Play more 'Mind Games' with the Ultimate Collection of the John Lennon classic

Los Angeles – May 15, 2024 – Anchored by the buoyant peace-and-love anthem, “Mind Games,” John Lennon’s fourth album of the same name, was surprisingly written and recorded during an incredibly tumultuous time in the rock legend’s life. In 1973, at age 33, John found himself in personal and political upheaval. A years-long deportation battle with U.S. immigration continued to rage on while his high-profile anti-Nixon campaigning, anti-Vietnam war activism, as well as the overtly political messages on his polarizing 1972 album, Sometime in New York City, made him a target of a newly elected Richard Nixon, leading to surveillance by the FBI.

This was the dramatic backdrop as John entered NYC’s Record Plant in August ’73 with a select band of world-class session musicians (jokingly named The Plastic U.F.Ono Band), including their friend drummer Jim Keltner who along with guitarist David Spinozza assembled pianist Ken Ascher, bassist Gordon Edwards, pedal-steel player “Sneaky” Pete Kleinow, saxophonist Michael Brecker, drummer Rick Marotta, backing vocalists Jocelyn Brown, Christine Wiltshire, Angel Coakely and Kathy Mull, and, to make his fourth post-Beatles solo album in just three years. John would channel this period of extraordinary activity to make a deeply personal and engrossing album of self-reflection that explored themes of love, heartbreak, peace, spirituality and social injustice, giving us yet another window into his life and soul, and some of his best solo songs, on Mind Games.

On July 12, The John Lennon Estate and Capitol/UMe will celebrate John Lennon’s pivotal and intensely personal 1973 album, Mind Games, with a suite of completely newly remixed and expanded Ultimate Collection editions, offering an immersive, deep listening experience and in-depth exploration of this classic, yet underappreciated record.

Fully authorized by Yoko Ono Lennon and produced by Sean Ono Lennon, who oversaw the production and creative direction, the Ultimate Collection is from the same audio team that worked on the critically acclaimed Imagine and John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Ultimate Collections, including triple GRAMMY®-Award winning engineer Paul Hicks, and mixers/engineers Sam Gannon and Rob Stevens. The definitive Ultimate Collection puts listeners in the center of the studio and explores the album’s 1973 recording sessions at the Record Plant in New York City, from inception to the final master, through scores of unreleased outtakes, unadulterated versions, instrumentals, stripped down mixes, studio chatter and more, revealing how these fan favorite songs evolved and came to life.

Yoko Ono Lennon says: “John was trying to convey the message that we all play mind games. But if we can play mind games, why not make a positive future with it – to be a positive mind game? ‘Mind Games’ is such an incredibly strong song. At the time, people didn't quite get the message because this was before its time. Now, people would understand it. I don't think in those days people knew they were playing mind games anyway.”

Mind Games – The Ultimate Collection offers six different unique listening experiences that are at once immersive and intimate, ranging from the brand new Ultimate Mixes of the timeless album, which put John’s vocals front and center and sonically upgrade the sound, to the Elements Mixes, which isolate and bring forth certain instruments from the multitrack recordings to highlight playing previously buried in the original mix, and the Raw Studio Mixes, which allows listeners to hear the recording that John and The Plastic U.F.Ono Band laid to tape, mixed raw and live without vocals effects, tape delays or reverbs.

The Evolutionary Documentary is a unique track-by-track audio montage that details the evolution of each song from demo to master recording via demos, rehearsals, out-takes, multitrack exploration, and studio conversations. The Out-Takes allow listeners to hear compelling different takes of each song while the Elemental Mixes, a new set created especially for the Mind Games – Ultimate Collection, inhabit a world between the minimalism of the Elements Mixes and the Ultimate Mixes, stripping the songs back to simpler, lean-back arrangements with John’s voice to the fore, and without drums. An array of listening options, including High-Definition, studio quality 192kHz/24bit audio in stereo and enveloping 5.1 Surround and Dolby Atmos mixes, are available on Blu-ray.

All of the tracks have been completely remixed from scratch from the 15 original two-inch multitrack session tapes using brand new 192-24 digital transfers. The Ultimate Collection includes previously unreleased out-takes and stems plus additional never-heard-before audio from archive ¼” reel-to-reels, cassettes, and videotapes.

Mind Games – The Ultimate Collection releases will be available in a variety of formats, ranging from digital and 2CD and 2LP versions to a Deluxe box set featuring 6CDs and 2 Blu-ray discs. The pièce de résistance is a Super Deluxe Edition, a Limited Edition of only 1100 copies worldwide.

Last month, a limited edition four-track Mind Games vinyl EP was released exclusively for Record Store Day as a teaser of the Ultimate Collection. Offered in two color variants – a luminous glow-in-the-dark 140g color vinyl and a 180g black vinyl audiophile version, the EP includes three songs from the set, along with “I’m The Greatest” (Ultimate Mix), a song written by John for Ringo Starr, which appeared on his 1973 album, Ringo. This previously unreleased version features John on vocals, George Harrison on guitar and Ringo on drums.

The “Mind Games” (Evolution Documentary) globally launches the Mind Games – Ultimate Collection and pre-order today. 

SUPER DELUXE EDITION
Truly a work of art and in a class of its own, the SUPER DELUXE EDITION Box Set is, in essence, a time capsule into John and Yoko’s world around the writing and recording of Mind Games, including the times leading up to and after its release in 1973. As innovative as it is elaborate, the Super Deluxe box set is presented in a 13-inch cube, a perspex reproduction of Yoko’s 1966 artwork “Danger Box.” Once lifted, four sides, featuring artwork from Mind Games on shiny Mirror Board, fall to reveal nine individual boxes of various shapes and sizes interlocked together, each with its own look and focus. Hidden throughout the comprehensive and creative set are many Easter Eggs, some of which can only be revealed by using other items in the box to see them, along with loads of other hidden secrets, surprises, puzzles, and “mind games”. The box is housed inside a striking 13” packing container cube adorned with custom art.

The Super Deluxe Edition includes:

+ MIND GAMES – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION – 7x LP VINYL BOX

4 x gatefold LPs comprising 12 tracks each of the Ultimate Mixes, Elemental Mixes, Elements Mixes, Evolution Documentary, Out-takes and Raw Studio Mixes with bespoke inners, posters and postcards with Easter Eggs hidden throughout.

+ MIND GAMES – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION – DELUXE BOX SET

6 CDs, 2 Blu-Rays, 128pp hardback 10” book, poster, postcards, ID Card

+ HOLOGRAM VINYL EP BOX – MIND GAMES/MEAT CITY

Exclusive bespoke “Karmic Wheel” hologram-engraved picture disc enclosed in reproduction of John Lennon’s “Build Around It” artwork.

+ MAGIC BOX – 2x LP PICTURE DISC BOX SET

The Ultimate Mixes and Out-takes on 2x LP color picture vinyl discs, visually reimagined by Zoetrope animation artist Drew Tetz with a new poster, postcards, additional zoetrope and bar animation elements and an ultraviolet flashlight. Also includes exclusive portraits designed by map portrait artist Ed Fairburn of fold-out 46-inch-square maps of Liverpool (John) and Tokyo (Yoko), containing over 700 locations of interest, highlighted in Ultraviolet ink and every location detailed in accompanying booklets.

+ THAMES AND HUDSON BOOK

288-page deep-dive coffee-table hardback book - in the words of John & Yoko and the people who were there - on the events of John & Yoko’s lives, including the making of the Mind Games album and everything surrounding it, featuring brand new interviews with all their friends, colleagues, musicians and engineers, exclusive never-before-seen photographs by Bob Gruen, Michael Brennan, Tom Zimberov, Koh Hasabe and David Gahr and exclusive photos, lyrics, letters, original tape boxes and memorabilia from the John Lennon & Yoko Ono Lennon Archives.

+ CITIZEN OF NUTOPIA BOX
Exclusive reproduction memorabilia from the Estates of John & Yoko including a large white Nutopian Flag, a Nutopian Embassy Plaque, Citizen Of Nutopia ID Card, Great Seal of Nutopia stamp, reproduction of John & Yoko’s “Declaration of Nutopia” from April 1973, You Are Here, and Yin-yang fishes and Not Insane badges.

+ YOU ARE HERE BOX

A Limited Edition, 12-inch circular canvas reproduction of John Lennon’s artwork You Are Here, 1968 with a Certificate of Authenticity.

+ I-CHING BOX
Three customized John & Yoko I-Ching coins, ultraviolet flashlight and Magic Magnet.

+ PUZZLE TILES BOX

STANDARD DELUXE EDITION BOX
The Deluxe Edition presents Mind Games in a 10” x 10” box, identical in size and shape to the Gimme Some Truth, Imagine – The Ultimate Collection and John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – The Ultimate Collection boxes, and features 72 tracks across six CDs and two High-Definition Blu-ray Audio discs for more than seven hours of music for the most definitive listening experience. A number of hidden audio and video tracks, along with secret messages and other Easter Eggs are spread across the set.

The Deluxe Edition includes:

+ 6 CDs include the Ultimate Mixes, Elemental Mixes, Elements Mixes, Evolution Documentary, Out-takes and Raw Studio Mixes.

+ 2 Blu-Ray discs include high resolution 24-96 stereo, 5.1 and Dolby Atmos versions of the Ultimate Mixes, Elemental Mixes, Elements Mixes, Evolution Documentary, Out-takesand Raw Studio Mixes plus 2024 remastered “Mind Games” music video and “You Are Here” (additional out-take) tape boxes video.

+ Designed and edited by Simon Hilton, the Compilation Producer and Production Manager of the Ultimate Collection series, a 128-page glossy hardback coffee table book tells the story behind each of the songs and the making of the album in the words of John & Yoko’s (taken from hundreds of hours of archive interviews), and the words of those who worked alongside them, through archival and brand new interviews with all the musicians and engineers, exclusive never-before-seen photographs by Bob Gruen and exclusive photos, lyrics, letters, original tape boxes and memorabilia from the John Lennon & Yoko Ono Lennon Archives.

+ A reproduction of the original triptych marketing poster for the album; postcard sized reproductions of artworks made for the marketing of the album in 1973 and an individually numbered Citizen of Nutopia ID Card.

THE ULTIMATE MIXES
The original Mind Games album has been faithfully remixed from the ground up by producer Sean Ono Lennon, working with triple GRAMMY-Award winning mixer and engineer Paul Hicks with additional engineering by Sam Gannon. They utilized high-definition 24 bit-192kHz audio transfers of the original first-generation multitrack recordings by Matthew Cocker at Abbey Road Studios to create the best possible recreations of the originals. The result is these new Ultimate Mixes now reveal whole new levels of sonic depth, definition and clarity, especially in 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos.

THE ELEMENTAL MIXES
A new set created especially for the Mind Games - Ultimate Collection, The Elemental Mixes, mixed by Hicks, inhabit a world between the minimalism of the Elements Mixes and the Ultimate Mixes. Simpler stripped-back, lean-back arrangements, erring towards the acoustic, with John’s voice to the fore, and without drums.

THE ELEMENTS MIXES
The Elements Mixes, mixed by Sam Gannon, reduce the songs to the minimum amount of instruments possible. At most, only three instruments are heard at any one time. With the focus taken away from John’s vocal, the delicacy and nuance of these performers is allowed to shine through. Instrumental selections were made on a song-by-song basis – which instruments and performances should be highlighted and what other instruments would they work well together with to maintain an engaging listening experience with such a sparse arrangement. These range from just Ken Ascher’s piano and organ on “Mind Games” and “Out The Blue,” allowing one to hear his beautiful, melodic playing, to Sneaky Pete Kleinlow’s isolated rollicking pedal steel guitar on “Tight A$,” to John’s electric piano and Gordon Edwards’ bass on “One Day (At A Time).”

THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY

Edited, mixed and engineered by Sam Gannon, the Evolution Mixes are mini audio documentaries that explore the development of each song from their very first demo state through to the fully formed master take via in-studio development, chat and out-takes. Edited down from the original 16-track multitrack tapes, demo cassettes and other source tapes, generally each Evolution Documentary runs through the song’s sessions chronologically, starting with demos or early takes and ending with an exploration of the master take and its overdubs; highlighting different, and sometimes hidden, parts of the multitrack while including all the best method, madness, and magic heard during the creation and development of the songs. These mixes put the listener into the center of the studio with John Lennon and The Plastic U.F.Ono Band in order to hear a deep-dive into his creative process.

THE RAW STUDIO MIXES
Mixed by Rob Stevens, the Raw Studio Mixes transport listeners to the center of the Record Plant to hear exactly what was recorded during the sessions. The songs have been mixed with minimum effects, tape delays or reverbs, recreating as close to possible what these performances sounded like, raw and live. The Raw Studio Mixes stand on their own to provide an alternative listening experience, stripping away the effects, especially on John’s vocals, that were used in the production of the original album.

THE OUT-TAKES
Having reviewed all the takes from the entire recording sessions, the best alternate take of every song on the album is presented.

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