John Lennon - Live In New York City (1986)

(U.K 1957 - 1980)
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On 30 August 1972 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, John Lennon performed two shows, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, to raise money for children with mental challenges at friend Geraldo Rivera's request. The benefit concerts, billed as One to One, also featured other performers in addition to Lennon, including Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack, Melanie Safka and Sha-Na-Na. These concerts were Lennon's only rehearsed and full-length live performances in his solo career, and his first – and last – formal, full-fledged live concerts since the Beatles retired from the road in 1966.
Both concerts sold out in advance. The first show, which had been added due to public demand for tickets, was dubbed “the rehearsal” by Lennon, owing to the band’s relative lack of experience performing live to such large audiences.

The full setlist was (as pieced together by The Amazing Kornyfone Label from amateur recordings):

- Power To The People intro / New York City
- It’s So Hard
- Move on Fast
- Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
- Sisters, O Sisters
- Well, Well, Well
- Born In A Prison
- Instant Karma
- Mother
- We’re All Water
- Come Together
- Imagine
- Open Your Box
- Cold Turkey
- Hound Dog
- Don’t Worry Kyoko (only performed at the matinee performance)
- Give Peace A Chance

"Give Peace A Chance" was the final song, and Lennon and Ono were joined on stage by the other stars and the organisers of the concerts.

During John Lennon's early solo years, he had recorded songs and made public statements about social injustice and the need for world peace, but in New York he became actively involved with political protests. Several of America's best-known left-wing radicals, including Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman, were soon in touch with him, welcoming the support and publicity that his name brought to any cause. John and Yoko supported a protest for American Indian rights at Syracuse, gave a concert for the relatives of victims of a controversial tiot at Attica prison, and played a benefit for jailed activist John Sinclair.

John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Elephants Memory Band

In 1972, John and Yoko teamed up with an American rock band called Elephant's Memory to record some protest songs for the album, 'Some Time in New York City', which also featured a bonus LP of live recordings made in England by the Plastic Ono Band in 1969. It was an unsuccessful record, both commercially and critically, and marks the low point of Lennon's post-Beatle recording career.
The songs, some solo efforts written by John or Yoko, others collaborations, were aggressive and simplistic and focused on several radical issues of the day, including women's liberation, the war in Northern Ireland between the IRA and the British army, and the imprisonment of left-wing activists, and they illustrated rather acutely Lennon's naivety and lack of understanding about many of the issues involved.

The press were harsh in their comments when the LP was released in mid-1972, including Rolling Stone which described the work as, 'Disastrous . . . the politics are witless and the live jams mindless.' John seemed to have forgotten his wise words of the previous year about sweetening the message 'with a little honey', and would later agree that the songs weren't good - It became journalism and not poetry, and I basically feel that I'm a poet.'

Despite the very cool response to the record, John was still popular and a charity event at New York's huge Madison Square Garden, featuring John, Yoko and Elephant's Memory, was a great success, earning a five-minute standing ovation for a concert which included strong and impressive performances of the songs, 'Give Peace A Chance', 'Cold Turkey', and 'Instant Karma', and raised a lot of money for handicapped children. It was one of several fund-raising events involving the Lennons in the summer of 1972 which raised an estimated £700,000.

Live in New York City" reached #55 in the UK, and surprised many with its US appeal where it peaked at #41 and eventually went gold.  [extract from John Lennon: An Illustrated Biography by Richard Wootton, Hodder & Stoughton Books, 1984. p 108-109]

This post consists of FLACs ripped from my virgin vinyl (found at that Geelong Bazaar still in its shrink wrap) and includes full album artwork plus label scans.
Its nice to find a gem like this and only pay minimal $$.
Although not rare, its one recording I didn't have in my collection and so, I'm sharing with you folks - and always remember to Give Peace A Chance

Track Listing
01 - Power To The People_New York City 

02 - It's So Hard
03 - Woman Is The Nigger Of The World
04 - Well, Well, Well
05 - Instant Karma (We All Shine On)
06 - Mother
07 - Come Together
08 - Imagine
09 - Cold Turkey
10 - Hound Dog
11 - Give Peace A Chance
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Plastic Ono Elphants Memory Band
John Lennon (Guitar / Keyboards, Vocals)
Yoko Ono (Keyboards)
Stan Bronstein (Saxophone)
Wayne 'Tex' Gabriel (Lead guitar)
John Ward (Bass)
Gary Von Scyoc (Bass)
Jim Keltner (Drums)
Rick Frank (Drums)
Adam Ippolito (Keyboards)

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Lennon Live In New Your City FLACs Link (277Mb)
New Link 23/12/2023
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