Sunday 25 October 1970 | Recording | Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
On 25 October 1970, work continued on Yoko Ono’s “Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Baby Carriage All Over The City” at EMI Studios. A new edit piece was recorded for a track whose earlier recording dated from 10 October.
The session also included a new version of “Don’t Worry Kyoko (Mummy’s Only Looking For Her Hand In The Snow)”. It was a remake, not the original performance released on the reverse of “Cold Turkey” in 1969.
This work followed the same day’s John Lennon album session. Our 25 October article on “Working Class Hero” and “My Mummy’s Dead” covers that preceding activity, while this entry keeps Ono’s work at the centre of the account.
25 October 1970: the essential session facts
| Date | Sunday 25 October 1970 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Yoko Ono |
| Studio | Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road |
| Producers listed | John Lennon and Yoko Ono |
| Engineers | Phil McDonald and Andy Stephens |
| Greenfield Morning | New edit piece for a recording begun on 10 October |
| Tanpura attribution | The dated account names Lennon and George Harrison; later descriptions differ on Harrison’s exact contribution |
| Other work | A new version of Don’t Worry Kyoko |
| Vocals on the remake | John Lennon and Yoko Ono |
| Subsequent mixing | The remake was mixed on 26 October |
Greenfield Morning: the earlier recording and the new edit piece
The starting point was the recording of 10 October 1970. The work on 25 October should therefore be described as a later addition to the track’s production history, not as the date on which the entire performance was first recorded.
An edit piece is separately recorded material prepared to be joined to other recorded material. It is not necessarily a complete new take of the whole composition.
That distinction is especially useful for Ono’s experimental studio work, where improvisation, recording and the eventual edited album presentation can represent different stages of the same piece.
“Greenfield Morning” belongs to Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, not to John Lennon’s original album of the same general title. Their parallel projects overlapped in personnel and studio activity without becoming the same record.
The tanpura credit needs careful wording
The dated session account attributes the new tanpura material to John Lennon and George Harrison. Tanpura provides a sustained drone and should not simply be treated as another name for a lead sitar part.
Later discussions of the archive recordings and accompanying documentation differ over the precise division of that contribution. Some describe Harrison’s involvement more broadly as assistance rather than identifying an unambiguous separate performance.
For that reason, this article retains the attribution to the dated account without claiming to establish exactly which musician produced every sound or the full extent of Harrison’s presence at the session.
The securely useful distinction is that the 25 October material was an addition to the earlier recording. It should not be used to place Harrison on every part of the 10 October performance.
Don’t Worry Kyoko: a new version, not the Cold Turkey B-side master
“Don’t Worry Kyoko” already had a recording history by October 1970. The original version had been recorded on 3 October 1969 and released later that month as the B-side of “Cold Turkey”.
Our UK “Cold Turkey” single article for 24 October 1969 covers that earlier release context. It is related history, not evidence that the later remake was available on the original single.
The 25 October 1970 recording featured Lennon and Ono on vocals and was mixed the following day. This makes 26 October the mixing date in the account, not another name for the recording session covered here.
Versions of the title vary slightly across later listings. The longer subtitle helps identify the composition, but a shared song title does not mean that two releases contain the same recorded performance.
How the 2021 archive release helps distinguish the versions
The newer “Don’t Worry Kyoko” version was included in the 2021 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Ultimate Collection. The official collection listings include “Don’t Worry Kyoko” as a jam and also present Yoko Ono session material.
That archive context should not be collapsed into a claim that the remake appeared on the original 1970 John Lennon LP. A later expanded collection can bring related recordings together without changing the contents of the original release.
The official Ultimate Collection guide provides the release context for listeners comparing the archive material. It is important to check the edition and disc listing rather than assume that every format contains all the same extras.
Two Plastic Ono Band albums, connected but distinct
John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s 1970 projects shared a recording environment and collaborators, but each had its own identity. “Greenfield Morning” should remain identified as Ono’s work rather than being absorbed into a Lennon-only album narrative.
The same care applies to personnel. The presence of musicians elsewhere in the sessions does not establish that they played on every edit piece, vocal remake or later mix.
For this date, the session listing names Lennon and Ono as producers and Phil McDonald and Andy Stephens as engineers. Those credits explain the immediate production context without implying a complete roll call for every moment of the day.
A short production timeline
- 3 October 1969: the earlier Don’t Worry Kyoko recording was made.
- October 1969: that version appeared as the B-side of Cold Turkey.
- 10 October 1970: the earlier Greenfield Morning recording took place.
- 25 October 1970: a new edit piece was recorded, alongside a new Don’t Worry Kyoko version.
- 26 October 1970: the remake was mixed.
- 2021: the archive collection included the newer Don’t Worry Kyoko recording.
Location map: EMI Studios, Abbey Road
The map identifies the London studio complex where the 25 October work took place. It is not a reconstruction of Studio Three’s 1970 layout or a representation of the earlier single’s recording arrangements.
Frequently asked questions
What did Yoko Ono work on on 25 October 1970?
A new edit piece for Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Baby Carriage All Over The City and a new version of Don’t Worry Kyoko.
Was Greenfield Morning first recorded that day?
No. The earlier recording dated from 10 October 1970; the 25 October work added an edit piece.
Who is credited with the tanpura material?
The dated account names John Lennon and George Harrison, although later discussions differ about Harrison’s exact role.
Was the Don’t Worry Kyoko remake the version on the 1969 single?
No. The Cold Turkey B-side was an earlier recording made on 3 October 1969.
When was the newer Don’t Worry Kyoko version mixed?
On 26 October 1970, the day after the recording session.
Where did the 25 October session take place?
Studio Three at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, with John Lennon and Yoko Ono producing and Phil McDonald and Andy Stephens engineering.
Continue exploring: Lennon’s earlier session that day · Cold Turkey single, 24 October 1969 · On This Day in Beatles History.
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