2025 Record Store Day preview: George Harrison & Beck, dada, Dave Stewart, John Lennon, Marty Willson-Piper, Omnivore Recordings, Brian Eno & U2, Geddy Lee

The parade of amazing exclusive titles for release on Record Store Day has been announced. This column features some of this writer's most highly-anticipated vinyl and/or audio CD collections set to be released on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

Record Store Day (RSD) has been an annual celebration of vinyl and independent record stores since it began in 2008, and this year's music-minded event features a slew of new and notable releases ranging from archival to newly-recorded sets from the celebrated likes of George Harrison, Beck, John Lennon, Dave Stewart, dada, Elton John, Geddy Lee (Rush), Joni Mitchell and many more!

There are three types of releases that are a part of RSD and they are indicated via the official RSD website:

EXCLUSIVES: These titles are physically released only at indie record shops.

RSD First: These titles are issued first at indie record stores but may be released to other physical or online retailers at some time in the future.

SMALL RUN/REGIONAL TITLES: These titles are released regionally and are limited to press runs of under 1,000.

George Harrison's "Be Here Now" (originally recorded in late 1972) has been named as the RSD "Song of the Year" for 2025's Record Store Day. In honor of this recognition, a double A-Side 12-inch single of "Be Here Now" will be released featuring the 2024 mix of Harrison's original version of the song and Beck's recent cover of the track also featured on the title; this will mark the first-ever physical release of Beck's cover of the song (originally released as an Apple Music exclusive). Proceeds will go to the Material World Foundation.

Dark Horse Records and Record Store Day will also continue their partnership to release limited Zoetrope picture disc pressings of Harrison's entire studio album catalog with the announcement of the 1970 masterwork All Things Must Pass for this year's RSD. This limited edition 3LP zoetrope picture disc will be the third title in this RSD exclusive series, following the release of Wonderwall Music and Electronic Sound in 2024, and will be available at participating indie stores on April 12.

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dave Stewart will revisit the legacy of America's greatest living songwriter with the release of Dave Does Dylan, a 14-song homage to Bob Dylan. The spirit and sonic foundation of Dave Does Dylan is built with live, unedited takes captured in the studio; Stewart is featured on vocals and guitars, and he recorded the tracks in one take. The limited-edition vinyl release will only be available at indie record stores on RSD via Surfdog Records.

The trackless for Dave Does Dylan is as follows:

Simple Twist Of Fate

I Want You

Emotionally Yours

Forever Young

To Ramona

Make You Feel My Love

Lay, Lady, Lay

Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright

A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

Spanish Harlem Incident

Shelter From The Storm

She Belongs To Me

Visions Of Johanna

Dada's Puzzle (originally released by I.R.S. Records in 1992) is one of the great debut albums of all time. Now the opening statement from the groundbreaking American rock trio featuring singer-guitarist Michael Gurley, singer-bassist Joie Calio and drummer Phil Leavitt will see its U.S. vinyl debut for RSD, in a double-LP pressing in strawberry with black swirl vinyl complete with four bonus tracks and an insert featuring lyrics. Limited to only 2,000 copies worldwide, the RSD Exclusive is worth nabbing if you can find a copy. For more information on dada, visit the band's official website HERE.

On August 30, 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, backed by Elephant’s Memory, and joined by special guests, headlined two historic One to One Benefit Concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City. These performances included an afternoon matinee and an evening performance, to a combined audience of 40,000 people, raising more than $1.5 million to support children with special needs, including children from the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, N.Y, a state-supported institution for mentally handicapped children that gained national infamy after the horrible conditions and questionable medical practices the children endured were exposed to the public. 

These were John’s final and only full-length solo concerts after leaving The Beatles.

Power To The People – Live At The One To One Concert, New York City, 1972, presents four songs from the afternoon and evening concerts on 180-gram yellow vinyl, available exclusively for RSD. Produced by Sean Ono Lennon and mixed and re-engineered from the original multitrack tapes by Paul Hicks and Sam Gannon, the EP features three previously unreleased performances – "Well Well Well" from the evening show, plus "Cold Turkey" and Yoko’s "Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)" from the afternoon show, along with the previously released "Instant Karma (We All Shine On)" (Afternoon Show), which has been new newly mixed. This RSD First release is limited to 3000 copies in the U.S. and 5500 worldwide. 

For more information on any and all of these titles, visit RecordStoreDay.com.

Schoolhouse Records has announced the release of Marty Willson-Piper's In Reflection, the debut solo album from legendary guitarist of The Church, The Saints and All About Eve. Released exclusively on Chase Records in Australia in 1987, the LP will see its first release on vinyl on RSD. The album was recorded in its entirety in an apartment on Bondi Beach on a Teac A-3440 4-track machine using a Roland rhythm arranger and the Sydney Morning Herald hit with a drum stick for the snare drum sound!

As Willson-Piper notes: "This was early daze (days) for drum machines, and getting the pattern you wanted wasn't that easy, and such a machine was not on my radar. All the simplistic techniques involved in creating this music, along with the instruments used, are detailed in the booklet. Recording alone and 'dropping in' an instrument meant putting a heavy book on the record button of the remote control and dropping it in using your sickles big toe on the play button, engaging record mode. Those were the days."

Omnivore Recordings will issue three special LPs on RSD: legendary songwriter Doc Pomus' Viva Doc Pomus: Songs For Elvis (The Demos), power pop greats The Rembrandts' L.P., and French singer Francoise Hardy's En Vogue: Best Of 1962-1967 will see their release on April 12.

Watch the Omnivore Record Store Day trailer HERE

Doc Pomus – Viva Doc Pomus: Songs For Elvis (The Demos) “A Teenager In Love,” “Save The Last Dance For Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “Can’t Get Used To Losing You.” There’s not much in early rock history that can equal those songs. Doc Pomus, whose 100th birthday would’ve been this year, wrote hit after hit with an array of songwriting partners with Mort Shuman chief among them. Together they created a template for the sound of the late 1950s and early ’60s. Writing timeless classics covered by artists around the globe, one artist was King—Elvis Presley.   Pomus/Shuman were the names on the sheet music for many remarkable Elvis recordings. “Viva Las Vegas,” “(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame,” “She’s Not You”—all classics. Even among the tracks Elvis didn’t end up recording, there are co-writes with the likes of Phil Spector and Alan Jeffreys. So, where do all those songs start? The demos.    Especially in the Doc "Pot Luck” vein as there’s 3: a Shuman, a Phil Spector, and Alan Jeffreys co-write. Funny that those three pair didn’t land it for Elvis. But, the fans will be excited to see the names.   Painstakingly transferred, restored and mastered from the original acetates by multiple Grammy®-winning engineer Michael Graves and Jordan McLeod, with full approval and cooperation of the Pomus estate  and liner notes by Geoffrey Himes, Viva Doc Pomus: Songs For Elvis (The Demos) explores the recordings submitted to Presley for his consideration to record with 30 previously unissued songs.   Some (the aforementioned hits and more) were recorded and released by Elvis, while others fell by the wayside for reasons lost to time, or recorded by other artists, and we’re left to imagine what might have been had The King recorded and released them.   Available on a double opaque orange-colored LP for Record Store Day, the origins of rock ’n’ roll are in full force on Viva Doc Pomus: Songs For Elvis (The Demos). Hear what Elvis heard for yourself and wonder what could have been! Viva Doc Pomus indeed!   See tracklisting here: www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/viva-doc-pomus   The Rembrandts – L.P. After being a member of Los Angeles power pop/glam sensations The Quick, Danny Wilde met Phil Solem, and Great Buildings were born, recording an album for Columbia in 1981. Wilde and Solem continued writing together and rebranded themselves as The Rembrandts.   Their eponymous 1990 debut featured the Top 15 hit “That’s Just The Way It Is, Baby,” and their work on Untitled, brought them to prominence to co-write and record the theme for a new NBC sitcom called Friends. The track topped the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart for eight weeks and also hit #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary and Top 40/Mainstream charts. At the peak of its popularity, the song was not available as a commercial single, therefore becoming the first song to top the Hot 100 Airplay chart without appearing on the Hot 100, but it appeared initially as a bonus track on what would be their third album, L.P. On the Billboard Hot 100, when it was later released commercially as a double A-side, it reached number 17. In Canada, the song peaked at number one for five consecutive weeks and was the most successful single of 1995.   But, L.P. is more than “I’ll Be There For You.” It’s another stellar album in The Rembrandts’ catalog, hitting #23 on the Billboard Top 200. Now, L.P. returns for its 30th anniversary, for the first time on vinyl, as an opaque yellow double-LP. See tracklisting here: www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/lp   Françoise Hardy – En Vogue: Best Of 1962–1967 Françoise Hardy’s Vogue years have left a mark on the history of French and international music. Even today, the five years between 1962–67 remain an exceptional moment in her career, the one when she exploded in the eyes of a generation that was born during or just after World War II, the generation that would be part of the May 1968 Paris protests.   Hardy exploded not only in France alongside her fellow “Yéyés,” but also internationally, where she became the symbol of French elegance, talent and charm. The United States, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain—no one could resist Françoise, who recorded most of her hits in English, Italian, and German.   “Tous les Garçons et les Filles,” “Mon Amie la Rose,” “L’amitié,” “Le Temps de L’amour,” etc. are songs that have crossed generations and can be heard in recent movies (Wes Anderson loves Françoise Hardy and has included her songs several times in his films), international television series (The Walking Dead, Industry, Week-End Family) and advertising spots (Dior 2022 campaign).   Celebrating Françoise Hardy’s indelible mark on the history of modern music, En Vogue: Best Of 1962–1967 includes the best of her Vogue recordings from 1962 through 1967, fully remastered and available as a double LP on opaque red vinyl.   See tracklisting here: www.omnivorerecordings.com/shop/en-vogue

Island Records and UMe have announced the release of Original Soundtracks 1 (30^th Anniversary Edition) by Passengers, pressed on 2LP recycled black vinyl for Record Store Day, April 12, 2025.

Original Soundtracks 1, the studio album by Brian Eno and U2 was released in November 1995 under the artist pseudonym Passengers. The experimental recording process resulted in a collection of 14 songs, written mostly for imaginary films – hence the album title - with the exception of “Ghost in the Shell,” “Beyond the Clouds,” and the hit single “Miss Sarajevo,” featuring Luciano Pavarotti. Other highlights include guest appearances from musician and producer Howie B and Japanese artist Holi, as well as the bonus track “Bottoms (Watashitachi No Ookina Yume),” which previously featured on the original Japanese version of the album.

 

This special double-vinyl 30th anniversary edition, pressed on recycled black vinyl, is now fully remastered for the first time.

 

The full tracklisting is:

 

Side A:

1. United Colours

2. Slug

3. Your Blue Room

 

Side B:

1. Always Forever Now

2. A Different Kind Of Blue

3. Beach Sequence

4. Miss Sarajevo

 

Side C:

1. Ito Okashi

2. One Minute Warning

3. Corpse (These Chains Are Way Too Long)

4. Elvis Ate America

 

Side D:

1. Plot 180

2 Theme From "The Swan"

3. Theme From "Let's Go Native"

4. Bottoms (Watashitachi No Ookina Yume) – Zoo Station Remix

 

Original Soundtracks 1 (30^th Anniversary Edition) is available at participating independent record stores on Saturday, April 12. 

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Rush lead vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Geddy Lee releases The Lost Demos, two previously unreleased solo songs. Lee originally recorded this pair of demos, “Gone” and “I Am… You Are,” during the writing sessions for his beloved 2000 solo debut, My Favorite Headache. 

With the help of producer/engineer David Bottrill, he has unearthed them for the first time, properly mixed and mastered. Commenting on the project, Lee said “I’m excited to see these two “lost demos” released - I loved the songs when they were written and in some ways they feel as fresh and perhaps more relevant all these years later.” 
Both songs conjure the spirit of the classic My Favorite Headache, which originally arrived on November 14, 2000.

Tracklist
Side A
Gone
Side B
I Am…You Are

Robert Kinsler

John Lennon's Final & Only Full-Length Solo Concert Post Beatles Highlighted In New Four Track EP, "Power To The People..."

Record Store Day will arrive in just over two months. I'm sure this special title will be on everyone's wish list! Robert Kinsler

JOHN LENNON’S FINAL AND ONLY FULL-LENGTH SOLO CONCERT AFTER LEAVING THE BEATLES HIGHLIGHTED IN NEW FOUR-TRACK EP, POWER TO THE PEOPLE – LIVE AT THE ONE TO ONE CONCERT, NEW YORK CITY, 1972, EXCLUSIVELY FOR RECORD STORE DAY 2025 ON APRIL 12 PRESSED ON 180-GRAM YELLOW VINYL, THE EP INCLUDES THREE PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACKS FROM THE HISTORIC “ONE TO ONE” BENEFIT CONCERTS FEATURING JOHN AND YOKO/PLASTIC ONO BAND PERFORMING WITH ELEPHANT’S MEMORY AND SPECIAL GUESTS THE ONE TO ONE CONCERTS ARE EXPLORED IN FORTHCOMING DOCUMENTARY, “ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO,” PRODUCED BY MERCURY STUDIOS AND DIRECTED BY OSCAR-WINNING FILMMAKER KEVIN MACDONALD FILM OPENS EXCLUSIVELY IN IMAX ON APRIL 11 VIA MAGNOLIA PICTURES AND WILL AIR ON HBO IN LATE 2025

Los Angeles, CA – February 6, 2024 – On August 30, 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, backed by Elephant’s Memory, and joined by special guests, headlined two historic One to One Benefit Concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City. These performances included an afternoon matinee and an evening performance, to a combined audience of 40,000 people, raising more than $1.5 million to support children with special needs, including children from the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, N.Y, a state-supported institution for mentally handicapped children that gained national infamy after the horrible conditions and questionable medical practices the children endured were exposed to the public.  These were John’s final and only full-length solo concerts after leaving The Beatles. Power To The People – Live At The One To One Concert, New York City, 1972, presents four songs from the afternoon and evening concerts on 180-gram yellow vinyl, available exclusively for Record Store Day 2025, April 12. Produced by Sean Ono Lennon and mixed and re-engineered from the original multitrack tapes by Paul Hicksand Sam Gannon, the EP features three previously unreleased performances – "Well Well Well" from the evening show, plus "Cold Turkey" and Yoko’s "Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow)" from the afternoon show, along with the previously released "Instant Karma (We All Shine On)" (Afternoon Show), which has been new newly mixed. This RSD First release is limited to 3000 copies in the U.S. and 5500 worldwide. For more information, visit: recordstoreday.com The One To One concerts are explored in great detail in the forthcoming film, ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO, which has just been acquired by Magnolia Pictures for the North American rights. Directed by Oscar®-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (“The Last King of Scotland,” “Marley,” HBO’s “One Day in September,” “The Mauritanian”), ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO is an expansive and revelatory inside look at the 18 months John and Yoko spent living in Greenwich Village in the early 1970s and delivers an immersive cinematic experience that brings to life electrifying, never-before-seen material and newly restored footage of John’s only full length, post-Beatles concert. With mind-blowing remastered audio overseen by Sean Ono Lennon, the film is a seismic revelation that will challenge pre-existing notions of the iconic couple. Following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the documentary had its North American bow at the Telluride Film Festival and recently screened in Sundance Film Festival’s Spotlight section. Magnolia will open the film exclusively in IMAX April 11 before expanding to additional theaters. The film will air on HBO and will be available to stream on Max in late 2025.  Macdonald’s riveting documentary takes that legendary musical event and uses it as the starting point to explore eighteen defining months in the lives of John and Yoko. By 1971 the couple was newly arrived in the United States— living in a tiny apartment in Greenwich Village and watching a huge amount of American television. The film uses a riotous mélange of American TV to conjure the era through what the two would have been seeing on the screen: the Vietnam War, “The Price is Right,” Nixon, Coca-Cola ads, Cronkite, The Waltons. As they experience a year of love and transformation in the US, John and Yoko begin to change their approach to protest — ultimately leading to the One to One concert, which was inspired by a Geraldo Rivera exposé they watched on TV. Filmed in a meticulously faithful reproduction of the NYC apartment the duo shared, ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO offers a bold new take on a seminal time in the lives of two of history’s most influential artists.  Mercury Studios Presents A Plan B/KM Films & Mercury Studios Production. ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO is directed by Kevin Macdonald. Edited & Co-directed by Sam Rice-Edwards. Produced by Peter Worsley, Kevin Macdonald and Alice Webb. Executive Producers are Sean Ono Lennon, Marc Robinson, David Joseph, Steve Condie, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner. Consulting Producer is Simon Hilton.  POWER TO THE PEOPLE – LIVE AT THE ONE TO ONE CONCERT, NEW YORK CITY, 1972 SIDE A 1. Well Well Well (Evening Show) 5:36* 2. Instant Karma (We All Shine On) (Afternoon Show) 3:36 ** SIDE B 1. Cold Turkey (Afternoon Show) 5:54* 2. Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For A Hand In The Snow) (Afternoon Show) 4:44* * Previously unreleased  ** Newly remixed

'Beatles '64' revisits the magic of Beatles first visit to the U.S.

"Beatles '64" is now available on Disney+ / Photo credit: Apple Corps, Ltd.

More than 60 years after they first arrived in America, the impact and influence of the Beatles continues to loom large on seemingly every aspect of popular culture not only in the U.S. but around the globe. The marvelous new 107-minute documentary "Beatles '64" that premiered on Disney+ on Nov. 29 and is available to stream now sheds light on how John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr worked their magic with a sound, style and palpable energy all their own. The riveting documentary — produced by Martin Scorsese and directed by David Tedeschi — is anchored by black and white footage shot by Albert and David Maysles over the British quartet's 14-day trip to the United States in early 1964. 

This essential film captures the moment in time when the Beatles performed in front of 73 million Americans while appearing on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964; photos and archival footage are artfully interspersed with more recent interviews with McCartney, Starr and others who were there. There are also archival clips featuring the late Lennon and Harrison that add depth to the film.

The documentary features the Beatles in New York, Washington, D.C. (the latter where they performed their first American concert), and in trains where they are traveling.

The concert footage is extraordinary, as are the insightful interview segments.

"I was very excited when they recorded 'You've Really Got a Hold On Me'," recalls soul singer Smokey Robinson. "I had no idea they were going to record its until the record (With The Beatles) came out. I was elated."

For Baby Boomers and classic rock aficionados, the film will add to their appreciation of the Beatles' enormous legacy. And for those younger viewers who have heard about the Beatles but are not completely sure about why the Fab Four continues to be a "big deal," best to just sit back, watch and enjoy the exhilarating ride. 

Or as Lennon notes in one clip looking back at the Beatles' arrival in America: "It was like being in the eye of a Hurricane." 

On Nov. 22, one week before the documentary made its debut on Disney+, an eight-LP "1964 U.S. Albums In Mono" box set was released in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the Beatles stateside.

Robert Kinsler

John Lennon's 84th Birthday celebrated around the globe with Innovative Releases & Collaborations, including radically reimagined "Meditation Mixes" of Peace-And-Love Anthem "Mind Games"

Today is John Lennon's birthday. Born on Oct. 9, 1940, Lennon's music still resonates strongly more than four decades after his death in 1980...Robert Kinsler 

JOHN LENNON’S 84TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATED AROUND THE GLOBE WITH INNOVATIVE RELEASES AND COLLABORATIONS, INCLUDING RADICALLY RE-IMAGINED MEDITATION MIXES OF PEACE-AND-LOVE ANTHEM “MIND GAMES”

John Lennon at Lou Adler's house, 1973 (Credit Yoko Ono)

Los Angeles – October 9, 2024 – The legendary John Lennon would have been 84 today, and his life and enduring legacy as one of the most influential and successful artists of all time is being celebrated in a variety of ways around the world, including mindfulness Meditation Mixes of his classic song, “Mind Games;” the relighting of Yoko Ono Lennon’s IMAGINE PEACE TOWER in Reykjavik, Iceland; several exciting collaborations, including with the Swedish-based audio technology company Teenage Engineering, the London-based mobile game company Beatstar, and American musical instrument accessory mainstay D'Addario; extensive special programming on SiriusXM’s The Beatles Channel, a Tim’s Twitter Listening Party of his revered 1973 album, Mind Games, and more.

MIND GAMES – MEDITATION MIXES John Lennon’s 1973 peace-and-love anthem, “Mind Games,” has been radically reimagined by Sean Ono Lennon (also celebrating his birthday today), for a series of nine Meditation Mixes designed to put the listener in a relaxed, meditative state, to help guide one’s mind into deeper states of consciousness.   Mind Games – The Meditation Mixes are available to download and stream today. They will be released on vinyl as a limited edition 3LP set this Friday, October 11 via Capitol/UMe. The LPs are pressed on 180-gram crystal clear vinyl and packaged in a triple gatefold mirror board sleeve. Side B on LP3 features nine unique 1.8 second mantras that play continually in the vinyl’s run out grooves to create infinite loops. Listen to Mind Games – The Meditation Mixes and purchase the vinyl here: https://johnlennon.lnk.to/MindGamesMeditationMixesPR   To create Mind Games – The Meditation Mixes various sound design techniques and processes have been applied to the original 1973 two-inch multitrack recordings, and in some cases have been enhanced with additional instrumentation from Sean Ono Lennon, son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono Lennon. They were mixed and engineered by Sam Gannon with additional recording engineered by Scott Holingsworth.

Mind Games – The Meditation Mixes forge their own space while maintaining firm, authentic roots in John Lennon's original recording of the original song.   Each of the nine mixes has been radically altered, slowed down and extended, ranging from 5 to 10 to upwards of 33 minutes, allowing for the musical soundtrack to wash over the listener and provide a relaxing, immersive, deep listening and meditative experience. Four of the tracks are presented as Binaural versions that each focus on different types of brain waves: Beta, Delta, Gamma, and Theta. Dubbed “Mind,” “Space,” “Spirit,” and “Love,” these tracks feature a Binaural Beat, an auditory illusion created within the brain when the left and right ears hear two slightly different frequencies whose difference is perceived as a new frequency which can activate different brain patterns for scientifically proven therapeutic effects.   Mind Games – The Meditation Mixes debuted exclusively on the Lumenate app in May in conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month. Each of the nine Meditation Mixes has been paired with a unique, deeply immersive light sequence, using carefully selected flicker frequencies to accompany the mind-and-mood-altering sound. These singular, mind-altering sequences elevate the musical journey, deepen the sense of relaxation, and allow users to see, hear and feel the music like never before.   The Lumenate app uses the flashlight on the back of one's smartphone strobed at research-driven frequencies onto a person's closed eyes to neurologically guide them into a state of consciousness between that of deep meditation and psychedelics.

IMAGINE PEACE TOWER   The IMAGINE PEACE TOWER by Yoko Ono Lennon on Viðey, in Reykjavik, Iceland, will be lit for the 18th time on Wednesday, October 9th at 8 pm GMT/4 pm EDT/1 pm PDT. A peaceful ceremony will be held on the island to celebrate the event. Valdimar Guðmundsson and Örn Eldjárn will perform music beside the IMAGINE PEACE TOWER, and the Mayor of Reykjavik, Einar Þorsteinsson, will give a speech. It is customary that as soon as the tower is lit, the song “Imagine” will be played, and people will have the opportunity to take photos. Fans around the world will be able to watch the lighting live at ImaginePeaceTower.com   The IMAGINE PEACE TOWER is an outdoor artwork by Yoko Ono, built on Viðey in 2007 and dedicated to John Lennon. The tower is lit annually on Lennon’s birthday, October 9th, and shines until December 8th, the day of his passing. The artwork is a symbol of Ono and Lennon’s continuing work for world peace. The tower is in the form of a wishing well, with the words “IMAGINE PEACE” inscribed on it in 24 languages. More information is available here: https://www.imaginepeacetower.com/

TEENAGE ENGINEERING AND SEAN ONO LENNON LAUNCH LIMITED EDITION OB-4 SPEAKER FEATURING JOHN LENNON’S MIND GAMES   Teenage Engineering are proud to announce the release of the John Lennon Mind Games Edition OB-4. This special edition of their high-fidelity Bluetooth loudspeaker and radio was developed in collaboration with Sean Ono Lennon. The OB-4 cumes with a custom design inspired by the artwork of John Lennon’s Mind Games album.

In this edition of the OB-4, the “disk mode” comes pre-loaded with extended and remixed mixes of the Mind Games album, along with exclusive new metronome and mantras. The unique integration of Lennon’s work and new sonic elements allows users to experience his music in an immersive and innovative way.   For more information or to pre-order, visit: https://teenage.engineering/store/ob-4-mind-games

D’ADDARIO UNVEILS NEW OFFICIAL JOHN LENNON LICENSED GUITAR ACCESORIES   D’Addario has teamed up with the John Lennon Estate for a handful of new officially licensed guitar accessories including a collection of guitar straps and picks that pay homage to the iconic musician and his legacy.

The line includes various designs inspired by Lennon’s style, album art, lyrics, song titles, and quotes. The straps and picks are part of a licensing agreement with The John Lennon Estate and are developed by D’Addario. For more information or to purchase, visit: https://store.johnlennon.com/collections/daddario-x-john-lennon

JOHN LENNON COMING TO BEATSTAR   Beatstar, the popular mobile music game, has entered into a collaboration with the John Lennon Estate, which will go live in Beatstar on November 15th. More info to come.  SIRIUSXM’S THE BEATLES CHANNEL WEEKLONG CELEBRATION SiriusXM’s The Beatles Channel (Channel 18) is honoring John Lennon’s 84th birthday with exclusive programming this week, including a very special edition of “Fab Fourum” featuring Sean Ono Lennon, and new episodes of the regular shows all dedicated to John.   This week on “Across The Universe,” a weekly show dedicated to the life and music of John Lennon, host Dennis Elsas welcomes other hosts of The Beatles Channel for a Lennon birthday celebration, picking their favorite Beatles songs with John on lead vocals. Meg Griffin will host a special version of “8 Songs A Week,” in which listeners rank their 16 favorite Beatles songs sung by John. Peter Asher plays Beatles songs that John considered his favorites by The Fab Four on “From Me To You With Peter Asher,” and on this week’s on “Way Beyond Compare,” Tom Frangione will play rare songs by John.    Additionally, host David Fricke will welcome a panel of musicians and contributors who worked on John Lennon’s 1973 album Mind Games — Jim Keltner and Rick Marotta (drummers), David Spinozza (guitarist), Ken Ascher (keyboardist), and Bob Gruen (photographer) — for a special conversation.   More information available at: https://www.siriusxm.com/blog/john-lennon-birthday

LISTEN TO MIND GAMES WITH TIM’S TWITTER LISTENING PARTY   The John Lennon Estate and Tim’s Twitter Listening Party will team up once again for a communal listening of John Lennon’s classic 1973 album, Mind Games. Fans are encouraged to tweet their tributes to John and Mind Games with their own memories and memorabilia on his birthday while listening to the album together. The event will begin at 9:15 pm BST/4:15 pm EDT/1:15 pm PDT and will be available to replay after at timstwitterlisteningparty.com   To participate, follow @johnlennon, @yokoono, @LISTENING_PARTY and @Tim_Burgess on Twitter/X and use the hashtag #TimsTwitterListeningParty to join in.

MIND GAMES – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION   The acclaimed Mind Games – The Ultimate Collection, the definitive, deep dive into John Lennon’s oft-overlooked and underappreciated 1973 album, Mind Games, was released in July digitally, on vinyl, CD, and in two lavish box sets – a Standard Deluxe Edition and Super Deluxe Edition – part art piece, part time capsule and part puzzle.   The collection has received rave reviews, especially for its sterling new remix of the original album, which has been produced by Sean Ono Lennon and mixed by triple Grammy Award-winning mixer/engineer Paul Hicks to sonically upgrade the sound and bring John’s vocals front and center.

Rolling Stone exclaimed in their four-star review, “The star here is the ‘Ultimate Mixes,’ which reimagine each song in a wider stereo spectrum, effectively undoing Lennon’s Phil Spector fixation… The final mixes came off claustrophobic and tinny, as if Spector’s Walls of Sound had closed in on him… the new mixes place greater emphasis on Lennon’s voice and lyrics, often adding new depth to the songs.”   Goldmine enthused, “Sonically leaves all previous reissues in the shade. There’s a clarity and greater depth to the new Ultimate Mixes that make you feel like you’re listening to a different record, a great improvement over the muddy quality of the original mix… A welcome upgrade that buffs up the reputation of this underappreciated album.”

ABOUT JOHN LENNON John Lennon is arguably the greatest songwriter of his generation. As founder and leader of The Beatles and also as a solo artist, Lennon has won seven GRAMMY® Awards, including two Lifetime Achievement Awards, Five BRIT Awards including two Special Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Music, 21 NME Awards, 15 Ivor Novellos and an Oscar (Academy Award). He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2008, Rolling Stone ranked Lennon in the Top 5 of the magazine's '100 Greatest Singers Of All Time' list. johnlennon.com / @johnlennon ABOUT SEAN ONO LENNON Sean Ono Lennon is a British-Asian-American musician, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, artist, actor and polymath. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono and brother to Kyoko Ono and Julian Lennon. He has been a member of Cibo Matto, Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Plastic Ono Band and guested with many other bands. He is a prolific songwriter, film score composer and producer and runs independent record label Chimera Music with partner Charlotte Kemp Muhl. chimeramusic.com / @sean_ono_lennon (Instagram) @seanonolennon (Twitter)

MIND GAMES – THE MEDITATION MIXES 3LP TRACKLISTING LP1 Side A 1. Mind Games Meditation Mix - MIND (Binaural Gamma Waves 100Hz) (10:02) 2. Mind Games Meditation Mix - MAGIC (10:58) Side B 1. Mind Games Meditation Mix - SPACE (8Hz Theta Binaural) (5:42) 2. Mind Games Meditation Mix - SEED (5:59) 3. Mind Games Meditation Mix - YES (6:03) LP2 Side A 1. Mind Games Meditation Mix - SPIRIT (15Hz Beta Binaural) (5:36) 2. Mind Games Meditation Mix - LOVE ().5Hz Delta Binaural) (12:32) Side B 1. Mind Games Meditation Mix - SURRENDER (23:41) LP3 Side A 1. Mind Games Meditation Mix - PEACE (23:55)   Side B (ALL TRACKS 1.8 SECONDS) 1. MANTRA 1 (0:018) 2. MANTRA 2 (0:018) 3. MANTRA 3 (0:018) 4. MANTRA 4 (0:018) 5. MANTRA 5 (0:018) 6. MANTRA 6 (0:018) 7. MANTAR 7 (0:018) 8. MANTRA 8 (0:018) 9. MANTRA 9 (0:018)