A new box set is set to be released by Universal Music on 5 October to celebrate former Beatle John Lennon’s most popular solo album, and just days before what would have been Lennon’s 78th birthday. The album will include a previously unheard demo of Lennon’s classic song “Imagine.”

Titled “Imagine – The Ultimate Collection,” the new album will include six discs, featuring 140 remastered tracks by Lennon. The album was created at the Abbey Road studios under the careful eye of the late John Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono. Ono said of the album collection that “Imagine” was created with much concern and love for the world’s children.

She went on to say in her statement that she hopes everyone will enjoy it.

New John Lennon album collection

As reported by Billboard, among the tracks included in the new album collection will be what are dubbed “Ultimate Mixes” of the tracks, which will play alongside “Raw Studio Mixes,” allowing listeners to hear Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band’s original performances. There will also be many previously unheard demos (like the “Imagine” demo included below, along with isolated track elements and rare outtakes. The album collection will also include a track-by-track documentary, exploring the journey of the classic songs from their initial demo to their master recording.

NME reports that while sound engineer Rob Stevens was working on the album project, he uncovered the previously unheard demo of "Imagine" that had been missed before while digging in the box of original tapes.

He said that when the project began in early 2016, everyone was going through boxes of tapes with unclear, misleading or totally missing labels. Stevens said Paul Hicks then enhanced the demo, which will now be included in the collection. It is a basic home recording of Lennon playing the piano and singing “Imagine.”

John Lennon’s killer refused parole again

Rolling Stone reports other news relating to John Lennon, as Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered him in New York City in December 1980, has recently been refused parole again.

On Thursday this week, a parole board panel refused his 10th bid for parole. The State Board of Parole wrote a letter to Chapman saying they had determined that his release was “incompatible with the welfare and safety of society.” His last request for parole was rejected in 2016 and a previous request in 2014 received the same response.

Chapman, now 63, shot and killed the former Beatle on 8th December 1980 in front of the Dakota apartment building as he and Yoko Ono returned home from an evening recording session. Lennon’s killer is serving the time of 20 years to life in maximum security at the Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, New York. He is only eligible to request parole again in 2020.
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