John Lennon

The John Lennon Collection is a retrospective compilation album of music from John Lennon’s solo career.

The album was originally scheduled for release in late 1981, but was held back a year due to sort out the legalities owing to the fact that half the songs on the album were licensed to EMI and the other half, songs from Double Fantasy, were licensed to Geffen. It was eventually released on 1 November 1982 by Parlophone in the UK, and a week later on the 8th, by Geffen in the US. It was the first Lennon album to be issued following his death in 1980. The album includes most of Lennon’s hit singles and other tracks from his solo albums recorded with EMI from 1970–75, as well as all but one of his tracks from his final album Double Fantasy, which was initially distributed by Geffen Records in America and EMI/Parlophone in the United Kingdom.

Side one

1. “Give Peace a Chance” – 4:52
   • Originally credited to Lennon–McCartney, the credit was revised in the 1990s to cite only Lennon as its composer.
2. “Instant Karma!” – 3:20
3. “Power to the People” – 3:16
4. “Whatever Gets You thru the Night” – 3:17
   • Features Elton John on backing vocals and piano; edit of 1974 full length version on Walls and Bridges.
5. “#9 Dream” – 2:46 (4:46 on 1989’s CD reissue)
   • Edit of 1974 full length version on Walls and Bridges.
   • The full length version was included on 1989’s CD reissue of the compilation.
6. “Mind Games” – 4:12
7. “Love” – 3:22
   • Released as a single unique to this collection. Originally released in 1970 on John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.
8. “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” (Lennon/Yoko Ono) – 3:33
   • Originally excluded from US version of this compilation, included on 1989 re-issue.

Side two

9. “Imagine” – 3:02
10. “Jealous Guy” – 4:14
11. “Stand by Me” (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller/Ben E. King) – 3:25
    • Originally excluded from US version of this compilation, included on 1989 re-issue.
12. “(Just Like) Starting Over” – 3:55
13. “Woman” – 3:25
14. “I’m Losing You” – 3:57
15. “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” – 4:01
16. “Watching the Wheels” – 3:31
17. “Dear Yoko” – 2:33