John Lennon albums reissued for 70th birthday

John Lennon's eight solo albums have been remastered to celebrate the singer's 70th birth anniversary.

The Beatles star's widow Yoko Ono and a team of engineers will rework on the albums at Abbey Road Studios and in New York.

Albums will include Imagine (1971) and Rock 'n' Roll (1975), while Double Fantasy (1980), the last album Lennon released before his murder, has been ''stripped down'' to edit some of the instrumentation.

'In this very special year, which would have seen my husband and life partner John reach the age of 70, I hope that this remastering/reissue programme will help bring his incredible music to a whole new audience,' the Telegraph quoted Ono as saying.

She added, 'By remastering 121 tracks spanning his solo career, I hope also that those who are already familiar with John's work will find renewed inspiration from his incredible gifts as a songwriter, musician and vocalist and from his power as a commentator on the human condition.

'His lyrics are as relevant today as they were when they were first written.'

Talking of Double Fantasy, Ono said, 'It was whilst working on the new version of this album that I was hit hardest emotionally, as this was the last album John released before his passing.'