George Harrison 'didn't want to' play on legendary final performance from The Beatles
George Harrison, The Beatles' legendary guitarist and songwriter of Here Comes the Sun and Taxman, had been opposed to playing in the group's final performance at Abbey Road studios
The Beatles' George Harrison had no interest in playing the group's final performance in 1969. Harrison, the often overlooked songwriter behind Here Comes the Sun, Something, and While My Guitar Gently Weeps, voiced his concerns about a rooftop performance at the Abbey Road studio just a short while before the Fab Four headed upstairs for what would be their final performance together. Harrison's opposition to the performance was seen in the 'Get Back' documentary from Peter Jackson, but it seems the legendary musician, who went on to form The Traveling Wilbury's with Bob Dylan and Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne, was convinced to take part.
His wavering on playing The Beatles' impromptu, final show, came just a short while after Harrison had briefly quit working with the band. A now infamous diary entry from the All Things Must Pass mastermind saw he had dropped out of the Fab Four. Growing tensions in the studio and frustrations around the making of Abbey Road and Let it Be saw Harrison suggest they put an advert in the New Musical Express to source another set of guitarists who could finish what he had written for the 1969 album. But he returned soon after, and eventually agreed to a rooftop performance.
An unconvinced Harrison can be seen in the clip of 'Get Back' where The Beatles' guitarist said he would "do it" but wanted to make it clear he did not want to be on the roof.
He said: "You know, whatever, I'll do it if we've got to go on the roof. But you know, I mean - but I don't wanna go on the roof. Of course I don't wanna go on the roof."
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk/Ewan Gleadow
