The Bermuda Tapes are recordings from John’s trip to Bermuda where he claims he wrote Double Fantasy in three weeks. But it is apparent that most of the songs were finished before Double Fantasy and that he merely refined them to the songs we know and love today in Bermuda. These were all recorded at Villa Undercliffe which is located just outside of Bermuda’s capital, Hamilton.
John chose Villa Undercliffe because it had a piano and it was secluded. The last thing he wanted was for people to know he was on the small island of Bermuda. He recorded most of these demos late at night and early in the morning before the sun came up
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Playlist 18 videos 2:14:15
John Lennon – June 1980, The Bermuda Tapes Part 1
Dear Yoko, takes 2 and 3 (June 21st, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda) — John recorded a total of five takes of Dear Yoko in Bermuda and it was the first song he decided to work on upon arriving. There are many reasons that people could guess at as to why this is, but I think it’s because Yoko had declined to join John and Sean right away. She was taking control of the family business at the time, as John put it in his last interview, “Mother was here [New York] selling cows.” John was initially accompanied to Bermuda by his personal assistant Fred Seaman, Sean’s nanny (who was also Fred Seaman’s aunt) Helen Seaman, and Sean himself. Yoko would fly in some time later. The second rendition in this video (and third take total) is featured on the Acoustic compilation that was released in 2004.”
John Lennon – June 1980, The Bermuda Tapes Part 2
Borrowed Time (June 21st, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda) — John had the idea for this song, “in [his] head for years”, but only began working on it seriously in Bermuda where he recorded no less than four takes of this song. It’s also quite prophetic and sad. This was recorded on June 21st, 1980. John had less than 6 months to live.
The “welcome to Bermuda” intro was edited to the version of ‘Dear Yoko’ on the next track when broadcast in LLT; it, however, actually belongs to this double tracked take of ‘Borrowed Time’ as Anthology demonstrates. The tape source on Your Daddy’s Here is longer at the end than the official release.
John Lennon – June 1980, The Bermuda Tapes Part 3
I’m Stepping Out, unknown take, (June 21st, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda) — This song had its origins in songs such as That’s the Way the World Is and Real Life, but the only thing that’s new about I’m Stepping Out is the chorus. John was inspired to toy with this song after going out to some clubs in Bermuda. He got really sick after drinking a few beers (John always got horrible hangovers after even as little as one beer) and was inspired to change this song around because of it. In the officially released version of I’m Stepping Out which can be found on his posthumous album Milk and Honey, John says, “Put on my space suit/I’ve got to look my best/I’m going out into the city”. People often put all kinds of symbolism into that line, but in reality all his “spacesuit” consisted of was a white overcoat, white pants, and a white fedora styled hat. He considered this to be one of his best pieces of clothing and it was a favorite outfit of his. He called it his “spacesuit” and that’s why it is in this song. The second unknown take of I’m Stepping Out later appeared as a bonus track on Milk and Honey.
John Lennon – June 1980, The Bermuda Tapes Part 4
Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy), Take 1 (June 22nd, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda)
Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy), take 2 (June 22nd, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda) — Both of these takes feature personal assistant Fred Seaman on the bongos. These takes were also recorded back to back.
John Lennon – June 1980, The Bermuda Tapes Part 5
Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy), take 2 with overdubs, (June 22nd, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda)
Borrowed Time, unknown take (June 22nd, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda) — This is also a double tracked demo and the faint percussion in the song was performed by Fred Seaman.
John Lennon – June 1980, The Bermuda Tapes Part 6
Dear Yoko, unknown overdubbed take (June 22nd, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda) — This was recorded in the same sitting as the previous video’s renditions of Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).
I Don’t Wanna Face It, unknown overdubbed take (Between June 22nd and June 27th, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda) — The original take that was overdubbed for this take has never been found.
Girls and Boys, take 6 with overdubs (June 27th, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda) — This is the sixth take of Girls and Boys which can be found on a previous video, but with overdubbing
John Lennon – June 1980, The Bermuda Tapes Part 7
Watching the Wheels, unknown take (June 27th, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda — If you listen closely to this track, you can hear Yoko in the background. John was still undecided on how the final composition of Watching the Wheels would go, but when he gave Jack Douglas copies of the Bermuda tapes he included a piano version and an acoustic version and they decided to make it based around the piano.
Serve Yourself, unknown take (June 27th, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda) — This was initially available in bootleg circles, but it made a slightly different appearence on John’s anthology
John Lennon – June 1980, The Bermuda Tapes Part 8
Nobody Told Me, unknown overdubbed take (Between June 27th and June 30th, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda) — The original master for this overdub was from way back in 1975 with a song called Everybody’s Talkin’. This can be found earlier in the series.
Memories, unknown overdubbed take, (Between June 27th and June 30th, 1980, Villa Undercliffe, Bermuda)
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