Instant Karma!: Encyclopedia - Instant Karma!

Instant Karma!

"Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" was John Lennon's third solo single on Apple Records, and is notable for three reasons. First, it was one of the few collaborations between George Harrison and Lennon outside of the Beatles, as Harrison played guitar on the track. Second, it ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history, recorded (at London's Abbey Road Studios) the same day it was written, and coming out only ten days later. Third, it was produced by legendary music producer Phil Spector, the first of many solo recordings by the Beatles that Spector worked on through 1970; Lennon may have been trying out Spector for work on the then-dormant Let It Be / Get Back project, which Spector would controversially rework for release that May.

Featuring a version of the ever-changing Plastic Ono Band — Lennon on lead vocal, acoustic guitar and electric piano, Billy Preston on grand piano, Klaus Voorman on bass and electric piano, Alan White on drums, the aforementioned Harrison, Yoko Ono on backing vocal, Beatles assistant Malcolm Evans on chimes, grand piano and handclaps, as well as the whole lot of them, Beatles then-manager Allen Klein and a dozen or so late-night pub revellers from Hatchetts Pub on overdubbed backing vocals — it was released on February 10, 1970. Backed by Ono's Who Has Seen The Wind? (which Lennon produced), it peaked at number three on the US charts and number five on the UK charts. The pair appeared on Top of the Pops, to perform the song live.

The single was released with a standard green Apple label, with the words "Play Loud" printed above and beneath the spindle. (The B-side label, by contrast, carried the words "Play Soft.")

Category: John Lennon singles

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Instant Karma!", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki