Nearly 50 years after John Lennon and Yoko Ono recorded “Give Peace A Chance” at their Bed-In for Peace at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal on May 31, 1969, a new demo has arrived showing a glimpse of how that legendary moment came to be.
Released and restored by the John Lennon Estate, the unearthed video shows the artists side-by-side in another bed, at the Sheraton Oceanus Hotel in the Bahamas, just days before the real thing, on May 25th 1969. It’s a playfully unvarnished version of the Lennons test-driving the anti-war anthem. Here, they genuinely seem at peace.
Lennon mumbles unintelligibly (“Everybody’s talking about revolution, masturbation, hasturbation, constipation … uh … rasturbation, cake, chocolate cake … uh… fake, cake, glasses, passes”) while Ono shoots him looks as if to say, “where are you going with this?”
The demo video was taken by Lennon’s film cameraman Nic Knowland and sound recordist Mike Lax. It’s now officially the earliest-known recording of the Vietnam-era protest anthem, “Give Peace A Chance.”
The release is part of a massive new box set commemorating the 50th anniversary of the famous Bed-In for Peace. The John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection, is due April 23 via Capitol/UMe. The box set features a number of unreleased and rare demos, rehearsals, outtakes, jams, and studio conversations taken from the 1970 recording sessions at EMI Studios 2 & 3, Abbey Road, as well as with John’s post-Beatles singles, “Give Peace A Chance,” “Cold Turkey,” and “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On).”
Watch the newly released demo video of John Lennon and Yoko Ono performing “Give Peace A Chance” below.
Check out the full tracklistings and video of the different Ultimate Collection packages below.
JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION SUPER DELUXE EDITION
- 6 CDs containing 6 hours 18 mins of music: 102 tracks in 44.1kHz/16bit stereo.
- 2 Blu-Ray Audio Discs containing over 11 hours of music: 159 tracks of High-Definition, Studio Quality 192kHz/24bit audio, including mixes in Stereo, 5.1 Surround and Dolby Atmos.
- 132-Page Book
- Poster: ‘WAR IS OVER! (IF YOU WANT IT) Love and Peace from John & Yoko’
- 2 Postcards: ‘Who Are The Plastic Ono Band?’ and ‘You Are The Plastic Ono Band’
SUPER DELUXE 2 BLU-RAY TRACKLISTING
THE ULTIMATE MIXES (53 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/THE OUT-TAKES (49 mins)
1. Mother/Take 61
2. Hold On/Take 2
3. I Found Out/Take 1
4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
5. Isolation/Take 23
6. Remember / Rehearsal 1
7. Love/Take 6
8. Well Well Well/Take 2
9. Look At Me/Take 2
10. God/Take 27
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2
13. Cold Turkey/Take 1
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 5
THE ELEMENTS MIXES (60 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
THE DEMOS (45 mins)
1. Mother (Home Demo)
2. Hold On (Studio Demo)
3. I Found Out (Home Demo)
4. Working Class Hero (Studio Demo)
5. Isolation (Studio Demo)
6. Remember (Studio Demo)
7. Love (Home Demo)
8. Well Well Well (Home Demo)
9. Look At Me (Home Demo)
10. God (Home Demo)
11. My Mummy’s Dead (Home Demo)
12. Give Peace A Chance (Home Demo)*
13. Cold Turkey (Home Demo)*
14. Instant Karma! (Studio Demo)*
THE RAW STUDIO MIXES (59 mins)
1. Mother/Take 64
2. Hold On/Take 32
3. I Found Out/Take 3 Extended
4. Working Class Hero/Take 9
5. Isolation/Take 29
6. Remember/Take 13
7. Love/Take 37
8. Well Well Well/Take 4 Extended
9. Look At Me/Take 9
10. God/Take 42
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 1
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4 Extended
13. Cold Turkey/Take 2
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 10
THE RAW STUDIO MIXES/THE OUT-TAKES (50mins)
1. Mother/Take 91
2. Hold On/Take 18*
3. I Found Out/Take 7
4. Working Class Hero/Take 10*
5. Isolation/Take 1*
6. Remember/Take 1*
7. Love/Take 9*
8. Well Well Well/Take 5*
9. Look At Me/Take 3*
10. God/Take 1
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2*
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4*
13. Cold Turkey/Take 2*
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 5*
THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY (93 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance*
13. Cold Turkey*
14. Instant Karma (We All Shine On)*
THE JAMS / LIVE AND IMPROVISED (36 mins)
1. Johnny B. Goode
2. Ain’t That A Shame
3. Hold On (1)
4. Hold On (2)
5. Glad All Over
6. Be Faithful To Me
7. Send Me Some Lovin’
8. Get Back
9. Lost John (1)
10. Goodnight Irene
11. You’ll Never Walk Alone (Parody)
12. I Don’t Want To Be To be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (1)
13. It’ll Be Me
14. Honey Don’t
15. Elvis Parody (Don’t Be Cruel / Hound Dog / When I’m Over You)
16. Matchbox
17. I’ve Got A Feeling
18. Mystery Train
19. You’re So Square
20. I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (2)
21. Lost John (2)
22. Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)
YOKO ONO/PLASTIC ONO BAND – THE LIVE SESSIONS (110 mins)
1. Why*
2. Why Not*
3. Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Carriage All Over The City*
4. Touch Me*
5. Paper Shoes*
6. Life*
7. Omae No Okaa Wa*
8. I Lost Myself Somewhere In The Sky*
9. Remember Love*
10. Don’t Worry Kyoko*
11. Who Has Seen The Wind**BLU-RAY DISCS ONLY
DELUXE 6-CD TRACKLISTING
CD1: THE ULTIMATE MIXES (53 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
CD2: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/THE OUT-TAKES (49 mins)
1. Mother/Take 61
2. Hold On/Take 2
3. I Found Out/Take 1
4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
5. Isolation/Take 23
6. Remember/Rehearsal 1
7. Love/Take 6
8. Well Well Well/Take 2
9. Look At Me/Take 2
10. God/Take 27
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2
13. Cold Turkey/Take 1
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 5
CD3: THE ELEMENTS MIXES (60 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
CD4: THE RAW STUDIO MIXES (74 mins)
1. Mother/Take 64
2. Hold On/Take 32
3. I Found Out/Take 3 Extended
4. Working Class Hero/Take 9
5. Isolation/Take 29
6. Remember/Take 13
7. Love/Take 37
8. Well Well Well/Take 4 Extended
9. Look At Me/Take 9
10. God/Take 42
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 1
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4 Extended
13. Cold Turkey/Take 2
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 10
15. Mother/Take 91
16. I Found Out/Take 7
17. God/Take 1
CD5: THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY (72 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
CD6: THE JAMS & THE DEMOS (71 mins)
1. Johnny B. Goode (Jam)
2. Ain’t That A Shame (Jam)
3. Hold On (1) (Jam)
4. Hold On (2) (Jam)
5. Glad All Over (Jam)
6. Be Faithful To Me (Jam)
7. Send Me Some Lovin’ (Jam)
8. Get Back (Jam)
9. Lost John (1) (Jam)
10. Goodnight Irene (Jam)
11. You’ll Never Walk Alone (Parody) (Jam)
12. I Don’t Want To A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (1) (Jam)
13. It’ll Be Me (Jam)
14. Honey Don’t (Jam)
15. Elvis Parody (Don’t Be Cruel / Hound Dog / When I’m Over You) (Jam)
16. Matchbox (Jam)
17. I’ve Got A Feeling (Jam)
18. Mystery Train (Jam)
19. You’re So Square (Jam)
20. I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (2) (Jam)
21. Lost John (2) (Jam)
22. Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow) (Jam)
23. Mother (Home Demo)
24. Hold On (Studio Demo)
25. I Found Out (Home Demo)
26. Working Class Hero (Studio Demo)
27. Isolation (Studio Demo)
28. Remember (Studio Demo)
29. Love (Home Demo)
30. Well Well Well (Home Demo)
31. Look At Me (Home Demo)
32. God (Home Demo)
33. My Mummy’s Dead (Home Demo)
2LP
SIDE A: THE ULTIMATE MIXES
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
SIDE B: THE ULTIMATE MIXES
1. Remember
2. Love
3. Well Well Well
4. Look At Me
5. God
6. My Mummy’s Dead
SIDE C: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/OUT-TAKES
1. Mother/Take 61
2. Hold On/Take 2
3. I Found Out/Take 1
4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
5. Isolation/Take 23
SIDE D: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/OUT-TAKES
1. Remember/Rehearsal 1
2. Love/Take 8
3. Well Well Well/Take 2
4. Look At Me/Take 2
5. God/Take 27
6. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2
- Half-Speed Mastered
- 180g vinyl
- Gatefold Sleeve
- Replica and explanatory inner sleeves
- 8-page illustrated photographic booklet
- WAR IS OVER! Poster
2 CDCD1 THE ULTIMATE MIXES/ALBUM + SINGLES
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
CD2
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/OUT-TAKES/ALBUM + SINGLES
1. Mother/Take 61
2. Hold On/Take 2
3. I Found Out/Take 1
4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
5. Isolation/Take 23
6. Remember/Rehearsal 1
7. Love/Take 8
8. Well Well Well/Take 2
9. Look At Me/Take 2
10. God/Take 27
11. My Mummy’s Dead/Take 2
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2
13. Cold Turkey/Take 1
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) / Take 1
- 20-page booklet with lyrics, rare photos, memorabilia and extensive notes.
- WAR IS OVER! Poster.
1 CD
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/ALBUM + SINGLES
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy’s Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
- 20-page booklet with lyrics, rare photos, memorabilia and extensive notes.
