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Wedding Album

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For other uses, see The Wedding Album
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Wedding Album is the final in a succession of three experimental albums by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Released in 1969, it consisted of two tracks, one on each side of the record:

"John & Yoko", the first side, is a recording of Lennon and Ono calling to each other, through a range of emotions, over the sound of their heartbeats.

"Amsterdam", the second side, consists of interviews, conversations and captured sounds during the couple's famous "Bed-In" honeymoon, after being married on 20 March of that year. A brief excerpt of the Beatles song "Because" appears on this side.

The record came as an elaborate box set designed by John Kosh, including sets of photos, drawings by Lennon, a reproduction of the marriage certificate, a picture of a slice of wedding cake (inside a white sleeve), and a booklet of press clippings about the couple.

Wedding Album was no-show in the British charts, but managed to peak at #178 in the United States. The album was available on vinyl, cassette tape and 8-track tape, each with the same deluxe packaging. The album was also advertised through magazine print advertisements, which Lennon and Ono's previous two albums had not.

When Wedding Album was released, at least one music press reviewer was led to believe that the album was more experimental than it actually was. Richard Williams, who had been given two single-sided test pressings for his Melody Maker review, each with a blank side featuring only an engineer's test signal, took it to be a double album.[1] Reviewing it as such, he noted that sides two and four consisted entirely "of single tones maintained throughout, presumably produced electronically". This led Lennon and Ono to send the following telegram to Williams:

DEAR RICHARD THANK YOU FOR YOUR FANTASTIC REVIEW ON OUR WEDDING ALBUM INCLUDING C-AND-D SIDES. WE ARE CONSIDERING IT FOR OUR NEXT RELEASE. MAYBE YOU ARE RIGHT IN SAYING THAT THEY ARE THE BEST SIDES STOP WE BOTH FEEL THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME A CRITIC TOPPED THE ARTIST. WE ARE NOT JOKING. LOVE AND PEACE STOP JOHN AND YOKO LENNON.[2]

Wedding Album was initially released on Apple Records, but was reissued in 1997 through Rykodisc with three bonus cuts - all of them B-sides by The Plastic Ono Band composed by Ono.

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Track listing

All pieces by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, except where noted.

Side one

  1. "John & Yoko" – 22:44

Side two

  1. "Amsterdam" – 25:00

CD bonus tracks

  1. "Who Has Seen the Wind?" - 2:05 (Ono)

A gentle and melodic folk song featuring lyrics based on the 19th century poem of the same title, written by English poet Christina Rossetti. Originally released as the B-side to Lennon's "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)"; 6 February 1970.

  1. "Listen, The Snow Is Falling" – 3:25

Originally released as the B-side to Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"; 6 December 1971 (24 November 1972 in the UK).

  1. "Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)" - 2:35

Previously unreleased acoustic demo version, recorded in room one at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, London; November, 1968.

Personnel

References

  1. ^ John Lennon: listen to this book, by John Blaney
  2. ^ Beatles Discography: The Wedding Album

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