Ascot Sound Studios
Producers: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector
Engineers: Phil McDonald, Eddie Klein
The seventh recording session for John Lennon’s second solo album Imagine took place on 27 May 1971.
The main album sessions were held at Ascot Sound Studios, Lennon’s recording studio at his Tittenhurst Park home. Two songs were worked on during this session: ‘Imagine’ and ‘Oh Yoko!’.
A three-man film crew were also present in the studio on this day. They were working on a project with the working title Your Show, which was intended for release with Lennon and Yoko Ono’s forthcoming albums.
‘Imagine’ was recorded in 10 takes, with the final attempt becoming the master.
On the eight-track tape, tracks 1 and 2 had Klaus Voormann’s bass guitar and Alan White’s drums respectively. Track 3 had John Tout’s vibraphone, 4 had John Barham’s harmonium, and 5 had Nicky Hopkins’ electric piano. All three only appeared on take 1.
Track 5 had Lennon’s piano on takes 2-10, while 6 had his grand piano on take 1, and and Hopkins’ electric piano on takes 2-7. Track 6 also had a vocal overdub on take 10. Lennon’s lead vocals were mainly recorded on track 7.
The string arrangement was scored by Torrie Zito, and were overdubbed at Record Plant East, New York City, on 4 July. The musicians, which Lennon dubbed The Flux Fiddlers, were members of the New York Philharmonic.
‘Oh Yoko!’ was considerably easier to complete, requiring just one attempt to lay down the backing track.
On the eight-track tape, tracks 1 and 2 had Voormann’s bass guitar and White’s drums respectively. Track 3 had a harmonica overdub by Lennon, played on his Hohner Blues Harp, and harmony vocals overdubbed by Lennon and Phil Spector.
Track 4 had acoustic guitars by Rod Lynton and Andy Davis, and 5 had piano by Nicky Hopkins. Tracks 6 contained a vocal overdub, and track 8 had more vocals and harmonica, both by Lennon. The vocal and harmonica overdubs on tracks 3, 6, and 8 were taped on 29 May.
‘Oh Yoko!’ saw Lennon playing the harmonica on record for the first time since the White Album’s ‘Rocky Raccoon’. The unpolished Dylanesque suck-and-blow solos were overdubbed after the backing track was completed, and the second overdub was isolated when the other instruments were faded early at the album’s close.