John Lennon Imagine Turns 50

John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ was released 50 years ago today, 9 September 1971.

‘Imagine’ was Lennon’s fifth album. His first three, ‘Unfinished Music No 1: Two Virgins’ (1968), ‘Unfinished Music No 2: Life With The Lions’ (1969) and ‘Wedding Album’ (1969) were released when he was still Beatle John. The experiment albums went widely ignored.

John’s first serious attempt at a cohesive record came with the angry ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’ (1970). Considered his first album (the other three were with credited to John Lennon and Yoko Ono), the Phil Spector produced therapeutic ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono’ Band’ album went to no 3 in Australia, no 6 in the UK and no 8 in the USA.

However, 1971’s ‘Imagine’ surpassed all expectations. Every song on ‘Imagine’ is now considered a classic.

‘Imagine’ was a homemade album. Lennon recorded it at Ascot Sounds Studios, inside his mansion Tittenhurst Park residence. It features George Harrison on guitar, Nicky Hopkins on piano, Klaus Voormann on bass and Alan White, Jim Keltner and Jim Gordon on drums with Badfinger’s Joey Molland and Tom Evans on guitar.

The ‘Imagine’ album landed ahead of the ‘Imagine’ single’ The single came one month later on 11 October 1971 everywhere except the UK. In the UK it came out as a single four years later.

Two of the songs ‘Jealous Guy’ and ‘Gimme Some Truth’ were demoed for possible Beatles records but did not make it. ‘Jealous Guy’ (originally title ‘Child of Nature’ was worked up for the White Album. (It is now on the recent White Album box set). ‘Gimme Some Truth’ didn’t make the cut for ‘Let It Be’. (The Beatles demo is one of the tracks on the upcoming ‘Let It Be’ box.