At 74, avant-garde singer Yoko Ono is riding high on the new album, Yes, I'm A Witch, on which an eclectic array of artists set the one-time rock 'n' roll dragon lady's previously recorded vocals to new music.

Ono, who is now 74 years old, doesn't have to imagine anymore given the rapturous reception afforded her latest album, Yes, I'm A Witch, which sees her previously recorded vocals updated to new music by indie artists ranging from Toronto's own Peaches to The Flaming Lips to Cat Power to The Polyphonic Spree.

"I'm totally shocked," said Ono -- recently down the line from the Dakota, her long-time New York City apartment -- of the raves Yes, I'm A Witch is getting. "In fact, it's tradition that I don't expect that. But I'm thrilled with what's happening."

The even bigger shock is that Ono didn't choose any of the artists, who were given "total free reign" to reinterpret her music. She let her record label do that.

"I was not much into indie music," Ono said. "And when I realized what it was, I thought, 'Wow! That's now and that's the future too.' And I'm totally in love with it now."

Still, she did know the one Toronto artist on her album.

"I knew about Peaches. I met Peaches in London, there was a festival there and we bumped into each other in the courtyard and she said, 'Hi, I'm doing Kiss Kiss Kiss!' I said, 'Oh, really?' I was totally surprised."

Ono didn't hear the reworked tracks until they were finished and then gave her final approval.

"I consider myself an artist like Andy Warhol, for the fact that I listened to them and then I put my stamp on it and it's good enough," Ono said.

She was most surprised when The Flaming Lips chose to do Cambridge 1969, "because it was extremely far out."

Ono says years ago she was initially cool to the idea of her music being re-invented but then changed her mind after the successful dance remix of Open Your Box.

"I wasn't that into it because I was in the studio creating this new album called Blueprint For A Sunrise (released in 2001). And then one day I listened to Open Your Box and I was totally amazed. It was so great, so beautifully done and I was crying and everything. And then I thought, 'Okay, well, this is the kind of thing that it's alright for people to do.' "

Ono says more tracks were recorded for Yes, I'm A Witch than the 17 tunes that made the final cut and they will likely appear on a follow-up album.

In the meantime, there will be an album of dance remixes of Ono songs that have previously been club hits and she is considering going out on tour.

The woman who claims not to exercise a lot, occasionally indulges in chocolate and basically goes by the maxim "trust your intuition," is in shape for the road should it beckon.

"I don't feel 74 at all, believe me," Ono said. "But I think society makes people feel that way because since I was 73, if I'm coughing, people will say, 'Oh, she's coughing.' Like they're all worried or something. So, that's how it is. People make you start to worry. But I'm not really worried. I'm in the best of health, best not boast about it because that's very bad, I mean on a magical level. But I think I'm in better condition than ever in my life."

When asked about the cheeky title of Yes, I'm A Witch, which is also a song on the album (she recorded the original in 1974), Ono said it was fun to reclaim her reputation as rock 'n' roll's dragon lady.

But now she appreciates the tag she has been long saddled with.

"One of the reasons that I'm sort of exuberant is because you hated me for such a long time, all of you, in a way," Ono said. "And that hatred was a big power. You gave me big power. Thank you."