LENNON LEGEND DVD TO BE RELEASED
IN U.S. ON NOVEMBER 18
REMARKABLE DOCUMENT FEATURES NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN FOOTAGE, NEW AND REMASTERED VIDEOS AND ANIMATIONS,
5.1 SURROUND SOUND AND OTHER FEATURES
(New York, NY) – Capitol Records will release the Lennon Legend DVD in the U.S. on November 18th, 2003. The remarkable document features never-before-seen footage from the Lennon/Ono archive, rare newsreel and private footage, 15 new and newly-remastered music videos, 5.1 surround sound, new animations of Lennon’s drawings and an extensive photo gallery including rare and previously unseen images.
This definitive DVD has been a labor of love for executive
producer Yoko Ono. Featuring much
unseen footage, it is an extraordinary companion to the Lennon Legend
album, which has now sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide.
The DVD is a state of the art example of the possibilities
offered by new technology; existing videos have been restored, music has been
remixed from the original masters in 5.1 surround sound, and a brand new
collection of short animations in the style of John Lennon’s drawings has been
created as a special feature.
Using material from her extensive archive, Yoko and director
Simon Hilton have created a stunning film that captures the multi-faceted
genius of John Lennon.
Featuring 20 tracks in total, the DVD features footage that
has been traced back as close to its original source as possible. In many cases this meant going back to the
original film negative, which was then digitally re-transferred and
remastered. With footage shot on video,
it was necessary to go back to John Lennon’s original camera tapes (all on
long-obsolete formats) and have them retransferred.
Apart from Yoko’s archives, footage was sourced from all
around the world. This turned out many
previously hidden gems including “Everybody Had a Hard Year” (an excerpt from
John and Yoko’s Film #6, which features a previously unseen performance by John
and Yoko from December, 1968), and “Imagine (live)” which was filmed at the
‘Salute to Lew Grade’ concert in 1975 and was John’s last live performance.
Another highlight is an all-new video for “Working Class
Hero,” which features new material shot at John’s childhood home in Liverpool,
plus newsreel Beatles footage and coverage from the candlelight vigils around
the world that took place after John’s death. Other new videos include
“Happy Xmas (War is Over)” and “Give Peace A Chance,” featuring the original
‘Bed In’ footage from May, 1969, plus additional protest footage from the era,
concluding with the tens of thousands who gathered in Liverpool, London and New
York for vigils on December 14th, 1980, singing “Give Peace A
Chance.” Meanwhile, no words are necessary to describe the new film for “Happy
Xmas (War is Over)”; the images say it all with uncompromising power.
Also included is a photo gallery containing an
extensive selection of rare and unseen images.
Yoko Ono says, “This is as definitive a collection as it’s
possible to be. John’s life was an
amazing one and one that I feel privileged to have been part of.
Compiling this DVD has been a very emotional experience: unearthing
rare footage, watching it increase in clarity before my eyes, reliving
hundreds of memories that were part of our lives and which are now being
passed on to a new generation. It is a
film made with love and hope – my love for my husband and our hope that peace
will prevail in the world. Give peace a chance!”
Director Simon Hilton says, “Yoko was very keen that the
DVD’s film and video content should be of the highest possible quality, to
accompany the stunning new audio remasters. We explored all the archives around
the world – from EMI and Abbey Road to New York, all the possible stock footage
and newsreel sources, plus several attics and basements too, blowing dust
off old film-cans, rubbing them and watching the genie appear. As we turned the archives upside down
and inside out, we also uncovered all sorts of hidden gems, included here and
within the ‘extra features’ section of the DVD.”
Yoko adds, “I would also like to thank the staff at Abbey
Road who worked on this project. They not only understood what I wanted but
executed the ideas with incredible professional precision and
creativity.”
IMAGINE
A brand new transfer, taken from a first-generation 35mm
inter-negative of the original 16mm Imagine film negative. Restored and
remastered for the very first time in a stunning new digital transfer, the
detail is so good that you can even see John’s eyelashes in the close-up!
Directed by John & Yoko, this was originally filmed on July 22, 1971, and
is now seen with its full original intro sequence.
INSTANT KARMA!
John & The Plastic Ono Band, filmed for BBC 1’s “Top Of
The Pops” on February 11 1970.
This version has never before been commercially released.
This is a longer audio version of the original album
version, containing extra choruses at the end.
MOTHER
A brand new video featuring a journey through emotive stills
from John’s life.
This is the full album version of the song (The previous
‘Lennon Legend’ compilation contained only the single edit)
JEALOUS GUY
A new video taken from footage of John recording “Jealous
Guy” in the studio at Tittenhurst Park Studios in June 1971, and the “Jealous
Guy” driving and rowing sequences (filmed on July 21, 1971) used in John &
Yoko’s “Imagine” film.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
An extended version of John & Yoko’s original “Power To
The People” video, including John & Yoko on the Oz march protests on August
11th, 1971.
COLD TURKEY
A new video, taken from 16mm film performance footage of
John & ‘The Plastic Ono Elephant’s Memory Band’ live onstage in New York in
Madison Square Garden on August 30th, 1972, and John & Yoko
leaving Marylebone Magistrates’ Court in London after his November 1968
cannabis conviction.
It also features an excerpt from John’s short film
“Freedom”.
LOVE
A new video, featuring footage of John and Yoko from
November 26th, 1980 at the Sperone Gallery in New York and from the
beach at South Beach, Staten Island, New York in 1971.
MIND GAMES
A new video.
On November 15th, 1974 a BBC film crew, directed
by John, spent a day with him around Central Park and various other locations
in New York, to make a video for “Whatever Gets You Through The Night”. The
video was never broadcast, but a small amount of the footage emerged as a very
short edit for “#9 Dream” in February 1975. We unearthed all the original
camera film reels from the day, which were very aged and damaged from decay and
scratching, cleaned them up, and discovered incredibly charismatic footage of
John, obviously greatly enjoying himself on a sunny day out.
WHATEVER GETS YOU THRU THE NIGHT
A restored and extended version of the original “WGYTTN”
Kanemaker animation video, based on John’s drawings and sketches.
#9 DREAM
A new video, made from the films “Smile” and “Two Virgins”
(August 1968) and footage shot for the “Imagine” film in 1971.
STAND BY ME
A new video, featuring John’s performance, filmed at The Hit
Factory in New York on March 18th, 1975 (subsequently licensed to
the BBC’s “Old Grey Whistle Test”), and footage of John & Yoko together,
most of it previously unseen.
This is a longer version of the original album version, with
the end fade-out removed.
(JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER
A new video, by legendary director Joe Pytka (who made The
Beatles’ “Free As A Bird” video), made in 2000.
WOMAN
A restored version of Yoko’s original video from January
1981, featuring a brand new digital transfer of footage of John and Yoko
walking in Central Park on November 26th, 1980.
BEAUTIFUL BOY (DARLING BOY)
A new video capturing the feeling of a relaxed day at John
& Yoko’s mansion in Coldspring Harbour, Long Island, filmed on April 20th,
1980.
WATCHING THE WHEELS
A new video, featuring unique home movie holiday footage of
John and Sean in the Cayman Islands, Florida, Japan and New York, much
previously unseen.
NOBODY TOLD ME
A new video, edited from newly transferred footage and
out-takes from John & Yoko’s “Imagine” film and other previously unseen
footage. It also features George Harrison, Dick Cavett, and Fred Astaire!
This version is longer than the original album version.
BORROWED TIME
A new video, edited from a wide variety of never-before-seen
excerpts and out-takes from deep within the Lennon film archives from
1968-1980.
This is a slightly longer version than the album version.
WORKING CLASS HERO
A new video, directed by Simon Hilton, filmed in Liverpool.
at John’s childhood school, Dovedale Primary, at Strawberry Fields, and
John’s childhood home, Mendips, recently acquired by Yoko and donated to the
National Trust.
HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER)
War is over if you want it. A new video that speaks for
itself.
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE
A new video, featuring the original “Bed-In” recording of
“GPAC” from May 1969, plus additional protest footage from the era, including
John & Yoko appearing at the National Peace Rally in Duffy Square, New York
on April 22, 1972. It concludes with the tens of thousands who gathered in
Liverpool, London and New York for vigils on December 14 th, 1980,
singing “GPAC”.
EXTRA FEATURES:
WORKING CLASS HERO (Anthology Version)
A video made for the “Anthology” version of “WCH” that acts
as a short documentary of John’s life, narrated by him.
SLIPPIN’ & SLIDIN’
John’s performance was filmed at The Hit Factory in New York
on March 18th, 1975 (subsequently licensed to the BBC’s “Old Grey Whistle
Test”).
IMAGINE (live)
Filmed at the “Salute to Lew Grade” concert on April 18th,
1975. This was John’s last live performance.
HAIR PEACE
A little something we uncovered in the archives.
EVERYBODY HAD A HARD YEAR
An excerpt from John & Yoko’s “Film #6” that features a
never before released performance by John & Yoko from Dec 1968.
“LENNON LEGEND” DVD
20 TRACKS, INCLUDING 15 NEW VIDEOS
5.1 SURROUND SOUND
DOLBY DIGITAL AND DTS FORMATS
ANIMATIONS IN THE STYLE OF JOHN LENNON’S DRAWINGS
(ANIMATIONS BY ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS OF GORILLAZ FAME)
PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN FOOTAGE FROM LENNON/ONO ARCHIVE MIXED WITH
RARE NEWSREEL AND PRIVATE FOOTAGE
PHOTO GALLERY FEATURING RARE/UNSEEN IMAGES
###