The eight-page correspondence was written a few weeks after the release of Imagine and showed Lennon considering a dramatic shift in styles as his post-Beatles solo career was taking off.
In the letter dated 29 September 1971, Lennon writes about his desire to bring back a vibrant rock sound, bolstered by Clapton's blues rock guitar, while outlining his vision for a new musical project that aimed to revolutionise live performances.
The letter describes in detail his proposal to form a "nucleus group" with musicians including Klaus Voormann (who drew the cover for the Beatles' Revolver album and played with Yoko Ono), the session drummer Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins (who played on records by the Beatles and the Rolling Stones) and Spector, the "wall of sound" producer who was convicted of murder in 2009.
This story is from the November 28, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the November 28, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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