IMAGINE (Room 505)
IMAGINE (Room 505)
John’s first proper solo album had been ‘John Lennon Plastic Ono Band’ which was written and recorded in October 1970 and released just prior to Christmas. It was probably John’s finest ever work and it was a painful, brutally honest album whose lyrics explore the pain of John’s life from birth to the break up of The Beatles. It was minimalist and totally raw and also punctuated with expletives, despite critical acclaim, the subject matter put off a significant segment of the market. It was not the commercially lovable John that the record public adored, and although it did not chart reasonably well, it did not transcend into a huge commercial success. For his follow up, he served up to the public exactly what they wanted, a commercial, slick pop album that would elicit comparisons with John’s best Beatles work. The album ‘Imagine’ was recorded in John’s studio at his home in Tittenhurst Park near Ascot and completed at The Record Plant in NYC. Filming also commenced for the release of what would become ‘Imagine’ the film. When the album was released in the USA in September 1971 it immediately rocketed to the top of the Billboard Charts and when it was released in the UK four weeks later, it also nestled quickly at the top of the charts. The title track ‘Imagine’ is probably the most famous song that John ever recorded. Certainly it is his most popular and famous solo offering but it has probably eclipsed even his greatest Beatle work. In many ways the song has defined John and after his murder it was re-released world-wide, becoming a huge posthumous hit (again!) However, what is all too infrequently recounted is that Yoko was very much the influence for the song. Her book ‘Grapefruit’ had previously adopted the concept of ‘Imagine’ in her writing which John had become particularly interested in. He returned to this theme to write his anthem about a brotherhood of man and global unity. Her influence was so great on the song that John believed that in truth she should have been co-credited with the song writing.
Artwork painted and owned by ©SHANNON
IMAGINE (Room 505)
John’s first proper solo album had been ‘John Lennon Plastic Ono Band’ which was written and recorded in October 1970 and released just prior to Christmas. It was probably John’s finest ever work and it was a painful, brutally honest album whose lyrics explore the pain of John’s life from birth to the break up of The Beatles. It was minimalist and totally raw and also punctuated with expletives, despite critical acclaim, the subject matter put off a significant segment of the market. It was not the commercially lovable John that the record public adored, and although it did not chart reasonably well, it did not transcend into a huge commercial success. For his follow up, he served up to the public exactly what they wanted, a commercial, slick pop album that would elicit comparisons with John’s best Beatles work. The album ‘Imagine’ was recorded in John’s studio at his home in Tittenhurst Park near Ascot and completed at The Record Plant in NYC. Filming also commenced for the release of what would become ‘Imagine’ the film. When the album was released in the USA in September 1971 it immediately rocketed to the top of the Billboard Charts and when it was released in the UK four weeks later, it also nestled quickly at the top of the charts. The title track ‘Imagine’ is probably the most famous song that John ever recorded. Certainly it is his most popular and famous solo offering but it has probably eclipsed even his greatest Beatle work. In many ways the song has defined John and after his murder it was re-released world-wide, becoming a huge posthumous hit (again!) However, what is all too infrequently recounted is that Yoko was very much the influence for the song. Her book ‘Grapefruit’ had previously adopted the concept of ‘Imagine’ in her writing which John had become particularly interested in. He returned to this theme to write his anthem about a brotherhood of man and global unity. Her influence was so great on the song that John believed that in truth she should have been co-credited with the song writing.
Artwork painted and owned by ©SHANNON
IMAGINE (Room 505)
John’s first proper solo album had been ‘John Lennon Plastic Ono Band’ which was written and recorded in October 1970 and released just prior to Christmas. It was probably John’s finest ever work and it was a painful, brutally honest album whose lyrics explore the pain of John’s life from birth to the break up of The Beatles. It was minimalist and totally raw and also punctuated with expletives, despite critical acclaim, the subject matter put off a significant segment of the market. It was not the commercially lovable John that the record public adored, and although it did not chart reasonably well, it did not transcend into a huge commercial success. For his follow up, he served up to the public exactly what they wanted, a commercial, slick pop album that would elicit comparisons with John’s best Beatles work. The album ‘Imagine’ was recorded in John’s studio at his home in Tittenhurst Park near Ascot and completed at The Record Plant in NYC. Filming also commenced for the release of what would become ‘Imagine’ the film. When the album was released in the USA in September 1971 it immediately rocketed to the top of the Billboard Charts and when it was released in the UK four weeks later, it also nestled quickly at the top of the charts. The title track ‘Imagine’ is probably the most famous song that John ever recorded. Certainly it is his most popular and famous solo offering but it has probably eclipsed even his greatest Beatle work. In many ways the song has defined John and after his murder it was re-released world-wide, becoming a huge posthumous hit (again!) However, what is all too infrequently recounted is that Yoko was very much the influence for the song. Her book ‘Grapefruit’ had previously adopted the concept of ‘Imagine’ in her writing which John had become particularly interested in. He returned to this theme to write his anthem about a brotherhood of man and global unity. Her influence was so great on the song that John believed that in truth she should have been co-credited with the song writing.
Artwork painted and owned by ©SHANNON