JOHN LENNON - "Imagine"

John Lennon

"Imagine"

Single / Bside: "It's so Hard" (US), "Working Class Hero" (UK)

Released: 11 October 1971

Album: Imagine (Released September/October 1971)

Writer: John Lennon

Label: Apple

"Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. The best-selling single of his solo career, its lyrics encourage the listener to imagine a world at peace without the barriers of borders or the divisions of religion and nationality, and to consider the possibility that the focus of humanity should be living a life unattached to material possessions. This song is a strong political message that Lennon realized that the softer approach would bring the song to a wider audience, who hopefully would listen to his message.

John Lennon's single: "Imagine" (1971)

John Lennon - "Imagine" (vinyl)

Several poems from Yoko Ono's 1964 book Grapefruit inspired Lennon to write the lyrics for "Imagine" —in particular, one which Capitol Records reproduced on the back cover of the original Imagine LP titled "Cloud Piece", reads: "Imagine the clouds dripping, dig a hole in your garden to put them in."  Lennon later said the composition "should be credited as a Lennon/Ono song. A lot of it—the lyric and the concept—came from Yoko, but in those days I was a bit more selfish, a bit more macho, and I sort of omitted her contribution, but it was right out of Grapefruit."  When asked about the song's meaning during a December 1980 interview with David Sheff for Playboy magazine, Lennon told Sheff that Dick Gregory had given Ono and him a Christian prayer book, which inspired him the concept behind "Imagine". 

Lennon composed "Imagine" one morning in early 1971, on a Steinway piano, in a bedroom at his Tittenhurst Park estate in Ascot, Berkshire, England. Ono watched as he composed the melody, chord structure and almost all the lyrics, nearly completing the song in one brief writing session.

John Lennon' single: "Imagine" (Apple)

John Lennon: "Imagine" (music video)

BMI named "Imagine" one of the 100 most-performed songs of the 20th century. The song ranked number 30 on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of the 365 Songs of the Century bearing the most historical significance. It earned a Grammy Hall of Fame Award and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. A UK survey conducted by the Guinness World Records British Hit Singles Book named it the second best single of all time, while Rolling Stone ranked it number three in their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Since 2005, event organisers have played it just before the New Year's Times Square Ball drops in New York City. Dozens of artists have performed or recorded versions of "Imagine", including Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Joan Baez, Elton John and Diana Ross. Emeli Sandé recorded a cover for the BBC to use during the end credits montage at the close of the 2012 Summer Olympics coverage in August 2012. "Imagine" subsequently re-entered the UK Top 40, reaching number 18.

John Lennon' single: Imagine/It's so Hard

John Lennon - "Imagine" (live 1973)

The song was released as a single that just missed going to number one in America; it was not initially released on 45 in the U.K. It was quickly taken up by mainstream performers, appearing on chart albums by Ray Conniff, Andy Williams, and Joan Baez within a year. Baez, whose outspoken left-wing views would have seemed to make her particularly sympathetic to the song's message, seemed to be one of the few who paid close attention to the words. When she sang it in concert, she sometimes added qualifying remarks to the line "Imagine no possessions," suggesting that she wasn't sure she could imagine that. "Imagine" continued to attract cover versions over the years, eventually being recorded by dozens of artists including Diana Ross, the Average White Band & Ben E. King, Roger Whittaker, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Randy Crawford & the Yellowjackets, Chet Atkins, Henry Mancini, Richie Havens, Liza Minnelli, and Blues Traveler.

"Imagine" - The World Version

In 1975, the original John Lennon recording was belatedly released as a single in England in connection with its appearance on Lennon's Shaved Fish hits compilation, and it reached the Top Ten. Following Lennon's assassination in 1980, it was released a second time as a U.K. single and hit number one. The song was covered at an increased pace after Lennon's death, as it now served as a memorial tribute to him. In 1988, Tracie Spencer revived it for a pop singles chart entry. It has also been featured on compilations and archival releases by Lennon, including a 1972 concert version issued on 1986's Live in New York City. A 1988 documentary film on Lennon was titled Imagine: John Lennon, and the original recording was used on the soundtrack of the 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus. In December 1999, it was released for a third time in England as a holiday single and entered the charts in the Top Five.

Line-up / Musicians:
John Lennon – vocals, piano

Klaus Voormann – bass

Alan White – drums

The Flux Fiddlers – strings

Link / Review:

wikipedia: Imagine (John Lennon song)

songacts: Imagine by John Lennon
allmusic: Imagine - Flux Fiddlers / John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band
beatlesbibble: John Lennon songs - "Imagine"
rollingstone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time - John Lennon "Imagine"