A 1971 picture of John Lennon and (top) Lennon with wife Yoko Ono during their famous honeymoon peace protest. (AFP)

Cut to 24 years later, and the Lennon manufacturing unit shows no signs of shutting down, continuing to churn out an amazing volume of reissues, ?unreleased materials? and compilations from the artiste with a regularity that would put some of today?s most prolific acts to shame. And all this, under the guidance of Lennon?s widow, Yoko Ono.

As the birthday came and went, the flurry of Lennon-related activities stands testimony to the popularity of the icon. The best birthday gift, some feel, was the parole denial for killer Mark Chapman (his third since 2000) on October 6.

Lennon at your Feet was the mantra for Nike which launched a pair of sneakers featuring the singer?s self-portrait, signature and a few words from the classic Imagine. Giving peace a chance to earn profits, proceeds are to go to Empower Peace, a US-based charity.

The Lennon-worshipper might shudder at the very thought of wearing the idol on his feet, but for Ono, such blatant commercial exploitation of the Lennon brand is hardly new. Since 1980, there have been around 10 Lennon ?albums? (including compilations) and several documentaries that fans have lapped up. The most notable ? in terms of volume, at least ? being The Lennon Anthology, a four-CD set of unreleased tracks, outtakes and live performances issued in 1998. The DVD, released this year, features all of Lennon?s music videos and other rare footage.

so in the offing are two Lennon albums in November. The first is a reissue of Rock ?? Roll, the 1975 attempt to get back to his roots with covers of rock ?? roll classics that shaped his formative years. The album is an important document in the Lennon discography, not only because it found him in his true element on a record after a long time, or because of its curiously long and winding history, but also because it followed a five-year self-imposed exile from music.

November 2004 will see a ?remastered and remixed? release of the album with four bonus songs and a selection of photos in the CD booklet. Making Beatle fans even more misty-eyed will be the track Just Because with an alternative ending and a Christmas message from Lennon to Paul, George, Ringo, Yoko and the British people.

Rock ?? Roll will accompany Acoustics, featuring unreleased material with only acoustic versions of Lennon songs, carrying the usual ?including never heard before versions? tag. But the material is mostly previously released, including Imagine, Love and the brutal Cold Turkey. Two early versions of Real Love also find inclusion.

That, coupled with royalty from The Beatles? 1995 Anthology project ? the mega reunion spanning three double albums, a video docu and a monster book ? rakes in a lot of money for the Ono-owned John Lennon Estate, which fiercely controls every creative scrap of the late great.

But what is the reason for the continuing super stardom of John Lennon that sets cash registers ringing? ?He was one of the most popular rock poets who wrote meaningful songs,? offers actor-singer Anjan Dutt, who prefers Lennon?s solo work over his output with The Beatles. ?In his solo career, he came out as a more responsible human being and was more expressive about his concerns,? Dutt muses.

?He was a spokesperson for his generation,? feels musician Nondon Bagchi. ?You could also see that success hadn?t gone to his head and that he understood where he was coming from,? he adds.

But views on the use and need for remasters and reissues are divided. Bagchi feels that ?most of it is exploitation of the moments? while Dutt thinks there is a necessity of introducing the present generation to what came before the boy bands. And if the old wine needs to be served from a swank new bottle, so be it. ?I meet people for whom rock began with Deep Purple and Pink Floyd,? says Dutt. ?They must know about the masters who came before.?

More power, then, to fans of the working class hero.

Sound Scan

Peace tunes

Top musicians including Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Sting and U2 feature in an album paying tribute to Nobel laureate and jailed Myanmarese leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The 27-track For the Lady, released this week, also has songs from Peter Gabriel, Coldplay, Avril Lavigne, Matchbox 20 and Travis, with unreleased material from REM and Pearl Jam.

?Aung San Suu Kyi is a real hero,? said U2?s Bono, before the launch of the compilation. ?Any time anyone inside Burma listens to my music, I want them to know that they are listening to an artiste that supports their freedom,? added Clapton.

New heights

There is much to be heard of and from U2 at the moment. Apart from the high-profile Apple tie-up, the new album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb has hit the racks with local fans still waiting to get their hands on it. There are four versions to look forward to. The standard CD release aside, a double-album CD/DVD packing in a documentary U2 and 3 Songs will also be out. For collectors, a limited-edition set including the CD, DVD, colour hardback book with extracts from notebooks, paintings, photos, quotes and stats is worth a look. There will even be an LP for traditionalists.

Ring ring

You can love it or hate it but it?s a rage. Call up any mobile number and chances are you will be treated to a song rather than a ring before the person picks up. Service provider Airtel ? which was the first in the country to start ? is calling it Hello Tunes, while Hutch?s service is termed Caller Tune. Be it Coffee house-er shei adda ta, Dhoom macha le or Staying Alive, the idea is the same ? welcome the caller with a tune of your choice.

Users can select from categories such as Bollywood, Bengali and International, with a mix of old and new, popular and nostalgic songs. Charges are on a monthly and per-song access basis.