Record Plant, New York City
Producers: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector
Engineers: Roy Cicala, Jack Douglas
The second of two recording sessions for John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ took place on 30 October 1971.
The sessions took place at the Record Plant in New York City. Phil Spector, who had previously recorded the classic 1963 album A Christmas Gift For You, was the producer.
The backing track had been recorded in seven takes on 28 October, with take six selected as the best. Takes 2, 3, and 4 were incomplete, and take 5 was a false start.
John Lennon had wanted Klaus Voormann to play bass guitar on the recording, but his flight from Germany to New York was delayed. The bass part was initially recorded by one of the guitarists recruited for the 28 October session, but was replaced during an overdub session on this date.
The session also saw the recording of strings and the Harlem Community Choir, and the whispered introduction for Lennon and Ono’s children: “Happy Christmas Kyoko”; “Happy Christmas Julian”. The choir consisted of 30 children aged between four and 12.
The sleeve photography for the single was also taken during this session by Iain Macmillan.
Present at the sessions was Melody Maker reporter Richard Williams.
Sunday afternoon at the Record Plant, and they’re starting early because the choir is there, and the choir has to be in bed soon.The choir is 30 black kids, aged from about four to 12, with a quartet of nubile young teens whom John instantly dubs “The Supremes”. A few mothers are there, too, generally shushing and finger-wagging and making sure that ribbon-bows aren’t crooked.
John and Yoko teach the kids the song and the words to Happy Christmas from a blackboard, and after only a few tries they’ve got it, superimposed on the already-mixed track.
“F*****g great!” shouts Phil afterwards, leaping around, and the engineer quickly checks that the talkback is off.
It’s all finished now, apart from the strings, so the Lennons, the band, the kids, the engineers, the secretaries, Phil, and Phil’s brother-in-law, Joe, all gather round to pose for a picture for the cover of the single.
A plastic Christmas tree, with lights, has been erected, and towers above the group. The photographer is being a little slow, having trouble getting everyone into the frame, so Phil takes over: “C’mon, Ian… when I shout, ‘ONE, TWO, THREE,’ everybody shout, ‘HAPPY CHRISTMAS!’ And you take the picture. ‘ONE, TWO, THREE – HAPPY CHRISTMAS! ONE, TWO, THREE – HAPPY CHRISTMAS! ONE, TWO, THREE – HAPPY CHRISTMAS!
“OK. Iain, you got it.”
I’ll bet he even produces his breakfasts.
Uncut, January 1998
On 29 October the single’s b-side, ‘Listen, The Snow Is Falling’, was recorded. The composition, written by Ono in 1968, featured the same musicians as on ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’, minus the acoustic guitarists and children.
‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ was completed on 30 October