Instant Karma

About Instant Karma

"Instant Karma!" (also titled "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)") is a song by English rock musician John Lennon, released as a single on Apple Records in February 1970. The lyric focuses on a concept in which the causality of one's actions is immediate rather than borne out over a lifetime. The single was credited to "Lennon/Ono with the Plastic Ono Band", apart from in the US, where the credit was "John Ono Lennon". The song reached the top five in the British and American singles charts, competing with the Beatles' "Let It Be" in the US, where it became the first solo single by a member of the band to sell a million copies. "Instant Karma!" was conceived, written, recorded and released within a period of ten days, making it one of the fastest-released songs in pop music history. The recording was produced by Phil Spector, marking a comeback for the American producer after his self-imposed retirement in 1966, and leading to him being offered the producer's role on the Beatles' Let It Be album. Recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios, "Instant Karma!" employs Spector's signature Wall of Sound technique and features contributions from George Harrison, Klaus Voormann, Alan White and Billy Preston. The B-side was "Who Has Seen the Wind?", a song composed and performed by Yoko Ono. When released in the US, the single was given a minor remix by Spector. more »