Mind Games
Studio album by John Lennon
Released	16 November 1973
Recorded	Record Plant Studios, New York, July – August 1973
Genre	Rock
Length	40:41
Label	Apple/EMI
Producer(s)	John Lennon
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Rolling Stone link
John Lennon chronology
Some Time in New York City (1972) Mind Games (1973) Walls and Bridges (1974)

Mind Games is John Lennon's fourth post-Beatles solo album, and was recorded and released in 1973. This release of the album marked the beginning of Lennon's fourteen-month separation from Yoko Ono and the end of his period of political activism which was prompted in part by the re-election of Richard Nixon. As a result of it being a purely solo release (with no involvement from Ono) and a return to relative normality after the politically-heavy Some Time in New York City, Mind Games was much more warmly received by the public and Lennon's critics, with the album reaching #13 in the UK and #9 in the US, where it went gold. Cover of the John Lennon album Mind Games. ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Record Plant Studios (also known as just The Record Plant) is a famous recording studio, first opening in New York City at 321 West 44th Street map, in 1968. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the state of New York and the entire United States. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Apple Records logo, featuring a Granny Smith apple. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Kensington in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Walls and Bridges is an album by John Lennon released in 1974. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 as part of their first tour of the United States, promoting their first hit single there, I Want To Hold Your Hand. ... Yoko Ono Lennon (小野 洋子 Ono Yōko(ONO Yōko), born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese-American artist and musician. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... This article or section includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

After Yoko Ono had completed her solo album Feeling the Space in mid-1973, and a few months after they had moved into The Dakota, she and Lennon decided to split for over a year in order to reclaim their individual selves and see if their relationship was strong enough to warrant a reunion. It was during the summer months when Lennon quickly wrote the songs that would grace Mind Games, recording them at New York's Record Plant Studios with the Lennons' assistant May Pang in attendance, acting as production co-ordinator for the album. Under the banner of 'The Plastic U.F.Ono Band', Lennon engaged the services of session drummer and friend Jim Keltner, young ace guitarist David Spinozza and the vocal backing of Something Different. With Ono's approval, Pang would become Lennon's lover during the sessions, both embarking that fall to Los Angeles and into Lennon's fabled 'lost weekend' during an eighteen-month liaison. Feeling the Space is Yoko Onos fouth album and her last one on Apple Records (as well as the last one of the seventies). ... Southeast view of the Dakota from Central Park West The Dakota in the 1880s The Dakota, constructed from October 25, 1880 to October 27, 1884,[1] is an apartment building located on the northwest corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West in New York City. ... Record Plant Studios (also known as just The Record Plant) is a famous recording studio, first opening in New York City at 321 West 44th Street map, in 1968. ... Cover of May Pangs book on John Lennon. ... Jim Keltner (born April 27, 1942 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a distinguished session drummer who has contributed to the work of many well-known artists. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ...

The tone of several of the songs was mournful and even apologetic towards Ono ("Aisumasen (I'm Sorry)", "One Day at a Time", "Out The Blue", and "You Are Here"), while others explored Lennon's affinity for pure rock'n'roll (the Tex Mex-like "Tight A$" and "Meat City"). In a surprising move, Lennon produced the entire album on his own, without Phil Spector's aid. Tejano[1] (Spanish for Texan) or Tex-Mex[2] music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Hispanic-descended Tejanos of Central and South Texas. ... Harvey Philip Spector (born December 26, 1939) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. ...

The title track with its "love is the answer" refrain and call to "make love not war" was Lennon's latest in a succession of songs for the good of humanity ("Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine" being its predecessors). "Mind Games" subsequently became a Top 20 US hit and an enduring Lennon favorite. "Bring on the Lucie (Freeda People)" and "Only People" were Lennon's only political moments on Mind Games, followed by the three-second "Nutopian International Anthem" - which is symbolically mute. Before the announcement of their split, Lennon and Ono had optimistically declared the creation of Nutopia, a country of no boundaries and perpetual peace, designating '1 White Street, New York, N.Y.' as its embassy. Nutopia is a conceptual country created by John Lennon and Yoko Ono on April Fools Day 1973. ...

In a moment of cheekiness, Mind Games's closer, "Meat City", contains a favourite Lennon curse, ("Fuck a pig!"), sped up and backwards-masked, while the mix used as "Mind Games"'s single B-Side gives the same treatment to the phrase "Check the album!" This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ...

The cover of Mind Games, designed by Lennon himself, was seen by many to represent his symbolic walking away from Ono and her apparent mountain-like influence on Lennon.

Due to its inconsistency in style and its pleasant and unprovocative nature, Mind Games is not considered as vital as some of Lennon's other solo releases (namely John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine) and has often been overlooked for these reasons. However, it remains a firm fan favorite for Lennon devotees. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Imagine is John Lennons second solo album and is the most popular of his solo works. ...

In 2002, Yoko Ono supervised a remixing of Mind Games for its remastered reissue with three previously unreleased demo recordings. It was reissued in 2005 by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab on audiophile grade Gold CD and 180 gram 1/2 speed mastered vinyl. On this remixed version the title track is extended by a few seconds before fading out, and the last few seconds of 'Meat City' (constituting most of Lennon's spoken tag) have been cut. No explanation for these alterations has been forthcoming.

Music video

In the music video, we see Lennon walking around, dressed in black. He's then seen signing autographs, and may be quitting on drugs (due to him putting a cigarette in his mouth, but then throws it to the ground and stomps on it). He then goes to the zoo with a crowd and tries to feed an elephant, poses himself with an eagle statue, dances around, etc. A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... Black cat, thought by some to cause bad luck (see superstition) Black is the shade of objects that do not reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum. ... Autograph of king Charles XII of Sweden (1682-1718) An autograph is a document written entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one transcribed by an amanuensis or a copyist (see allography). ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Genera Several, see below. ...

Lennon then purchases a burrito. After that, he helps other people with some stuff, and shows the new sign that reads "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the road." He then makes a brief cameo onstage and plays the piano. Outside again, he rides on a horse through the streets. A large burrito. ... For other uses, see Sgt. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ...

Afterwards, the shots of Lennon is seen walking around again, like in the beginning, and it ends with a bright light fading out as Lennon's chest is seen towards the camera.

Track listing

All songs by John Lennon, except where noted.

1. "Mind Games" – 4:13
2. "Tight A$" – 3:37
3. "Aisumasen (I'm Sorry)" – 4:44
4. "One Day (at a Time)" – 3:09
5. "Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)" – 4:12
6. "Nutopian International Anthem" (John Lennon/Yoko Ono) – 0:03
   • Lennon and Ono's anthem for Nutopia, which is symbolically mute
7. "Intuition" – 3:08
8. "Out the Blue" – 3:23
9. "Only People" – 3:23
10. "I Know (I Know)" – 3:49
11. "You Are Here" – 4:08
12. "Meat City" – 2:45
13. "Aisumasen (I'm Sorry)" - 3:36
    • home version, appears on 2002 reissue
14. "Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)" - 1:02
    • home version, appears on 2002 reissue
15. "Meat City" - 2:37
    • home version, appears on 2002 reissue