John Lennon’s Imagine was the ex-Beatle’s solo masterpiece, and its musical legacy is matched here by priceless footage of Lennon’s creative process, independently edited from original 16-millimeter footage by producer-director Andrew Solt with the hands-off approval of Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono. Incorporating footage from John and Yoko’s original film Imagine (clips of which were previously included in the 1988 documentary Imagine: John Lennon), Gimme Some Truth presents Lennon, Ono, coproducer Phil Spector, and a host of gifted musicians in a fluid context of conflict, community, and craftsmanship. Bearing witness to every stage of the recording process, this 63-minute documentary succeeds as a visual diary, a study of familiar music in its infancy, and a revealing portrait of the then-30-year-old Lennon–from witty clown to confrontational perfectionist–at the peak of his post-Fab Four inspiration. While Imagine wasn’t John Lennon’s first solo album, it was the work that clearly reaffirmed his place as one of the leading pop music visionaries of his day following the messy breakup of the Beatles in 1969. Gimme Some Truth: The Making of John Lennon’s Imagine Album uses behind-the-scenes footage to document the production of one of Lennon’s most enduring works. The album itself also appears in newly remixed and digitally remastered form, as approved by Yoko Ono.
