Previously unreleased footage of John Lennon and Yoko Ono demoing ‘Give Peace A Chance’ has been released.
It’s been over 50 years since Lennon and Ono’s iconic Bed-In for Peace at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal in 1969. Now, as per SPIN, a new demo has emerged of the duo performing ‘Give Peace A Chance’ while there.
The footage comes via the John Lennon Estate and shows the legendary artists beside each other on a different bed, this one at the Sheraton Oceanus Hotel in the Bahamas, just days before the real thing on May 25th 1969.
The demo video was taken by Lennon’s film cameraman Nic Knowland and sound recordist Mike Lax and it’s remarkably crystal clear considering its age. And as it stands, it’s now officially the earliest-known recording of ‘Give Peace A Chance’.
It’s a wonderfully unvarnished look into Lennon and Ono’s artistic process and inner life. We get to see the pair play around with their soon-to-be-classic anti-Vietnam War anthem, both seeming genuinely comfortable and happy. Lennon mumbles lyrics at a quickening speed, Ono watching on with an amused and quizzical look on her face. Both look extremely relaxed as they work on the song.
The new demo is a taster of a huge new box set being released to mark the 50th anniversary of that famous Bed-In for Peace. Titled John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection, it’s packed with other unreleased and rare demos, rehearsals, outtakes, jams, and studio conversations taken from the 1970 recording sessions at EMI Studios 2 & 3, Abbey Road, as well as with John’s post-Beatles singles, ‘Give Peace A Chance’, ‘Cold Turkey’ and ‘Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)’.
It’s due out on April 23rd via Capitol/UMe and it’s available for pre-order here.
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Check out ‘Give Peace A Chance’ (demo) by John Lennon and Yoko Ono:
