John OnoAs 1968 started to set in, it became quire obvious that things had changed radically and irrevocably for the Beatles.

John in particular acted out a profoundly disturbing psychological study of a man torn between dueling identities. On the one hand there is the public persona of John as a ‘Beatle’. That could be stretched to include the lovable mop-top persona that he himself helped to spawn. The general public loved ‘Beatle John’, and most fans understood and appreciated his need to grow artistically. ‘I Am the Walrus’ was miles removed from ‘Please Please Me’, but most fans understood and approved of the artistic development.

For John, though, that was not nearly enough. With Brian Epstein absent, the governor was off the engine, and John suddenly saw possibilities that extended infinitely beyond the limited scope of the Beatles. Unfortunately for Beatles fans, though, this ‘alternate ego’ was determined to throw off every existing trace of a connection to his previously ‘invented’ self. John was on a journey to rediscover the real ‘John’, at any cost. The results were shocking, to say the least, and provided the first and most obvious death knell for the world’s most popular band.

This show attempts to capture John in the midst of the transition from Beatle John to John Ono Lennon. It is a jarring trip, so hold on. Tracks include;

1) Across the Universe (early version)

2) Artifact I (side one of ‘Two Virgins’)

3) Artifact II (side two of ‘Two Virgins’)

4) Happiness Is a Warm Gun (demo)

5) Mean Mr. Mustard (demo)

6) Polythene Pam (demo)

7) Glass Onion (demo)

8) Across the Universe (charity version)