Let's Hope For Peace: John and Yoko's "Wedding Album" Back on CD and LP in March

Let’s Hope For Peace: John and Yoko’s “Wedding Album” Back on CD and LP in March

Yesterday, on the occasion of her 86th birthday, avant-garde artist and musician Yoko Ono announced a new edition of Wedding Album, the third of her collaborative experimental albums with John Lennon. It will be released by Secretly Canadian and Chimera Music on March 22, just over 50 years after the pair’s marriage. The reissue is part of the ongoing Yoko Ono Reissue Series, which has so far brought Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins (1968), Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions (1969), Plastic Ono Band (1970), Fly (1971), Approximately Infinite Universe (1973) and Feeling The Space (1973) back into print on LP and CD.

Wedding Album was something of an audiovisual wedding announcement. The pair’s previous saw them experimenting in musique concrete and piecing together audio diary snippets to provide a snapshot of their lives and Wedding Album followed suit. “It was like our sharing our wedding with whoever wanted to share it with us,” Lennon later told the BBC.

John and Yoko were married in Gibraltar near Spain and rather than a traditional honeymoon, they embarked on a press tour promoting world peace in what became their famous Bed-In. Wedding Album provides a snapshot of these moments. There’s “John & Yoko,” a call-and-response duet featuring the newlyweds calling out each other’s names; Yoko’s “John, John, Let’s Hope for Peace”; interview snippets; John’s a cappella reading of The Beatles’ “Good Night.” Altogether, it’s a humorous, spontaneous album that celebrates the early days of the pair’s union.

PRE-ORDER THE LP BOX SET FROM AMAZON.COM

When Wedding Album was first released, it was presented in a box of souvenirs designed by John Kosh, with photos and drawings, a facsimile of their wedding certificate, and even a picture of a piece of wedding cake. For the new LP reissue, Secretly Canadian and Chimera Music have faithfully recreated all the memorabilia. The CD, meanwhile, will be presented in a six-panel layout with an extensive booklet.

The new reissues of Wedding Album will be released on CD, digital, and on limited-edition white vinyl box set on March 22. The Secretly Canadian Online Store is also offering a limited-edition bundle including the CD, LP box set, and t-shirt at a discounted price. Meanwhile, independent retailer Rough Trade has a clear vinyl edition available, limited to just 300 copies. Find the pre-order links and track listing below!

John Ono Lennon and Yoko Ono Lennon, Wedding Album (originally Apple LP SMAX 3361, 1969 — reissued Secretly Canadian/Chimera Music SC291, 2019)

CD:  Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
White Vinyl Box Set:  Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
CD + LP + T-shirt bundle:  Secretly Canadian Online Store
Clear Vinyl Edition: Rough Trade Online Store

John & Yoko
Amsterdam (including: John, John, Let’s Hope For Peace / Goodbye Amsterdam, Goodbye / Bed Peace / Good Night)

Sam Stone

Sam Stone has been obsessed with catalog music ever since his folks gave him a Contours best-of collection for his fourth birthday. He quickly began to learn all he could about rock and roll history and beyond, a passion that continues to this day.

Sam followed his love for music to the classroom, earning a B.A. from Towson University in Electronic Media and Film, concentrating on radio and audio production, as well as an M.A. in Audio Arts from Syracuse University. He has put his knowledge and skills to work at prominent reissue labels and is excited to bring his perspectives on catalog music to a broader audience. When he’s not writing for The Second Disc, Sam can be found researching about music, talking about Joni Mitchell’s career, and adding another box set to his Amazon wish list.