“John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection” Available Now; Heralded With Global Listening Event; Unique, Interactive Mosaic; Abbey Road Tribute + More

JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND
THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION
AVAILABLE NOW

NEW 50TH ANNIVERARSARY EDITION OF JOHN LENNON’S TRANSFORMATIONAL AND INFLUENTIAL MASTERPIECE HERADLED WITH UNIQUE, INTERACTIVE MOSAIC, TRIBUTE AT ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS, INNOVATIVE SPOTIFY CANVASES DIRECTED BY SEAN ONO LENNON AND WIDESPREAD CRITICAL ACCLAIM

TIM’S TWITTER LISTENING PARTY AND TWITTER SPACES AFTERPARTY TAKING PLACE TOMORROW, APRIL 24 WITH YOKO AND SEAN ONO LENNON, RINGO STARR, KLAUS VOORMANN, JOHN LECKIE, DAN RICHTER, TIM BURGESS AND MORE

WATCH/EMBED THE UNBOXING TRAILER

Los Angeles – April 23, 2021 – Today’s highly anticipated release of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection is being heralded with a slew of exciting activity including a global listening event, interactive, collaborative mosaic, a beautiful tribute at Abbey Road Studios, innovative Spotify Canvases directed by Sean Ono Lennon and incredible early reviews.

YOU ARE THE PLASTIC ONO BAND

To coincide with the release, the wall in front of the famed Abbey Road Studios has been taken over and adorned with the iconic album cover artwork of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, which along with Yoko’s companion album, was recorded there in 1970 when it was known as EMI Studios; portions of the Ultimate Collection were mixed there in 2020. View photos here.

Emblazoned with John & Yoko’s declaration that “You Are The Plastic Ono Band,” the mural features a QR code directing to a newly launched website PlasticOnoBand.com where fans can claim a piece of the album art via an unique, interactive mosaic and thereby join the Plastic Ono Band. The album cover art has been broken into thousands of individual tiles which are assigned randomly when visiting the site. Fans can then claim a tile by writing their name and an optional message. When they zoom out they will see the other messages and be able to watch the picture build.

SPOTIFY CANVAS: I AM THE EGBERT

Sean Ono Lennon has created a captivating and innovative animation series using the Spotify Canvas medium. Written and directed by Sean, the series of short looping scenes tell the story of a character called Egbert, whose life experiences strangely mirror the sentiments in the sequence of songs on the eleven album tracks, and enjoys encores with the singles “Give Peace A Chance,” “Cold Turkey” and “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On).”

Working closely with the team behind the Emmy Award-winning, Oscar-nominated 2007 animated short, “I Met The Walrus,” about his father John Lennon, the Egbert films were written and directed by Sean Ono Lennon, with producer Jerry Levitan, illustrator James Braithwaite and Director of Animation Josh Raskin, coordinated by Simon Hilton for Lenono. Experience them on mobile here: https://johnlennon.lnk.to/PlasticOnoBand2021PR/spotify

ALBUM LAUNCH AND TIM’S TWITTER LISTENING PARTY

Fans around the world are invited to simultaneously listen together to the new Ultimate Mixes of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, tomorrow, Saturday, April 24 at 10 am PDT/1 pm EDT/6 pm BST as part of #TimsTwitterListeningParty, the acclaimed interactive listening experience created and hosted by Tim Burgess (The Charlatans UK).

Whilst listening, the event will include participation on Twitter from the Estate of John Lennon, with Yoko Ono Lennon, Sean Ono Lennon, Ringo Starr, original Plastic Ono Band bassist and artist Klaus Voormann, the Estate of George Harrison, drummer Alan White, John and Yoko’s friend, personal assistant and album cover photographer, Dan Richter, mixer/engineer Paul Hicks and further Special Guests to be announced. Public collaboration in the event is encouraged by posting using the hashtag.

Immediately following the Listening Party, the newly launched Twitter Spaces platform will host an audio-based afterparty featuring a discussion hosted by Chris Hawkins of BBC Radio 6 Music and featuring Sean Ono Lennon, Klaus Voormann, Dan Richter, Paul Hicks, Tim Burgess, legendary producer John Leckie (Radiohead, The Stone Roses, My Morning Jacket), Ultimate Collection Compilation Producer/Production Manager Simon Hilton and a variety of special guests to talk about the making of the album, its legacy and the exciting new collection.

Visit TimsTwitterListeningParty.com or johnlennon.com for details about how to join.

HOT OFF THE PRESSES

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection has been received with widespread critical acclaim:

“Phil Spector’s production was brilliant, an object lesson in small band recording, every element earning its keep, beautifully emphasized by Paul Hicks’ clearer, punchier, new Ultimate Mix.”
“Lennon’s debut remains thrilling, challenging, direct and heartfelt…”

– MOJO

“The revelation of ‘The Ultimate Collection’ is that for all the unbridled emotion in the songs, Lennon was still a deliberate craftsman. And even as his work grappled with trauma, he had some fun.”
“The virtue of the latest mixes is that they somehow create new space and transparency around Lennon’s voice, bringing out the grain and passion of his performances.”
– NEW YORK TIMES

“It’s as brave and fascinating as it’s ever been.”

– RECORD COLLECTOR

“It’s easy to imagine people unfamiliar with ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band’ playing the Ultimate Mix of the LP on the streaming service of their choice and accepting this clearer and more vibrant version with more prominent vocals as definitive. Anyone who loves the record has to admire the skill of the transformation, which is dramatic if you listen closely in comparison with the original but probably subtle if you haven’t heard the album for a while.”
– WALL STREET JOURNAL

“For hobbyist Beatles historians, the fly-on-the-wall ‘Evolution Documentaries’ are the next best thing to having been in the studio. They’re a revelation, not just for the way they highlight the solidness of the carpentry underlying the songs, but the clarity and confidence of Lennon’s vision. The same goes for a more direct, de-Phil Spectorized version of “Instant Karma!”
– FORBES

“More than 50 years later, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band remains the best post-Beatles solo album ever made. An eight-disc (six CDs, two Blu-rays) Ultimate Collection chronicles the 1970 sessions, which started shortly after the Beatles disbanded, and throws the era into new light and perspective. And it’s still a cathartic and invigorating listen.” – ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK

“Plastic Ono Band has been fully remixed by Paul Hicks at Abbey Road Studios under Yoko’s supervision. Working from high-definition 192 kHz, 24-bit transfers of the original first-generation multitrack recordings, the result is quite remarkable and at times stunning. Given the seeming simplicity of the original recordings, much new detail is revealed.” – AUDIOPHILE REVIEW

JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION

Available today via Capitol/UMe, the eight-disc super deluxe box set, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection, is an immersive, deep listening experience and in-depth exploration of what John once described as “the best thing I’ve ever done.” Fully authorized by Yoko Ono Lennon, who oversaw the production and creative direction, and from the same audio team that worked on 2018’s critically acclaimed Imagine – The Ultimate Collection, including triple GRAMMY®-Award winning engineer Paul Hicks and mixers/engineers Rob Stevens and Sam Gannon, the Ultimate Collection puts listeners in the center of the studio and explores the album’s 1970 recording sessions at EMI Studios 2 & 3, Abbey Road along with John’s post-Beatles singles, “Give Peace A Chance,” “Cold Turkey” and “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)” from inception to the final master through scores of unreleased and rare demos, rehearsals, outtakes, jams and studio conversations, revealing how these beloved songs came to be. Everything in this expansive box set has been newly mixed from scratch from brand new 192kHz/24bit hi-res transfers. In addition to the various new mixes, the set boasts 87 never-before-heard recordings.

STREAM/PURCHASE NOW:
http://johnlennon.lnk.to/PlasticOnoBand2021

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JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION
SUPER DELUXE EDITION

  • 6 CDs containing 6 hours 18 mins of music: 102 tracks in 44.1kHz/16bit stereo.
  • 2 Blu-Ray Audio Discs containing over 11 hours of music: 159 tracks of High-Definition, Studio Quality 192kHz/24bit audio, including mixes in Stereo, 5.1 Surround and Dolby Atmos.
  • 132-Page Book
  • Poster: ‘WAR IS OVER! (IF YOU WANT IT) Love and Peace from John & Yoko’
  • 2 Postcards: ‘Who Are The Plastic Ono Band?’ and ‘You Are The Plastic Ono Band’

DELUXE 2 BLU-RAY TRACK LISTING
 

 

THE ULTIMATE MIXES (53 mins)

  1. Mother
  2. Hold On
  3. I Found Out
  4. Working Class Hero
  5. Isolation
  6. Remember
  7. Love
  8. Well Well Well
  9. 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 OUT-TAKES (49 mins)

  1. Mother/Take 61
  2. Hold On/Take 2
  3. I Found Out/Take 1
  4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
  5. Isolation/Take 23
  6. Remember/Rehearsal 1
  7. Love/Take 6
  8. Well Well Well/Take 2
  9. 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)

  1. Mother
  2. Hold On
  3. I Found Out
  4. Working Class Hero
  5. Isolation
  6. Remember
  7. Love
  8. Well Well Well
  9. 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)

  1. Mother (Home Demo)
  2. Hold On (Studio Demo)
  3. I Found Out (Home Demo)
  4. Working Class Hero (Studio Demo)
  5. Isolation (Studio Demo)
  6. Remember (Studio Demo)
  7. Love (Home Demo)
  8. Well Well Well (Home Demo)
  9. 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)

  1. Mother/Take 64
  2. Hold On/Take 32
  3. I Found Out/Take 3 Extended
  4. Working Class Hero/Take 9
  5. Isolation/Take 29
  6. Remember/Take 13
  7. Love/Take 37
  8. Well Well Well/Take 4 Extended
  9. 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 OUT-TAKES (50mins)

  1. Mother/Take 91
  2. Hold On/Take 18*
  3. I Found Out/Take 7
  4. Working Class Hero/Take 10*
  5. Isolation/Take 1*
  6. Remember/Take 1*
  7. Love/Take 9*
  8. Well Well Well/Take 5*
  9. 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)

  1. Mother
  2. Hold On
  3. I Found Out
  4. Working Class Hero
  5. Isolation
  6. Remember
  7. Love
  8. Well Well Well
  9. 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)

  1. Johnny B. Goode
  2. Ain’t That A Shame
  3. Hold On (1)
  4. Hold On (2)
  5. Glad All Over
  6. Be Faithful To Me
  7. Send Me Some Lovin’
  8. Get Back
  9. 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)

  1. Why*
  2. Why Not*
  3. Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Carriage All Over The City*
  4. Touch Me*
  5. Paper Shoes*
  6. Life* 
  7. Omae No Okaa Wa*
  8. I Lost Myself Somewhere In The Sky*
  9. Remember Love*
  10. Don’t Worry Kyoko*
  11. Who Has Seen The Wind*

*BLU-RAY DISCS ONLY

 

 

DELUXE 6CD TRACK LISTING
 

 

CD1: THE ULTIMATE MIXES

(53 mins)

  1. Mother
  2. Hold On
  3. I Found Out
  4. Working Class Hero
  5. Isolation
  6. Remember
  7. Love
  8. Well Well Well
  9. 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)

CD2: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/

THE OUT-TAKES (49 mins)

  1. Mother/Take 61
  2. Hold On/Take 2
  3. I Found Out/Take 1
  4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
  5. Isolation/Take 23
  6. Remember/Rehearsal 1
  7. Love/Take 6
  8. Well Well Well/Take 2
  9. 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

CD3: THE ELEMENTS MIXES

(60 mins)

  1. Mother
  2. Hold On
  3. I Found Out
  4. Working Class Hero
  5. Isolation
  6. Remember
  7. Love
  8. Well Well Well
  9. 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)

 

CD4: THE RAW STUDIO MIXES (74 mins)

  1. Mother/Take 64
  2. Hold On/Take 32
  3. I Found Out/Take 3 Extended
  4. Working Class Hero/Take 9
  5. Isolation/Take 29
  6. Remember/Take 13
  7. Love/Take 37
  8. Well Well Well/Take 4 Extended
  9. 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
  15. Mother/Take 91
  16. I Found Out/Take 7
  17. God/Take 1

CD5: THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY (72 mins)

  1. Mother
  2. Hold On
  3. I Found Out
  4. Working Class Hero
  5. Isolation
  6. Remember
  7. Love
  8. Well Well Well
  9. Look At Me
  10. God
  11. My Mummy’s Dead

 

CD6: THE JAMS &

THE DEMOS (71 mins)

  1. Johnny B. Goode (Jam)
  2. Ain’t That A Shame (Jam)
  3. Hold On (1) (Jam)
  4. Hold On (2) (Jam)
  5. Glad All Over (Jam)
  6. Be Faithful To Me (Jam)
  7. Send Me Some Lovin’ (Jam)
  8. Get Back (Jam)
  9. Lost John (1) (Jam)
  10. Goodnight Irene (Jam)
  11. You’ll Never Walk Alone (Parody) (Jam)
  12. I Don’t Want To A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (1) (Jam)
  13. It’ll Be Me (Jam)
  14. Honey Don’t (Jam)
  15. Elvis Parody (Don’t Be Cruel/Hound Dog/When I’m Over You) (Jam)
  16. Matchbox (Jam)
  17. I’ve Got A Feeling (Jam)
  18. Mystery Train (Jam)
  19. You’re So Square (Jam)
  20. I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (2) (Jam)
  21. Lost John (2) (Jam)
  22. Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow) (Jam)
  23. Mother (Home Demo)
  24. Hold On (Studio Demo)
  25. I Found Out (Home Demo)
  26. Working Class Hero (Studio Demo)
  27. Isolation (Studio Demo)
  28. Remember (Studio Demo)
  29. Love (Home Demo)
  30. Well Well Well (Home Demo)
  31. Look At Me (Home Demo)
  32. God (Home Demo)
  33. My Mummy’s Dead (Home Demo)

2LP

SIDE A: THE ULTIMATE MIXES

  1. Mother
  2. Hold On
  3. I Found Out
  4. Working Class Hero
  5. Isolation

SIDE B: THE ULTIMATE MIXES

  1. Remember
  2. Love
  3. Well Well Well
  4. Look At Me
  5. God
  6. My Mummy’s Dead
  • Half-Speed Mastered
  • 180g vinyl
  • Gatefold Sleeve
  • Replica and explanatory inner sleeves
  • 8-page illustrated photographic booklet
  • WAR IS OVER! poster

SIDE C: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/OUT-TAKES

  1. Mother/Take 61
  2. Hold On/Take 2
  3. I Found Out/Take 1
  4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
  5. Isolation/Take 23

SIDE D: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/OUT-TAKES

  1. Remember/Rehearsal 1
  2. Love/Take 8
  3. Well Well Well/Take 2
  4. Look At Me/Take 2
  5. God/Take 27
  6. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2

2 CD

CD1
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/
ALBUM + SINGLES

  1. Mother
  2. Hold On
  3. I Found Out
  4. Working Class Hero
  5. Isolation
  6. Remember
  7. Love
  8. Well Well Well
  9. 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)
  • 20-page booklet with lyrics, rare photos, memorabilia and extensive notes.
  • WAR IS OVER! Poster.

CD2
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/OUT-TAKES/
ALBUM + SINGLES

  1. Mother/Take 61
  2. Hold On/Take 2
  3. I Found Out/Take 1
  4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
  5. Isolation/Take 23
  6. Remember/Rehearsal 1
  7. Love/Take 8
  8. Well Well Well/Take 2
  9. 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 1

1 CD
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/ALBUM + SINGLES

  1. Mother
  2. Hold On
  3. I Found Out
  4. Working Class Hero
  5. Isolation
  6. Remember
  7. Love
  8. Well Well Well
  9. 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)
  • 20-page booklet with lyrics, rare photos, memorabilia and extensive notes.