Kindle Price: $9.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Ken Sharp
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Starting Over: The Making Of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy Kindle Edition

by Ken Sharp (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 102 ratings
See all formats and editions
The murder of John Lennon on December 8, 1980, sent shockwaves around the world. The most acclaimed singer/songwriter of his generation, first a Beatle and then a boundary-pushing solo artist, was senselessly silenced forever at age forty; immediately, his final musical statement, an intimate, pop-infused collection called "Double Fantasy," released only weeks before his death, skyrocketed to #1 worldwide, as did its poignantly titled single, "(Just Like) Starting Over."

His first studio recording since 1975’s Rock ’n’ Roll—and his first musical endeavor of any kind since taking a much-needed hiatus to raise Sean, his son with Yoko Ono—"Double Fantasy" represents more than a comeback album to Lennon fans and music critics alike. It captures a cultural icon at the pinnacle of his creative success and personal fulfillment; thirty years later it remains a musical touchstone and an affecting reminder of what could have been.

"Starting Over" is an oral history of the making of Double Fantasy and the definitive account of John Lennon’s last days. From early demos to sessions at New York City’s The Hit Factory, from the electrifying chemistry of the studio band to keeping the project under wraps to the album’s release and critical reception, here is fascinating, insightful commentary from all of the key players involved in its extraordinary creation: Yoko Ono, David Geffen, producer Jack Douglas, engineers, arrangers, session musicians, music journalists, and even Lennon himself via archival interviews.

"Starting Over" is the essential portrait for anyone who hears both a beginning and ending in the tracks of Double Fantasy.

Ken Sharp is a New York Times Best Selling writer who has authored or co-authored over twenty music books, contributes to a variety of national music magazines, works on music documentaries and has done liner notes for releases by Elvis Presley, Sly & the Family Stone, Janis Joplin, Small Faces, Santana, Cheap Trick, Raspberries, Eric Carmen, KISS, Hall & Oates, Rick Springfield, The Babys, John Waite, The Guess Who, Jellyfish, Jefferson Airplane and others. Contact Ken Sharp

His books include: Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy, Elvis: Vegas ‘69, Nothin’ to Lose: the Making of KISS (1972-1975), Elvis Presley: Writing for the King, Sound Explosion: Inside LA’s Studio Factory with the Wrecking Crew, Overnight Sensation: The Story of the Raspberries, Raspberries: TONIGHT!, Eric Carmen: Marathon Man, Reputation is a Fragile Thing: The Story of Cheap Trick, Play On!: Power Pop Heroes, Kooks, Queen Bitches and Andy Warhol: The Making of David Bowie’s Hunky Dory, KISS: Behind the Mask, Meet the Beatles…Again!, Small Faces: Quite Naturally, Rick Springfield: A Year in the Life of a Working Class Dog, Power Pop, The KISS Years!, and KISS Army Worldwide!: The Ultimate KISS Fanzine Phenomenon.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    164 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    October 7, 2020
  5. File size
    373 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
Next page
Hard Rock apparel
Outerwear, tees, and accessories. Discover the rock shop.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

“John Lennon is on top of the world,” writes Sharp at the outset of this “comprehensive portrait of Lennon’s last days” and scintillating oral history of the making of Double Fantasy, Lennon’s last album and a loving duo with his wife and guiding light, Yoko Ono. Accompanied by now-poignant photographs of Lennon and Ono in the recording studio, published here for the first time, this is an intimate and heart-wrenching collection of in-the-moment musings and thoughtful memories. Lennon, funny and droll, talks about his need to free himself from the demands of fame to find his way back to “the source.” Ono talks about how nervous they were. The drummer, Andy Newmark, notes that “John and Yoko were always hugging and kissing each other,” while Julie Last, an assistant engineer, remembers Lennon’s delight in new recording technologies. Then arranger Tony Davilio describes seeing a note Ono wrote after speaking with her astrologist, “No tour now, danger around John.” Vivid and intimate, this is an invaluable and vibrant record of Lennon’s last, great burst of creativity, a radiant remembrance, and a warm tribute to Ono. --Donna Seaman

Review

“[A] scintillating oral history. . . . Vivid and intimate.”
—Booklist

“A radiant remembrance. . . . An intimate and heart-wrenching collection of in-the-moment musings and thoughtful memories. . . . An invaluable and vibrant record of Lennon’s last, great burst of creativity.”
—Booklist

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08KWMWMJ1
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Jetfighter (October 7, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 7, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 373 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 164 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 102 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Ken Sharp

Ken Sharp

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
102 global ratings
I would have loved it, if it was better printed
3 Stars
I would have loved it, if it was better printed
This book was a bit below my expectations (in content)and was bit hard to read. That's because of one reason: it's printed in quite bad paper (thin, brown looking)and in quite a big font ... (which makes it hard to read)It feels like it was old, but I bought it brand new. The paper quality even ruins the pics (some of them not so common)and some other pics were stretchedI hope in the future they re-print this with better paper & font, and without stretching the photographs.edit: I added pics to the gallery to "illustrate my point", please check them out
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

HMak
5.0 out of 5 stars Easily the Best Book about John Lennon
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2010
Verified Purchase
Over the years, dozens and dozens of authors have penned books trying to explain who John Lennon really was. Many of them fail miserably and are wildly off the mark due to their own inept analysis of John, often colored by their own biases. This book by Ken Sharp is dead on target. It captures so vividly who John Lennon really was. The reason Sharp gets it so correct is because there isn't the scholarly analysis of his thoughts or actions or lyrics, but instead you get the first hand reports of those who spent hours, months and days with the man during the last precious months of his life. His daily interaction with them without the media spotlight enables them to tell us who the real John Lennon was. It is through these unbiased remembrances that reveal a picture of John as a warm, witty, down to earth talent that he really was. It is through these words that you realize how unique this man was. This is such fascinating reading that you really are transposed to those Double Fantasy sessions with the stories and observations of the musicians, engineers and producers who surrounded this man in late 1980. This is a must read for anyone who wishes to know who John Lennon really was.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Will K. Twork
5.0 out of 5 stars Educational
Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2024
Verified Purchase
Wow, as I've said a number of times in my reviews, you think you know an artist after many years of reading about them. You think "There's nothing about The Beatles, (feel free to add your favorite artist here) that I've not read!" Well guess what, you don't know squat. I didn't know squat about John and Yoko. All I knew was (in my opinion) she was untalented as a musician, and I could never understand what John saw in her. But I also knew that it was really none of my business. Even back in 1980. What I didn't really appreciate at the time, was how much the two of them loved each other, and how excited they were to be back in the recording studio. Nor did I know how down to earth they were with the people in their lives whether as friends or (in this case) professional musicians. How can you be in the biggest band ever, loved by millions, and be just a regular, funny, and unassuming fellow musician in the recording studio?
Excellent read. I loved John before reading this book, but I love him (and Yoko) as much or more after seeing this side of the great man, and the woman who changed his life for the better. I should be so lucky. I plan on rereading it in a year or so. It was that good. Its not often that I read a book about a musician that's actually heartwarming.
Helpful
 Report
F. L. Stamberg Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Book On Recording DOUBLE FANTASY and MILK & HONEY
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2010
Verified Purchase
STARTING OVER is a fine, fine book with all sorts of new information and is a fabulous read. Beatles fans have so many book choices, and there's so much repetition throughout the many tomes that keep coming out (I'm thinking of FAB, the new McCartney bio; or last years John Lennon tome, for instance), that it's really something when a new book appears that is, in fact, full of new information and insight. STARTING OVER is such a book. It's a first-hand account of the DOUBLE FANTASY sessions as told by the participants. Yeah, it's all upbeat and not a bad word is cast, but the reader really gets a sense of what happened. It's absolutely essential for any John Lennon or Beatles aficionado ... and there are less and less new books about those subjects that can make that claim after all this time. And like I said at the top of this post, it's a great read, too.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jeff LeVine
4.0 out of 5 stars Oral history of the making of Lennon's last record, well detailed, but never dull
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
An excellent oral history, not just of the making of the album Double Fantasy, but really of the last few months of John Lennon’s life. It feels like a pretty complete picture, with input from all the musicians on the record, producers, assistants, photographers, interviewers, and Yoko, as well as excerpts from interviews Lennon gave to promote the record. This style of oral history, where the whole book is made only of short interview snippets, is a great way to present a story like this, and makes for a fun, focused, fast-paced read.

My favorite part of the book is when some of the studio musicians found out they were being hired to work on John Lennon’s new album, five years after his last record – their surprise and joy of getting to make music with one of the most important pop stars of all time. You do get a sense of how motivated everybody was working on the record, and how Lennon seemed in a really good place and somewhat at peace. I also enjoyed the section where some reviewers of the album reflected back on how their opinions of it changed, or didn’t change, over the years.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
G. P. Jenkins
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 14, 2016
Verified Purchase
Brilliant
Report
Hang Ta Kong
4.0 out of 5 stars Un ouvrage de référence sur Double Fantasy
Reviewed in France on June 30, 2012
Verified Purchase
La sortie de cet album fut malheureusement occultée par le décès de l'un de ses co-auteurs, le Beatle John.

Ken Sharp rend justice à ce album en décrivant le sessions, ou plus précisement recueillant des témoignages de première main pour décrire l'enregisterment de cet album, que ce soit les musiciens, le producteur Jack Douglas, et surtout Yoko Ono, comme des témoignages de John Lennon avant sa disparition. En plus, l'ouvrage est aéré par de nombreuses photos prises lors des sessions

Si vous avez aimé Double Fantasy, vous adorerez ce livre.
Report
S P Mead
3.0 out of 5 stars a set of recollections by those who were involved with the making of 'Double Fantasy'
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2016
Verified Purchase
As a fan of John Lennon, I was looking forward to reading this book. It describes the recording sessions that took place during late 1980, as John and Yoko worked on their  Double Fantasy  album. This was the first studio album of new and original material that Lennon had worked on since 1974 (see his  Walls And Bridges ) - and there was worldwide interest in this new release. Ken Sharp (who is described as this book's 'author' - but who might more accurately be described as an editor) has entered into conversation with numerous people who were involved in the making of 'Double Fantasy' - from recording engineers to musicians. Each person gets an opportunity to recollect and reminisce on what these sessions were like ...

For anyone interested in Lennon, this sounds like an fascinating book. However, it's very poorly assembled. It consists of nothing more than a series of quotes from the various persons involved. There's no guiding narrative or overview, nor any commentary on (or analysis of) what's said. It's just quote after quote ... Yes, the thoughts and memories expressed in this one-way dialogue are mildly interesting. But this jumble of quotations needed to be engaged with. In the hands of a good writer, all of this material could form the basis of a chapter of book concerning the making of Lennon's final work. As it is, it lacks clarity of purpose. It's too diffuse and abstract. There's only so many times that it's alright to read 'yeah, that was a great recording session' and 'I really enjoyed working with John and Yoko'. Notwithstanding such weaknesses, the book does present some fantastic (black and white) photos of John in the studio in 1980 - and it's a joy to see these images.

No doubt others - who, at some future point, write biographies on Lennon - will make some use of the quotes presented in this book, so as to allow for an exploration of the 'Double Fantasy' recording sessions. Yet as a standalone text, this is a rather mediocre book. I recommend it only to the most enthusiastic of Lennon fans.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Boswell
2.0 out of 5 stars Huge Letdown!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 15, 2011
Verified Purchase
I was hugely disappointed by this book. The basic premise seems to be a load of sycophants wondering why the main subject(John Lennon)couldnt walk on water.Did nobody have a bad word to say about the man or have any criticism about the making of "Double Fantasy"? I cannot believe that so many people can look back 30 years and have such detailed memories about the daily minutia of the various recording sessions. One of the main contributors,Andy Newmark,rattles on for pages about what went on then tells us his memory is not what it was - really? There are contradictions on almost every page and several glaring errors ( ie: "Walking On Thin Ice" appears on Double Fantasy) A good attempt but it falls short.Also,if you actually read between the lines,Yoko doesnt come up smelling of roses either. As this book came out around the same time as the celebrations for Lennons 70th birthday, the phrase cash-in springs to mind.
4 people found this helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report