Saturday 4 November 1972 | Mixing | Record Plant, New York City | By Beatles Fabdom
On 4 November 1972, four final mixes were prepared for Yoko Ono’s Approximately Infinite Universe at the Record Plant in New York City. Ono and John Lennon shared the production credit.
The session chronology lists Peter The Dealer, Waiting For The Sunrise, What A Waste and Song For John. The recordings came from several October sessions: Peter The Dealer had been completed on 25 October, Waiting For The Sunrise was recorded on 26 October, and the other two titles were recorded on 19 October.
By the end of the session, final mixes of the four recordings were ready for mastering. Work on the wider double album continued during November before its release in 1973.
| Date | Saturday 4 November 1972 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Yoko Ono |
| Album | Approximately Infinite Universe |
| Studio | Record Plant, New York City |
| Historic studio address | 321 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036, USA |
| Producers | Yoko Ono and John Lennon |
| Work | Final stereo mixing |
| Titles in the session chronology | Peter The Dealer; Waiting For The Sunrise; What A Waste; Song For John |
| Album release | 1973, on Apple |
Four recordings brought together for final mixing
The November session followed a concentrated period of recording in October. Songs begun on different days now reached the same production stage, with their final stereo balances prepared for the album.
| Title in the session listing | Recording history | Final mixing |
|---|---|---|
| Peter The Dealer | Begun on 24 October; completed on 25 October 1972 | 4 November 1972 |
| Waiting For The Sunrise | Recorded on 26 October 1972 | 4 November 1972 |
| What A Waste | Recorded on 19 October 1972 | 4 November 1972 |
| Song For John | Recorded on 19 October 1972 | 4 November 1972 |
A title difference remains in the published sources: the dated session chronology uses What A Waste, while the official Approximately Infinite Universe tracklist lists What A Mess. The session title is retained here without treating it as a separately confirmed title on the released LP.
Peter The Dealer: from two recording days to a finished mix
Peter The Dealer began during the Approximately Infinite Universe sessions on 24 October. That day also included work on the title track, Winter Song, Catman and What A Bastard The World Is.
The recording continued the following day and was completed on 25 October 1972. Its stereo mix followed on 4 November, bringing that October performance into its final album form.
On the original LP, Peter The Dealer appears on side two, immediately after the title song and before Song For John. Those two neighbouring tracks consequently share this final mixing date as well as their place together in the released sequence.
Waiting For The Sunrise
Waiting For The Sunrise was recorded on 26 October. It was the new song introduced during a session which also revisited What A Bastard The World Is and I Want My Love To Rest Tonight.
The song’s final mix was prepared with the other three recordings on 4 November. In the original double-album sequence, it closes side two, following What A Bastard The World Is.
Our 26 October recording-session article follows the earlier work on these songs.
Song For John and the 19 October recordings
Song For John had been recorded on 19 October alongside the title listed in the chronology as What A Waste. Both were completed that day and received their final stereo mixes on 4 November.
The same October session also included the first recording of What A Bastard The World Is. That song followed a longer path, with subsequent remakes and later string work.
Song For John sits between Peter The Dealer and Catman on side two of Approximately Infinite Universe. Ono wrote the album’s words and music, with arrangements also credited to her.
Yoko Ono’s third solo album
Approximately Infinite Universe was Ono’s third solo album and a double-LP project. Its recordings extended through October and November 1972, with a band-centred sound and a substantial programme of songs.
The album’s official credits identify Ono as songwriter and arranger, with production shared by Ono and Lennon. The backing ensemble is credited as Plastic Ono Band with Elephant’s Memory, Endless Strings and Choir Boys.
The record appeared on Apple in 1973. Peter The Dealer, Song For John and Waiting For The Sunrise all belong to the original LP’s second side, which opens with the title track.
The album’s musicians and production credits
The album personnel include Stan Bronstein on saxophone, flute and clarinet; Richard Frank Jr on drums and percussion; Gary Van Scyoc on bass and trumpet; Adam Ippolito on keyboards and trumpet; and Wayne Gabriel on guitar. Daria Price is credited with castanet.
Lennon is credited under the name Joel Nohnn for guitar contributions to Move On Fast and Is Winter Here To Stay? Ron Frangipane supplied string orchestration.
The official production credits name Jack Douglas as chief engineer and Dennis Turbeville as assistant engineer, with Munkacsi credited for Butterfly Studio engineering. Most of the album was recorded at the Record Plant; the credits place the basic tracks for Catman and Winter Song at Butterfly Studio.
These credits describe the wider album team. The 4 November entry specifically records the final mixing of the four listed songs, with Ono and Lennon co-producing.
More album work followed in November
The four completed mixes were one part of a larger production schedule. Other songs continued through overdubbing and further mixing later in the month.
String work on 20 November contributed to the title track, Winter Song and What A Bastard The World Is. The latter received its final mix on 21 November, followed by Winter Song on 22 November and the title track on 24 November. Catman’s final mixing continued later still.
The 4 November date therefore marks the completion of this group of mixes within an album project that was still in progress.
Record Plant, New York: the studio location
The session took place at the Record Plant’s New York studio, at 321 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036, USA. The studio opened in 1968 and became an important base for Lennon and Ono’s New York recording work.
Open the historic Record Plant address in Google Maps.
Follow the album sessions
Read the earlier 24 October album-session article, the completion of Peter The Dealer on 25 October and the Waiting For The Sunrise session on 26 October.
The official Approximately Infinite Universe album page provides the released tracklist, songwriting and production credits. For the broader career context, explore the John Lennon biography.
John and Yoko artwork
The John & Yoko On White fridge magnet features a black-line embrace drawing with both names.
Frequently asked questions
What happened at the Record Plant on 4 November 1972?
Four final stereo mixes were prepared for Yoko Ono’s Approximately Infinite Universe, with Ono and John Lennon co-producing.
Which songs were listed for the mixing session?
The session chronology lists Peter The Dealer, Waiting For The Sunrise, What A Waste and Song For John.
When was Peter The Dealer recorded?
Work began on 24 October 1972 and was completed on 25 October. Its stereo mix followed on 4 November.
When was Waiting For The Sunrise recorded?
It was recorded on 26 October 1972 and mixed on 4 November.
Who wrote Approximately Infinite Universe?
Yoko Ono wrote the album’s words and music and is credited with its arrangements. She co-produced the record with John Lennon.
Where was the New York Record Plant?
At 321 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036.
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