John Lennon: Between The Lines

complete home recordings 1975–1980

Disc 6: Early – April 1980 [64:18]

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LYRICS for disc 6

Guide to the track notes

Watching The Wheels PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 0:36
- recorded: early 1980?
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.129, #35.3:c.1
- source: LLT premiere
- This excerpt of 'Watching The Wheels', from the premiere of the LLT series, is unidentified, but may come from the same tape as 'Stranger's Room' below, as that cassette has four piano takes prior to it. In any case, this appears to have been recorded after the composing session included on disc 5 but before the electric version (track 20 on this disc).
Stranger's Room PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 1:29
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.128, #33:a.1
- source: LLT program 88-34
- By lyrical evidence, this is clearly earlier than the two longer passes of the song available later on this disc (but is evidently not the first recording of the composition, as an attempt appears to have been taped at the end of the 1979 session which yielded 'Baby Make Love To You', see disc 2). As stated above, it follows 4 takes of 'Watching The Wheels'; after a second attempt John closes the tape with a rendition of 'John Henry'.
John Henry PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 1:35
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.119, #3:c.1
- source: LLT program 88-09
John Henry [instrumental] PLAY
- length: 0:42
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: electric guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.119, #3:a.1
- source: Hidden Archives [89-31]
John Henry PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:12
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: electric guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.119, #3:b.1
- source: LLT program 89-02 + Hidden Archives [89-31]
- It seems that John may have started another tape straight after the one ending with 'John Henry' above by attempting the song with guitar this time. In any case, this tape continues next with versions of the same compositions, 'Watching The Wheels' and 'Stranger's Room', and very likely comes from at least the same period. A clean excerpt of this electric guitar rendition of John Henry was aired in LLT episode 89-02; the 89-31 broadcast has been dubbed with fake audience noise and an announcer (courtesy of Westwood One), but is longer and includes a preceding instrumental version (track 18) as well.
Watching The Wheels PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:51
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: electric guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.129, #35.3:e.1
- source: Serve Yourself [89-36]
Corrina, Corrina PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 1:18
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: electric guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.119, #7:a.1
- source: Unbootlegged 7 [88-31 + 91-17]
- Not continuing serious work yet, John taped a few electric passes (of which we have the first) at 'Watching The Wheels' next and then went into a cover of 'Corrina, Corrina' using the same rhythm and chord progression.
Stranger's Room PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 3:45
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.128, #33:b.1
- source: A Heart Play [90-21] + LLT program 90-21
Stranger's Room PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 6:35
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.128, #33:c.1
- source: Anthology + Yer Blues [90-24] + Hidden Archives [91-22]
- After wrapping up the guitar workouts with track 21, Lennon finally returns to continue work on 'Stranger's Room' on piano. Of these two composing demos, the one issued on Anthology appears to be later; the official release, however, has several edits. It has here been restored with unedited airings from the LLT series: the best sounding bootleg lift is on Yer Blues, but the source broadcast for that title is not quite as complete at the end as a later airing utilized on Hidden Archives.
My Life [take 1] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:52
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: acoustic guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.125, #28:f.1
- source: LLT 34 [91-27]
My Life [take 2] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:37
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: acoustic guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.125, #28:e.1
- source: Anthology
My Life [take 3] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:42
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: acoustic guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.125, #28:d.1
- source: LLT program 88-25
- The take numbers of the first two versions (tracks 5-6) haven't been confirmed, but internal evidence suggests that they are takes 1 and 2 from a session of 3 from which take 3 (track 7) is known. Handwritten lyrics for 'My Life' exist on Hotel Okura stationary, so the song may have been composed back in August 1979.
My Life [take ? (fragment)] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 0:14
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: acoustic guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.125, #28:g.1
- source: Unbootlegged 7 [90-33]
- This short unidentified fragment probably comes from another tape and sitting altogether than the acoustic takes above.
Serve Yourself PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 4:26
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.128, #32:g.1
- source: My Love Will Turn You On [90-34]
Serve Yourself PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 4:33
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.127, #32:b.1
- source: LLT program 88-52
- Probably some time during Spring 1980, John recorded another bunch of demos for 'Serve Yourself'. These two available takes are lyrically quite close to the to acoustic version from Bermuda; the lines "it's still the same old story" and "a fight for love and glory" are references to the Casablanca song 'As Time Goes By', something which John and Yoko seem to have been fond (cf. the January 1976 Earth News interview excerpted on Anthology).
Memories [take 1] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 4:33
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.124, #26:a.1
- source: LLT program 90-07 + Hidden Archives [91-03]
- Continuing on the other side of the cassette, John taped two attempts at 'Memories', a new version of 1975's 'Tennessee' next. The 91-03 airing of track 16 (bootlegged on Hidden Archives) has a significantly longer intro (with voice-over from an interview) and outro than the 90-07 one. Listen for the slips into 'Serve Yourself' in both takes.
Cathy's Clown PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 1:12
- recorded: early 1980
- 8 Arms ID: p.119, #1:a.1
- source: LLT 34 [90-44]
You Send Me PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:08
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.119, #2:a.1
- source: LLT 34 [90-44]
- Tracks 17 and 18 were covered between takes of 'Memories'.
Memories [take 2] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 2:30
- recorded: early 1980
- instrumentation: piano
- 8 Arms ID: p.124, #26.1:a.1
- source: Gone From This Place [88-49]
- After this second take, the tape continues with versions of 'Girls And Boys', 'Serve Yourself', an early incarnation of 'I'm Stepping Out', 'Watching The Wheels', 'Help Me To Help Myself' and 'Well (Baby Please Don't Go)'.
["welcome to Cold Spring Harbor"] PLAY | TRANSCRIPT
- length: 0:50
- recorded: April 11, 1980
- 8 Arms ID: —
- source: video
- Evidently recorded after John and Sean's arrival, but before Yoko had joined them in Cold Spring Harbor. From a circulating video.
Dear Yoko [takes 1-2] PLAY | LYRICS
- length: 5:50
- recorded: April 11, 1980
- instrumentation: acoustic guitar
- 8 Arms ID: p.121, #7:a-b.1
- source: Hidden Archives [video] + The Camcorder Tape [video]
[dialogue at Cannon Hill] PLAY | TRANSCRIPT
- length: 5:12
- recorded: April 11-12, 1980
- 8 Arms ID: p.121, (#7)
- source: The Camcorder Tape [video] + Imagine: John Lennon (DVD)
- The dialogue on track 22, ultimately from a home video, comes mostly from a lift included on a scarce and obscure disc The Camcorder Tape, except for the bit at the very end ("we're having lunch on TV"), which was included in the Imagine: John Lennon documentary. The two takes of 'Dear Yoko', part of the same video, are more complete and in better quality on Hidden Archives. The existence of these filmed takes shows that the song was in existence before the Bermuda holiday, and is already almost finished lyrically.
[blues instrumental (fragments)] PLAY
- length: 3:36
- recorded: c. 1979–80
- instrumentation: electric guitar/drum machine
- 8 Arms ID: p.119, #5:a.1
- source: Unbootlegged 9 [88-09 + 88-19 + 89-01 + 89-33]
- Used several times as a musical bed in LLT, here is a compilation of the different fragments (courtesy of Unbootlegged 9), for what they are worth. Exact time of recording and origin unknown.