From Powells.com
Hot new releases and under-the-radar gems for adults and kids.
Staff Pick
Imagine John Yoko is a gorgeous collection of photographs, stories, lyric sheets, interviews, and artwork that describes the making of the album Imagine. The vast majority of the book consists of never-before-seen material, and the thoughtful design and compelling stories make it the perfect gift for a Beatles fan. Recommended By Lucinda G., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
“A lot has been written about the creation of the song, the album and the film of Imagine, mainly by people who weren’t there, so I’m very pleased and grateful that now, for the first time, so many of the participants have kindly given their time to ‘gimme some truth’ in their own words and pictures” — Yoko Ono Lennon, 2018
Personally compiled and curated by Yoko Ono, Imagine John Yoko is the definitive inside story — told in revelatory detail — of the making of the legendary album and all that surrounded it: the locations, the creative team, the artworks and the films, in the words of John and Yoko and the people who were there.
Features 80% exclusive, hitherto-unpublished archive photos and footage sequences of all the key players in situ, together with lyric sheets, Yoko’s art installations, and exclusive new insights and personal testimonies from Yoko and over 40 of the musicians, engineers, staff, celebrities, artists and photographers who were there — including Julian Lennon, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Jim Keltner, David Bailey, Dick Cavett, and Sir Michael Parkinson.
In 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono conceived and recorded the critically acclaimed album Imagine at their Georgian country home, Tittenhurst Park, in Berkshire, England, in the state-of-the-art studio they built in the grounds, and at the Record Plant in New York. The lyrics of the title track were inspired by Yoko Ono’s “event scores” in her 1964 book Grapefruit, and she was officially cocredited as writer in June 2017. Imagine John Yoko tells the story of John and Yoko’s life, work and relationship during this intensely creative period. It transports readers to home and working environments showcasing Yoko’s closely guarded archive of photos and artifacts, using artfully compiled narrative film stills, and featuring digitally rendered maps, floorplans, and panoramas that recreate the interiors in evocative detail. John and Yoko introduce each chapter and song; Yoko also provides invaluable additional commentary and a preface.
All the minutiae are examined: the locations, the key players, the music and lyrics, the production techniques and the artworks — including the creative process behind the double exposure polaroids used on the album cover.
With a message as universal and pertinent today as it was when the album was created, this landmark publication is a fitting tribute to John and Yoko and their place in cultural history.
About the Author
Yoko Ono is a globally renowned multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and activist. She married John Lennon in 1969 and became his creative partner and muse. She continues to work to preserve his legacy, funding, among other projects, Strawberry Fields in Manhattan’s Central Park, the IMAGINE PEACE TOWER in Iceland, and the “Imagine There’s No Hunger” campaign.