NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Only recently given stewardship over his late father's work, Sean Ono Lennon is on a remarkable run.
The only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono won an Academy Award this year for a short film based on his parents' 1971 song "Happy Christmas (War is Over")" and, a few months later, was nominated for his first-ever Grammy, for producing a box set on the album 鈥淢ind Games,鈥� originally released in 1973.
鈥淚t feels overwhelming and surreal,鈥� said Lennon, who also recently shared a Webby Award with his mother for Ono's interactive art project 鈥淲ish Tree.鈥�
For Lennon, who was 5 when the former Beatle was in 1980, the work is a way to connect with his father. It's more than a preservation mission: On 鈥淢ind Games,鈥� he takes artistic license, pulling apart the recordings of John Lennon's music to create something entirely new.
Lennon was inspired, in part, by another Beatle offspring, Dhani Harrison, who helped repackage his own father's 鈥淎ll Things Must Pass.鈥� Dhani Harrison is also behind this fall's reissue of his dad's 鈥淟iving in the Material World,鈥� but that experience is nothing like what Lennon did with 鈥淢ind Games.鈥�
Besides the music, is modeled after one of his mother's art pieces and filled with art reproductions, hidden music, video, messages and puzzles, some only visible through an ultraviolet light that is included 鈥� 鈥渕ind games,鈥� remember? The deluxe box retails for $1,350, but there are less expensive options.
Learning what his father meant to others by hearings fans sing through the window
Lennon, 49, knew his father was a musician before he died; the boy tagged along to the studio for some 鈥淒ouble Fantasy鈥� sessions. But truly understanding his impact came later, like when he'd hear fans singing his father's music outside their New York apartment on the Oct. 9 birthday they shared. 鈥淚t was pretty clear to me that wasn't happening with my friends,鈥� he said.
His father's music played constantly around the house, and learning to play those songs launched his own journey to become a musician.
鈥淚 think I would have rebelled more against my dad's 鈥� and my mom's 鈥� music if I had grown up with my dad in the house and I had been angry at him or rebelled against him,鈥� he told The Associated Press. 鈥淏ecause he wasn't around, I've always really cherished the music as sort of a living part of him.鈥�
He inherited the job of keeping his father's music alive for new generations when his mom, now 91, retired.
In liner notes for 鈥淢ind Games,鈥� Lennon explains that 鈥渢he only meaningful way that I can show my love to him鈥� is to work hard on his music and keep it in the culture's consciousness. That's poignant, and maybe a little sad. Does Lennon really have to prove to anyone that he loves his father?
鈥淲hat else can I do in this Earth to express my love and reverence for my father than to do an incredibly meticulous job of taking care of his music?鈥� he said. 鈥淚 can't actually think of anything else, other than taking care of my mother, which I try to do as well.鈥�
That reverence for his elders came from his mother, he believes. When his Japanese grandparents came over to the U.S. 鈥渋t was like the president was visiting,鈥� he recalled.
Only after he began the 鈥淢ind Games鈥� project did Lennon learn that the album wasn't particularly well-regarded when it was released. He found an interview where even John Lennon considered it a transition from a period of political activism to being a musician again. The title song was its only hit.
That attitude lingers, judging by an online site called 鈥淏rutally Honest Rock Album Reviews.鈥� In an , the author said the 鈥淢ind Games鈥� reissue defines overkill. 鈥淵ou can now own and forever cherish six different versions of songs that were unmemorable at best and a complete waste of time at worst.鈥�
Motivated to make people take a second look at 鈥淢ind Games鈥�
That only motivated Lennon to work harder, and led to a bold artistic decision. Part of the reason the album didn't really connect was because it wasn't promoted well or supported by concerts, he said. But he also described the original album mix as thin and not doing justice to the music.
Using the original recordings, he constructed new versions of the songs, sometimes emphasizing different instruments. He sought a warmer, more direct sound reminiscent of Lennon's 鈥淧lastic Ono Band鈥� album 鈥� most visibly on 鈥淎isumasen (I'm Sorry),鈥� one of a handful of compositions reflecting marital turmoil that presaged Lennon's notorious 鈥渓ost weekend鈥� separation from Ono.
Different versions of the title cut also show Sean's approach. There's the original 鈥淢ind Games,鈥� with a distinctive chiming sound that drives the melody. That's stripped away in a new mix where a reggae guitar lick becomes audible. An organ-dominated instrumental sounds like a church hymn. There are other outtakes, some with alternate lyrics and one with a snippet of 鈥淢ake Love, Not War,鈥� a song fragment dating back to the Beatles that the author repurposed.
He didn't have a trove of unheard material to mine, other than Lennon's demo of 鈥淚'm the Greatest,鈥� a song he gave to Beatle mate Ringo Starr.
In some of the new versions, Sean goes beyond remixing or revealing outtakes to imposing his own artistic vision over his father's.
鈥淭here are some people who feel that it's taking liberties, and I guess it technically is,鈥� Lennon said. 鈥淭he way I look at it is, if I'm going to do the best job I can, the only way I can do that is to follow my heart and make it sound the best that it can sound. If that means maybe turning down an instrument a lot in a certain section because I don't think it's helping, then I'm going to do that.鈥�
For anyone who wants the original versions, they're readily available.
鈥淚t's very forensic work,鈥� he said. 鈥淚'm not worried about what someone else is going to think. I'm just in there trying to do good by my dad, and I really feel that I know how to do good by him, because I know his music better than I know anybody else's music.鈥�
His father's human moments that inspired his son as a musician
As a musician, he relates to moments where his father expresses vulnerability, like an interview where John described 鈥淚ntuition鈥� as a good song where he didn't nail the lyrics. The of recording sessions for the 鈥淟et it Be鈥� album showed the Beatles as humans who didn't hand songs down from Mount Olympus.
Next on the docket is a film resurrection of the 鈥淥ne to One鈥� concerts involving his father and a reissue of the 鈥淲alls and Bridges鈥� album. Sean, who lives and works in New York and is involved in a longtime relationship with musician and model Kemp Muhl, released his own album, this year.
Told he sounded like his father when singing forcefully, Lennon practically whispered lyrics on his early albums. He hated the way he sounded, but didn't want to deal with the comparisons. He doesn't hold back anymore. 鈥淣ow I'm too old to care,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 didn't get into music because I had some great talent or something,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 got into it because my dad was this famous musician and playing his songs and learning his music made me feel closer to him.鈥�
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David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at and
David Bauder, The Associated Press
