Mind Games (song)
Encyclopedia
"Mind Games" is a song written by John Lennon
, released as a single
in 1973 on Apple Records
, catalogue Apple 1868 in the US
and Apple R5994 in the UK
. It peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100
and #26 on the British singles chart
. It was the lead single
for the album of the same name
in the US, but released the same day as the album in the UK.
slogan at that time.
The original Lennon demo for "Make Love, Not War" is available on the John Lennon Anthology
.
Four years later, the lyrics evolved into "Mind Games", which was inspired by the book of the same name by Robert Masters and Jean Houston (1972). In keeping with the original theme, the lyrics extole unity, love and positive outlook. The lyric "YES is the answer" is a nod to his wife Yoko Ono
's artpiece that brought them together originally. The song was recorded as Lennon split with her for his 18-month "lost weekend" with May Pang
.
for the John Lennon tribute album Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon
.
In 2001, it was performed by Kevin Spacey
as part of the tribute concert Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music
.
The Irish band Hal
covered Mind Games for Q Magazine in 2005.
In 2006, it was covered by German rock /pop group MIA.
, as well as Australian band, Eskimo Joe
, as part of the project Make Some Noise to support Amnesty International
.
In 2007, Gavin Rossdale
's version appeared on Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
as an iTunes
exclusive bonus track.
In April 2009, Sinéad O'Connor
's version of the song recorded in the mid 90's appeared on the re-released deluxe edition of her second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
.
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1973 on Apple Records
Apple Records
Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
, catalogue Apple 1868 in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Apple R5994 in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #26 on the British singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It was the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
for the album of the same name
Mind Games
Mind Games is John Lennon's fourth post-Beatles album, and was recorded and released in 1973. Like his previous album, the politically topical and somewhat abrasive Some Time in New York City, Mind Games was poorly received by music critics...
in the US, but released the same day as the album in the UK.
Content
This song, which was begun in 1969 and can be heard in the Beatles' Let It Be sessions, was originally titled "Make Love Not War," a popular hippieHippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
slogan at that time.
The original Lennon demo for "Make Love, Not War" is available on the John Lennon Anthology
John Lennon Anthology
John Lennon Anthology is a box set of home demos, alternative studio outtakes and other unreleased material recorded by John Lennon over the course of his solo career from "Give Peace a Chance" in 1969 up until the 1980 sessions for Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey.The anthology was divided by its...
.
Four years later, the lyrics evolved into "Mind Games", which was inspired by the book of the same name by Robert Masters and Jean Houston (1972). In keeping with the original theme, the lyrics extole unity, love and positive outlook. The lyric "YES is the answer" is a nod to his wife Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
's artpiece that brought them together originally. The song was recorded as Lennon split with her for his 18-month "lost weekend" with May Pang
May Pang
May Fung Yee Pang is best known as the former girlfriend of John Lennon. She had previously worked as a personal assistant and production coordinator for Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono....
.
Cover versions
In 1995, it was recorded by George ClintonGeorge Clinton (musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
for the John Lennon tribute album Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon
Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon
Working Class Hero is a 1995 tribute album to Beatles singer/songwriter John Lennon. It gets its name from a Lennon song of the same name. The album was produced by Lindy Goetz through Hollywood Records in support of the Humane Society of the United States...
.
In 2001, it was performed by Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
as part of the tribute concert Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music
Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music
Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words and Music was a 2001 television program tribute to John Lennon. It aired on The WB.Originally planned to celebrate Lennon's accomplishments, the concert took place on October 2, 2001 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, shortly after 9/11...
.
The Irish band Hal
Hal (band)
Hal are a band from Killiney, Dublin, Ireland composed of brothers Dave Allen and Paul Allen , Stephen O'Brien , who formed in 2003.-Biography:...
covered Mind Games for Q Magazine in 2005.
In 2006, it was covered by German rock /pop group MIA.
MIA.
MIA. is a German rock/pop band from Berlin.-Biography:MIA. originally formed in 1997 when TV host Sarah Kuttner introduced schoolmates Mieze and Andreas Ross to Robert Schütze and Ingo Puls...
, as well as Australian band, Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe
Eskimo Joe is an Australian alternative rock band formed by Stuart MacLeod on guitars, Joel Quartermain on drums and guitar and Kavyen Temperley on bass guitar and vocals, in East Fremantle, Western Australia in 1997....
, as part of the project Make Some Noise to support Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
.
In 2007, Gavin Rossdale
Gavin Rossdale
Gavin McGregor Rossdale is an English musician, known as the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Bush as well as an actor. Following Bush's separation in 2002, which lasted for eight years, he was the lead singer and guitarist for Institute, and later began a solo career. He...
's version appeared on Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur is a compilation album of various artists covering songs of John Lennon to benefit Amnesty International's campaign to alleviate the crisis in Darfur...
as an iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
exclusive bonus track.
In April 2009, Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
's version of the song recorded in the mid 90's appeared on the re-released deluxe edition of her second album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got is the second album by Sinéad O'Connor. It was released in 1990 on Chrysalis Records.-Description:The critically acclaimed album contains her most famous single, "Nothing Compares 2 U", and was one of the best selling records in the world in 1990, topping the charts...
.