Video: 'It's So Hard (Take 6)'

(Thursday, February 11, 1971) — Former Beatle John Lennon began tracking his second solo studio album today, holding his inaugural recording session at Ascot Sound Studios (ASS), a studio built by Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, on the grounds of Tittenhurst Park, their 72-acre estate  26 miles west of London.

Video: 'John Lennon - "It's So Hard" Take 2' (this is actually take 10)

To begin, the trio of Lennon, drummer Jim Gordon and bassist Klaus Voorman tracked one of Lennon’s new compositions, “It’s So Hard.” It was considered a good test for the new studio, being a simple blues song. Overdubs, including strings and tenor saxophone, would be completed July 4-5, 1971, at Record Plant East in New York City.

Video: 'It's So Hard (Take 11 / Raw Studio Mix)'

“It’s So Hard” was followed by a cover of the Olympics’ 1958 song “Well (Baby Please Don’t Go)” and numerous takes of another Lennon original, “I’m The Greatest,” which he would give to fellow ex-Beatle Ringo Starr to record in 1973.

Video: 'John Lennon ~ Well (Baby Please Don’t Go) (tk 2) Prev. Unreleased!'

Video: '"I'm the Greatest" - John Lennon - 1971 Outtakes Part 2' ("I'm The Greatest" at 26:36)