Instant Karma!

This article is about the John Lennon song. For other uses, see Instant Karma (disambiguation).

"Instant Karma!"
Single by John Ono Lennon
B-side	"Who Has Seen the Wind?" (Yoko Ono)
Released	6 February 1970 (UK) 20 February 1970 (US)
Format	7" vinyl
Recorded	27 January 1970
Genre	Rock
Length	3:18
Label	Apple
Writer(s)	John Lennon
Producer	Phil Spector
John Ono Lennon singles chronology
"Cold Turkey" (1969) "Instant Karma!" (1970) "Mother" (1970)
Alternative cover French 7-inch single cover

"Instant Karma!" is a song written by John Lennon, released as a single in 1970 on Apple Records, catalogue Apple 1003 in the United Kingdom, Apple 1818 in the United States. It is the third solo single issued by Lennon, and it peaked at #3 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 singles charts in the US, #2 on Canada's Singles Chart and #5 on the UK Singles Chart. The song's first appearance on album was the 1975 compilation Shaved Fish. In the US, the song peaked at #3 as The Beatles' single "Let It Be" was rising to #1. While both songs competed for position in the Top 3, the Beatles officially announced their dissolution.

Recording and issue

It ranks as one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history, recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios the same day it was written, and arriving in stores only ten days later. Lennon remarked to the press, he "wrote it for breakfast, recorded it for lunch, and we're putting it out for dinner."^[1] The record was produced by Phil Spector, the first of many recordings by the Beatles that Spector worked on that year.

Backed by Ono's "Who Has Seen the Wind?", which Lennon produced, the pair appeared on Top of the Pops to perform the song live.^[2]

George Harrison would later remark that he was enticed and interested by Lennon's idea of an instant single release, and this partially contributed to Harrison's willingness to participate. Harrison felt that it related in some way to his devotion to the Hindu religion (karma) and he therefore felt Lennon could use the single to promote it.

Like the previous Lennon solo single, "Cold Turkey," 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 single pressing. The B-side label, by contrast, carried the words "PLAY QUIET" ["PLAY SOFT" in the US.] ^[3]. The song is one of three Lennon solo songs, along with "Imagine" and "Give Peace a Chance", in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Personnel

• John Lennon - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric piano
• Billy Preston - grand piano
• George Harrison - backing vocals, lead guitar
• Klaus Voorman - backing vocals, bass
• Alan White - drums
• Yoko Ono - backing vocals
• Mal Evans - chimes, hand claps
• Phil Spector - producer
• Uncredited - several dozen pub revellers on an overdubbed backing vocal

Chart performance

• #2 - Canada
• #1 – France
• #3 – United States
• #5 – UK

Cover versions

• The song has been covered by Toad the Wet Sprocket, Paul Weller, Duran Duran, Diana Ross, U2, Beat Crusaders, Tokio Hotel, John Hiatt, The Adolescents, Vida Blue, The Rascals, Midnight Oil, Voodoo Loons, The Adventures, Gomez, Of Montreal, Company of Thieves, Lucky Boys Confusion, and Phish.

Cultural references

• The title for Stephen King's The Shining comes from Lennon's line in this song, "We all shine on..." King has said he was going to call the book The Shine, before realising that "shine" has been used as a derogatory term for black people.^[4] King also uses the line at the end of The Gunslinger. Throughout King's works, "the Shine" or "the Shining" is used to refer to various telepathic abilities.
• An episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 featured Joel Robinson and his robot companions pitching "Instant Karma", dissolve-in-water tickets that would yield rewards or punishments dependent on the user's karma. (Tom Servo's karma was bad, and he received Michael Bolton concert tickets.) Lennon and the song were directly referenced as the inspiration for the skit.

References

1. ^ "John Lennon writes and records "Instant Karma" in a single day". History.com. 27 January 2010. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/john-lennon-writes-and-records-quotinstant-karmaquot-in-a-single-day. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
2. ^ "Instant Karma". The Beatles Bible. http://www.beatlesbible.com/people/john-lennon/songs/instant-karma/. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
3. ^ http://www.discogs.com/John-Lennon--Ono-With-Plastic-Ono-Band-Instant-Karma/release/390001
4. ^ King, Stephen; Underwood, Tim; Miller, Chuck. Bare bones: conversations on terror with Stephen King. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1988. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. Pages 125 & 190.