Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Maybe someone here can set me straight on this. Around the time "Double Fantasy" came out, I heard rumors that Cheap Trick, or at least Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos, were on the album. They're not listed on the liner notes with the other musicians. Then later I read, probably here somewhere, that Rick Nielsen was in the studio, discussing guitars with John. Anyone know the story? Thanks.

This is a true story, they recorded the song "I'm Losing You" with John, it was one of their absolute favorite moments! The version they recorded did not come out on the LP Double Fantasy, but it was on the Lost Lennon Tapes and I think another posthumous collection.

The four-CD Lennon Anthology is a beat-the-bootlegs miscellany of studio and home rehearsals, live performances, alternate versions, jokes, and bits of dialogue with Yoko and Sean. The devoted need it, but few others will play it often. The overlooked Wonsaponatime, however, is the most magical Lennon release in many years, as it culls 21 potent or fascinating tracks from Anthology. Highlights include "I'm Losing You" with backup by Cheap Trick, "Real Love" (the demo that became the final "new" Beatles track after the other members of the band worked on it), and "Serve Yourself," a slap at born-again Bob Dylan in which Lennon is both caustic and witty. (From RollingStone.com)

Even more on this, from a 1997 Rick Nielsen interview...

But the session that I most wanted to know about were the legendary John Lennon "Double Fantasy" sessions with Cheap Trick in 1980. Only three songs were recorded before Yoko banned Cheap Trick, citing that they were using John. I told Rick that I recently found a bootleg with the three unreleased Cheap Trick/John Lennon tracks. He asked, "so, could you tell the difference?" I sure could, the tracks seemed to rock more, with even Yoko's song sounding inspiring. Rock comments, "that's the only way you could handle it, have us behind her voice & you need kind of schizophrenic stuff going on." But, why did the band do only one session with Lennon? Nielsen didn't blast Yoko, just explained diplomatically, "we were asked to do more for vocals. What I call those John Lennon baby voices (sings a little). But & ah & by then they were finished. We didn't get lucky enough to play on that one." Still no real answer as to why the recordings didn't wind up on the final record. I guess the story in Albert Goldman's book, "The Lives of John Lennon" is the closest to getting the story correct

quote: "Yoko banned Cheap Trick, citing that they were using John."

(Insert your own joke here.)
Thanks for the replies. I'll see if I can track down those compilations.

quote: "Yoko banned Cheap Trick, citing that they were using John."
(Insert your own joke here.)




Yeah, and only Madame Talentless, Yoko herself, was allowed to do that.

Alex... you said it!! John Lennon certainly gave enormous credence to the saying "love is blind" when it came to having her perform on his songs. To that I would add (in John's case) it's not just blind... it's deaf!

Blind, Deaf and controlled! Poor John, he didn't know what hit him.

Okay enough about Yoko. Back to the topic here.

There was a re-done version of "I'm losing you" with Rick and Bun-E and Tony Levin which sounds much rockier than the original. Here's the video for that one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpUe9Fd88lQ

Another cool one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PchLL5--7iY&mode=related&search=

Not that he did a lot of collaborations with bands, but JL's work with the Elton John Band was by far his best.

I have to wonder why Tom wasn't invited to that session...and why Bun E. is playing the drums left-handed in that video??

Never been a fan of Tony Levin, by the way, except for his work with Peter Gabriel.

I liked his work with Peter Gabriel too.