George Harrison
Biography
In his most obvious contribution to music as lead guitarist for the Beatles, George Harrison provided the band with a lyrical style of playing in which every note mattered. Later on, as a songwriter with the Beatles and subsequently as a solo artist, Harrison used his celebrity and his musical sensibilities to try and raise the awareness of millions of listeners about issues much bigger than music, especially the life of the spirit, and the living (and dying) situations of people in parts of the world that not a lot of westerners usually thought about. And yet, for all of that, and a journey through life that took him to musical horizons he scarcely could have imagined at his start in Liverpool, Harrison was also one of the humblest of superstars -- in his last decade, he still preferred to describe himself as "just an old skiffle man."
George Harrison was one of millions of young Britons inspired to take up the guitar by British skiffle king Lonnie Donegan's recording of "Rock Island Line"." But he had more dedication than most, and with the encouragement of a slightly older school friend, Paul McCartney, he advanced quickly in his command of the instrument. Harrison developed his technique painstakingly over several years, learning everything he could from the records of Carl Perkins, Duane Eddy, Chet Atkins, Buddy Holly, and Eddie Cochran. At 15, he was allowed to sit in with the Quarry Men, the Liverpool group founded by John Lennon of which McCartney was a member; by 16, he was a full-fledged member, and was playing lead guitar when they became the Beatles.
The Beatlemania years, from 1963 through 1966, were a mixed blessing for Harrison. The group's studio sound was characterized by very prominent rhythm guitar, and on many of the Beatles' early songs, his lead guitar was buried beneath the chiming chords of Lennon's instrument. Additionally, his aspirations as a songwriter were thwarted by the presence of Lennon and McCartney, both natural and prodigious composers whose output left little room for songs by anyone else.
Harrison was known as "the quiet Beatle" but "the reluctant Beatle" might have been more accurate, in some respects. He was the member least comfortable with the sheer masses of people that their music inspired to frenzied outbursts. He was also the one who was most concerned with pure musicianship -- one of his idols was the classical guitarist Andrés Segovia -- and knew that the quality of his playing was lost on those screaming concert audiences. It was a situation that he came to loathe.
Despite these problems, Harrison grew markedly as a musician during those years, even writing a handful of songs, including one near-classic, "If I Needed Someone"." He also played a key role in popularizing the Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar, which became a staple of American folk-rock, especially in the sound of the Byrds. And he made his first acquaintance of the sitar, an Indian instrument whose sound fascinated him. Harrison subsequently developed a friendship with sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar that lasted for the rest of his life; and his fame as a Beatle, in turn, helped to transform Shankar into the most well-known Indian musician in the world. By 1966, Harrison was writing music for the sitar, starting with the exquisite "Love You To" from Revolver. This was also the period in which the band, to Harrison's relief, agreed to give up doing concerts, which had become futile attempts at performance.
In the wake of that decision, Harrison's playing and songwriting grew exponentially. His interest in the sitar yielded a pair of beautiful songs, "Within You, Without You" and "The Inner Light," that were effectively solo recordings. He also wrote some clever, very personal psychedelic-style songs. And he developed a personal friendship with blues virtuoso Eric Clapton, which would have a profound effect on both their careers -- additionally, Clapton fell in love with and later married Harrison's then-wife, Patricia Boyd Harrison, who was also the inspiration for several of the best-known songs of the period by either guitarist. And, growing out of his devotion to the sitar, Harrison also developed a smooth, elegant slide guitar technique that showed up on the group's last three albums. Finally, he contributed three classic songs to those albums: "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Here Comes the Sun," and "Something." The latter was also the first Harrison song to appear on the A-side of a Beatles single, and not only topped the charts, but was good enough to get widely covered, including a version by no less a figure than Frank Sinatra, who called it "the greatest love song of the last 50 years."
Although never a strong singer, Harrison's vocals were always distinctive, especially when placed in the right setting. For his first solo record following the group's 1970 breakup, All Things Must Pass, he collaborated with producer Phil Spector, whose so-called "Wall of Sound" technique adapted well to Harrison's voice. All Things Must Pass and the accompanying single "My Sweet Lord" had the distinction of being the first solo recordings by any of the former Beatles to top the charts. Unfortunately, Harrison was later sued by the publisher of the 1962 Chiffons hit "He's So Fine," which bore a striking resemblance to "My Sweet Lord" -- he lost the case, in what was deemed an instance of unintended plagiarism. The album, however, was extraordinary in any context, built around some highly personal, topical songs, and some phenomenal rockers, but much of it also steeped in spirituality. It posed as many questions for the serious listener to ponder as it offered exquisite melodies and stunning production for the casual listener to revel in. And it sold about as well as any Beatles album, an even more impressive feat as a two-record set (with a bonus record, the "Apple Jam" -- which, itself, was historically important as the sessions that spawned Eric Clapton's band Derek & the Dominos).
In 1971, he organized rock's first major charity event, The Concert for Bangladesh, staged at New York's Madison Square Garden to aid that famine-ravaged nation, which yielded both a movie and a triple album. Rather ironically, for the man once known as "the quiet Beatle," Harrison found himself at the center of the international news media. What's more, he was having a decidedly easier time than his former bandmates selling his music. John Lennon's personal and political evolution yielded records that were sometimes difficult for fans to embrace; Paul McCartney was selling lots of records but was also being attacked by critics and fans for the superficiality of his work. In the most towering irony imaginable, the reluctant Beatle became the beneficiary of most of the lingering good will attached to the group.
In 1974, he organized Dark Horse Records, which -- following the end of his contract with EMI in 1976 -- became the imprint on which all of his subsequent solo work was issued. His albums from the '70s into the '80s always had an audience, but -- except for Somewhere in England (1981), released in the wake of the murder of John Lennon -- none attracted too many listeners beyond the core of serious fans. And some of his best musicianship was not in evidence on his own albums, so much as on recordings by such Dark Horse artists as Splinter. During this same period, Harrison co-founded Handmade Films, which produced such hit movies as Monty Python's Life of Brian, Time Bandits, Withnail and I, and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
In 1987, he released Cloud Nine, which featured his most inspired work in years, most notably a cover of an old Rudy Clark gospel number called "Got My Mind Set on You," which reached number one on the U.S. charts. A year later, with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison, he formed the Traveling Wilburys, who released two very successful pop/rock albums. All of this activity heralded his short-lived re-emergence from private life, resulting in a 1991 tour of Japan that yielded the album (Live in Japan) with his longtime friend Eric Clapton.
He withdrew from the public after that, devoting himself to his life with his second wife and their son. In 2000, he began work on remastering and expanding his classic All Things Must Pass album, in what was to be the first in a series of archival explorations of his post-Beatles career. Harrison had been treated for throat cancer in the late '90s, but in 2001 it was revealed that he was suffering from an inoperable form of brain cancer. At the time of his death on November 29, 2001, The Concert for Bangladesh album had been announced for upgraded reissue in January of 2002, and a DVD of the film was in release internationally. In the years since, his Dark Horse solo catalog has been re-released, as has the Traveling Wilburys library. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide
Selected Discography
While everyone else screamed "Paul" and "John", I silently fell in love with George when I was 6 years old. When he spoke, it wasn't lightly and he seemed overpowered by the fame even then(1968). The Beatles have been there throughout my life, but my quiet favorite was George. His songs are wistful and beautiful, they make you cry and give you hope. I wish they had put more of George's songs on the albums, although I can see how it would have been difficult to step between Paul and John. I lov
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i love george i wish i had been alive to experience you at your greatest. your music will live forever!
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i love george harriosn i wish he was her now he was one of my favorute from the beatles and even jonh leenon i wish they both were her i miss them so much i could cry when i her their mucis.
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He was the "quiet beatle" but he wrote some great songs and was underrated.
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Thank you George, I miss you every day. You were the best of them lads.
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wow good choice followed by carry that weight from abbey road i almost cried george is missed
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george would have been god in any other band, but was overshadowed by john and paul. he was the most underrated artist ever. he deserved more credit with the beatles than he got.
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I f*rt everymorning and over the years I have noticed other people f*rt too...now that is influence!!!
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George was my favorite Wilbury.
Lennon said Harrison inspired the Beatles to let their hair grow long. George hated haircuts, and the girls loved his mop-top, so the rest of the Beatles let their hair grow. Next thing you knew, everyone around the world let their hair grow. Now that's influence. Harrison was the deep thinker of the Fab Four. Too bad his exploration of religion & philosophy didn't lead him to the conclusion that cigarettes are a bad thing. Otherwise he'd still be here. |
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George Harrison, my favorite Beatle...i don't get the love affair with Lennon at all. his solo work was no way near as good as george's and he married a c*nt. this scag forgets about Julian Lennon. hey oko, that song Hey Jude was written for Julian by Paul. now, hang yourself.
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He was the best...a kind and gentle soul who stays with us through his beautiful songs and beautiful guitar work. His songs make me smile and always lift my spirit. "Let It Roll" is a great collection of his work
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I love George! Favorite Beatle no - the only favorite Beatle would have to be the FAB 4!!!! After that they are extremely talented musicians! Beatle takes all 4 or of course (the 5th Beatle - Bobby Dylan or by his recollection - the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Bobby Dylan's)!
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george harrison his my favorite beatles ever i miss him so much even jonh lennon
i wish they were her because i would go to their conceart if they had one but all you can do his dream about them and think about them and what their lives mean to me. |
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My favorite Beatle. I agree with Don, who doesn't like their "stuff"? Unless you're a Buddhist. In the words of the great Daniel Tosh: Ever see anybody frown on a wave runner?
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If you like Georges music , check out The Concert for George DVD. It was a concert given by some of his friends around a year after George's death . It is wonderful.
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well as much as I love George to say not as a "materialist i c " is kind of wrong, I mean the guy was LOADED! Thats cool he worked for it he earned it, but don't kid yourself, he liked having "stuff" cars homes etc. just as much as the rest of them. I mean we all do, "stuff" is cool. but don't slag McCartney, he too worked hard to achieve success.
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My favorite Beatle. Not as confessional as John, and not as materialisti c as Paul. The music is spiritual, and the Eastern influence is unmistakable . Didn't "Handmade" films make "Time Bandits" too?
He was Mr. Papadopolous in Life, the owner of "The Mount" who shook hands with Brian |
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He is the reporter. that was easy, Now where does he appear in Life of Brian?
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When assessing GH's contribution s let's not forget that he helped launch Monty Python by helping finance a lot of their projects. Trivia: Where does he appear in The Rutles' "All You Need Is Cash"?
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Just saw on the internet that George is getting his own star on the Hollywood Walk of fame infront of Capitol Records this month!
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i love george so much hes my favorit ever i wish i lived in the 60s to i could have met him that would be cool to do.
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oh how i miss my favorite beatle...at least the music lives on. and i agree--knigh t the man already...st i l l can't believe he's been gone for 7 years already.
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NDKELLEY65, I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE. GEORGE WAS MY FAVORITE BEATLE AND HIS MUSIC WAS MORE THAN JUST A NICE SOUND. I DON'T WANT TO OVER ANALYZE HIS MUSIC BUT IT DID CONNECT MANY CULTURES AND INTERESTS. HEY, I'LL UP THE SIR GEORGE..HOW ABOUT SAINT GEORGE OF LIVERPOOL?
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george was more than just a great musician, he was a great human being and felt compassion for all who suffer...he was the first to use his music and influance to relieve the suffering of others (see concert for bangladesh)t h e world lost a great man when george passed. he should at least be knighted...h m m m Sir george has a nice ring to it
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There's an article in Blender about Dhani Harrison (pronounced "Danny"). He tries to ignore the fact that he's the son of a f*cking Beatle. Dude, I would write soooo much music and people would have to buy it.
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This guy exemplified cool. Just maintained- cool, calm, and collected. Taking a back seat to John and Paul all of those years. I would have loved to have had the opportunity to have a stout and burn one with ol' George. I always feel very centered with the world when i hear his music.
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i love george harrison so much when i heard that they pass away my heart just drop.
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i like harrison's voice a little more than lennon and sometimes mccartney. ringo isnt anywhere near the rest of course :D
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Harrison did an LP with Ravi Shankar called Festival Music of India that I would slap my grannie to get my hands on.
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