Video: 'Plastic Ono Band - Cold Turkey (Rough Mix from Acetate) (13/23)'

(Sunday, September 28, 1969) — Eight days after privately informing his fellow Beatles that he was leaving the group, three days after entering a recording studio as a solo artist for the first time and two days after the British release of band’s Abbey Road studio album, John Lennon recorded an early version of “Cold Turkey” today at Trident Studios in London, with fellow Beatle Ringo Starr on drums.

Lennon had recorded 26 takes of “Cold Turkey” at EMI Studios on Sept. 25, 1969, but decided the recording was not good enough.

The song was written in a “creative outburst” following Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, going “cold turkey” from their brief heroin addictions.

Lennon first demoed the song in late August and reportedly presented the song to fellow Beatle and songwriting partner Paul McCartney as a potential single by The Beatles, just after they finished recording for their Abbey Road album, but it was apparently refused.

Video: 'Plastic Ono Band - Cold Turkey (Acoustic Guitar Demo) (18/23)'

Video: 'John Lennon 08 Cold Turkey Demo Version'

Lennon first performed the song on Sept. 13, 1969, at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival with Ono, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann and Alan White, a group dubbed the Plastic Ono Band.

Today’s studio recording was completed Oct. 5, 1969, with further overdubs and the recording was released Oct. 20, 1969, as a Plastic Ono Band single with sole writing credits to him.