''Rock 'n' Roll'' is the sixth studio album by English musician
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
. Released in February 1975, it is an album of late 1950s and early 1960s songs as covered by Lennon. Recording the album was problematic and spanned an entire year:
Phil Spector
Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
produced sessions in October 1973 at
A&M Studios
The Jim Henson Company Lot, formerly A&M Studios, is a studio property located just south of the southeast corner of North La Brea Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Originally established by film star Charlie Chaplin, the property serve ...
, and Lennon produced sessions in October 1974 at the
Record Plant
The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...
(East). Lennon was being sued by
Morris Levy
Morris Levy (born Moishe Levy; August 27, 1927 – May 21, 1990) was an American entrepreneur in the fields of jazz clubs, music publishing, and the independent record industry. Levy was cofounder and owner of Roulette Records, founding partner ...
over copyright infringement of one line in his song "
Come Together
"Come Together" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on their 1969 album ''Abbey Road'' and was also released as a single coupled with "Somethin ...
". As part of an agreement, Lennon had to include three Levy-owned songs on ''Rock 'n' Roll''. Spector disappeared with the session recordings and was subsequently involved in a motor accident, leaving the album's tracks unrecoverable until the beginning of the ''
Walls and Bridges
''Walls and Bridges'' is the fifth studio album by English musician John Lennon. It was issued by Apple Records on 26 September 1974 in the United States and on 4 October in the United Kingdom. Written, recorded and released during his 18-month ...
'' sessions. With ''Walls and Bridges'' coming out first, featuring one Levy-owned song, Levy sued Lennon expecting to see Lennon's ''Rock 'n' Roll'' album.
The album reached number 6 in both the United Kingdom and the United States, later being
certified gold
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
in both countries. It was supported by the single "
Stand by Me", which peaked at number 20 in the US, and 30 in the UK. The cover photo was taken by
Jürgen Vollmer
Jürgen Vollmer (born 11 July 1939) is a German photographer known for his association with the Beatles during the band's time in Hamburg in the early 1960s. Vollmer, along with Astrid Kirchherr and Klaus Voormann (the " Exis"), befriended th ...
during
the Beatles' stay in Hamburg. It was to be Lennon's last solo album; with no recording contract obligation, he was on hiatus from the music business to raise his son
Sean
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; anglici ...
. Lennon and his wife
Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野 洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up i ...
staged a comeback with their joint release ''
Double Fantasy
''Double Fantasy'' is the fifth album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, released in November 1980 on Geffen Records. Produced by Lennon, Ono and Jack Douglas, it was the seventh and final studio album released by Lennon during his lifetime. The al ...
'' in 1980.
Background
In 1969, Lennon composed the song "
Come Together
"Come Together" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on their 1969 album ''Abbey Road'' and was also released as a single coupled with "Somethin ...
"
for
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' album ''
Abbey Road
''Abbey Road'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It is the last album the group started recording, although ''Let It Be'' was the last album completed before the band's break-up in April 1970. It was mostly re ...
''. Inspired by the
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...
tune "
You Can't Catch Me
"You Can't Catch Me" is a song written and recorded by Chuck Berry, released as a single in 1956.
Background
The song's lyrics describe racing a souped-up "air-mobile" down the New Jersey Turnpike, then unfolding its wings and taking off. At the ...
",
[ it bore a melodic resemblance to the original—and Lennon took the third line of the second verse ("Here come ldflat-top") for the new lyric.][ Publisher ]Morris Levy
Morris Levy (born Moishe Levy; August 27, 1927 – May 21, 1990) was an American entrepreneur in the fields of jazz clubs, music publishing, and the independent record industry. Levy was cofounder and owner of Roulette Records, founding partner ...
brought a lawsuit for infringement, and the case was due to be heard in a New York court in December 1973. It was later settled out of court, with the agreement that, according to an announcement by Levy, Lennon had to "record three songs by Big Seven publishers on his next album". The songs eintends to record at this time are "You Can't Catch Me", " Angel Baby" and "Ya Ya
"Ya Ya" is a song by Lee Dorsey. The song was written by Dorsey, C. L. Blast, Bobby Robinson, and Morris Levy. Levy's participation in the writing has been called into question; the Flashback release of the single lists only Dorsey and Blast a ...
"." Lennon had the right to change the last two songs to any other songs that were published by Big Seven.[ In the meantime, Lennon had split with ]Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野 洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up i ...
and was living in Los Angeles with his personal assistant, May Pang
May Fung Yee Pang (born October 24, 1950) is an American former music executive. She worked for John Lennon and Yoko Ono as a personal assistant and production coordinator, and when Lennon and Ono separated in 1973, Pang and Lennon began a re ...
.[Blaney 2005, p. 139] Nostalgia was a popular trend on film with ''American Graffiti
''American Graffiti'' is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard (billed as Ronn ...
'', and television was readying the series ''Happy Days
''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...
'' (Lennon and Pang had even visited the set). Lennon, rather than writing his own songs, and partly inspired by his arrangement to include at least three songs from Levy's publishing company catalogue, Big Seven Music, decided to record an album of oldies as his next release, following ''Mind Games
Playing mind games (also power games or head games) is the largely conscious struggle for psychological one-upmanship, often employing passive–aggressive behavior to specifically demoralize or dis-empower the thinking subject, making the a ...
''.[
]
Recording
Lennon initially teamed up with producer Phil Spector
Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...
to record the album,[Blaney 2005, p. 142] letting Spector have full control.[Blaney 2005, p. 154] Spector chose some of the songs, booked the studio, and the musicians.[ When news got around that Lennon was in Hollywood making a record, every musician there wanted to be part of the sessions.] In mid-October 1973, sessions were booked at A&M Studios
The Jim Henson Company Lot, formerly A&M Studios, is a studio property located just south of the southeast corner of North La Brea Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Originally established by film star Charlie Chaplin, the property serve ...
,[ with many of them having over 30 musicians,][ but the sessions quickly fell into disarray—fueled by alcohol.][ Spector once showed up dressed in a surgeon's outfit and shot a gun in the ceiling of the studio, hurting Lennon's ears.] On another occasion, a bottle of whiskey had spilled on the A&M Studio's mixing console causing future sessions to be banned from the facility. Unknown to Lennon, each night Spector would remove the master tapes from the studio, and move them to his house.[ Spector then disappeared with the session tapes][ and would not be heard from for several months. Spector made one cryptic call to Lennon, claiming to have the "]John Dean
John Wesley Dean III (born October 14, 1938) is an American former attorney who served as White House Counsel for U.S. President Richard Nixon from July 1970 until April 1973. Dean is known for his role in the cover-up of the Watergate scandal ...
tapes" from the recent Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continual ...
; Lennon deduced that Spector meant he had the album's master tapes
Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via me ...
.[John Lennon, "Interview," WNEW NY, September 1974] When a car accident on 31 March 1974 left Spector in a coma, the project was put on indefinite hold. In mid-1974, Lennon returned to New York with Pang and began writing and recording a new album of original material, ''Walls and Bridges
''Walls and Bridges'' is the fifth studio album by English musician John Lennon. It was issued by Apple Records on 26 September 1974 in the United States and on 4 October in the United Kingdom. Written, recorded and released during his 18-month ...
''.[Edmondson 2010, p. 155] Shortly before these sessions began, Al Coury
Albert Eli Coury (October 21, 1934 – August 8, 2013) was an American music record executive and producer who was vice-president of Capitol Records, co-founder of RSO Records, founder of Network Records and general manager of Geffen Records.
Co ...
, then-head of A&R/promotion for Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
retrieved the Spector tapes.[Blaney 2005, p. 143] Not wanting to break stride, Lennon shelved the tapes and completed work on ''Walls and Bridges''.[
With ''Walls and Bridges'' coming out first, Lennon had reneged on his deal with Levy, and Levy threatened to refile his lawsuit, but Lennon explained to Levy what had happened, and assured him that the covers album was indeed in the works.][Blaney 2005, p. 155] Levy gave Lennon use of his farm in upstate New York to rehearse material.[ Lennon then recalled the session musicians from ''Walls and Bridges'' to complete the oldies tracks.] Several tracks never made it past the rehearsal stage: " C'mon Everybody", " Thirty Days", "That'll Be the Day
"That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison. It was first recorded by Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes in 1956 and was re-recorded in 1957 by Holly and his new band, the Crickets. The 1957 recording achieved widesprea ...
" – the band also played a few impromptu
An impromptu (, , loosely meaning "offhand") is a free-form musical composition with the character of an ''ex tempore'' improvisation as if prompted by the spirit of the moment, usually for a solo instrument, such as piano. According to ''Allgeme ...
jams.[ On 21 October, Lennon went into ]Record Plant East
The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...
, completing the oldies tracks in a few days.[ Lennon wanted the musicians to stay close to the original arrangements of the songs, apart from "]Do You Wanna Dance?
"Do You Want to Dance" is a song written by American singer Bobby Freeman and recorded by him in 1958. It reached number No. 5 on the United States ''Billboard'' Top 100 Sides pop chart and No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart. Cliff Richard ...
".[ Mixing and editing lasted until mid-November.][ To assure him progress was being made, Lennon gave Levy a rough tape of the sessions to review.][ Levy took the tapes and pressed his own version of the album called '' Roots: John Lennon Sings the Great Rock & Roll Hits''] on his record label, Adam VIII, then proceeded to sue Lennon, EMI and Capitol for $42 million for breach of contract.[ Capitol/EMI quickly sought an injunction.][ After two trials, in which Lennon had to convince the court of the difference between a rough version and a final take, Levy won $6,795 in damages, and Lennon won $144,700,][ in February 1976.][ The album was originally scheduled for release in April 1975;][ however, in February 1975, Capitol Records rush-released the official ''Rock 'n' Roll'' as a Capitol "budget" album (prefix code SK—one dollar cheaper than the usual releases) to counteract sales of the Levy album.
][
]
Reception and aftermath
Although some critics derided the album as "a step backward", ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide
''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...
'' wrote that "John lends dignity to these classics; his singing is tender, convincing, and fond." AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
described the album "as a peak in ennon'spost-''Imagine'' catalog: an album that catches him with nothing to prove and no need to try".
The album was released on 17 February 1975 in the US, and a few days later in the UK, on 21 February 1975. It reached number 6 in both the United Kingdom and the United States. On 10 March and 18 April 1975, in the US and UK respectively, " Stand by Me" was released as a single,[Blaney 2005, p. 167] backed with "Move Over Ms. L", a song that was meant to appear on ''Walls and Bridges'' but cut from the final line-up.[Blaney 2005, p. 143] It peaked at number 20 in the US and number 30 in the UK.[ Lennon promoted the song by appearing on the BBC TV show '']Old Grey Whistle Test
''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music show. The show was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough and aired on BBC Two, BBC2 from 1971 ...
'', which also featured an interview by Bob Harris. The show had Lennon singing live over the backing tracks of "Stand by Me" and "Slippin' and Slidin'
"Slippin' and Slidin' (Peepin' and Hidin')" is a R&B/rock 'n' roll song performed by Little Richard. The song is credited to Little Richard, Edwin Bocage (Eddie Bo), Al Collins, and James Smith.
Al Collins first recorded "I Got the Blues for Yo ...
". Lennon also appeared on ''Salute to Sir Lew – The Master Showman'' singing live again over backing tracks, this time for three songs: "Stand by Me", "Slippin' and Slidin'" and "Imagine
Imagine may refer to:
* Imagination
Music Albums
* ''Imagine'' (Armin van Buuren album), 2008
* ''Imagine'' (Eva Cassidy album), 2002
* ''Imagine'' (Janice Vidal album), 2012
* ''Imagine'' (John Lennon album), 1971
** ''Imagine: John Lennon' ...
". A second single, "Slippin N Slidin"/"Ain't That a Shame" (Apple 1883), was announced, promotional copies were pressed, but was never released. "Ya Ya
"Ya Ya" is a song by Lee Dorsey. The song was written by Dorsey, C. L. Blast, Bobby Robinson, and Morris Levy. Levy's participation in the writing has been called into question; the Flashback release of the single lists only Dorsey and Blast a ...
", backed with " Be-Bop-A-Lula", was released as a single only in Germany, peaking at number 47 on the Media Control Charts
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...
. Lennon said the following about ''Rock 'n' Roll'': "It started in '73 with Phil and fell apart. I ended up as part of mad, drunk scenes in Los Angeles and I finally finished it off on my own. And there was still problems with it up to the minute it came out. I can't begin to say, it's just barmy, there's a jinx on that album."
Not long after the album appeared, Lennon reconciled with Ono, and she soon became pregnant. Determined not to lose another baby after three consecutive miscarriages, Lennon decided to halt his musical career for his family.[ ]Sean Lennon
is an American–British musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The G ...
was born that October (on his father's 35th birthday);[ following the release of the compilation '']Shaved Fish
''Shaved Fish'' is a compilation album by English rock musician John Lennon with the Plastic Ono Band, issued in October 1975 on Apple Records. It contains all of the single (music), singles that he had issued up to that point in the United State ...
'', Lennon would not return with a new release until 1980. "Stand by Me" was reissued in the US, with "Woman Is the Nigger of the World
"Woman Is the Nigger of the World" is a song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono with Elephant's Memory from their 1972 album ''Some Time in New York City''. Released as the only single from the album in the United States, the song sparked controversy ...
", on 4 April 1977. The album re-charted in the UK on 17 January 1981, at number 64.[ In the US, it was reissued in October 1980, also at budget price,] and it was briefly reissued in the UK by the budget label Music for Pleasure with an alternative cover on 25 November 1981.[Blaney 2005, p. 204] After Lennon's death, the album, along with seven other Lennon albums, was reissued by EMI as part of a box set, which was released in the UK on 15 June 1981.[Blaney 2005, p. 203] In 1981, Belgium and France issued the album, along with the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' '' Rock 'n' Roll Music'', as part of a box set. The album was first issued on CD on 26 May 1987. In 1988 it was reissued in Australia with an alternative cover and under the title ''Rip It Up''. In 2004, Yoko Ono supervised the remixing of ''Rock 'n' Roll'' for its reissue, including four bonus tracks from the ill-fated Spector sessions. These leftovers from the sessions had already appeared, as part of 1986's ''Menlove Ave.
''Menlove Ave.'' is a 1986 compilation album by English rock musician John Lennon. It is the second posthumous release of Lennon's music (after '' Milk and Honey''), having been recorded during the sessions for his albums ''Walls and Bridges'' ...
'' (a collection of outtakes) or the ''John Lennon Anthology
''John Lennon Anthology'' is a four-CD box set of home demos, studio outtakes and other previously unreleased material recorded by John Lennon over the course of his solo career from "Give Peace a Chance" in 1969 up until the 1980 sessions for ' ...
'' box set
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
. (The Lennon/Spector co-composition "Here We Go Again" was not included on the remastered ''Rock 'n' Roll'', and can be found on ''Menlove Ave.
''Menlove Ave.'' is a 1986 compilation album by English rock musician John Lennon. It is the second posthumous release of Lennon's music (after '' Milk and Honey''), having been recorded during the sessions for his albums ''Walls and Bridges'' ...
'' as well as the soundtrack album for ''The U.S. vs. John Lennon'' and the 2010 ''Gimme Some Truth'' 4-CD set under the 4th CD entitled "Roots" featuring the ''Rock 'n' Roll'' tracks). In 2010, the original album mixes were remastered, the album was available separately or as part of the ''John Lennon Signature Box
The ''John Lennon Signature Box'' is an 11-disc boxed set of remastered John Lennon albums and new collections, released on CD and digital format, as part of the "Gimme Some Truth" collection. The albums released in the boxed set are digital re ...
''.
Cover art
Lennon planned to use some of his childhood drawings for the cover of his oldies album, and production had already begun when Lennon switched gears, so the artwork was used instead for ''Walls and Bridges''. In September 1974, May Pang attended the first Beatlefest convention at Lennon's behest, and met Jürgen Vollmer
Jürgen Vollmer (born 11 July 1939) is a German photographer known for his association with the Beatles during the band's time in Hamburg in the early 1960s. Vollmer, along with Astrid Kirchherr and Klaus Voormann (the " Exis"), befriended th ...
, an old friend of the Beatles from Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
, Germany, who had photographed the band from their Hamburg days. He was selling some striking portraits, and Pang immediately phoned Lennon to tell him of her find. Reuniting with Vollmer in New York, Lennon chose one of his photos for the album's cover.
The photo depicts Lennon in a doorway with three blurry figures walking past him in the foreground. Those figures are George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
, Stu Sutcliffe
Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe (23 June 1940 – 10 April 1962) was a Scottish painter and musician best known as the original bass guitarist of the English rock band the Beatles. Sutcliffe left the band to pursue his career as a paint ...
and Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
. It was taken on 22 Wohlwill Street in Hamburg. The album's working title had been ''Oldies But Mouldies'';[ no official title had been chosen until Lennon saw the ]neon sign
In the signage industry, neon signs are electric signs lighted by long luminous gas-discharge tubes that contain rarefied neon or other gases. They are the most common use for neon lighting, which was first demonstrated in a modern form in Decem ...
prepared as cover art by John Uomoto, with Lennon's name and the words "ROCK 'N' ROLL" beneath. This struck Lennon in a positive way, and it became the album title.[The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'': ''The Ballad of John and Yoko'', Rolling Stone Press 1982]
Track listing
''All tracks produced and arranged by John Lennon, except * produced by Phil Spector, and arranged by Spector and Lennon.''
;2004 reissue bonus tracks
Personnel
*John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
– guitar, vocals
*Jesse Ed Davis
Jesse Edwin Davis III (September 21, 1944 – June 22, 1988) was a Native American guitarist. He was well regarded as a session artist and solo performer, was a member of Taj Mahal's backing band and played with musicians such as Eric Clapton, J ...
– guitar
*Jim Calvert – guitar
*Steve Cropper
Steven Lee Cropper (born October 21, 1941), sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Ot ...
– guitar
*Louie Shelton
William Louis Shelton (born April 6, 1941) is an American guitarist and music producer.
Biography
During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s Shelton was a session musician working in recording studios around Hollywood. Among his more notable session wo ...
– guitar
*Eddie Mottau
Eddie Mottau (born December 10, 1943) is an American guitarist. His career has included membership in the duo Two Guys from Boston, The Bait Shop, Bo Grumpus, Jolliver Arkansaw, and Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary. He was a sought after ...
– acoustic guitar
*José Feliciano
José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) () is a Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song " ...
– acoustic guitar
*Michael Hazelwood – acoustic guitar
*Klaus Voormann
Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German artist, musician, and record producer.
Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, including "You're So V ...
– bass guitar, answer vocal on "Bring It On Home to Me"
*Leon Russell
Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...
– keyboards
*Ken Ascher
Kenneth Lee Ascher (born October 26, 1944 in Washington, D.C.) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger who is active in jazz, rock, classical, and musical theater genres — in live venues, recording studios, and cinema productio ...
– keyboards
* Michael Lang – keyboards
*Jim Keltner
James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America".Howard Sounes. ''Down ...
– drums
*Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American drummer and session musician, thought to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessi