Cold Turkey

This article is about a song by John Lennon. For other uses, see Cold turkey (disambiguation).

"Cold Turkey"
Single by Plastic Ono Band
B-side	"Don't Worry Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for a Hand in the Snow)" by Yoko Ono
Released	20 October 1969 (US) 24 October 1969 (UK)
Format	7"
Recorded	28 September 1969
Genre	Rock
Length	5:01
Label	Apple Records
Writer(s)	John Lennon
Producer	John Lennon, Yoko Ono
Plastic Ono Band singles chronology
"Give Peace a Chance" (1969) "Cold Turkey" (1969) "Instant Karma!" (1970)

"Cold Turkey" is a song written by John Lennon, released as a single in 1969 by the Plastic Ono Band on Apple Records, catalogue Apples 1001 in the United Kingdom, Apple 1813 in the United States. It is the second solo single issued by Lennon, and it peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #14 on the British singles chart. The song's first appearance on album was the 1975 compilation Shaved Fish.

Writing and recording

According to Peter Brown in his book The Love You Make, the song was written in a "creative outburst" following Lennon and Ono going "cold turkey" from their brief heroin addictions.^[1] Brown also states that Lennon presented the song to Paul McCartney as a potential single by The Beatles, but was refused and released it as a Plastic Ono Band single with sole writing credits to him.^[1]

"Cold Turkey" was the first song John Lennon wrote for which he took sole credit; his previous compositions, including his first single release, "Give Peace a Chance",^[2] were attributed to the Lennon/McCartney partnership, although the credit for "Give Peace a Chance" was later changed to Lennon alone.^[3] It was recorded in Abbey Road Studio 2. There are other versions, a couple acoustic, and one that features Yoko Ono adding her unique vocalisations (as they did the song live), but none of these served as the single.

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 pressing. This instruction would also appear on the labels of Lennon's next solo single, "Instant Karma!"

"Cold Turkey" rose to #14 on the British Singles Chart on the chart announced on 11 November 1969. On 18 November, "Cold Turkey" dropped to #15, and on 25 November Lennon returned his MBE to Buckingham Palace saying "I am returning this MBE in protest against Britain’s involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam, and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts. With love, John Lennon of Bag." ^[4] In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Cold Turkey" at number 74 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

Live performance

Its first public performance was recorded and released on the Live Peace In Toronto 1969 album by Plastic Ono Band which included Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann, and Alan White. Yoko introduced it as the newest song written by John; John added that the band had never played the song together as a group before. He also performed this song, along with "Don't Worry Kyoko", at the Lyceum Ballroom with George Harrison, Keith Moon, Eric Clapton, and others. This would be Lennon's last live performance with any of the other Beatles, and this version would be available on his Some Time in New York City album.

Personnel

• John Lennon: lead and harmony vocals, rhythm guitar
• Eric Clapton: lead guitar
• Klaus Voormann: bass
• Ringo Starr: drums

Chart performance

Chart (1969)	Peak position
Canadian RPM Singles Chart[5]	30
Dutch Top 40[6]	39
UK Singles Chart[7]	14
Chart (1970)	Peak position
US Billboard Pop Singles[8]	30

Cover versions

• Freddie Hubbard recorded an instrumental version in 1970, as an outtake from his CTI Records album, Red Clay. Hubbard's version, featuring Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter and Lenny White, is influenced by funk and free jazz.
• A live recording of the song appears on the 1979 LP A Can of Bees by the Soft Boys.
• The Godfathers recorded a version of the song in 1986 with producer Vic Maile; the song was first released on a 1986 compilation album called Hit by Hit that included their three early 12" singles.^[9]
• Cheap Trick recorded two versions of the song in 1994. One went on the album Working Class Hero: A Tribute to John Lennon, and the other was released on one of the Bun E.'s Basement Bootleg albums.
• Lenny Kravitz recorded a version for the benefit album Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.
• The track was also covered by PiL originator/guitarist Keith Levene.
• Billy Talent did a cover for it on the B-side for their single "Rusted From the Rain".
• Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver released a cover as the B-side to their single "Don't Go" in 1994.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Brown, Peter. The Love You Make: An Insider's Story of The Beatles. McGraw-Hill, 1983. New American Library, 2002. 331.
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE (Legal Title) BMI Work #476096". BMI.com. http://repertoire.bmi.com/title.asp?blnWriter=True&blnPublisher=True&blnArtist=True&keyid=476096&ShowNbr=0&ShowSeqNbr=0&querytype=WorkID. Retrieved 24 October 2009. 
4. ^ MBE that John Lennon returned in protest is found
5. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 12, No. 19, December 27, 1969". RPM. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.6125&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5. Retrieved 7 February 2011. 
6. ^ "De Nederlandse Top 40, week 50, 1969". http://www.radio538.nl/web/show/id=44685/chartid=6355. Retrieved 5 December 2008 (2008-12-05). 
7. ^ "everyhit.com search results". http://www.everyhit.com. Retrieved 5 December 2008 (2008-12-05). 
8. ^ "Allmusic - John Lennon - Billboard Singles". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4744/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved 5 December 2008 (2008-12-05). 
9. ^ Liner notes for original 1986 release of Hit by Hit (Link Records #009). Retrieved 17 Feb 2011.

External links

• John Lennon - Cold Turkey at Graham Calkin's Beatles Pages