A new music video has been released to accompany the new “Ultimate Mix” version of the late John Lennon’s 1973 song “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry).” The tune is from Lennon’s Mind Games album, which will be reissued in deluxe form on July 12.
The video features previously unseen black-and-white footage shot in 1973. The footage was captured by Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono at the Dakota building in New York City.
[RELATED: Watch New John Lennon Video for Mind Games Track “You Are Here,” Featuring Unseen 1968 Footage from Lennon Art Show]
John and Yoko moved into their apartment at the Dakota building in May 1973. Mind Games started recording just a few months later.
Lennon shot the footage with a Sony Portapak camera shortly after the couple moved into the building, located at West 72nd Street and overlooking Central Park. The “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)” video features a composite of seven separate clips.
The video includes footage Lennon shot from the window of passers-by in Central Park below and buildings across the park, scenes of Ono being interviewed, a clip of himself filming while pointing the camera at a mirror. Other footage captures various musical instruments, books on a shelves, some of Yoko’s artwork. Lennon is also seen sitting on the floor while smoking a cigarette and drinking coffee or tea.
About “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)” and the Song’s “Ultimate Mix”
Lennon wrote “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)” as an apology to his wife at a time that their marriage was faltering. Aisumasen is a slightly corrupted version of the Japanese phrase ai sumimasen, which means “I’m sorry.”
The melancholy ballad was recorded during the summer of 1973, and appeared as the third track on Mind Games. The piano-driven tune features Lennon on acoustic guitar and percussion, with a blues-influenced guitar solo by David Spinozza. The track also features drummer Jim Keltner, bassist Gordon Edwards, keyboardist Ken Ascher, and pedal-steel guitarist “Sneaky” Pete Kleinlow.
John and Yoko’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, produced the song’s new mix.
The “Ultimate Mix” of “Aisumasen (I’m Sorry)” is the third advance track to be released from the Mind Games reissue. Prior releases include The “Evolution Documentary” version of the album’s title track and the “Ultimate Mix” of “You Are Here.” The “Evolution Documentary” mix presents how the song evolved from the demo stage to the final master.
About the Mind Games Album
Released in October 1973, Mind Games was the former Beatles star’s fourth studio effort. The 12-song collection reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and yielded one hit single, the title track, which peaked at No. 18 on the Hot 100 singles chart.
Details About the Mind Games Ultimate Collection Reissues
As previously reported, the expanded Ultimate Collection editions of Mind Games feature newly remixed audio, with Deluxe and Super Deluxe versions offering a deep dive into the sessions for the album.
The Deluxe and Super Deluxe versions of Mind Games present each song from the album in multiple forms, including new mixes, rough demos, outtakes, and more.
Both Deluxe and Super Deluxe box sets feature six CDs and two Blu-ray discs. The CDs feature Ultimate Mixes, Elements Mixes, Elemental Mixes, Out-takes, Raw Studio Mixes, and Evolution Documentary mixes. The Blu-rays boast three high-res versions of the audio featured on the CDs, plus additional content.
The Super Deluxe edition is presented in a 13-inch clear plastic cube that’s a replica of Yoko Ono’s 1966 “Danger Box” art piece. The cube houses nine interlocking boxes of various sizes and shapes that offer a variety of hidden secrets, surprises, and puzzles.
Included in the package are the CDs and Blu-rays; a seven-LP vinyl version of the collection; and several other box-set presentations. Among these is a 12-inch reproduction of Lennon’s “You Are Here” canvas.
Only 1,100 copies of the limited-edition release will be available worldwide.
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