Vinyl L.P · Apple Records · PAS 10004.
1971 · U.K.
Liner notes:
imagine: john lennon and the plastic ono band (with the flux fiddlers)
produced by john and yoko & phil spector
imagine:
john lennon/pianos.
klaus voormann/bass.
alan white/drums.
crippled inside:
john lennon/electric guitar.
klaus voormann & Steve brendell/upright bass.
george harrison/dobro.
nicky hopkins/piano.
ted turner, rod linton & john tout/acoustic guitars.
jealous guy:
john lennon/guitar/whistling.
klaus voormann/bass.
jim keltner/drums.
john barham/harmonium.
alan white/good vibes.
it’s so hard:
john lennon/guitar.
klaus voormann/bass.
jim gordon/drums.
King curtis/sax.
i don’t wanna be a soldier mamma i don’t wanna die:
john lennon/guitar.
klaus voormann/bass.
jim keltner/drums.
George harrison/slide guitar.
nicky hopkins/piano.
joey & tommy badfinger/acoustic guitars.
mike pinder/tambourine.
Steve brendell/marracas.
king curtis/saxes.
gimme some truth:
john lennon/guitars.
george harrison/lead guitar.
Klaus voormann/bass’s.
alan white/drums.
rod linton & andy/acoustic guitars.
nicky hopkins/piano.
oh my love:
john lennon/piano.
Nicky hopkins/electric piano.
klaus voormann/bass.
alan white/drums/tibetan cymbals.
george harrison/guitar.
how do you sleep?:
john lennon/guitar.
george harrison/slide guitar.
Klaus voormann/bass.
alan white/drums.
nicky hopkins/piano.
how?:
john lennon/piano.
klaus voormann/bass.
alan white/drums.
john barham /vibes.
nicky hopkins/piano.
oh yoko!:*
john lennon/guitar/mouth organ.
klaus voormann/bass.
alan white/drums.
nicky hopkins/piano.
rod linton & andy/acoustic guitar.
plus the j & p. duo.
all songs written by john lennon.
whip and mirror by yoko ono.
cover design and photo: yoko ono.
typography: george maciunas.
basic tracks made at ascot sound studios.
engineers: philip mc donald, Eddie klein (no relations), eddie offor, eddie veal, eddie beer.
food by val & diana.
john and yoko’s personal assistant: dan richter.
this and that mal evans & peter bendry.
flux fiddlers overdubbed at record plant, n.y.
engineers: roy sicala, jack douglas, shelly yukus (sleep) this and
that: tom and arlene and al steckler string orchestrations torrie zito.
*written 1968
cloud piece on cover by yoko ono from grapefruit
paperback edition published by simon schuster oct.
1971 all arrangements by lennon except oh my love by lennon/ono.
John Lennon
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Credits:
Producers: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector.
Studios: Ascot Sound, Berkshire; Record Plant, New York City; EMI, London.
Released: 9 September, 1971 (U.S.A).
8 October, 1971 (U.K).
Album lyrics:
Imagine.
(Lennon)
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
Crippled Inside.
(Lennon)
You can shine your shoes and wear a suit
You can comb your hair and look quite cute
You can hide your face behind a smile
One thing you can't hide
Is when you're crippled inside
You can wear a mask and paint your face
You can call yourself the human race
You can wear a collar and a tie
One thing you can't hide
Is when you're crippled inside
Well now you know that your
Cat has nine lives
Nine lives to itself
But you only got one
And a dog's life ain't fun
Mamma take a look outside
You can go to church and sing a hymn
You can judge me by the color of my skin
You can live a lie until you die
One thing you can't hide
Is when you're crippled inside
Well now you know that your
Cat has nine lives
Nine lives to itself
But you only got one
And a dog's life ain't fun
Mamma take a look outside
You can go to church and sing a hymn
You can judge me by the color of my skin
You can live a lie until you die
One thing you can't hide
Is when you're crippled inside
One thing you can't hide
Is when you're crippled inside
One thing you can't hide
Is when you're crippled inside
Jealous Guy.
(Lennon)
I was dreaming of the past
And my heart was beating fast
I began to lose control
I began to lose control
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
I was feeling insecure
You might not love me anymore
I was shivering inside
I was shivering inside
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy
I was trying to catch your eyes
Thought that you was trying to hide
I was swallowing my pain
I was swallowing my pain
I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I made you cry
Oh no, I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy, watch out
I'm just a jealous guy, look out babe
I'm just a jealous guy
It's So Hard.
(Lennon)
You gotta live
You gotta love
You gotta be somebody
You gotta shove
But it's so hard, it's really hard Sometimes I feel like going down
You gotta eat
You gotta drink
You gotta feel something
You gotta worry
But it's so hard, it's really hard
Sometimes I feel like going down
But when it's good
It's really good
And when I hold you in my arms baby
Sometimes I feel like going down
You gotta run
You gotta hide
You gotta keep your woman satisfied
But it's so hard, it's really hard
Sometimes I feel like going down
I Don't Want To Be A Soldier.
(Lennon)
Well, I don't wanna be a soldier mama, I don't wanna die
Well, I don't wanna be a sailor mama, I don't wanna fly
Well, I don't wanna be a failure mama, I don't wanna cry
Well, I don't wanna be a soldier mama, I don't wanna die
Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no
Well, I don't wanna be a rich man mama, I don't wanna cry
Well, I don't wanna be a poor man mama, I don't wanna fly
Well, I don't wanna be a lawyer mama, I don't wanna lie
Well, I don't wanna be a soldier mama, I don't wanna die
Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, hey!
Well, I don't wanna be a soldier mama, I don't wanna die
Well, I don't wanna be a thief now mama, I don't wanna fly
Well, I don't wanna be a churchman mama, I don't wanna cry
Well, I don't wanna be a soldier mama, I don't wanna die
Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, hey!
Oh well, I don't wanna be a soldier mama, I don't wanna die
Well, I don't wanna be a sailor mama, I don't wanna fly
Well, I don't wanna be a failure mama, I don't wanna cry
Well, I don't wanna be a soldier mama, I don't wanna die
Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no
Give Me Some Truth.
(Lennon)
I'm sick and tired of hearing things
From uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocritics
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
I've had enough of reading things
By neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of tricky dicky
Is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocketful of hope
Money for dope
Money for rope
No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of tricky dicky
Is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocketful of soap
Money for dope
Money for rope
I'm sick to death of seeing things
From tight-lipped, condescending, mama's little chauvinists
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth now
I've had enough of watching scenes
Of schizophrenic, ego-centric, paranoiac, prima-donnas
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth
No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of tricky dicky
Is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocketful of soap
It's money for dope
Money for rope
Ah, I'm sick and tired of hearing things
from uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocrites
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth now
I've had enough of reading things
by neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth now
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth now
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth
Oh My Love.
(Lennon/Ono)
Oh my love for the first time in my life
My eyes are wide open
Oh my lover for the first time in my life
My eyes can see
I see the wind, oh I see the trees
Everything is clear in my heart
I see the clouds, oh I see the sky
Everything is clear in our world
Oh my love for the first time in my life
My mind is wide open
Oh my lover for the first time in my life
My mind can feel
I feel the sorrow, oh I feel the dreams
Everything is clear in my heart
I feel life, oh I feel love
Everything is clear in our world
How Do You Sleep?
(Lennon)
So Sgt. Pepper took you by surprise
You better see right through that mother's eyes
Those freaks was right when they said you was dead
The one mistake you made was in your head
Ah, how do you sleep?
Ah, how do you sleep at night?
You live with straights who tell you you was king
Jump when your momma tell you anything
The only thing you done was yesterday
And since you're gone you're just another day
Ah, how do you sleep?
Ah, how do you sleep at night?
Ah, how do you sleep?
Ah, how do you sleep at night?
A pretty face may last a year or two
But pretty soon they'll see what you can do
The sound you make is muzak to my ears
You must have learned something in all those years
Ah, how do you sleep?
Ah, how do you sleep at night?
How?
(Lennon)
How can I go forward when I don't know which way I'm facing?
How can I go forward when I don't know which way to turn?
How can I go forward into something I'm not sure of?
Oh no, oh no
How can I have feeling when I don't know if it's a feeling?
How can I feel something if I just don't know how to feel?
How can I have feelings when my feelings have always been denied?
Oh no, oh no
You know life can be long
And you got to be so strong
And the world is so tough
Sometimes I feel I've had enough
How can I give love when I don't know what it is I'm giving?
How can I give love when I just don't know how to give?
How can I give love when love is something I ain't never had?
Oh no, oh no
You know life can be long
You've got to be so strong
And the world she is tough
Sometimes I feel I've had enough
How can we go forward when we don't know which way we're facing?
How can we go forward when we don't know which way to turn?
How can we go forward into something we're not sure of?
Oh no, oh no
Oh Yoko!
(Lennon)
In the middle of the night
In the middle of the night I call your name
Oh Yoko, oh Yoko, my love will turn you on
In the middle of the bath
In the middle of the bath I call your name
Oh Yoko, oh Yoko, my love will turn you on
My love will turn you on
In the middle of a shave
In the middle of a shave I call your name
Oh Yoko, oh Yoko, my love will turn you on
In the middle of a dream
In the middle of a dream I call your name
Oh Yoko, oh Yoko, my love will turn you on
My love will turn you on
In the middle of a cloud
In the middle of a cloud I call your name
Oh Yoko, oh Yoko, my love will turn you on
Oh Yoko, oh Yoko, oh Yoko, oh Yoko
Memorabilia:
Other editions included on this site:
Compact Disc:
ReplyDeleteImagine is the second solo studio album by the British musician John Lennon, released on 9 September 1971 by Apple Records.
Co-produced by Lennon, his wife Yoko Ono and Phil Spector, the album's elaborate sound contrasts the basic, small-group arrangements of his first album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970).
The opening title track is widely considered to be his signature song.
Lennon recorded the album from early to mid-1971 at his Ascot Sound Studios, EMI Recording Studios and the Record Plant in New York City, with musicians that included his ex-Beatles bandmate George Harrison, keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, bassist Klaus Voormann and drummers Alan White and Jim Keltner.
The lyrics reflect peace, love, politics, Lennon's experience with primal scream therapy and, following a period of high personal tensions, an attack on his former writing partner Paul McCartney in "How Do You Sleep?".
Extensive footage from the sessions was recorded for a scrapped documentary; parts were released on the documentary film Imagine: John Lennon (1988). The documentary John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky, based on that footage, was released in 2018.
Imagine was a critical and commercial success, reaching number one on both the UK Albums Chart and US Billboard 200. Along with John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, it is considered one of Lennon's finest solo albums.
The album has been reissued several times, including in 2018 as The Ultimate Collection, a six-disc box set containing previously unreleased demos, studio outtakes, "evolution documentaries" for each track, and isolated track elements along with surround mixes.
The photographs on the front and back covers were taken by Ono, using a Polaroid camera. It was previously believed that the front cover photo was taken by Andy Warhol.
The back cover includes a quote ("Imagine the clouds dripping. Dig a hole in your garden to put them in.") from Ono's book Grapefruit, which UK re-release the Lennons were promoting at the time.
The album's original release also included a poster of Lennon at the piano and two postcards. In lieu of sporting the typical full green apple picture on most Apple record labels, a black and white photograph of Lennon's face was presented on Side A instead.