John Lennon & Yoko Ono perform second ‘One to One’ benefit concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City 50 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 31 1972)


Video: 'John Lennon - Live in Madison Square Garden (1972 )' (all songs are from afternoon show except 'Sisters, O Sisters,' 'Cold Turkey,' 'Hound Dog' and 'Give Peace a Chance,' which are from the evening show)

(Thursday, August 31, 1972, the concert was scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 1972, but was delayed to 8:45 p.m. EDT. The Lennons did not appear until 12:01 a.m. EDT on Aug. 31, 1972, following sets by Sha Na Na, Stevie Wonder and Roberta Flack. The Lennons’ show ended at around 1:30 a.m.) — Ex-Beatle John Lennon and wife, Yoko Ono, with The Plastic Ono Elephant’s Memory band performed early this morning at Madison Square Garden in New York City in the second of two “One to One” concerts in aid of patients at Willowbrook State School for Retarded Children on Staten Island.


Video: 'ONE TO ONE CONCERT (Evening Show) - Mother - John Lennon & Yoko Ono'

Entering the stage to the pre-recorded chant of “Power to the People” the band segued into “New York City” followed by “It’s So Hard,” “Sisters, O Sisters,” “Woman is the Nigger of the World,” “Move On Fast,” “Well Well Well,” Instant Karma!” “Mother,” “We’re All Water,” “Born in a Prison,” “Come Together,” “Imagine,” “Open Your Box,” “Cold Turkey,” and “Hound Dog.”


Video: 'ONE TO ONE CONCERT (Evening Show) - Come Together - John Lennon & Yoko Ono'

The concert closed with an extended reggae arrangement of “Give Peace a Chance” with the Lennons being joined onstage by Phil Spector, Sha Na Na, Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack, the cast of Godspell, David Peel, Allen Ginsberg, and assorted other luminaries.


Video: 'John Lennon Live Madison Square Garden Aug 30 1972' (audio of: “Mother,” “We’re All Water,” “Come Together,” “Imagine,” and “Give Peace a Chance” from evening show)

A condensed hour-long version of tonight’s shows would be broadcast on Friday, Dec. 15, 1972, at 10:00 p.m. EST on ABC-TV.

It would prove to be Lennon’s final full-length live performance before his 1980 assassination.