In the fast-paced world of music, comparison has become one of the most damaging habits for artists. Industry veterans note that while individuality drives careers forward, many musicians quietly sabotage themselves by measuring their success against others. The result is a cycle of creative paralysis, burnout, and missed opportunities. Here are five reasons why comparison harms creativityâand strategies to break free.
1. Comparison Activates the Scarcity Mindset
When artists compare themselves to others, the brain interprets success as scarce. This makes every achievement by someone else feel like a threat, which fuels anxiety and imposter feelings. Shifting focus to personal strengths helps restore a sense of abundance and possibility.
2. Social Media Magnifies Unrealistic Benchmarks
Scrolling through feeds full of highlight reels tricks the mind into thinking everyone else is doing better. Studies show this kind of exposure increases stress and lowers self-esteem. Limiting screen time and curating who you follow can make space for healthier creative energy.
3. Comparison Undermines Flow States
Creative flow happens when artists are fully immersed in the work, but comparison interrupts that process. Constant self-checking and doubt reduce originality and confidence. Protecting uninterrupted time in the studio allows ideas to grow without outside noise.
Living in a constant state of self-measurement drains emotional reserves and raises stress hormones. Over time, this leads to burnout, writerâs block, and even depression. Building in rest and self-care is not indulgentâitâs essential for long-term creative health.
5. Comparison Masks Personal Progress
When artists are too focused on what others are doing, they overlook their own growth. Research shows that acknowledging small wins fuels motivation more than outside validation ever could. Tracking personal milestones helps keep the spotlight on your unique path.
âIs This Loveâ by Bob Marley and the Wailers was released on their 1978 album Kaya and quickly became one of Marleyâs signature songs, later included on Legend. It peaked at #9 on the U.K. charts that year. A live version also appears on the 1978 Paris-set Babylon by Bus album.
Jesse Hartman’s cult electro-pop project Laptop has unleashed “Additional Animals” – a darkly funny alt-disco track about extinction, meat, and the absurd human urge for more. It’s the second single from “On This Planet”, an album co-written and performed with his 19-year-old son Charlie Hartman.
Laptop also performs on September 3rd at NYC’s Sony Hall in support of this and earlier single “Weirder” (which went viral with 4M+ views and counting), mixed by Grammy award-winning producer Mario McNulty (David Bowie, Prince, Nine Inch Nails, Laurie Anderson, Julian Lennon). This is the band’s first New York show in 20 years, opening for British indie-rock legends Cast, whose members draw from The La’s and Shack. “Additional Animals” emerges with a Stop Making Sense-esque 13-piece “band of Animals”, uniting members from London with family talent (including acclaimed artists Odetta Hartman and Camellia Hartman) and guests from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway phenomenon “Freestyle Love Supreme” and Denise Gordon of Nevis, whose voice shines across the coming album “On This Planet”, spotlighting the project’s Caribbean influences.
Now based in New York, Laptop originally emerged in the early 2000s on Island Records with three legendary cult classic albums – “Opening Credits”, “The Old Me vs The New You” and “Don’t Try This at Home” – earning praise from NME, The Guardian, and others for its stylized blend of synth-pop, irony, and heartbreak. Now they’ve rebooted the Laptop aesthetic – part indie-pop, part satire, part family therapy session.
“Additional Animals” is as much about appetite as it is about climate anxiety, blending shimmering synths, mandolin and Mediterranean horns. An extension of classic Laptop, this witty indie-pop is a logical evolution for the band, presenting a cross-generational blend of dry wit, anxiety and synth-driven swagger.
“This song is about the human appetite – for meat, for more, for everything – and how that hunger’s eating us alive. It’s a song about extinction that you can dance to. The lyrics are a little more connected to the moment than usual for me – our failing planet, our endless consumption – but it’s still wrapped in this shimmering, international pop packaging,” says Jesse Hartman.
“We tracked the song in hip Valencia, added harmonies and Caribbean instruments in Nevis, and finished it in our hood in New York. It’s a global pop fever dream about survival, meat, and the slightly hilarious fact that humans always want just a little more.”
The video, directed and shot by filmmaker Jesse, was filmed during a surreal family summer in Valencia and features Jesse, Charlie and Jesse’s daughter Lulu, along with rooftop horn solos, fishing boats, flamenco parades, aquariums, and sun-drenched chaos – part European art film, part alternate-universe vacation video. Jesse shares, “It stars me, my kids, our percussionist Mike (who used to play with Brian Eno), and our Nevis family singer Denise. It’s chaotic and colorful and oddly hopeful – like maybe we’re not the last animals standing.”
Before Laptop, Jesse Hartman got his start as a teenage Voidoid with Richard Hell before he co-founded the indie rock band Sammy (with Luke Wood, later President of Beats by Dre), releasing albums on Fire Records and Geffen Records. Known for his dry humor and cinematic aesthetic, Hartman was once described by The Guardian as the master of “insincere sincerity.” Now joined by his son Charlie, a multi-instrumentalist and co-writer, he brings that same emotional contrast into a new era – with Laptop’s blend of deadpan pop and wide-eyed dread more relevant than ever.
With a London show coming in October and a full album on the way in the Spring of 2026, Laptop’s return is both a throwback and a reinvention – legacy pop for a collapsing planet.
When asked about the piece, McBride reflected âIs this really my 49th piece ever? Who knows? Opus 49 sure sounds official, though, right? In 2020, I was commissioned by the North American Saxophone Alliance (yes, NASA) to compose a piece. I composed a three-movement suite dedicated to the official food of the working musician, cold chicken. This is for all the musicians who donât get to eat until after the gig when the chicken is cold, or you have to go to the hotel pantry and get one of those ready-made chicken caesar salads, of which the chickencan break concrete. May this piece take your mind off the dangerous late-night hunger pains.â
The live performance teaser of âOp. 39 – Cold Chicken Suite, 3rd Movementâ follows âOld Folks,â a stunning rendition of the beloved jazz standard featuring 2023 GRAMMY Best New Artist Samara Joy and the albumâs lead track âMurder By Numbers,â which reunited Sting with his bandmate Andy Summers for the first time since The Policeâs 2007-2008 reunion tour. The single was covered by American Songwriter, Consequence, Jambase, Stereogum, SPIN,and many more.
Having played with artists ranging from Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis to Billie Eilish and Celine Dion, several of McBrideâs artistic paths converge on Without Further Ado, Vol 1 creating an electrifying collection of reimagined classics and surprises. The inspiration and many of the arrangements for the album grew out of the annual NJPAC Gala, for which the Big Band has served as house band and McBride as musical director since 2012. âWe’ve always invited a bunch of great singers to come and perform at the Gala,â McBride says, âand as musical director, Iâm responsible for arranging all of the music. After so many years of writing big band charts for these incredible singers, I realized that I had stacks of music that had only been played once. This has been a fantastic opportunity to finally record some of these arrangements and to play them with some of my favorite singers.â
In 2026, McBride will launch the first ever McBrideâs World at Sea cruise, featuring performances with all of his critically acclaimed bands and loads of special guests onboard, including Samara Joy.
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Cameron Whitcomb has confirmed details of his highly anticipated debut album, The Hard Way, set for release on September 26th via Atlantic Records.
The project marks a defining moment for the rising star, showcasing an unflinching portrait of his personal journey from early struggles with addiction through recovery and into adulthood. Whitcombâs story is at the forefront of The Hard Way, a record designed to blend vulnerability with resilience.
Leading the announcement is the new single âFragile,â available everywhere now. Produced by longtime collaborator Jack Riley (Grace VanderWaal, Knox), the track was co-written by Whitcomb alongside Riley, Nolan Sipe, and Cal Shapiro (best known for Alex Warrenâs chart-topping single âOrdinaryâ).
Whitcomb is currently celebrating this new chapter with his biggest live run to date. The Canadian artist headlined Oro-Medonte, Ontarioâs Boots and Hearts Music Festival this weekend before heading overseas for the European and UK stretch of his Hundred Mile High Tour. The sold-out run continues through early September with stops in major cities including London, Paris, and Berlin.
Following his return to North America, Whitcomb will embark on the Iâve Got Options Tour, beginning September 26th at Portland, Oregonâs Wonder Ballroom, the same day The Hard Way arrives. The trek spans through to mid-November, with nearly all dates sold out in advance.
Special guests across select dates include Danielle Finn, Jonah Kagen, and Tayler Holder.
Tour Dates:
09/05 â London, UK â Electric Brixton (SOLD OUT) 09/07 â Manchester, England â O2 Ritz Manchester (SOLD OUT) 09/08 â Glasgow, UK â SWG3 (SOLD OUT)
Full details, ticket information and pre-orders for The Hard Way can be found at thecamwhitcomb.com.
One Hundred Moons steps into darkness with âVolodya,â a tense and immersive new single from their forthcoming album Black Avalanche. Following the haunting allure of the albumâs lead single, âBlack Avalanche,â this track, which premiered on Indie Music Discovery, drifts into deeper, more ominous territory. Here, the instrumental takes the lead, each note a deliberate brushstroke painting a melancholic and enveloping landscape.
Synths cut like glass. Guitars swell beneath layers of reverb, building slowly into a brooding wall of sound. The track moves with an uneasy grace, echoing the emotive textures of Circa Survive without bending to prog-rock excess, instead leaving space for tension, atmosphere, and suspense.
âVolodyaâ is a study in tension and crescendo. The band lets sound tell the story, textures folding into one another, colours bleeding and merging in the listenerâs imagination. Thereâs weight here, but also a strange beauty. Itâs an invitation to lurk in the shadows and let the music settle deep.
With Black Avalanche on the horizon, âVolodyaâ offers a glimpse of the albumâs expanse, a landscape where mood and melody collide, and One Hundred Moons charts a singular path through atmospheric terrain.
Rising dark rock force Under Black Sky has released their latest single, âFirefly,â now available on all major platforms. The track comes ahead of the bandâs highly anticipated full-length album, Bad Blood, set for release on October 24, 2025.
In addition to the new single, Under Black Sky has announced their upcoming fall tour, âThe Undead Road Show.â The run kicks off October 22, 2025, in San Antonio, TX, bringing the bandâs hauntingly powerful live performance to fans across the U.S.
The Undead Road Show Dates:
Oct 22 @ The Starlighter in San Antonio, TX Oct 23 @ Scout Bar in Houston, TX Oct 24 @ House of Rock in Corpus Christi, TX Oct 25 @ The Flying Walrus in McAllen, TX Oct 26 @ Come and Take It Live in Austin, TX
40 years ago this week, the David Bowie and Mick Jagger duet of the Motown classic, âDancing In The Streetâ was released with all the proceeds benefiting famine relief. The track and video had been debuted six weeks earlier during Live Aid, the benefit concert organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for the relief of the famine in Ethiopia.
The video, which, like the song, had been recorded and filmed in thirteen hours, only fourteen days earlier, was shown just before Bowie took to the stage at Wembley Stadium. The making of the video was documented at the time, but that footage has mainly remained unseen until today. The new 4K video for the Steve Thompson Mix remix of the track features behind-the-scenes footage from the late-night shoot at Spillers Millennium Mills in the East End of London.
The single version of the song was released on 27th August, with all the proceeds benefiting famine relief. It topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks and reached No. 7 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of âDancing In The Street,â a limited edition white vinyl 12″ is available now, bringing together every one of the song’s mixes for the first time. As with the original, 30% of the retail price from the sale of this single, representing royalties and proceeds, will be donated to the Band Aid Charitable Trust by David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Parlophone Records.
Talking about the collaboration today, Mick Jagger comments ââWe had such a laugh doing âDancing in the Streetâ with both the song recorded in the studio and the video done in one day. Remarkable how we pulled it off really. The video is hilarious to watch now. We enjoyed camping it up and trying to impersonate each otherâs moves, making it up as we went along. It was the only time David and myself collaborated on anything, which is a real shame.â
Speaking about the song and video at the time, Bowie said âWe thought about it on a Thursday night and we just went through a bunch of old songs and thought that âDancingâ was one we both knew very well and then we went into the studio between 7 and 11 on Saturday night and then we went over to the Docklands and shot the video for the rest of the night so we did the whole thing in ten hours, it was great.â He also talked about the spirit of Live Aid, saying âEverybody out there who sent money in, youâre the real heroes because itâs easy for me to go up there and sing some songs, but itâs much harder for you to give money and not be recognised. Good on ya!â
DAVID BOWIE & MICK JAGGER
DANCING IN THE STREET 40th ANNIVERSARY WHITE VINYL TRACKLISTING
Philadelphia, Mississippi by way of Nashville superstar HARDY debuts a new song âBro Countryâ today with longtime friend, collaborator and labelmate ERNEST. HARDY’snew album COUNTRY! COUNTRY!is set for release September 26 via Big Loud. Get it here.
âThere’s a whole new crew in Nashville that’s bringing a whole new different sound and this song is simply an observation of that,â says HARDY. âI hope you all enjoy ‘Bro Country.’â
âHARDY is such a clever writerâone of the best to ever do it,â says ERNEST. âIt’s been fun growing with him since our days of writing with Florida Georgia Line and many others. I am very thankful for them, the summers we all had together and the opportunities that got us here. I think this is a cool song that shows the ever-changing nature of music, and I’m glad I got to sing on it with HARDY.â
âBro Countryâ follows the previously released âBottomlandâ and HARDY’s recent EP COUNTRY!. Standout track âFavorite Country Songâ is surging at country radio, watch HARDY play it on Jimmy Kimmel Live!here.
HARDYis back on the JIM BOB World Tour, culminating with his first ever headline show at Madison Square Garden the week of COUNTRY! COUNTRY! release. Koe Wetzel, Stephen Wilson Jr. and Sikarus join as support on select dates. See below for full tour routing and visit hardyofficial.com/tour for more information.
COUNTRY! COUNTRY! was written in the wake of HARDY’s much-lauded rock album Quit!!, released last year to widespread critical acclaim. While he loved the thrash of jumping headfirst into the rock world, he missed his community: the peers he wrote No. 1 country radio hits and put together the HIXTAPE series with. After a step away, he felt refreshed.
He dove back into country and COUNTRY! COUNTRY! is the result. The album takes its name literally, ranging from celebrations of his youth in the Mississippi mudâ âBottomlandâ being named for a specific camo pattern HARDY favors for huntingâto commentary on the state of country music at large. In sum, it’s a celebration of what makes HARDY HARDY.
The new album continues a monumental run for HARDY, who made his first ever appearance at the Grand Ole Opry earlier this year with Metallica’s James Hetfield in the audience and smashed through the first leg of his JIM BOB World Tour. In 2024 he released his No. 1 LP Quit!!; toured North America, including his first stadium show, a headline set at CMA Fest and many more; collaborated with heroes Fred Durst and Chad Smith; appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel Live!; hit 16 No. 1 songs; blew past six billion career streams and so much more.
The pride of Philadelphia, Mississippi has earned his reputation as âa promising purveyor of keeping the spirit of classic heavy Southern rock aliveâ (American Songwriter), âcapable of writing the big hits for radio, obstinate enough to do something completely unexpected, and savvy enough to find the throughline for it allâ (Rolling Stone). A five-time ACM award winner and two-time CMA award winner, HARDY has also won three CMA Triple Play awards, was named the 2022 BMI Country Songwriter of the Year and is a three-time AIMP Songwriter of the Year. He’s collaborated and shared stages with Thomas Rhett, Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Cole Swindell and more.
HARDYâ COUNTRY! COUNTRY! 1. Country Country 2. Favorite Country Song 3. Bro Country (with ERNEST) 4. Luckiest Man Alive 5. Car That Drove You Away 6. Girl With A Gun 7. Buck On The Wall 8. I’d Go Crazy Too 9. Take The Country And Run 10. Goodbye 11. Bedroom In The Sky (with Stephen Wilson Jr.) 12. Bottomland 13. Who Don’t 14. Country In Me 15. Gun To My Head 16. Keep It Country 17. Y’all Need Jesus 18. Dog Years 19. We’re All Gonna Die 20. Everybody Does
HARDY LIVE August 29âMaine Savings AmphitheaterâBangor, ME* August 30âXfinity TheatreâHartford, CT* September 4âEmpower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at LakeviewâSyracuse, NY* September 5âThe Pavilion at Star LakeâBurgettstown, PA* September 6âHersheypark StadiumâHershey, PA* September 11âBrandon AmphitheaterâBrandon, MSâ September 12âCoca-Cola AmphitheaterâBirmingham, ALâ September 13âCCNB AmphitheatreâSimpsonville, SCâ September 18âLakewood AmphitheatreâAtlanta, GA* September 19âMIDFLORIDA Credit Union AmphitheatreâTampa, FL* September 20âiTHINK Financial AmphitheatreâWest Palm Beach, FL* September 24âMadison Square GardenâNew York City, NY*
Fifty-three years ago, on Saturday, August 30, 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, headlined the historic One to One Benefit Concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City, backed by the NYC rock band Elephantâs Memory, and special guests. Held to a combined audience of 40,000 people, the concert featured both afternoon and evening performances, and raised more than $1.5 million (todayâs equivalent of $11.5 million) to support children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including the children from the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, N.Y.
The electrifying performances featured songs from John and Yokoâs solo albums, their just-released, politically-charged album, Sometime In New York City, the Beatlesâ âCome Together,â as well as the peace anthems âImagineâ and âGive Peace A Chance,â featuring a special guest appearance from Stevie Wonder. These two performances would end up being Johnâs only full-length concerts after leaving The Beatles.
In celebration of this extraordinary concert, a never-before-seen video of Johnâs solo hit, âInstant Karma! (We All Shine On),â from the afternoon performance was released today, Saturday, August 30 at 2 pm EDT/7 pm BST â the exact time of the original afternoon concert. The footage has been newly restored and edited while the audio, like all songs from the concert, has been completely remixed and re-engineered from the original analog tapes by the 5x GRAMMY Award-winning team led by producer Sean Ono Lennon with Paul Hicks, Sam Gannon and Simon Hilton, using brand new HD multitrack transfers by Rob Stevens and mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios. Watch it here: https://johnlennon.lnk.to/InstantKarmaLivePR
âInstant Karma! (We All Shine)â is the latest preview of the forthcoming box set, POWER TO THE PEOPLE (The Ultimate Collection), a massive new 12-disc/digital collection exploring and celebrating John and Yokoâs non-violent political activism, influential peace and protest anthems, and the coupleâs early years in New York City. It will be released via Capitol/UMe on October 10, one day after John would have been 85.
The John Lennon Estate previously released videos for âCome Togetherâ and âWell Well Well,â both from the evening concert.
All three videos are from the upcoming concert film, âPower To The People,â which will be next year. The film is directed by Simon Hilton, edited by Ben Wainwright-Pierce and produced by Peter Worsley with the music produced by Sean Ono Lennon and mixed by Paul Hicks and Sam Gannon.
âThat Madison Square Garden gig was the best music I enjoyed playing since The Cavern or even Hamburg,â John Lennon told NME in 1972. âIt was just the same kind of feeling when The Beatles used to really get into it. That was when we played music. Thatâs what I enjoy and remember best about those days. Weâre all musicians and the whole point of being a musician is to play.
âThe One To One concert was our effort in Grassroots Politics,â writes Yoko Ono Lennon in the Preface of the book in the POWER TO THE PEOPLE box set. âIt embodied what John and I strongly believed in â Rock for Peace and Enlightenment. And this one in Madison Square Garden turned out to be the last concert John and I did together.â
âI was completely floored putting this collection together and getting to remix the concerts and hearing all the unreleased material from my parentsâ archive for the first time,â said Sean Ono Lennon. âPeople may not realize how special it is for me to hear my dad talking or to see him. I grew up with a set number of images and audio clips that everyoneâs familiar with. So to come across things that Iâve never seen or heard is really deep for me, because itâs almost like getting more time with my dad. When I was eleven, my mum put out the Live in New York City album and film. So I grew up listening to it. It was a concert that had a legendary status in my mind, because it was my dadâs last concert. For the concerts, Paul Hicks and Simon Hilton and I spent a lot of time finding the best possible balance to keep the feeling of a live show while refining the overall sound as much as possible and Sam Gannon did some meticulous and miraculous work with audio restoration. I wonât disclose all our techniques but there was some âmovie magicâ required, and I think in the end, the shows sound better than ever.â
POWER TO THE PEOPLE Power To The People (Super Deluxe Edition) comprises 9 CDs and 3 Blu-Ray audio discs packaged in a bespoke 10-inch slipcase with silver foil titling and a lenticular cover of John and Yokoâs faces that when layered on top of each other presents a dynamic 3D effect. It is accompanied by an illuminating 204-page deeply researched hardback book designed and edited by Simon Hilton featuring an oral history about all the included music through the words of John & Yoko and those involved sourced from both archival and new interviews. The book is illustrated with unseen photos, lyrics, drawings, tape boxes and memorabilia. Additionally, the set includes a newspaper print poster, sticker sheets and a VIP envelope containing replica concert tickets, backstage and aftershow passes that have all been uniquely reproduced with textured, archival materials.
THE ONE TO ONE CONCERTS The centerpiece of Power To The People is the One To One Concerts, which presents both the matinee and evening performances together for the first time. The concerts raised more than $1.5 million (2025 equivalent of $11.5 million) to support children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. All tracks have been completely remixed and re-engineered from the original analog tapes by Paul Hicks and Sam Gannon, using brand new HD multitrack transfers by Rob Stevens with the mixes mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios. The concerts are available separately as both âAfternoonâ and âEveningâ shows and also as a single âHybridâ show, which brings together the best performances from both shows. The concerts are available in stereo on the CDs and in HD Stereo and immersive 5.1 HD Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos mixes on the Blu-ray audio discs. Previously only old mixes of select performances were available on the long out-of-print 1986 posthumous live album, Live In New York City.
Excerpts from the concerts were featured as part of the new critically acclaimed documentary, âOne To One: John & Yoko,â directed by Kevin Macdonald and Sam Rice-Edwards and Executive Produced by Sean Ono Lennon. âOne To One,â which was in theaters earlier this year, will be streaming on HBO Max this fall. The films of the remixed, restored and re-edited concerts are due for release next year as âPower To The People,â directed by Simon Hilton and edited by Ben Wainwright-Pierce.The One To One Concert will be available outside of the boxed set in a variety of configurations including the Afternoon and Evening shows as an Audiophile 4LP Deluxe Collectorâs Edition containing four 180-gram black vinyl records with rice paper inner sleeves and an 8-page booklet housed in a 12-inch rigid lift-off-lid box, with the same silver foil titling and lenticular cover as the boxed set as well as the same replica VIP envelope with concert tickets and passes and poster.
A 2CD Deluxe Edition with a triple gatefold digisleeve featuring a lenticular cover of John and Yokoâs faces includes a 20-page booklet. The hybrid concert will also be available on its own, including on 2LP 180g audiophile black vinyl, limited edition transparent green vinyl and on CD. The vinyl versions contain an 8-page, 12-inch booklet with a 6-panel newsprint poster that provides visual and historical context, alongside 2 full-color postcards. For more information on the various offerings or to pre-order, visit: https://johnlennon.lnk.to/PowerToThePeoplePR
COME TOGETHER Power To The People is being previewed with the previously unreleased and newly remixed performance of âCome Togetherâ from the One To One Concert evening show, the second of the two performances that day. John & Yoko are backed by the band Elephantâs Memory and drummer Jim Keltner as they play a blistering version of The Beatlesâ Abbey Road classic. Listen to âCome Togetherâ (Evening Show) HERE
NEW YORK CITY Alongside the concerts, Power To The People (Super Deluxe Edition) offers an aural time capsule of John and Yokoâs first NYC era, when they traded Tittenhurst Park, their estate in Ascot, England, for a small apartment located at 105 Bank St. in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, and includes the music they were inspired to make during a time of great civil unrest and the deeply unpopular Vietnam War. Paramount to their recorded musical endeavors at this time was their 1972 political blockbuster album, Sometime In New York City, recorded by John & Yoko with Keltner and New Yorkâs finest rock ânâ roll protest street band, Elephantâs Memory. For this special collection, songs from the album have been completely remixed from scratch, stripped of the overly heavy production sound that constrained such inspired and inspiring songs as âAttic State,â âAngela,â âNew York City,â and âBorn In A Prison.â The tracks have been reordered, rejuvenated and completely reimagined as a new set of Ultimate Mixes, entitled NEW YORK CITY, which also includes extended versions of âJohn Sinclairâ and âSunday Bloody Sunday.â
EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY & ELEMENTS MIXES Each track is explored with an Evolution Documentary, a unique track-by-track audio montage by Sam Gannon that details the evolution of each song from demo to master recording via demos, rehearsals, outtakes, multitrack exploration, and studio conversations. A series of four Elements Mixes isolates the orchestral arrangements, opening them up and presenting them on a wider and brighter sound stage, to reveal deeper levels of detail and clarity, especially in 5.1 Surround Sound and Dolby Atmos. The hope is that after hearing the exquisite orchestral arrangements on their own new details previously hidden in the songs will be heard in a completely new way.
STUDIO JAM Power To The People is rounded out with several discs of never-before-released home recordings and studio jam sessions aptly titled Studio Jam, Live Jam 1, Live Jam 2 and Home Jam. Studio Jam features John & Yoko with Keltner and Elephantâs Memory at Record Plant Studios during the Sometime In New York City sessions, where in between recording album takes, they spontaneously jammed 16 classic rock nâ roll cover versions. Studio Jam gives a tantalizing glimpse into the fun the musicians had as the tape kept rolling between takes and hints at what was in store for Johnâs classic 1975 album, Rock âNâ Roll.
LIVE JAM Live Jam comprises two discs of further completely remixed live performances, expanding on the original 1972 Live Jam LP release that accompanied Sometime In New York City, which included performances of âCold Turkeyâ and âDonât Worry Kyokoâ from the 1969 Peace and Love for Christmas UNICEF Benefit at The Lyceum Ballroom (with George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann and a star-studded cast of thousands) and the 1971 Fillmore East show where John & Yoko jammed with Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention on four songs.
The Live Jam 2 disc includes John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with musician David Peel and The Lower East Side performing a handful of stripped down songs that would be released the following year on Sometime in New York City, including the first live performance of âAttica State,â along with âThe Luck Of The Irish,â âSisters, O Sisters,â and âJohn Sinclair,â on December 10, 1971, at the John Sinclair Freedom Rally at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich., held in support of the release of political activist John Sinclair who was imprisoned for a 10 year sentence for possession of marijuana. John and Yokoâs acoustic performance on December 17, 1971 at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NYC, at a benefit for the families of victims of the riot at the Attica State Correction Facility includes âAttica State,â the song John & Yoko wrote on Johnâs birthday (October 10, 1971) a few weeks after the tragedy (September 9-13, 1971), âSisters, O Sistersâ and a poignant performance of âImagineâ on acoustic guitar. Also included are John and Yokoâs TV performances on âThe David Frost Showâ (with Plastic Ono Band) and at the âJerry Lewis Muscular Telethonâ (with Elephantâs Memory).
HOME JAM The thrilling collection concludes with Home Jam, 33 raw, intimate acoustic demos, covers and home recordings from 1971 from John’s private 1/4-inch tape and cassette collections, recorded at the St. Regis Hotel in NYC and the Campus Inn in Ann Arbor, Mich; the latter includes four tracks with protest singer Phil Ochs. Johnâs impromptu covers span songs written or popularized by Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy, The Dave Clark Five, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, and others. Aside from one, all of tracks have never been released before.
JOHN & YOKO IN NEW YORK CITY When John Lennon and Yoko Ono arrived in the United States in 1971, they werenât just escaping the ghosts of the Beatles or the British press, they were seeking a fresh start in a country teetering on the edge of political and cultural transformation. But what awaited them was not just the artistic freedom they craved, but years of surveillance, government harassment,and personal anguish that would shape their early American experience.
They settled at 105 Bank St. in New York Cityâs Greenwich Village, drawn to the cityâs raw energy and progressive undercurrent. Almost immediately, John & Yoko immersed themselves in radical politics and avant-garde art. They aligned with activists, performed at protests, and used their platform to amplify causes like feminism, anti-war resistance, and prison reform. The coupleâs outspoken views and growing ties to the counterculture quickly caught the attention of the Nixon administration. Alarmed by Johnâs potential influence on young voters, particularly with the 1972 election looming, President Richard Nixon and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover made John a target. The FBI began extensive surveillance, tapping phones, tailing the couple, and compiling hundreds of pages of intelligence files. The government also launched acampaign to deport John, citing a minor 1968 marijuana conviction in the UK as a pretext. At the same time, Yoko was fighting her own personal battle: to locate and regain custody of her daughter, Kyoko, who had been abducted by her ex-husband, Anthony Cox and disappeared. Unbeknownst to Yoko, he had hidden himself and their child behind the walls of a religious cult in Idaho. Her grief over Kyokoâs absence haunted both her art and private life.Amid all this turmoil, John & Yoko continued to perform and create. Their 1972 album Sometimein New York City reflected their politics and passions, addressing everything from racial injustice, the Attica Prison riots, civil rights activists like Angela Davis, to womenâs liberation, using blunt lyrics and sharp wit to confront inequality and oppression. John & Yoko share lead vocals throughout, with Yoko contributing a number of her own politically charged tracks such as âWeâre All Waterâ and âSisters, O Sisters.â Designed to resemble a newspaper, the recordâs cover mimics the New York Times, complete with headlines, columns, and photos that reflect the themes addressed in the songs, underscoring its mission to inform, provoke, and spark dialogue. The album was recorded primarily at New Yorkâs Record Plant Studios with backing by Elephantâs Memory, a hard-edged local band known for their activism and gritty sound. The group, consisting of Adam Ippolito (keyboards), Gary Van Scyoc (bass), Richard Frank Jr. (drums), Wayne âTexâ Gabriel (guitar), Stan Bronstein (saxophone), plus drummer Jim Keltner, provided a muscular, streetwise foundation for the recordâs mix of rock, soul, and protest music.
Phil Spector co-produced the album alongside John and Yoko, continuing a collaboration that began with Imagine. On August 30, 1972, John Lennon and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, backed by Elephantâs Memory, and joined by special guests, headlined two historic One to One Benefit Concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City. These performances included an afternoon matinee and an evening performance, held to a combined audience of 40,000 people, raising more than $1.5 million (todayâs equivalent of $11.5 million) to support children with with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including children from the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, N.Y. John & Yoko became aware of Willowbrook, a state-supported institution for physically and mentally handicapped children, after seeing an investigative report from Geraldo Rivera that exposed the horrible conditions and questionable medical practices the children endured. The electrifying concert featured songs from across John and Yokoâs solo albums, songs from their just-released album, Sometime In New York City, a Beatles cut and and peace anthems like âImagineâ and âGive Peace A Chance.â It also included an appearance from Stevie Wonder. These were John Lennonâs only full-length concerts after leaving The Beatles. The pressure mounted in late 1972 as legal battles over Johnâs immigration status dragged on.For several years, the threat of deportation loomed large. With the help of attorney Leon Wildes, John challenged the governmentâs case, and by 1975, just as the Watergate scandal brought down Nixon, the tide turned. John was finally granted permanent U.S. residency in 1976. The early 1970s were a defining period for John & Yoko â a time of political activism, intense scrutiny, legal struggle, and profound personal pain. But through it all, they remained united in their mission to challenge the system, express themselves freely, and, above all, imagine a better world. Power To The People stunningly documents this vital era in John and Yokoâs musical and personal lives.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE SUPER DELUXE EDITION 9CD/3BR/BOOK BOXED SET
9 CDs â 3 HD AUDIO BLU-RAY DISCS â LENTICULAR COVER 103 TRACKS â HD STEREO â HD 5.1 SURROUND â DOLBY ATMOS 204-PAGE BOOK â NEWSPRINT POSTER â 2 POSTCARDS â 2 STICKER SHEETS 2 REPLICA TICKETS, VIP BACKSTAGE PASS AND VIP AFTERSHOW INVITATION THE ONE TO ONE CONCERT John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephantâs Memory and Special Guests Live at Madison Square Garden, New York City 30 August 1972
CD1 / BR1 HYBRID âBEST OFâ SHOW 1. Power To The People (intro)* â 2. New York City* 3. It’s So Hard* 4. Move On Fast* â 5. Well Well Well â 6. Born In A Prison* â 7. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)* 8. Mother* 9. We’re All Water â 10. Come Together â 11. Imagine* 12. Open Your Box* â 13. Cold Turkey* â 14. Donât Worry Kyoko* â 15. Hound Dog 16. Law And Order 17. Give Peace A Chance * denotes afternoon show, otherwise the performance is from the evening show
CD2 / BR1 AFTERNOON SHOW 1. Power To The People (intro) â 2. New York City 3. It’s So Hard 4. Move On Fast â 5. Well Well Well 6. Born In A Prison â 7. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) 8. Mother 9. We’re All Water â 10. Come Together 11. Imagine 12. Open Your Box â 13. Cold Turkey â 14. Donât Worry Kyoko â 15. Hound Dog â
CD3 / BR1 EVENING SHOW 1. Power To The People (intro) â 2. New York City â 3. It’s So Hard â 4. Move On Fast â 5. Well Well Well â 6. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) â 7. Mother â 8. We’re All Water â 9. Born In A Prison â 10. Come Together â 11. Imagine â 12. Open Your Box â 13. Cold Turkey 14. Hound Dog 15. Law And Order 16. Give Peace A Chance
CD4 / BR2 NEW YORK CITY (THE ULTIMATE MIXES) John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephantâs Memory plus Invisible Strings 1. New York City (Ultimate Mix) 2. Sisters, O Sisters (Ultimate Mix) 3. Attica State (Ultimate Mix) 4. Born In A Prison (Ultimate Mix) 5. Sunday Bloody Sunday (Ultimate Mix, extended) 6. The Luck Of The Irish (Ultimate Mix) 7. John Sinclair (Ultimate Mix, extended) 8. Angela (Ultimate Mix) 9. We’re All Water (Ultimate Mix)
CD5 / BR2 NEW YORK CITY (THE EVOLUTION DOCUMENTARY) John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephantâs Memory plus Invisible Strings 1. New York City (Evolution Documentary) â 2. Sisters, O Sisters (Evolution Documentary) â 3. Attica State (Evolution Documentary) â 4. Born In A Prison (Evolution Documentary) â 5. Sunday Bloody Sunday (Evolution Documentary) â 6. The Luck Of The Irish (Evolution Documentary) â 7. John Sinclair (Evolution Documentary) â 8. Angela (Evolution Documentary) â 9. We’re All Water (Evolution Documentary) â
CD6 / BR2 NEW YORK CITY (STUDIO JAM) John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Elephantâs Memory 1. Jazz Freakout â 2. You Can’t Sit Down â 3. Roll Over Beethoven â 4. Honey, Don’t â 5. Ain’t That A Shame â 6. My Babe â 7. Send Me Some Lovin’ â 8. Fools Like Me â 9. Down In The Caribbean â 10. Happy Birthday Yoko Ono â 11. That’s Right â 12. Don’t Be Cruel / Hound Dog â 13. Yoko’s Rhythm â 14. Whole Lotta Shakin’ / It’ll Be Me â 15. Yakety Yak â 16. Road Runner â
NEW YORK CITY (THE ELEMENTS MIXES) John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with Invisible Strings 17. Sisters, O Sisters (Elements Mix) â 18. Born In A Prison (Elements Mix) â 19. The Luck Of The Irish (Elements Mix) â 20. Angela (Elements Mix) â CD7 / BR3
LIVE JAM 1 John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band and A Star Studded Cast of Thousands Peace and Love for Christmas, in aid of UNICEF Live at the Lyceum Ballroom, The Strand, London 15 December 1969 1. Cold Turkey (live) 2. Donât Worry Kyoko (live) John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band with Frank Zappa and The Mothers Fillmore East, New York 6 June 1971 3. Well (Baby Please Don’t Go) (live) 4. Jamrag [Say Please / King Kong / Aawk] (live) 5. Scumbag (live) 6. AĂŒ (live)
CD8 / BR3 LIVE JAM 2 John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band with David Peel and The Lower East Side Live at the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan 10 December 1971 1. Attica State (live) â 2. The Luck Of The Irish (live) 3. Sisters, O Sisters (live) â 4. John Sinclair (live)
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band Live at the Benefit for the families of the victims of the riot at Attica State Correctional Facility Apollo Theater, Harlem, NYC 17 December 1971 5. Attica State (live) 6. Sisters, O Sisters (live) â 7. Imagine (live)
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band Live on the David Frost TV Show, The Little Theatre, 240 West 44th Street, NYC 16 December 1971 8. Attica State (live) â 9. Sisters, O Sisters (live) â 10. John Sinclair (live) â
John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Elephantâs Memory Band Live at the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, Americana Hotel, NYC 4 September 1972 11. Imagine (live) â 12. Now Or Never (live) â 13. Give Peace A Chance (live) â
CD9 / BR3 HOME JAM John Lennon Home Recordings at the St. Regis Hotel, New York 10 September 1971 1. Shazam â 2. Honey, Donât â 3. Glad All Over â 4. Lend Me Your Comb â 5. Wake Up Little Susie â 6. New York City â 7. Wake Up Little Susie â 8. âHey, que pasa?â â 9. Youâre So Square (Baby I Donât Care) â 10. Vacation Time â 11. Heartbeat â 12. Peggy Sue Got Married â 13. Peggy Sue â 14. âPhone call from Henry Gotselloâ â 15. Peggy Sue â 16. âNow weâd like to change the mood a little…â â 17. Maybe Baby â 18. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues â 19. Rave On! â 20. Twelve Bar Blues â
John Lennon Home Recordings at the St. Regis Hotel, New York 27 October 1971 21. I Got You â 22. Hi-Heel Sneakers â 23. Slippinâ And Slidinâ â 24. Gone From This Place â
John Lennon Home Recordings at Campus Inn, Ann Arbor, Michigan 10 December 1971 25. Send Me Some Lovinâ â 26. He Got The Blues â 27. When The Teacher â 28. Pill â 29. Itâs Real
John Lennon and Phil Ochs Home Recordings at Campus Inn, Ann Arbor, Michigan 10 December 1971 30. I Ainât Marching Anymore â 31. Joe Hill â 32. Chords Of Fame â 33. Ringing Of Revolution â denotes never-before-heard, previously unreleased tracks
4LP BOXED SET â LENTICULAR COVER 31 LIVE TRACKS â AFTERNOON SHOW AND EVENING SHOW 8-PAGE BOOK â NEWSPRINT POSTER â 2 POSTCARDS â 2 STICKER SHEETS 2 REPLICA TICKETS, VIP BACKSTAGE PASS AND VIP AFTERSHOW INVITATION THE ONE TO ONE CONCERT AFTERNOON SHOW
LP 1 & 2 1. Power To The People (intro) â 2. New York City 3. It’s So Hard 4. Move On Fast â 5. Well Well Well 6. Born In A Prison â 7. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) 8. Mother 9. We’re All Water â 10. Come Together 11. Imagine 12. Open Your Box â 13. Cold Turkey â 14. Donât Worry Kyoko â 15. Hound Dog â
EVENING SHOW LP 3 & 4 1. Power To The People (intro) â 2. New York City â 3. It’s So Hard â 4. Move On Fast â 5. Well Well Well â 6. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) â 7. Mother â 8. We’re All Water â 9. Born In A Prison â 10. Come Together â 11. Imagine â 12. Open Your Box â 13. Cold Turkey 14. Hound Dog 15. Law And Order 16. Give Peace A Chance â denotes never-before-heard, previously unreleased tracks
2CD DELUXE TRIPLE GATEFOLD â LENTICULAR COVER 31 LIVE TRACKS â AFTERNOON SHOW AND EVENING SHOW 20-PAGE BOOK â NEWSPRINT POSTER â 2 POSTCARDS THE ONE TO ONE CONCERT AFTERNOON SHOW
CD 1 1. Power To The People (intro) â 2. New York City 3. It’s So Hard 4. Move On Fast â 5. Well Well Well 6. Born In A Prison â 7. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) 8. Mother 9. We’re All Water â 10. Come Together 11. Imagine 12. Open Your Box â 13. Cold Turkey â 14. Donât Worry Kyoko â 15. Hound Dog â
THE ONE TO ONE CONCERT EVENING SHOW
CD 2 1. Power To The People (intro) â 2. New York City â 3. It’s So Hard â 4. Move On Fast â 5. Well Well Well â 6. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) â 7. Mother â 8. We’re All Water â 9. Born In A Prison â 10. Come Together â 11. Imagine â 12. Open Your Box â 13. Cold Turkey 14. Hound Dog 15. Law And Order 16. Give Peace A Chance â denotes never-before-heard, previously unreleased tracks
2 LP GATEFOLD IN TRANSPARENT O-CARD 17 LIVE TRACKS â HYBRID âBEST OFâ SHOW 180G AUDIOPHILE BLACK VINYL THE ONE TO ONE CONCERT HYBRID âBEST OFâ SHOW
Disc 1 / Side A 1. Power To The People (intro)* â 2. New York City* 3. It’s So Hard* 4. Move On Fast* â Disc 1 / Side B 5. Well Well Well â 6. Born In A Prison* â 7. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)* 8. Mother* 9. We’re All Water â
Disc 2 / Side A 10. Come Together â 11. Imagine* 12. Open Your Box* â 13. Cold Turkey* â 14. Donât Worry Kyoko* â Disc 2 / Side B 15. Hound Dog 16. Law And Order 17. Give Peace A Chance * denotes afternoon show, otherwise the performance is from the evening show. â denotes never-before-heard, previously unreleased tracks
2 LP GATEFOLD IN TRANSPARENT O-CARD – GREEN VINYL 17 LIVE TRACKS â HYBRID âBEST OFâ SHOW LIMITED EDITION 180G TRANSPARENT GREEN VINYL (D2C ONLY) THE ONE TO ONE CONCERT HYBRID âBEST OFâ SHOW
Disc 1 / Side A 1. Power To The People (intro)* â 2. New York City* 3. It’s So Hard* 4. Move On Fast* â Disc 1 / Side B 5. Well Well Well â 6. Born In A Prison* â 7. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)* 8. Mother* 9. We’re All Water â
Disc 2 / Side A 10. Come Together â 11. Imagine* 12. Open Your Box* â 13. Cold Turkey* â 14. Donât Worry Kyoko* â
Disc 2 / Side B 15. Hound Dog 16. Law And Order 17. Give Peace A Chance * denotes afternoon show, otherwise the performance is from the evening show. â denotes never-before-heard, previously unreleased tracks
1 CD DIGISLEEVE 17 LIVE TRACKS â HYBRID SHOW THE ONE TO ONE CONCERT HYBRID âBEST OFâ SHOW CD1 1. Power To The People (intro)* â 2. New York City* 3. It’s So Hard* 4. Move On Fast* â 5. Well Well Well â 6. Born In A Prison* â 7. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)* 8. Mother* 9. We’re All Water â 10. Come Together â 11. Imagine* 12. Open Your Box* â 13. Cold Turkey* â 14. Donât Worry Kyoko* â 15. Hound Dog 16. Law And Order 17. Give Peace A Chance * denotes afternoon show, otherwise the performance is from the evening show. â denotes never-before-heard, previously unreleased tracks
