Ascot Sound Studios
Producers: John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Phil Spector
Engineer: Ken Scott
The first recording session for John Lennon’s second solo album Imagine took place on 11 February 1971.
The main album sessions were held at Ascot Sound Studios, Lennon’s recording studio at his Tittenhurst Park home.
The first song to be worked on was ‘It’s So Hard’. Thirteen takes were recorded, with take 11 being selected as best.
The multitrack tape had Lennon’s electric guitar and vocals on tracks 5 and 6; a piano overdub by Lennon on 1; Jim Gordon’s drums on 2 and 3; Klaus Voormann’s bass guitar on 4; a tambourine overdub by Gordon on 7; and an electric guitar overdub by Lennon on 8.
‘It’s So Hard’ was completed with strings and saxophone overdubs in New York City on 4 and 5 July 1971.
Towards the end of the 11 February session, Lennon led the Ascot musicians through three takes of ‘Well (Baby Please Don’t Go)’, a 1958 song by The Olympics that he had sung at the Cavern Club during The Beatles’ early days.
Eleven more takes of the song were recorded on 16 February, although the song was ultimately left off Imagine.