Recording, editing: Bless You, Surprise Surprise, Scared, Move Over Ms L, You Can’t Catch Me, Sweet Little Sixteen by John Lennon – 15 July 1974

July 14, 2026

Monday 15 July 1974 | Record Plant, New York City, USA
Producer: John Lennon

On 15 July 1974, John Lennon held a productive session at the Record Plant in New York City, completing backing tracks for three songs destined for the Walls And Bridges album, finishing a B-side, and editing mixes for the Rock ‘N’ Roll album.

Walls And Bridges Sessions

The backing tracks for three Walls And Bridges songs were completed during the session:

‘Bless You’ — a tender ballad addressed to Yoko Ono, reflecting on their separation during Lennon’s “lost weekend” period in Los Angeles
‘Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox)’ — a joyful, upbeat track inspired by Lennon’s relationship with May Pang
‘Scared’ — one of the album’s most emotionally raw tracks, featuring a howling guitar riff and lyrics confronting fear and mortality

The B-side ‘Move Over Ms L’ was also completed during the session. The track was released as the B-side of the Walls And Bridges single ‘Stand By Me’ in 1975.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Edits

Following the Walls And Bridges work, edits were made of the mixes of two songs recorded for the Rock ‘N’ Roll album:

‘You Can’t Catch Me’ — a Chuck Berry cover
‘Sweet Little Sixteen’ — another Chuck Berry classic

Rock ‘N’ Roll was Lennon’s album of classic rock and roll covers, originally conceived during the Mind Games sessions and eventually released in February 1975. The album had a troubled history — early sessions had been produced by Phil Spector in Los Angeles in 1973, but Spector had absconded with the master tapes, and Lennon had been forced to re-record much of the material.

The ‘Lost Weekend’

The July 1974 sessions took place during Lennon’s so-called ‘lost weekend’ — an 18-month period from late 1973 to early 1975 during which he and Yoko Ono were separated, and Lennon lived in Los Angeles and later New York with May Pang. Despite the personal turbulence, the period was musically productive: Mind Games (1973), Walls And Bridges (1974), and Rock ‘N’ Roll (1975) were all recorded during this time.

Key Facts: 15 July 1974

Date	Monday 15 July 1974
Studio	Record Plant, New York City
Producer	John Lennon
Walls And Bridges tracks completed	Bless You; Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird Of Paradox); Scared; Move Over Ms L (B-side)
Rock ‘N’ Roll edits	You Can’t Catch Me; Sweet Little Sixteen

The Record Plant, West 44th Street, New York City — where John Lennon recorded much of Walls And Bridges and Rock ‘N’ Roll in 1974.

John Lennon

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Walls And Bridges recorded?

Walls And Bridges was recorded primarily at the Record Plant in New York City in July and August 1974. The album was released in September 1974 and reached number one in the United States.

What is Bless You by John Lennon?

Bless You is a tender ballad by John Lennon from the Walls And Bridges album (1974), addressed to Yoko Ono during their period of separation. Its backing track was completed on 15 July 1974 at the Record Plant in New York.

What was John Lennon’s ‘lost weekend’?

John Lennon’s ‘lost weekend’ was an 18-month period from late 1973 to early 1975 during which he and Yoko Ono were separated. Lennon lived in Los Angeles and later New York with May Pang. Despite the personal turbulence, the period produced three albums: Mind Games (1973), Walls And Bridges (1974), and Rock ‘N’ Roll (1975).

What is the Rock ‘N’ Roll album by John Lennon?

Rock ‘N’ Roll is John Lennon’s album of classic rock and roll covers, released in February 1975. It includes covers of Chuck Berry songs such as You Can’t Catch Me and Sweet Little Sixteen. The album had a troubled history involving producer Phil Spector absconding with the original master tapes.