50th Anniversary of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

On this day in 1970 John Lennon's first solo album after the breakup of the Beatles was released. Released on Apple Records, Yoko Ono's similarly titled album was issued on the same day. Backed by the Plastic Ono Band, which included the artist and musician Klaus Voormann and Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr, the record was co-produced by Lennon, Ono and Phil Spector and is widely regarded as one of Lennon's best solo albums.

Speaking recently about the anniversary of the album, Klaus Voormann remembered recording process:

'To me, this album is the best of all albums I've ever heard. It's so personal, [John] came into the studio with no songs, just sat down together with Yoko - always together with Yoko - and as quick as possible got what he just wrote onto tape. That was his aim and that's what he did. We all understood.

Ringo was great and so we just played. Two takes mostly, and the thing was done. It's brilliant. There's mistakes in it and it doesn't matter. The mistakes are OK, you know? Intimacy, that was the key. It's so personal and so open to life - and you can hear it! Most of the records, it's all covered by strings and big choirs and guitars, and he just did it really, really simple. It was such a great statement.'