Imagine: John Lennon (soundtrack)

Imagine: John Lennon
Soundtrack album by John Lennon
Released	10 October 1988
Recorded	11 February 1963 - October 1980
Genre	Rock
Length	73:46
Label	Parlophone EMI (UK) Apple Records Capitol (US/Venezuela)
Producer	George Martin, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector, Jack Douglas
John Lennon chronology
Menlove Ave. (1986) Imagine: John Lennon (1988) Lennon (1990)

Imagine: John Lennon is a soundtrack album of popular music composed by John Lennon for the 1988 documentary film, Imagine: John Lennon. Originally released that year as a double album, it now remains available on one CD.

Bridging his two musical phases together, as a member of The Beatles and a solo artist (similar to George Harrison's earlier The Best of George Harrison), Imagine: John Lennon is a career-spanning collection of Lennon's many musical highlights. In addition there are a couple of heretofore unreleased recordings: an acoustic demo of "Real Love" taped in 1979 (an alternate recording of which would be finished by The Beatles for 1996' s Anthology 2) and a rehearsal take of "Imagine" in mid-1971 before the final take was captured. It also features for the first time a clean-intro version of "A Day in the Life", that would appear later on the CD release of The Beatles' 1967–1970 compilation.

Imagine: John Lennon, with its wealth of stock Lennon footage and self-narration, proved to be a well-received film and its soundtrack sold well in the US, reaching #31 and going gold. In the UK, the album peaked at #64.

The project arrived at a timely juncture and was successful in thwarting the then-released The Lives of John Lennon by Albert Goldman, a controversial and reputation-tarnishing book which many dismissed as fiction, including Ono and Lennon's close friends, as well as the remaining Beatles.

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Track listing

All songs by John Lennon, except where noted.

Tracks #2-10 produced by George Martin.
Track #11 produced by Lennon and Yoko Ono.
Tracks #12-14, 17 & 21 produced by Lennon, Ono and Phil Spector.
Track #15 produced by Ono.
Track #16 produced by Lennon.
Tracks #18-20 produced by Lennon, Ono and Jack Douglas.

1. "Real Love" – 2:48
   • October 1979 demo recording
2. "Twist and Shout" (Medley/Russell) – 2:33
   • Originally appeared on The Beatles' 1963 debut album Please Please Me
3. "Help!" (Lennon/Paul McCartney) – 2:18
   • Originally appeared on The Beatles' 1965 album Help!
4. "In My Life" (Lennon–McCartney) – 2:25
   • Originally appeared on The Beatles' 1965 album Rubber Soul
5. "Strawberry Fields Forever" (Lennon–McCartney) – 4:07
   • Originally appeared as a single in 1967 by The Beatles and later released on their 1967 album Magical Mystery Tour
6. "A Day in the Life" (Lennon–McCartney) – 5:06
   • Originally appeared on The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
7. "Revolution" (Lennon–McCartney) – 3:24
   • Originally appeared as the single B-Side of "Hey Jude" in 1968 by The Beatles
8. "The Ballad of John and Yoko" (Lennon–McCartney) – 2:58
   • Originally appeared as a single in 1969 by The Beatles
9. "Julia" (Lennon–McCartney) – 2:54
   • Originally appeared on The Beatles' 1968 album The Beatles
10. "Don't Let Me Down" (Lennon–McCartney) – 3:34
    • Originally appeared as the single B-Side of "Get Back" in 1969 by The Beatles
11. "Give Peace A Chance" – 4:53
    • Originally released as a single in 1969. It was also originally credited to Lennon–McCartney, but the credit was revised in the 1990s to cite only John Lennon as its composer
12. "How?" – 3:41
13. "Imagine (Rehearsal)" – 1:25
    • A 1 minute demonstration of the song to the session musicians
14. "God" – 4:09
    • Originally appeared on the 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
15. "Mother" – 4:45
    • This 1972 live performance of "Mother" originally appeared on the 1986 album Live In New York City
16. "Stand by Me" (Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – 3:28
    • Originally appeared on the 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll
17. "Jealous Guy" – 4:14
18. "Woman" – 3:33
19. "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" – 4:05
20. "(Just Like) Starting Over" – 3:59
    • Tracks 18-20 originally appeared on the 1980 album Double Fantasy
21. "Imagine" – 3:02
    • Tracks 12, 17 & 21 originally appeared on the 1971 album Imagine

Other songs in the film

"Be-Bop-A-Lula"
Medley: "Rip It Up"/"Ready Teddy"

• Both originally appeared on the 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll

"Some Other Guy"

• At the time of the film was released it was officially unavailable, but later appeared on The Beatles' album Live at the BBC

"Love Me Do"

• Originally appeared in 1962 as The Beatles' first single

"From Me to You"

• Originally appeared in 1963 as The Beatles' third single

"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"

• Originally appeared on The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

"Oh Yoko!"
"How Do You Sleep?"

• Both originally appeared on the 1971 album Imagine

"Everybody Had a Hard Year"

• An early and officially unreleased version of the song that later was part of The Beatles' song I've Got a Feeling

"I've Got a Feeling"
"Across the Universe"

• Both originally appeared on The Beatles' 1970 album Let It Be

"Come Together"

• This 1972 live performance of "Come Together" originally appeared on the 1986 album Live In New York City

"Hold On"

• Originally appeared on the 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

"All You Need Is Love"

• Originally appeared as a single in 1967 by The Beatles