Recording: Gimme Some Truth, How?, Oh Yoko! – 25 May 1971

May 25, 2026

Recording: Gimme Some Truth, How?, Oh Yoko! – 25 May 1971

Tuesday 25 May 1971 | John Lennon, Studio
Ascot Sound Studios, Tittenhurst Park, Berkshire

Producers: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector
Engineers: Phil McDonald, Eddie Klein

The fifth recording session for John Lennon's second solo album Imagine took place at Ascot Sound Studios on 25 May 1971. Three songs were worked on during the session: 'Gimme Some Truth', 'How?', and 'Oh Yoko!'. The session produced some of the most detailed and technically demanding work of the entire Imagine recording period — including forty takes of 'How?' and a moment of friction between Lennon and producer Phil Spector that was captured on film.

Ascot Sound Studios and Tittenhurst Park

Tittenhurst Park was a Georgian country house in Sunninghill, near Ascot in Berkshire, which Lennon had purchased in 1969. He had a professional recording studio — Ascot Sound Studios — built in the grounds, and it was here that the bulk of the Imagine album was recorded in May and June 1971. The studio gave Lennon the freedom to work at his own pace, without the constraints of booking commercial studio time, and the Imagine sessions made full use of that flexibility.

Lennon sold Tittenhurst Park to Ringo Starr in 1973, after relocating permanently to New York. Starr lived there until 1988. The estate is now owned by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's family.

The Musicians

The core band for the Imagine sessions was a tight ensemble of some of the finest session players of the era:

Klaus Voormann — bass guitar. A Hamburg friend of The Beatles from the early 1960s, Voormann had designed the cover of Revolver (winning a Grammy for it) and played on numerous solo Beatles projects.
Alan White — drums. Later the long-serving drummer of Yes, White was 21 years old at the time of the Imagine sessions.
Nicky Hopkins — electric piano. One of the most in-demand session pianists in British rock, Hopkins had played with The Who, the Rolling Stones, and the Kinks.
John Tout — piano and vibraphone.
Rod Lynton and Andy Davis — acoustic guitars.
George Harrison — slide guitar (overdubbed on 'Gimme Some Truth', 28 May).

'Gimme Some Truth'

Four takes of 'Gimme Some Truth' were recorded on 25 May. The song — a furious, snarling attack on political hypocrisy and media manipulation — had been written by Lennon in 1970 and was one of the most overtly political tracks on the Imagine album. Its targets were broad: Nixon, Spiro Agnew, the British establishment, and the general culture of mendacity that Lennon saw everywhere he looked.

During one early attempt, Lennon recorded the song in an Eddie Cochran style, even interpolating a line from Cochran's 'Cut Across Shorty' — a playful nod to one of his earliest rock and roll influences. The Cochran version was not pursued, but it speaks to Lennon's instinct to approach material from unexpected angles before settling on the definitive take.

After take 3 — which was captured on film as part of the documentary footage shot during the Imagine sessions — Lennon indicated he thought it was good enough for release. Producer Phil Spector's response — "It's getting there" — prompted a visibly deflated Lennon to reply: "Oh, wasn't that it?" The musicians went again. Take 4 was the master.

The multitrack breakdown for 'Gimme Some Truth' was as follows:

Track 1: Klaus Voormann — bass guitar
Track 2: Alan White — drums
Track 3: Voormann and White overdubs (additional bass and snare drum)
Track 4: John Tout — piano; Nicky Hopkins — electric piano
Track 5: Lennon — lead guitar
Track 6: Rod Lynton and Andy Davis — acoustic guitars
Track 7: Lennon — electric guitar overdub
Track 8: Lennon — lead vocals (replaced on 28 May)

On 28 May, Lennon recorded his final lead vocals and George Harrison added his slide guitar solo, replacing Lennon's original vocal on track 8. The song was completed with a final bass guitar overdub by Voormann, recorded on 4 July 1971 at the Record Plant in New York.

'How?'

'How?' was the most demanding recording of the session. Forty takes were recorded on 25 May — an unusually high number even by the standards of meticulous studio work — with the final take, take 40, becoming the album master.

Takes 1–32 featured a fuller arrangement, with acoustic guitars by Lynton and Davis and vibraphone by Tout. From take 33 onwards, the arrangement was simplified — the acoustic guitars and vibraphone were stripped out, giving the track the more spare, intimate quality it has on the finished album. 'How?' is one of the most emotionally direct songs on Imagine — a meditation on uncertainty and vulnerability that stands in sharp contrast to the political fury of 'Gimme Some Truth'.

The multitrack breakdown for 'How?' (take 40) was:

Track 1: Klaus Voormann — bass guitar
Track 2: Alan White — drums
Track 3: Blank
Track 4: Nicky Hopkins — electric piano
Track 5: Lennon — piano
Track 6: Acoustic guitars (takes 1–32 only)
Track 7: John Tout — vibraphone (takes 1–32); Lennon — final vocals (take 40, recorded 29 May)
Track 8: Lennon — vocals

Lennon's final vocals were recorded onto track 7 of take 40 on 29 May. The strings for 'How?' were added on 4 July 1971 at the Record Plant in New York.

'Oh Yoko!'

Just one take of 'Oh Yoko!' was recorded on 25 May. The song — a simple, joyful love song addressed to Yoko Ono — is one of the lightest and most unguarded moments on the Imagine album, a deliberate counterpoint to the album's more politically charged material. The backing track was completed on 27 May, with Lennon's vocals added two days later on 29 May.

Phil Spector as Producer

Phil Spector had first worked with The Beatles on Let It Be in 1970 — a collaboration that proved controversial, particularly his orchestral additions to 'The Long and Winding Road', which McCartney publicly objected to. His involvement with Lennon's solo work was more harmonious. Spector co-produced both John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970) and Imagine (1971), and the relationship between the two men — though not without friction, as the 'Gimme Some Truth' exchange illustrates — was broadly productive.

Spector's Wall of Sound production philosophy — dense, layered, orchestral — is less evident on Imagine than on some of his other work, partly because Lennon's own instincts ran toward directness and clarity. The album's sound is rich but not overwhelming, and the interplay between Spector's grandeur and Lennon's rawness gives Imagine much of its distinctive character.

The Imagine Album

Imagine was released on 9 September 1971 in the US and 11 October 1971 in the UK. It reached number one in both countries and is widely regarded as Lennon's finest solo work. The title track — recorded at the same Tittenhurst Park sessions — became one of the most performed and recognised songs in the history of popular music. The album also included 'Jealous Guy', 'Oh My Love', and the scathing 'How Do You Sleep?' — Lennon's pointed response to Paul McCartney's Ram.

Key Facts: 25 May 1971

Studio: Ascot Sound Studios, Tittenhurst Park, Berkshire
Session number: 5th session for Imagine
Producers: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector
Engineers: Phil McDonald, Eddie Klein
Songs recorded: 'Gimme Some Truth' (4 takes; master: take 4), 'How?' (40 takes; master: take 40), 'Oh Yoko!' (1 take)
Gimme Some Truth completed: Vocals/Harrison slide guitar, 28 May; Voormann bass overdub, 4 July 1971, Record Plant, New York
How? completed: Lennon final vocals, 29 May; strings, 4 July 1971, Record Plant, New York
Oh Yoko! completed: Backing track, 27 May; Lennon vocals, 29 May
Imagine released: 9 September 1971 (US); 11 October 1971 (UK)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ascot Sound Studios?

A professional recording studio built by John Lennon in the grounds of his Tittenhurst Park home in Berkshire. The bulk of the Imagine album was recorded there in May and June 1971. Lennon sold Tittenhurst Park to Ringo Starr in 1973.

Who played on the Imagine sessions?

The core band included Klaus Voormann (bass), Alan White (drums), Nicky Hopkins (electric piano), John Tout (piano/vibraphone), Rod Lynton and Andy Davis (acoustic guitars), and George Harrison (slide guitar on 'Gimme Some Truth').

What was the Phil Spector exchange during 'Gimme Some Truth'?

After take 3, Lennon indicated he thought the take was releasable. Spector responded "It's getting there", prompting a disappointed Lennon to ask "Oh, wasn't that it?" The band recorded take 4, which became the master. The exchange was captured on film.

Why did 'How?' take forty takes?

The arrangement was significantly revised during the session — takes 1–32 featured acoustic guitars and vibraphone, which were stripped out from take 33 onwards, simplifying the track to the more intimate sound heard on the finished album.

What is the Eddie Cochran connection to 'Gimme Some Truth'?

During one early take, Lennon recorded the song in an Eddie Cochran style and interpolated a line from Cochran's 'Cut Across Shorty'. The approach was not pursued, but it reflects Lennon's habit of exploring material from unexpected angles before settling on the definitive version.