The Wedding Album

John Lennon


Wedding Album - The Box

Wedding Album - Front Cover	Wedding Album - Rear Cover

Wedding Album - Inside Gatefold

Label	Apple
Catalogue No.	SAPCOR 11
Release date	7th November 1969
Total time	47:15
U.K. Album Chart Detail :	Did NOT Chart.
Detail :	John's third solo album release, and third in their series of experimental music. Credited to John and Yoko ... in fact the words Lennon and Ono do NOT appear anywhere on the labels or L.P. sleeve. The package was a souvenir of their Wedding, which took place in Gibraltar (near Spain) on 20th March 1969. Initial copies were produced as an elaborate box set which was labelled "Wedding Album, John and Yoko", and contained : The L.P. in a plain white "Made in Gt Britain" inner bag, protected in a laminated gatefold picture sleeve. A double-sided poster entitled "The Wedding" with 12 wedding pictures (opens out to 36" x 24") A piece of wedding cake ! ... (well, a photograph of one anyway - 12" x 12") A copy of the marriage certificate (pasted into the lid of the box). A tri-fold cartoon strip by John of the wedding (36" x 12"). A white PVC Bagism bag (11 1/2" x 12"). A strip of four passport photos (8" x 1 3/4"). A Hair Peace/Bed Peace postcard (3 1/2" x 5 1/2"), and A 20-page booklet of press cuttings entitled "The Press" (12" x 12"). The package was designed by John Kosh, with photography by Mlle. Daniau, Richard DiLello, John Kelly, Nico Koster, David Nutter and John and Yoko. The box has SMAX-3361 on one edge and Apple Records on the other. There is an amusing story associated with this release ... When promo copies were sent to the press to review prior to release, the album was pressed on two separate discs with each disc having a blank side. Except, when promo's were issued by EMI with blank sides they were usually filled with a test signal as used by recording engineers, as was the case here. Melody Maker, a top music paper, reported that the L.P. was a double with sides 2 and 4 consisting entirely of single tones ... the reviewer even believed the tones varied here and there by a semi-tone ! With his usual wry humour, John sent the following telegram from Bombay to the Melody Maker reviewer Richard Williams ; DEAR RICHARD THANK YOU FOR YOUR FANTASTIC REVIEW ON OUR WEDDING ALBUM INCLUDING C-AND-D SIDES [STOP] WE ARE CONSIDERING IT FOR OUR NEXT RELEASE [STOP] MAYBE YOU ARE RIGHT IN SAYING THAT THEY ARE THE BEST SIDES [STOP] WE BOTH FEEL THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME A CRITIC TOPPED THE ARTIST [STOP] WE ARE NOT JOKING [STOP] LOVE AND PEACE [STOP] JOHN AND YOKO LENNON As with the previous two experimental albums, this did not chart, and left John with a hat-trick of flops.

Side 1

Track	Composer	Recording Information	Time
John And Yoko	John and Yoko	Recorded 22nd April 1969 at Abbey Road. Over twenty-two minutes of John calling out Yoko's name, and Yoko calling John. Shouting, whispering, and a dozen emotional styles, all recounted over the sound of each other's heartbeats. The same day John was back on the roof of the Apple building, as he held a formal ceremony to change his middle name from "Winston" to "Ono".	22:23

Side 2

Track	Composer	Recording Information	Time
Amsterdam	John and Yoko	Recorded 26th March 1969 in the Amsterdam Hilton. This piece was again recorded on a cassette recorder, as on the previous release, but this time during the Lennon's honeymoon "bed-in" in Amsterdam. It consists mostly of the pair talking to reporters about their reasons for the bed-in, but also includes four musical breaks. The first is sung by Yoko, and is entitled "John John, Let's Hope For Peace" which would eventually be performed live in Toronto on 13th September 1969. The second is John on acoustic guitar singing "Goodbye Amsterdam Goodbye". Third up is both of them singing "Bed Peace" with John on guitar, and finally John actually remembers "Goodnight" from the White Album !	24:52

Released Versions (Rarities)

First pressings (1969) - box set with all the items listed above, is worth about Ł200.

The C.D.

A C.D. was released 9th June 1997 on Rykodisc catalogue number RCD 10413.
It was digitally remastered under the supervision of Yoko.
It also has THREE BONUS TRACKS ! .... giving it a run time of 53:50.

The Bonus Tracks :

Track Composer Recording Information Time

Who Has Seen The Wind Ono Yoko with the Plastic Ono Band 2:03

Listen, The Snow Is Falling Ono Yoko with the Plastic Ono Band 2:12

Don't Worry Kyoko Ono John on acoustic guitar, with Yoko singing. 2:14