In Nov. 2005, Yoko Ono re-released Walls and Bridges, which was originally produced by Lennon. May Pang was the co-producer and was awarded a gold record for her work on the album.
Yet, unbelievably, Yoko credited herself as the producer even though she had absolutely nothing at all to do with the album! Indeed, the album was started, completed and released during John and Yoko's separation.
Yoko replaced the album's cover artwork, a childhood drawing done by Lennon, with a photograph (taken by Bob Gruen) previously located in the album's liner notes.
Fox News website reported, 28th Nov, 2005:
Ono also has replaced the Apple Records label on the original disc with a version of a customized label used on the 1972 album "Sometime in New York City." That label, now adorning "Walls and Bridges," has two pictures of Lennon, two of Ono and one of them superimposed over each other in between the pairs to make one person.
"The difference," one fan writes, "is that when they used this on 'Sometime in New York City,' John morphed into Yoko. Now Yoko becomes John!"
Insiders have pointed out the ridiculousness of all this Ono-izing of "Walls and Bridges" since Lennon wasn't living with Ono when he made the album. He was with his girlfriend, May Pang, a fact that is thoroughly documented.
Not only did Yoko change the Walls and Bridges album cover, she also decided that 'Surprise, Surprise' needed a little tweak. Yoko had added a fade-out: "Yoko - I love her" to 'Surprise Surprise'.
May wasn't too impressed with Yoko tinkering with a song dedicated to her. When interviewd by Michael Christopher
(
PopMatters Website) a clearly irritated Pang" commented:
"John didn't intend to have it done that way. To be reissued is one thing. To start changing things, not the way he intended, is changing the artist's work and changing everything. She's not enhancing it, she's making it something else, and I find it sad."
May might have even been a little reserved with her comments. Yoko surely intended that the song appear to be dedicated to herself.
Beatles music will probably be played as long as Planet Earth revolves around the sun... so eventually, future generations might have no idea that 'Surprise, Surprise' was, originally, John expressing his feelings for May.
The 'Lennon Legend' DVD
Two years previously Yoko had taken it upon herself to revise the video to the second single '#9 Dream' released from 'Walls and Bridges'. The Fox News website reported, 19th Dec, 2003:
Ono's weirdest piece of video trickery comes on the recently released DVD "Lennon Legend: The Very Best of John Lennon." On one film, for the classic song "#9 Dream", Ono has edited herself into the original video. There you will find her mouthing the backup vocals that were sung on the original hit recording by Lennon's girlfriend at that time, May Pang.
Pang, of course, was not thrilled to hear this had happened. "She is trying to erase everyone who had anything to do with John with her alone," says Pang, who is a popular figure in the New York music scene. "I am definitely upset at her misleading everyone into thinking she is on '#9 Dream.' She had nothing to do with this particular album and it was John's only No.1 album and No. 1 single during his lifetime. Boy, do I understand how Paul feels."
Yoko Ono inherited the copyright to Lennon's music, so legally she's free to implement any revisions she so wishes. The problem being, authenticity is at stake. All future releases will be the 'revised' albums... the Lennon originals will probably never again be reproduced.
Original 'Walls and Bridges' Session 1974
Photo Copyright: May Pang
Piano: Lennon, Bass: Klaus Voorman, Keyboard: Kenny Ascher, Drums: Jim Keltner
Yoko added three bonus tracks to the original release:
1. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night
(Live, with Elton John, at Madison Square Garden, 1974)
2. Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out) - (acoustic)
3. John interviewed by Bob Mercer
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