Unfinished Music Nº2: “Life with the lions“; was the 2nd of three experimental albums by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, It was the successor of the scandalous: Unfinished Music Nº1: “Two Virgins”.
On the first side appears a unreleased edited version from “live peace” call: “Cambridge 1969” recorded at Lady Mitchell Hall, Cambridge University, Cambridge. March 2.1969. John and Yoko's second performance together after the concert show organised by The Rolling Stones on 11 December 1968: "The Rolling Stones Rock N´Roll Circus". Followed by the outtake "Mulberry", recorded on a cassette tape in their suite at Queen Charlotte´s Hospital in London during Ono´s first miscarriage on November 1968. While EMI Records was preparing the last record from the Beatles "White Album" programmed to November 22, 1968. The second side continues with more hospital recordings. On early April 1969, the álbum was ready, this it was going to be, supposedly, the original line-up:
But when all was almost ready, the record company suggested to Yoko made an album of her sort of freak-type freestyle and some songs as: “Song for John",“Mulberry” or ”Snow is falling all the time” were going to be part of her first album. For this reason “Unfinished Music nº2”, was delayed and modified and shortly after when the new versión was ready, the original title “Life with the Lennon´s “ changed to “Life with the lions“. This new title was both a parody on the name of the BBC radio comedy “Life with the Lyons“ and a reference to the press, who would follow Lennon and Ono everywhere.
Produced by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. It was Released in May 9 1969 (UK) and May 26 (US) on Zapple, a sub label of Apple Records founded in 1968 as a division of Apple Corps by The Beatles.
Apple Records did not want to include in its catalog this new and strange work - genre: avant garde noise - from John and Yoko, something that bothered John quite a lot. Zapple would release only two albums: this and George Harrison´s "Electronic Sound". This label would be closed by Allen Klein.
What´s it "Unfinished Music" ?. - John Lennon answer - "It´s saying whatever you want it to say. It is just us expressing ourselves like a child does, you know, however he feels like then. What we're saying is make your own music. This is Unfinished Music.".However for the music critic Ed Ward - Rolling Stone magazine: “ The album was "utter bullshit" and "in poor taste".
Apple Records did not want to include in its catalog this new and strange work - genre: avant garde noise - from John and Yoko, something that bothered John quite a lot. Zapple would release only two albums: this and George Harrison´s "Electronic Sound". This label would be closed by Allen Klein.
What´s it "Unfinished Music" ?. - John Lennon answer - "It´s saying whatever you want it to say. It is just us expressing ourselves like a child does, you know, however he feels like then. What we're saying is make your own music. This is Unfinished Music.".However for the music critic Ed Ward - Rolling Stone magazine: “ The album was "utter bullshit" and "in poor taste".
On the first side appears a unreleased edited version from “live peace” call: “Cambridge 1969” recorded at Lady Mitchell Hall, Cambridge University, Cambridge. March 2.1969. John and Yoko's second performance together after the concert show organised by The Rolling Stones on 11 December 1968: "The Rolling Stones Rock N´Roll Circus". Followed by the outtake "Mulberry", recorded on a cassette tape in their suite at Queen Charlotte´s Hospital in London during Ono´s first miscarriage on November 1968. While EMI Records was preparing the last record from the Beatles "White Album" programmed to November 22, 1968. The second side continues with more hospital recordings. On early April 1969, the álbum was ready, this it was going to be, supposedly, the original line-up:
Side
One: (17:29)
1.Cambridge
1969 (edit). (8:32)
2.Mulberry.
(8:56)
Side
Two: (17:53)
1.Song
for John (Suite).
"Song
for John". (1:26)
"Let's
Go on Flying". (0:27)
"Snow
Is Falling All the Time". (1:06)
2.Mum's
Only Looking
for
Her Hand in the Snow. (2:14)
3.No
Bed for Beatle John. (4:38)
4.Radio
Play (edit). (7:59)
Yoko
Ono – vocals, radio
John
Lennon – vocals, guitar, feedback
John
Tchicai – saxophone (track 1 only)
John
Stevens – percussion (track 1 only)
Mal
Evans – watch (track 1 only)
But when all was almost ready, the record company suggested to Yoko made an album of her sort of freak-type freestyle and some songs as: “Song for John",“Mulberry” or ”Snow is falling all the time” were going to be part of her first album. For this reason “Unfinished Music nº2”, was delayed and modified and shortly after when the new versión was ready, the original title “Life with the Lennon´s “ changed to “Life with the lions“. This new title was both a parody on the name of the BBC radio comedy “Life with the Lyons“ and a reference to the press, who would follow Lennon and Ono everywhere.
So
the A side was modified with the full lenght version from “Cambridge
1969” and the original B was restructured too. bit.ly/JL69YkO Unfortunately for
her, the Yoko's solo album was never recorded, and this rejected
version from B side was given away to the American Magazine “Aspen”
and released as a limited mono 8” square flexi record.
John took the record to Apple, but was turned down. Apple Records did not want it. EMI didn't act as distributor for Unfinished Music No.1: “Two Virgins“; but now they did it.
The success was scarce, in part because it was not something the listener could understand, neither yesterday nor today. The distribution was very low, just 60,000 copies in US. and 5000 in the UK
The success was scarce, in part because it was not something the listener could understand, neither yesterday nor today. The distribution was very low, just 60,000 copies in US. and 5000 in the UK
The álbum photos
by Susan Wood. Room
1, Second West Ward,Queen Charlotte's Hospital.
Enjoy it. If you can.