John Lennon ‘Power To The People’ Box Focuses On John and Yoko in New York City

John Lennon’s next box set is ‘Power To The People’, a 9CD/3 Blu-Ray disc set featuring a remixed version of the 1972 double album ‘Sometime In New York City’, studio outtakes, and the One To One concerts from Madison Square Garden.

After the breakup of The Beatles, the One to One afternoon and evening Madison Square Garden shows on 30 August, 1972 were the only two full concerts John Lennon ever performed. Both are included on this released as well as the ‘Sometime In New York City Album’ (minus the track ‘Woman is the N*gger of the World), and some John and Yoko television performances.

The Deluxe Edition comprises 123 tracks, 90 of which are never-before-heard – including:
– New York City: the much-anticipated re-imagining of the Sometime In New York City album with accompanying Evolution and Elements Mixes.
– Studio Jam: the previously unreleased classic rock ‘n’ roll covers from these sessions.
– Live Jam: an expansion of the 1972 Live Jam LP featuring live performances with George Harrison, Eric Clapton,
– Frank Zappa, Keith Moon, Nicky Hopkins, Klaus Voormann and many more!
– Home Jam: 33 raw, intimate acoustic demos from John’s private collection, four of which feature Phil Ochs.

The cover features a stunning lenticular design merging John & Yoko’s faces and the box also contains unique replica memorabilia from the concert.

Also available on 1CD, 2CD, 2LP and 4LP, downloads and streaming
Instore 10 October

Sean Ono Lennon curated this expansive retrospective spotlighting his parents’ NYC years—especially their activism and artistic output. It features:
• A new mix of Sometime in New York City, titled New York City, with a stripped-down production and revised track order (longer versions of “John Sinclair” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday”)
• The complete One to One concerts (August 30, 1972) at Madison Square Garden—only full-length solo performances by John after The Beatles—supporting children with disabilities, fronted by the Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory.
• Over 90 previously unreleased tracks, including:
o Home acoustic demos (with four featuring Phil Ochs)
o Studio and live jams
o Alternate mixes titled Evolution and Elements
• A deluxe book and replicated memorabilia like tickets, posters, postcards, and a lenticular cover merging John & Yoko’s faces.

Sean Lennon, alongside studio engineers (Paul Hicks, Simon Hilton, Sam Gannon), updated and restored audio, aiming to preserve the concerts’ live energy while enhancing clarity and mix balance.

Released on June 12, 1972, Sometime in New York City was John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s politically charged double album, marrying studio tracks with raw live performances. Lennon and Ono sought to turn music into “a newspaper,” commenting on social and political issues through their art.

Recorded post-move to New York City in late 1971, most studio sessions featured:
• John Lennon – guitars, Dobro, vocals
• Yoko Ono – vocals
• Jim Keltner – drums, percussion
• Elephant’s Memory – a local NYC band:
o Stan Bronstein – saxophone, flute
o Wayne “Tex” Gabriel – guitar
o Richard Frank Jr. – drums, percussion
o Adam Ippolito – piano, organ
o Gary Van Scyoc – bass guitar
o John La Bosca – piano

The second disc, Live Jam, features a star-studded jam with John’s handwritten whimsical pseudonyms:
• Eric Clapton (“Derek Claptoe”) – guitar
• George Harrison (“George Harrisong”) – guitar
• Keith Moon (“Kief Spoon”) – drums
• Nicky Hopkins (“Sticky Topkins”) – electric piano
• Klaus Voormann (“Raus Doorman”) – bass
• Billy Preston (“Billy Presstud”) – organ
• Bobby Keys (“Robbie Knees”) – saxophone
• Jim Gordon (“Jim Bordom”) – drums
Plus others including Delaney & Bonnie, Jim Price (uncredited).

The album blends protest tracks and topical commentary, including:
• “John Sinclair” – advocating for the rebellious MC5 manager imprisoned for marijuana possession
• “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “The Luck of the Irish” – tackling Northern Irish conflict
• “Woman Is the N*gger of the World” – spotlighting gender inequality, with Ono contributing vocals (this track has been removed from the 2025 release).

Released just months after Lennon’s Imagine, this album was an intentional shift toward overt political expression, though critics harshly panned it as rushed and preachy. Lennon later reflected he wouldn’t write such songs in the future.

While Sometime in New York City tanked critically and commercially, its ambition—marrying political urgency with rock—captures a raw, daring moment in Lennon’s post-Beatles evolution.

Its boldness lacked timeless universality, but moving forward, the Power to the People box set redeems and reframes the work—offering context, rare material, and immersive storytelling. For collectors, fans, and historians, it promises the deepest dive yet into John & Yoko’s NYC era.

TRACK LISTING

CD1 / BR1

The One To One Concert ⋆ Hybrid ‘Best Of’ Show
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory plus Special Guests

1. Power To The People (intro) †
2. New York City †
3. It’s So Hard †
4. Move On Fast †
5. Well Well Well †
6. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) †
7. Mother †
8. We’re All Water †
9. Born In A Prison †
10. Come Together
11. Imagine†
12. Open Your Box †
13. Cold Turkey
14. Hound Dog
15. Law And Order
16. Give Peace A Chance
* denotes afternoon show, otherwise the performance is from the evening show

CD2 / BR1

The One To One Concert ⋆ Afternoon Show
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory plus Special Guests

1. Power To The People (intro) †
2. New York City
3. It’s So Hard
4. Move On Fast †
5. Well Well Well
6. Born In A Prison †
7. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
8. Mother
9. We’re All Water †
10. Come Together
11. Imagine
12. Open Your Box †
13. Cold Turkey †
14. Don’t Worry Kyoko †
15. Hound Dog †

CD3 / BR1

The One To One Concert ⋆ Evening Show
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory plus Special Guests

1. Power To The People (intro) †
2. New York City †
3. It’s So Hard †
4. Move On Fast †
5. Well Well Well †
6. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) †
7. Mother †
8. We’re All Water †
9. Born In A Prison †
10. Come Together
12. Open Your Box †
13. Cold Turkey
14. Hound Dog
15. Law And Order
16. Give Peace A Chance

CD4 / BR2

New York City (The Ultimate Mixes)
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory plus Invisible Strings

1. New York City (Ultimate Mix)
2. Sisters, O Sisters (Ultimate Mix)
3. Attica State (Ultimate Mix)
4. Born In A Prison (Ultimate Mix)
5. Sunday Bloody Sunday (Ultimate Mix, extended)
6. The Luck Of The Irish (Ultimate Mix)
7. John Sinclair (Ultimate Mix, extended)
8. Angela (Ultimate Mix)
9. We’re All Water (Ultimate Mix)

CD5 / BR2

New York City (The Evolution Documentary)
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory plus Invisible Strings

1. New York City (Evolution Documentary) †
2. Sisters, O Sisters (Evolution Documentary) †
3. Attica State (Evolution Documentary) †
4. Born In A Prison (Evolution Documentary) †
5. Sunday Bloody Sunday (Evolution Documentary) †
6. The Luck Of The Irish (Evolution Documentary) †
7. John Sinclair (Evolution Documentary) †
8. Angela (Evolution Documentary) †
9. We’re All Water (Evolution Documentary) †

CD6 / BR2

New York City (Studio Jam)
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory

1. Jazz Freakout †
2. You Can’t Sit Down †
3. Roll Over Beethoven †
4. Honey, Don’t †
5. Ain’t That A Shame †
6. My Babe †
7. Send Me Some Lovin’ †
8. Fools Like Me †
9. Down In The Caribbean †
10. Happy Birthday Yoko Ono †
11. That’s Right †
12. Don’t Be Cruel / Hound Dog †
13. Yoko’s Rhythm †
14. Whole Lotta Shakin’ / It’ll Be Me †
15. Yakety Yak †
16. Road Runner †

New York City (Elements Mixes)
John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band plus Invisible Strings

17. Sisters, O Sisters (Elements Mix) †
18. Born In A Prison (Elements Mix) †
19. The Luck Of The Irish (Elements Mix) †
20. Angela (Elements Mix) †

CD7 / BR3

Live Jam 1
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band and A Star Studded Cast of Thousands
Peace and Love for Christmas, in aid of UNICEF, Live at the Lyceum Ballroom, The Strand, London, 15 December 1969

1. Cold Turkey (live)
2. Don’t Worry Kyoko (live)

John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band with Frank Zappa and The Mothers
Fillmore East, New York 6 June 1971\

3. Well (Baby Please Don’t Go) (live)
4. Jamrag [Say Please / King Kong / Aawk] (live)
5. Scumbag (live)
6. Aü (live)

CD8 / BR3

Live Jam 2
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band with David Peel and The Lower East Side
Live at the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 10 December 1971

1. Attica State (live) †
2. The Luck Of The Irish (live)
3. Sisters, O Sisters (live) †
4. John Sinclair (live)
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band

Live at the Benefit for the families of the victims of the riot at Attica State Correctional Facility, Apollo Theater, Harlem, NYC, 17 December 1971

5. Attica State (live)
6. Sisters, O Sisters (live) †
7. Imagine (live)

John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band
Live on the David Frost TV Show, The Little Theatre, 240 West 44th Street, NYC, 16 December 1971

8. Attica State (live) †
9. Sisters, O Sisters (live) †
10. John Sinclair (live) †

John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Elephant’s Memory Band
Live at the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, Americana Hotel, NYC, 4 September 1972

11. Imagine (live) †
12. Now Or Never (live) †
13. Give Peace A Chance (live) †

CD9 / BR3

Home Jam
John Lennon
Home Recordings at the St. Regis Hotel, New York, 10 September 1971

1. Shazam †
2. Honey, Don’t †
3. Glad All Over †
4. Lend Me Your Comb †
5. Wake Up Little Susie †
6. New York City †
7. Wake Up Little Susie †
8. ‘Hey, que pasa?’ †
9. You’re So Square (Baby I Don’t Care) †
10. Vacation Time †
11. Heartbeat †
12. Peggy Sue Got Married †
13. Peggy Sue †
14. ‘Phone call from Henry Gotsello’ †
15. Peggy Sue †
16. ‘Now we’d like to change the mood a little…’ †
17. Maybe Baby †
18. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues †
19. Rave On! †
20. Twelve Bar Blues †

John Lennon
Home Recordings at the St. Regis Hotel, New York
27 October 1971
21. I Got You †
22. Hi-Heel Sneakers †
23. Slippin’ And Slidin’ †
24. Gone From This Place †

John Lennon
Home Recordings at Campus Inn, Ann Arbor, Michigan
10 December 1971
25. Send Me Some Lovin’ †
26. He Got The Blues †
27. When The Teacher †
28. Pill †
29. It’s Real

John Lennon and Phil Ochs
Home Recordings at Campus Inn, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 10 December 1971
30. I Ain’t Marching Anymore †
31. Joe Hill †
32. Chords Of Fame †
33. Ringing Of Revolution

† denotes never-before-heard, previously unreleased tracks.

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