“I am unlimited, and I am more in control”
George Harrison: 1968 -1975; The Apple Years
WDGY Article #3-GH Sep 2017
By:RLSchwinden aka: MrZerr0
The quiet Beatle, Harrison disliked the public eye, enjoyed creating music, he felt LSD (in 1967) opened his eyes to his love of God, began writing songs about -for God as early as 1968, he was a life-long devotee to Hare Krishna, was married twice Pattie Boyd: (17 Mar 1944;UK) from 1966 -1977, George was Brother-In-Law to Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac) as they both married a Boyd sister, & then to Olivia Arias: 1978 -2001 with 1 son Dhani: (Aug 1978) & was closely associated to Monty Python. Born on 24 or 25 (depending on his legal Birth Certificate) Feb 1943 Liverpool, UK – Died; 29 Nov 2001 at Paul McCartney’s house in Los Angeles, Ca.
Harrison was member of the most famous band in history from 1962: – 1970. Songs he wrote when he was in The Beatles: “Cry For A Shadow” “Don’t Bother Me” “You Know What You Do” “I Need You” “You Like Me Too Much” “Think For Yourself” “If I Needed Someone” “Taxman” “Love You To” “I Want To Tell You” “Within You Without You” “Blue Jay Way” “Inner Light” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” “Piggies” “Savoy Truffle” “Long Long Long” “Not Guilty” “Only A Northern Song” “It’s All Too Much” “Old Brown Shoe” “Something” Here Comes The Sun” “All Things Must Pass” “For You Blue” “I Me Mine”. He worked with many other artists such as: Cream, James Taylor, Jackie Lomax, Plastic Ono Band, Doris Troy, Badfinger, Nilsson, Splinter & Monty Python, as well as he was a session player on almost 100 recordings by other artists. George released 18 LPs & CDs, & 28 Singles from 1968 -2002 as well as a member of ‘The Traveling Wilburys’ 1988 -1990.
> Party Seacombe: 1968 -69<
While still a member of the Beatles, Harrison was the 1st member to actually release a Solo LP outside the band ‘Wonderwall’ was released in Nov 1968 on Apple Records & hit #49 on the Billboard Charts. This is an instrumental soundtrack to the film of the same name released in Jan ’69, due to Musician’s Union Rules (at the time) the music used in films (or TV) could NOT Be the same music released on an LP, it had to be re- recorded, when Harrison was recording the film’s music he had ‘The Monkees’ Peter Tork play banjo in the film score.
Harrison released a 2nd Solo LP while in the Beatles ‘Electronic Sound’ released in May 1969 on Zapple this reached #191 on the charts. Harrison bought one of the 1st Moogs available in ’68, he was so impressed with the instrument recorded an entire LP with it & was 2nd & last LP released on Zapple Records.
>Awaiting On You All: 1970 -72<
With Lennon announcing his leaving The Beatles in Sep ’70 & McCartney filing papers to do so in Dec’ 70, Harrison releases his 3rd & by far most successful Solo LP ‘All Things Must Pass’ (a 3 LP set) in Nov 1970 & hits #1 on the Billboard Charts, using his usual back-up band, being: Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Klaus Voormann, Gary Wright & Jim Keltner. 2 singles are released: “My Sweet Lord b/w Isn’t It A Pity (ver 1)” which hits #1 on the charts in Dec’ 70, followed by “What Is Life b/w Apple Scruffs” which rises to #10 in Mar ’71.
In Nov ’71 the film “Raga” (with Ravi Shankar & Harrison) is released, the unusually shy George makes 2 TV appearances to promote the film; 23 Nov ’71 on the ‘Dick Cavett Show’ & followed by the ‘David Frost Show’ on 10 Dec 1971 in the UK.
Being a devout Hindu & concerned with the conditions in Pakistan, he releases the Non-LP single “Bangla Desh b/w Deep Blue” released in Jul ’71 & hitting #23 in Sep ’71, he releases his 1st “live” album (recorded from 2 shows in NYC Madison Square Garden on 1 Aug ’71 & another 3 LP set) ‘Concert For Bangladesh’ is released in Dec 1971 & reaches #2 on the charts. A film for the event was released in May 1972, also appearing with Harrison was Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar, Leon Russell, Badfinger & Bob Dylan for this charity event the very first of its kind.
> Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long: 1973<
Harrison’s 5th Solo LP ‘Living In The Material World’ is very nearly a straight up Christian Rock album, released in May 1973 his second #1 album on the charts, with the #1 single “Give Me Love b/w Miss O’Dell (3rd non-lp track)” in Jun ’73. In the Spring of ’73, Harrison worked on Ringo Starr’s 3rd Solo LP “Ringo”, (released in Nov ’73) Harrison wrote “Photograph” (#1 on charts) “Sunshine Life For Me” & “You And Me Babe”, he played on these as well as “I’m The Greatest” (written by Lennon). Harrison had previously worked on 2 other 45 singles by Starr “It Don’t Come Easy b/w Early 1970” #4 in Apr ’71, Harrison actually wrote “It Don’t Come Easy” but did not take credit, & then “Back Off Boogaloo b/w Blindman” #9 in Mar ’72.
>Hari’s On Tour Express: 1974<
So George is a roll, ‘Dark Horse’ (released with 2 covers, the 2nd a later re-issue) is released in Dec 1974, however missing the #1 spot & landing at #4 on the charts, which is why he probably released 2 singles for this LP, the 1st being “Dark Horse b/w I Don’t Care Anymore (4th non-lp)” hitting #15 on the charts in Jan ’75 followed by: “Ding Dong b/w Hari’s On Tour Express” which rose to #36 in Feb ’75 accompanied by Harrison’s 1st ever Video Clip for this song (Musician Union Rules dictated filmed appearances such as this, if not recorded “live” had to clearly appear that they are staged, therefore a “music video”). Harrison appears on the Music-TV Show “Rock On With 45” on 15 Feb 1975 Music TV Show, to promote his ‘Dark Horse’ LP.
As Apple Records dissolved (The Beatles were officially & legally dissolved in Dec ’74) Harrison founded his own record label “Dark Horse Records” (a total of 7 artists were released on this label) in May ’74, it was distributed by A&M Records, while recording this LP, Harrison met his 2nd wife Olivia (18 May 1948 Mexico City) at the A&M Studios in L.A. To help launch his new record label, Harrison embarked on his 1st & only USA Tour & the 1st Beatle to Tour The US since 1966, he played about 30 dates from 2 Nov to 20 Dec 1974, with: Billy Preston & Ravi Shankar & Tom Scott.
(*My band “PsychoGello” will be releasing a cover version of the song “Dark Horse” on our upcoming CD “Sounds From Another Planet” due later this year)
Sat 16 Nov 1974
(While Harrison sang these songs in concert, 10 other songs were performed by;
Shankar who played 7, Preston played 3 & Scott 1, songs at these shows)
Hari’s On Tour Express (instrumental)
Something
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Sue Me Sue You Blues
For You Blue
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
Sound Stage of Mind (Non-LP Instrumental)
In My Life
Māya Love
Dark Horse
What Is Life
My Sweet Lord
(I have a Vinyl “Bootleg” LP of one of these concerts from Largo, MD.)
>1975 -76: The Answer’s At The End <
Now at the end of his “EMI” contract Harrison releases his final LP for Apple ‘Extra Texture’ released in Sep 1975 & it did chart as high as #8 on the charts again with 2 singles for the album “You b/w World Of Stone” which rose to #20 in Nov ’75, followed by “This Guitar Can’t Keep from Crying b/w Maya Love”. Harrison appeared (along with New York Dolls & David Bowie) in the 1975 film “Night Lunch” about the Glam & Punk music scene.
At the end of the year Harrison started his long -time association with “Monty Python” cast, he appeared on “Rutland Weekend Television” on 26 Dec 75 with Eric Idle performing ”Pirate Song”. In Nov 1976 his ‘Best Of’ released to fill out his EMI contract (with 2 different covers) & rises to #31on the charts, in a then strange move, 1 side is his “Beatles” songs & the other side is his “Solo” songs, then reason being, based on the dismal sales of “Lennon” & “Starr” “Best Of” LPs, EMI did not want that to happen with Harrison’s ‘Best of’, which failed to produce better sales result. This also launched the 2nd half of George’s solo career … more on that latter.
Stay Tuned on Sundays !
Catch my Music History Radio Show on WDGY 740am, 92.1fm & Streaming 103.7 “Mr. Zero’s PsychoGello Vinyl Radio Show” Episode #5 was on George Harrison
Mr. Zero’s *Est. 2009
1744 Lexington Ave. N.
Roseville, MN. 55113
www.MrZeroS.Com
George Harrison
Apple Year
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