The legacy of George Harrison isn’t removed from our minds, each for his good musicianship and visionary humanitarianism. However simply as he needed to combat to be acknowledged as a very good composer inside the ranks of The Beatles, it’s not all the time sufficiently acknowledged that his music catalog has attracted 1000’s of interpretations. That’s the inspiration for this take a look at ten of the very best George Harrison covers.
Hearken to the very best of George Harrison on Apple Music and Spotify.
On February 25, 1969, George’s 26th birthday, he went to Abbey Street Studios to make solo recordings of three of his newest compositions. One in every of them was “Something,” the beautiful ballad which got here out on Abbey Street that September, as a double A-side single with “Come Together” in October. It attracted extra covers than some other Beatles music aside from “Yesterday.”
Distinguished amongst these, after all, was the model of “Something” recorded in 1970 by Frank Sinatra, who famously referred to as it “the greatest love song of the last 50 years.” He cherished it a lot, in actual fact, that he recorded it once more, in 1979, however it’s the primary recording that options right here.
There are three video choices from the remastered soundtrack of the emotional, star-laden 2002 Live performance For George, on which his buddies and admirers gathered on stage in his reminiscence. Right here’s the historic pairing of Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney main a remake of George’s very good “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” from 1968’s The Beatles, aka The White Album. Ringo Starr additionally options, alongside Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison, Albert Lee, Ray Cooper, and lots of others.
Billy Preston’s soulful model of “My Sweet Lord” is just not, strictly talking, a canopy within the ordinary sense, as a result of George gave the music to his fellow Apple artist Billy Preston to chop first, for his Encouraging Phrases album, which Harrison co-produced. One in every of The Beatles’ favourite musicians and the person who was credited with them on “Get Back,” Preston launched the LP in September 1970, two months earlier than it appeared on George’s epic triple LP All Issues Should Go after which as a chart-topping single.
“It’s All Too Much” was a considerably lesser-heralded Harrison composition that’s seen in some quarters as a prototype acid-rock music. The Beatles recorded it in Might 1967, however it wasn’t launched till their Yellow Submarine movie soundtrack appeared in 1969. It’s not broadly recognized that the primary cowl of it was by future American rock staples Journey, on their second album Look Into The Future in early 1976. Right here’s a studying from a couple of months later by British prog rock figurehead Steve Hillage, on his album L.
Again at Live performance For George at London’s Royal Albert Corridor, right here’s a tackle “I Need You,” his charming 1965 unique for the Assist! album. It has all of the extra poignancy now that we’ve misplaced each George and Tom Petty, performing it right here with the Heartbreakers.
Of newer classic is the ever-admirable Tedeschi Vans Band’s in-concert interpretation of “Within You Without You,” initially from the timeless Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Membership Band album. The considerate and suitably mystical-sounding replace comes from the TTB’s 2017 album Dwell From The Fox Oakland.
Our remaining go to to Live performance For George is for an outstanding model of “Isn’t It A Pity,” George’s characteristically profound piece of songcraft from All Issues Should Go. Eric Clapton takes the lead earlier than a tour-de-force efficiency by Billy Preston who, himself, sadly left us in 2006.
One of many first pop teams to recognise the efficiency of Harrison’s songwriting have been UK chart fixtures the Hollies. Fast off the blocks, their cowl of “If I Needed Someone” was launched as a UK single, and their follow-up to “Look Through Any Window,” on the identical December 1965 day as the unique, on The Beatles’ Rubber Soul album (though the US version of that LP omitted George’s music, which didn’t seem there till the Yesterday and Right now launch of 1966).
Lastly, a model of George’s unforgettable “All Things Must Pass” makes a extremely appropriate closing tribute for this respectful leaf by the Harrison songbook. All of the extra so because it options his son Dhani, together with Ann Wilson of Coronary heart, mannequin and singer-songwriter Karen Elson and Norah Jones, performing collectively at 2014’s George Fest: A Evening to Have a good time the Music of George Harrison on the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. “Sunset doesn’t last all evening,” as George wrote. “A mind can blow those clouds away.”
Purchase or stream the multi-format Live performance For George.
