John Lennon’s ‘Walls and Bridges’ album clocked up its 50th anniversary this week. ‘Walls and Bridges’ was released on 4 October 1974 in the UK and a week earlier in the USA.
Work on ‘Walls and Bridges’ began in June 1974 at Record Plant East New York at 321 W 44th St. It was the same studio Bruce Springsteen recorded ‘Born To Run’, Eagles made ‘Hotel California’ and ‘Fleetwood Mac recorded ‘Rumours’.
The core players for ‘Walls and Bridges’ with John were included Jim Keltner on drums, Klaus Voormann on bass guitar, Jesse Ed Davison guitar and Arthur Jenkins on percussion.
The first single off the album was Lennon’s now classic ‘Whatever Gets You Thru The Night’, featuring Elton John on piano and harmony vocals.
The second and final single off the album ‘#9 Dream’ features John’s personal assistant and girlfriend during the 18 month break-up with Yoko called The Long Weekend, May Pang on backing vocals.
Harry Nilsson is credited as Backing Vocals and co-writers on ‘Old Dirt Road’.
There has not been an announcement of the anniversary release at this point. However, multiple outtakes surfaced on both the ‘Menlove Avenue’ 1986 and ‘John Lennon Anthology’ (1998). Between the two albums you can compile a playlist of almost a complete alternate version of ‘Walls and Bridges’ minus ‘Beef Jerky’ and ‘Ya Ya’.
‘Menlove Avenue’ has alternate versions of ‘Steel and Glass’, ‘Scared’, ‘Old Dirt Road’, ‘Nobody Loves You (When You’re Down and Out)’ and ‘Bless You’.
‘John Lennon Anthology’ has alternates of ‘What You Got’, ‘Nobody Loves You (When You’re Down And Out’, ‘Whatever Gets You Thru The Night’, ‘Scared’, ‘Steel and Glass’, ‘Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradise)’, ‘Bless You’ and ‘Going Down On Love’.
2024 say the release of the 50th anniversary ‘Mind Games’ box set and an announcement for a 50th anniversary ‘Walls and Bridges’ is expected to be the next major announcement from the Lennon estate.
Walls and Bridges
Going Down On Love
Whatever Gets You Thru The Night
Old Dirt Road
What You Got
Bless You
Scared
#9 Dream
Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)
Steel And Glass
Beef Jerky
Nobody Loves You (When You’re Down And Out)
Ya Ya
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