16 - JOHN LENNON – APPLE RECORDS

JOHN LENNON – APPLE RECORDS One of the four “God Save Oz” acetates cut at Apple Studios in 1971 by George Peckham. The other three were intended for John Lennon, Geoff Emerick, and Phil Spector. From the collection of Claude Harper. An 8-inch Audiodisc acetate, 45 rpm, bearing the title “God Save Oz” on its green label. Preserved in its original Audiodisc sleeve, it comes with a letter signed by George Peckham, recording engineer at Apple Studios, confirming the circumstances of its production in 1971. “God Save Oz” was created in April 1971, when John Lennon and Yoko Ono came to the defense of the British magazine *Oz*, which was being prosecuted for obscenity following the publication of an issue produced with the participation of teenagers. Lennon composed a song intended to provide financial support for the magazine’s defense. Originally titled “God Save Oz,” it was ultimately released under the title “God Save Us” in July 1971, performed by Bill Elliott and the Elastic Oz Band. This record comes from those early recording sessions, held in Lennon’s private studio at Tittenhurst Park, near Ascot, shortly before the recording of the album *Imagine*. Its history is detailed by George Peckham in a signed letter accompanying the acetate. In it, he confirms that he personally cut the record at Apple’s facilities at 3 Savile Row in London, using the master tape provided by Claude Harper, the session’s sound engineer. Four acetates were produced during this cutting session. According to Peckham, the other three copies were intended for John Lennon, Geoff Emerick, and Phil Spector. This record, preserved by Claude Harper, thus comes from a particularly limited series directly linked to the key figures involved in the recording. Record condition: strong VG