Chart success
‘Instant Karma!’ was released in the UK on 6 February 1970, as APPLES 1003. It entered the singles charts on 21 February, and peaked at number five. In all it spent nine weeks on the charts.The b-side to the single was an acoustic ballad, Who Has Seen The Wind? It was written by Yoko Ono, produced by John Lennon, and recorded privately. The label had ‘PLAY QUIET’ printed in large type, in contrast to the a-side’s ‘PLAY LOUD’.
Its US release came two weeks later, on 20 February 1970. It was issued as APPLES 1818. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
‘Instant Karma!’ was the first solo single by a former member of The Beatles to sell more than a million copies in America.
Live performances
On 11 February 1970 Lennon performed ‘Instant Karma!’ on the BBC’s Top Of The Pops. He was the first Beatle to appear on the show since 1966. He sang live while other members of the current Plastic Ono Band – Klaus Voormann, BP Fallon and Mal Evans – mimed. During one of the performances Lennon and Ono wore armbands saying ‘People for peace’.
Four performances were filmed, two of which were selected for broadcast. Ono sat behind Lennon wearing a blindfold in both. In the first she knitted, while during the second she held up a series of cards bearing instructions.
When John Lennon and Yoko Ono did ‘Instant Karma!’, everyone thought Yoko was wearing a napkin over her eyes as a blindfold. It was actually a sanitary towel.
The Guardian
The appearance was recorded at the BBC’s Television Centre in West London. A camera rehearsal took place from 3.30pm, and the performance, complete with studio audience, was recorded between 7.30 and 10pm.
The first performance was broadcast the following evening from 7.15pm, and the second was shown on 19 February.
‘Instant Karma!’ was performed fully live on just two occasions, at the One To One benefit concerts for handicapped children. The concerts took place in the afternoon and evening of 30 August 1972 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Lennon appeared with Elephant’s Memory, the New York group he had played with on the Some Time In New York City album earlier that year. The version from the afternoon concert was later issued on the 1986 album Live In New York City.
What a cool song, I think it’s a great example of when Spector’s wall of sound really works because it’s the type of song that just sounds like it was completely captured in the moment, which was obviously John’s intention. Some songs need overdubs, but the energy and spontaneity of Instant Karma makes it one of John’s finest.
What a song! Make me want to sing all over the streets! Funniest work of John, with Whatever Gets You Thru’ the Night and Give Peace a Chance!
The day this single came out in 1970 I bought a copy. My friend and I took it to my house (where no one was home) and we played on my parents living stereo system over and over and over for hours. We were blown away by the power of this song. Every time I hear it, I relive that day. I still have the single with the picture sleeve.
A John Lennon masterpiece, produced brilliantly by Phil Spector. George Harrison is on there to boot. Wonderful hypnotic beat. Loved listening to this when I got the compilation Shaved Fish in March 1981 along with Double Fantasy.
Just to add;to think this was all recorded in just one day. Lennon wanted recorded there and then. The result was instant brilliance.
Although I love the song and feel its one of John’s best late efforts, the production is muddy. The song reverberates like its down at the bottom of a hole. All the instruments as well as vocals seem to bleed together. There’s no depth. I still love it though.
Brilliant! A real awakening for all.
Well, although George states that he participated in this classic Lennon song, I don´t hear much of guitar or piano. I think john played acoustic piano, not George.
Do you think the attack on Paul McCartney began with the first verse of this song? I never thought about it until now but it could be interpreted as John yelling at Paul and George for not taking his love for Yoko seriously. Lennon might have cast the first stone in their public feud.
I have always thought this song was inspired by Al Capp’s visit to them at the Bed-In For Peace where he talked nasty to and insulted John and Yoko. John couldn’t very well punch him in the nose because the whole event was “”for peace”. (And Capp knew it and thought he had John over a barrel) But you know John was seething. So he wrote this song instead. “What in the world you thinking of, laughing in the face of love?”, etc. of course my theory doesn’t work if Capp’s visit was AFTER the song was written.
This song was recorded before the Al Capp incident. John and Yoko were not married yet.
Oops… I was wrong. John and Yoko WERE married already. Never mind.
If Instant Karma, Don’t Let Me Down, What is Life, and Come and Get It had been added to Let It Be, with some McCartney and Lennon overdubs, and I’ve Got a Feeling, Dig a Pony and For You Blue dumped, would have made a great album.
Where can I find the extended version? Bootleg only?
Whoever’s the admin for this post, you may need to edit the Personal for this song. John played Piano and Acoustic Guitar and George played Electric. Klaus played Electric Piano and so did Alan White
Instant Karma came on the radio today and I was completely blown away by it. I’ve listened to this song hundreds and hundreds of times since I was a kid in the early 70’s. This may be the only solo Beatle song that has stood the test of time. It’s still cool 52 years later. It has balls, an important message, a spiritual side, a powerful performance and a catchy chorus that forces you to sing along with it. No other solo Beatle song matches it. Phil Spector managed a production that was both sparse and Wall of Sound. How this song failed to reach No. 1 in both the US and the UK is a mystery. A timeless masterpiece that still rocks. P.S. – I suppose Bowie took Lennon’s “Play Loud” and turned it into “To Be Played At Maximum Volume” two years later for Ziggy.
Slave’s comment got me looking: in England, According to NME, “Instant Karma” was kept from #1 by the Edison Lighthouse’s “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes),” Lee Marvin’s (!) “Wandrin’ Star,” and Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” before falling off the charts. In the U.S., the Billboard chart showed Simon and Garfunkel keeping “Instant Karma” out of the #1 slot for 6 weeks with “Bridge,” and then the Beatles’ own “Let It Be” jumped over it to top the charts.
Thanks for that info Glawnow. Bridge Over Troubled Waters was a monster hit so it’s understandable. But in the UK …. ? Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) keeping Karma from the top? That’s a shocker. You never know with those teeny bopper songs. Cheers!
Im suprised George offered his help after all the time John never helped him.
The instrument line up what you show is incorrect. George’s quote lays it out. John played piano and George acoustic. On the recent box set of plastic ono band album you hear the early take of John on electric organ and George on electric guitar but they quickly changed it to the final lineup of John on piano and George on acoustic.