Sean Ono remixes John Lennon’s dad’s music to celebrate the singer’s 80th birthday

Sean Ono Lennon’s first experience reworking his father’s catalog was terrifying and terrifying, but he had two main goals in mind to keep him on the right track: keeping his father’s message in songs and helping the late icon’s music to reach a younger audience.

On October 9, which would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday, Give me some truth. The best combination It was released and includes 36 hand-picked tracks by Yoko Ono and Sean Ono Lennon, who both serve as executive producer and producer on the project.

The duo worked closely with engineer and mixer Paul Hicks to fully preserve the essence of remixed songs.

Ono Lennon, who shares the same birthday as his father and turns 45 on October 9, was stronger at the end of the sometimes difficult process.

“I knew it was going to be kind of introspective for me, obviously. I was afraid to go into it to be honest. I had a fear of messing about everything or not being helpful or very emotionally difficult to hear,” Ono Lennon said, “My dad’s voice over and over again.” “.

“Particularly Poor imaginationHe led a whole period of my childhood that was tough because that was when he passed away. I actually had a lot of resistance while working on this record. “

“In the end it was very healing. It was like a cure. It was very therapeutic at the end. I’m so glad I did. I wouldn’t have gone back to those songs on” Double Fantasy “without having this project. It turned out to be kind of a catharsis.”

Give me some truth. The best combination Includes Lennon Songs After The Beatles, Who imagine to me Women to me Everything that brings you through the nightAvailable digitally, on CD and on vinyl.

“For me, the real motive is that this music is unforgettable Give me some truthFor example, which is the path we have chosen to drive. Ono Lennon said of the protest song, “I never felt that my father’s music was more wanted in terms of message than it was literally this week, as it is now.”

“I think a lot of sarcastic people assume,“ Everyone knows those songs. ”No, there are a lot of kids who don’t know the difference between Ringo and Paul.

“There are a lot of kids who don’t know the difference between Mick Jagger and my dad.”

Yoko Ono with Sean Ono Lennon in 1986. Photo: AP

How did you feel working on this project?

It was really deep, heavy, and beautiful. I’ve never heard original multi-track tapes before. Just hearing my father’s voice or even muting, just hearing what machines were doing was just amazing to me.

it was really fun. It was a little daunting, I think. I’m still nervous because when you mess with so beloved, classic, and timeless music, there’s kind of pressure there.

It’s almost scary Give me some truth Reverberate today. This is why the group is named Give me some truth?

We had no choice at this point. Think Give me some truth Means something now. We wanted to lead by that.

I think it’s a message everyone can relate to. Every good person from whatever town you are in. If you were a good person, what you want right now more than anything is a little fact.

It seems that we live in an alternate dimension to the bulls —. I think everyone feels this way. I think it’s a very important message.

How did you feel working with your mom on this project?

I was in the studio when I was little, so I learned things like how compression works, how delay works, how frequency works, and how to sing EQ – all of it.

I actually know a lot what her philosophy is. Its main priority with all mixing processes is to make sure the sound is clear.

She said that my famous father did not like his singing. He will turn it down too often. When it was produced imagineThe album, he’s going to the bathroom, and you put it back in, and he rejects it.

She really thinks blocking out the sound is the worst thing you can do. She really wants people to hear the lyrics and believes the music should serve the sound.

When it comes to mixing my dad’s stuff, that’s her priority. I think she is right.

This is your first time working on your father’s music – what made you want to do it?

I’m just trying to help. Thats all about it. My mom is the boss and if I can help in any way then I’m here.

All mothers are managers.

You might trust me a little more now that I’ve made so many albums together and we’ve toured the world together. I was her music manager for years.

I guess it might take a while, but I think she feels comfortable with me that way now.

Your father wrote Beautiful boy (baby boy) About you – how was this song reboot?

Honestly, it was my least favorite experience. It’s just kind of awkward.

That song makes me feel like a kid or something. People always play this song and look at me with a smile like, “Isn’t that sweet?”

I’m like, “Oh my God, I’m an old man. I’m not a smiling kid in a baby food commercial.”

To be honest, this song is poignant for me, but as a musician, songwriter, and producer, it’s kind of my least favorite song musically, because it’s so sugary. it’s great. love it. Probably impossible for me to be objective about it.

beatiful boy It’s kind of a family-friendly soundtrack. It is not my beauty. Having said that, it was a privilege to help work on a mix of a song that was about me and so touching.

And yes, I was very touched to hear my dad say my name. It’s like “Goodnight Sean” at the end, and it always reminds me that he’s putting me to bed.

He had a kind of ritual, the way he put me to sleep. He was turning the lights off in a kind of rhythm with his voice, so I could sense that his voice was controlling the lights. Then they go out. I have fond memories, so it was cute.

Did working on your father’s songs inspire your own music?

It’s interesting because, first of all, the easiest songs to cover for me are my dad’s songs, especially audio.

Whenever I try to sing one of his songs, I feel I can sing it wonderfully. I share a lot of the same strings.

My voice is not as harsh as it is, but singing his songs is easier than anyone else’s singing. It teaches me something about how great singing is.

I think I’ve struggled all my life to find my voice. I struggled all my life to find my voice because every time I tried to sing great, I would sound more and more like my dad.

In fact, I hate my first recordings because I was always trying not to sing like my dad, and it actually took a lot of effort. I finished singing in that kind of whisper, the brilliant way I don’t like. This was actually unnatural to me.

Listening to this record … all of his recordings, the compilations we pulled together, helped me realize that I just need to stop trying to avoid singing in a way that I sound better.

I think it will help me sing the album I’m working on right now. Just not to hold back. Just kind of sing. I feel afraid that when I click on my voice, I sound a lot like it, but what’s the point of singing if I don’t sound good? – AP