John Lennon 2024

Out of all the Beatles, John Lennon had the most interesting – and frustrating – solo career. Lennon was capable of inspired, brutally honest confessional songwriting and melodic songcraft; he also had an undying love of straight-ahead rock & roll. But the extremes, both in his music and his life, were what made him fascinating. Where Paul McCartney was content to be a rock star, Lennon dabbled in everything from revolutionary politics to the television talk show circuit during the early '70s. After releasing a pair of acclaimed albums, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, in the early '70s, Lennon sunk into an infamous "lost weekend" where his musical output was decidedly uneven and his public behavior was often embarrassing. Halfway through the decade, he sobered up and retired from performing to become a house-husband and father. In 1980, he launched a comeback with his wife Yoko Ono, releasing the duet album Double Fantasy that fall. Just as his career was on an upswing, Lennon was tragically assassinated outside his New York apartment building in December of 1980. He left behind an enormous legacy, not only as a musician, but as a writer, actor, and activist.

The Rock 'N' Roll Sessions 1973-1975.

After the hostile reaction to the politically charged Sometime in New York City, John Lennon moved away from explicit protest songs and returned to introspective songwriting with Mind Games. Lennon didn't leave politics behind – he just tempered his opinions with humor on songs like "Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)," which happened to undercut the intention of the song. It also indicated the confusion that lies at the heart of the album. Lennon doesn't know which way to go, so he tries everything.

Newly, radically reimagined remixes, created from John Lennon’s classic song, Mind Games. These 9 Meditation Mixes create their own space while maintaining firm, authentic roots in John Lennon’s original recording of the song. Each of them have been radically altered, slowed down and extended, ranging from 5 to 10 to 0ver 33 minutes, allowing for the musical soundtrack to wash over the listener and provide a relaxing, immersive, deep listening and meditative experience. Four of these tracks are presented as Binaural versions that each focus on different types of brain waves: Beta, Delta, Gamma and Theta. Named ‘Mind’, ‘Space’, ‘Spirit’ and ‘Love’, these tracks utilise the effect created when the ears hear left and right frequencies which combine to be perceived as a new frequency that can activate different brain patterns for scientifically proven therapeutic effects.

Continuing the Ultimate Collection Series of John Lennon album remixes for 2024 The John Lennon Estate and Universal Music Recordings present: John Lennon - Mind Games (The Ultimate Mixes). Featuring Mind Games – The Ultimate Mixes and The Out-takes – 24 tracks on 2 CDs; plus a 20-page booklet of photos and artworks; a reproduction of the original 1973 triptych marketing poster and an individually numbered Citizen of Nutopia ID Card. Produced by Sean Ono Lennon, Mixed and Engineered by Triple GRAMMY-Award winner Paul Hicks, Additional Engineering by Sam Gannon, Mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios.

Mind Games was meant to be a return to form for John Lennon, after an instantly dated protest album that felt didactic and cold. He seemed to be back on track with its opening Top 20 hit title song. But the rest of Mind Games could be a strangely ruminative and often mid-tempo, with a shaggy studio approach. Mind Games: The Ultimate Collection makes it clear who fans should blame: The producer. After three straight projects with co-producers Phil Spector and Yoko Ono, Lennon took over those duties. He clearly couldn't place enough distance between himself and the material to make the best choices for these songs. An outside voice might have encouraged him to continue work on some tracks, or to toss one or two aside.

Mind Games was meant to be a return to form for John Lennon, after an instantly dated protest album that felt didactic and cold. He seemed to be back on track with its opening Top 20 hit title song. But the rest of Mind Games could be a strangely ruminative and often mid-tempo, with a shaggy studio approach. Mind Games: The Ultimate Collection makes it clear who fans should blame: The producer. After three straight projects with co-producers Phil Spector and Yoko Ono, Lennon took over those duties. He clearly couldn't place enough distance between himself and the material to make the best choices for these songs. An outside voice might have encouraged him to continue work on some tracks, or to toss one or two aside.

As long-standing supporters of independent record stores all around the globe, the John Lennon Estate are excited and proud to be able to join the fun with this new, exclusive, limited-edition 4-track 12” EP release. As a teaser to the forthcoming “Ultimate Edition” anniversary release of the Mind Games album (coming later this year in a collection of incredible new formats,) this extremely limited-edition EP sets the tone for what will be an extraordinary year for the music and legacy of John Lennon. Offered in two color variants – a luminous glow-in-the-dark 140g color vinyl or a 180g black vinyl version for Record Store Day 2024.

John Lennon - "Mind Games (The Ultimate Collection)" / Limited Edition 10" square boxset including 6 CDs, 2 HD Audio Blu-rays, a 128-page hardback book; a reproduction of the original 1973 triptych marketing poster; postcard-sized reproductions of 1973 advert artworks and an individually numbered Citizen of Nutopia ID card. 6 CDs feature The Ultimate Mixes, Elemental Mixes, Elements Mixes, Evolution Documentary, Out-takes and Raw Studio Mixes. 2 Blu-ray Audio discs in high-definition 24-192 stereo, 24-192 5.1 Surround and Dolby Atmos versions of all the above, plus the 2024 remastered "Mind Games" music video and a "You Are Here" (additional out-take) tape boxes music video. Produced by Sean Ono Lennon. Mixed and engineered by Sam Gannon and 3x Grammy Award-winner Paul Hicks with additional mixing by Rob Stevens. Stereo mix mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios. 5.1 Surround and Dolby Atmos mastered by Sam Gannon. Included is a 136-page glossy, hardback coffee table book about the writing and recording of the album - in the words of John & Yoko - taken from hundreds of hours of archive interviews; also featuring brand- new interviews with all the musicians and engineers, exclusive never-before-seen photographs by Bob Gruen and unseen photos, lyrics, letters, original tape boxes and memorabilia from the John Lennon & Yoko Ono Lennon Archives.