Ethan Clarke
The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band and artist collective formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968-69. The band featured a rotating line-up of musicians including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, and Billy Preston. The name Plastic Ono Band was coined by Lennon, inspired by Ono's idea to use plastic stands with tape recorders for an art exhibition in Berlin. The band's credo, You are the Plastic Ono Band, implied that everyone was part of the group, including the audience. The Plastic Ono Band is known for their experimental and conceptual approach to music and art, with their work often exploring personal and political themes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Formation year | 1968-69 |
| Founders | John Lennon and Yoko Ono |
| Type of band | Rock band and Fluxus-based artist collective |
| Band members | Rotating line-up including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, Keith Moon, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends |
| Band members (2009 revival) | Sean Lennon, Cornelius, Yuka Honda, Shimmy Hirotaka Shimizu, Michael Leonhart, Erik Friedlander, Yuko Araki |
| Band members (2009 revival guest performers) | Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Bette Midler, Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Scissor Sisters, Harper Simon, Paul Simon, Gene Ween |
| Band members (2010 reunion) | Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, Jim Keltner |
| Band philosophy | "YOU are the Plastic Ono Band", implying that everyone was part of the group |
| Band name origin | Coined by John Lennon, inspired by Yoko Ono's idea for an art exhibition in Berlin involving plastic stands with tape recorders |
| First release | "Give Peace a Chance" in July 1969 |
| First album | Live Peace in Toronto 1969 |
| Album releases (2009) | Don't Stop Me!, Between My Head and the Sky |
| Album releases (2021) | John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band: The Ultimate Collection |
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What You'll Learn
- The Plastic Ono Band was formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968-69
- The band's name was coined by Lennon, inspired by Ono's use of plastic stands for recording
- The band featured a rotating line-up of musicians, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr
- The Plastic Ono Band was both a rock band and a Fluxus-based artist collective
- In 2009, Yoko Ono revived the Plastic Ono Band name with the EP Don't Stop Me
The Plastic Ono Band was formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968-69
The idea for the band's name and concept came from Ono in 1967, when she envisioned an art exhibition in Berlin featuring plastic stands with tape recorders. When she shared this idea with Lennon, he immediately suggested the name "Plastic Ono Band". The name was also a reference to the band's transparent, robotic aesthetic, which was intended to be like a giant jukebox.
The Plastic Ono Band featured a rotating line-up of musicians, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, and Keith Moon, among others. The band's first release was the single "Give Peace a Chance" in July 1969, which featured a large group of participants and was intended to promote world peace.
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". The core members of this new incarnation included Sean Lennon, Cornelius, and Yuka Honda. The revived Plastic Ono Band performed live concerts and collaborated with various guest performers, including Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lady Gaga, and Mark Ronson.
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![Plastic Ono Band (The Ultimate Collection) [Explicit]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81k0GUARGNL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The band's name was coined by Lennon, inspired by Ono's use of plastic stands for recording
The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band and artist collective formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968-69. The band was conceived as an outlet for the couple's collaborative musical and sound art projects, films, conceptual art projects, and eventual solo LPs.
The name "Plastic Ono Band" was coined by Lennon and inspired by Ono's use of plastic stands for recording. Ono explained in 2010:
> As I was asked to do a show in Berlin before John and I got together, I wanted to use four plastic stands with tape recorders in each one of them, as my band. I told that story to John, and he immediately coined the phrase PLASTIC ONO BAND.
Lennon and Ono began a personal and artistic relationship in 1968, collaborating on several experimental releases. After their marriage in 1969, they decided that their future endeavours would be credited to the Plastic Ono Band.
The band featured a rotating line-up of musicians including Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, Keith Moon, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, and Lennon's former Beatles bandmates George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The Plastic Ono Band's credo, "YOU are the Plastic Ono Band", implied that everyone was part of the group, including the audience.
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The band featured a rotating line-up of musicians, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr
The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band and artist collective formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968–69. The band was conceived as an art exhibition in Berlin, allowing Lennon to separate his artistic output from that of the Beatles. The Plastic Ono Band was also the name of the couple's debut solo studio albums, released in tandem in 1970.
The Plastic Ono Band featured a rotating line-up of musicians, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Other members included Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, Keith Moon, and Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. The band was also joined by all the Beatles except for Paul McCartney.
The first release to bear the credit of the Plastic Ono Band was the single "Give Peace a Chance", recorded in a hotel room in Montreal, Quebec, in 1969. The song was promoted with a launch party at Chelsea Town Hall, London, on 3 July 1969, where a camera pointed at the audience showed viewers as part of the band on a television screen. The single reached No. 2 in the UK and No. 14 in the US.
The only album solely credited to the Plastic Ono Band, Live Peace in Toronto 1969, was recorded during the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival on 13 September 1969. The band's name was used for Lennon and Ono's solo albums until 1974, after which it was revived in 2009 by Ono and her son Sean Lennon.
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The Plastic Ono Band was both a rock band and a Fluxus-based artist collective
The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band and a Fluxus-based artist collective formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968-69. The band was conceived as an art exhibition in Berlin, allowing Lennon to separate his artistic output from that of the Beatles. Ono and Lennon's collaboration began in 1968 with the experimental album Two Virgins, and they decided that their future projects would be credited to the Plastic Ono Band.
The Plastic Ono Band featured a rotating line-up of musicians, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, and Keith Moon. The band was described as a conceptual movement, not limited to a strict membership, with the slogan "YOU are the Plastic Ono Band", implying that everyone was part of the group.
The first release credited to the Plastic Ono Band was the single "Give Peace a Chance" in July 1969. The only album solely credited to the band is Live Peace in Toronto 1969, recorded during the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival on 13 September 1969. The Plastic Ono Band name was also used for Lennon and Ono's solo albums, with the releases "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" and "Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band" in 1970.
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". The core members of this incarnation included Sean Lennon, Cornelius, and Yuka Honda, and they performed live concerts with additional members and guest performers.
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In 2009, Yoko Ono revived the Plastic Ono Band name with the EP Don't Stop Me
In 2009, Yoko Ono revived the Plastic Ono Band name for a new project. She released an EP titled 'Don't Stop Me!' under the band name. This release came almost four decades after the band's initial active period in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The EP was a digital-only release and featured four new songs. These included the title track, "Don't Stop Me!", as well as "The Sun Is Down!", "Ask the Elephant!", and "Feel the Sand". Ono's son, Sean Lennon, who had previously worked with his mother on various projects, played a key role in the revived Plastic Ono Band. He served as a producer and musician on the EP, showcasing his talents as a multi-instrumentalist.
For this project, the Plastic Ono Band's line-up also included Yuka Honda, a longtime collaborator of Ono's and a member of the group Cibo Matto, who played keyboards. Other contributors were Greg Kurstin on guitar, Harper Simon on guitar, and Larry Taylor, the bassist from the original Plastic Ono Band. The EP received positive reviews from critics, who praised its experimental and eclectic sound, blending elements of rock, electronica, and pop.
"Don't Stop Me!" also marked a return to the avant-garde and politically charged nature of the original Plastic Ono Band. The song's lyrics addressed themes of environmentalism and activism, with Ono urging listeners to take a stand and make a difference. The EP's cover artwork featured a black-and-white photo of Ono, taken by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, with the words "Don't Stop Me!" written in Ono's distinctive handwriting.
The release of 'Don't Stop Me!' was also accompanied by a series of live performances by the Plastic Ono Band. They performed at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles and at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. These shows featured guest appearances by various musicians, including Eric Clapton, who had previously worked with John Lennon, and Paul McCartney, reuniting with Ono after many years.
The revival of the Plastic Ono Band name and the release of the 'Don't Stop Me!' EP showcased Yoko Ono's continued creativity and her desire to carry on the legacy of the band she had formed with her late husband, John Lennon. It also emphasized the ongoing collaboration between Ono and her son, Sean, as they worked together to create new music and continue the spirit of experimentalism and social consciousness that had always been a part of the Plastic Ono Band.
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Frequently asked questions
The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band and artist collective formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968-69. The band featured a rotating line-up of musicians including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and many others.
The Plastic Ono Band is considered by some to be Lennon's best solo album and is certainly one of his most influential works. The record became known as "the Primal Album". However, some critics have argued that it had very little impact on the music of its era and on social change.
Yes, the Plastic Ono Band performed live at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival on 13 September 1969.
