Cold Turkey - John Lennon & POB

In my office at the studio after the break-up of the Beatles, I was a little testy to say the least, lets say at the time I was not a big fan of Yoko, (but in retrospect) love finally found it's way.


So when the album titled The Plastic Ono Band came across my desk, I was a bit surprised to say the least. Now lets not confuse the Plastic Ono Band with John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band or Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band.

The Plastic Ono Band was a conceptual supergroup formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969 before the crash and burn of The Beatles. Among the various members of the band were Eric Clapton, two former Beatles (George Harrison and Ringo Starr), Klaus Voorman, future Yes drummer Alan White, members of Delaney and Bonnie, The Who's drummer Keith Moon, New York band Elephant's Memory, Billy Preston, Nicky Hopkins, Phil Spector, (yes, Phil) and drummer Jim Keltner.

John I personally feel saw the writing on the wall as late as 1968 with the demise of the Beatles. In 1968, John Lennon had begun his personal and artistic relationship with Yoko Ono by collaborating on the experimental album Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins. After a second volume, Unfinished Music No.2: Life With The Lions appeared in the spring of 1969, Lennon and Ono decided that all of their future endeavours would be credited to the Plastic Ono Band.


Give Peace A Chance - The Plastic Ono Band

The only album solely credited to the Plastic Ono Band, Live Peace in Toronto 1969, was recorded during the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival Festival in September that year and featured Eric Clapton on lead guitar, Klaus Voorman on bass (an old friend of Lennon's from Germany, who was famous for the cover art of the Beatles' Revolver album), and Alan White on drums.

Just after its recording, "Cold Turkey", Lennon's tale of breaking his brief heroin addiction, was released as a single under the banner of the Plastic Ono Band, again featuring the Live Peace In Toronto 1969 line-up. By early 1970, Lennon and Ono had begun adding their names to their releases ("Instant Karma!" coming out as "John Lennon with the Plastic Ono Band", and their two proper solo debut albums: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band).


Cold Turkey - John Lennon And The Plastic Ono Band


John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was the début solo album by English rock musician John Lennon. It was released in 1970 after Lennon issued three experimental albums with Yoko Ono and Live Peace In Toronto 1969, a live performance in Toronto credited to The Plastic Ono Band. The album was recorded simultaneously with Yoko Ono's debut avant garde solo album Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band at Ascot Sound Studios and Abbey Road Studios using the same musicians and production team, and featured nearly identical cover artwork. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is generally considered one of Lennon's finest solo albums and a landmark recording.

Sidenotes:

By 1971 the name was being used as a secondary credit, with Lennon's and Ono's names the most prominent on their solo ventures, and with occasional variances (e.g., "the Plastic Ono Nuclear Band", "the Plastic U.F.Ono Band," or, when they performed with Frank Zappa, "the Plastic Ono Mothers"). The last use of the Plastic Ono Band credit appeared on Lennon's 1975 retrospective release Shaved Fish.

By the way The Plastic Ono Band had a great tag line. Its credo, "YOU are the Plastic Ono Band", implied that everyone was part of the group. In fact, the Plastic Ono Band was an identity to describe works by Lennon and Ono and whoever happened to be performing with them.

As Always

Peace

John Lennon/The Plastic Ono Band on Rock and Roll Classics