Report: Lost John Lennon phone recording surfaces

A recording of a phone conversation by John Lennon said to be previously unheard has surfaced, the UK Independent reports.

The story gives little detail about the recording except to say it has the voices of both Lennon and wife Yoko Ono celebrating the release of John Sinclair.

Sinclair was a '60s writer, manager of the MC5 rock band and activist involved with the White Panthers.

Lennon and Ono wrote the song about him, “John Sinclair,” as a protest of the 10 year jail sentence Sinclair received for possession of two marijuana cigarettes.

They appeared at a Sinclair benefit rally in December, 1971 to perform the song. Also appearing were Stevie Wonder, David Peel, Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger.

"I first heard it in prison when one of my lawyers came and played it for me," Sinclair told the Huffington Post in an interview last year. "I couldn't believe he would come and play it for my concert."

Lennon and Ono later released the song on their 1972 “Some Time In New York City” album. A DVD documentary, "20 to Life: Life and Times of John Sinclair" that includes Lennon and Ono, was released in 2007.

Sinclair is currently touring for a series of shows in the UK and Ireland.

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Steve Marinucci's website, Abbeyrd's Beatles Page - http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net - is widely regarded as the most accurate Beatle news source on the internet. A former journalist for over 30 years at the San Jose Mercury News, he has interviewed celebrities including Yoko Ono, Bruce Johnston and...

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