Beatles News
Paul McCartney did not play the Concert for Bangladesh when George Harrison asked. Here's why.
In 1971, George Harrison reached out across the rift separating the former members of The Beatles by inviting Paul McCartney to play in his Concert for Bangladesh. The benefit concert was among the first of its kind and raised money for refugees. McCartney admitted that when Harrison asked him to participate, he felt irritated.
After The Beatles broke up, Harrison and John Lennon publicly aired their grievances with McCartney. Still, Harrison asked him to take part in the benefit concert. McCartney declined, not wanting to reunite the band so soon after breaking up.
“George invited me, and I must say [my reason for declining] was more than just visa problems,” McCartney told Rolling Stone. “At the time there was the whole Apple thing. When the Beatles broke up, at first I thought, ‘Right, broken up, no more messing with any of that.’ George came up and asked if I wanted to play Bangla Desh and I thought, blimey, what’s the point? We’re just broken up and we’re joining up again? It just seemed a bit crazy.”
He admitted he felt irritated that Harrison invited him. At the time, the former Beatles were enmired in a legal battle over their contracts. He felt it was unfair for Harrison to ask him a favor when he was trapped in their partnership agreement.
Source: Emma McKee/cheatsheet.com
The Beatles were driven forwards by the partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, two souls were often in sync, but could sometimes drive each other crazy. Take ‘Across The Universe’ – often lauded as one of the band’s finest moments, it’s beatific paean was given an arrangement that sparked John Lennon to call it “subconscious sabotage”.
The lyric itself is one of Lennon’s most beautiful. The opening phrase of “words spilling out into a paper cup” was sparked by unease in his marriage, the image itself coming to mind after an uncomfortable conversation with his first wife, Cynthia.
“I was lying next to my first wife in bed, you know, and I was irritated, and I was thinking. She must have been going on and on about something and she’d gone to sleep and I kept hearing these words over and over, flowing like an endless stream. I went downstairs and it turned into a sort of cosmic song rather than an irritated song… [The words] were purely inspirational and were given to me as boom! I don’t own it you know; it came through like that.”
The song was first recorded at Abbey Road in 1968, with the high notes famously being sung by two fans retrieved from outside the studio gates. A hazy, wistful piece of music, it remained unreleased as The Beatles attempted to focus on the many songs they had penned during that year’s visit to India.
Source: Robin Murray/clashmusic.com
Across the Fab Four’s entire extensive discography, only one Beatles song featured a female lead vocalist. Interestingly, the John Lennon composition was also inspired by a woman. However, the conversation that sparked the song certainly didn’t paint the woman, who was described by another witness as a “self-important, middle-aged American woman,” in the most flattering light.
Nevertheless, inspiration can come in the unlikeliest of places, and the Beatles’ 1968 track “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill,” from the group’s iconic white album, is certainly no exception. The Beatles were no strangers to bending the rules of gender, perspective, and even reality in general. From “She Said She Said” to “Octopus’ Garden,” the Fab Four proved how adept they were at adopting unique points of view for their compositions. But in “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill,” they outsourced their character perspectives to a woman already present in the studio: Yoko Ono.
John Lennon’s second wife sang one line alone before the late musician joined her to finish the rest of the verse. Maureen Starkey, drummer Ringo Starr’s wife, also provided backing vocals. A single line might not seem like much at face value, but considering the Fab Four’s propensity for adopting funny voices and personas outside of themselves, the fact that they had Ono perform instead of simply taking on a nasal falsetto themselves was a distinct departure from their usual approach.
Source: Melanie Davis/americansongwriter.com
Paul McCartney Once Agreed With John Lennon's Belief That The Beatles Were 'Crap'.
After The Beatles broke up, Paul McCartney and John Lennon didn’t have much to agree on. Lennon insulted McCartney’s solo music and they clashed endlessly over the band’s contractual agreements. Ultimately, these constant clashes made them agree on one thing. McCartney admitted that the bitterness in the aftermath of The Beatles’ breakup tainted his view of the band for a time.
Paul McCartney said he felt as negatively about The Beatles as John Lennon for a time.
After The Beatles broke up, Lennon often spoke derisively about the work they did together as a band. He dismissed some of the songs they released and said they were con artists. McCartney admitted that navigating the messy band dynamics after their breakup made him feel the same way, at least for a time.
Source: IMBD
In 1991, Eric Clapton convinced his friend George Harrison to play 12 dates in Japan with him, December 1-17, marking the second tour of Harrison’s solo career. A few months later, Harrison surprised fans again with his first show in England since the demise of the Beatles. On April 6, 1992, Harrison’s show at the Royal Albert Hall in London would become his final full-length concert.
The last time Harrison had toured before ’91 was in 1974, around the release of his fifth solo album Dark Horse, and though he wasn’t inclined to perform again, he was prompted to play London to support the political group the Natural Law Party, founded on the principles of transcendental meditation and affiliated with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
“I want a total change and not just a choice between left and right,” said Harrison in a press release to promote the show. “The system we have now is obsolete and not fulfilling the needs of the people. Times have changed and we need a new approach. The Natural Law Party is turning this election into a wonderful, national celebration and I am with them all the way.”
At first, Harrison was also hesitant about returning to the UK for a show but his doubts were quickly diffused after receiving a warm welcome at the Royal Albert.
Source: Tina Benitez-Eves/americansongwriter.com
Revolver marked a pivotal moment in The Beatles’ career, blending experimental sounds with groundbreaking studio techniques. Tracks like “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “I’m Only Sleeping” showcased the first use of backward guitar recording and automatic double tracking (ADT), pushing the boundaries of music – popular and otherwsise. From psychedelic rock to children’s tunes like “Yellow Submarine,” there really is something for everyone.
First Use of Backward Guitar Recording: Revolver features the first use of reversed guitar recordings in popular music, particularly on the song “I’m Only Sleeping.” George Harrison’s guitar solo was recorded, reversed, and then layered onto the track, giving it a dreamy, otherworldly sound.
First Use of Automatic Double Tracking (ADT): Engineer Ken Townsend at Abbey Road Studios developed ADT specifically for The Beatles during the Revolver sessions. This technique automatically doubled a vocal or instrumental track, creating a fuller sound without the need for manually recording multiple takes.
Source: thatericalper.com
This playlist with annotations that I have put together is not intended to be a “best-of” George Harrison (although all the songs here would easily be on such a playlist). Nor is it meant to be exclusive—one could easily devise a playlist with ten different “quintessential” George Harrison songs: one that would include “My Sweet Lord,” “It’s All Too Much,” “I Me Mine,” “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth),” “Blue Jay Way,” and, of course, “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun.”
Rather, these are ten songs that represent various aspects of George Harrison’s brilliance as a songwriter and recording artist. They tie together themes, concepts, and musical and lyrical approaches in a manner that represents some essential aspects of George’s genius and creativity.
1. Don’t Bother Me
Written while he was lying ill in a hotel bed in August 1963, “Don’t Bother Me” could well stand as a credo for George Harrison, an early manifesto capturing his personality and entire mindset about fame. Especially in the context of the Beatles’ 1963 album, With the Beatles—replete with typically sunny original numbers by Lennon and McCartney including “All My Loving,” “I Wanna Be Your Man,” and “Hold Me Tight,”—“Don’t Bother Me” introduced the world to a new invention: the ambivalent pop star. For George, the very first message he chose to impart as a Beatles songwriter was that of a back turned to the crowd, foreshadowing his conflicted feelings about Beatlemania and particularly about the highly excitable crowds that flocked to their concerts.
2. If I Needed Someone
George explored the ambiguities of love and the difficulties of relationships in songs including “You Like Me Too Much,” “If I Needed Someone,” “I Want to Tell You,” “Long, Long, Long,” and even “Something.” Harrison wrote about love with a more sophisticated, mature understanding of its complexities than what was typically found in pop music of the time. Written in the conditional tense (note the first word of the title), “If I Needed Someone” (included on Rubber Soul) finds George singing behind the beat; the disparity between the melody line and the song’s rhythm echoes and implies the ambivalence of the lyrics. Plus, the song was propelled by Harrison’s patented jangle-rock style created by using the then-new Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar.
Source: Amrit Shergill/blog.oup.com
English singer-songwriter, guitarist and former Beatle, George Harrison (1943 - 2001), Cannes, ... [+] France, 30th January 1976. Harrison is in Cannes for the Midem music industry trade fair. George Harrison's debut solo single “My Sweet Lord” is back on multiple charts in the U.K. this week, and it's bigger than ever on one of them.
George Harrison has been gone from this world for more than two decades, but the music he made during his lifetime remains popular to this day. That includes both his work with The Beatles and his solo output. One of his own tracks, in particular, stands out as both his most commercially successful and his most memorable, and that’s the one that is in the middle of a minor comeback.
“My Sweet Lord” is back on the charts in the U.K. this week. The tune reappears on two lists at the same time, and in almost the same position, as fans of the former Beatle began buying the single once again. Harrison’s solo smash lands highest between the two tallies it appears on this frame on the Official Singles Downloads chart. On the list of the bestselling downloads in the U.K. this time around, “My Sweet Lord” lands at No. 67.
It’s impressive that “My Sweet Lord” (the 2001 remastered version, that is) is back on that tally, but what’s even more notable is the fact that the song reaches a new peak this week. The track debuted on the online-only roster in 2007 at No. 89, and then disappeared—until now. “My Sweet Lord” settles in almost the same position on another, similar ranking. Harrison’s solo cut re-enters the Official Singles Sales chart at No. 69. That’s not a new high point, as the track has previously risen to No. 51.
Harrison released “My Sweet Lord” as his debut solo single in 1971. The tune became an immediate smash, and it topped the songs charts in a number of countries, including both the U.K. and the U.S. In the decades since, it has continued to sell, and from time to time, it manages to debut on, or return to, a list or two when a large enough population revisits the meaningful single.
Source: Hugh McIntyre/forbes.com
The Beatles haven’t been together as a quartet for decades, but they still manage to remain among the most popular and successful musical acts in the world. The smash singles and albums they released during their years together—and even afterward—are still being consumed in huge numbers worldwide. The boundary-breaking outfit doubles up on one chart in their home country this week as a short collection makes its return.
On this week’s Official Physical Singles tally, the U.K.’s ranking of the bestselling songs on physical formats (usually CD or vinyl), The Beatles make a notable appearance. The band increases their total number of current hits, with one effort reappearing while another, which was already performing well, rises even higher.
“From Us to You - 2 March 1964” is back on the Official Physical Singles chart this week. The set—which is technically a short EP, but which is counted as a single—reappears at No. 58 on the list.
The EP has now spent two months on the physical sales tally. “From Us to You - 2 March 1964” is The Beatles’ most recent arrival on the chart, as it only debuted in August. So far, it has risen as high as No. 12, nearly becoming another top 10 smash for the group.
As that several-song “single” mounts a comeback, another recent release from the Grammy winners is soaring. “Now and Then” shoots from No. 33 to No. 21 on the Official Physical Singles chart this week.
That track marked the first truly new single from The Beatles in decades when it dropped in late 2023. The song, completed with the help of artificial intelligence—much to the confusion and anger of some longtime fans—easily hit No. 1 and is nearing a full year on the tally.
Source: Hugh McIntyre/forbes.com
"I asked George to turn it down a little. He looked at me and said: You don't talk to a Beatle like that": How The Beatles made Abbey Road, told by those who were there
In what was unquestionably one of the lowest of the low points in their downward trajectory, The Beatles had recorded their warts’n’all Let It Be documentary and its musical soundtrack during January 1969. The cuddly mop-tops had been disintegrating since the White Album sessions in 1968, and the experience of making Let It Be had been agonising for all concerned.
Tony Bramwell, their roadie from the Liverpool days and later an Apple director, recalls: “Things started going wrong at the time of the White Album. Everything changed then. It became that Paul was doing lots and the others weren’t doing much more than being session men.”
By the time of the Let It Be sessions, John Lennon’s heroin addiction was at its worst, and the others simply could not cope with it. “We were disappointed that he was getting into heroin because we didn’t really know how we could help him,” Paul McCartney explained to Barry Miles in his book Many Years From Now. “We just hoped it wouldn’t go too far.”
Source: Johnny Black/loudersound.com
