123-534: Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins is the first of three experimental albums released by John Lennon and Yoko Ono on Apple Records . It was the result of an all-night session of musical experimentation with Yoko in John's home studio at Kenwood , while his wife, Cynthia Lennon , was on holiday in Greece. Lennon and Ono's 1968 debut recording is known not only for its avant-garde content, but also for its cover, which shows
246-729: A four-year attempt to deport him . Lennon was embroiled in a continuing legal battle with the immigration authorities, and he was denied permanent residency in the US ; the issue would not be resolved until 1976. Some Time in New York City was recorded as a collaboration with Ono and was released in 1972 with backing from the New York band Elephant's Memory . A double LP, it contained songs about women's rights, race relations, Britain's role in Northern Ireland and Lennon's difficulties in obtaining
369-555: A 43-foot sailboat and embarked on a sailing trip to Bermuda. En route, he and the crew encountered a storm, rendering everyone on board seasick, except Lennon, who took control and sailed the boat through the storm. This experience re-invigorated him and his creative muse. He spent three weeks in Bermuda in a home called Fairylands writing and refining the tracks for the upcoming album. The music reflected Lennon's fulfilment in his new-found stable family life. Sufficient additional material
492-457: A December 1970 interview with Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone magazine, he revealed his bitterness towards McCartney, saying, "I was a fool not to do what Paul did, which was use it to sell a record." Lennon also spoke of the hostility he perceived the other members had towards Ono, and of how he, Harrison and Starr "got fed up with being sidemen for Paul ... After Brian Epstein died we collapsed. Paul took over and supposedly led us. But what
615-603: A Pool Table". Also notable is a rendition of " Nowhere Man " by the ukulele -playing Tiny Tim , which Harrison recorded in New York. Also included is a sped-up snippet of the Beatles' own " Helter Skelter " and a brief snippet of Perrey & Kingsley's " Baroque Hoedown ", which was used three years later in Disneyland 's Main Street Electrical Parade . " Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da ", " Yer Blues " and " Birthday " are also heard in
738-563: A UK top 10 hit for the Fourmost in 1963. McCartney recommended that his friend George Harrison become the lead guitarist. Lennon thought that Harrison, then 14 years old, was too young. McCartney engineered an audition on the upper deck of a Liverpool bus, where Harrison played " Raunchy " for Lennon and was asked to join. Stuart Sutcliffe , Lennon's friend from art school, later joined as bassist. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Sutcliffe became "The Beatles" in early 1960. In August that year,
861-505: A brand-new remaster of the unedited fake-stereo mix. The CD was identical to the Rykodisc CD edition. All selections by John Lennon and Yoko Ono , except where noted. John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon ; 9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and political activist. He gained worldwide fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of
984-582: A business structure". Released amid the Protests of 1968 , the band's debut single for the Apple label included Lennon's B-side " Revolution ", in which he called for a "plan" rather than committing to Maoist revolution. The song's pacifist message led to ridicule from political radicals in the New Left press. Adding to the tensions at the Beatles' recording sessions that year, Lennon insisted on having his new girlfriend,
1107-402: A busy year, Beatle peedles, one way and another, but it's been a great year... too. You fans have seen to that, page two... Thanks a lot, folks, and a hap-py, er, Christmas and a merry goo year. Crimble maybe." (The statement is apparently handwritten as at various points in the recording, McCartney reads "making them" as "melting them" before correcting himself and George Harrison reads "quite
1230-589: A dairyman at his family's farm, bought him a mouth organ and engaged him in solving crossword puzzles. Julia visited Mendips on a regular basis, and John often visited her at 1 Blomfield Road, Liverpool, where she played him Elvis Presley records, taught him the banjo, and showed him how to play " Ain't That a Shame " by Fats Domino . In September 1980, Lennon commented about his family and his rebellious nature: A part of me would like to be accepted by all facets of society and not be this loudmouthed lunatic poet/musician. But I cannot be what I am not ... I
1353-471: A dig by Lennon, who thought Grade was two-faced. Lennon began what would be a five-year hiatus from the music industry, during which time, he later said, he "baked bread" and "looked after the baby". He devoted himself to Sean, rising at 6 am daily to plan and prepare his meals and to spend time with him. He wrote "Cookin' (In the Kitchen of Love)" for Starr's Ringo's Rotogravure (1976), performing on
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#17328770492731476-567: A green card. The album was a commercial failure and was maligned by critics, who found its political sloganeering heavy-handed and relentless. The NME ' s review took the form of an open letter in which Tony Tyler derided Lennon as a "pathetic, ageing revolutionary". In the US, " Woman Is the Nigger of the World " was released as a single from the album and was televised on 11 May, on The Dick Cavett Show . Many radio stations refused to broadcast
1599-408: A living out of it." Lennon's senior school years were marked by a shift in his behaviour. Teachers at Quarry Bank High School described him thus: "He has too many wrong ambitions and his energy is often misplaced", and "His work always lacks effort. He is content to 'drift' instead of using his abilities." Lennon's misbehaviour created a rift in his relationship with his aunt. On 15 July 1958, at
1722-449: A member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist in 1994). John Winston Lennon was born on 9 October 1940 at Liverpool Maternity Hospital , the only child of Julia (née Stanley) and Alfred Lennon . Alfred was a merchant seaman of Irish descent who was away at the time of his son's birth. His parents named him John Winston Lennon after his paternal grandfather, John "Jack" Lennon, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill . His father
1845-422: A post-election wake held in the New York home of activist Jerry Rubin . Lennon was depressed and got intoxicated; he left Ono embarrassed after he had sex with a female guest. Ono's song " Death of Samantha " was inspired by the incident. As Lennon was about to record Mind Games in 1973, he and Ono decided to separate. The ensuing 18-month period apart, which he later called his "lost weekend" in reference to
1968-447: A postcard similar to that of 1966. the cover sleeve was design made by John Lennon, Julian Lennon (Lennon's first son) and Ringo Starr . The first Beatles Christmas fan-club disc to be recorded by the individual Beatles separately, the 1968 offering is a collage of odd noises, musical snippets and individual messages. McCartney's song "Happy Christmas, Happy New Year" is featured, along with Lennon's poems "Jock and Yono" and "Once Upon
2091-525: A professional appearance, but eventually complied, saying "I'll wear a bloody balloon if somebody's going to pay me." McCartney took over on bass after Sutcliffe decided to stay in Hamburg, and Best was replaced with drummer Ringo Starr ; this completed the four-piece line-up that would remain until the group's break-up in 1970. The band's first single, " Love Me Do ", was released in October 1962 and reached No. 17 on
2214-503: A recording session at the Record Plant . After the session, Lennon and Ono returned to the Dakota in a limousine at around 10:50 p.m. (EST). They left the vehicle and walked through the archway of the building. Chapman then shot Lennon twice in the back and twice in the shoulder at close range. Lennon was rushed in a police cruiser to the emergency room of Roosevelt Hospital , where he
2337-605: A result, the 1983 album was never released, and the two 1982 LPs were withdrawn. The first three minutes of the music bed of the 1967 single, with greetings recorded for the 1966 single superimposed during the final minute, was released under the title " Christmas Time (Is Here Again) " as one of the B-sides of the " Free as a Bird " single in December 1995. (Starr recorded his own cover of "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" on his 1999 Christmas album, I Wanna Be Santa Claus .) Dialogue from
2460-446: A series of 14 lithographs called "Bag One" depicting scenes from their honeymoon, eight of which were deemed indecent and most of which were banned and confiscated. Lennon's creative focus continued to move beyond the Beatles, and between 1968 and 1969 he and Ono recorded three albums of experimental music together: Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins (known more for its cover than for its music), Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with
2583-491: A solo artist to top the US Billboard Hot 100 chart during his lifetime. A second single from the album, " #9 Dream ", followed before the end of the year. Starr's Goodnight Vienna (1974) again saw assistance from Lennon, who wrote the title track and played piano. On 28 November, Lennon made a surprise guest appearance at Elton John's Thanksgiving concert at Madison Square Garden, in fulfilment of his promise to join
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#17328770492732706-446: A sound. And the words were almost irrelevant". In a 1987 interview, McCartney said that the other Beatles idolised Lennon: "He was like our own little Elvis ... We all looked up to John. He was older and he was very much the leader; he was the quickest wit and the smartest." The Beatles achieved mainstream success in the UK early in 1963. Lennon was on tour when his first son, Julian ,
2829-437: A time" as "quiet time" before correcting himself with "great time" as well.) Finishing up the record is a brief rendition of the traditional song "Oh Can You Wash Your Father's Shirt?" Another Beatles Christmas Record was not sent to American fans. Instead, US-based fans received an edited version of The Beatles Christmas Record , which had been sent to British fan-club members in 1963. Also, as opposed to using flexi-discs,
2952-431: A time-delay camera, which was set up by Tony Bramwell, to take nude photographs of themselves for the album's cover: these were taken at 34 Montagu Square , in early October 1968. Lennon explained that they "were both a bit embarrassed when we peeled off for the picture, so I took it myself with a delayed action shutter." The front cover showed them frontally nude while the rear cover showed them nude from behind. John's idea
3075-409: A timely manner, the records included the Beatles' messages of thanks to "loyal Beatle people", along with skits, Christmas carols, and original compositions. None of the original recordings had been subject to general release until a vinyl box set of all the records was distributed in December 2017. A version of " Christmas Time (Is Here Again) ", an original composition which appeared in edited form on
3198-732: Is leading us when we went round in circles?" When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system's game. The establishment will irritate you – pull your beard, flick your face – to make you fight. Because once they've got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don't know how to handle is non-violence and humor. —John Lennon Between 1 April and 15 September 1970, Lennon and Ono went through primal therapy with Arthur Janov at Tittenhurst, in London and at Janov's clinic in Los Angeles, California. Designed to release emotional pain from early childhood,
3321-651: The Our World satellite broadcast, before an international audience estimated at up to 400 million. Intentionally simplistic in its message, the song formalised his pacifist stance and provided an anthem for the Summer of Love . After the Beatles were introduced to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , the group attended an August weekend of personal instruction at his Transcendental Meditation seminar in Bangor , Wales. During
3444-674: The Four Tops ' " It's the Same Old Song " (but stop after George tells them they can't continue because the song is copyrighted), and an original poem titled "Christmas Comes But Once a Year". Members of the Beatles US fan-club did not receive this (or any) Christmas flexi-disc in 1965. Rather, they received a black and white postcard, with a photo of the Fab Four and the message "Season's Greetings – Paul, Ringo, George, John." The Beatle Bulletin ,
3567-687: The Nigerian Civil War ), its support of America in the Vietnam War and (perhaps jokingly) against "Cold Turkey" slipping down the charts, Lennon returned his MBE medal to the Queen. This gesture had no effect on his MBE status, which could be renounced but ultimately only the Sovereign has the power to annul the original award. The medal, together with Lennon's letter, is held at the Central Chancery of
3690-594: The anti-war movement and the counterculture of the 1960s . In 1969, he started the Plastic Ono Band with his second wife, multimedia artist Yoko Ono , held the two-week-long anti-war demonstration bed-in for peace, and left the Beatles to embark on a solo career. Lennon and Ono collaborated on many works, including a trilogy of avant-garde albums and several more films. After the Beatles disbanded , Lennon released his solo debut John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and
3813-554: The film of the same name , was spent in Los Angeles and New York City in the company of May Pang . Mind Games , credited to the "Plastic U.F.Ono Band", was released in November 1973. Lennon also contributed " I'm the Greatest " to Starr's album Ringo (1973), released the same month. With Harrison joining Starr and Lennon at the recording session for the song, it marked the only occasion when three former Beatles recorded together between
Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins - Misplaced Pages Continue
3936-511: The piano . The sketches performed include "Podgy the Bear and Jasper" and "Felpin Mansions." Once again, the US fan-club members did not get a flexi-disc. Instead, they received a postcard with the message on one side and a short version of The Beatle Bulletin on the other, with enough room for a mailing label and postage. An elaborate production, Christmas Time Is Here Again! was developed around
4059-421: The 1963 single appeared as unlockable bonus content in 2009 The Beatles: Rock Band video game and was made available as a free download from the iTunes Store between 23 December 2010 and 9 January 2011. A limited-edition vinyl box set containing all seven Christmas records, titled The Christmas Records , was officially released on 15 December 2017. The box set includes a 16-page booklet. On 2 November 2017,
4182-422: The 1965 and 1966 recordings were featured as the tail-end of the 2006 compilation, Love . After the final number, " All You Need Is Love ", has ended, nonsensical ad-libs from the group that appeared at the end of the 1965 flexi-disc are heard. Mere seconds later, this is merged into the final moments from the 1966 flexi-disc, complete with McCartney's ad-lib line, "Jolly Good". An edited and abridged version of
4305-500: The 1967 record, gained an official release in 1995, as part of The Beatles Anthology project. The first Christmas recording from the Beatles featured several renditions of the traditional carol " Good King Wenceslas " and individual messages from the four, ending with a closing chorus of " Rudolph the Red-Nosed Ringo ". This offering, as well as 1964's, was scripted by Beatles' press officer Tony Barrow , who had instigated
4428-619: The 1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year . That year, he won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music . In 2002, Lennon was voted eighth in a BBC history poll of the 100 Greatest Britons . Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer and 38th greatest artist of all time . He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (in 1997) and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (twice, as
4551-557: The Beatles sent out spoken and musical messages on flexi disc to members of their official fan clubs in the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) each Christmas . An LP compilation of all seven, titled From Then to You in the UK and The Beatles Christmas Album in the US, was sent out in 1970. Conceived as a means to appease fan-club members whose letters, due to their sheer volume, were not always being answered in
4674-619: The Beatles . His songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history. Born in Liverpool , Lennon became involved in the skiffle craze as a teenager. In 1956, he formed the Quarrymen , which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Lennon initially was the group's de facto leader, a role he gradually seemed to cede to McCartney. Through his songwriting in the Beatles, he embraced myriad musical influences, initially writing and co-writing rock and pop-orientated hit songs in
4797-522: The Beatles were engaged for a 48-night residency in Hamburg , in West Germany, and were desperately in need of a drummer. They asked Pete Best to join them. Lennon's aunt, horrified when he told her about the trip, pleaded with Lennon to continue his art studies instead. After the first Hamburg residency, the band accepted another in April 1961, and a third in April 1962. As with the other band members, Lennon
4920-449: The Beatles' stuff. So we made a tape all night. She was doing her funny voices and I was pushing all different buttons on my tape recorder and getting sound effects. And then as the sun rose we made love and that was Two Virgins ." This was John's first recording project that did not feature any help from the other Beatles; parts of the album were reminiscent of later editions of the Beatles' Christmas flexi recordings . Lennon and Ono used
5043-635: The British charts. They recorded their debut album, Please Please Me , in under 10 hours on 11 February 1963, a day when Lennon was suffering the effects of a cold, which is evident in the vocal on the last song to be recorded that day, " Twist and Shout ". The Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership yielded eight of its fourteen tracks. With a few exceptions, one being the album title itself, Lennon had yet to bring his love of wordplay to bear on his song lyrics, saying: "We were just writing songs ... pop songs with no more thought of them than that – to create
Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins - Misplaced Pages Continue
5166-497: The Christmas message programme. An edited version of this recording was sent to members of the Beatles' American fan-club in December 1964. The song " Jingle Bells " is sung, followed by individual messages to the fans. John Lennon mocks the script by making it obvious he's reading from a prepared text; when Paul McCartney asks him if he wrote this himself, he says, "No it's somebody's bad handwrouter." John continues: "It's been
5289-492: The Dirty Mac , a supergroup composed of Lennon, Eric Clapton , Keith Richards and Mitch Mitchell . The group also backed a vocal performance by Ono. A film version was released in 1996. By late 1968, Lennon's increased drug use and growing preoccupation with Ono, combined with the Beatles' inability to agree on how the company should be run, left Apple in need of professional management. Lennon asked Lord Beeching to take on
5412-536: The Japanese artist Yoko Ono , beside him, thereby contravening the band's policy regarding wives and girlfriends in the studio. He was especially pleased with his songwriting contributions to the double album and identified it as a superior work to Sgt. Pepper . At the end of 1968, Lennon participated in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus , a television special that was not broadcast. Lennon performed with
5535-608: The Lions and Wedding Album . In 1969, they formed the Plastic Ono Band , releasing Live Peace in Toronto 1969 . Between 1969 and 1970, Lennon released the singles "Give Peace a Chance", which was widely adopted as an anti- Vietnam War anthem, " Cold Turkey ", which documented his withdrawal symptoms after he became addicted to heroin , and " Instant Karma! ". In protest at Britain's involvement in "the Nigeria-Biafra thing" (namely,
5658-562: The Night ") and David Bowie (" Fame "). Following a five-year hiatus, Lennon returned to music in 1980 with the Ono collaboration Double Fantasy . He was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman , three weeks after the album's release. As a performer, writer or co-writer, Lennon had 25 number-one singles in the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Double Fantasy , his second-best-selling non-Beatles album, won
5781-479: The Orders of Knighthood . Lennon left the Beatles on 20 September 1969, but agreed not to inform the media while the group renegotiated their recording contract. He was outraged that McCartney publicised his own departure on releasing his debut solo album in April 1970. Lennon's reaction was, "Jesus Christ! He gets all the credit for it!" He later wrote, "I started the band. I disbanded it. It's as simple as that." In
5904-518: The People ". In his lyrics to the song, Lennon reversed the non-confrontational approach he had espoused in "Revolution", although he later disowned "Power to the People", saying that it was borne out of guilt and a desire for approval from radicals such as Ali. Lennon became involved in a protest against the prosecution of Oz magazine for alleged obscenity. Lennon denounced the proceedings as "disgusting fascism", and he and Ono (as Elastic Oz Band) released
6027-563: The Quarrymen. Named after Quarry Bank High School, the group was established by Lennon in September 1956. By the summer of 1957, the Quarrymen played a "spirited set of songs" made up of half skiffle and half rock and roll . Lennon first met Paul McCartney at the Quarrymen's second performance, which was held in Woolton on 6 July at the St Peter's Church garden fête. Lennon then asked McCartney to join
6150-531: The Sky with Diamonds ", featuring Lennon on guitar and backing vocals - Lennon is credited on the single under the moniker of "Dr. Winston O'Boogie". As January became February, Lennon and Ono reunited as Lennon and Bowie completed recording of their co-composition " Fame ", which became David Bowie 's first US number one, featuring guitar and backing vocals by Lennon. In February, Lennon released Rock 'n' Roll (1975), an album of cover songs. " Stand by Me ", taken from
6273-494: The Soup)" which was, for contractual reasons, to remain unreleased for more than 30 years. Pang supplied the recording for its eventual inclusion on The Very Best of Mick Jagger (2007). Lennon had settled back in New York when he recorded the album Walls and Bridges . Released in October 1974, it included " Whatever Gets You thru the Night ", which featured Elton John on backing vocals and piano, and became Lennon's only single as
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#17328770492736396-643: The US when quoted by a magazine there five months later. The furore that followed, which included the burning of Beatles records, Ku Klux Klan activity and threats against Lennon, contributed to the band's decision to stop touring. After the band's final concert on 29 August 1966, Lennon filmed the anti-war black comedy How I Won the War – his only appearance in a non-Beatles feature film – before rejoining his bandmates for an extended period of recording, beginning in November. Lennon had increased his use of LSD and, according to author Ian MacDonald , his continuous use of
6519-401: The US fan-club sent the message in a tri-fold cardboard mailer, with the "record" embedded in one of the flaps of cardboard. Several off-key, a cappella versions of " Yesterday " are dispersed throughout the record, alongside Lennon's "Happy Christmas to Ya List'nas", " Auld Lang Syne " (which briefly morphs into an impression of Barry McGuire 's " Eve of Destruction "), then begin singing
6642-667: The US. The album was followed six months later by Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions . John Lennon met Yoko Ono in November 1966 at the Indica Gallery in London after he received an invitation from its owner, John Dunbar , to preview an exhibition by an obscure Japanese artist. Lennon described the exhibition as "positive" and kept in touch with Ono. Two years later, Cynthia Lennon, feeling miserable and increasingly distanced from her husband, decided to go on holiday to Greece with her friends Jenny Boyd and Magic Alex . Whilst on his own, Lennon called Ono and invited her over for
6765-624: The Works . The Beatles received recognition from the British establishment when they were appointed Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1965 Queen's Birthday Honours . Lennon grew concerned that fans who attended Beatles concerts were unable to hear the music above the screaming of fans, and that the band's musicianship was beginning to suffer as a result. Lennon's " Help! " expressed his own feelings in 1965: "I meant it ... It
6888-505: The age of 44, Julia Lennon was struck and killed by a car while she was walking home after visiting the Smiths' house. His mother's death traumatised the teenage Lennon, who, for the next two years, drank heavily and frequently got into fights, consumed by a "blind rage". Julia's memory would later serve as a major creative inspiration for Lennon, inspiring songs such as the 1968 Beatles song " Julia ". Lennon failed his O-level examinations, and
7011-500: The album and Ono's influence on him, in an interview in 1980 with Playboy ' s David Sheff : "Well, after Yoko and I met, I didn't realize I was in love with her. I was still thinking it was an artistic collaboration, as it were – producer and artist, right? ... My ex-wife was away ... and Yoko came to visit me. ... instead of making love, we went upstairs and made tapes. I had this room full of different tapes where I would write and make strange loops and things like that for
7134-562: The album and a US and UK hit, became his last single for five years. He made what would be his final stage appearance in the ATV special A Salute to Lew Grade , recorded on 18 April and televised in June. Playing acoustic guitar and backed by an eight-piece band, Lennon performed two songs from Rock 'n' Roll ("Stand by Me", which was not broadcast, and "Slippin' and Slidin ' ") followed by "Imagine". The band, known as Etc., wore masks behind their heads,
7257-417: The album in a plain brown wrapper. Quotes from Genesis Chapter 2, chosen by Derek Taylor , were placed on the back of the brown bag. The album's title arose from the couple's feeling that they were "two innocents, lost in a world gone mad", and because after making the recording, the pair consummated their relationship. Lennon said that the cover "just seemed natural for us. We're all naked really." Ono viewed
7380-409: The album into sleeves "in the basement of the old Apple shop". It took Lennon six months to persuade his fellow band members to agree to the release of the album, and despite not approving of the front cover, Paul McCartney was asked to provide a note for it which read: "When two great Saints meet, it is a humbling experience. The long battles to prove he was a Saint." In the UK, McCartney's quote and
7503-407: The album is slightly edited; it is missing about 30 seconds of audio from the end of the second side, as well as a few seconds from the start of side two. Several unauthorized versions of the album, cassette tape and compact disc also exist. Critics and the public abhorred the album. Actress Sissy Spacek , using the pseudonym Rainbo, recorded the song "John, You Went Too Far This Time" in response to
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#17328770492737626-401: The album title were placed on its back cover. Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins failed to chart in the UK (and only 5,000 British copies were ever pressed), but managed to reach number 124 in the US, after 25,000 copies were sold. Several months after its release, Capitol gave away promotional blank picture disc copies of the album to its employees. The cover art was changed for each of
7749-446: The album's cover. In a retrospective assessment, William Ruhlmann of AllMusic remarked that it was "not unlike what you might get if you turned on a tape recorder for a random half-hour in your home", calling the music "naked". More favourable, Pitchfork reviewer Seth Colter Walls considered the album the "fascinating" product "of a first date", while noting "it has plenty of competition" with other Fluxus-inspired sound artefacts from
7872-459: The album's three 8-track issues: Tetragrammaton/Ampex Tapes replaced the front cover with the back cover; North America Leisure Corp (NAL) reinstated the original front cover, and General Recorded Tape (GRT) released the 8-track with a paper sheet sleeve. The album was re-issued (albeit unlicensed and unauthorized) in the US during the 1970s and 1980s. One edition on the Rock Classics label, which
7995-612: The background for part of the message. The dialogue and songs for the flexi-disc were organised and edited together by DJ and friend of the Beatles, Kenny Everett . Finally, the US fans got a flexi-disc for Christmas in 1968, but it came in a modified version of the 1967 UK sleeve. The final Beatles Christmas offering was also recorded separately, as the band had effectively split by this point. It features an extensive visit with Lennon and his wife Yoko at their Tittenhurst Park estate, where they play "what will Santa bring me?" games. George Harrison and Ringo Starr appear only briefly,
8118-416: The band members' mixed experience with Transcendental Meditation signalled a sharp divergence in the group's camaraderie. On their return to London, they became increasingly involved in business activities with the formation of Apple Corps , a multimedia corporation composed of Apple Records and several other subsidiary companies. Lennon described the venture as an attempt to achieve "artistic freedom within
8241-427: The band's break-up and Lennon's death. In early 1974, Lennon was drinking heavily and his alcohol-fuelled antics with Harry Nilsson made headlines. In March, two widely publicised incidents occurred at The Troubadour club. In the first incident, Lennon stuck an unused menstrual pad on his forehead and scuffled with a waitress. The second incident occurred two weeks later, when Lennon and Nilsson were ejected from
8364-513: The band's early years, then later incorporating experimental elements into his compositions in the latter half of the Beatles' career as his songs became known for their increasing innovation. Lennon soon expanded his work into other media by participating in numerous films, including How I Won the War , and authoring In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works , both collections of nonsense writings and line drawings. Starting with " All You Need Is Love ", his songs were adopted as anthems by
8487-564: The band. McCartney said that Aunt Mimi "was very aware that John's friends were lower class", and would often patronise him when he arrived to visit Lennon. According to McCartney's brother Mike , their father similarly disapproved of Lennon, declaring that Lennon would get his son "into trouble". McCartney's father nevertheless allowed the fledgling band to rehearse in the family's front room at 20 Forthlin Road . During this time Lennon wrote his first song, " Hello Little Girl ", which became
8610-477: The concept of several groups auditioning for a BBC radio show. The title song, " Christmas Time (Is Here Again) ", serves as a refrain throughout the record. The Beatles portray a multitude of characters, including game show contestants, aspiring musicians ("Plenty of Jam Jars", by the Ravellers), and actors in a radio drama ("Theatre Hour"). At the end Lennon reads a poem, "When Christmas Time Is Over." This offering
8733-585: The concerts, however, which resulted in the couple having a heated argument and Lennon pulling out of the event. Lennon and Ono moved to New York in August 1971 and immediately embraced US radical left politics . The couple released their " Happy Xmas (War Is Over) " single in December. During the new year, the Nixon administration took what it called a "strategic counter-measure" against Lennon's anti-war and anti-Nixon propaganda. The administration embarked on what would be
8856-443: The couple naked. This made the album controversial to both the public and the parent record company EMI , which refused to distribute it. In an attempt to avoid controversy, the LP record was sold in a brown paper bag, and distributed by Track and Tetragrammaton in the United Kingdom and the United States respectively. Two Virgins , while failing to chart in the UK, reached number 124 in
8979-667: The cover as a significant declaration: "I was in the artistic community, where a painter did a thing about rolling a naked woman with blue paint on her body on a canvas; ... that was going on at the time. The only difference was that we were going to stand together, which I thought was very interesting ... it was just standing straight. I liked that concept." The album was regarded by some authorities as being obscene and copies were impounded in several jurisdictions (including 30,000 copies in New Jersey in January 1969). Lennon commented that
9102-448: The dramatic portrayal of a young John Lennon being forced to make a decision between his parents is inaccurate. Lennon had no further contact with Alf for close to 20 years. Throughout the rest of his childhood and adolescence, Lennon lived at Mendips, 251 Menlove Avenue , Woolton, with Mimi and her husband George Toogood Smith , who had no children of their own. His aunt purchased volumes of short stories for him, and his uncle,
9225-482: The drug in 1967 brought him "close to erasing his identity ". The year 1967 saw the release of " Strawberry Fields Forever ", hailed by Time magazine for its "astonishing inventiveness", and the group's landmark album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band , which revealed lyrics by Lennon that contrasted strongly with the simple love songs of the group's early years. In late June, the Beatles performed Lennon's " All You Need Is Love " as Britain's contribution to
9348-453: The era. He also wrote that " Revolution 9 ", created by Lennon and Ono with George Harrison , is a "much tighter" sound collage than Two Virgins . John and Yoko went on to release a further two related recordings: Unfinished Music No.2: Life with the Lions and the Wedding Album . The album was reissued on LP, CD, and digitally by Secretly Canadian on 11 November 2016. The LP was
9471-521: The family." During his career break he created several series of drawings, and drafted a book containing a mix of autobiographical material and what he termed "mad stuff", all of which would be published posthumously. Lennon emerged from his hiatus in October 1980, when he released the single " (Just Like) Starting Over ". In November, he and Ono released the album Double Fantasy , which included songs Lennon had written in Bermuda . In June, Lennon chartered
9594-449: The flexi-disc had an elaborate collage of the Beatles' faces on it (drawn by Ringo), while the rear album sleeve contained stick-figure scribbles made by his son, Zak Starkey . In December 1970, in the wake of the band's break-up, the UK fan-club sent out a compilation LP of all seven of the Beatles' Christmas recordings, entitled From Then to You . The master tapes having been mislaid, the LP
9717-576: The house because of the likely effects. Later, in a lift at a nightclub, they all believed it was on fire; Lennon recalled: "We were all screaming ... hot and hysterical." In March 1966, during an interview with Evening Standard reporter Maureen Cleave , Lennon remarked, "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink ... We're more popular than Jesus now – I don't know which will go first, rock and roll or Christianity." The comment went virtually unnoticed in England but caused great offence in
9840-467: The international top-10 singles " Give Peace a Chance ", " Instant Karma! ", " Imagine ", and " Happy Xmas (War Is Over) ". Moving to New York City in 1971, his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a three-year deportation attempt by the Nixon administration . Lennon and Ono separated from 1973 to 1975, during which time he produced Harry Nilsson 's album Pussy Cats . He also had chart-topping collaborations with Elton John (" Whatever Gets You thru
9963-456: The latter to publicise his recent film, The Magic Christian . McCartney sings his original ad-lib, "This is to Wish You a Merry, Merry Christmas." Starting at 1:30, at the tail-end of Starr's song, the guitar solos from " The End " are heard, followed by Ono interviewing Lennon. For the only time, the North American and UK album sleeve jackets were identical. The North American version of
10086-406: The night. The genesis of the album came about when Yoko expressed an interest in John's avant-garde home recordings after he had asked "Do you want to hear some of the things I've been playing around at in my studio?" Lennon then played her some of his tapes which consisted of comedy recordings and electronic sounds, both of which he knew the other Beatles would not allow on their albums. After hearing
10209-463: The publication of the US fan-club, explained in its April 1966 edition that the tape arrived too late to prepare the record in time for Christmas. Recorded between sessions for " Strawberry Fields Forever ", for the 1966 offering, the usual greetings and thanks gave way to a ' Pantomime '-themed collection of original songs and comic skits. The songs include "Everywhere It's Christmas", "Orowayna", and "Please Don't Bring Your Banjo Back". McCartney plays
10332-425: The recordings from 1967 to 1969, was called Happy Michaelmas and was on a label called The Adirondack Group (AG-8146). Less than a year later, on 29 September 1983, an entrepreneur announced that he was going to issue all seven messages on one record, which he planned to call John, Paul, George and Ringo . The Beatles' representatives quickly sued, claiming copyright and trademark violations, and won in court. As
10455-407: The recordings having been made until 2017, numerous bootlegs of the recordings appeared before then. In December 1982, two albums claiming to comprise a legitimate release of the Beatles' Christmas messages appeared on the US market. One of them, which contained the 1963–1966 recordings, was called Christmas Reflections , on a label called Desert Vibrations Heritage Series (HSRD-SP1). The other, with
10578-522: The role but he declined, advising Lennon to go back to making records. Lennon was approached by Allen Klein , who had managed the Rolling Stones and other bands during the British Invasion . In early 1969, Klein was appointed as Apple's chief executive by Lennon, Harrison and Starr, but McCartney never signed the management contract. Lennon and Ono were married on 20 March 1969 and soon released
10701-512: The same club after heckling the Smothers Brothers . Lennon decided to produce Nilsson's album Pussy Cats , and Pang rented a Los Angeles beach house for all the musicians. After a month of further debauchery, the recording sessions were in chaos, and Lennon returned to New York with Pang to finish work on the album. In April, Lennon had produced the Mick Jagger song "Too Many Cooks (Spoil
10824-480: The school holidays Parkes often visited Lennon with Leila Harvey, another cousin, and the three often travelled to Blackpool two or three times a week to watch shows. They would visit the Blackpool Tower Circus and see artists such as Dickie Valentine , Arthur Askey , Max Bygraves and Joe Loss , with Parkes recalling that Lennon particularly liked George Formby . After Parkes's family moved to Scotland,
10947-403: The seminar, they were informed of Epstein's death. "I knew we were in trouble then", Lennon said later. "I didn't have any misconceptions about our ability to do anything other than play music. I was scared – I thought, 'We've fucking had it now. ' " McCartney organised the group's first post-Epstein project, the self-written, -produced and -directed television film Magical Mystery Tour , which
11070-455: 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". In the first two weeks of January 1975, Elton John topped the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart with his cover of " Lucy in
11193-507: The single "God Save Us/Do the Oz" and joined marches in support of the magazine. Eager for a major commercial success, Lennon adopted a more accessible sound for his next album, Imagine (1971). Rolling Stone reported that "it contains a substantial portion of good music" but warned of the possibility that "his posturings will soon seem not merely dull but irrelevant". The album's title track later became an anthem for anti-war movements, while
11316-535: The song " How Do You Sleep? " was a musical attack on McCartney in response to lyrics on Ram that Lennon felt, and McCartney later confirmed, were directed at him and Ono. In " Jealous Guy ", Lennon addressed his demeaning treatment of women, acknowledging that his past behaviour was a result of long-held insecurity. In gratitude for his guitar contributions to Imagine , Lennon initially agreed to perform at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh benefit shows in New York. Harrison refused to allow Ono to participate at
11439-470: The song " Mother ", in which Lennon confronted his feelings of childhood rejection, and the Dylanesque " Working Class Hero ", a bitter attack against the bourgeois social system which, due to the lyric "you're still fucking peasants", fell foul of broadcasters. In January 1971, Tariq Ali expressed his revolutionary political views when he interviewed Lennon, who immediately responded by writing " Power to
11562-475: The song because of the word " nigger ". Lennon and Ono gave two benefit concerts with Elephant's Memory and guests in New York in aid of patients at the Willowbrook State School mental facility. Staged at Madison Square Garden on 30 August 1972, they were his last full-length concert appearances. After George McGovern lost the 1972 presidential election to Richard Nixon, Lennon and Ono attended
11685-443: The sounds. Both of them had experience in avant-garde music : Ono had staged various multimedia events in New York during the early 1960s, and Lennon had worked on audio experimentation in the Beatles. Lennon's longtime friend Peter Shotton recalled later in his memoir that many of the loops heard on the album were made by John and himself in the days before the recording. Lennon recorded directly to two-track stereophonic, but much of
11808-510: The source material was monophonic. The song " Together ", written by George Buddy DeSylva , Lew Brown , and Ray Henderson , can be heard playing in the background. Shortly after the release of the Two Virgins , John stated in an interview that he believed the album "can change people", as others "have changed my head, just with their records." He then claimed "that's what Yoko and my singing is, to change it like that". Lennon talked about making
11931-399: The tapes, Ono insisted that they make their own recording. Cynthia returned home unexpectedly the next day to find them sitting cross-legged on the floor in matching white robes, staring into each other's eyes. The Unfinished Music series was an attempt by the pair to keep a record of their life together. With Ono's Grapefruit in mind, they had imagined that the sound was not etched into
12054-400: The therapy entailed two half-days a week with Janov for six months; he had wanted to treat the couple for longer, but their American visa ran out and they had to return to the UK. Lennon's debut solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970), was received with praise by many music critics, but its highly personal lyrics and stark sound limited its commercial performance. The album featured
12177-649: The three cousins often spent their school holidays together there. Parkes recalled, "John, cousin Leila and I were very close. From Edinburgh we would drive up to the family croft at Durness , which was from about the time John was nine years old until he was about 16." Lennon's uncle George died of a liver haemorrhage on 5 June 1955, aged 52. Lennon was raised as an Anglican and attended Dovedale Primary School . After passing his eleven-plus exam, he attended Quarry Bank High School in Liverpool from September 1952 to 1957, and
12300-415: The time, Bobby Dykins – and after a heated argument, his father forced the five-year-old to choose between them. In one account of this incident, Lennon twice chose his father, but as his mother walked away, he began to cry and followed her. According to author Mark Lewisohn , however, Lennon's parents agreed that Julia should take him and give him a home. Billy Hall, who witnessed the incident, has said that
12423-469: The top of the UK chart by " Woman ", the second single from Double Fantasy . Later that year, Roxy Music 's cover version of " Jealous Guy ", recorded as a tribute to Lennon, was also a UK number-one. Lennon met Cynthia Powell (1939–2015) in 1957, when they were fellow students at the Liverpool College of Art . Although Powell was intimidated by Lennon's attitude and appearance, she heard that he
12546-533: The track in June in what would be his last recording session until 1980. Sean Lennon , Lennon's only child with Ono, was born on 9 October 1975 (Lennon's thirty-fifth birthday), after which Lennon took on the role of househusband. He formally announced his break from music in Tokyo in 1977, saying, "we have basically decided, without any great decision, to be with our baby as much as we can until we feel we can take time off to indulge ourselves in creating things outside of
12669-446: The uproar seemed to have less to do with the explicit nudity, and more to do with the fact that the pair were rather unattractive; he described it later as a picture of "two slightly overweight ex-junkies". Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins was released by Apple Records in the US in electronically rechanneled stereo on 11 November 1968, and in the UK in mono and electronically rechanneled for stereo on 29 November 1968. The mono version
12792-633: The vinyl's grooves but was meant to be created by the listener's mind. Lennon described Unfinished Music as "saying whatever you want it to say. It is just us expressing ourselves like a child does, you know, however he feels like then. What we're saying is make your own music. This is Unfinished Music ." The recordings that ended up on the album consisted largely of tape loops , playing while Lennon tried out different instruments (piano, organ, drums) and sound effects (including reverb , delay and distortion ), changed tapes and played other recordings, and conversed with Ono, who vocalised ad-lib in response to
12915-400: Was accepted into the Liverpool College of Art after his aunt and headmaster intervened. At the college he began to wear Teddy Boy clothes and was threatened with expulsion for his behaviour. In the description of Cynthia Powell , Lennon's fellow student and subsequently his wife, he was "thrown out of the college before his final year". At the age of 15, Lennon formed a skiffle group ,
13038-459: Was an inexpensive Gallotone Champion acoustic for which she lent her son five pounds and ten shillings on the condition that the guitar be delivered to her own house and not Mimi's, knowing well that her sister was not supportive of her son's musical aspirations. Mimi was sceptical of his claim that he would be famous one day, and she hoped that he would grow bored with music, often telling him, "The guitar's all very well, John, but you'll never make
13161-473: Was available only in the UK by mail order. The album was distributed by Track Records in the UK and Tetragrammaton Records in the US after EMI refused to produce the cover or sleeve to the record, unless it was changed. EMI, however, pressed the record in Britain, while the album cover was printed by Technik. Apple employee Jack Oliver got around the sleeve packing problem by hiring several Apple scruffs to package
13284-727: Was born in April. During their Royal Variety Show performance, which was attended by the Queen Mother and other British royalty, Lennon poked fun at the audience: "For our next song, I'd like to ask for your help. For the people in the cheaper seats, clap your hands ... and the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewellery." After a year of Beatlemania in the UK , the group's historic February 1964 US debut appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show marked their breakthrough to international stardom. A two-year period of constant touring, filmmaking, and songwriting followed, during which Lennon wrote two books, In His Own Write and A Spaniard in
13407-463: Was described by Harvey at the time as a "happy-go-lucky, good-humoured, easy going, lively lad". However, he was also known to frequently engage in fights, bully and disrupt classes. Despite this, he quickly built a reputation as the class clown and often drew comical cartoons that appeared in his self-made school magazine, the Daily Howl . In 1956, Julia bought John his first guitar. The instrument
13530-407: Was introduced to Preludin while in Hamburg, and regularly took the drug as a stimulant during their long, overnight performances. Brian Epstein managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967. He had no previous experience managing artists, but he had a strong influence on the group's dress code and attitude on stage. Lennon initially resisted his attempts to encourage the band to present
13653-415: Was later created. Chapman avoided going to trial when he ignored his lawyer's advice and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20-years-to-life. In the weeks following the murder, "(Just Like) Starting Over" and Double Fantasy topped the charts in the UK and the US. "Imagine" hit number one in the UK in January 1981 and "Happy Xmas" peaked at number two. "Imagine" was succeeded at
13776-551: Was likely a deliberate homage to/continuation of the broadly similar "Craig Torso" specials produced for BBC Radio 1 that same year by the Beatles' friends and collaborators the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band , and also shares much in common with their then-unreleased track " You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) ", recorded six months previously. While UK fans received a flexi-disc in an elaborate sleeve, North American fans received
13899-440: Was mastered from copies of the original flexi discs . In the US, the seven messages were issued as The Beatles Christmas Album sent out by the fan-club around springtime 1971. It was the first time the 1964 and 1965 messages had been made available in the US. With no new recording, the LP served to remind that the Beatles were no more, but had the advantage of durability over the original flexi discs. With no general release of
14022-464: Was me singing 'help ' ". He had put on weight (he would later refer to this as his "Fat Elvis" period), and felt he was subconsciously seeking change. In March that year he and Harrison were unknowingly introduced to LSD when a dentist, hosting a dinner party attended by the two musicians and their partners, spiked the guests' coffee with the drug. When they wanted to leave, their host revealed what they had taken, and strongly advised them not to leave
14145-467: Was obsessed with the French actress Brigitte Bardot , so she dyed her hair blonde. Lennon asked her out, but when she said that she was engaged, he shouted, "I didn't ask you to fuckin' marry me, did I?" She often accompanied him to Quarrymen gigs and travelled to Hamburg with McCartney's girlfriend to visit him. The Beatles%27 Christmas records From December 1963 to December 1969, English rock group
14268-699: Was often away from home but sent regular pay cheques to 9 Newcastle Road, Liverpool, where Lennon lived with his mother; the cheques stopped when he went absent without leave in February 1944. When he eventually came home six months later, he offered to look after the family, but Julia, by then pregnant with another man's child, rejected the idea. After her sister Mimi complained to Liverpool's Social Services twice, Julia gave her custody of Lennon. In July 1946, Lennon's father visited her and took his son to Blackpool , secretly intending to emigrate to New Zealand with him. Julia followed them – with her partner at
14391-515: Was pronounced dead on arrival at 11:15 p.m. (EST). Ono issued a statement the next day, saying "There is no funeral for John", ending it with the words, "John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him." His remains were cremated at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York . Ono scattered his ashes in New York's Central Park , where the Strawberry Fields memorial
14514-427: Was recorded for a planned follow-up album Milk and Honey , which was issued posthumously, in 1984. Double Fantasy was not well received initially and drew comments such as Melody Maker ' s "indulgent sterility ... a godawful yawn". In New York, at approximately 5:00 p.m. on 8 December 1980, Lennon autographed a copy of Double Fantasy for Mark David Chapman before leaving The Dakota with Ono for
14637-584: Was released in December that year. While the film itself proved to be their first critical flop, its soundtrack release , featuring Lennon's Lewis Carroll –inspired " I Am the Walrus ", was a success. Led by Harrison and Lennon's interest, the Beatles travelled to the Maharishi's ashram in India in February 1968 for further guidance. While there, they composed most of the songs for their double album The Beatles , but
14760-440: Was released in January 1993, claimed to be distributed by Tetragrammaton (which was defunct by 1970) and not mastered from the original tape, but was merely transferred from a copy of the record with audible surface noise . The fake-stereo mix of the album was officially re-issued on Rykodisc on 3 June 1997, under the observation of Ono, with an additional bonus track—" Give Peace a Chance "'s B-side "Remember Love". This edition of
14883-566: Was the one who all the other boys' parents – including Paul's father – would say, "Keep away from him" ... The parents instinctively recognised I was a troublemaker, meaning I did not conform and I would influence their children, which I did. I did my best to disrupt every friend's home ... Partly out of envy that I didn't have this so-called home ... but I did ... There were five women that were my family. Five strong , intelligent , beautiful women, five sisters. One happened to be my mother. [She] just couldn't deal with life. She
15006-607: Was the youngest and she had a husband who ran away to sea and the war was on and she couldn't cope with me, and I ended up living with her elder sister. Now those women were fantastic ... And that was my first feminist education ... I would infiltrate the other boys' minds. I could say, "Parents are not gods because I don't live with mine and, therefore, I know." He regularly visited his cousin Stanley Parkes, who lived in Fleetwood and took him on trips to local cinemas. During
15129-489: Was to have the nude shot for the front album cover. Neil Aspinall recalled that Lennon gave the roll of film to an Apple employee called Jeremy, with instructions to develop the photographs. Jeremy claimed that the pictures were "mind-blowing"; Aspinall wryly observed that "Everything was always 'mind-blowing' to Jeremy" and then went on to say "but – just that one time – he was actually right. He couldn't believe it." The cover provoked an outrage, prompting distributors to sell
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