In this post, I will only be talking about George. I will mention his time in the Beatles and the Traveling Wilbury’s, but I will not be going album by album except for his solo albums. The Beatles and the Wilbury’s will have their own dedicated posts.
George Harrison is most famously known as “The Quiet One” in the 1960s super group, the Beatles.
Childhood:
George Harrison was born on February 25, 1943 in Liverpool, England. He was the youngest of 4 children in his family. His father is Harold Hargreaves Harrison – he was a steward in the merchant navy and then became a bus conductor, his mother, Louise French, was a clerk in a grocery store.
George was independent from a young age. His mom told a Beatles biographer, “He never wanted any assistance of any kind.” By age 11, his independence turned into a hatred of authority. He mentioned, “I never cared for authority. They can’t teach you experience; you’ve got to go through [life], by trial and error.”
By about age 13, George had bought a guitar from a classmate. He started practicing the guitar, and his mom was behind him, supporting. This obsession with the guitar started before he played. He recalled that he would be in the back of the class drawing pictures of the guitar.
After a couple years of playing his first guitar, his father bought him an electric guitar, and, because he used to play the guitar himself, hooked George up with lessons from a close friend.
George was interested in the sound of skiffle (English folk music played on acoustic guitars). The main artists that took the lead within this genre and inspired George and many other English teens was Lonnie Donegan. He did mention that he had been aware of people like Frankie Laine and Johnnie Ray before him, but he never really took an interest in them as much as Donegan. George and his fellow Beatle, Paul, developed a friendship over skiffle. George rode the bus with Paul (Paul was a grade ahead of George), and they never really talked until the skiffle craze hit, that brought them together.
In 1955, Paul moved closer to George, and soon they were growing even closer. Not playing in a band, but playing and learning together.
John Lennon would be the one to lead the two on their musical journey. John led a local skiffle group called the Quarrymen. After watching Paul perform with a right-handed guitar upside down (because he’s a lefty), John was eager to let him join, but not as eager to let George in – mainly because George was 14. After John agreed to let George audition, he noticed George’s talent quickly and let him join. George played his first gig with the Quarrymen in February 1958, when George was 17. He not only made the group altogether better, but he helped John and Paul improve their skills as well. Soon after, they had enough guitarists, a bass guitarist and no drummer, as the Silver Beetles, inspired by Buddy Holly’s group the Crickets. George recommended Pete Best to fill in as the drummer (Ringo would fill in for Pete when Pete was sick or wouldn’t show up).
Young Adult:
By 1964, the Beatles released a couple of singles and the album Please Please Me and appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. They were in the process of making the film for their album A Hard Day’s Night. On the set of the film, George met a girl named Pattie Boyd. She was an extra in the movie. George didn’t really say anything to her, but she asked for autographs for her and her 2 sisters. When he did, he put 2 kisses next to his name for both sisters, and 7 kisses next to his name for Pattie. She did have a boyfriend when she first met George, so when he first asked her out, she said no. About a week later, he asked again and she agreed.
While recording the album for A Hard Day’s Night, George introduced a 12-string guitar and continued to use it through Help!
In 1964, while in New York City, the Beatles met Bob Dylan for the first time. During that meeting was the first time any of the Beatles tried weed. That also developed a lifelong relationship between the two.
Rubber Soul by the Beatles was released in 1965 and it was the first time George played the sitar. After this was a success, it led The Rolling Stones to follow suit on their song “Paint it Black.” In 1966, he started taking lessons, some of them with known sitarist, Ravi Shankar.
While recording Let it Be, George and Paul got into quite a few arguments about George over complicating his guitar playing. George got mad and walked out saying “See you ’round the clubs.” 5 days later, he agreed to join the band again but only if they changed the location where they recorded and wrote their songs. From that point, George started standing up to Paul. During the recording of “Here comes the Sun,” Paul suggested how the song should sound, and George rebutted, “No, I think the song is fine as it is.”
On April 10, 1970, Paul released his debut solo album, pretty much saying that essentially the Beatles were done.
Solo:
Singles: “My Sweet Lord,” “Isn’t it a Pity,” and “What is Life”
During the first year or so that the other Beatles were putting out their solo albums, George was working with other Apple Corp (The Beatles studio) artists. By November in 1970 when George released All Things Must Pass, within weeks, it went to number 1. It was the first of the Beatles solo albums to reach number 1. After years of being rejected by John and Paul, having an album and a single beat them was validating.
The song, “Ballad of Sir Frank Crisp (Let it Roll)” was written about the Sir Frank Crisp, lawyer and horticulturist, whose portrait and name are engraved at Friar Park. George Harrison purchased Friar Park in 1970.
The song “My Sweet Lord” brought more than an iconic single for George Harrison. This song also brought one of the first plagiarism cases in music. The song’s guitar intro was similar to the song “He’s So Fine” by the Chiffons. The link below is to the court hearing regarding the amount he paid, and what was involved with the case. Because he lost this case, he swore he would never listen to the radio again. He said that he came up with that tune unconsciously and he didn’t want that kind of influence again.
https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/508/798/1484016/
Ringo had a single as a chart topper in April of 1971 produced and co-written by, you guessed it, George Harrison.
Concert: August 1971; Album: January 1972
This same year, George held his first charity show, the Concert for Bangladesh. He did this because at this time, there were refugees from Pakistan fleeing massacres and rape in the Bangladesh War of Independence as well as remnants of the 1970 Bhola cyclone. Ravi Shankar’s family was among the refugees affected by these issues. He came to George and told him to do what he knows to do, and that’s bring musicians and fans together to end the crisis.
There was a lot of worries George had regarding this concert – ticket sales, people performing, people showing up, record sales, etc – after said and done, the stress was worth it, it a successful benefit.
George invited musicians like Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney. John refused to play without Yoko, and Paul was fighting legal battles after the Beatles breakup. But he made it clear to them that this was not about the Beatles, it was about Bangladesh. 50 years after the concert took place, the Concert for Bangladesh continues to support the nation’s people through the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF. As of 2021, the Fund supported relief efforts after a fire killed a camp of 15 people and displaced more than 45,000. The Fund also expanded from Bangladesh to Angola, Romania, India, Haiti, and Brazil. It also provides education to children on the US-Mexico border.
The compilation album he released from this concert won and Album of the Year Grammy.
No. 1 in US
Singles: “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” No. 2
At this point, Harrison’s Hindu spirituality hit a new high. All of the songs on this album reflect his spiritua devotion, except for “Try Some, Buy Some.” This song was co-written by Ronnie Spector, a former Ronette.
Dark Horse (No. 4)
December 9, 1974
Singles: “Dark Horse” and “Ding Dong, Ding Dong”
George got the name “Dark Horse” from being “the one that nobody puts money on to win. That’s me I guess.” After the Beatles broke up, George became the front-runner in music. This album abandons the religious ideology that he usually writes about and is more focused on the soul and rock that inspired him to begin with. The concert for this album, too, was not received well. It gave fans the nickname “Dark Hoarse” because of George’s laryngitis.
The song “Dark Horse” was based on an idea while growing up in Liverpool. It’s about someone who has secretive sexual relationships.
In 1974, George and Pattie divorced, and he launched Dark Horse record label. Around this time, George was having an affair with Ringo’s wife, Maureen Starkey, Ron Wood’s wife (The Face), Krissy, and Kathy Simmons. Pattie was also having an affair with Ron Wood and eventually leaving George for his best friend, Eric Clapton.
This was the first time that George started moving away from spirituality and moving more towards funk and soul. This was also George’s way to do some self reflection.
The single “Ding Dong, Ding Dong” has lyrics in the song that came from carvings in the fireplace and in the garden building at Friar Park from Sir Frank Crisp. There are also lyrics that George credits poet Lord Tennyson. This was also the quickest song that George ever wrote.
Extra Texture (Read All About It)
September 22, 1975
Singles: “You” and “This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying)”
In 1975, after the negative reception of his 1974 album, Dark Horse, he released album, Extra Texture (Read All About it). This album in total wasn’t received well, but it did have a single reach No. 20.
The single, “This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying)” is a sequel to his 1968 song “My Guitar Gently Weeps.” It was written while on holiday with his then girlfriend (now wife), Olivia.
A lot of the songs on this album reflect on George Harrison’s depression and addictions at this time.
33 & 1/3
November 19, 1976
Singles: “This Place,” “Crackerbox Palace,” “True Love,” and “It’s What You Value”
1976 came with the first album George released with his Dark Horse label, Thirty Three and 1/3. This was often compared to his album All Things Must Pass. George had actually been listening to that album for inspiration. He worked with Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood to make this album.
Half way through recording the album, George contracted hepatitis. He tried a lot of different methods, and after so many, he was finally feeling better. Without hepatitis, he wouldn’t have stopped drinking.
Remember the lawsuit from All Things Must Pass? Well, the song, “This Place,” is a satire based around the events of the lawsuit and satirizing that he was sued for plagiarism.
George commissioned Eric Idle from Monty Python to direct the music video for “Crackerbox Palace.” Speaking of Monty Python, George performed with them dressed as a Canadian Mountie for the song “The Lumberjack Song.”
George Harrison No 14 on US Billboard
February 20, 1979
Singles: “Blow Away,” “Love Comes to Everyone,” and “Faster”
In the time between George Harrison and Thirty Three & 1/3, George married Olivia and his son, Dhani (pronounced like “Danny”) was born. Dhani was born three months after Harry Harrison, George’s dad, passed away.
The single “Faster” was recorded to not only reflect his year off music, but it was inspired by the Formula 1 races that him and Olivia, his second wife, attended in the World Championship.
The song “Not Guilty” was actually a song that George recorded for the Beatles in 1968.
In 1978, George worked with Eric Idle and created a satire TV show inspired by the Beatles called All you Need is Cash starring a group called the Rutles.
In 1980, John Lennon was murdered outside his apartment in New York City.
Somewhere in England No 11
June 1, 1981
Singles: “All Those Years Ago” and “Teardrops”
With the news that John passed, George recorded and dedicated the single “All Those Years Ago” to him. This track included George, Ringo’s pre-recorded drums, Linda, Paul, and Wings bandmate, Denny Laine, sang back-up vocals. This song was originally written for Ringo to sing on his upcoming album, but the two agreed to dedicate to John.
Gone Troppo
November 5, 1982
Singles: “Wake Up My Love,” “I Really Love You,” and “Dreams Away”
This album was not one that George was happy with. At this point in time, George though that music was alienating. With the general unhappiness with the album and the musical climate, he didn’t do any marketing for it or promoting. Because of that, the album didn’t sell very well.
After this album, George took a 5 year hiatus from making music.
The song “Dream Away” became a theme song for movie called Time Bandits.
Cloud Nine
November 2, 1987
Singles: “Got My Mind Set On You,” “Devil’s Radio,” “When We Was Fab,” “Cloud 9,” and “This is Love”
During George’s hiatus from music, he pursued other interests. He focused on his movie production company, Handmade Films. After a few years working on movies, he got a desire to make music again So, he paired up with Electric Light Orchestra’s Jeff Lynne to co-produce the album.
After this album released, George gathered the likes of Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty and created the Traveling Wilbury’s. They released two albums (that were not compilations).
Death:
George Harrison passed away on November 29, 2001. Just 2 years prior he had been a victim of a break in and was stabbed. Luckily he survived the stabbing, but two years later developed not only lung cancer, but a brain tumor as well (I have also seen some sources say that he survived throat cancer, too, but I saw more people reporting that he had lung cancer).
In his last week, Ringo and Paul visited George. Ringo had to leave a little earlier than Paul did to fly to Boston to visit his daughter who was also battling a brain tumor. George’s last words to Ringo were “Want me to go with you?” His last words to his wife were “Everything else can wait, but the search for God cannot, and love one another.”
After he passed, he was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Ganges River.
Oldies but Goodies 