JOHN LENNON’s MUSICIANS REFLECT ON HIS VOICE

In 1971, Jim Keltner was keeping time on the drums for John Lennon’s bittersweet ballad, “Jealous Guy,” an experience that left an indelible mark on him: “But when I opened my eyes and saw John singing into the microphone… it’s something I’ll never forget. I still get that same feeling today.” While Lennon’s solo album Imagine eventually soared to number one on the Billboard 200, there was one thing John was never quite happy with: his own voice.

It all began at Ascot Studios, the recording space John and Yoko Ono built on the grounds of their Tittenhurst Park country estate. Finally liberated from public scrutiny and corporate pressure, John was able to work entirely on his own terms. Imagine delivered a powerful array of messages, becoming his most commercially successful work, anchored by a title track that became a modern standard for its sincere depiction of a world without hierarchies or dogmas. The album featured the elegant “How?”, the apologetic “Jealous Guy,” and “Gimme Some Truth,” a biting indictment of manipulative political figures.

Even though these songs have lived in the public consciousness for over half a century, time and technological shifts have allowed for significant sonic improvements. Lennon was famously insecure about his singing, which led to the heavy use of double-tracking and tape echoes in the original 1971 mixes to “fix” his performance. Phil Spector’s avant-garde production also left a heavy mark; on “I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama,” the sound is often drowned in reverb, burying the raw, powerful live-in-studio chemistry between Lennon, Keltner, and bassist Klaus Voormann.

Engineers Paul Hicks and Rob Stevens took a unique, dual approach for the Ultimate Collection released a few years back. Hicks, a long-time Beatles collaborator, handled the “Ultimate Mixes,” polishing the 1971 originals with 2018 clarity without making them sound overly slick. Meanwhile, Stevens—who co-produced The John Lennon Anthology in 1998—focused on the “Raw Studio Mixes.” These versions stripped away the strings, overdubs, and ornaments, offering the driest, most naked version of the music, making the listener feel as if they were sitting right there with the band.

“Let’s bring up these faders and forget who this is—forget he’s a legend,” Stevens recalled of the process. “Otherwise, you’re listening through a filter of, ‘This is John from the Beatles, the guy who sang No one, I think, is in my tree and left me speechless.'” Lennon’s bandmates, including Keltner, Voormann, and drummer Alan White, all agree that John’s “sweet and sour” voice, backed only by a guitar or piano, is really all anyone needs.

“It was always a mistake,” said Voormann, one of John’s oldest friends. “He hated his voice; he told me so. But you can connect so much more with his feelings when you remove those effects.” Keltner added, “He had one of the greatest voices ever, but he was a seeker. He loved for things to be different than how they actually were.”

Despite his vocal anxieties, Lennon was reportedly more relaxed than ever at Ascot. Alan White remembers a “homey” atmosphere where everyone shared meals around a large wooden table. “It was informal,” White said, “but there was a deep sense of meaning. John would give us the lyrics beforehand to ensure we knew exactly what they meant and what we were telling the world.” While The Ultimate Collection isn’t the first reissue of Imagine, it stands as the most comprehensive look yet at a masterpiece in its purest form.

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