John Lennon‘s 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is getting a super deluxe 50th anniversary box set on April 16 via Capitol/UMe. The eight-disc The Ultimate Collection (6 CDs, 2 Blu-rays) includes a new mixes of the album from Paul Hicks (who worked on the Imagine reissue and Gimme Some Truth best-of), as well as studio outtakes, demos and more, featuring over 11 hours of music. You can listen to the Ultimate Mix of "Mother" and watch a trailer for the box set below.
There are a few different new mixes with the box set. The Ultimate Mixes "put John's vocals front and center and sonically upgrade the sound"; the Element Mixes "isolate and bring forth certain elements from the multitrack recordings to reveal even deeper levels of detail and clarity"; and the Raw Studio Mixes "allow listeners to experience the moment John and the Plastic Ono Band recorded each song, mixed raw and live without effects, tape delays or reverbs."
There's also The Evolutionary Documentary, which features "a unique track-by-track audio montage that details the evolution of each song from demo to master recording via instructions, rehearsals, recordings, multitrack exploration and studio chatter." The set includes two Blu-ray discs with even more options, including 5.1 Surround and Dolby Atmos mixes. There are demos of all 14 of the album's songs, more raw mixes and outtakes, as well as 22 between-take "jams" including a few impromptu covers (Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode," Fats Domino's "Ain't That A Shame" Little Richard's "Send Me Some Lovin'").
Also included in The Ultimate Collection are two postcards ("Who Are The Plastic Ono Band?" and "You Are The Plastic Ono Band"), a "War Is Over!" poster and a 132-page hardback book with lyrics, rare photos, tape box images, memorabilia and extensive liner notes.
If you don't need quite that much, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is also being released as a half-speed mastered 2LP vinyl set, a two-CD set and a single CD edition.
You can preorder the reissues now, and check out the full tracklist below.
JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION
DELUXE 2 BLU-RAY TRACK LISTING
THE ULTIMATE MIXES (53 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/THE OUT-TAKES (49 mins)
1. Mother/Take 61
2. Hold On/Take 2
3. I Found Out/Take 1
4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
5. Isolation/Take 23
6. Remember / Rehearsal 1
7. Love/Take 6
8. Well Well Well/Take 2
9. Look At Me/Take 2
10. God/Take 27
11. My Mummy's Dead/Take 2
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2
13. Cold Turkey/Take 1
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 5
THE ELEMENTS MIXES (60 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
THE DEMOS (45 mins)
1. Mother (Home Demo)
2. Hold On (Studio Demo)
3. I Found Out (Home Demo)
4. Working Class Hero (Studio Demo)
5. Isolation (Studio Demo)
6. Remember (Studio Demo)
7. Love (Home Demo)
8. Well Well Well (Home Demo)
9. Look At Me (Home Demo)
10. God (Home Demo)
11. My Mummy's Dead (Home Demo)
12. Give Peace A Chance (Home Demo)*
13. Cold Turkey (Home Demo)*
14. Instant Karma! (Studio Demo)*
THE RAW STUDIO MIXES (59 mins)
1. Mother/Take 64
2. Hold On/Take 32
3. I Found Out/Take 3 Extended
4. Working Class Hero/Take 9
5. Isolation/Take 29
6. Remember/Take 13
7. Love/Take 37
8. Well Well Well/Take 4 Extended
9. Look At Me/Take 9
10. God/Take 42
11. My Mummy's Dead/Take 1
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4 Extended
13. Cold Turkey/Take 2
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 10
THE RAW STUDIO MIXES/THE OUT-TAKES (50mins)
1. Mother/Take 91
2. Hold On/Take 18*
3. I Found Out/Take 7
4. Working Class Hero/Take 10*
5. Isolation/Take 1*
6. Remember/Take 1*
7. Love/Take 9*
8. Well Well Well/Take 5*
9. Look At Me/Take 3*
10. God/Take 1
11. My Mummy's Dead/Take 2*
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4*
13. Cold Turkey/Take 2*
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 5*
THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY (93 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance*
13. Cold Turkey*
14. Instant Karma (We All Shine On)*
THE JAMS / LIVE AND IMPROVISED (36 mins)
1. Johnny B. Goode
2. Ain't That A Shame
3. Hold On (1)
4. Hold On (2)
5. Glad All Over
6. Be Faithful To Me
7. Send Me Some Lovin'
8. Get Back
9. Lost John (1)
10. Goodnight Irene
11. You'll Never Walk Alone (Parody)
12. I Don't Want To Be To be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die (1)
13. It'll Be Me
14. Honey Don't
15. Elvis Parody (Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog / When I'm Over You)
16. Matchbox
17. I've Got A Feeling
18. Mystery Train
19. You're So Square
20. I Don't Want To Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die (2)
21. Lost John (2)
22. Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)
YOKO ONO/PLASTIC ONO BAND - THE LIVE SESSIONS (110 mins)
1. Why*
2. Why Not*
3. Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Carriage All Over The City*
4. Touch Me*
5. Paper Shoes*
6. Life*
7. Omae No Okaa Wa*
8. I Lost Myself Somewhere In The Sky*
9. Remember Love*
10. Don't Worry Kyoko*
11. Who Has Seen The Wind*
*BLU-RAY DISCS ONLY
DELUXE 6CD TRACK LISTING
CD1: THE ULTIMATE MIXES (53 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
CD2: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/THE OUT-TAKES (49 mins)
1. Mother/Take 61
2. Hold On/Take 2
3. I Found Out/Take 1
4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
5. Isolation/Take 23
6. Remember/Rehearsal 1
7. Love/Take 6
8. Well Well Well/Take 2
9. Look At Me/Take 2
10. God/Take 27
11. My Mummy's Dead/Take 2
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2
13. Cold Turkey/Take 1
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 5
CD3: THE ELEMENTS MIXES (60 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
CD4: THE RAW STUDIO MIXES (74 mins)
1. Mother/Take 64
2. Hold On/Take 32
3. I Found Out/Take 3 Extended
4. Working Class Hero/Take 9
5. Isolation/Take 29
6. Remember/Take 13
7. Love/Take 37
8. Well Well Well/Take 4 Extended
9. Look At Me/Take 9
10. God/Take 42
11. My Mummy's Dead/Take 1
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 4 Extended
13. Cold Turkey/Take 2
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)/Take 10
15. Mother/Take 91
16. I Found Out/Take 7
17. God/Take 1
CD5: THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY (72 mins)
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead
CD6: THE JAMS & THE DEMOS (71 mins)
1. Johnny B. Goode (Jam)
2. Ain't That A Shame (Jam)
3. Hold On (1) (Jam)
4. Hold On (2) (Jam)
5. Glad All Over (Jam)
6. Be Faithful To Me (Jam)
7. Send Me Some Lovin' (Jam)
8. Get Back (Jam)
9. Lost John (1) (Jam)
10. Goodnight Irene (Jam)
11. You'll Never Walk Alone (Parody) (Jam)
12. I Don't Want To A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die (1) (Jam)
13. It'll Be Me (Jam)
14. Honey Don't (Jam)
15. Elvis Parody (Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog / When I'm Over You) (Jam)
16. Matchbox (Jam)
17. I've Got A Feeling (Jam)
18. Mystery Train (Jam)
19. You're So Square (Jam)
20. I Don't Want To Be A Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna Die (2) (Jam)
21. Lost John (2) (Jam)
22. Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow) (Jam)
23. Mother (Home Demo)
24. Hold On (Studio Demo)
25. I Found Out (Home Demo)
26. Working Class Hero (Studio Demo)
27. Isolation (Studio Demo)
28. Remember (Studio Demo)
29. Love (Home Demo)
30. Well Well Well (Home Demo)
31. Look At Me (Home Demo)
32. God (Home Demo)
33. My Mummy's Dead (Home Demo)
2LP TRACKLIST
SIDE A: THE ULTIMATE MIXES
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
SIDE B: THE ULTIMATE MIXES
1. Remember
2. Love
3. Well Well Well
4. Look At Me
5. God
6. My Mummy's Dead
SIDE C: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/OUT-TAKES
1. Mother/Take 61
2. Hold On/Take 2
3. I Found Out/Take 1
4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
5. Isolation/Take 23
SIDE D: THE ULTIMATE MIXES/OUT-TAKES
1. Remember/Rehearsal 1
2. Love/Take 8
3. Well Well Well/Take 2
4. Look At Me/Take 2
5. God/Take 27
6. My Mummy's Dead/Take 2
2 CD SET TRACKLIST
CD1
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/
ALBUM + SINGLES
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
CD2
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/OUT-TAKES/
ALBUM + SINGLES
1. Mother/Take 61
2. Hold On/Take 2
3. I Found Out/Take 1
4. Working Class Hero/Take 1
5. Isolation/Take 23
6. Remember/Rehearsal 1
7. Love/Take 8
8. Well Well Well/Take 2
9. Look At Me/Take 2
10. God/Take 27
11. My Mummy's Dead/Take 2
12. Give Peace A Chance/Take 2
13. Cold Turkey/Take 1
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) / Take 1
SINGLE CD TRACKLIST
THE ULTIMATE MIXES/ALBUM + SINGLES
1. Mother
2. Hold On
3. I Found Out
4. Working Class Hero
5. Isolation
6. Remember
7. Love
8. Well Well Well
9. Look At Me
10. God
11. My Mummy's Dead
12. Give Peace A Chance
13. Cold Turkey
14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)