A reduction mix put the drums on tracks 1 and 2, and both of Lennon’s vocal tracks on track 6. That evening an overdub session took place at EMI Studios, Abbey Road. His vocals were recorded on track 6.īobby Keys’ saxophone was on track 7, and a vocal overdub by Lennon was on 8. On track 5 Lennon recorded acoustic guitar on take 1, but on takes 2-11 switched to piano. Klaus Voormann’s bass guitar was recorded to track 4. Jim Gordon’s drums were recorded onto tracks 2 and 3 of the eight-track tape, to allow them to be mixed in stereo. Eleven takes were recorded, the last of which became the master. John Lennon recorded ‘Power To The People’ at Ascot Sound Studios, Tittenhurst Park, on 22 January 1971, the day after the Red Mole interview took place. Whereas before Lennon had been noncommittal about revolution, the opening lines of ‘Power To The People’ were unequivocal: “Say we want a revolution/We’d better get it on right away”. The message was clear: the late 1960s believe that ‘love is all you need’ was out of favour, and it was time to fight for change. Lennon wore a Japanese riot police helmet on the single sleeve. An all-purpose anthem for any cause that wished to pick up on it, the chorus was a singalong intended to do for revolutionary activism what ‘Give Peace A Chance’ did for the pacifism movement. ‘Power To The People’ marked a transition from the personal, on John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, to the public. One clue to the future did come in the song’s final verse, where Lennon asked: “I got to ask you comrades and brothers/How do you treat your own woman back home?” Although just one small salvo in a scattershot campaign, it did anticipate feminist themes explored more fully on the following year’s ‘Woman Is The N––––r Of The World’. Its lyrics are largely non-specific, in contrast to his later songs written for Some Time In New York City, which dealt with a succession of militant issues. Lennon recorded ‘Power To The People’ the day after his encounter with Ali and Blackburn. John Lennon, 1980 All We Are Saying, David Sheff And so in early 1971 he became enchanted by the New Left’s belief in radical intervention and popular struggle. Lennon, for his part, was often quick to align himself with figures who purported to offer guidance, whether spiritual, philosophical or political, from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to Dr Arthur Janov. They felt such publicity stunts were less effective than direct action. It was published in an edition dated 8–22 March 1971.Īli and Blackburn had previously criticised Lennon and Ono in print for their belief in passive, non-violent means to achieve peace, such as the Amsterdam and Montreal bed-ins, the War Is Over campaign and the Plastic Ono Band’s appearance at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival. With some unexpected free time, the pair gave an interview to political writers and activists Tariq Ali and Robin Blackburn of the Marxist newspaper Red Mole. The couple returned on 21 January, only to be told that they could have fulfilled their legal requirements by telephone. However, their plans were curtailed when his lawyers insisted he return to England to deal with the turmoil caused by Paul McCartney’s High Court action to dissolve The Beatles’ partnership. Lennon and Yoko Ono had intended to spend January 1971 in Japan, in part to avoid the reaction to his revelatory interview with Rolling Stone magazine. John Lennon’s fourth single with the Plastic Ono Band, ‘Power To The People’ was his first explicit call for revolutionary action, inspired by the politics of the radical left in the early 1970s. John Lennon: vocals, electric guitar, piano Klaus Voormann: bass guitar Billy Preston: piano, keyboards Bobby Keys: saxophone Jim Gordon: drums Rosetta Hightower and others: backing vocals
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