John Lennon Estate to Host Global Event Celebrating ‘Imagine’

It was 50 years ago today that John Lennon released his second solo record, Imagine, and there are several celebrations planned to mark the occasion.

 Yoko and Sean Lennon, Universal Music Group and John Lennon’s Estate are hosting a global event today (Sept. 9) where fans can watch the 1971 conceptual film, “Imagine,” together.

Fans will be able to watch the movie in person or online at participating venues like Hard Rock, The Coda Collection and Music Venue Trust for free via a partnership with Yoko Ono Lennon and Mercury Studios. These showings will take place at 11:30am PDT/2:30 pm EDT/7:30 pm BST.

The Coda Collection –a company specializing in streaming concert and music film documentaries– will stream the Imagine Film in the UK and US exclusively via Amazon Prime Video Channels. US viewers will also be able to stream this film on the Coda Collection channel during and after the event for a week’s trial. The Coda Collection will also have accesss to tweets from the Twitter Listening Party via its bespoke page. The event will also be streamed live in Hard Rock Cafes.

Tomorrow (Sept. 10) Capitol/UMe release Imagine as a special edition LP on a white vinyl. It can be pre ordered here. 

Additionally, several artists are marking the occasion with remembrances of the title track and its impact.

“[Lennon] stated a philosophy in ‘Imagine’ that’s one of those wonderful times where…it’s a really great song, but it’s also got a really great message, you know,” said John Fogerty. “The concept of having no borders and everybody is one and that there are many dreamers. And just a completely compelling melody…Yeah, that was a wonderful record, certainly.”

Adds Ann Wilson: “Imagine’ [turned] out to be one of the most beloved standards of our culture…I mean, it’s just been done and redone and believed in. What an amazing mantra. And actually, it turns out that…those were Yoko’s words…I think that song probably was the real fruit of [John and Yoko’s] union, creatively.”

“The Imagine album was so intimate, more intimate than any Beatles album…would have been able to be, ’cause you would have had a George song, and maybe Ringo song, and Paul and John trading and…doing their Paul and John thing together,” said Nancy Wilson. “But, I think John…was going through a catharsis, like as a human, having been let out of the Beatle pen…and being able to do his own thing with the new love of his life.”