"Cold Turkey" is a song written by

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...

, released as a single in 1969 by the

Plastic Ono Band The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band and Fluxus-based artist collective''John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band'' book by Yoko Ono and John Lennon, published by Thames & Hudson Ltd, October 2020, pp. 17-19 formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968-9 fo ...

Apple Records Apple Records is a British 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 inclu ...

, catalogue Apples 1001 in the United Kingdom, Apple 1813 in the United States. It is the second solo single issued by Lennon and it peaked at number 30 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. The song's first appearance on an album was '' Live Peace in Toronto 1969'' where the song had been performed live on 13 September 1969 with Lennon reading the lyrics off a clip-board.

Writing and recording

According to Peter Brown in his book ''The Love You Make'', the song was written in a "creative outburst" following Lennon and

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...

going " cold turkey" from their brief

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

addictions.Brown, Peter. ''The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of The Beatles''. McGraw-Hill, 1983. New American Library, 2002. 331. Brown states that Lennon presented the song to

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

as a potential single by

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

, as they were finishing recording for their ''

Abbey Road ''Abbey Road'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 26 September 1969, by Apple Records. It is the last album the group recorded, although '' Let It Be'' (1970) was the last album completed before th ...

'' album, but it was refused and eventually released as a Plastic Ono Band single with sole writing credits to him. Lennon referred ambiguously to his

substance abuse Substance misuse, also known as drug misuse or, in older vernacular, substance abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods that are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder, differing definition ...

in some songs on the '' White Album'' in 1968, where the compositions were mostly individual and introspective, including " Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" and " Happiness Is a Warm Gun", as well as on other songs from previous Beatles albums, more frequently than his bandmates. "Cold Turkey" was the first song Lennon wrote for which he took sole credit; his previous compositions, including his first single release, " Give Peace a Chance", were attributed to the

Lennon–McCartney Lennon–McCartney is the songwriting partnership between the English musicians John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney (born 1942) of the Beatles. It is widely considered one of the greatest, best known and most successful musical collabo ...

partnership, although the credit for "Give Peace a Chance" was later changed to Lennon alone. In the last major interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1980, published by

David Sheff David Sheff (born December 23, 1955) is an American author. He is best known for his interviews with artists, scientists, and pop culture figures, as well as his non-fiction books. Much of his writing, including his memoir ''Beautiful Boy: A Fat ...

in his book ''All We Are Saying'', Lennon explained the anti-drug meaning of the song:

"Cold Turkey" is self-explanatory. It was banned again all over the American radio (after " The Ballad of John and Yoko" for other reasons), so it never got off the ground. They were thinking I was promoting heroin, but instead… They’re so stupid about drugs! They're always arresting smugglers or kids with a few joints in their pocket. They never face the reality. They're not looking at the cause of the drug problem. Why is everybody taking drugs? To escape from what? Is life so terrible? Do we live in such a terrible situation that we can't do anything about it without reinforcement from alcohol or tobacco or sleeping pills? I'm not preaching about 'em. I'm just saying a drug is a drug, you know. Why we take them is important, not who's selling it to whom on the corner.

"Cold Turkey" was recorded in

Studio 2, and features

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

. There are other versions besides the single, several of which are acoustic, and a live version included on '' Live in New York City'' that features Ono adding vocalizations.

Release and reception

The single was released with a standard green Apple label, with the words "Play Loud" printed on the spindle plug of the UK pressing and above and beneath the spindle hole of the US pressing. This instruction would also appear on the labels of Lennon's next solo single, "

Instant Karma! "Instant Karma!" (also titled "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)") is a song by English musician John Lennon, released as a single on Apple Records in February 1970. The lyrics focus on a concept in which the consequences of one's actions are ...

" ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described the song as "brilliant, controversial and an absolute smash." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' called it "a chilling musical rendition of withdrawal." "Cold Turkey" rose to number 14 on the UK Singles Chart on 15 November 1969. On 22 November, "Cold Turkey" dropped to number 15, and on 25 November Lennon returned his MBE to

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

saying "I am returning this MBE in protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam, and against 'Cold Turkey' slipping down the charts. With love, John Lennon of

Bag A bag, also known regionally as a sack, is a common tool in the form of a floppy container, typically made of cloth, leather, bamboo, paper, or plastic. The use of bags predates recorded history, with the earliest bags being lengths of animal s ...

." In March 2005, ''Q'' magazine placed "Cold Turkey" at number 74 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. ''Stereogum'' contributors Timothy and Elizabeth Bracy rated "Cold Turkey" as Lennon's 10th best solo song, calling it a "tough but rewarding listen" that "stressfully gallops out the gate with a jittery ferociousness that is simultaneously cathartic and claustrophobic."

Cover art

The original

cover art Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product, such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ar ...

for the single was made by English photographer David Nutter (older brother of the iconic tailor Tommy Nutter), who was John and

's regular photographer at the time. Lennon asked Nutter to make a positive print of an

X-ray An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

of his own head, taken apparently at Lawson Memorial Hospital in

Golspie Golspie ( , ) is a village and parish in Sutherland, Scottish Highlands, Highland, Scotland, which lies on the North Sea coast in the shadow of Ben Bhraggie. It has a population of around 1,350. History The name derives from the Old Norse, ...

, Scotland, place where he was treated in July 1969. This was after he was injured in a family car accident on a remote single-track road between

Tongue The tongue is a Muscle, muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for chewing and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper s ...

and

Durness Durness () is a village and civil parish in the north-west Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north coast of the country in the traditional county of Sutherland, around north of Inverness. The area is remote, and the parish is huge and spar ...

, near

Loch Eriboll __NOTOC__ Loch Eriboll (Scottish Gaelic: "Loch Euraboil") is a long sea loch on the north coast of Scotland, which has been used for centuries as a deep water anchorage as it is safe from the often stormy seas of Cape Wrath and the Pentland Fir ...

. Nutter created the image by superimposing Lennon's eyes with his round glasses, like a surreal skeletal cover, although this is not particularly clear in its reference to the song. In fact, the image was created at a time when Lennon was eager to define his eccentric personality as a solo artist, even being a member of

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

. An alternative sleeve with the X-ray photographs of John and Yoko side by side, rather than on either side of the cover, was issued in several European countries. The Japanese version includes a colour photo of both in a smaller size.

Live performance

Its first public performance on 13 September 1969, was recorded and released on the '' Live Peace in Toronto 1969'' album by

which included Lennon,

Klaus Voormann Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German graphic artist, artist, musician, and record producer. Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, includ ...

, and Alan White. Yoko introduced it as the newest song written by John; John added that the band had never played the song together as a group before. He also performed this song on 15 December 1969, along with " Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)", at the Lyceum Ballroom with more members of the Plastic Ono Band. This version would be available on his ''

Some Time in New York City ''Some Time in New York City'' is the fourth collaborative studio album, and second live album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono as Plastic Ono Band. A double album, it includes backing by the American rock band Elephant's Memory. Released in June 19 ...

'' album. Lennon performed the song again, at two Madison Square Garden shows, on 30 August 1972.

Personnel

According to author John C. Winn: *

lead and harmony vocals, guitars *

guitar *

bass *

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...

drums

Chart performance

Cover versions

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

recorded an instrumental

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

version in 1970, as an outtake from his CTI Records album, '' Red Clay''. Hubbard's version, featuring

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and very occasional flute player. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day an ...

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

and Lenny White, is influenced by

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

music. * A live recording appears on the 1979 LP '' A Can of Bees'' by the Soft Boys. * The Godfathers recorded a version in 1986 with producer Vic Maile. It was first released on a 1986

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

called '' Hit by Hit'' that included their three early 12" singles. * PiL founder/guitarist Keith Levene covered the song on his 1989 solo album ''Violent Opposition''. *

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band formed in Rockford, Illinois in 1970 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. Their work bridged elements of '60s pop rock, guitar pop, '70s har ...

recorded two versions in 1994. One went on the album '' Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon'', and the other was released on one of the ''Bun E.'s Basement Bootleg'' albums. *

Beki Bondage Beki Bondage (born Rebecca Louise Bond) is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known as the frontwoman of the punk rock, punk musical band, band Vice Squad. She appeared on the front cover of a number of influential Music journali ...

Vice Squad Vice Squad are an English punk rock band formed in 1979 in Bristol. The band was formed from two other local punk bands, The Contingent and TV Brakes. The songwriter and vocalist Beki Bondage (born Rebecca Bond) was a founding member of the b ...

released a version on her 2000 solo covers album, also called ''Cold Turkey''. * Lenny Kravitz recorded a version for the 2007 benefit album '' Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur''. * Billy Talent covered it on the B-side of their single " Rusted from the Rain" in 2009. *

Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...

covered the song with his supergroup '' Hollywood Vampires'' on their debut album, released 11 September 2015. "We weren't going to do ' Imagine'," he noted. "'Let's do something that really represented the John that we knew."Murphy, Kevin: "The vampire diaries"; ''

Classic Rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

'' #216, November 2015, p33

References

Sources

External links

John Lennon - Cold Turkey
at Graham Calkin's Beatles Pages {{authority control John Lennon songs Apple Records singles 1969 singles Songs written by John Lennon Songs about heroin Song recordings produced by John Lennon Song recordings produced by Yoko Ono Cheap Trick songs 1969 songs Blues rock songs British hard rock songs Obscenity controversies in music Plastic Ono Band songs