A new compilation will celebrate what would have been John Lennon's 80th birthday on Oct. 9 by remixing many of his best-known solo songs.

Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes collects 36 track on two CDs, handpicked by Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, and son, Sean Lennon. According to a press release, the songs were "remixed from scratch, radically upgrading their sonic quality and presenting them as a never-before-heard ultimate listening experience."

A Deluxe Edition box set includes the two CDs, a 124-page book and a Blu-ray that features the songs in various high-definition audio formats. One-disc, two-disc, four-LP and two-LP collections will be available too.

The three dozen tracks span Lennon's first solo single, 1968's "Give Peace a Chance," to the one that was climbing the charts when he was killed in December 1980, "(Just Like) Starting Over." In between are some of his most beloved songs, including "Imagine," "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" and "Working Class Hero."

The set is more or less sequenced in chronological order, with stand-alone singles "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" and "Give Peace a Chance" rounding out the album. You can see the track listing for the Deluxe Edition and hear a remixed version of "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)," below.

“John was a brilliant man with a great sense of humor and understanding,” Ono wrote in the accompanying book. “He believed in being truthful and that the power of the people will change the world. And it will. All of us have the responsibility to visualize a better world for ourselves and our children. The truth is what we create. It’s in our hands.”

Paul Hicks, who mixed and engineered 2018's Imagine: The Ultimate Collection, performed similar duties here. "Yoko is very keen that in making The Ultimate Mixes series we achieve three things: remain faithful and respectful to the originals, ensure that the sound is generally sonically clearer overall and increase the clarity of John’s vocals," he said. "‘It’s about John,’ she says. And she is right. His voice brings the biggest emotional impact to the songs."

Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes is available for pre-order now.

John Lennon, 'Gimme Some Truth. The Ultimate Mixes'Track Listing
CD1
1. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)
2. Cold Turkey
3. Working Class Hero
4. Isolation
5. Love
6. God
7. Power to the People
8. Imagine
9. Jealous Guy
10. Gimme Some Truth
11. Oh My Love
12. How Do You Sleep?
13. Oh Yoko!
14. Angela
15. Come Together (live)
16. Mind Games
17. Out the Blue
18. I Know (I Know)

CD2
1. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night
2. Bless You
3. #9 Dream
4. Steel and Glass
5. Stand by Me
6. Angel Baby
7. (Just Like) Starting Over
8. I’m Losing You
9. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
10. Watching the Wheels
11. Woman
12. Dear Yoko
13. Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him
14. Nobody Told Me
15. I’m Stepping Out
16. Grow Old With Me
17. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
18. Give Peace a Chance

BLU-RAY AUDIO DISC
All of the above 36 tracks, available in high-definition audio as:
1. HD Stereo Audio Mixes (24 bit/96 kHz)
2. HD 5.1 Surround Sound Mixes (24 bit/96 kHz)
3. HD Dolby Atmos Mixes

 

The Best Song From Every John Lennon Album

More From Beach Radio