1973-10-29
Mind Games
John Lennon
By Maeve C.
Record Plant East in New York hosted the Mind Games sessions in July and August 1973, and John Lennon produced the album alone, his first without Phil Spector. He jokingly called the musicians the Plastic U.F.Ono Band; they included Jim Keltner, David Spinozza and pedal-steel player ‘Sneaky’ Pete Kleinow.
The recording came while Lennon was in difficulties with US immigration and at the start of his 18-month separation from Yoko Ono. “Bring On The Lucie (Freda Peeple)” keeps some of his political edge, and “Nutopian International Anthem” takes its name from Nutopia, the conceptual country John and Yoko declared that April.
Sources
Official artist site: 'Released USA: 29 Oct 1973', 'Released UK: 16 Nov 1973', 'First released: 29 October 1973'; recorded at Record Plant East, NYC, July–August 1973; produced by Lennon; Plastic U.F.Ono Band personnel; Declaration of Nutopia dated 1 April 1973. (Its essay's 'released in November' refers to the later UK issue.)Corroborates US release 29 October 1973 and UK 16 November 1973; first self-produced album without Phil Spector; immigration difficulties and start of the 18-month separation from Yoko Ono.