
The Plastic Ono Band was a conceptual band formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969, before the Beatles disbanded. The band featured a rotating cast of supporting musicians, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, members of Delaney and Bonnie, the Who's Keith Moon, and New York band Elephant's Memory. The band's first release was the single Give Peace a Chance in July 1969, which was followed by the debut solo studio albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band in December 1970. The band's name was also used as a secondary credit on Lennon and Ono's solo releases in the 1970s, with occasional variations such as the Plastic Ono Nuclear Band and the Plastic Ono Mothers. In 2009, Yoko Ono revived the Plastic Ono Band name with the EP Don't Stop Me! and the album Between My Head and the Sky, which was followed by live concerts featuring a new line-up of core members.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founding members | John Lennon and Yoko Ono |
| Year founded | 1969 |
| Other members | Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, members of Delaney and Bonnie, The Who's drummer Keith Moon, New York band Elephant's Memory, Billy Preston, Nicky Hopkins, Phil Spector, Jim Keltner, and, in a 2009 revival, Sean Lennon |
| Albums | John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, Between My Head and the Sky |
| Singles | "Give Peace a Chance", "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", "Mother"/"Why", "Power to the People", "Open Your Box" |
| Year of first single | 1969 |
| Concept | "YOU are the Plastic Ono Band" |
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What You'll Learn
- John Lennon and Yoko Ono formed the Plastic Ono Band in 1969
- The band's debut performance was at the Rock 'n' Roll Revival show in Toronto
- The band's name was inspired by Ono planning to use plastic stands with tape recorders for a show in Berlin
- The Plastic Ono Band's first release was the single Give Peace a Chance
- The band's members have included Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr

John Lennon and Yoko Ono formed the Plastic Ono Band in 1969
The name "Plastic Ono Band" was coined by Lennon after a story told by Ono. The name was used to describe works by Lennon and Ono and whoever happened to be performing with them. The band was also referred to as a conceptual Utopia, with the idea that "you are the Plastic Ono Band". The band was launched at Chelsea Town Hall, London, on 3 July 1969, with sculptures exhibited onstage and a camera pointing at the audience that showed viewers as part of the band.
The Plastic Ono Band was formed before the dissolution of the Beatles, with whom Lennon was still active at the time. The band included other members of the Beatles, including George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and, at one performance, all the Beatles except Paul McCartney. The Plastic Ono Band also featured Eric Clapton, artist Klaus Voorman, future Yes drummer Alan White, members of Delaney and Bonnie, the Who's drummer Keith Moon, and many others.
In 1970, Lennon and Ono released the solo albums "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" and "Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band". The albums were released in tandem and featured similar cover art. The albums were recorded at the same time at Abbey Road Studios in London, with the core band members of Lennon on guitar, Starr on drums, and Voormann on bass. The albums were co-produced by Lennon, Ono, and Phil Spector, who also played keyboards on some tracks.
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The band's debut performance was at the Rock 'n' Roll Revival show in Toronto
The Plastic Ono Band was a musical group conceived by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, formed in 1969 as a vehicle for their collaborative creative output. The band had a fluid line-up, with Lennon and Ono as the only constant members, and served as an outlet for their experimental and conceptual ideas.
Now, let's focus on their debut performance:
The band's debut performance was a significant moment in the history of the Plastic Ono Band and marked the public introduction of John Lennon's post-Beatles musical endeavors. It was a highly anticipated event, given Lennon's stature in the music industry and his recent departure from one of the biggest bands in the world. The Rock 'n' Roll Revival show in Toronto provided a perfect platform for this debut.
On September 13, 1969, the Plastic Ono Band took to the stage at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival. This performance marked their live debut and was a pivotal moment in John Lennon's career. The festival itself was a celebration of 1950s rock 'n' roll, featuring artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis. However, the Plastic Ono Band's set stood out as a departure from the nostalgic tone of the event.
Their performance was brief but intense. They played a set of just four songs, including a cover of Lloyd Price's "Just Give Me Some Rock 'n' Roll", which was fitting for the theme of the festival. The other three songs were originals: "Yer Blues", which Lennon had written during the Beatles' trip to Rishikesh in 1968, and two songs from the upcoming "Give Peace a Chance" single: "Give Peace a Chance" and "Cold Turkey".
This debut performance set the tone for the Plastic Ono Band's approach to music. It showcased their raw, unpolished style and their willingness to experiment. The band's line-up for this show included Lennon on guitar and vocals, Yoko Ono on vocals, Eric Clapton on lead guitar, Klaus Voormann on bass, and future Yes drummer Alan White. The performance generated mixed reactions from the audience, with some booing and others cheering wildly. However, it undoubtedly left a lasting impression and signaled a new direction in Lennon's musical journey.
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The band's name was inspired by Ono planning to use plastic stands with tape recorders for a show in Berlin
The Plastic Ono Band was a conceptual group formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969, before the Beatles disbanded. The band's name was inspired by Ono's plan to use four plastic stands with tape recorders for a show in Berlin before she and Lennon became a couple. The band's name was coined by Lennon, and its credo, "YOU are the Plastic Ono Band", implied that everyone was part of the group.
The Plastic Ono Band was made up of various supporting musicians that Lennon and Ono used on their solo albums. The core members included Lennon on guitar, Ringo Starr on drums, and Klaus Voorman on bass. Other members included Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Alan White, members of Delaney and Bonnie, the Who's drummer Keith Moon, and New York band Elephant's Memory.
The Plastic Ono Band's first release was "Give Peace a Chance" in July 1969, which was recorded in a hotel room in Montreal, Quebec, with many participants. The single "Mother"/"Why" was also issued, with songs from Lennon and Ono respectively. Lennon and Ono produced the Plastic Ono Band largely on their own, as producer Phil Spector was absent for much of the recording sessions.
In 1971, the name was used as a secondary credit, with Lennon's and Ono's names more prominent on their solo ventures. The Plastic Ono Band's last release of new material in the 1970s was Walls and Bridges. In 2009, Yoko Ono revived the Plastic Ono Band with the EP Don't Stop Me!, a preview of the album Between My Head and the Sky.
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The Plastic Ono Band's first release was the single Give Peace a Chance
The Plastic Ono Band was a conceptual band formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969, consisting of various supporting musicians they would use on their solo albums. The band's first release was the single "Give Peace a Chance", an anthemic anti-war song written by Lennon, which was recorded in room 1742 of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada, during the couple's second "Bed-In" for peace. The song was co-credited to Paul McCartney, though he played no part in its creation, and was released by Apple Records on 4 July 1969 in the UK and on 7 July 1969 in the US. It was Lennon's first non-Beatles single, with whom he was still active at the time, and it became an anthem of the American anti-war movement during the 1970s.
The song was inspired by Lennon and Ono's "Bed-In" honeymoon in Montreal, where the couple held a media blitz and advertising campaign for peace, with billboards in major cities declaring "WAR IS OVER! If You Want It – Happy Christmas from John & Yoko". The song's chorus was reportedly inspired by a rabbi who said to Lennon, "John, you must give peace a chance". During the recording of the song, Lennon had to put up cue cards on the walls because the song was so new that he couldn't remember the lyrics.
The Plastic Ono Band included a rotating cast of musicians, with the core members being Klaus Voormann on bass and Ringo Starr on drums. Other members included George Harrison, who contributed sitar to Ono's album, and Billy Preston and Phil Spector on keyboards. The band's name was coined during a performance at the Rock 'n' Roll Revival show in Toronto, where Lennon and Ono were introduced as the Plastic Ono Band, and the name stuck.
The Plastic Ono Band went on to release several more singles and albums, including "Instant Karma!", "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", and "Imagine". Lennon's solo albums with the Plastic Ono Band received mixed reviews at the time but later came to be regarded as some of his best work. The band's last release of new material in the 1970s was the album Walls and Bridges. In 2009, Yoko Ono revived the Plastic Ono Band name with the EP "Don't Stop Me!".
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The band's members have included Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr
The Plastic Ono Band was a conceptual movement by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, with the slogan "YOU are the Plastic Ono Band", implying that the audience were members. The band featured a rotating line-up of musicians, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, who were Lennon's former Beatles bandmates.
Eric Clapton played lead guitar in the first performing line-up of the Plastic Ono Band, which was assembled by Lennon for the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival in 1969. Harrison had turned down Lennon's initial offer to play lead guitar, but he recommended Clapton for the role. The first line-up also included bassist Klaus Voormann and drummer Alan White.
In December 1969, the Plastic Ono Band took part in a benefit concert for UNICEF at the Lyceum Ballroom in London, titled "Peace for Christmas". The Toronto line-up of Clapton, Voormann, and White was joined by Harrison, Billy Preston, and the Delaney & Bonnie and Friends touring group, with whom they were touring at the time. Lennon later referred to this line-up as "the Plastic Ono Supergroup".
Ringo Starr was the drummer for the Plastic Ono Band, backing Lennon and Ono on their albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, which were released on 11 December 1970. Starr said that playing on Lennon's Plastic Ono Band was a career highlight, and the chemistry with Lennon and Voormann was something special. George Harrison contributed sitar to Ono's album.
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Frequently asked questions
The Plastic Ono Band is a conceptual band formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969, consisting of various supporting musicians they would use on their solo albums.
The core band included Klaus Voormann on bass and Ringo Starr on drums. Other musicians included George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Nicky Hopkins, Alan White, Jim Keltner, and Phil Spector.
The Plastic Ono Band released "'Give Peace a Chance' in July 1969, which was the first release to bear the band's name. The band also released "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" in 1971, "Instant Karma!" in 1970, and "Power to the People" in 1971.
Yes, the band released the self-titled album "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" in 1970, which was John Lennon's debut solo studio album. The album "Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band" was also released in 1970, which was Yoko Ono's debut solo studio album.
Yes, the band performed at the Rock 'n' Roll Revival show in Toronto, as well as at a benefit concert for UNICEF at the Lyceum Ballroom in London in 1970.










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