YOKO ONO-"GREENFIELD MORNING (I Pushed a Baby Carriage...)"

Yoko did everything first. Before Bowie and Eno, before Punk, before you even. (1970)

Yoko was a famous conceptual artist with the Fluxus group, before the Beatles were known. She regularly challenged perceptions about femininity and the world around us. She made experimental films, wrote concept books, had gallery showings internationally, and met John. With him, she explored noise rock, extreme scales, electronic soundscapes, cut-up collage albums made from samples, piano confessionals, beautiful pop, punk grrl, Feminist politics, ethereal and edgy songs, terse synth, funky rave-ups, reggae dub... in short, every style there is. All by 1975, no less.

The Rock press, a recent invention itself at the time, thought Women In Rock meant either groupies or Joni Mitchell. Period. A Japanese woman making extremely smart art while championing Feminism and radical causes freaked the hell out of them. Ignoring the range of her work, they typecast her with the tired old stereotype: 'shrill, broke up the boys, gold-digger'. This hand-me-down hate persists to this day. It is regularly mouthed by folks who actually know none of her work.

Meanwhile, on the real side, she is a prime inspiration for new geniuses. The X-Ray Spex, B-52's, Lene Lovich and Nina Hagen, Sonic Youth, many PostPunks, Shonen Knife, Public Enemy, Sinead, the Beasties, Diamand Galas, Courtney Love, Kathleen Hannah, Bjork, Cibl Matto, and Sub-Division give her gratitude. DJs have remixed her as chart-toppers this whole decade.

A new album out now, "Yes, I'm a Witch", features acolytes covering her: Peaches, Flaming Lips, Le Tigre, Hank Shocklee of PE, Cat Power, DJ Spooky. Act like you know...

Check out where it started with this song from 1970's "Plastic Ono Band", called "Greenfield Morning I Pushed An Empty Baby Carriage All Over the City":
Yoko Ono, eerie chorals
John Lennon, guitars
Klaus Voorman, bass
Ringo Starr, drums

For a huge Herstory of women in rock, check out the Playlists page on my Channel!

Tym Stevens

Category:

Music

Tags:

• YokoOno
• JohnLennon
• Beatles
• SeanLennon
• RingoStarr
• ConceptualArt
• WomenRock
• Herstory

[funknroll]

Check out all of the videos:

-YOKO ONO-"GREENFIELD MORNING (I Pushed a Baby Carriage...)" (1970)

-YOKO ONO-"MOVE ON FAST" (1972)

-YOKO ONO-"APPROXIMA TELY INFINITE UNIVERSE" (1972)

-YOKO ONO-"WINTER FRIEND" (1974)

[SugarComaDisappearer]

is that her singing?

[funknroll]

Yes; she worked with tonal scales and emotional sounds in the beginning. That freaked everybody out and still gets her flak. But soon afterward she explored every range of rock. Some of the other videos on my site try to show some of that range.

[sebaceous]

and I'd say "Yoko Ono" and they would flip out and say "I hate it, I hate it!" that was my favorite game. I've never understood why she has been the concentrated hate object of her generation it makes no sense.

[sebaceous]

when i was a little artist working at a cafe in san francisco I used to play Ono's music and people would come up to the counter and ask "who is this?" I'd ask "do you like it?" they would say "yes but who is it?" I would lean in and ask "Do you really like it?" and they would say "yes its really cool who is this?"

[jackhillty1]

I always think this is the best song to introduce yoko's music to people

[AbagOfonions]

i love this..



[tandlaguilera420]

Honestly Yoko was waaayyy ahead of her time, I think that is why she is so misunderstood. I give her props for being herself no matter what all the assholes said and say about her.

[slatskatya]

nice ,and different

[portabletiger]

This whole album was genius. John and Ringo sound like they're having a blast NOT sounding like the Beatles.

[lessthan427]

I think this is the best track of her album "plastic ono band" John's guitar is cool.

[Timmybear]

@sebaceous - that reminds me of the time I was reading some music mag that had Yoko on the cover in short shorts (which does nothing for me, but...) and some young Asian fellow across the way was admiring her picture. Once he realized who it was, the conditioning set in and he looked away with the obligatory 'ick' look (ageism probably figures in too). Sad, really...

[4tuneagent]

First heard some of her material, which was on the B-sides of Plastic Ono Band's singles. Looking for "Touch Me",was on the flip side of "Power to the People"...Also sort of reminds me of the Flying Lizards,a decade later..

[charliebubblesoar]

it's kinda scary, but beautiful.

[JimCimEntertainment]

A seminal Avante Garde artist of the 20th century ... and there would have been no "Imagine" without her.