Strawberry Field unveils rare vinyl of ‘Give Peace a Chance’

Strawberry Field unveils rare vinyl acetate of ‘Give Peace a Chance’ and ‘Remember Love’ ahead of the record’s 55th anniversary

The Salvation Army’s Strawberry Field in Liverpool has unveiled a rare, limited edition 12” vinyl acetate of John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band’s seminal hit record, ‘Give Peace a Chance’ and ‘Remember Love’, ahead of its 55th anniversary on the 4th July.

Already home to a unique John Lennon exhibition, this new addition is one of only 50 in the world and will be a temporary feature at the popular visitor attraction and of interest to the masses of Beatles fans who visit the city.

The Salvation Army in the United Kingdom and Ireland was among 50 charities gifted the vinyl acetates from Yoko Ono and Sean Ono Lennon. Each organisation was given the record to use to raise funds ‘for peace and love’ and The Salvation Army has now revealed its plans to put the gift on display at its visitor centre at Strawberry Field to help raise income for its charitable works.

The Liverpool visitor attraction provides the perfect venue to house the rare piece of Beatles memorabilia due to its historical connection to John Lennon, and ongoing significance as an international landmark of peace and love, which threads through The Salvation Army’s work and John Lennon’s legacy as a champion for peace.

Originally released on 4 July 1969, the double-sided 12” acetates were hand-cut on the lathe at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, synonymous with the legendary work of The Beatles. Produced and executive produced by Sean and Yoko Ono Lennon, each rare record is stickered, uniquely numbered, and features a machine-printed signature from Yoko herself, making them highly collectable. 

The record can be seen on display in the visitor exhibition at Strawberry Field, where proceeds from ticket sales will help support Steps at Strawberry Field, a series of individually tailored programmes aimed at helping people with learning difficulties or other barriers to employment. Providing employment skills, work experience and volunteer placements, the scheme has helped hundreds of young people find fulfilling employment opportunities thanks to the personalised support provided. The limited edition acetate will then be sold at a future date to raise further funds to support The Salvation Army’s work at Strawberry Field.

To spread peace and goodwill - and with Sean and Yoko following its journey closely - the rare acetate joins many symbols of peace located within the grounds of Strawberry Field, including the Strawberry Field Bandstand with its ‘Imagine’ mosaic floor, a Ukrainian Peace Monument and the piano on which John Lennon wrote ‘Imagine’.

Trainees and graduates from the Steps to Work programme joined The Salvation Army's Major Kathy Versfeld to unveil the vinyl acetate in the Strawberry Field exhibition, where it is now on display for viewing by the general public.

Major Kathy Versfeld, mission director at Strawberry Field, said: 

“It is an honour for us at The Salvation Army to receive and display this gift from Yoko and Sean at Strawberry Field. This recognition of The Salvation Army’s transformative work in communities across the country is truly humbling. Given Strawberry Field’s symbolic and historical connection with John Lennon and its ongoing significance as an international landmark of peace and love, it seems the perfect place for this unique piece of history to be - a place which meant so much to John Lennon.

“We are excited to offer visitors the opportunity to see the record in our exhibition, where their entry fee will support our charitable work helping young people with learning difficulties and barriers to employment to find meaningful paid work. I pray that people who come to see it are inspired by its messages, and the sentiment of Yoko and Sean’s gesture, to join with us in this global movement of peace and love.”

Tickets to see the acetate in the exhibition can be booked at https://strawberryfieldliverpool.com/tickets