John Lennons Imagine Album to Receive Six-Disc Boxed Set Treatment
Sprawling boxed set features demos, outtakes, and previously undiscovered recordings, including Lennon's original demo of the title song.
On October 5, Geffen/UMe will release a six-disc box set of John Lennon’s 1971 album “Imagine,” which many feel is the best of his solo works. Titled “The Ultimate Collection,” this remixed and remastered 140-track collection is fully authorized by Yoko Ono Lennon, who oversaw the production and creative direction.
Spread across four CDs and two Blu-ray discs, this truly unique expanded edition offers a variety of listening experiences, ranging from the brand new Ultimate Mixes of the album, which reveal new levels of definition and clarity, to the Raw Studio Mixes that allow listeners to hear Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band’s original, unadorned performances, to 5.1 surround sound mixes and a Quadrasonic Album Mix, presenting the original four speaker mix remastered in Quadrasonic sound (a four-speaker audiophile format that was briefly popular in the early 1970s) for the first time in nearly 50 years.
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The set features previously uncirculated demos, rare outtakes and isolated track elements, and also includes “The Evolution Documentary,” a track-by-track audio montage that details each song from demo to master recording via instructions, rehearsals, recordings, multitrack exploration and studio chatter.
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“Imagine” will also be released in concurrent multiple physical and digital configurations including as a 2CD Deluxe Edition, 1CD remaster, and 2LP 180-gram heavyweight black vinyl edition as well as 2LP limited edition 180-gram clear vinyl. The digital “Ultimate Collection” will include all audio from the four CDs and the Deluxe and Standard will also have digital equivalents.
“’Imagine’ was created with immense love and concern for the children of the world. I hope you enjoy it,” says Yoko Ono Lennon in the preface of the 120-page book that accompanies the box set.
While sifting through boxes of the original tapes, engineer Rob Stevens discovered something that previously had gone unnoticed. “Early 2016, during the gestation period of this project, I’m in the Lenono archives with my people going through tape boxes that have labeling that’s unclear, misleading, or missing entirely,” says Stevens. “There’s a 1″ 8-track that says nothing more on the Ascot Sound label than John Lennon, the date, and the engineer (Phil McDonald), with DEMO on the spine. No indication of what material was on the tape. One delicate transfer to digital later, the ‘Imagine’ demo, subsequently enhanced superbly by Paul Hicks, appears within this comprehensive set. It was true serendipity.”
This original demo, a sparse home recording of Lennon on piano and vocal playing one of his most famous songs, globally launches “Imagine – The Ultimate Collection” today and is available for streaming and for immediate download with all digital album pre-orders at: http://imaginejohnyoko.com
Also on October 5, Eagle Vision will release two films by John & Yoko, “Imagine” and “Gimme Some Truth,” on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital platforms. Both films have been hand-restored from the original film reels and remastered in HD, and their soundtracks have been remixed in surround sound by Grammy Award-winning engineer Paul Hicks. Both physical releases feature exclusive extras including “raw” studio mixes. All are also available for pre-order at: http://imaginejohnyoko.com. “Imagine” will also have a limited theatrical run highlighted by an exclusive, immersive Dolby Atmos mix of the music in selected theaters, with further exclusive extra material.
John Lennon: Imagine – The Ultimate Collection [6-disc box set – 4CD+2BD]
CD1 – Imagine
The Album – The Ultimate Mixes Disc 1
Remix in Stereo 16-44.1
Remixed Stereo Album, Singles & Extras
The Singles & Extras
CD2 – The Ultimate Mixes Disc 2
New Mix in Stereo 16-44.1
Elements Mixes and Album & Single Outtakes
Elements Mixes
Album out-takes
Singles out-takes
CD3 – Raw Studio Mixes
New Mix in Stereo 16-44.1
Extended Album Tracks & Outtakes – Live At Ascot Sound Studios
Extended Album Versions – Live
(take 4 – extended)
Out-takes – Live
CD 4 – The Evolution Documentary
New Mix in Mono 16-44.1
The story of each song on a journey from demo to master via instructions, rehearsals, recordings, multitrack exploration and studio chat
Album tracks only
Blu-ray Disc 1 – Imagine – The Ultimate Mixes
Remixed Stereo Album, Singles, Extras & Outtakes
Imagine – The Album
Remix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96
Singles & Extras
Remix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96
The Out-takes
New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96
The Quadrasonic Mixes
Remastered in Quad 4.0 24-96
Original 1971 Quadsonic Album Remastered
Imagine
Blu-ray Disc 2 – In The Studio and Deeper Listening
The Raw Studio Mixes – Extended Album Versions – Live
New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96
Experience, in immersive Surround Sound, the moment John and The Plastic Ono Band record each song live, from a sonic soundstage at the center of Ascot Sound Studios at John & Yoko’s home in Tittenhurst
The Raw Studio Mixes – Out-takes – Live
New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96
The Elements Mixes
From the Master Multitracks
New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96
Mixes from elements of the original multitracks that demonstrate some of the instrumentations from ‘behind the scenes’
The Evolution Documentary
New Mix in Mono 24-96
The story of the songs from demo to master in rehearsals, studio chat and mixed multitrack elements
Imagine John & Yoko – The Elliot Mintz Interviews
New Mix in Mono 24-96
Tribute by DJ and family friend Elliot Mintz featuring revealing, philosophical, honest and humorous interviews with John & Yoko.
IMAGINE / GIMME SOME TRUTH – DVD, BLU-RAY AND DIGITAL RELEASE
Imagine (Film)
Gimme Some Truth (Film)
DVD / Blu-Ray Extras
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