey Bulldog

Among Beatles facts, "Hey Bulldog" doesn't get much attention because it was issued on the Yellow Submarine LP, which was not considered one of the group's strongest or most successful commercial ventures. The song is nevertheless regarded as the one solid "rocker" on the Yellow Submarine album.

Lennon brought some lyrics to the studio on a day when the group was finishing a promotional film for "Lady Madonna." "Hey Bulldog" was hastily finished and recorded in less than a single day.

The original title was "Hey Bullfrog," a phrase mentioned in the song, although the word "bullfrog" is never sung. McCartney barked at the end of the song, and Lennon and McCartney agreed to the title change. Lennon liked the song and his piano playing provides a dominant part on the track.

Lennon sang lead and played lead guitar and piano. McCartney played bass and sang backing vocal. Harrison played rhythm, although some attribute lead to him as well. Starr played drums.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

John Lennon's Last Years

Between 1977 and 1979, John Lennon abandoned his solo recording career, allegedly to care for his son Sean, who was born in 1976. There are conflicting reports as to John’s demeanor during these years. Many describe this period at the end of his life as a time when he was finally centered, becoming a “househusband” who baked bread and devoted time to raising Sean. Some stories seem to bear this out. John became concerned, for example, when he thought Yoko wasn’t taking one of Sean’s ear infection seriously enough. There is also film footage and audio tapes that seem to verify how much John doted on his second son.

Other accounts describe a man who had still not exorcised his demons. Some biographers have noted that Lennon was a recluse in his final years at the Dakota, a man who experienced profound bouts of depression and who was still using drugs. This view is reinforced by accounts from John by Lennon’s first wife, Cynthia Lennon. According to Cynthia (and based on reports by John’s first son, Julian, who had visited his father at the Dakota), John had little interaction with Sean, preferring to stay in his room and watch television as opposed to baking bread or playing with his young son. There is probably some truth in both accounts of John’s behavior, and fans of Lennon need to draw their own conclusions based on available biographies.

What can be known for sure is that John felt renewed after sailing to Bermuda in June of 1980 aboard the schooner Megan Jayne. When the boat ran into a storm of considerable force and most of the crew became incapacitated, John lashed himself to the railing and began singing old sea chanteys and ballads he’d learned in Liverpool as a youth. Overcoming his fear, he gained confidence in the face of the elements, and upon arriving in Bermuda he began to compose songs that would eventually be recorded on his final album, Double Fantasy. He even began calling Julian to ask his opinion of certain songs. At last, John seemed to be making a genuine effort to reach out to his older son.

A more serious reconciliation with his Julian was not in the cards, however. John seemed to be in good spirits on December 8, 1980. In the morning, he was filmed by rock and roll photographer Annie Leibovitz for the cover of Rolling Stone. After John gave an interview to a San Francisco DJ in the afternoon, John and Yoko left for the Record Plant around five in the afternoon in order to work on producing a single from the Double Fantasy album, released in November. When they returned later that night, Lennon was shot four times in the carriageway of the Dakota by a fan for whom he’d autographed a copy of Double Fantasy earlier in the evening. Lennon was pronounced dead at 11:15 p.m. at Roosevelt Hospital. Within hours, candlelight vigils formed outside of the Dakota. His body was cremated two days later. His memorial across the street in Central Park, Strawberry Fields, is visited by thousands each year.

John Lennon's Guitars

In 1957, John purchased an acoustic Gallotone Champion, which he used in his early days with the Quarrymen. It is this guitar that is seen in the famous photo of him playing in a checkered shirt at the parish fair where he met Paul McCartney.

By 1959, John was moving from the Liverpool skiffle craze to mainstream rock and roll. With the help of his Aunt Mimi, he bought a Hofner Club 40 electric guitar, which he used at Liverpool’s Casbah Club and in the clubs he first played in Hamburg. He later gave the instrument to Paul, who restrung it in order to play left-handed.

The guitar most associated with John is the iconic Rickenbacker 323 Capri electric. The body was originally honey-colored, although it was painted black in 1962. The tremelo bar, bridge, and knobs were swapped. The wiring was redone in 1963, and the instrument was used in virtually every performance until 1964. It is now owned by Lennon’s son Sean.

In 1962, John and George both purchased the acoustic/electric Gibson J-160E, which can be seen in the black and white video of “Love Me Do” and in A Hard Day’s Night. John and George used their two guitars interchangeably, and George’s was stolen sometime in late 1963. John replaced the stolen guitar in 1964 and moved the pick-up from the neck to the bottom of the sound hole. He commissioned an artist to paint the body in psychedelic fashion in 1967 but later had it stripped to a natural wood finish, on which he doodled pictures of himself and Yoko.

In 1964, John bought a Rickenbacker 323 Jetglo, which is what he used on The Ed Sullivan Show. Later he also purchased a Rickenbacker 325-12, a 12 string electric, which was similar to the Jetgo except that the tailpiece and headstock were naturally manufactured for twelve strings. John used this guitar primarily for studio sessions (mainly for Beatles for Sale).

John’s Epiphone Casino (ES-335) has an interesting history. John got the Epiphone while recording Revolver. (George purchased one as well, and film footage of the Beatles’ Japanese concert at the Budokan shows both John and George playing this model, each with a sunburst finish.) John used the Epiphone for most concerts, occasionally swapping it for his Gibson J-160E (naturally in its electric mode). The Casino was also his guitar of choice for most Sgt. Pepper sessions. With the pick guard already removed, the guitar was sanded down to its bare wood finish in 1968, and a thin coat of lacquer was applied to the body. John can be seen playing the altered instrument in tapes of the Let It Be sessions, the “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” videos, and the rooftop concert.