John Lennon fans will be able to celebrate the late singer’s 80th birthday by listening to his music in a whole new way.
Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes, featuring 36 songs chosen by Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono and their son Sean Lennon, will be released Oct. 9. The tracks were completely remixed.
“After weeks of painstaking preparation, the final mixes and effects were completed using only vintage analog equipment and effects at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles,” according to a release, “and then mastered in analog at Abbey Road Studios in order to ensure the most beautiful and authentic sound quality possible.”
Paul Hicks, who mixed and engineered the tracks, said the goal was to “remain faithful and respectful to the originals, ensure that the sound is generally sonically clearer overall, and increase the clarity of John’s vocals.”
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Gimme Some Truth will be available in several formats including CD, vinyl, digital and a Deluxe Edition Box Set. In the preface to a 124-page book that is part of the set, Ono writes: “John was a brilliant man with a great sense of humour and understanding. He believed in being truthful and that the power of the people will change the world. And it will.
“All of us have the responsibility to visualize a better world for ourselves and our children. The truth is what we create. It's in our hands.”
Of course, the collection of Lennon’s post-Beatles work includes “Give Peace A Chance,” which was recorded inside a suite at Montreal’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel.
Lennon was shot to death on Dec. 8, 1980 outside his Manhattan apartment building.
Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes was teased Thursday with the release of a new mix of 1970’s “Instant Karma (We All Shine On).” Listen to it below: