Bag 5105/6/7A/B

Liner Notes:

DISC ONE opens with a pair of tunes from the Imagine sessions of June, 1971. First is an alternate vocal take of the title track, nearly identical to the released version. Imagine is followed by yet another run-through of How Do You Sleep? This one breaks down shortly after Mr. Harrison's lead break. Next we have a second demo for J.J., also recorded on acoustic guitar, complete with TV accompaniment. (The first is found on Volume 21 of this series.) After wrapping up the Some Time In New York City LP, John and Yoko set course for the West Coast. Geraldo Rivera, desiring a more concrete commitment of the Willowbrook cause, caught up with them for a brief interview about the forthcoming One To One concert. This next recording comes from the raw footage shot by the ABC news crew, and captures John and Yoko running through a medley of Rock Island Line, Maybe Baby, and Peggy Sue. A third rough mix of Out The Blue follows, discernable from the released version by some subtle phasing effects. Two off-line monitor mixes from the July, 1974 Record Plant sessions for Walls And Bridges close out the side. These takes of Old Dirt Road and Steel And Glass are significantly different to the previously available mixes. Now, give your volume a healthy boost and get ready for a treat! Possibly the highlight of the entire series, this rough mix of Whatever Gets You Through The Night is noted for the absence of Reginald Dwight's vocal talents. A little promotion for the Rock 'N' Roll LP follows, as does the stereo session tape for John's Old Grey Whistle Test performance of Stand By Me. Next up is a Gospel-styled demo for Serve Yourself, served up once again on piano. A series of demos for Nobody Told Me follows. The first, entitled Everybody, dates from 1975-6 and is performed on piano with drum machine accompaniment. The next take features the previously described demo with some circa 1980 guitar and vocal overdubs. Note the new lyrics of Nobody Told Me sung over the old ones. Finally we have Take 2 of Nobody Told Me, prepared specifically with Ringo in mind. (Take 1 appears on Volume 26 of this series.) Now we find John at home ensconced in front of the television with acoustic guitar. This time Falling In Love Again (Can't Help It) falls victim of the Lennon sense of humor. Two more oldies follow, this time a little more serious, but it seems that John had a serious mental lapse when it came to remembering the lyrics to Cathy's Clown and You Send Me. Next up are two demos for the (Just Like) Starting Over prototype My Life. The first, which dates from 1978-79, is performed on piano and dissolves into the Little River Band's Reminiscing. The second is a considerably more developed acoustic guitar recording with vocal assistance from Yoko. John's double tracked demo for Real Love (Waiting For You) follows. This is the take that was utilized as a backing track for the Beatles' single, albeit after editing and a drastic pitch shift. From John's excursion to Bermuda in the Summer 1980 comes this composing sequence for Dear Yoko. The distortion results from John recording these takes a little too "hot". This disc wraps up with "Take 1 overdub" of John's acoustic guitar/drum machine demo for I'm Stepping Out.

DISC TWO features a "fly on the wall" listen to the first day of Double Fantasy sessions, August 6, 1980. These recordings are taken from the legendary control room tapes recorded by the production team just in case something interesting developed. We pick up midway through the sessions of I'm Stepping Out, and over the next 20 minutes get to hear numerous discussions, breakdowns, alternate takes, even dinner orders. Then, John and the band take one more pass at I'm Stepping Out before a broken string brings a halt to the proceedings. Then it's off for a listen and sushi before working on the next track. Like I'm Stepping Out, the second number attempted on opening day of the Double Fantasy sessions didn't see release until the Milk And Honey LP, more than three years later. The session tape for Borrowed Time opens with John working out the arrangement and is followed by a brief run-through. Please note that the distortion present here is on the source tape as well, however, it does clear up a few minutes into the take. Following the run-through, John demonstrates the feel he's looking for by playing an excerpt of Bob Marley and the Wailers' Get Up, Stand Up. After the Rastafarian history lesson, more run-throughs follow and the band finally nails down the tempo. The track closes with an aborted take and acoustic guitar overdub. Next is a dry rough mix of another Double Fantasy reject, I Don't Wanna Face It. Then it's back to the vocal booth, this time for a run-through of Watching The Wheels. The similarity to Imagine, Mind Games, and I Am The Walrus were deliberate as is evidenced by the discussion following the take. Also from the isolation booth is an alternate take of Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy). Closing out this collection are two rough mixes of the album opener (Just Like) Starting Over. The first is an offline monitor mix, complete with some unfamiliar musical elements and an interesting segue into Watching The Wheels. The second is a bare bones rough mix of the basic track prior to overdubbing and editing of the coda. Well, we hope you have enjoyed these installments of the Lost Lennon Tapes. Until next time....