Video: 'How do you Sleep John Lennon'

(Wednesday, May 26, 1971) — Former Beatle John Lennon, with former bandmate George Harrison in attendance, tracked 11 takes (5 complete) of “How Do You Sleep?” and recorded 6 takes (2 complete) of “Crippled Inside” today at Ascot Sound Studios, his home recording facility at Tittenhurst Park near Ascot in Berkshire.

Video: 'How Do You Sleep? (Evolution Documentary)'

Video: 'How Do You Sleep? (Take 1 / Raw Studio Mix)'

The tracks were recorded for Lennon’s second studio album, Imagine, which would be released Sept. 7, 1971, in the U.S. and Oct. 8, 1971 in the UK.

Video: 'How Do You Sleep? (Takes 1 & 2)'

Lennon wrote the song in response to what he perceived as personal slights by Lennon’s former Beatles bandmate and songwriting partner, Paul McCartney, on the latter’s Ram album, released just days ago in the aftermath of McCartney’s successful suit in the London High Court to dissolve the Beatles as a legal partnership.

Video: 'How Do You Sleep? (Takes 5 & 6, Raw Studio Mix Out-take) - John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band'

The track includes a slide guitar solo played by Harrison. Lennon would overdub the string arrangement for “How Do You Sleep?” at Record Plant East in New York City on July 4, 1971.

Video: 'How Do You Sleep? (Take 11 / Extended / Raw Studio Mix)'

“Crippled Inside,” featuring Harrison on dobro, also included a dig at McCartney in the line “You can live a lie until you die.” Recording of this track was completed on this day with take 6 as the master.

Video: 'Crippled Inside (Evolution Documentary) - featuring George Harrison'

Video: 'Crippled Inside (Take 3)'

Video: 'Crippled Inside (Take 6 / Raw Studio Mix)'

Video: 'Crippled Inside (Take 6 / Alternate Guitar Solo)'

Video: 'Crippled Inside (Evolution Documentary)'

Video: 'Crippled Inside (Remastered 2010)'

Video: 'Crippled Inside (Ultimate Mix)'

This day marked the beginning of filming for a TV Special called “Imagine,” featuring Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, which was eventually broadcast on American TV in December 1972. The footage used in this special was filmed over a period of four months (May-Sept. 1971) in England and New York.

Today, as the camera crew were setting up their equipment, a man identified as Claudio, an ex-American soldier who had recently served in the Vietnam War turned up at Tittenhurst Park. The film crew managed to hastily film the entire meeting between him and Lennon.

Video: 'Conversation between John Lennon & Vietnam Vet Who Came to His Home | John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky'