Give peace A Chance    b/w    Remember Love

John Lennon
 
Give Peace A Chance - Cover Give Peace A Chance - Cover
Give Peace A Chance - Original Cover Give Peace A Chance - 1984 Re-release Cover

Give Peace A Chance - First Pressing Give Peace A Chance - First Pressing
Give Peace A Chance - First Pressing A-side Give Peace A Chance - First Pressing B-side
Lighter Apple - No Lighter Apple - No
Later Pressing - Lighter Apple - No "Sold in U.K." - A-side Later Pressing - Lighter Apple - No "Sold in U.K." - B-side
Contract Pressing - Note R5795 - A-side Contract Pressing - Note R5795 - B-side
Contract Pressing - Note R5795 - A-side Contract Pressing - Note R5795 - B-side

Label Apple
Catalogue No. APPLE 13 (+ R 5795)
Release Date 4th July 1969
U.K. Chart Detail :
Entry Date :9th July 1969
Highest Position :2
Weeks in Chart :13 Weeks
Detail : John's first solo single.
During a "bed-in" for peace in May 1969 John and Yoko wrote their first joint composition, "Give Peace A Chance".
They were in room 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth hotel in Montreal but John decided to record it straight away, summoning for some 8-track recording equipment. The Andre Perry Studios installed what John required almost immediately and recording took place on June 1st with John and Yoko leading the gathered throng. These included, The Smothers Brothers, Timothy Leary, Allen Ginsberg, Murray the K, Petula Clark and a variety of others. John christened this motley crew the "Plastic Ono Band", a name which he continued to use on many recordings.
The B-side, written solely by Yoko was also recorded in the hotel room.

A press reception for the release of the single took place on July 3rd at the Chelsea Town Hall, but John and Yoko were unable to attend as they had been involved in a car accident on the 1st in Golspie in Scotland. Ringo and Maureen Starr deputised for the Lennons, and the Plastic Ono Band were represented by an abstract design of clear plastic and recording equipment which can be seen on the cover of the single.

Give peace A Chance has become a regular campaign song for those protesting against war, with probably it's most famous rendition being at the Peace march of 1969 at the Washington monument where over a quarter of a million people joined Pete Seeger in a moving version.

In England the single quickly moved to number 2 in the chart, but was prevented from becoming the first chart-topping solo Beatle record by the Rolling Stones and their classic "Honky Tonk Women". I only show the front of the picture sleeve above, as the rear is the same (except, with the titles of the songs reversed)

The design of the label is exactly the same as recent Beatles releases on Apple.
One other very interesting point, the song is credited on the single to ... "Lennon/McCartney" ! ... This was done at the insistence of John, who wanted to uphold the long standing pact with Paul that songs would be "shared", and in the same breath, to thank Paul for recording "Ballad Of John And Yoko" with him.

As can be seen above, there are copies of this single with a Parlophone catalogue number of R 5795 !

This single was deleted 31st October 1987.

On 12th March 1984 as part of their "Golden 45's" series, E.M.I. released a double A-side of "Give Peace A Chance"/ "Cold Turkey" (Catalogue number G45 2). This series was a mixture of E.M.I. artists and the only other Beatle contribution was a Ringo double A-side of "It don't Come Easy"/"Back Off Boogaloo" (G45 13).
This Lennon single has Apple labels, but not the "Recorded in Montreal" or "Play Loud" inscriptions. "Cold Turkey" is on the sliced Apple side.

©2000 Graham Calkin's Beatles Pages. All Rights Reserved.