John Lennon - Gimme Some Truth [2000]

Amazon.co.uk Review

An instant classic when released in September 1971, John Lennon's Imagine was the ex-Beatle's solo masterpiece, and its musical legacy is matched here by priceless footage of Lennon's creative process, independently edited from original 16-millimeter footage by producer-director Andrew Solt with the hands-off approval of Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. Incorporating footage from John and Yoko's original film Imagine (clips of which were previously included in the 1988 documentary Imagine: John Lennon), Gimme Some Truth presents Lennon, Ono, co-producer Phil Spector and a host of gifted musicians in a fluid context of conflict, community and craftsmanship. Bearing witness to every stage of the recording process, this 63-minute documentary succeeds as a visual diary, a study of familiar music in its infancy and a revealing portrait of the then-30-year-old Lennon--from witty clown to confrontational perfectionist--at the peak of his post-Fab Four inspiration.

The film's horizons expand with a casual montage of Lennon's celebrity lifestyle, including New York party footage (by film theorist Jonas Mekas) featuring such guests as Miles Davis, Andy Warhol and Jack Nicholson. Excerpts of a 1971 BBC interview reveal John and Yoko at their most thoughtful, discussing socio-sexual issues that remain compellingly relevant. But the true value of Gimme Some Truth remains in the creation of music at the Lennons' estate at Tittenhurst Park, Ascot, England. The ballad "Imagine" is followed from rawness to completion, and the track-by-track progress is highlighted by "Jealous Guy" (after which Lennon playfully compliments Spector's studio wizardry), and especially "Gimme Some Truth", which alternates between full mix and isolated vocal track. With George Harrison on guitar, Lennon freely admits that "How Do You Sleep?" is a deliberately "nasty" criticism of Paul McCartney, but this remarkable film never dwells on negatives. A precious record of John Lennon's time on earth, Gimme Some Truth is as honest as it is entertaining. And while purists may object to the DVD's remastered sound--which was carefully remixed for Dolby Digital 5.1-channel stereo at Abbey Road studios--few would deny that this film is an important and illuminating document that any John Lennon fan will cherish. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Truth is we've seen it before.......2006-04-12

1971 Imagine film which was rehashed for the 1988 Imagine 'The Movie'... and here again for a 21st century repackage as Gimme Some Truth

The Truth is This is a Great DVD.......2004-02-04

a great dvd..how could it not be..but there are some things which could have been better.. i have only watched it once..(i only got it a few hours ago)it seems that some tracks arent really showing how they where made. rather just clips of john an yoko, with the song in the background..but then it gets to "oh my love, gimme some truth, how do u sleep and how" and then much more footage is shown. its great to see george recording with john..u can see the respect john has for george.
the bonus interview is also great..it goes for about 35 mins so there's plenty to hear.
overall, i give it 4/5..the only prob is its too short, and its annoying casue there must be more footage out there.

A Deff must for a lennon fan.

Gimme some truth.......2003-06-12

An excellent fly on the wall rockumentary on John's Imagine album.

Filmed in 1971 just a year after the Beatles breakup you can see there is still much hurt in the air from the split.

Along with George Harrison who sits in on the sessions also,
we see John and George working on the thinly veiled song about Paul in the song "How do you Sleep".
Yes, the wounds were still very much open during these recording sessions!

It is pretty obvious that the pressure is very much on John during this film as he blows up a few times, and on one occasion he gives an hapless recording engineer a load of stick for replaying the wrong section of a track that he is overdubbing with Phil Spector.

Despite the pressure in the studio at the time, there are some softer and truly beautiful moments in this film when we see John working on the tracks "How?" and "Oh my Love".

Of course the big climax of this film is the last track on the disc with John performing Imagine, it's almost worth buying the DVD for that one clip alone!

Yes, 10 out of 10 for this movie!

We Knew He Was GOD anyway!!.......2000-12-17

This DVD film highlights the true genius of John Lennon. Imagine was and still is a classic LP... Long live John Lennon, the genius.

This is History.......2000-11-03

Now we are lucky that they once filmed the making of Imagine album by Lennon. You can almost touch the atmosphere here on this DVD. You see Lennon and his guests singing, recording, swearing, eating, smoking and joking. Now the album is a classic. But there is also a feeling here that they know what they are doing: they are making rock and roll history. I am only complaining about the length of the film: it is too short.

Gimme Some Truth: The Making of John Lennon's Imagine Album [2000] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Average customer rating:

Truth is we've seen it before
The Truth is This is a Great DVD
Gimme some truth
We Knew He Was GOD anyway!!
This is History

Gimme Some Truth: The Making of John Lennon's Imagine Album [2000] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Starring: Arianne Zuker
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305847118
Release Date: 2000-04-11