Latest news with #PlasticOnoBand
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
John Lennon Sends Multiple Singles Back To The Charts, Joining The Beatles
While The Beatles can almost always be found on at least one or two charts in the United Kingdom, the same can't be said for the group's individual members, though the four musicians — Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon — do manage to return from time to time. McCartney and Starr sometimes score new wins with brand new material, while Harrison and Lennon bounce back thanks to catalogs filled with successful albums and beloved singles. Lennon returns this time around with a pair of tracks as he blasts back onto multiple rankings in his home nation. This week in the U.K., Lennon's biggest hit is 'Power to the People.' The track is credited to John and Yoko as a duo, with their last names left off. Also featured is the Plastic Ono Band, as 'Power to the People' is a collaborative affair. That tune reenters a pair of rosters across the Atlantic. It blasts back onto the Official Vinyl Singles chart at No. 24, while simultaneously reappearing on the Official Physical Singles list at No. 27. At the same time, Lennon's solo cut 'Mind Games' also finds space once more on the Official Physical Singles chart. This time around, it appears at No. 78. 'Mind Games' and 'Power to the People' have experienced similar trajectories on these tallies. Both tunes have not yet reached double-digit frames on either ranking, and the two have peaked inside the top 10, but never reached No. 1. The Beatles are also doing well on the U.K. charts at the moment, but there's only a limited amount of crossover between the group's success and Lennon's, as the band and its member only share one tally this frame. The rock troupe doubles up on the Official Albums chart, as the compilation 1962–1966 joins a climbing 1967–1970. The band fills two spots on the Official Physical Singles list, as 'From Us to You' and 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' reenter that ranking at Nos. 53 and 74, respectively.
Forbes
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
John Lennon's Only Solo Concerts Have Suddenly Become Big Business
More than 50 years later, John Lennon's One-to-One concerts are suddenly big business, with a top 10 ... More EP and a successful new documentary in theaters. Former Beatle John Lennon (1940 - 1980) at his home, Tittenhurst Park, near Ascot, Berkshire, July 1971. (Photo by) Decades after they were first staged, John Lennon's One-to-One concerts are suddenly, and somewhat unexpectedly, having a major commercial moment. Held more than 50 years ago, the shows were hugely important at the time, both for the causes they supported and for what they represented in the musician's solo career. Now, after decades of fading into relative obscurity – as much as anything attached to a former Beatle can – they're back in the spotlight thanks to a pair of new releases. A new EP featuring recordings from the shows, titled Power to the People: Live at the One-to-One Concert, New York City, 1972, was released as part of Record Store Day earlier in April. The four-track set features songs recorded during those shows which were hand-selected by his own son, Sean Ono Lennon. Whole only pressed in limited quantities, the project became a quick bestseller. Power to the People debuted inside the top 10 on three charts in the United Kingdom last week. It's classified as a single due to its length, so it added to Lennon and Ono's total number of bestselling singles. For what was originally a charitable performance, the material is now proving to be a solid moneymaker more than 50 years later. Around the same time that the EP dropped, a new documentary about the couple and the concerts is finding its own success. One-to-One: John and Yoko is currently playing in theaters around the world, and it's already earned just under $600,000 at the box office, which is a notable figure for a theatrically-released documentary. The film is a true must-see for fans of Lennon and the Beatles, as it's packed with never-before-seen footage of the rocker and Ono, as well as intimate phone calls and plenty of shots from the performances, which the movie is built around – though it's not exactly a concert film. The One-to-One concerts took place on August 30, 1972, when Lennon played two back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden. The shows were organized to benefit children with developmental disabilities at New York's Willowbrook School, which had just undergone a very public scandal – which Lennon and Ono saw play out on TV. He was joined by the Plastic Ono Band and a small slate of other performers, but the moment really belonged to him. Those two shows were the only full-length solo concerts he ever performed before his death. Despite his years on stage in front of thousands of people playing with The Beatles, Lennon was reportedly nervous to go it alone. These weren't just concerts—they were political statements. The performances doubled as a platform for Lennon and Ono's activism, with tracks like 'Imagine' and 'Give Peace a Chance' underscoring their lifelong message. The energy in the room, captured in amazing archival footage, reveals how deeply the couple believed in the cause, and how beloved they were by the audience in attendance. While the shows were impactful in their moment, they didn't initially spawn much in the way of commercial products. It wasn't until 1986 that a proper release of the shows arrived: Live in New York City, a full-length album made up of recordings from the second show. That effort peaked at No. 41 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified gold in the U.S., after moving half a million copies. Still, after that brief spotlight, the concerts once again faded into the background. Now, decades after the one live album produced from these shows, and even longer since they took place, the One-to-One concerts are earning some long overdue love. They were meaningful when they happened, and now they're suddenly generating real revenue. For a one-day fundraiser, the event's longevity is remarkable.
Forbes
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
John Lennon Charts A New Top 10 Single, 45 Years After His Death
John Lennon's Power to the People live EP debuts in the top 10 on three U.K. charts, earning the ... More rock, Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band new smashes. 16th August 1966: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of the Beatles, after making a formal apology for his controversial statement that the group were 'more popular than Jesus'. (Photo by Harry Benson/Express/Getty Images) Decades after his death, John Lennon is still collecting hit singles in the United Kingdom. If he's still doing so to this day, after so many decades have passed, he may never stop scoring new wins. The musician created an enormous amount of material during his lifetime, both on his own and as part of The Beatles… not to mention his many collaborations with his wife, Yoko Ono. That wealth of recordings – studio, live, demo, and otherwise — has turned into a near-bottomless well of releases that continue to attract interest from devoted fans and collectors. And with the help of repackagings, remasterings, and a steady flow of special releases, Lennon seems to reach the U.K. rankings with something 'new' with real regularity. Lennon, alongside Ono and the Plastic Ono Band, returns to the U.K. rankings this frame with a short but powerful collection that was released specifically for Record Store Day. Titled Power to the People – Live at the One-to-One Concert, New York City, 1972, the effort is officially shortened to Power to the People according to the Official Charts Company. It features four live performances recorded at Lennon's now-legendary One-to-One benefit shows, held on August 30, 1972, at Madison Square Garden. The event saw the rocker play to tens of thousands and raised more than $1 million for charity, and now, over half a century later, a small slice of that experience is available to own—pressed on eye-catching yellow vinyl. The EP is credited as a single due to its brief runtime, which helped it qualify for various singles-based tallies in the U.K., where it has quickly become a commercial hit. This week, Power to the People earns an impressive start on three U.K. charts, crashing inside the top 10 on all of them at the same time. The live EP launches at No. 5 on both the Official Physical Singles and Official Vinyl Singles charts. It also starts at No. 7 on the Official Singles Sales tally. Those strong debuts mean that Lennon, Ono, and the Plastic Ono Band — each of whom is officially credited — can all claim brand new top 10 hits in 2025. That's not something many artists can say more than 40 years after their passing. Side A of the limited-edition single includes 'Well Well Well' and 'Instant Karma! (We All Shine On),' while Side B features 'Cold Turkey' and the sprawling 'Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for a Hand in the Snow).' The project was produced by Sean Ono Lennon, the former Beatles' son. Perhaps the biggest draw when it comes to this set, though, is the historical significance of the recording itself. These performances come from the only full-length solo concerts Lennon ever performed after leaving The Beatles. Sadly, he didn't get to perform again, though he did spend many years creating new music after departing the band that made him a superstar.
Time Out
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Dig in the crates this weekend at Record Store Day Bangkok 2025
At some point in your twenties – likely around the time your Spotify Wrapped begins resembling the soundtrack of a Wes Anderson film – you realise you don't just 'like' music, you want to touch it. You want to hold its weight, flip it over, scrutinise liner notes like sacred text and wince at the scratch you swore wasn't there when you bought it. You want vinyl. Record Store Day, then, feels less like an event and more like a rite of passage. This April 25-27, from 10am-10pm, it descends once again upon Bangkok, sprawling across three full days and over thirty record vendors. Set inside The Storeys Square at One Bangkok, it's less 'mall event' and more temporary temple to the analogue gods – complete with DJs, crate diggers and people earnestly debating the superiority of mono pressings. And admission is absolutely nothing. There are talks, of course. There always are. Panels where collectors drop the needle on nostalgia, fansign corners where musicians meet the brave few who still buy their music in physical form. There's a DJ set billed as 'exclusive,' which usually just means you'll hear something deliciously obscure that no algorithm has yet to recommend. But let's talk about the Vinyl Swap – here's where it gets interesting (at least in my view.) You bring a record – your record – maybe a copy of Plastic Ono Band you once played in a breakup fog, maybe something French and dramatic from Air. It has to be in good condition, obviously; this isn't a dumping ground for warped regrets. You leave it on the swap table with a handwritten clue, something cryptic and tender. No titles, no names. Just a few words that hint at what lives in the grooves. Mine read: 'home away from home' with 'morning dew on cherry trees' (Equus Asinus, the album by Men I Trust.) You don't get to choose in the traditional sense. You read the notes others have left, feel a tug, and pick one. That's it. That's your new record. You're adopting someone's memory, soundtracking a stranger's heartbreak or joy. It's the closest thing I've ever experienced to emotional roulette. Nearby is Vinyl Home, a softer pocket of the event held in The Wireless Club. Inside, the chaos quiets. The turntables are real, the records on loan from the Public Relations Department's archives, and the vibe is part salon, part listening room, part vintage dreamscape. You can sit. You can breathe. You can let Side B play all the way through without anyone skipping to the chorus. Record Store Day isn't trying to sell you something. It's trying to remind you of what music used to feel like before it got flattened into files and squeezed into playlists called 'Chill Vibes.' It's messy and warm and oddly intimate, like flipping through someone else's diary written in guitar solos.
