Imagine

" 'Imagine' is the fruit of John's dream of realizing our ideal world."
- in London / June 2006 / Yoko Ono Lennon

Imagine is a 1971 produced and 1972 released movie by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, filmed mostly at their Tittenhurst Park home in Ascot, England, during 1971, and intended for television. All the songs from Lennon's Imagine album of the same name appear in the soundtrack, and also the songs "Mrs. Lennon" and "Don't Count The Waves", from Ono's album Fly. Filming for the Imagine took place over 21st-23rd July 1971.

The program consists mostly of videos (then called "promos") around the song selection, interspersed with occasional slices of Lennon and Ono's life together, and also fantasy and "gag" sequences. In one of these, a succession of men (ranging from Lennon and Ono's assistants to celebrities including Fred Astaire, Jack Palance, Dick Cavett, and even George Harrison) escort Ono over and over through a doorway; in another, John and Yoko lose each other on the Tittenhurst grounds, and go looking.



There are many Beatles facts for John Lennon's Imagine, but the most important is that it is his most popular solo project owing to the title track (and also because it was recorded for its potential commercial value as opposed to Lennon's more avant-garde material before and after). It was recorded from June to July of 1971 and released on the Apple label on September 9, 1971 and October 8, 1971 in the U.S. and UK respectively. Production credits are assigned to John Lennon, Phil Spector, and Yoko Ono. The album is listed as number seventy-six on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.Many of the basic tracks for Imagine were laid down at Lennon's home studio at Tittenhurst Park, with overdubs added at New York City's The Record Plant. Footage of several of the album's sessions was released on the documentary Gimme Some Truth.One of the more popular tracks on the LP is "Jealous Guy," which was composed during the Beatles visit with the Maharishi in India in 1968. "Oh Yoko" has also remained one of Lennon's more popular songs, an upbeat homage to his wife. "How Do You Sleep?" is generally considered to be addressed to Paul McCartney. Its sarcastic tone was considered to be in bad taste by Ringo Starr, although George Harrison played on this track (and a few others on the album). The song "How?" is a reflection of Lennon's Primal Scream Therapy. The most popular ballad on the album is the very gentle "Oh My Love."Session musicians for Imagine included Alan White (drums), Klaus Voorman (bass), George Harrison (electric and slide guitars and dobro), The Flux Fiddlers (strings), King Curtis (sax), Andy Davis, (acoustic guitar), Nicky Hopkins (piano), and Mike Pinder (of the Moody Blues--tambourine). Some sources also add Joey Molland, Rod Linton, Ted Turner, and Tom Evans on acoustic guitars.Lennon provided vocals and played piano, acoustic and electric guitars, and harmonica.Under the supervision of Yoko One, the album was remixed and remastered for a 2003 reissue.



Original Mixing Console used on Imagine Album, 1971 at Ascot Sound Studios



John Lennon recording in Ascot Sound Studios, Tittenhurst Park. The studio became Starling Studios when Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) bought it in 1973.