Bruce Replogle, Publicist for John & Yoko on Double Fantasy

John Lennon & Yoko Ono
Double Fantasy
Info & Credits
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Studio album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Released
17 November 1980
Recorded
The Hit Factory, NYC4 August 1980 – late September 1980
Genre
Rock, pop rock
Length
45:05
Label
Geffen
Producer
John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Jack Douglas
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
John Lennon chronology
Shaved Fish(1975)
Double Fantasy(1980)
The John Lennon Collection(1982)
Yoko Ono chronology
A Story(1974)
Double Fantasy(1980)
Season of Glass(1981)
Double Fantasy is the comeback album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, released in 1980 initially on the newly-formed Geffen Records, and then from 1989 onwards through EMI. It is notable for being John Lennon's last authorised release, released only three weeks before his murder. The album won the 1981 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.[1]
Contents[hide]
1 Recording
2 Tragedy and aftermath
3 Track listing
4 Singles
5 Accolades
6 Chart positions
7 Personnel
8 References
9 External links

[edit] Recording
Following the birth of his son Sean in 1975, Lennon put his career on hold to raise the boy. In the summer of 1980, both Lennon and Ono felt ready to resume work and began composing.
After five years of little musical activity aside from recording the occasional demo in his apartment at The Dakota, Lennon was absolutely bursting with creativity. He had fulfilled a lifelong ambition of learning how to sail in early 1980 and had been given fresh creative impetus in June of that year following his life-affirming experiences sailing a 43-foot sloop to Bermuda, accompanied by a small crew. Once in Bermuda, he started writing songs for a new album, sometimes writing about new experiences and occasionally reworking the half finished demos that he had recorded in the Dakota building.[2]
He was also, he claimed, the most content he had ever felt in all his years, even writing a song called "Life Begins at 40" to commemorate that milestone in his life. His assuredness and love for his family came through on the retro "(Just Like) Starting Over", as well as "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" and "Woman".
Yoko Ono approached producer Jack Douglas, with whom both Lennon and Ono had worked before, giving him John's demos to listen to. “My immediate impressions were that I was going to have a hard time making it better than the demos because there was such intimacy in the demos,” Douglas told Uncut's Chris Hunt in 2005.[2]
Lennon, Ono and Douglas produced dozens of songs beginning that August, enough to fill Double Fantasy and beyond. A projected second album, Milk and Honey, was well into the rehearsal phase when work was halted following Lennon's murder that December.
Ono was currently being regarded with fresh perspective after the onslaught of the late 1970's punk movement which bore similarities to her earlier work. As such, with renewed confidence, she produced many songs. Lennon's specific reference to the B-52's "Rock Lobster" was evidence that popular music had caught up with Ono's vision. [1]
Lennon and Ono made the decision to release their impending songs together on the same album, the first time they had done so since 1972's controversial Some Time in New York City. Subtitled "A Heart Play", Double Fantasy would be a collection of songs wherein John and Yoko would be singing to each other.
Signed by David Geffen, alongside Elton John and Donna Summer, for his new label, Geffen, Double Fantasy was preceded by Lennon's "(Just Like) Starting Over", which finally became a US and UK #1 hit in the aftermath of John's murder. The album itself was received with much interest, coming after such an extended break. However, sales were not so generous. The album debuted at #27 in the UK and the following week reached #14, but then it fell down very quickly to #25 and then #46, making the #14 its peak position. In the US, the situation was different. There, the album debuted at #25 and then rose to #12 and then #11. Although Double Fantasy was mildly criticized upon release for being slick, and Ono's songs were overlooked, the musical community was glad to have Lennon back.
Douglas brought Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos of the band Cheap Trick to play on "I'm Losing You", but it was eventually re-recorded with the studio musicians. The Cheap Trick version was included on the John Lennon Anthology collection released in 1998.[3]
The cover of the album is said to be inspired in a photograph of Astrid Kirchherr and Stuart Sutcliffe, the first bassist of The Beatles and one of John's best friends, who died in 1962.Personnel
John Lennon – lead, harmony and background vocals; rhythm and acoustic guitars; piano and keyboards; arranger and producer.
Yoko Ono – lead and background vocals; arranger and producer.
Jack Douglas - arranger and producer.
Earl Slick – lead guitar.
Hugh McCracken – lead guitar.
Tony Levin – bass.
George Small – keyboards.
Andy Newmark – drums.
Arthur Jenkins – percussion.
Ed Walsh – oberheim, synthesizer.
Robert Greenidge – steel drum on "Beautiful Boy"
Matthew Cunningham – hammer dulcimer on "Watching the Wheels"
Randy Stein – English Concertina
Howard Johnson – horns.
Grant Hungerford – horns.
John Parran – horns.
Seldon Powell – horns.
George "Young" Opalisky – horns.
Roger Rosenberg – horns.
David Tofani – horns.
Ronald Tooley – horns.
Tony Davillo – horn arrangements and musical associate.
Michelle Simpson, Cassandra Wooten, Cheryl Mason Jacks, Eric Troyer, Benny Cummings Singers, The Kings Temple Choir – background vocals.
Toshihiro Hamaya – production assistant.
Julie Last – assistant engineer.
George Marino – original mastering and remastering.
Lee DeCarlo – engineer.
Jon Smith – assistant engineer.
Anthony Davilio – musical associate.
James A. Ball – assistant engineer.
Bob Gruen – photography.
Kishin Shinoyama – cover photo and photography.
Bruce Replogle - publicist.