John Lennon Power To The People/ Open Your Box (Apple, NZP 3400, 1971 - NZ)
John Lennon Imagine/ It's So Hard (Parlophone, NZP 3412, 1971 - NZ)
John Lennon Imagine/ It's So Hard (Apple, 1840, 1971 - USA)
John Lennon Imagine/ It's So Hard (Apple, NZP 3412, 1971 - NZ)
John Lennon Imagine/ It's So Hard (Apple, 2C004 04940, 1971 - France)
John Lennon Imagine/ Working Class Hero (Apple, R 6009, 1971 - UK)
Seven versions of two JOL singles here, which provide a stark contrast to Lennon's personality.
Power To The People is a simple, loud, foot stomping rant and Imagine is, of course, the quietly delivered utopian vision for how the world should be, but never will. Probably. Maybe. I'd like to think I'm a dreamer too.
There has been a lot of commentary over the years on the song and its lyrics.
John was naive but not that naive. He knew what he was doing when he said Imagine no possessions. For me, this aligns to a spiritual quest: you have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need (Vernon Howard).
Of the two, Imagine is the more powerful and more long lasting song. John always referenced his inspiration - lines from Yoko's Grapefruit book, but it's his song, not Yoko's.
Ironic that Yoko later turned into the uber business woman while John was looking after Sean, given that her initial thought had inspired John.
Hidden gems: Open Your Box is a Yoko song and a great one! There's definitely a playfully sexual vibe at work with lines like open your thighs, open for legs, open your flies and so on. Great musical support happening with John on guitar, old Beatles friend Klaus Voorman on bass and Jim Gordon drums.
The other B sides come from John and were on the Imagine and the Plastic Ono Band albums. Working Class Hero is a classic in its own right.
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