Following the rooftop ceremony at Apple in which John Lennon changed his name to John Winston Ono Lennon, he and Yoko Ono recorded an experimental piece that would form the first side of their Wedding Album.

The session took place at Studio Two, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, running from 11pm to 4.30am, with Jeff Jarratt as balance engineer and John Kurlander operating the tape machines. Photographer David Nutter documented both the naming ceremony and the studio session.

Lennon and Ono lay on the studio floor while their heartbeats were recorded using a highly sensitive hospital microphone. They then stood at microphones and called each other's names continuously for 22 minutes.

"The nice thing about working with John and Yoko was seeing just how much in love they were… the mike was so good that you heard all the gurgly noises and everything going on inside the stomach!" — Jeff Jarratt

The heartbeat recordings were looped and overdubbed onto the vocal tracks. The recording was mixed in stereo, but proved technically complex, with further mixes on 26 April and re-recorded heartbeats on 27 April. The final mix was completed on 1 May 1969.

FAQs

What is "John And Yoko"?

An experimental recording by John Lennon and Yoko Ono forming part of their Wedding Album.

Where was it recorded?

Studio Two at EMI Studios, Abbey Road in London.

What was unusual about the recording?

It featured recorded heartbeats and 22 minutes of the couple calling each other's names.

Who engineered the session?

Jeff Jarratt, with tape operation by John Kurlander.