Unreleased Lennon Cuts Enrich Documentary Soundtrack

The soundtrack to the upcoming documentary "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" will be released on CD and digitally Sept. 26 via Capitol/EMI. The album will feature 19 original Lennon songs including "Imagine," "Instant Karma (We All Shine On)" and "Happy Xmas (War is Over)," as well as two previously unreleased tracks: "Attica State," recorded live at the John Sinclair Freedom Rally in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1971, and the film's instrumental version of "How Do You Sleep."

Additionally, the CD and digital packaging will include liner notes written exclusively for the release by Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono.

The controversial documentary explores the government's attempts at silencing Lennon as a proponent of humanitarian and anti-war causes, which included FBI surveillance, wiretapping and deportation proceedings. The story is told through archival film clips as well as Lennon's original music.

"We were allowed to 'strip' lead vocals from Lennon's original recordings, so that we could use his own instrumental work as the score for the movie," says David Leaf, who co-wrote, directed and produced the film along with John Scheinfeld. "I think it's the first time that John's solo catalog can be heard in this way."

"The U.S. vs. John Lennon," distributed by Lions Gate Films, will be released in New York and Los Angeles on Sept. 15, with a wide release scheduled for the end of the month.

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