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Playlist December 6th 2015

9AM

The Beatles - - (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John 2

Prior to leaving for an extended trip to India to study Transcendental Meditation in early 1968, recorded several new to fill the sides of their upcoming single, which would be released while they were away. John had originally wanted his new composition, “Across The Universe,” for the A-side of the single but was still not happy with the mix of the . When the Beatles sat down to decide which two of their new recordings should be used, John preferred “Across the Universe” remain on the shelf for the time being, giving Paul’s more commercial “” the A-side. “Across The Universe” was written entirely by John and was recorded February 4, 1968, in eight takes. Overdubs were recorded on February 8. Comedian and author Spike Milligan had been at when the group was working on the song and some months later inquired about it. He was surprised to learn that “Across the Universe” was sitting unreleased in EMI’s vault, so Milligan asked Lennon to donate the song to a charity he was organizing for the World Wildlife Fund. Milligan was a British comedy legend who, along with Peter Sellers, starred in “The Goon Show,” one of John’s all-time favorite programs. Lennon not only gladly contributed the song to be used on the charity album, but arranged to have the songwriting royalties from the recording given to the World Wildlife Fund. This charity album version, known by fans as the “Wildlife” version, was released in December 1969. Although it is popularly believed that the two versions of “Across The Universe” are different recordings, they are not. Both the “Wildlife” version and the re-produced version are derived from the same February 8, 1968, master tape. For the charity album, the sound of birds was added and the tape was sped up to give it a higher pitch. On April 1, 1970, Spector stripped some elements from the original February 8, 1968, master tape, slowed it down and added an orchestra and choir. The instrumental line-up is John on acoustic guitar, Paul on piano, George on tamboura and wah-wah guitar (second and third refrains only) and Ringo on drums.

The Beatles - Because - Abbey Road (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John, Paul and George The group recorded 23 takes on August 1, 1969, with on a Baldwin spinet electric harpsichord matching note with John on his Epiphone Casino electric guitar and Paul on his bass guitar. For the backing track Ringo kept the beat gently tapping out a beat on the hi-hat. This was for the musician’s headphones and was not recorded on the tape. Take 16 was deemed the best backing track and John, Paul, and George added their lush harmonies to it. On August 4, the three recorded their vocals two more times, adding to the already thick layers of harmony. Lennon was inspired the write the song when he hear Yoko playing Beethoven’s piano sonata in C Sharp minor, opus 27 number two (aka “The Moonlight Sonata”). He asked her to play the chords backwards and wrote “Because” around that reversed chord sequence. The gorgeous three-part harmonies of “Because” are showcased on an a cappella mix of the song on the “” album. 3

The Beatles - I’m Only Sleeping - Revolver (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Written by John and Paul at Kenwood, John’s estate in , in one writing session. Recording of the backing rhythm track began at 11:30 p.m. on April 27, 1966. John recorded his lead vocal on April 29. Both the vocal and backing track were recorded at variable speed. It was during the recording of “I’m Only Sleeping” that The Beatles discovered the “backwards guitar.” On May 5, 1966, as the band continued working on the song, George painstakingly transcribed the notes in his guitar solo and flourishes and then wrote them out backwards. He then played them in that reverse order. The tapes were then superimposed BACKWARDS in the mix, playing the solo notes and embellishments in the correct order, but maintaining the eerie backwards sound. “I’m Only Sleeping” was one of three songs issued in America six weeks prior to their official release in the UK. American and Canadian Beatles fans heard “I’m Only Sleeping,” “,” and “” first on ’ “” album, issued June 20, 1966. The rest of the world had to wait until the first week of August for them to appear on the “Revolver” LP. On U.S. album: Yesterday And Today - Capitol LP 4

The Beatles - I’ll Be Back - A Hard Day’s Night (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded in 16 takes on June 1, 1964. “I'll Be Back” was written mostly by , and was a reworking of the chords to Del Shannon's 1961 hit “Runaway.” Beatles fans in America would have to wait five months to hear this exquisite Beatles song, one of Lennon finest compositions, because Capitol Records held it off their “Something New” album and released it on “Beatles ‘65” in December 1964. On U.S. album: Beatles ‘65 - Capitol LP

The Beatles - All I’ve Got to Do – (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John 5

Written entirely by John Lennon and introduced to the other Beatles at the session at which it was recorded, The Beatles never played the song again. Lennon has said this soulful ballad was his attempt at making a song. Recorded on September 11, 1963 in 14 takes with an overdub (presumably George’s introductory guitar chord) becoming “take 15” and the finished version. “All I’ve Got to Do” marked a rare instance in which John’s lead vocal was not double-tracked. On U.S. album: Meet The Beatles! - Capitol LP

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John Lennon and his Beatles singing to you on a Sunday morning…we lost John 35 years ago this Tuesday…there will be a gathering in front of Capitol Records at 6.PM…and for all of you who come year after year…well…Bless you.

John Lennon – Bless You - Walls And Bridges ‘74 This track was an ode to Yoko during the “Lost Weekend” phase. It is considered one of John’s most tender solo compositions.

John Lennon – My Life - Anthology ‘98 6

1980 - Home recording. An early demo of "(Just Like) Starting Over"

John Lennon – (Just Like) Starting Over This would become the biggest post-Beatles solo 45 rpm ever. This was a fifties- style song that was unlike anything on the radio in 1980. It was an enormous hit even before the event on December 8th, 1980. A song that was dedicated to Gene Vincent and Elvis.

John Winston Ono Lennon…yer missed daily…we’ll be back with Side one of the US version of which came out 50 years ago TODAY in the USA

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My favorite Beatles LP is the US version of Rubber Soul…The one time Capitol Records got it right! They Wanted a of a folker sound (as that was in w/ Dylan so hip so they ditched , , What Goes On, and Nowhere Man….and we got a few from HELP and it sound like this…here side 1 of the US version of The Beatles Rubber Soul….out TODAY in 1965

The Beatles - I’ve Just Seen A Face - Help! (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul Written by Paul at the Asher family home on Wimpole Street. Paul had the tune prior to coming up with the lyrics and originally named the song “Auntie Gin’s Theme” because his aunt liked it. George Martin’s instrumental “Help!” album includes an orchestrated version of “I’ve Just Seen A Face” using the title “Auntie Gin’s Theme.” Recorded in six takes at the same June 14, 1965 McCartney-dominated session that produced “Yesterday” and “I’m Down.” One of only five Beatles songs Paul chose to perform live on his Wings Over America tour in 1976. On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Originally recorded on October 12, 1965, The Beatles decided to scrap this version and re-record the song nine days later, on October 21. provides the , 9

the first appearance of the instrument on a Beatles recording, though the sitar can be heard in the instrumental introduction on the American version of “Help!” Written mainly by John with some lyrical assistance from Paul. John: “I was trying to write about an affair without letting me wife know… so it was very gobbledegook. I was sort of writing from my experiences, girls’ flats.” Paul has said that the ending lyrics, “so I lit a fire,” refer to the house being burned down in an act of revenge by the spurned lover. did a slight parody of the song on his 1966 album, Blonde on Blonde. Check out the song “4th Time Around.” On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - You Won’t See Me - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul Written entirely by Paul. Recorded in two takes on November 11, 1965, at the final recording session for the “Rubber Soul” album. The song is notable for Paul’s melodic bass line, something new to . Paul: “It was very -flavored. It's got a James Jamerson feel. He was the Motown bass player, he was fabulous, the guy who did all those great melodic bass lines. It was him, me and Brian Wilson who were doing melodic bass lines at that time.” Beatles roadie Mal Evans is credited on the album’s back cover with playing Hammond organ on this track, but it is inaudible in the final mix. On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - - Rubber Soul (Harrison) Lead vocal: George The fifth original composition by George Harrison to be recorded by The Beatles was completed on November 8, 1965 in one take with overdubs under the working title “Won’t Be There With You.” The song features Paul playing his bass through a fuzz box to give it a distorted sound. On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - The Word - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded in three takes at a late night session starting on November 10, 1965 that ran until 4 a.m. the next morning. Overdubs include Paul on piano, George Martin on harmonium, and Ringo playing the maracas. The song is a full collaboration between Lennon and McCartney, and began as an attempt to write a song based around a single note. On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - Michelle - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul 10

The basic backing track of this classic song was completed in one take on November 3, 1965. Various overdubs and double-tracking were added to complete the song the same day. Lennon is credited with coming up with the “I love you” middle eight section. The tune had been written by Paul several years earlier but he didn’t have proper lyrics until 1965. On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

*** BED MUSIC INCLUDED Michelle

QUIZ #1 / Who’s singing that Rubber Soul song?

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Side 2

The Beatles - It’s Only Love- Help! (Lennon-McCartney) 11

Lead vocal: John Recorded in six takes on June 15, 1965. The first Beatles song to include a reference to getting “high” (“I get high when I see you go by”). The working title prior to lyrics being written was “That’s a Nice Hat.” George Martin and his Orchestra recorded the instrumental version of “It’s Only Love” using the original title. In 1972 Lennon called “It’s Only Love” “the one song I really hate of mine.” On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - Girl - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Written primarily by John, the song was completed in two takes on November 11, 1965. The song is notable for the naughty backing vocal (Paul and George repeating the word “tit”) and John’s heavy breathing during his vocal. John called this one of his best. On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - I’m Looking Through You - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: Paul Written by Paul after an argument with then-girlfriend, actress . Initially recorded on October 24, 1965, the song was re-recorded from scratch on November 6, but McCartney was still not satisfied. Four days later, on November 10, the group took another stab at it. Paul’s lead vocal was superimposed the next day. The version issued by Capitol Records has two false starts. On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocals: John with Paul Recorded October 18, 1965 and written primarily by John, who called it his “first real major piece of work.” Of all the Lennon-McCartney collaborations only two songs have really been disputed by John and Paul themselves -- “” and “In My Life.” Both agree that the lyrics are 100% Lennon, but John says Paul helped on the musical bridge, while Paul recalls writing the entire melody on John’s Mellotron. The gorgeous piano solo is provided by George Martin. To give his solo a harpsichord sound the producer played the piano at half speed and an octave lower so that when played at regular speed it would be in the correct key for the song. On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - Wait - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocals: John and Paul Recorded June 17, 1965 during the “Help!” sessions, the song was left unfinished when The Beatles had hit the deadline to submit the album. Five months later, as the deadline 12

to submit “Rubber Soul” was upon them, they grabbed the unfinished song, threw on some overdubs and decreed it finished. Specifically, they added a tone pedal guitar, tambourine, maracas, and more vocals on November 11, 1965, the final day of recording for “Rubber Soul.” On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

The Beatles - Run For Your Life - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John The first song completed when sessions for “Rubber Soul” began on October 12, 1965. John Lennon lifted the opening line (“I’d rather see you dead little girl than to be with another man”) from “Baby Let’s Play House,” popularized by . On U.S. album: Rubber Soul - Capitol LP

NEWS BREAK

Ringo – I’m The Greatest! - RINGO

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The single from the Rubber Soul album was their 1st double A sided effort

The Beatles - – Recorded: 16 October 1965 Rubber Soul sessions Oct. `65 – Yesterday & Today LP here in the US… The eleventh official EMI release. The first official double "A" side release of “” Inspired in part by John and George's first experience with acid, "Day Tripper" was written under pressure for use as a single for the Christmas season. John wrote most of the song, with Paul contributing to each of the verses b/w 14

The Beatles - We Can Work It Out – Past Masters Recorded: 20/29 October 1965 RELEASED AS A CHRISTMAS SINGLE ON DEC. 3RD 1965 AND IT KICKED OFF THE RUBBER SOUL SESSIONS IN OCT. 1965 Yesterday & Today in US / Collection of Oldies in UK Written by Paul as a pleading song to Jane Asher, who had just moved away from to join the theatre. It was the first such instance in their relationship, and one that contributed to their eventual breakup

The Beatles - Drive My Car - Rubber Soul 15

(Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocals: Paul and John The lead off track to Rubber Soul on the UK version was recorded on October 13, 1965. This session was the first in Beatles recording history to go past midnight. The music was written by Paul but he needed help with the lyrics. He and John worked through the song and came up with “baby you can drive my car” in place of temporary lyrics Paul was using (“you can give me golden rings”). “Drive my car” is an old expression for sex. The basic track was completed in four takes. Thanks to , McCartney plays bass, piano and slide guitar (his Epiphone Casino). Paul provides the guitar solo in the song’s introduction, middle and ending. On U.S. album: Yesterday and Today - Capitol LP

The Beatles - Nowhere Man - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Under pressure to deliver new material while the “Rubber Soul” album was being recorded, John Lennon spent five hours one morning at home trying to come up with a new song. John: “I'd actually stopped trying to think of something. Nothing would come. I was cheesed off and went for a lie down, having given up. Then I thought of myself as Nowhere Man - sitting in his nowhere land.” Paul: “We were always forcing [the Abbey Road staff] into things they didn't want to do. ‘Nowhere Man’ was one. I remember we wanted very treble-y guitars, which they are, they're among the most treble-y guitars I've ever heard on record.” “Nowhere Man” was performed throughout The Beatles’ 1966 world tour. Issued as a single (b/w “What Goes On”) by Capitol Records in America. Recorded on October 22, 1965. On U.S. album: Yesterday and Today - Capitol LP 16

The Beatles - What Goes On - Rubber Soul (Lennon-McCartney-Starkey) Lead vocal: Ringo The only song credited to John, Paul and Ringo. It is ’s first writing credit on a Beatles record. Ringo has said his contribution to this song consisted of about five words. The song originally had been rehearsed, but not recorded, during the March 5, 1963, session for The Beatles’ third single, “.” In need of songs for the “Rubber Soul” album, the song was resurrected, with McCartney recording a demo to guide Ringo through the song. Recorded in one take on November 4, 1965. The B-side of “Nowhere Man” in America. On U.S. album: Yesterday and Today - Capitol LP

The Beatles - If I Needed Someone - Rubber Soul (Harrison) Lead vocal: George The fourth original composition by George Harrison to be recorded by The Beatles was heavily inspired by the 12-string guitar sound of . The introduction of George Harrison’s “If I Needed Someone” is strikingly similar to the introduction of The Byrds’ “.” Harrison commented that the song was “like a million other songs written around the D chord.” The backing track was recorded in one take on October 16, 1965. George’s double-tracked lead vocal and John and Paul’s backing vocals were added two days later. The song was performed live by The Beatles in late 1965 and was a staple of their 1966 world tour. On U.S. album: Yesterday and Today - Capitol LP

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During the Rubber Soul sessions the Beatles took time to record their 3rd XMAS record…what Beatles song were they recording on that same day….What song did the Beatles take a break from recording to work on their 3 Xmas record?

800-955-KLOS…wanna hear some rare 1965 outtakes from that day of our Quiz question?

Beatles 1965 XMAS Outtake…winner?

Time wanna hear the instrumental record during the Rubber Soul sessions? Sound like a different group of guys….

The Beatles – 12 Bar Original - 1965 Or Another quiz here?

Back w/ and hour on John Lennon…..

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The Beatles - – Please Please Me (McCartney-Lennon) Lead vocal: John and Paul The Beatles’ second single release for EMI’s label. Written entirely by John Lennon in the bedroom of his Aunt Mimi’s home on Menlove Ave., Lennon has said it was his attempt at writing a Roy Orbison song. In fact, the original version was a slower, bluesy version which producer George Martin recalls as being “rather dreary.” Because Martin was insisting on releasing their previously recorded cover of “How Do You Do It?” as their next single, The Beatles rearranged “Please Please Me” as an up-tempo song with harmonies and harmonica and then stood their ground to get it selected as their second single. Martin agreed to issue this Beatles original as the next single, shelving “How Do You Do It?” for another month, when it again came up for consideration for a single release. This was the first record owned by Elvis Costello, who was in the Beatles Fan Club when he was eleven. The 45 rpm single was released January 11, 1963 and topped two of the UK music industry’s three sales charts, compelling EMI to order a full album of songs from the band. It was the first Beatles release to list the as “McCartney-Lennon.” Both sides featured the credit in that last name order. Released three different times in the U.S. on Vee-Jay. The coupling of “Please Please Me” and “” caused many to take notice of The Beatles, and particularly Lennon and McCartney's burgeoning songwriting partnership. It led to Dick James approaching them to found , their music publishing company. On U.S. : Introducing… The Beatles (Version 2) - Vee-Jay LP - Capitol LP 19

The Beatles - A Hard Day’s Night - A Hard Day’s Night (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John with Paul The Beatles’ seventh single release for EMI’s Parlophone label. The title is a Ringoism, coined by the drummer sometime in 1963 and used by John in his book “In His Own Write.” With the film nearly completed the last bit of business was to give the film a name. The project was being filmed with the working title “.” On April 13, 1964 The Beatles met with key personnel from the studio and bounced title ideas. It was felt they’d find no better suggestion than Ringo’s off- hand remark “it’s been a hard day’s night” and John volunteered to write the title song that evening. The next morning he brought the song in and taught it to Paul. Paul cleaned up the middle section and the two played it for producer Walter Shenson. Two days later The Beatles would formally record the song. It was a rarity for an outsider to be allowed in the studio or control booth while The Beatles rehearsed and recorded. An exception was made for the director of the “A Hard Day’s Night” film, Richard Lester. Lester was in the control booth and offered many suggestions during the morning while 20

this key song was worked out, much to the dismay of producer George Martin. It was Lester’s suggestion that the song open dramatically (as it would open the film), and fade out at the end in a cinematic way. He got his wish. George’s striking a G suspended 4th chord on his 12-string Rickenbacker make this record instantly recognizable in its opening two seconds. Released as a single in the UK on July 10, 1964, it went straight to #1. On U.S. album: A Hard Day’s Night - United Artists LP

The Beatles - Bad Boy - A Collection Of Oldies (Williams) Lead vocal: John Recorded specifically for the American market at the urgent request of Capitol Records executives, who needed two songs to fill out their upcoming “Beatles VI” album. Of course, Capitol had four songs in its possession it could have included (“From Me To You,” “Misery,” “There’s A Place” and the German-language version of “,” had all yet to appear on an LP in America), but they went to the Beatles and asked for something new ASAP. With no new material ready to go the band pulled two Larry Williams’ songs from their pre-fame club repertoire, “Bad Boy” and “Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” that could be recorded in one day and then the tapes would be air-freighted to Capitol Records in Los Angeles.

“Bad Boy” would go unreleased in the UK for another year and a half until it turned up on the hits compilation “A Collection of Beatles Oldies” in December 1966. Recorded on May 10, 1965. On U.S. album: Beatles VI - Capitol LP

On UK album: A Collection of Beatles Oldies - Parlophone LP (1966)

The Beatles - - A Hard Day’s Night (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John Recorded June 2, 1964, the last day of recording for the “A Hard Day’s Night” album. John Lennon: “An effort at writing ‘It Won't Be Long’ - same ilk. C to A minor, C to A minor with me shouting.” The song was in an unfinished state when Lennon brought it 21 to the band to record on June 2. The group worked out the arrangement throughout the day and night. Up against the wall on a deadline to submit the album, the piano section in the middle eight was left without lyrics. They had run out of time. On April 8, 1988, Lennon's handwritten lyrics for “Any Time At All” were sold for £6,000 at an auction held at Sotheby's in London. On U.S. album: Something New - Capitol LP

The Beatles - - Revolver (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John The first song recorded for what would become the “Revolver” album. John’s composition was unlike anything The Beatles or anyone else had ever recorded. Lennon’s vocal is buried under a wall of sound -- an assemblage of repeating tape loops and sound effects – placed on top of a dense one chord song with basic melody driven by Ringo's thunderous drum pattern. The lyrics were largely taken from “The Psychedelic Experience,” a 1964 book written by Harvard psychologists Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert, which contained an adaptation of the ancient “Tibetan Book of the Dead.” Each Beatle worked at home on creating strange sounds to add to the mix. Then they were added at different speeds sometime backwards. Paul got “arranging” credit. He had discovered that by removing the erase head on his Grundig reel-to-reel tape machine, he could saturate a recording with sound.

There were five loops used on “Tomorrow Never Knows.” In order of appearance they are: a laughing male (presumably McCartney) that sounds like seagulls; a B flat major chord played by an orchestra; a sitar phrase reversed; a phrase performed on mandolin or acoustic guitar; and a scalar sitar line reversed. All loops except the b flat major chord were played double-speed. The lyrics are about as far away from “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah” (written just three years earlier) as you can get. “Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream/It is not dying, it is not dying/Lay down all thought, surrender to the void/It is shining, it is shining.” John: “I gave it a throwaway title because I was a bit self-conscious about the lyrics. So I took one of Ringo’s malapropisms, which are like ‘Hard Day’s Night,’ to take the edge off the heavy philosophical lyrics. Production began on “Tomorrow Never Knows” under the working title “Mark I” on April 6, 1966. Take one of this complex recording can be found on the “” album. On U.S. album: Revolver - Capitol LP

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The Beatles - – (EP) (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John The Beatles’ sixteenth single release for EMI’s Parlophone label. On U.S. album: Magical Mystery Tour - Capitol LP 1967 saw the release of the Beatles’ greatest single combination (“Strawberry Fields Forever”/””), their most critically-acclaimed album to date (“Sgt. Pepper”), a worldwide audience was clamoring to purchase their “” single, and, as December rolled around, they were enjoying yet another number one single for the record books (“Hello, Goodbye”/”I Am The Walrus”) and the double-EP set for the music from “Magical Mystery Tour” was selling briskly and would land at or near the top of the singles charts in Great Britain. The Beatles were on a roll. What could possibly go wrong? 23

The Beatles - Revolution - Non-LP Track (Lennon-McCartney) Lead vocal: John The Beatles’ eighteenth single release for EMI, their first on the label. John Lennon lobbied hard to get his magnificent rocker on the A-side of the band’s summer 1968 single, but by any standard, Paul’s “” was an unbeatable choice for the A-side. There are three versions of John’s “Revolution.” The first one recorded was the slower version which opens the fourth side of “The Beatles” and was released under the title “Revolution 1.” That track was the first song to be recorded for what would be known as the “White Album.” Ultimately, the song ran over 10 minutes. Much of it was cut out and used to create the sound collage entitled “,” which would also appear on side four of the new album. Shortly before his death in 1980, John explained the reason for the song’s remake into a fast rocker: Paul and George refused to allow the original slower recording to be released as the next Beatles single, fearing it was not upbeat enough. So Lennon decided they would record the song fast and loud. Recording began on the fast and loud single version of “Revolution” on July 10, 1968. Additional overdubs were added on July 11 and 12, and the final mix was completed on July 15. The single was issued on August 30, 1968, in the UK, and on August 26 in the U.S. The “Hey Jude”/“Revolution” single would go on to sell nearly five million copies in the U.S. and eight million copies worldwide. On U.S. album: Hey Jude - Capitol LP

We just the many moods of John Lennon….spanning the years 1962 to 1968

Quick quiz…name the longest song on Rubber Soul….only one song over three minutes…name it! 800-955-KLOS

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John Lennon – Working Class Hero – Rehearsal 1972

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John Lennon – God - Plastic Ono Band ‘70 This was the definitive track on the LP. This song was “stuck together” from three different, unfinished compositions. This included a laundry list of John’s opinions on his lost beliefs (namely people and philosophies). This was the song that confirmed the Beatles were over – John revealed he didn’t believe in the band, nor was Paul the walrus. John finally reveals that he was indeed the walrus.

John Lennon – Imagine – Imagine ‘71 John’s most famous anthem, and one of the most memorable songs of all time, this was to be considered John’s “Yesterday.” It was inspired by Yoko’s poem “Cloud Piece” from 1963. It continues to have massive radio play to this very day and was infamously censored (and retracted) by Clear Channel following the 9/11 attacks. This was John’s dream – no religion, no wars, no possessions – his utopian ideal.

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John & Yoko/The Plastic Ono Band – Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – Early Mix This is one of the most popular Christmas Holiday tunes of all time. John used the basic melody from Peter, Paul & Mary’s “Stewball,” with a terrific backing vocal from the Harlem Children’s Community Choir.