Shaved Fish

Infobox Album | Name = Shaved Fish
Type = Compilation album
Artist = John Lennon


Released = 24 October 1975
Recorded = June 1969 – July 1974
Genre = Rock
Length = 41:55
Label = Apple/EMI
Producer = John Lennon, Yoko Ono
& Phil Spector
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:vjuvad7kv8w1 link]
*"Rolling Stone" (Not Rated) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/johnlennon/albums/album/97040/review/5942481/shaved_fish link]
*Robert Christgau B+ [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=684&name=John+Lennon link] | Last album = "Rock 'n' Roll"
(1975)
This album = "Shaved Fish"
(1975)
Next album = "Double Fantasy"
(1980)

"Shaved Fish" is the seventh album by John Lennon, released in October of 1975 on Apple Records, catalogue SW 3421. It is a compilation of singles, comprising every one that he had issued in the United States as a solo artist with the exception of "Stand By Me," taken from the album "Rock 'n' Roll". The only compilation of his non-Beatles recordings released during his lifetime, it was a commercial success, reaching #5 in the UK and #12 in the US, ultimately going platinum.

The compilation includes many of Lennon's most popular solo recordings, five of which had not yet appeared on album. Eight of these singles made the Top 40 on the Billboard chart, with "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" going to #1; five made the Top Ten in the United Kingdom. "Imagine," never a single in the UK, was issued as such concurrent to the release of this album, going to #5 in the UK chart. Several of the master tapes were unavailable for the compilation, and dubs were used, some with shorter fadeouts. A later compact disc issue used the original masters, restoring the full fadeouts of these songs. It is currently out of print in any format.

Its release came less than two weeks after the resolution of Lennon's long-running immigration dispute, and the birth of Sean Lennon. The name of the album originates from the Japanese food katsuobushi, a kind of dried fish.

Track listing

All songs by John Lennon, except where noted.

#"Give Peace a Chance" – 0:58
#* "Only the first minute of "Give Peace a Chance" is excerpted here"
#* "Give Peace a Chance" was released as a single on 4 July 1969 and credited to The Plastic Ono Band"
#* "Originally credited to Lennon-McCartney, the credit was revised in the 1990's to cite only John Lennon as its composer"
#"Cold Turkey" – 5:01
#* "Cold Turkey" was released as a single on 17 October 1969 and credited to The Plastic Ono Band"
#"Instant Karma!" – 3:21
#* "Instant Karma!" was released as a single on 6 February 1970 and credited to John Lennon with The Plastic Ono Band"
#"Power to the People" – 3:21
#* "Power to the People" was released as a single on 12 March 1971 and credited to John Lennon/The Plastic Ono Band"
#"Mother" – 5:03
#* "The single version of the track first released on John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band in 1970"
#"Woman is the Nigger of the World" (John Lennon/Yoko Ono) – 4:37
#* "The single version of the track first released on Some Time in New York City in 1972"
#"Imagine" – 3:02
#"Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" – 3:03
#* "The single version of the track that first released on Walls and Bridges in 1974"
#* "Features Elton John on piano and backing vocals"
#"Mind Games" – 4:12
#"#9 Dream" – 4:47
#"Medley: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) /Give Peace a Chance (reprise)" (John Lennon/Yoko Ono) / (John Lennon) – 4:15
#* "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" was released as a single on 1 December 1971 in the U.S. and 24 November 1972 in the UK and credited to "John & Yoko/The Plastic Ono Band"
#* "An excerpt from a live performance of "Give Peace a Chance" (from the 1972 "One to One" concerts) is crossfaded into the song's ending"

The song "Imagine" was the sole John Lennon track included in a promotional-only various artists compilation album issued by Capitol records entitled "The Greatest Music Ever Sold" (Capitol SPRO-8511/8512) which was distributed to record stores during the 1976 Holiday season, as part of Capitol's "Greatest Music Ever Sold" campaign that promoted 15 "Best Of" albums that were released by the record label.