Fly (Yoko Ono album)

''Fly'' is the second album by Yoko Ono, released in 1971. Co-produced by Ono and John Lennon, the original release was a complete avant-garde/Fluxus package in a gatefold sleeve that came with a full-size poster and a postcard to order Ono's 1964 book ''Grapefruit''. Notable songs include the singles "Midsummer New York" and "Mrs. Lennon", "Hirake" (a.k.a. "Open Your Box") and " Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)", that was dedicated to Ono's daughter Kyoko Cox. "Airmale", that benefits from the automated noise music machines of Fluxus musician Joe Jones, is the soundtrack to Lennon's film ''Erection'', showing a building being erected in time lapsed photography, while "Fly" is the soundtrack to Lennon and Ono's 1970 film ''Fly''. The entire side three of this LP has Ono performing with various automated sound-machines created by Joe Jones pictured in the gatefold.

Recording

The album was recorded around the same time as Lennon's ''Imagine''. Ono had to re-record her vocals on "Open Your Box", on 4 March 1971 at Abbey Road Studios, after a managing director of EMI called the lyrics "distasteful". In the verse "''Open your trousers, open your skirt, open your legs and open your thighs''", the words "''Trousers''", "''skirt''", "''legs''", and "''thighs''" were changed to "''houses''", "''church''", "''lakes''", and "''eyes''". Lennon and Ono didn't complain about the change of words, and only "wanted to get the record out", as a spokesman said.

"Will You Touch Me" was first recorded during the ''Fly'' sessions. It was later re-recorded for Yoko's shelved 1974 album ''A Story'' and for 1981's '' Season of Glass''. The original demo version was included on the Rykodisc reissue of ''Fly'' in 1997.

Each edition of the US, UK and Japanese albums utilized that country's distinctive telephone ring in the track "Telephone Piece" (i.e. each edition of the album used entirely different recordings) – the Rykodisc CD edition used the US variation.

Release

''Fly'' peaked at number 199 in the ''Billboard'' charts. On 1 February 1972, Lennon and Ono Lennon performed "Midsummer New York" backed by Elephant's Memory for an episode of ''The Mike Douglas Show'', which aired on 15 February.

Reception

The album was a significant influence to British power electronics musician William Bennett of Whitehouse fame.

Track listing

All songs written by Yoko Ono.

Side one
#"Midsummer New York" – 3:50
#"Mind Train" – 16:52

Side two
#

"Mind Holes" – 2:45
#" Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)" – 4:55
#"Mrs. Lennon" – 4:10
#"Hirake" (previously released as "Open Your Box") – 3:32
#"Toilet Piece/Unknown" – 0:30
#"O'Wind (Body Is the Scar of Your Mind)" – 5:22

Side three
#

"Airmale" – 10:40
#"Don't Count the Waves" – 5:26
#"You" – 9:00

Side four
#

"Fly" – 22:53
#"Telephone Piece" – 0:33

For unknown reasons, John Lennon was credited as co-writer of "Mind Train", "Mind Holes", "Toilet Piece/Unknown" and "Telephone Piece" on the disc faces of the 1997 Rykodisc reissue. Lennon has not been credited as co-writer of these tracks on any other release of ''Fly''.

Personnel

*Yoko Ono – vocals, claves on "Airmale" and "Don't Count the Waves"
*John Lennon – guitar, piano on "Mrs. Lennon", organ, automated music machines on "Airmale" and "Don't Count the Waves"
*Klaus Voormann – guitar, bass guitar, bells on "Mrs. Lennon", cymbal on "O'Wind", percussion on "Don't Count the Waves"
*Bobby Keys – claves on "O'Wind"
*Eric Clapton – guitar on "Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)"
*Jim Keltner – drums, tabla, percussion
*Ringo Starr – drums on "Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)"
* Jim Gordon – drums on "Hirake", tabla on "O'Wind"
*Chris Osborne – dobro on "Midsummer New York" and "Mind Train"
* Joe Jones – automated music machines on "Airmale", "Don't Count the Waves" and "You"
*George Marino – mastering engineer

Charts

Release history

References

{{Authority control

1971 albums
Yoko Ono albums
Avant-pop albums
Fluxus
Apple Records albums
Rykodisc albums
Albums produced by John Lennon
Albums produced by Yoko Ono
Albums recorded in a home studio