Monday 27 October 1986 | US album release | John Lennon
John Lennon’s Menlove Ave. was released in the United States on 27 October 1986, arriving ahead of the Christmas market. The posthumous collection opened another window into his studio archive, following Milk and Honey two years earlier.
The album brought together material associated with the Rock ’n’ Roll sessions and alternative performances of songs from Walls and Bridges. Rather than a greatest-hits selection, it offered listeners another view of Lennon at work, with familiar titles appearing alongside recordings that had remained outside his original albums.
| US release | Monday 27 October 1986 |
|---|---|
| UK release | 3 November 1986 |
| Artist | John Lennon |
| Album | Menlove Ave. |
| Type | Posthumous collection of archival studio recordings |
| Original LP | Ten tracks across two sides |
| Recording background | Rock ’n’ Roll-era material and Walls and Bridges alternatives |
| Cover illustration | Andy Warhol |
| US chart peak | No. 127 |
| Promotional single | Rock and Roll People |
A release from Lennon’s studio archive
Menlove Ave. followed the posthumous release of Milk and Honey in 1984, but drew its material from an earlier period of Lennon’s career. It focused on recordings connected with his work in the first half of the 1970s.
The LP’s two sides gave the collection a clear shape. Side one brought together original material and rock ’n’ roll performances, while side two presented alternative versions of five Walls and Bridges songs.
For listeners who already knew the finished albums, the attraction lay in hearing different performances and less familiar material. Menlove Ave. offered a studio-archive perspective rather than a chronological survey of Lennon’s singles.
Side one: Here We Go Again and Rock and Roll People
The opening side began with Here We Go Again and Rock and Roll People, followed by Angel Baby, Since My Baby Left Me and To Know Her Is to Love Her. The selection connected original songs with the older music Lennon revisited during the Rock ’n’ Roll period.
Rock and Roll People also has a place in the Mind Games recording story. Our article on the 4 August 1973 session follows work on the song alongside Mind Games and Out the Blue.
That connection makes the album a useful route back into the recording chronology: a song appearing on a 1986 release could have its origins in a session more than a decade earlier.
Side two: another view of Walls and Bridges
The second side turned to Steel and Glass, Scared, Old Dirt Road, Nobody Loves You (When You’re Down and Out) and Bless You.
These alternative performances gave listeners a different setting for songs known from Walls and Bridges. Their appeal lay in hearing the material apart from the familiar finished album arrangements, bringing attention back to Lennon’s voice and the underlying performances.
For the earlier studio story, explore the 20 July 1974 work on Steel and Glass and Old Dirt Road.
The complete Menlove Ave. tracklist
The official Lennon album catalogue lists the following ten-track sequence:
Side one
- Here We Go Again
- Rock and Roll People
- Angel Baby
- Since My Baby Left Me
- To Know Her Is to Love Her
Side two
- Steel and Glass
- Scared
- Old Dirt Road
- Nobody Loves You (When You’re Down and Out)
- Bless You
Explore John Lennon merchandise
For a piece connected with Lennon’s musical identity, browse the John Lennon Gibson T-shirt.
Andy Warhol’s cover portrait
The cover featured an illustration of Lennon by Andy Warhol. The coloured portrait against a dark background gave Menlove Ave. a distinctive visual identity, with Lennon’s face occupying almost the entire sleeve.
The album title also looked back to Liverpool: Menlove Avenue was the street where Lennon grew up with his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George. That reference placed a childhood connection alongside a collection drawn from his later solo recording years.
Promotion and chart performance
The album received little promotion and reached No. 127 in the United States. Its British release followed on 3 November 1986, but it did not enter the UK chart.
Rock and Roll People was issued as a promotional single to accompany the release, receiving little airplay. No commercial singles were released from the album.
The modest chart showing contrasted with the historical interest of the recordings. Menlove Ave. gave access to another part of Lennon’s archive, even though its release did not become a major commercial event.
For another Lennon-focused choice, explore the John Lennon Self Portrait T-shirt.
Follow the recordings behind the release
Two connected articles take the story back from the 1986 LP to the earlier studio work:
- 4 August 1973: Mind Games, Out the Blue and Rock and Roll People.
- 20 July 1974: Steel and Glass and Old Dirt Road.
Together with Menlove Ave., those entries connect the original recording period with the later release of material from the archive.
Frequently asked questions
When was Menlove Ave. released in the United States?
It was released on 27 October 1986.
When was the album released in Britain?
The UK release followed on 3 November 1986.
What recordings does the album contain?
It brings together archival material associated with the Rock ’n’ Roll period and alternative performances of five Walls and Bridges songs.
Who created the cover illustration?
The cover features a portrait of John Lennon by Andy Warhol.
How did Menlove Ave. perform in the charts?
It peaked at No. 127 in the United States and did not enter the UK chart.
Was a single released from Menlove Ave.?
Rock and Roll People was issued as a promotional single, but there were no commercial singles from the album.
Rock and Roll People: the recording story · Steel and Glass and Old Dirt Road sessions · More On This Day in Beatles History
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