A previously unseen video of John Lennon performing his solo hit “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)” during the afternoon set of his historic 1972 One to One Benefit Concert has debuted on the late Beatles legend’s official YouTube channel. The video premiered on Saturday, August 30, the 53rd anniversary of the event.
The One to One shows took place in the afternoon and evening of August 30, 1972, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. They were organized by Lennon and wife Yoko Ono to raise money to help support children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The video captures Lennon performing “Instant Karma” on an electric piano with Ono playing the same instrument while sitting next to him. Lennon is accompanied by the New York-based rock band Elephant’s Memory, as well as acclaimed session drummer Jim Keltner. Elephant’s Memory sax player Stan Bronstein contributes a soulful, rocking solo about halfway through.
The video includes split-screen segments featuring footage of Lennon, Ono, and various band members, as well as shots of audience members singing along and playing small tambourines.
As previously reported, remastered audio of the two One to One performances will be featured on the upcoming box set Power to the People. The expansive collection, which will be released on October 10, focuses on the politically charged music Lennon and Ono made together during the early 1970s after they moved from the U.K. to New York City.
More About the Power to the People Box Set
The Super Deluxe Edition Power to the People box set features nine CDs and three Blu-ray discs. Besides the remastered audio of both One to One concerts, the collection includes a new version of John and Yoko’s 1972 album Sometime in New York City, and a treasure trove of rare demos, home recordings, jam sessions, live performances, and unique mixes.
Packaged with the recordings will be a 204-page book, and various pieces of replica memorabilia. Among the latter are postcards, sticker sheets, a poster, concert tickets, and a backstage pass.
Power to the People was produced by Lennon and Ono’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, along with his team of studio collaborators that previously has worked on his parents’ various “Ultimate Mixes” reissues.
Less-expansive versions Power to the People also will be released featuring just recordings from the One to One concerts. They include four-LP and two-CD sets featuring all 31 performances from both shows, and two-LP and single-CD collections boasting 17 highlights culled from the two concerts.
You can pre-order the Power to the People releases now. For more information, visit JohnLennon.com.
More About the One to One Concerts
Lennon and Ono were inspired to organize the One to One benefit concerts after watching a TV exposé by news reporter Geraldo Rivera focused on the awful conditions and questionable medical care endured by mentally and physically handicapped children at the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, New York, a state-supported institution.
One evening concert was initially scheduled, but a matinee performance was added after the first announced show sold out.
John and Yoko were backed by Elephant’s Memory and Keltner at the shows. The couple played versions of songs from their solo and collaborative albums, The Beatles’ “Come Together,” and more. The concerts, which were attended by a total of about 40,000 people, raised more than $1.5 million.
The One to One shows were the only full-length concerts Lennon ever played after leaving The Beatles.
“That Madison Square Garden gig was the best music I enjoyed playing since [The Beatles’ early concerts at] The Cavern or even Hamburg [Germany],” Lennon told NME in 1972. “It was just the same kind of feeling when The Beatles used to really get into it. That was when we played music. That’s what I enjoy and remember best about those days.”
The “Instant Karma” clip is the third video preview of the Power to the People box set. The other two featured restored footage of performances of “Come Together” and “Well Well Well,” both from the evening One to One concert.
Footage of all three performances also will appear in the upcoming Power to the People concert film, due in 2026.
More About “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)”
“Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)” was Lennon’s third solo single, released in February 1970, before The Beatles broke up. The song peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became the first million-selling solo single by a member of The Beatles.
(Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)