Yoko Ono Lennon has announced a massive deluxe reissue of John Lennon’s debut solo album, titled John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection. Ahead of its release on April 16th, preview the collection with “Mother (Ultimate Mix)” below.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was originally released on December 11th, 1970 following the break-up of The Beatles earlier that year. Influenced by his experiences with primal therapy, it features minimal production with simple and sparse instrumentation.
The new box set contains 159 tracks across six CDs and two Blu-ray audio discs, including 87 never-before-heard recordings. There are unreleased and rare demos, rehearsals, outtakes, jams, and studio conversations detailing how the songs came together. All of the tracks have been mixed from scratch using brand new 192kHz/24bit hi-res transfers.
Also included is a 132-page hardback book designed and edited by Simon Hilton which compiles lyrics, rare photos, tape box images, memorabilia, and extensive notes. The book details the story behind each of the songs and the making of the album in the words of John and Yoko, as well as those who worked alongside them, through archival and brand new interviews.
In the book’s preface, Yoko writes:
“With the Plastic Ono Band albums, John and I liked the idea of this really raw, basic, truthful reality that we were going to be giving to the world. We were influencing other artists, giving them courage, giving dignity to a certain style of vulnerability and strength that was not accepted in society at the time. It was a revolution for a Beatle to say, ‘Listen: I’m human, I’m real.’ It took a lot of courage for him to do it.”
A full live recording of Yoko’s companion LP, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, is also available in the ultimate collection, which for the first time presents the songs in their full, unedited lengths and speed alongside three unreleased improvisations.
Pre-orders are currently available for John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection. Other physical configurations include a CD with the Ultimate Mixes of the original album and the three non-album singles as well as an expanded two-CD or two-LP version that adds a disc of outtakes of each song.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection Tracklist:
THE ULTIMATE MIXES (53 mins)
01. Mother
02. Hold On
03. I Found Out
04. Working Class Hero
05. Isolation
06. Remember
07. Love
08. Well Well Well
09. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/THE OUTTAKES (49 mins)
01. Mother/Take 61
02. Hold On/Take 2
03. I Found Out/Take 1
04. Working Class Hero/Take 1
05. Isolation/Take 23
06. Remember/Rehearsal 1
07. Love/Take 6
08. Well Well Well/Take 2
09. Look At Me/Take 2
10. God/Take 27
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2
13. Cold Turkey/Take 1
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 5
THE ELEMENTS MIXES (60 mins)
01. Mother
02. Hold On
03. I Found Out
04. Working Class Hero
05. Isolation
06. Remember
07. Love
08. Well Well Well
09. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
THE DEMOS (45 mins)
01. Mother (Home Demo)
02. Hold On (Studio Demo)
03. I Found Out (Home Demo)
04. Working Class Hero (Studio Demo)
05. Isolation (Studio Demo)
06. Remember (Studio Demo)
07. Love (Home Demo)
08. Well Well Well (Home Demo)
09. Look At Me (Home Demo)
10. God (Home Demo)
11. My Mummy’s Dead (Home Demo)
12. Give Peace A Chance (Home Demo)*
13. Cold Turkey (Home Demo)*
14. Instant Karma! (Studio Demo)*
THE RAW STUDIO MIXES (59 mins)
01. Mother/Take 64
02. Hold On/Take 32
03. I Found Out/Take 3 Extended
04. Working Class Hero/Take 9
05. Isolation/Take 29
06. Remember/Take 13
07. Love/Take 37
08. Well Well Well/Take 4 Extended
09. Look At Me/Take 9
10. God/Take 42
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 1
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4 Extended
13. Cold Turkey/Take 2
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 10
THE RAW STUDIO MIXES/THE OUTTAKES (50mins)
01. Mother/Take 91
02. Hold On/Take 18 *
03. I Found Out/Take 7
04. Working Class Hero/Take 10 *
05. Isolation/Take 1 *
06. Remember/Take 1 *
07. Love/Take 9 *
08. Well Well Well/Take 5 *
09. Look At Me/Take 3 *
10. God/Take 1
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2 *
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4 *
13. Cold Turkey/Take 2 *
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 5 *
THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY (93 mins)
01. Mother
02. Hold On
03. I Found Out
04. Working Class Hero
05. Isolation
06. Remember
07. Love
08. Well Well Well
09. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance*
13. Cold Turkey*
14. Instant Karma (We All Shine On)*
THE JAMS/LIVE AND IMPROVISED (36 mins)
01. Johnny B. Goode
02. Ain’t That A Shame
03. Hold On (1)
04. Hold On (2)
05. Glad All Over
06. Be Faithful To Me
07. Send Me Some Lovin’
08. Get Back
09. Lost John (1)
10. Goodnight Irene
11. You’ll Never Walk Alone (Parody)
12. I Don’t Want To Be To be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (1)
13. It’ll Be Me
14. Honey Don’t
15. Elvis Parody (Don’t Be Cruel/Hound Dog/When I’m Over You)
16. Matchbox
17. I’ve Got A Feeling
18. Mystery Train
19. You’re So Square
20. I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (2)
21. Lost John (2)
22. Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)
YOKO ONO/PLASTIC ONO BAND – THE LIVE SESSIONS (110 mins)
01. Why *
02. Why Not *
03. Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Carriage All Over The City *
04. Touch Me *
05. Paper Shoes *
06. Life *
07. Omae No Okaa Wa *
08. I Lost Myself Somewhere In The Sky *
09. Remember Love *
10. Don’t Worry Kyoko *
11. Who Has Seen The Wind *
* = BLU-RAY DISCS ONLY
