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A Story
Studio album by
Yoko Ono
Released1 July 1997 (1997-07-01)
Recorded1974
StudioRecord Plant, New York City
Genre
Length43:30
LabelRykodisc
ProducerYoko Ono, David Spinozza
Yoko Ono chronology
Rising
(1996) 		A Story
(1997) 		Blueprint for a Sunrise
(2001)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllmusicStarStarStarStar [1]

A Story is an album by Yoko Ono, recorded in 1974, during the "lost weekend" period in which John Lennon produced Walls and Bridges.

Background

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Original recording

[edit]

According to the liner notes of Onobox, the songs on this album were recorded in 1974, though some songs were written earlier.[2] In Yoko's commentary on the album, she stated that it was made when she was separated from John. Even though the album was finished, she felt the mixes "were not that great" and had always been "bothered" about this, thus the songs were remixed for the Onobox set. Once Yoko got back together with John, she felt it was not important to release the album.[3]

The song "Will You Touch Me" was originally written in 1971 and a demo recording from that time was released in 1997 on the Rykodisc CD remaster of Fly.[4] "Dogtown" was first written in 1972 and demo recording from the time was included on the 1997 CD remaster of Approximately Infinite Universe.[5] The songs "It Happened", "Winter Friend" and "Yes, I'm a Witch" were all originally composed in 1973 while the remaining songs were composed in 1974.[6]

Re-recorded songs

[edit]

Several songs were re-recorded by Yoko during the early 1980s. "Hard Times are Over" was re-recorded for Double Fantasy, released in 1980. "Dogtown", "Will You Touch Me" and "She Gets Down on Her Knees" were re-recorded for Season of Glass in 1981, while "Loneliness" and "Tomorrow May Never Come" were re-recorded for 1982's It's Alright (I See Rainbows).

Additionally, a remixed version of "It Happened" was released as the B-side to "Walking on Thin Ice" in 1981. "Yes, I'm a Witch" would become the title track to the 2007 remix album of the same name.

Release

[edit]

The album remained unreleased until the 1990s, when it was issued in two versions in 1992 and 1997. The only song to receive an official release before the 1990s was "It Happened" which was released as the B-side of the Japanese single "Yume O Moto".[7]

The 1992 box set Onobox dedicated most of its sixth and final disc to album. The first nine songs on the disc were also included on the 1997 standalone release of the album, and additionally included a couple of songs from the 1972 album Some Time in New York City, two standalone Japanese singles from 1973 and 1974, and two additional songs from the "lost weekend" period that did not appear on the later 1997 release titled "O'Oh" and "Namyohorengekyo".[8]

A proper standalone release came in 1997 as part of Rykodisc's series of remasters on Compact disc. This release included two additional songs that did not appear on the Onobox disc, "She Gets Down on Her Knees" and "Hard Times are Over". The reissue added three bonus tracks, two home demos and a live recording from the Starpeace tour.[9]

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "A Story" – 2:38
  2. "Loneliness" – 3:33
  3. "Will You Touch Me" – 2:39
  4. "Dogtown" – 3:32
  5. "Tomorrow May Never Come" – 2:52
  6. "Yes, I'm a Witch" – 3:11
  7. "She Gets Down on Her Knees" – 4:50
  8. "It Happened" – 3:52
  9. "Winter Friend" – 3:17
  10. "Heartburn Stew" – 2:09
  11. "Hard Times Are Over" – 4:37
Bonus tracks
  1. "Anatano Te" (Demo) – 3:35
  2. "Extension 33" (Demo) – 1:27
  3. "Now or Never" (Live) (A cappella) – 1:18

Personnel

[edit]
  • Yoko Ono – vocals, backing vocals
  • Ann E. Sutton, Erin Dickins, Gail Kantor, Louise Messina – backing vocals on "Heartburn Stew", "Hard Times are Over" and "Tomorrow May Never Come"
  • Something Different – background vocals on "Tomorrow May Never Come"
  • David Spinozza, Hugh McCracken – guitar
  • Gordon Edwards – bass guitar
  • Kenneth Ascher – keyboards
  • Leon Pendarvis – keyboards on "She Gets Down on Her Knees"
  • Arthur Jenkins Jr. – percussion
  • Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
  • Alan Rubin, Randy Brecker – trumpet
  • Lew Delgatto – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
  • George Young – flute, clarinet
  • Rick Marotta – drums
Technical
  • Produced by Yoko Ono and David Spinozza
  • Recorded at Record Plant, N.Y., 1974
  • Ed Sprigg, Jack Douglas – recording engineers
  • Ed Sprigg, Roy Cicala – mix engineers
  • Kevin Herron – assistant engineer
"Anatano Te" & "Extension 33" (Rykodisc CD Bonus Demo Tracks)
  • Yoko Ono – vocal and piano
  • Recorded on cassette, Dakota Period
"Now or Never" (Rykodisc CD Bonus Live Track)

Production

[edit]
  • David Spinozza, Rob Stevens, Yoko Ono – producers
  • Ed Sprigg, Jack Douglas – recording
  • George Marino, Rob Stevens – remastering
  • Kevin Herron – engineer
  • Ed Sprigg, Roy Cicala – mixing
  • Black + Copper, Cindy Nelson – design [CD Package]
  • Karla Merrifield – illustration [Hand Tinting]

Release history

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Country Date Format Label Catalog
United States 1 July 1997[10] CD Rykodisc RCD 10420[11]
United Kingdom 1997
Japan VACK-5376[12]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

A Story

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
A Story is the eighth studio album by Japanese multimedia artist . It consists of recordings from 1974 sessions during John Lennon's temporary separation from Ono, known as his "lost weekend," when the couple lived apart in . The album was originally shelved and later compiled for release on , 1997, by in the United States, featuring 11 tracks digitally remastered under Ono's supervision, plus three bonus tracks including demos and a live recording. Primarily in the rock genre with and elements, it reflects Ono's experimental style from the period.

Background

Historical context

In 1974, John Lennon entered what became known as his "lost weekend," an 18-month period of separation from Yoko Ono spanning 1973 to 1975, during which he distanced himself from the Beatles' inner circle and immersed in New York City's vibrant yet tumultuous social scene, marked by heavy drinking, drug use, and sporadic creative output. This phase followed the couple's decision to live apart, allowing Lennon to explore independence while residing in the city, far from the structured collaborations of his post-Beatles early 1970s work. Concurrently, pursued her experimental artistic endeavors from 1971 to 1974, building on the foundations of her 1971 album Fly, which featured conceptual sound pieces and rock-infused jams, and extending into her 1973 releases and . These works emphasized feminist perspectives, blending raw emotional expression with innovative production techniques, reflecting Ono's shift toward more politically charged and personal multimedia explorations independent of her collaborations with Lennon. A Story emerged from this backdrop, recorded at New York City's Record Plant studio—the same facility where Lennon produced his album Walls and Bridges amid the overlapping sessions. However, the project was ultimately shelved following Ono and Lennon's reconciliation in 1975, at Ono's direction to avoid public discussion of its highly personal content, delaying its release for over two decades until 1997.

Song development

The songs on A Story were primarily composed between 1973 and 1974, building on material developed during Yoko Ono's earlier solo efforts like Approximately Infinite Universe and Feeling the Space. These pieces emerged from Ono's personal experiences, including the challenges of motherhood—particularly her ongoing custody battle for daughter Kyoko, born in 1963—and her artistic experimentation amid marital separation from John Lennon. The songwriting process emphasized lyrical introspection, with Ono channeling themes of identity, resilience, and emotional independence into raw, narrative-driven compositions. Ono initially conceived A Story as a conceptual album that would unfold like a personal "story," weaving narrative threads through pop structures to explore relational dynamics and self-discovery. This intent drew from her background in the , where she embraced experimental performance and , influencing the album's abstract, non-linear arrangement that prioritized thematic fragmentation over conventional song sequencing. Early demos and sketches, including outtakes refined from prior sessions, shaped the album's 11 core tracks, such as the title song's poetic vignette of a silenced finding voice, blending with . These prototypes allowed Ono to iterate on melodic and vocal elements, evolving rough ideas into a cohesive yet eclectic set that balanced pop accessibility with experimental edge.

Recording and production

Original sessions

The original recording sessions for Yoko Ono's album A Story took place from late 1973 to spring 1974 at East in , beginning in November 1973 after live shows at Kenny's Castaways in October 1973, overlapping with her separation from during his "lost weekend" period. These sessions marked Ono's attempt to create a more accessible, orchestrated work amid personal difficulties, featuring lush arrangements with brass, woodwinds, strings, and rock instrumentation to shift from her earlier style. The core band consisted of elite New York session musicians assembled as the Plastic Ono Super Band, including guitarist —who also served as co-producer alongside Ono—and drummer , with additional contributions from guitarist , bassist Gordon Edwards, and others such as Lew Del Gatto on and . This setup provided a polished, mainstream sound, contrasting Ono's prior experimental efforts, and was engineered by Ed Sprigg and Jack Douglas. John Lennon, immersed in his own personal turmoil from the marital separation and concurrent legal battles over his U.S. residency, maintained an informal production role on the periphery, as his primary focus remained on recording his album in the same studio; however, the project was largely Ono's independent endeavor to process her emotions through music. Despite completing the album with full mixes and mastering, the sessions encountered significant challenges, including dissatisfaction with the final mixes amid Ono's emotional strain, which contributed to the project's temporary shelving in early 1975 following her reconciliation with Lennon; the intensely personal lyrics about and loss were deemed too raw for immediate release during their reunion.

Remixing process

In 1992, oversaw the remixing of several tracks from A Story for inclusion in the comprehensive Onobox, aiming to revive the long-shelved material from the original 1973–1974 sessions, which had been set aside due to Ono's dissatisfaction amid her reconciliation with . Engineers, including Rob Stevens, handled the remixing efforts under Ono's direction, focusing on tracks such as "A Story" and "It Happened" to integrate them into disc six of the set. These revisions preserved the core performances while addressing the dated production aesthetics of the mid-1970s recordings, which featured raw, elements that no longer aligned with contemporary standards. The process involved remixing of the original tapes to improve clarity and sonic balance without fundamentally changing Ono's vocal delivery or the album's avant-garde structure, allowing the material to resonate in a digital era. In 1997, Rykodisc issued A Story as a standalone album, digitally remastered under Ono's supervision to further refine the sound. This edition appended three bonus tracks: cassette demos from the Dakota period ("Anatano Te/Your Hands," "Extension 33") and a live recording from Budapest in 1986 ("Now Or Never"), providing additional context to the album's exploratory themes. Engineers Ed Sprigg and Roy Cicala contributed to the mixing, ensuring the additions blended seamlessly with the remixed core tracks while upholding the project's emphasis on authenticity.

Key personnel

Yoko Ono provided lead vocals, served as the primary songwriter, and acted as co-producer for the album A Story, drawing from her established role as an artist and musician during the 1970s. contributed guitar parts and co-produced the record, bringing his expertise as a prominent jazz-rock who had previously worked with artists like and . The ensemble of supporting musicians included on guitar, known for his versatile session work across rock and pop genres; on tenor saxophone, a jazz fusion icon; Gordon Edwards on bass, a staple of New York studio scenes; and Arthur Jenkins on percussion, adding rhythmic texture through congas and other instruments. Recording engineers Ed Sprigg and Jack Douglas handled the sessions at in New York, with both having prior credits on John Lennon's 1973 album Mind Games (Sprigg as assistant engineer) and Lennon's 1974 album (Douglas as engineer). Rick supplied the drum contributions.

Music and lyrics

Musical style

A Story represents a fusion of rock, , and emerging proto-new wave sensibilities, drawing heavily from Yoko Ono's background in , John Lennon's rock production techniques, and the vibrant experimental ethos of the 1970s underground scene. Recorded during Ono's separation from Lennon, the album incorporates structured songwriting that tempers her earlier abstract impulses with more accessible melodic frameworks, reflecting influences from the city's circles where Ono had long been a fixture. The album's sound is characterized by sparse yet occasionally lush arrangements that alternate between minimalist introspection and fuller ensemble textures, featuring elements like piano ballads, roots-rock riffs, and subtle undertones. Ono's vocals—marked by multitracked yelps, atonal warbles, and a coy, half-ironic delivery—dominate the mix, often paired with minimalistic instrumentation such as guitar, organ, , and shuffling percussion to create a deliberately grating yet intimate atmosphere. In tracks like "Dogtown," bossa nova rhythms and woodwind flourishes add playful contrast, while horns and strings in other selections evoke a proto-new wave edge through their unconventional pop structures. This work marks an evolution from Ono's prior album Approximately Infinite Universe (1973), shifting toward greater narrative cohesion and emotional accessibility while retaining experimental roots; where the earlier record blended raw rock energy with feminist anthems, A Story emphasizes subdued, song-oriented reflection with richer orchestration to convey personal themes of and resilience. The production, co-produced by Ono and with engineering contributions from Ed Sprigg and others, underscores this maturation by balancing her conceptual artistry with lingering rock influences, even in Lennon's temporary absence.

Track listing

The album A Story features 11 tracks compiled from unreleased 1974 sessions, with a runtime of approximately 37 minutes for the core album; the 1997 CD edition adds three bonus tracks, bringing the total to 43:30. All tracks are written by unless otherwise noted.
No.TitleDurationWriter(s)Description
1A Story2:38A piano-led incorporating beach sounds and flutes, narrating a young romance with elements of tension and bliss.
2Loneliness3:33Features multitracked vocals, atonal warbles, brittle guitar riffs, and minimalist solos over a grating yet melodic backdrop expressing grief.
3Will You Touch Me2:39A roots-rock number with barroom and Dixieland , delivering plaintive and ironic on fear of emotional and physical touch.
4Dogtown3:32An uptempo critique of societal ruthlessness, driven by energetic rhythms and Ono's urgent delivery.
5Tomorrow May Never Come2:52A jaunty, vaudeville-style piece reflecting on isolation and the passage of time through upbeat yet melancholic verses.
6Yes, I'm a Witch3:11A track with shuffling cymbals, organ trills, and horns, serving as a defiant feminist response to critics with playful, empowering .
7She Gets Down on Her Knees4:50Jaunty arrangement with prog organ and fiddle underscoring coy, suggestive about vulnerability and desire.
8It Happened3:52An acoustic guitar-based haunting recounting an unexpected romantic shift, with faint electric accents.
9Winter Friend3:17A multi-layered, Japanese-influenced composition exploring friendship and transience, building to a dramatic close.
10Heartburn Stew2:09Showtune-like backing a caustic narrative of romantic abandonment and bitterness.
11Hard Times Are Over4:37, An optimistic, demo-style closer emphasizing hope and reconciliation amid adversity.

Bonus tracks (1997 Rykodisc edition)

These additional tracks include previously unreleased demos from Ono's Dakota period and a live performance, appended to the original sequence.
No.TitleDurationWriter(s)Description
12Anatano Te/Your Hands3:35Yoko OnoA cassette demo featuring solo piano by Ono, evoking intimate reflection.
13Extension 331:27Yoko OnoAnother piano-led cassette demo from the Dakota sessions, experimental and sparse.
14Now or Never1:18Yoko OnoA live rendition recorded in in 1986 during the tour, emphasizing raw vocal urgency.

Critical reception

Initial reviews

Upon the release of Yoko Ono's comprehensive Onobox box set in 1992, which included previously unreleased material later compiled as the album A Story, critics offered initial assessments of the tracks' raw vitality amid some production shortcomings. In Option magazine, Mark Kemp described the unreleased Disc 6—titled "A Story" and recorded during Ono's 1973–1974 separation from John Lennon—as an unreleased album of folky, arty music with acoustic guitars, piano, and pedal steel guitar that documented her emotional turmoil during their separation, highlighting its eclectic assortment of odd melodies and instrumentation that offered personal, emotional insight. The full A Story album, shelved since its 1974 sessions and digitally remastered for its 1997 release, drew coverage emphasizing its value in rediscovering Ono's introspective work from the "lost weekend" era. A Ray Gun feature described it as a rambling yet revealing artifact of Ono's artistic evolution, positioning the material as legitimate that illuminated her dynamic with Lennon, though it offered limited appeal to casual listeners beyond dedicated fans. The review noted its subdued, warm tone compared to Ono's more abrasive output, underscoring the album's role in contextualizing her personal narratives. Period publications assigned A Story average ratings of around 3 out of 5 stars, reflecting its historical intrigue and emotional depth alongside perceptions of niche accessibility; , for instance, rated it 3.8/5 (7.6/10), commending the remixing's clarity while acknowledging the dated '70s aesthetic.

Retrospective views

In the 2000s and beyond, critics began to reassess A Story as a pivotal, if overlooked, entry in Yoko Ono's discography, highlighting its emotional depth and departure from her more abrasive early work. A 2010 profile described Ono's vocals generally as "proto-feminist punk," inspired by childbirth and influencing bands like . The book Woman: The Incredible Life of Yoko Ono by Alan Clayson (2004) contextualizes Ono's career, including her challenges as a woman artist in the . AllMusic's review awarded A Story a 3.8 out of 5 rating (7.6/10), noting its value as an introspective work from era. A 2020 review in Spectrum Culture described A Story as a curious artifact from Ono's separation period, praising its folk-leaning songs for their emotional honesty but noting its niche appeal and dated production. It positioned the album as an important, if uneven, document of her personal and artistic life during a turbulent time.

Release and legacy

Release history

A Story was first made available in 1992 as part of the 6-CD box set Onobox, released by Rykodisc, which included a selection of tracks from the album on its sixth disc. These tracks had been remixed for inclusion in the compilation. The full album received its standalone release on July 1, 1997, as a CD (Rykodisc RCD 10420) in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan, featuring 11 original tracks along with three bonus tracks digitally remastered under Yoko Ono's supervision. The album was not issued on vinyl or any analog formats prior to its CD release. In 2016, remastered versions of Ono's catalog, including A Story, became available for the first time as digital downloads and on streaming platforms such as Spotify.

Cultural impact

A Story has played a role in reevaluating Yoko Ono's contributions to and by highlighting her independent creative output during a period of personal and artistic transition. Recorded amid themes of emotional resilience and self-expression, the album exemplifies Ono's approach, blending spoken-word narratives with minimalist instrumentation to explore female autonomy and societal critique, aligning with her broader feminist explorations in works like Feeling the Space (1973). Recent assessments, including David Sheff's 2025 biography Yoko, position A Story as essential to understanding Ono's evolution as a pioneering figure in experimental soundscapes that challenged norms in rock and scenes. The album's influence extends to and indie artists, who have drawn from Ono's raw, confrontational style as embodied in A Story's intimate . Ono's experimental vocal techniques have been cited as inspirational for genre-blending , fostering a legacy of female-led innovation in . This connection underscores how A Story's unreleased status until 1997 preserved its purity, allowing later generations to reinterpret Ono's energy without commercial dilution. As an archival piece in the Lennon-Ono , A Story is significant for studies of the "lost weekend" era (1973–1975), capturing Ono's solo endeavors while John pursued projects like . Included in the 1992 Onobox box set and released as a standalone album in 1997, it provides rare documentation of their separation's creative fallout, revealing Ono's unfiltered perspective on isolation and reconciliation without Lennon's direct involvement. Scholars and biographers reference it to contextualize the couple's dynamic, emphasizing Ono's agency amid narratives dominated by Lennon's narrative. In recent years, A Story has experienced modern rediscovery through streaming playlists curating Ono's overlooked gems and documentaries tracing her multifaceted career. Featured on platforms like and radio shows such as BFF.fm, the album appeals to listeners exploring feminist , while 2025 releases like Kevin Macdonald's One to One: John & Yoko and the Tate Modern's "Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind" indirectly spotlight its role in her enduring influence. An announced reissue further amplifies its accessibility, bridging 1970s experimentation with contemporary audiences.

References

  1. https://music.fandom.com/wiki/A_Story_%28Yoko_Ono_album%29
  2. https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-story-mw0000025006
  3. https://www.discogs.com/release/2204613-Yoko-Ono-A-Story
  4. https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/yoko-ono/a-story/
  5. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/john-lennon-lost-weekend-glasses-auction-yoko-ono-1235435739/
  6. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/mar/12/john-lennon-lost-weekend-reports
  7. https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/yoko-ono-fly-approximately-infinite-universe-feeling-the-space/
  8. https://longreads.com/2021/01/21/shelved-yoko-ono/
  9. https://www.johnlennon.com/music/albums/walls-and-bridges/
  10. http://www.newdirectionsinmusic.com/(part-ii)-yoko-ono:-approximately-infinite-universe-&-feel-the-space/
  11. https://spectrumculture.com/2020/04/30/discography-yoko-ono-a-story/
  12. https://madelinex.com/2017/09/30/a-story/
  13. https://www.discogs.com/master/1161281-Yoko-Ono-A-Story
  14. https://www.discogs.com/release/784587-Yoko-Ono-Onobox
  15. https://guitarinteractivemagazine.com/features/david-spinozza-the-man-behind-the-music/
  16. https://trouserpress.com/reviews/yoko-ono/
  17. https://dailykemp.com/2019/11/14/yoko-ono-she-who-laughs-last/
  18. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ed-sprigg-mn0000138167
  19. https://beatpatrol.wordpress.com/2014/12/28/mark-kemp-yoko-ono-reconsidered-1992/
  20. https://jasonfergusonarchives.wordpress.com/1997/09/21/yoko-ono-reissues-feaure-review-ray-gun/
  21. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/02/music-monday-yoko-ono-john-lennon-noise-pop-deerhoof/
  22. https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Incredible-Life-Yoko-Ono/dp/184240220X
  23. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/yoko-ono-launches-massive-reissue-project-111443/
  24. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/08/arts/music/yoko-ono-biography-documentary.html
  25. https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/yoko-ono-biography/
  26. https://americansongwriter.com/yoko-ono-part-two/
  27. https://www.imaginepeace.com/
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