John Lennon never claimed to be the greatest musical theory expert. Even though he may have been able to create some of the greatest music ever while working with The Beatles, John Lennon felt that his abilities were unique and was afraid he wouldn’t be able to measure up, so he didn’t want to play in other groups’ sessions. Though Lennon may not have trusted his musical skills, he believed he could perform magic behind the boards for certain acts.
Lennon had already shown a mastery of production during the recording of his first few solo albums. Phil Spector, the production wizard, may have received most of the credit for Plastic Ono Band’s sound engineering, but Lennon was ultimately in charge of most of the recording’s production.
Considering how much Lennon enjoyed creating music and producing records, it is no surprise that he was able to capture musicians at their most creatively exposed. With few flourishes on the majority of his best albums, John Lennon has been able to reclaim the Beatles sound, putting his trademark worldview into stark critiques on “Working Class Hero” and expressing pure declarations of love on “Love.”
However, Lennon mentioned that he had previously wanted to produce Elvis Presley when discussing the performers he would like to work with. Lennon’s interest in the genre was initially sparked by Presley before the Beatles had even picked up a guitar. In fact, Lennon’s earliest recording was of him doing a cover of Presley’s “Baby Let’s Play House.”
Lennon told Rolling Stone that he would be nervous by the legend, even though he liked the idea of working with Presley on an old-school record. “I’d like to revive Elvis,” he said. However, I’m not sure if I could handle the fear of him. I would like to, though. With Presley, I know what I would do. Record a rock ‘n’ roll record.
However, Lennon also desired to collaborate with Bob Dylan during his solo career. Lennon had always appreciated Dylan’s approach to his material since The Freewheelin Bob Dylan was released. He even wrote a few folk rocker-style songs, such as “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” and “Norwegian Wood.”
He felt it would be better to write the music for Dylan’s poetry. Eventually, he and his bandmate George Harrison would collaborate on songs together. Lennon said, “Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks is great, but I’m not keen on the backings.” Dylan doesn’t require any content. Just give him some solid support, that’s all. Thus, Bob, you are aware if you are reading this.
Even though Lennon would eventually stop recording in the late 1970s, he continued to draw inspiration from Dylan and Presley. On “Just Like Starting Over,” Lennon would channel Elvis Presley’s distinctive vocal style across Double Fantasy. On the unreleased track “Serve Yourself,” he would write a response to Dylan’s “Gotta Serve Somebody.” It’s possible that Lennon would not have had enough time to work with the idols. But if his life had gone in a different direction, who knows what his production resume might have looked like.
