Still sounds great, too. Have a look at the video below.
It was 53 years ago today (January 27th, 1970) that John Lennon recorded "Instant Karma." Lennon had already recorded several experimental albums and two singles under the name the Plastic Ono Band. "Instant Karma," however, was released under the name John Ono Lennon, the name he'd created when he legally changed his middle name from Winston to Ono the previous April. Although the public didn't know it, Lennon had quit the Beatles in September 1969, which is reportedly why he had the single's sleeve featured his name in bold, black letters, to announce himself to the world as a solo artist.
Lennon wrote the song in a single afternoon, recorded it within a week, and originally hoped to release it the following week. At the time, Lennon told Britain's music paper Melody Maker that he wanted to be able to release music as easily as issuing newspapers. Lennon talked about what the song meant, explaining, "Whenever you do something, there's a reaction to it. Even if you cough, you cough germs out all over the place. If you cough love out, out goes love. That's what 'Instant Karma' is."
The song was recorded between 7:00 p.m. on January 27th and 4:00 a.m. the following morning at London's Abbey Road Studios. At the suggestion of George Harrison, legendary "Wall Of Sound" creator Phil Spector produced the song. Harrison also played guitar and piano on the session. There's still some disagreement as to who actually performed on the backing track, with several reports listing Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, and Badfinger's Pete Ham overdubbing parts as well. Future Yes drummer Alan White -- who had made his live debut with Lennon the prior September in Toronto -- handled the drums. At the end of the session, the Beatles' road manager Mal Evans rounded up the patrons of Hatchett's, a nearby nightclub, to help supply backing vocals. Longtime "Fab Four" confidante and solo Beatles sideman, Klaus Voormann handled bass duties.