New Lennon boxed set news: Update (1/11/99) Sonicnet.com has a story featuring comments by Yoko and boxed set producer Rob Stevens. (Thanks to Dave Persails.)
Dec. 8, 1998_The John Lennon Anthology, a 4-CD career retrospective of the legendary artist's solo work, has been certified gold by the RIAA.With tracks selected by Yoko Ono and co-produced by her with Rob Stevens, the Anthology offers a unique glimpse into the personal and creative life of one of the most significant artists of our time. Spanning the years 1969 through 1980, its four CDs_'Ascot,' 'New York City,' 'The Lost Weekend' and 'Dakota'_represent the four phases of Lennon's solo career, from his initial post-Beatles days in London to his life in New York and Los Angeles.
The Anthology has received widespread critical acclaim for both its content and design, prompting Steve Morse to write in The Boston Globe: 'This project is the most intimate, and arguably the most creative, boxed set in the history of the genre.' Spin gives the set a '9' and states that it not only 'provides sacred relics for devotees,' but 'ultimately reveals Lennon as a man worthy of myth.'
A video clip for the track 'I'm Losing You,' starring Lennon's poignant line drawings animated into life, recently made its television debut. The clip also features Rick Nielsen on guitar and Bun E. Carlos on drums (both from Cheap Trick) and King Crimson bassist Tony Levin, each of whom played on the original version of the song with Lennon in 1980. In a playful and whimsical fashion, well known animator David Spafford has extended upon Lennon's original drawings, making them float through and interact with the musicians' 1998 live performance.
A single CD digest titled Wonsaponatime was released simultaneously.
"I am a radio programmer from Austin, Texas (but native NYer) who has interviewed Yoko many times over the years and we developed an acquaintanceship, especially after I gave her my ticket stub for the Elton John/Lennon show I attended as a teenager! I had tried to do an interview CD with her for Ryko (both for the reissue series and box set) but neither were released, although the interviews were published. Capital A&R man Dave Ayers called me on behalf of Yoko (who requested me for this project) to set up this interview CD.The EPK video for the Lennon Anthology features clips from our interview (Yoko's wearing a yellow silk shirt) and then we went with her to Strawberry Fields & Bank Street, after lunch..."
Sincerely,
Jody Denberg
"Regarding the Lennon Anthology promo, I've got a third one which is not listed: It's an early advance CD featuring just "I'm Losing You" and "Only You" (catalogue No. LENNON001). It comes in a flat jewel case and features no insert. The label is the same as the 7-track sampler (John at the piano) but the b&w photo is rather blurred. Having a "EMI Swindon" matrix printing, I guess this is a UK promo, though I obtained it from EMI Belgium."
(Thanks to both Jody and Phillipe.)
Update (11/20/98) Lennon Anthology promos: There are two we've heard about. One is a seven track sampler. The other is a disk that is primarily an interview with Yoko about the Anthology. Some tracks ("Imagine," take one, the "Real Love" demo, "Goodnight Vienna," "Happy Xmas" early mix, to name a few) from the set are included.
Update (11/13/98) Some news from Capitol Records on first-week sales of the set:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LENNON ANTHOLOGY BOX SET MAKES ITS DEBUT AT #99 WITH A BULLET IN THE BILLBOARD TOP CURRENT ALBUMS CHART, BECOMING SECOND BEST-SELLING BOX SET OF 1998First Week Sales Nearly 17,000 Units
THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY, a 4-CD career retrospective of the legendary artist’s solo work featuring nearly 100 never-before-released tracks, makes its debut in the Top 100 of the BILLBOARD “Current Albums Chart” at #99 with a bullet next week. Selling nearly 17,000 copies, it is the second top-selling box set of 1998 and has performed strongly at both major retail accounts and independent record stores nationwide. This first-week debut places it among the top five best-selling box sets upon release during the SoundScan era, in such excellent company as Garth Brooks, The Doors, AC/DC and Metallica, and outselling collections from Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley, Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and more.
John Michael, Media Manager at Best Buy, had this to say about the strong sales of THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY: “First and foremost, being a fan, it was very exciting to hear this music for the first time after hearing about it for so long. We had a huge first week. Best Buy has always been a destination for Beatles and solo Beatles recordings, so we gave it a tremendous ad campaign and made it very visible in our stores. Capitol and Best Buy did a great job setting the record up - and the fans responded.”
At the other end of the retail spectrum, Rob Roth of Vintage Vinyl in Ford, N.J., commented: “My impression of the CD as I listened to it is that it captured the absolute essence of John Lennon, the poet, the philosopher, the rebel and the rocker. Sales are very good, everyone’s very impressed with the packaging. It’s not just a compilation of songs or outtakes - it works cohesively as a great body of work.”
Roy Lott, Capitol Records President, echoed Roth’s sentiments about this extraordinary artist. “John Lennon was one of the greatest talents to have graced our world. THE ANTHOLOGY is a testament to this, and all of us at Capitol are very proud of this project. The Capitol and EMI distribution team have worked extremely hard in support of this incredible project. Yoko Ono’s spirit, dedication and creative vision are inspiring, and it has been an honor to work with her.”
Lou Mann, Capitol Senior Vice President/General Manager added: “It’s been extraordinarily gratifying to be involved in a project as important as THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY. The response from consumers to this collection has been phenomenal. This, with the recent successes we’ve had with the Beastie Boys, Hope Floats, Everclear and Marcy Playground, heralds an exciting new era at Capitol.”
“What a thrill it’s been for me personally to be involved with a collection of work that has such a profound emotional effect on so many people,” said Capitol Senior Vice President of Sales Joe McFadden. “We look forward to this being one of the highlights of the holiday season, and anticipate consumer demand will make this one of the best-selling box sets of all time.”
Critics everywhere also agree that THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY deserves recognition. Steve Morse, writing in The Boston Globe, said, 'This new project is the most intimate, and arguably the most creative, boxed set in the history of the genre.' Spin gives 'Anthology' a '9,' and states that it not only 'provides sacred relics for devotees,' but 'ultimately reveals Lennon as a man worthy of myth.' THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY has also been featured by Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Daily News and GQ, among others, with future coverage coming in Rolling Stone, Request, Pulse!, Details, Maxim, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, People, USA Today, Stereo Review, Raygun, Bikini, Seconds and more.
Radio nationwide has been playing -- and talking about -- the collection, with an 'ABC Rock Radio' Lennon special garnering millions of listeners via its satellite broadcast last week. Television has also embraced 'Anthology,' with 'Access Hollywood,' 'E!,' 'CNN World Beat,' 'CBS This Morning' and local news coast-to-coast singing its praises.
Update (10/31/98) Yoko Ono discusses "The John Lennon Anthology" in an exclusive interview at Amazon.com. To read the interview, click on MUSIC at the top of the page, then go to the IN ROCK section in the middle of the page. Also, in an interview with Beatle expert Rip Rense, Yoko and Sir George Martin discuss how he came to work on the track "Grow Old With Me" on the Lennon set. Yoko says, "Well, George [Martin] was a very important part of John's life," she said. "I thought it was a karmically good ending in a way, to finally have George do something for John...And I thought John would have loved that." Martin says, "...Here you have a song, a very poignant song, a little bit too painful in a way -- with the words, "grow old with me/ the best is yet to be" -- written not very long before he was killed. And it was such a sweet song....It wasn't a very good piece of tape, so I decided the only way to treat it was to score it with classical overtones. And I took on the job." Martin added what he termed a "mock-Mozart" arrangement, including a very McCartney-like bass line Martin composed without Paul's help. "I thought of asking Paul," Martin said, "but obviously I didn't want to interrupt him in the midst of his grief over Linda."
Update (10/25/98) Yoko Ono has written a long, sentimental memory piece about John, edited from the box set's liner notes, for Britain's Electronic Telegraph website. You'll find their site at http://www.telegraph.co.uk. You'll need to register to read the article, which is linked right off their home page.
Update (10/14/98) The press release for "WONSAPONATIME" :
"WONSAPONATIME" Single Disc Digest Culled From 4-CD Box Set 'THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY' Being Simultaneously Released on November 3rd to Feature 21 TracksSelections to Cover All Phases of John Lennon's Solo Career and Life
"WONSAPONATIME" the single CD digest featuring a selection of tracks from the 4-CD box set 'THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY,' will feature 21 tracks, it was announced today. With selections taken from all the CDs in the box set - 'Ascot'; 'New York City'; 'The Lost Weekend' and 'Dakota' - it gives both a musical and personal overview of John Lennon, spanning the years 1969 through his last recordings in 1980. Capitol is releasing both the box set and the single disc compilation on November 3, 1998.
The full track listing is as follows: 1. I'm Losing You 2. Working Class Hero 3. God 4. How Do You Sleep? 5. Imagine (Take 1) 6. Baby Please Don't Go 7. Oh My Love 8. God Save Oz 9. I Found Out 10. Woman Is The Nigger Of the World (Live) 11. A Kiss Is Just A Kiss (As Time Goes By) 12. Be Bob A Lula 13. Rip It Up/Ready Teddy 14. What you Got 15. Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out 16. I Don't Wanna Face It 17. Real Love 18. Only You 19. Grow Old With Me 20. Sean's 'In The Sky' 21. Serve Yourself
In commenting on selecting the material for "WONSAPONATIME" Yoko Ono said: ''It was hard work making these choices. I wanted to give a fair representation of all the material on the box set, but it's nearly impossible to present an edited version of nearly 100 tracks, all of which are very special. I hope people will see this as a taste of the ANTHOLOGY. It's being released not only as something special that John's fans can enjoy and celebrate, but hopefully as an introduction to his music and thoughts for a new generation of people as well.''
(Update 10/6/98) This news comes from Capitol Records' Hollywood and Vine website (thanks, Robin!):
In Honor of John Lennon's Birthday October 9th Capitol Records "Hollywood and Vine" Site to Preview Tracks From "The John Lennon Anthology" a Month Before ReleaseWebsite To Debut One Song A Week For Month Of October And Will feature Exclusive Artwork And Liner Notes From ANTHOLOGY Package
To celebrate John Lennon's birthday October 9th, and the upcoming release of THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY, a 4-CD box set of nearly 100 previously unreleased solo tracks and a companion single CD digest entitled "WONSAPONATIME" coming from Capitol Records on November 3rd, Capitol's acclaimed "Hollywood and Vine" site will unveil a new John Lennon section.Not only will this feature a sample of Grammy-Award winning journalist Anthony DeCurtis' liner notes, the complete tracklisting, and exclusive art work from the package, it will also be previewing four tracks from this groundbreaking compilation, one every Friday, beginning that day. This is almost a full month in advance of this heavily anticipated release.
On October 9th, internet users will be able to hear Yoko Ono's audio introduction to the box set, and "I'm Losing You." This will be followed by"Oh My Love" on October 16th; "Watching The Wheels" on October 23rd, and "Sean In The Sky" on October 30th. Each piece will feature an enhanced presentation for the Microsoft Windows Media Player.
THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY offers a unique glimpse into the personal and creative life of one the most significant musical artists of our time. Spanning the years 1969 through 1980, its four CDs "Ascot," "New York City," "The Lost Weekend" and "Dakota" - represent the four phases of Lennon's solo career, from his initial post-Beatles days in London to his life in New York and Los Angeles.
This unique look at - and listen to - THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY is just one exciting feature of the Capitol Records website "Hollywood and Vine" at http://www.hollywoodandvine.com/
From an EMI Music Distribution document provided by a retail source to Beatlefan, here's an almost-complete track listing for "Wonsaponatime":1. I'm Losing You. 2. Working Class Hero 3. God 4. How Do You Sleep 5. Imagine 6. (unknown) 7. Oh My Love. 8. God Save Oz 9. I Found Out 10. Woman is the Nigger of the World (live) 11. A Kiss Is Just a Kiss 12. Be Bop A Lula 13. Rip It Up/Ready Teddy 14. What You Got 15. Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out 16. I Don't Wanna Face It 17. Real Love 18. Only You 19. Grow Old With Me 20. Sean's "In the Sky" 21. Serve Yourself.
Bill
Capitol Records Announces John Lennon Anthology Track Listing
4-CD Boxed Set To Be Released November 3, 1998 Capitol Records has announced the track listing for 'The John Lennon Anthology,' a 4-CD boxed set that will contain nearly 100 previously unreleased solo tracks by John Lennon, including live tracks, home recordings, studio outtakes and television appearances.As previously noted, 'The Anthology's' four discs are individually titled 'Ascot'; 'New York City'; 'The Lost Weekend' and 'Dakota.' The music and corresponding artwork for each disc relate to the geographical location and time period relevant to the respective era of Lennon's solo career, spanning material from his first solo recordings in 1969 to his last recordings in 1980.
In discussing the selections chosen for 'The Anthology,' Yoko Ono commented, "John's catalog is very important. The tracks on this set aren't all alternate takes or demos for songs that he included on his albums, but most of them are. There are some real rarities, of course, but I didn't want to just titillate people's curiosity. After all, those are the songs that John wanted to put out -- and that's something I gave a lot of weight to. I wanted to deepen people's understanding of those songs, because they're the ones John wanted you to know. I put a special emphasis on that. I hope that people see his train of thought - and how that train of thought influenced the world."
Yoko continued, "This is a celebration of John's music - and not just for the fans who knew his music in the old days. I'm hoping there will be some new people who will hear this set and discover John's music."In addition to "The John Lennon Anthology" 4-CD boxed set, Capitol Records will simultaneously release "Wonsaponatime," a single disc containing a selection of tracks from the boxed set, on November 3rd. Information on this compilation will be forthcoming.
Track Listing for the 4-CD Boxed Set
Disc 1 - 'Ascot':
1. Working Class Hero- from the 8-track Plastic Ono Band sessions, 1970 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 2. God- from the 8-track Plastic Ono Band sessions, 1970 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Ringo Starr-drums Klaus Voormann-bass 3. I Found Out- home recording, 1970 John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar 4. Hold On- excerpt from the 8-track Plastic Ono Band sessions, 1970 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Ringo Starr-drums Klaus Voormann-bass 5. Isolation- from the 8-track Plastic Ono Band sessions, 1970 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and acoustic piano Ringo Starr-drums Klaus Voormann-bass 6. Love- from the 8-track Plastic Ono Band sessions, 1970 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 7. Mother- from the 8-track Plastic Ono Band sessions, 1970 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Ringo Starr-drums Klaus Voormann-bass 8. Remember- from the 8-track Plastic Ono Band sessions, 1970 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and acoustic piano Ringo Starr-drums Klaus Voormann-bass 9. Imagine (take 1)- from the 8-track Imagine sessions, 1971 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and piano Alan White-drums John Barham-harmonium Klaus Voormann-bass Nicky Hopkins-electric piano 10. "Fortunately"-vignette from iBed-Ini 1969 11. Baby Please Don't Go- from the 8-track Imagine sessions, 1971 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Jim Gordon-drums Klaus Voormann-bass Bobby Keyes-saxophone 12. Oh My Love- the 8-track Imagine sessions, 1971 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and piano Nicky Hopkins-electric piano Klaus Voormann-bass George Harrison-electric guitar 13. Jealous Guy- from the 8-track Imagine sessions, 1971 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Jim Keltner-drums Nicky Hopkins-piano John Barham-harmonium 14. Maggie Mae- home recording, 1979 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 15. How Do You Sleep? - from the 8-track Imagine sessions, 1971 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Nicky Hopkins-electric piano Alan White-drums George Harrison-slide guitar 16. God Save Oz -John's guide vocal on the 8-track master, for Bill Elliott and Elastic Oz Band, 1971 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector 17. Do The Oz-the original master 2-track mix of the UK single, 1971 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John & Yoko-vocals with Elastic Oz Band 18. I Don't Want to Be A Soldier- from the 8-track Imagine sessions, 1971 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Jim Gordon-drums Jim Keltner-percussion 19. Give Peace A Chance- from the 4-track rehearsal tapes prior to the master recording, Montreal Bed-In, June 1, 1969 Produced by John and Yoko Recorded by John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band 20. Look At Me- from the 8-track Plastic Ono Band sessions, 1970 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 21. Long Lost John- from the 8-track Plastic Ono Band sessions, 1970 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Ringo Starr-drumsDisc 2 - 'New York City':
1. New York City- home recording, 1972 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 2. Attica State (live at the Apollo), 1972 Produced by John and Yoko John & Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band 3. Imagine (live at the Apollo), 1972 Produced by John and Yoko John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 4. Bring On the Lucie (Freda Peeple)- from the 16-track Mind Games sessions, 1973 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal Ken Ascher-keyboards David Spinozza-electric guitar Gordon Edwards-bass Jim Keltner-drums 5. Woman Is the Nigger of the World - home recording, 1972 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 6. Geraldo Rivera - One to One Concert at Madison Square Garden, 1972 7. Woman is the Nigger of the World (live at Madison Square Garden)- performance from show 2, 1972 Produced by Yoko Ono John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Stan Bronstein-saxophone Wayne "Tex" Gabriel-lead guitar John Ward-bass Gary Van Scyoc-bass Jim Keltner-drums Rick Frank-drums Adam Ippolito-keyboards Yoko Ono-electric piano 8. It's So Hard (live at Madison Square Garden) performance from show 2, 1972 Produced by Yoko Ono John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Stan Bronstein-saxophone Wayne "Tex" Gabriel-lead guitar John Ward-bass Gary Van Scyoc-bass Jim Keltner-drums Rick Frank-drums Adam Ippolito-keyboards Yoko Ono-electric piano 9. Come Together (live at Madison Square Garden- performance from show 2, 1972 Produced by Yoko Ono John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Stan Bronstein-saxophone Wayne "Tex" Gabriel-lead guitar John Ward-bass Gary Van Scyoc-bass Jim Keltner-drums Rick Frank-drums Adam Ippolito-keyboards Yoko Ono-electric piano 10. Happy Xmas- rough mix, 1971 Produced by John and Yoko and Phil Spector John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Yoko Ono-vocal and the Plastic Ono Band with Harlem Community Choir 11. Luck of the Irish (live in Ann Arbor), 1971 Produced by John and Yoko John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Yoko Ono-vocal and percussion and the Plastic Ono Band 12. John Sinclair (live in Ann Arbor), 1971 Produced by John and Yoko John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Yoko Ono-percussion and the Plastic Ono Band 13. The David Frost Show Broadcast: January 13, 1972 14. Mind Games (I Promise)- home recording, 1973 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic piano 15. Mind Games (Make Love, Not War)- home recording, 1973 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic piano 16. One Day At A Time- from the 16-track Mind Games sessions, 1973 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal Ken Ascher-keyboards David Spinozza-electric guitar Gordon Edwards-bass Jim Keltner-drums 17. I Know- home recording, 1973 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 18. I'm the Greatest-John's guide vocal for Ringo Starr, "Ringo" LP, 1973 Produced by Richard Perry John Lennon-vocal and acoustic piano Klaus Voormann-bass George Harrison-electric guitar Ringo Starr-drums 19. Goodnight Vienna- 16 track demo for Ringo Starr, "Goodnight Vienna" LP, 1974 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal and acoustic piano 20. Jerry Lewis Telethon- 1972 21. "A Kiss Is Just A Kiss"-vignette, home recording 22. Real Love- home recording, 1980 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic piano 23. You Are Here- from the 16-track Mind Games sessions, 1973 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Ken Ascher-keyboards David Spinozza-electric guitar Gordon Edwards-bass Jim Keltner-drums Disc 3 - 'The Lost Weekend': 1. What You Got- home recording, 1974 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 2. Nobody Loves You When You're Down And Out- from the 16-track Walls and Bridges sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal Jim Keltner-drums Dwarf McDougal-acoustic guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Nicky Hopkins-acoustic piano Ken Ascher-electric piano 3. Whatever Gets You Through the Night - home recording, 1974 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 4. Whatever Gets You Through the Night - from the 16-track Walls and Bridges sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Jim Keltner-drums Jesse Ed Davis-electric guitar Eddie Mottau-acoustic guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Ken Ascher-electric piano Arthur Jenkins-percussion 5. "Yesterday" parody- from the Walls and Bridges sessions, 1974 6. Be Bop A Lula- from the 16-track Rock 'N' Roll NYC sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon 7. Rip It Up/Ready Teddy- from the 16-track Rock 'N' Roll NYC sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon 8. Scared- from the 16-track Walls and Bridges sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal and acoustic piano Jim Keltner-drums Jesse Ed Davis-electric guitar Eddie Mottau-acoustic guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Nicky Hopkins-acoustic piano Ken Ascher-electric piano Arthur Jenkins-percussion 9. Steel And Glass- from the 16-track Walls and Bridges sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Jim Keltner-drums Jesse Ed Davis-electric guitar Eddie Mottau-acoustic guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Nicky Hopkins-acoustic piano Ken Ascher-clavinet Arthur Jenkins-percussion 10. Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox)- from the 16-track Walls and Bridges sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal Jim Keltner-drums Jesse Ed Davis-electric guitar Eddie Mottau-acoustic guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Ken Ascher-clavinet 11. Bless You- from the 16-track Walls and Bridges sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Jim Keltner-drums Jesse Ed Davis-electric guitar Eddie Mottau-acoustic guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Ken Ascher-electric piano Arthur Jenkins-percussion 12. Going Down On Love (instructions only)- from the Walls and Bridges sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon 13. Move Over Ms. L- from the 16-track Walls and Bridges sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Jim Keltner-drums Jesse Ed Davis-electric guitar Eddie Mottau-acoustic guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Ken Ascher-clavinet 14. "Ain't She Sweet" vignette, 1974 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Nicky Hopkins-acoustic piano 15. Slippini And Slidini-previously unreleased take from the 16-track Rock 'N' Roll NYC sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon 16. Peggy Sue- from the 16-track Rock 'N' Roll NYC sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon 17. Bring It On Home To Me/Send Me Some Lovini- from the 16-track Rock 'N'Roll NYC sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon 18. Phil and John 1- from the Rock 'N' Roll L.A. sessions, 1973 19. Phil and John 2- from the Rock 'N' Roll L.A. sessions, 1973 20. Phil and John 3- from the Rock 'N' Roll L.A. sessions, 1973 21. iWhen In Doubt, Fuck It"- from the Rock 'N' Roll L.A. sessions, 1973 22. Be My Baby- from the Rock 'N' Roll L.A. sessions, 1973 Produced by Phil Spector 23. Stranger's Room- home recording, 1980 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic piano 24. Old Dirt Road- from the 16-track Walls and Bridges sessions, 1974 Produced by John Lennon John Lennon-vocal Jim Keltner-drums Jesse Ed Davis-electric guitar Eddie Mottau-acoustic guitar Klaus Voormann-bass Nicky Hopkins-acoustic piano Ken Ascher-electric piano Disc 4 -'Dakota': 1. I'm Losing You- from the 16-track Double Fantasy/Milk and Honey sessions, 1980 Produced by John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Jack Douglas John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Rick Nielson-guitar Tom Peterson-bass Bun E. Carlos-drums George Small-electric piano 2. Sean's "Little Help..."-vignette, home recording, 1979 3. Serve Yourself- home recording, 1980 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 4. My Life- home recording, 1980 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 5. Nobody Told Me- from the 16-track Double Fantasy/Milk and Honey sessions, 1980 Produced by John Lennon and Yoko Ono John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Earl Slick-electric guitar Hugh McCraken-electric guitar Tony Levin-bass George Small-keyboards Andy Newmark-drums Arthur Jenkins-percussion 6. Life Begins At 40- home recording, 1980 John Lennon-vocal, acoustic guitar and rhythm box 7. I Don't Wanna Face It- from the 16-track Double Fantasy/Milk and Honey sessions, 1980 Produced by John Lennon and Yoko Ono John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Earl Slick-electric guitar Hugh McCraken-electric guitar Tony Levin-bass George Small-keyboards Andy Newmark-drums 8. Woman- home recording, 1980 John Lennon-vocal, acoustic guitars and rhythm box 9. Dear Yoko- from the 16-track Double Fantasy/ Milk and Honey sessions, 1980 Produced by John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Jack Douglas John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Earl Slick-electric guitar Hugh McCraken-electric guitar Tony Levin-bass George Small-keyboards Andy Newmark-drums 10. Watching the Wheels- home recording, 1980 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 11. I'm Stepping Out- from the 16-track Double Fantasy/Milk and Honey sessions, 1980 Produced by John Lennon and Yoko Ono John Lennon-vocal and electric guitar Earl Slick-electric guitar Hugh McCraken-electric guitar Tony Levin-bass George Small-keyboards Andy Newmark-drums Arthur Jenkins-percussion 12. Borrowed Time- home recording, 1980 John Lennon-vocals, acoustic guitars and rhythm box 13. The Rishi Kesh Song- home recording, 1980 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 14. Seanis iLoudi- vignette, home recording, 1979 15. Beautiful Boy- from the 16-track Double Fantasy/Milk and Honey sessions, 1980 Produced by John Lennon, Yoko Ono and Jack Douglas John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar Earl Slick-electric guitar Hugh McCraken-acoustic guitar Tony Levin-bass George Small-keyboards Arthur Jenkins-percussion 16. Mr. Hyde's Gone (Donit Be Afraid)- home recording, 1980 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 17. Only You-John's guide vocal for the Ringo Starris recording of "Only You" Produced by Richard Perry 18. Grow Old With Me - originally a home recording, 1980 John Lennon- vocal, acoustic piano and rhythm box Produced by George Martin Assistant Producer - Giles Martin Engineered by Andy Strange, Peter Cobbin and Steve Orchard Assisted by Ricky Graham and Chris Clark Recorded at Abbey Road Mixed at Air Studios Audio Restoration by Tony Cousins and Crispin Murray at Metropolis Mastering 19. Dear John - home recording John Lennon -vocal & acoustic guitar 20. The Great Wok- home recording, 1979 21. Mucho Mungo- home recording, circa 1979 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 22. Satire 1- home recording, 1979 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 23. Satire 2- home recording, 1979 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 24. Satire 3- home recording, 1979 John Lennon-vocal and acoustic guitar 25. Sean's "In The Sky"-vignette, home recording, 1979 26. Itis Real- home recording, circa 1979 John Lennon-whistling and acoustic guitar
(Update 9/12/98) Another Capitol press release. This has some details on "The John Lennon Anthology" from Yoko Ono:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE YOKO ONO OFFERS COMMENTS ON THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY, A 4-CD BOX SET COMING FROM CAPITOL ON NOVEMBER 3, 1998 Package to include detailed liner notes from Yoko and an extensive essay from Grammy Award winning journalist Anthony DeCurtis "The John Lennon Anthology," a 4-CD box set which Capitol Records will release on November 3, 1998, offers a unique glimpse into the personal and creative life of one of the most significant musical artists of our time. Over the course of nearly 100 previously unreleased solo tracks, beginning with gripping material from the 1969 sessions for the groundbreaking Plastic Ono Band album and ending with songs Lennon was recording at the time of his death in 1980, the Anthology presents a portrait of the artist in the thick of his work -- exploring ideas for songs on home demos; directing sessions in the studio; performing on stage, and simply enjoying himself with his wife, Yoko Ono, and his young son Sean. "John was a complicated man," says Yoko Ono, who chose the tracks for the Anthology and co-produced it with Rob Stevens. "One part of him was a hugely popular artist who loved to sell records and have hits. That part of him is represented on his catalogue album releases. Meanwhile, what he was doing in private was fantastic -- much more raw and unpolished. It was sometimes very painful putting this set together, because, when I listen to these tracks, it's as if John is standing in the room with me." The Anthology's four CDs -- "Ascot"; "New York City"; "The Lost Weekend" and "Dakota" -- represent the four phases of Lennon's solo career, from his initial post-Beatles days in London to his life in New York and, briefly, Los Angeles. Some of the many highlights of the Anthology include: -- a riveting, very early alternate studio take of "Working Class Hero."
-- hilariously chaotic studio exchanges between Lennon and legendary producer Phil Spector as they work on Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll album.
-- Sean Lennon, as a very young child, singing his favorite Beatles song, "With a Little Help From My Friends," as his father struggles to remember the name of the tune.
-- revealing demos for "Mind Games," "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" and "My Life," which later became "(Just Like) Starting Over."
-- a harrowing alternate version of "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)."
-- parodies of Bob Dylan ("Serve Yourself," and "Satires 1, 2 and 3") and George Harrison ("The Rishi Kesh Song").
-- a heart-rending alternate version of "Borrowed Time," from the sessions for Milk and Honey, the unfinished album Lennon was working on when he died."The John Lennon Anthology" will contain a 60-page booklet filled with Lennon's artwork and writing and personal photographs. In addition, for each disc Yoko Ono has written a highly intimate, behind-the-scenes account of her life with Lennon during that period. The booklet will also include an extensive biographical and critical essay by noted music writer Anthony DeCurtis, who won a Grammy Award for his liner notes for the Eric Clapton compilation, "Crossroads."
Along with the 4-CD "John Lennon Anthology," Capitol will also release a single disc selection of tracks from the set titled "Wonsaponatime." "Difficult as it sometimes was to re-experience the time I spent with John as he created this great music," says Yoko Ono, "I also felt extreme joy as I listened to every note, every breath. He's so talented, it was like having the chance to see a genius at work. I feel that it's an honor for me to be able to work on this collection. John's work will go on for a long, long time -- and this is how it was created. This is the John that I knew, and now I am sharing my memories with you."
(Update 9/3/98) The text of Capitol's press release:
CAPITOL RECORDS ANNOUNCES THE JOHN LENNON ANTHOLOGY
4-CD Boxed Set To Be Released November 3, 1998Capitol Records proudly announces the November 3rd release of The John Lennon Anthology, a 4-CD boxed set that will contain 100 previously unreleased solo tracks by John Lennon, including live tracks, home recordings, studio outtakes and television appearances.
The four discs will be individually titled "Ascot," "New York City," "The Lost Weekend" and "Dakota." The music and corresponding artwork for each disc relate to the geographical location and time period relevant to the respective era of Lennon's solo career spanning material from his first solo recordings in 1969 to his last recordings in 1980.
The set will be packaged in a special lift-top cube and will contain a 60-page booklet of John Lennon artwork, exclusive personal photographs and selections from Lennon's writings, as well as detailed notes and commentary.
In addition to "The John Lennon Anthology" 4-CD boxed set, Capitol Records will simultaneously release "Wonsaponatime," a single disc containing a selection of tracks from the boxed set, on November 3rd.
The musician's widow, Yoko Ono, served as executive producer. Yoko Ono and Rob Stevens are the producers.