A new John Lennon box set focusing on his most political era will be released on Oct. 10, one day after what would have been his 85th birthday.
The 12-disc Power to the People collects Lennon’s early New York City period with Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band, which included 1972’s live Some Time in New York City album plus the One to One Concerts at Madison Square Garden, Lennon’s only full live performances after his split from the Beatles.
You can watch Lennon, Ono, the Plastic Ono Band and Elephant’s Memory perform the Beatles’ “Come Together” from the set below.
Watch John Lennon, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band With Elephant’s Memory Perform ‘Come Together’
The 123-track box features 90 previously unreleased cuts that document Lennon’s most political period.
READ MORE: The Best Song From Every John Lennon Album
Highlights span Lennon’s performance at the Live at Ann Arbor’s John Sinclair Freedom Rally in December 1971 to home recordings from New York’s St. Regis Hotel from three months earlier, when Lennon performed covers of the Everly Brothers‘ “Wake Up Little Susie,” Buddy Holly‘s “Peggy Sue” and other ’50s classics that helped form his musical background.
Watch a Teaser Video for John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band’s ‘Power to the People’
The set’s Super Deluxe Edition includes nine CDs and three Blu-ray discs; Power to the People will also be available in various vinyl, CD and digital formats.
What’s on John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band’s ‘Power to the People’?
Power to the People tells Lennon and Ono’s journey from December 1969 through August 1972, including a remixed version of the 1972 album, Some Time in New York City, and the One to One Concerts from the same year.
The box also features dozens of previously unreleased demos, home recordings, jam sessions, live tracks and new mixes, including collaborations with the New York band Elephant’s Memory and Frank Zappa and the Mothers from the Fillmore East in 1971.
Watch an Unboxing Video for John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band’s ‘Power to the People’
You can see the track listing for the 12-disc Super Deluxe Edition of Power to the People below.
John Lennon & Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band’s ‘Power to the People’ (Super Deluxe Edition) Track Listing
CD1 / BR1
HYBRID ‘BEST OF’ SHOW
1. Power To The People (intro)* †
2. New York City*
3. It’s So Hard*
4. Move On Fast* †
5. Well Well Well †
6. Born In A Prison* †
7. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)*
8. Mother*
9. We’re All Water †
10. Come Together †
11. Imagine*
12. Open Your Box* †
13. Cold Turkey* †
14. Don’t Worry Kyoko* †
15. Hound Dog
16. Law And Order
17. Give Peace A Chance
* denotes afternoon show, otherwise the performance is from the evening show
CD2 / BR1
AFTERNOON SHOW
1. Power To The People (intro) †
2. New York City
3. It’s So Hard
4. Move On Fast †
5. Well Well Well
6. Born In A Prison †
7. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
8. Mother
9. We’re All Water †
10. Come Together
11. Imagine
12. Open Your Box †
13. Cold Turkey †
14. Don’t Worry Kyoko †
15. Hound Dog †
CD3 / BR1
EVENING SHOW
1. Power To The People (intro) †
2. New York City †
3. It’s So Hard †
4. Move On Fast †
5. Well Well Well †
6. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) †
7. Mother †
8. We’re All Water †
9. Born In A Prison †
10. Come Together †
11. Imagine †
12. Open Your Box †
13. Cold Turkey
14. Hound Dog
15. Law And Order
16. Give Peace A Chance
CD4 / BR2
NEW YORK CITY (THE ULTIMATE MIXES)
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory plus Invisible Strings
1. New York City (Ultimate Mix)
2. Sisters, O Sisters (Ultimate Mix)
3. Attica State (Ultimate Mix)
4. Born In A Prison (Ultimate Mix)
5. Sunday Bloody Sunday (Ultimate Mix, extended)
6. The Luck Of The Irish (Ultimate Mix)
7. John Sinclair (Ultimate Mix, extended)
8. Angela (Ultimate Mix)
9. We’re All Water (Ultimate Mix)
CD5 / BR2
NEW YORK CITY (THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY)
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory plus Invisible Strings
1. New York City (Evolution Documentary) †
2. Sisters, O Sisters (Evolution Documentary) †
3. Attica State (Evolution Documentary) †
4. Born In A Prison (Evolution Documentary) †
5. Sunday Bloody Sunday (Evolution Documentary) †
6. The Luck Of The Irish (Evolution Documentary) †
7. John Sinclair (Evolution Documentary) †
8. Angela (Evolution Documentary) †
9. We’re All Water (Evolution Documentary) †
CD6 / BR2
NEW YORK CITY (STUDIO JAM)
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory
1. Jazz Freakout †
2. You Can’t Sit Down †
3. Roll Over Beethoven †
4. Honey, Don’t †
5. Ain’t That A Shame †
6. My Babe †
7. Send Me Some Lovin’ †
8. Fools Like Me †
9. Down In The Caribbean †
10. Happy Birthday Yoko Ono †
11. That’s Right †
12. Don’t Be Cruel / Hound Dog †
13. Yoko’s Rhythm †
14. Whole Lotta Shakin’ / It’ll Be Me †
15. Yakety Yak †
16. Road Runner †
NEW YORK CITY (THE ELEMENTS MIXES)
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Invisible Strings
17. Sisters, O Sisters (Elements Mix) †
18. Born In A Prison (Elements Mix) †
19. The Luck Of The Irish (Elements Mix) †
20. Angela (Elements Mix) †
CD7 / BR3
LIVE JAM 1
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band and A Star Studded Cast of Thousands
Peace and Love for Christmas, in aid of UNICEF
Live at the Lyceum Ballroom, The Strand, London
15 December 1969
1. Cold Turkey (live)
2. Don’t Worry Kyoko (live)
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band with Frank Zappa and The Mothers
Fillmore East, New York
6 June 1971
3. Well (Baby Please Don’t Go) (live)
4. Jamrag [Say Please / King Kong / Aawk] (live)
5. Scumbag (live)
6. Aü (live)
CD8 / BR3
LIVE JAM 2
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band with David Peel and The Lower East Side
Live at the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan
10 December 1971
1. Attica State (live) †
2. The Luck Of The Irish (live)
3. Sisters, O Sisters (live) †
4. John Sinclair (live)
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band
Live at the Benefit for the families of the victims of the riot at Attica State Correctional Facility
Apollo Theater, Harlem, NYC
17 December 1971
5. Attica State (live)
6. Sisters, O Sisters (live) †
7. Imagine (live)
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band
Live on the David Frost TV Show, The Little Theatre, 240 West 44th Street, NYC
16 December 1971
8. Attica State (live) †
9. Sisters, O Sisters (live) †
10. John Sinclair (live) †
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Elephant’s Memory Band
Live at the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, Americana Hotel, NYC
4 September 1972
11. Imagine (live) †
12. Now Or Never (live) †
13. Give Peace A Chance (live) †
CD9 / BR3
HOME JAM
John Lennon
Home Recordings at the St. Regis Hotel, New York
10 September 1971
1. Shazam †
2. Honey, Don’t †
3. Glad All Over †
4. Lend Me Your Comb †
5. Wake Up Little Susie †
6. New York City †
7. Wake Up Little Susie †
8. ‘Hey, que pasa?’ †
9. You’re So Square (Baby I Don’t Care) †
10. Vacation Time †
11. Heartbeat †
12. Peggy Sue Got Married †
13. Peggy Sue †
14. ‘Phone call from Henry Gotsello’ †
15. Peggy Sue †
16. ‘Now we’d like to change the mood a little…’ †
17. Maybe Baby †
18. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues †
19. Rave On! †
20. Twelve Bar Blues †
John Lennon
Home Recordings at the St. Regis Hotel, New York
27 October 1971
21. I Got You †
22. Hi-Heel Sneakers †
23. Slippin’ And Slidin’ †
24. Gone From This Place †
John Lennon
Home Recordings at Campus Inn, Ann Arbor, Michigan
10 December 1971
25. Send Me Some Lovin’ †
26. He Got The Blues †
27. When The Teacher †
28. Pill †
29. It’s Real
John Lennon and Phil Ochs
Home Recordings at Campus Inn, Ann Arbor, Michigan
10 December 1971
30. I Ain’t Marching Anymore †
31. Joe Hill †
32. Chords Of Fame †
33. Ringing Of Revolution
† denotes never-before-heard, previously unreleased tracks
John Lennon Albums Ranked
Of all the Beatles, he’s the one with the most wayward solo discography.
Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci
