John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s New York Years honored in expansive ‘Power To The People’ boxed set
14 August 2025
3 minutes · By Yotam Dov
On 10 October, Universal Music Group will release Power To The People (Super Deluxe Edition), a 12-disc boxed set capturing John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s politically charged early 1970s in New York City. Produced and curated by Sean Ono Lennon and his GRAMMY Award-winning team, the set spans 123 tracks — 90 of them previously unreleased — covering concerts, studio work, and intimate home recordings. The release arrives one day after what would have been John’s 85th birthday and follows the team’s award-winning Mind Games – The Ultimate Collection.
Michael Negrin/Courtesy of Murray Chalmers PR
Central to the collection are the historic One to One Benefit Concerts at Madison Square Garden on 30 August 1972. These performances marked John Lennon only full-length concerts after The Beatles and the last he played with Ono. Featuring Elephant’s Memory and guest Stevie Wonder, the shows raised over $1.5 million (equivalent to $11.5 million today) for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Newly remixed from original tapes, they are presented as complete “Afternoon,” “Evening,” and curated “Hybrid” versions across stereo, 5.1 Surround Sound, and Dolby Atmos formats.
Courtesy of Murray Chalmers PR
John Lennon & Yoko Ono: Activism, Surveillance, and a Bold Musical Statement
The set also reimagines John and Yoko’s 1972 album Sometime in New York City as New York City, stripping away heavy production for sharper, more immediate mixes. Recorded with Elephant’s Memory and co-produced by Phil Spector, the album directly confronted racial injustice, women’s liberation, and the Vietnam War through songs like Attica State, Angela, and Born in a Prison.
This era was defined not just by music, but by the couple’s activism. After moving to Greenwich Village in 1971, John and Yoko threw themselves into protests, rallies, and collaborations with radical figures. Their visibility drew the attention of the Nixon administration, triggering years of FBI surveillance and a prolonged deportation battle. Meanwhile, Yoko faced a deeply personal struggle to locate her abducted daughter, Kyoko, hidden within a religious cult by her ex-husband.
Rare Archival Depth and Immersive Presentation
Beyond the concerts and political recordings, Power To The People offers unprecedented archival access. Studio Jam captures spontaneous rock ’n’ roll covers from the Sometime in New York City sessions, while Live Jam expands on earlier releases with remixed benefit performances and collaborations with Frank Zappa. Home Jam presents 33 raw acoustic recordings — mostly unreleased — including covers of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard.
The collection arrives in a bespoke slipcase with lenticular cover art and a 204-page hardcover book edited by Simon Hilton, filled with unseen photos, archival interviews, and memorabilia reproductions. In addition, collectible extras include replica tickets, backstage passes, posters, and stickers. Moreover, for Sean Ono Lennon, the process was as personal as it was professional: “It’s almost like getting more time with my dad,” he reflects.
Power To The People stands as a definitive tribute to John Lennon and Ono’s New York years — a period of fearless creativity, political conviction, and resilience. By merging restored performances with historical context, it captures not only their music, but the urgency and ideals that still resonate today.
