John Lennon wished Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen had played on Cold Turkey instead of Eric Clapton

[L-R] John Lennon, Rick Nielsen and Eric Clapton
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Cold Turkey was John Lennon's second solo single – released under the Plastic Ono Band moniker – and was particularly notable for its six-string contributions from Eric Clapton.

But, as it happens, the Beatles icon reportedly once suggested that another guitarist, Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, would have been a better choice for the track.

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Sam Roche

Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.