John Lennon’s Catalog Gets Remastered For 70th Birthday Campaign

On October 5th, EMI Music and Yoko Ono will launch John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth” campaign, which will see the release of eight remastered studio albums and a handful of newly compiled titles. Lennon’s solo work will be remastered from the original mixes, and will be packaged with the original album art, and new liner notes by British music scribe Paul Du Noyer. The launch is in celebration of what would have been Lennon’s 70th birthday.

In addition to the eight studio discs — John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970), Imagine (1971), Some Time In New York City (1972), Mind Games (1973), Walls and Bridges (1974), Rock ‘n’ Roll (1975), Double Fantasy Stripped Down (2010) Double Fantasy (1980), and Milk and Honey (1984), EMI will also offer a new greatest hits package, Power To The People, and a 72-track themed box set, Gimme Some Truth, which is broken down into four categories:

· ‘Roots’ – John’s rock ‘n’ roll roots and influences

· ‘Working Class Hero’ – John’s socio-political songs

· ‘Woman’ – John’s love songs

· ‘Borrowed Time’ – John’s songs about life

Says Ono: “In this very special year, which would have seen my husband and life partner John reach the age of 70, I hope that this remastering and reissue program will help bring his incredible music to a whole new audience. By remastering 121 tracks spanning his solo career, I hope also that those who are already familiar with John’s work will find renewed inspiration from his incredible gifts as a songwriter, musician and vocalist and from his power as a commentator on the human condition. His lyrics are as relevant today as they were when they were first written and I can think of no more apposite title for this campaign than those simple yet direct words ‘Gimme Some Truth’.”

In other Lennon news, an unnamed American collector just bought the handwritten lyrics to “A Day In The Life” for $1.2 million dollars, which was double the guide price.