Though she hasn’t released a new album of original material since 2004, Patti Smith has been dropping covers right and left this year. We’ve already heard new takes on U2 and Buddy Holly, we know she’s got a Bob Dylan cover on the way, and now there’s another: a cover of John Lennon’s “Oh Yoko.” Smith recorded the song with longtime bassist/keyboardist Tony Shanahan and a house band last year at a tribute concert. It gets official release next week on The 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute, Live from the Beacon Theatre, NYC and you can stream it below.
“My late husband, Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith, and I – like all of you – wept together when we lost John,” Smith said. “And at the end of 1994 in November, I lost Fred. I look to Yoko as an example of how to carry one’s self as a widow – to do one’s work, to raise one’s children, and to find joy in life and to always have your loved one walk with you.”
Listen to Smith and Shanahan’s touching version of “Oh Yoko” below, then preorder the album on iTunes. (via Rolling Stone)
Patti Smith and Tony Shanahan – Oh Yoko (John Lennon cover)
Preorder The 30th Annual John Lennon Tribute, Live from the Beacon Theatre, NYC on iTunes or Amazon.
