Thanks. And if you know: Will a CD (of the album) be part of the big package? Or will it just be sold as a separate (single remixed CD) release?
I remember Imagine was a solo John Lennon project, Now, nearly half a century later, it's a collaboration? I know Yoko is all over the recording footage, offering suggestions/orders to the band, but is that a collaboration? And didn't Yoko have her own album out at the same time? Was that a collaboration too? Is it now? That press release makes me more than a little queasy. However, I wasn't there. She would know better than me. And maybe the book's text will bring to light previously unknown information that will give me a better understanding of how Imagine, the album, was created. I'm trying to keep an open mind about this, but I can't help think that by putting the collaboration tag on John's greatest solo album (at least most commercial) it diminishes John's legacy by suggesting he couldn't have done this on his own. I can't think he'd be thrilled by that. But, as I said, I wasn't there. All that said, judging that book by its over, it's a very attractive piece. I may not be able to totally resist this after all.
Thanks Slane, I didn't see the other thread. If this era is to be re-introduced as a collaboration, wouldn't it make sense to now present both of these albums, videos, etc all together? The other thing that bothers me with calling Imagine (and I would guess at some point POB) a collaboration is that, while John appears on Yoko's albums, she doesn't appear on his. I know Yoko contributed in other, non traditional ways. And, in the end, it could be my understanding of the word collaboration that's getting in the way. I hope to keep an open mind and just sharing some initial thoughts as this new project is being presented to us. I dont mean this to be a Yoko bashing thing. She was obviously very important to John.
Didn’t John (as part of Apple) legally fight Paul around the same time for giving Linda writing credits for Ram? Or was it ATV?
I don’t think I’ve ever watched Imagine film (original or Yoko version). How different is it to the Gimme Some Truth documentary? Hoping they include more session footage. Guessing digi-Beta from 1998 isn’t going to be up to current HD standards and so a rescan of the original film may be required for Bluray (and I really hope Yoko does not skim on that).
If they package the new book, remixed album, restored film and some outtakes in a box under $100, I would be in for a box set version of Imagine. We know the book is for $50 (preorder) and so that would be another $50 for three discs in single package - I suppose a fair price in the super deluxe market?
If anyone at Apple is listening, there needs to be a blu ray disk in this package that contains both the new and original mixes in 96/24 resolution. The package looks like it will be visually lovely, but I don't need another CD with another remix. I'd like something more, a la Steve Wilson's remixes with XTC. It's exciting this is coming, but I'm wary.
So much hate out there for Yoko. Can understand some not liking her and I'm not a fan of everything she's done (cutting off Julian for instance) but hate? Perhaps some still think she broke up the Beatles As for the new remix really looking forward to hearing it. And as for the press release - everyone knows it was John's work (though inspired by Yoko) so why get worked up. Anyone who knows the history will know that it's almost 100% John.
The latter I believe. Linda was not contracted to them for publishing so Paul/Linda co-writes reduced the publishing revenue to ATV and increased the royalty for the McCartney household.
Just to add to the credit confusion, I notice that some of the songs on Yoko's 1971 album 'Fly' - specifically 'Mind Train' and 'Mind Hole' - which were originally credited as Yoko only compositions, were later re-credited as John-and-Yoko compositions. Check out the 1997 Rykodisc reissue. I haven't got the recent Secretly Canadian vinyl reissue of 'Fly' but I'm wondering what the credits for these songs are on this? Did Yoko keep the re-vamped John-and-Yoko credit or revert to the original Yoko only credit? And why did she change the credits in the first place?
Yes. ATV asserted that Paul was trying to "pull a fast one" by putting Linda's name on as a co-writer even though she had no "songwriting experience"... Paul asserted that "she helps me write the songs", like he used to bounce things off of John, but now he bounced things off of Linda...
It's very different. It's similar to what was once called a 'Video Album', basically the whole LP with visuals and a bit of arty fooling around.
In all seriousness, this seems like a pretty random release. What’s the impetus behind it? I’ll reserve judgment until more details emerge but at the moment it has the makings of a cash grab.
The new Imagine book deal seems to be the impetus for this project. Given the publicity to be generated, it makes sense to club in a deluxe version of the album or film or both.
I am not sure, in fact I can see some loss of immediate sales for Imagine being released so close to WA50 (approx 4-6 weeks). A lot of fans wanting both but with limited holiday budgets may choose to defer Imagine for later (especially if the new content is not as exciting)
Why this release? I'm going to guess that Yoko is trying to tidy up the legacy. She is quite frail these days, I'm sure she hears the clock ticking. Imagine probably made the most sense as a starting point. She is combining visual and audio elements together into what she wants to be the final statement on the album. She wants us to see it as she sees it, or as she remembers it. That's my guess, anyway. Tidying up the song credits has to be a part of this, too.
Yes, Yoko released her album FLY in 1971 not long before the release of Imagine. John was listed as co-producer (with Yoko) of the LP, and he plays guitar, piano and organ on several tracks. But all songs are listed only as "Written by Yoko Ono," and John never claimed credit as a co-writer and never claimed that Fly was a collaborative album. My larger point is that Yoko had 9 years to ask her husband to give her co-writing credit on the song "Imagine" and she did not do so. Nine years! To change the credit after a songwriter's death should require a legal case in which she proves that she co-wrote the song. Not inspired, but co-wrote. Those are two very different things. Prudence Farrow is not a co-writer of "Dear Prudence." Patti Harrison is not a co-writer of "Something." Anyway, this is just a giant can of worms opening up for any widow or widower of an artist to claim credit. It doesn't affect my enjoyment of some of these songs. It just bothers me how transparent of an attention grab this all is, and that leaves a bad taste with me. I want to like Yoko more, but this press release doesn't smell right at all.
