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    Guitar Legends - The Beatles

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    a ls} THE COMPLETE Fab Four! Mili ea dh 3) a a SGT. PEPPER'S & ABBEY ROAD Behind The Beatles: Rock Band! > Inside Yellow Submarine " CONTENTS 8 In four short years, the Beatles pulled the world under their spell, influencing everything from music to polities, sex and spirituality. And they were just getting started. 20 At the dawn of 1967, with the world on the brink of a cultural revolution, the Beatles entered a heady phase of innovative songwriting and expression. 30 ‘The 1999 reissue of the animated Beatles film Yellow Submarine brought the late George Harrison back into the spotlight to talk about the film and recording all those great songs. 40 Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick tells the story behind rock and roll’s perennial favorite record. the Beatles launched the f popular musie with Sgt s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Peppe Te was the Beatles’ final studio work, but it was the start of a new era in recorded music. Geoff Emerick tells the story behind the songs and sounds. 62 Yoko Ono and some of John Lennon's closest collaborators explore the solo career of the man who taught the world to imagine. Dr, Frank Veteran recalls the Struggle to save John Lennon. 7 He was the soft-spoken lead guitarist for the world’s greatest rock group. But George Harrison's playing shook up the world and helped create guitar rock and roll 80 Paul McCartney discusses some his greatest acoustic songs, his unique playing style and his signature Epiphone Texan guitar. 86 ‘The Fab Four shift from the past to the future in The Beatles: Rock Band, the music video game th a generation gap Soucerrzen just might brid APE CORPS 2009 some 40 years wide o7 wera fte cyan yen he md ot pin ey es Beaman. S CULTURAL PHENOMENA GO, the Beatles were one of the bigges happenings of the 20th centur r band has had a greater impac onthe sound, structure rall aesthetic of 0. Ci rock band befo: ines influenced | matters, includ- ing politics, spirituality and the very fabric of daily life, to the extent that the Beatles did, nor h 0 vi still felt tod cartney, George ennon died in 1980, Harri in 2001. But clearly, the ness their recently remastered ogand The Beatles: Rock Band music video game—both have been among the most antici- pated entertainmentreleases of the pasty Nostalgia isn’t the only reason for their success—the products were born long after the group’s breakup or, for that matter, Lennon’ O10 rue nesries (on) WindremerPae tes b (ced fom ein 850s ‘heerlen iy ote onmapre ou genre EN ENERGENC! THE ; ri ; E BE ian L ES on + Set ear ee O14 te wesries MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO HEAR THEMSELVES ONSTAGE. 1966 ow ing noms ir fr Eg nT up ht ire sr son Supe Wy. ene MTV Haro remade i sts. OIG tne wesries career. Amongother things it Beatles album that Feature i sari} by Paul MeCareney, who play recently aequired Epiphone semihollow eleetrie, Harrison Lennon also acquired Casi Aste: commomiae en mang ‘teen 65968 ampson R sorption of Indian musical tradition is performed the p Harrison's third contributio sareminderth MeCartney’s pop nce had lain dormant duu se of the band’s career, bu from this point forward, it would prove a MeCartney, tive sepia-toned had pioneered onearle while his upee Life’ isan notable backward tape guitar solo), not to O18 te wearves AND THEY’D TAKEN ALL OF : WESTERN CULTURE WITH THEM. o19 ——— ‘ EOMEIWING GE tai) of 1967, aman von ed maa umtiid cultural revolution, Tam ratte aeeagtcagee| a heady and ieReet eee pCO m UCL aer tay Raa Teel Cure CLEts ene PSOE SLY S——]}—— HE BEATLES ENDED 1966 by announcing their retirement from live concert performances. Henceforth, they would notonly concentrate on studio recordings butalso use the studio to create something that transcended even the excitement ofa live rock concert. Itseemed an extravagant claim, but in February 1967, they made good on it with the release of “Strawberry Fields Forever” /“Penny Lane,” one of the most revolutionary pop singles ever released. Onteraadtor Mages yt Tern 67 we ae cao thes notes clear thatthe Restle ha come upona whole (0a painter adding and subtrac author experimenting with diff view in a novel or poem, And from sic could be just as Featureda pl hich featured wellas rom theother orybecomesthe jump ib same when itsa dream" The verse syntax is disjointed, uncertain, tentative. Everyone knows that the Beatles, like a lot of people in 1967, had i O2ZZ vue wevries awe hair; i wasnt cute. For many, the newly hirsute Beatles just looked old andserious, Forasecond timein popeulture history,the Beatles tonsorial choices had caused astit. But of course many other Beatles fans, both old and new, devoted entire days of the year 1967 to playing “Strawberry Fields” over and ver again, completely entranced as they tried to penetrate its myster ies, Yer astounding as itis, "Strawherty Fields" was a mere aperitif—a tantalizing hintof what was tocome next, Four months later, he Beatles presented Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to the worl. Sgt. Pepper's is routinely cited as one of the greatest rack records ‘ofall time, While itis not the first rock conceptalhum—Frank Zappa's 1966 Freak Outs generally accorded that ttle—Sgt. Pepper'sintroduced the idea chaca rock album could have characters and, ifnot a plot, cer tainlya beginning. middleandend. Allthe great narrative or conceptual albums in the rack eanan—the Who's Tommy and Quadrophenia, the Protty Things’ SF, Sorrow, the Kinks’ Arthur, Pink Floyd's The Wall INA MOMENT OF COSMIC SYNCHRONICITY, THE RELEASE OF SGT. PEPPER’S COINCIDED WITH THE SUMMER OF LOVE. Marilyn Manson's Antichrist Superstar, and so on—have this in com- mon with Set, Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. ‘With Rubber Soul and Revolver, the Beatles pioneered the dea thata rockalbum could have itsawn structaralineegrty and thus besomething ‘more thanan ad hoc collection ofhits and “fillex” With Sgt- Pepper's, they took this to a new level of sophistication, making good on their promise todo something new with che medium. Alger Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Hand, he wo-sided vinyl rockalbum would henceforth be aclassie form, like the Shakespearian sonnet or the orchestral symphony in four movements, Countless musical artists would be inspired by the creative strategies the Beatles employed for sequencing songs, pacing, creating transitions and building recurring motifs into their musie al Iyries, As ifto dramatize and confirm the new artistic direction the Beatles had taken, the albums graphics and openingtrack ereace a playful fictive identity forthe group, transforming them into the somewhat archaie yet colorfully clad Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. t's an old-fasb- joned-sounding name, suggestive of aging spinsters and Salvation Army rallies, but psychedelicized recontextualizations of antique Vietoriana ‘were very much a pare ofthe Beatles’ miliew at this point in time, The album marked the firsttime thatthe caver artwork wasan integral part of he overall musical experience, The original release even included card: board cutouts af the Sut. Pepper's logo wih its antique lettering, military stripes and a badge depicting theSergeanthimsef.Itisalso the frst Beatles album co fea ture printed Iyries co all the songs on the album sleeve, & tact indication hat these were words worthy of con templation. Additionally, yt Pepper's was the first Beatles album where the US. song. selection and running order is the same as the UK. dise Even the corporate powers fof Capitol Records. could recognize there wasaninvio Table form to Sgt. Pepper's thae should not be tampered with The opening track seam- lessly segues from driving = rock to oom-pah brass band = camp. Italsosets up the next ‘number “A Little Help from My Friends,” introducing Ringo asthe fictitious band’s fictitious singer, Billy Shears, *y THE PSYCHEDELIC YEARS 1967: 970 M) Ringo’s vocal urn had been astandard ingredient on Beatlesalbumsright from the beginning, but hete it's folded into the overall concept, a for malized confirmation ofthe longtime fan's expectation that, yes, Ringo’s gonna singone, After this, however, there is no real conceptual link beeween the tunes (although interpreters over the years have been highly imagina tive in uncovering threads), The body of the album is mainly, and sim: pi about presentingbrlliant songs performed and produced brilliantly. Lennon's at his trippiest on che expansively imagistie "Lucy in the Sky ‘with Diamonds," and his“Being for the BenefitoMr.Kite!"superimposes| some first-rate aural collage work, including tape loops of eircus organs, ‘vera lytic inspired by an antique circus poster. “She's Leaving Home” isone of MeCartney’s most poignant narrative ballads, orchestrated for a string quartet. His British music hall influence emerges, once a fon “When I'm Sixty-Four” and he squeezes off ripping guitar solo on ‘Goad Morning, Good Morning.” playing through a very English Selmer “Zodiac ap. Harrison weighs in with one his most pro- found and beautifully realized Indian-inspired tracks, "Within You Without You." playing sitar and acoustic guitar witha group of Indian musi: tiansand yet another outstandingGeorge Martin brehestration, Harrison'stamboura dronesdeeo- rate “Ley in te Sky with Diamonds” and “It's Getting Better gitar work sall over the dis Anuptempoorgan-driven reprise of*Sat Pepper's Lonely Heart’sClub, Band!” brings a sense of thematic closure to the album, But then there's a postscript "A Day in the Life” is another landmark Beatles recording. Lennon wistful ballad is eerily prophetic, a rumination on the death of a publie figure. It was McCartney's idea to follow Lennon's “Td love to turn you on” refrain with a dramatic orchestral erescendo that had each member af 40-pieceensemble ascending ehromaticallyathisor her own pace. After the firsterescendb the songcutsabruptly toa McCartney song, fragment, the perky “Woke up, fell out of bed” section. Without abandon: ing the beautifully turned verses, choruses and bridges of pop songstruc tute, the Beatles were finding new ways co open these forms up. Back in 1067 fans saespellbound as the final, resounding piano chord ofA Day in the Life” faded out, listening intenty asthe sound receded into silence, keen to pick up any overtones or buried messages, as if meditating on a sered mantra, Tnamomentofeosmicsynchronieity, the release oft, Pepper'scoin cided with the Summer of Love, the apotheosis of the worldwide hip- Die movement that had San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury distrietasits de facto capitol While they had no formal agenda, hippiesadvocated peace free love, equality ofthe races and sexes, exploration af consciousness through psychedelic drugsand orspiritual practiceand, perhapsmostof all freedom of mind, body andl soul. Rock music was the eu: ture’ predaminan¢ art form and the Beatles in their new creative incarnation seemed the perfect embodiment of hippie counterculture ideals In many ways they were the ultimate rock band for the now era that was dawning Their next single seemed toconfirmthis.~All You Need Is Love" is a blast of pure lower Power. Following he opening strains of the French national anthem a bit of absurdist cognitive the word “love and, of course, his superb lead dissonance issung nine successive times in gorgeous harmony over a simple descending chordal Dacking. As the blissful, man- tra-like refrain —which has been likened to "Three Blind Mice”-repeats, and Lennon starts spinning verse Iyties O23, we atseem like Zen koans: “There's nothing you re's nothing you ean sing that can’t be sung.” As early as “The Word” from Rubber Soul, Lennon had been playing with the dual sense ofthe word love:the commonplace subject ofboy el pop songs on the one hand and the elevated concept of universal ove on {the other. With all You Need Is Love,” he placed his focus squarely on the latter definition, his linty verse tautologieskeepingthe mind engaged and leaving the heart fre to wallow in the sheer hippie bliss of ital. ‘all You Need Is Lave Beatles employed in “Strawberry Fields” and would use again in "I Am the Walrus” and “Hey Jade Te was one more way in which chey opened §up pop songstructures during this periad, transforming hitherto minor ¢elementof poparrangement intoa full-blown art statement, The“All You Need Is Love” outroisan aural collage, with bits of the old English ballad Greensleeves" and the big hand standard “In the Mood” woven into the swirlingsonic construct, asifal thesongs and sounds in the universe were converginginto one. MeCartney chimes in wich the chorus ine from"She Loves You," makinghisown wry comment on thecontrast and continuity between the “silly lave songs" ofthe Beatles’ pop era and the expanded Tove consciousness of their psychedelic phase. All You Need Is Love" weas aptly chosen fot inclusion in she first-ever elobal satellitebroadcast, which took place on June25,1967,linkingsome 27 countries on five continents. The Beatles’ segment af the show orig nated from Abbey Road, where the quartet performed “All You Need Is Love” with fllorchestraanda supporting cast of superstar friends that included Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Marianne Faithful, Keith Moon, Erie Clapton and Graham Nash, sctingeross-legged atthe Beatles fet and jininginon theloveisallyou need" outro refrain, Thebroadcastreached some 400,000 viewers. [twas kind of similar ta the Beatles’ legendary Ed Sulliver appearances, butona global seale, By 1967, the Beatles had begun tolearn that they could harness the power oftheir fametobeam messages beneficial to humanity all across the world Theeuphoriaof that magie night wasshortlived, however: Twomonths later, on August 27, longtime Beatles manager Brian Epstein was found dead in his London home, the victim of a drug overdose; noone knew fit \was intentional, accidental orthe result of foul play. Epstein'sdeath wasa heavy emotional blow tothe Beatles, Brian had heen with them since 1961 and had guided them all through their frantic and unprecedented rise t0 fame. After some deliberation, the Beatles decided they would man: themselves from that point onward. Itwas adauntingandl unprec move, perhaps, bu this was an era of experimentation inall aspects life ndo that ean'tbe done features an extended outro, a device the THROUGH REGULAR MEDITATION AT THE MAHARISHI’S INDIA RETREAT, NEW SONGWRITING IDEAS CAME TO THE BEATLES IN A TORRENT. cas they were faced with the first op oftheircareer arly 1968 was perhaps anideal time for the Beatles toretreat tothe Maharishi Mahesh ¥, Rishikesh, India, tostudy the guru's Transcendental Meditation tech nigue, The group had been with the Maharishi in Wales when they received thenews of Brian Epstein's depth, Now they decidedo ointhe yogi om his peaceful, serene home turf, Of the quartet, George and John were most behind the ide, and they spent 11 weeks atthe ash am, Paul stayed nine weeks, while Ringo bailed after days,sayinghe was bored and also unhappy with the food. At Rishikesh, the Beatles were joined by a coterie of stars thatincluded Beach Boy Mike Love, Scottish pophalladeer Donovan and settess Mia Farrow Through regular meditation Lennon, MeCartney and Harrison found new songwriting ideas com ing ina torrent, Many would take form on their next album, 1968's ddouble-dise set The Beatles, aka the White Album. Duringtheirtime together at Rishikesh, Donovan taught Lennon and MeCarmey how to fingerpiek, tutoring Joh especially on a Gibson J-85 acous tic. This discovery accounts forthe abundanceofacousticyitar-driven sonys on the White Album, inelud- ing MeCartney’s “Blackbird” and Will and Lennon's “Julia” and ‘Mother Nature's Son” Around this time, John and Pal both aequired Alot af people were moving into new and uncharted territories, The shortcomings oftheir decision became apparent on the Beatles very first project without Epstein, The Magical Mystery Tour television film ‘was Paul McCartney's idea. He thought it would bea brilian lark for the Beatles to take abusload of iendsinta the West Country of England, film ‘whatever transpired and make a TV special out oft, Film and TV were 4 key partofthe Beatles’ strategy for maintainingabond with theirfansin the absence ofliveshows. By late 1965, they'd already begun shooting lm clips for their singles asa way of cutting down on live television appearances. These had grown even more inventive with the surrealistic *Strawherry Fields" clip. The All You Need Is Love” satelice broadcast had been asuc ess too, But Magical Mystery Tour would not prave so fortuna In the absence of Epstein’ tight organizational skills, the project moved forward without proper scheduling, budgetingor even a shooting script. Completing Magical Mystery Tou tookconsiderably more tinteandd money than ad been anticipated, When the show debuted in Britain-—the day ater Christmas 1967~it was denounced as rubbish by a quorum of influential erties. ABC-TV in America hacked out of airing the film in the States after it homed in England. soundetack album was released inthe US, and while it brought some fine new songs (“The Fool on the Hill? "Your Mother Should Know"), itlacked the cohesive authority of ‘Set. Pepper's and paled by comparison with thae bellwether record. At the start of 1967, t had looked like the Beatles could do no wrong. Nov O24 suv wesrues Martin D-28 acousties, which were used extensively on the record, Bat the White Album is no mere collection of folk ballad i also con tains some of the most raw and edgy recordings the Beatles would ever make. The album displays. tremendous range of material, and while the record lacks the taut structural unity of Sgt. Pepper's, that seems to be precisely the point. The White Album isin many ways, the antithesis af Sat. Pepper’. Its plain white cover stands in stark, and seemingly deliber te, contrast to Sgt. Pepper's ornate, high-conceps graphics. This f so striking when the album was first released, in November 1968, that i \was almost immediately dubbed the White Album, 1 Sgt. Pepper's is the Platonic ideal forehe concepcalbuny then the White Album isthe universal template for the rock double album, we Owo-dise format afforded the Beatles much room in which to ‘experiment. This is perhaps one mote refleetion ofthe fact that Brian Epstein wasmo longer on hand to rein themin, The White Album was the ‘band’s irsrelease on theirown post-Epstein Apple label. George Martin’ suggestion to pare the recard down toa single dise was overruled. So the White Albumislaced withsilly studio jams like Wild Honey Pie all-out arcprojectslike Lennon's musique coneréte sound collage“ Revolution 9 Ringo’ first public stab at songwriting with the eountry-Aavored “Don't Pass Me By" and unabashed joke songs like MeCartney's "Why Don’t We Do tein the Road: All this comes off delightfully because i is bracketed with enough va te poe’ YOU B [O47 Jeaule tous Sir : ALS LIEBE Moe basi vs aoe at 4MOR 2 1967-1970 ‘Theos 97 pt) Yow ‘Stomae chars wh weraedon te ew esr kam gerd —_————————, A listation with heroin w experimental relationship. "Sk ind the adjective “skaggy” seems to fit some of Leni ‘on the White Album-the dark verseimagery in“ Happiness Isa Warm Gun" for instance, or the nodding-outennuiof*I'm$o Tired,” But John ‘only one gettingdown and dirtyon the White Aum, MeCartney ze Skeleen”h heirexpl hy Don’t We Do It in the ar ssaslangterm for hen, svethe another ealection of old hits, all. Martin'orchestral score forte out shrill and revs up the distortion on his ody ofthe Who, known at the time fi thet reking, and even on Beatles clowned around een, the real Beatles were arguing frequently and spending time apart. Their Apple empire was in lues an alarming stare of disarray. Ambitiously, che group off with McCartney's had attempted to expand its company into a range of sic “Back in the USS.R" with its creative interests, including two record labels (App! Beach Boys inspired bridge and, for experimental releases, Za recording The White Albany dlouble-diseeanvasgave Harrison plent nd rel n room to shine as wel. Asis spiritual practice de he fou rerarely good businessmen other outlets or hisineerestin indian musie~suel a wundtrac rengexception, Thespiritof E f Harrison hecamealitth oexpr Jed Apple'scoursehad made his life in his work with the Beatles. Instead he got back the Beatles for every con artist, sharp dealer, ham shaman songs ike the White Album’s horn-driven *Savoy and delusional kook in creation. The company’s problems began to turn nd the yearning classie "While My Guitar Gently Weeps” For the track, Harrison brought in his fiend Brie Claptontalaydown I ar Hop fough-edged vibe was also a reflee- he s is MeCartney who tried topullehegroup’sm corekindle theenergy and solid ted that the Beatles return to their ro they'd al concer quarter nitinued to beasoureeof expanded to include a film erew who would docu Whilethebs wildly unre: dn here and pressureand and Lennon were each other. Harrison went thae inflaced egos were what made the Album a double set: with relations strained to the breaking point, no ane dare thatamarginal songheomitt Fanuary 19 r i smoothly, George Aq Harrison walked out on January 10 and on returned on the condition thatany and al plans for alive concert be al resented Yoko ndoned. The other ‘oworkonanew folda few weoks later January 1969 saw the relea trackto Yellows O2ZGE vue werries recor without wep the peace Despite the reinvigorate the LonkionsOlympiesti lem alin’ lay’ with Johns’ audio standard material hed been pre some four month In Amsterdam, Lennon and Onoused the publicity ROOD THE MARAT Yow plea ‘Stimemeranincad reting en psc generated by theirmarriage world peace via thei f uupby holdingasimilareventin Montreal. Johnimmor 1967-1970 027 and MeCartney perfor MeCartney handling d piano anda harge of all guitar and lead ocalsas Lennon could still coex jst in the same studio, Lennon and MeCareney had each started Lennon followed suit with "The Ballad of John and Yoko," single that introduced the self-dramatic tion holo Tnmid 1969, with the Beat mired in disharmony, MeCartney fonce again proposed a solution: personal differences long enou to record a disciplined, song-dy the wou ld produce it? "Yes, llowed toproduceit” Martin id ree-associative ride through Jarker places. And Jobs's "I Want the raw blues mode of the White Album's that takesupthe second halfofside two. IfLennonand MeCartney'could witwith passagesof minor guitarchordsturm no lo ind churn out killer tu y the next hishatto Fiftiesrockand olla and his “Maxwell's Silver combines Paul's music hall procliviies with h while Ringo has one of hse for narrative lyries on his oven come jeularly strong album Me Your Money" and "Golden Slumbers.” Be love bal- _guitarwieldng Beatleshave traded Hicks sh i allover, ll three Hamburg—and the ad contrib Buc there was a postscript. The music from the Get Back endent chunk of optimism set to the celebratory ringof haunted the Beatles, Glyn Johns had failed eo mix the album to the faction, so the groupnext called in Phil Spector, the fabulously eccentric ad is the medley producer who had forged the early Sixties legendary Wall af Sound an O28 rue nesters McCARTNEY HAD ANNOUNCED THE BEATLES WERE THROUGH. of the animated Beatles film Yellow Its tube gees Tg George Harrison back into the spotlight. In what would be among See lmao On he talked about the eM ESOTERIC TES CIN ery erie Cer view of life and music. \ y the house and grounds of the handsome Vietorian Gothic house and parkland he purchased in 1969, "When I firs saw this place a year of so eater 1 still couldn't afford it says Harrison alluding to the snarled, shiggish stream of royalties and Fevenue the Fab Four encountered inthe wake oftheir mammoth success. twas Derek Taylor [the fate journalst/author and Apple publicist] who talked meintobuyingthe property ater visting itavain with me, back when there were Catholic nuns livinghere and there was tlk of demolishing the run-down building because of the upkeep. Derek and I smoked some pat in the lower garden, and he told me to go ahead and get it, So I've spent the last 30 years fixing up the place, finding local people to help me do the gardening that used to be handled by a staf of over 40 in che 1870s, \when it was buile by a lawyer-baronet named Sit Frank Crisp.” [Crisp was immortalized by Harrison in the song “Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Rol,” on All"Things Must Pass.) By electric cart and on foot, Harrison takes me for an extended tour around the aeres of topiaries, waterfall-fed lagoons, graceful Oriental arboretumsand man-made underground grottos~ complete with conerete stalagmites and stalactites originally fashioned by Victorian craftsmen. As hhe does, he recalls the small backyard gardens his father, Harold, onee {ended inthe Liverpool suburbs of Speke and Woolton. Later, over tea and ke on the house veranda, George also recalls his boyhood exploits the crusading knight in Sir Walter Seot’s 1819 novel Ivanhoe while outicted in eardboard armor of his own construction. As Harvison speaks, a deer suddenly appears in a clearing 50 yards distant, ambling with head high as if to temp the spectral longhows of medieval archers sell haunting these woods seven centuries later GEORGES STRIKINGLY FIT andre-energized in the wake of his mildbrush with throat cancer several years ago, che only evidence ofthe small hump removed from his neck in August 1997 being a barely pereeprible,hait thin car. “Luckily for me," he says, they found that this nodule was more ‘of warning than anything else." George was treated with radiation that year at the Royal Marsden Hospital, England's top eancet center, and in January 8 he received an“ll-clear*billof health from the Mayo Clinicin Rochester, Minnesota. Back in '97, Harrison quitabriefty revived smoking habit for good, and ever since then his proximity to nosious fumes has OBZ vue neste been confined to the pit-stop exhaust of Ferrarisand Renaultson the World Grand Prix racing circuit he still frequents, He also travels often to Hawai, India, Australia and the U.S. But when he's in Litre England, he's a homebody house has a cleverly designed human ‘winding central staircase all built ta appear grand, but without the outsized dimensions of conventional design. Harrison's playful pe is ideally suited tothe premises, and vice-versa: the halls are dotted with swaggish design touches, like litle bronze monk's heads whose noses are call buttons or light switches. Lovely tile panels depiting scenes fom fairy tales are inser in the walls, and litle carved leprechauns and grinning gremlins peck ‘out from hiding places, Asked about the stone dwarfs that once reclined on the meadow-sized lawn forthe All Thing Must Pass photo session, he smiles and says, “They've been repainted and we put them elsewhere on the grounds to ive people something to discoveras they walk abou, Inanother portion ofthe estate, below the house that George is replanting, he’s installing a hidden sound system and a trellised patio/dance floor for outdoor parties. Handsomely arbor-like, but ‘embecidel with elegant pocketsof whimsy Friar Park is intended for amusement as ‘well as reflection. And access to mulsicisalways athand, Under the sais in he livingroom isa glowing, antique Wurlitzer jukebox filed with jazz from the Twenties and Thirties, rare pop from the Fifties and Sixties and even Mexican balladry of the Forties that Harrison's wife adores, On a counter just inside a terrace isa softbound copy of Seletion of Brie Clapton's Guitars, the official catalog ofthe guitarist’s impending auction to aid his Crossroads drug rehabilitation center, in Antigua. George says he and his family willbe going down to London fora pre-auction reception in support ‘of Clapton's cause (“Erie's so great, and he’s ina happy, more easy frame ‘of mind these days"), and then he muses whether the time will ever come thac he might consider parting with pieces from his own extensivestringed instrument alleen. That rove, arrayed on thesecond floor of the house, nchides everything from quaint mandolins and bajoleles to an original Coral electric sitar, several neat rows of National steels of assorted vintages an lustrous custom acousties Harrison plays daly. Also on hand are numerous keyboards and Western and Eastern percussion, swell as modern drum kits on which friends Jim Keltner and Jim Capaldi have recently been pounding. Another recent visitor to Friar Park was veteran British rocker Joe Brown (famed for the early Sixties ULK hits “A Picture of You” and “Ie Only Took a Minute"), ‘who brought along former Elvis guitarist Scotty Moore fora chat JUST BEFORE SUNSET, we trek s quarter-mile slong the fringes of the estate toa rough-hewn replica ofa Russian dacha, the tiny cottage ticked among pines on arise overlooking the Thames Valley. Harrison unlocks the porched bungalow, abed-sit-sized retreat that has small stove heater and an ornate chest concealing a stereo. He puts on a CD from Dylan’ 1985 Biggraph compilation and plays one ofhis favorite songs, "Every ‘of San.” We banter on the porch steps while in the background Dylan intones, “The sun beat down upon the stairs/Of ime to light the way.” As \wewatch the tangerine orb sink behind the turrets of his mansion, Harrison confesses his ambivalence about re-entering the pop arena with his latest ‘compositions and legacy of basement tapes, whieh include his own moving rendition of Every Grain of Sand. t’shard tothink of leaving the privacy and quiet ofthe happy'life have her,” he admits, saying he wants to bein touch musically with the world but cant imagine returning to even thesporadietouringand self-promotion careers sat) we of his Sevent to-Nineties solo span. Yer the increasingly negative tilt ‘of society, with its obsessive preoccupations with violence, bigotry and nihilism, troubles Harrison, A fallen Catholic whose adult embrace of Indian spirituality has never wavered, Harrison fels the need tary "to cut through the eynicism” to let the public know he sil believes in the power of music “to inspire, give comfort or another outlook" on “all the terrible things” chat "we're doing to ourselves and each other these days. Later afteralasaima dinner in his ornately paneled kitchen with his wife Olivia, theitson Dhani ust home from his school year a Brown University inthe States) and Oliva’ sister, Linda, Harrison take his visitor upstairs this Friar Park Studio, Selecting a National Dobro from the vast array of| vintage guitars hanging from the walls, Harrison slipsa giassbortleneck on his finger as he seats himself to strum “The Farmer Is the Man Who Feeds UsAll the traditional tine of 1860s America made famous inthe Twenties by country musie pioneer Fiddlin’ John Carson and later popularized on Ry Cooder’ 1971 Into the Purple Valley album as “Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us Al That's where 1 first heard the tone interpretation, before he begins to sing-*The farmer i the man, the farmer isthe man/lhuys on ereit until che fall/Then they take himby the hand/And they lead him from hs land/And the merchant he's the man who gets ital Whether or not the song choice is intentional, Harrison knows whatit's like toheshort-changed or hilked, having strugated through decades of assorted business betrayals, baseless lawsuits and high-handed practices designed to separate him from ownership of, or recompense for, his compositions and recorded performances AS HARRISON CONTINUES pucting che las loving touches on his next solo exploit and pores over his astounding, eareer-length trove of previously tunheard private sessions and alternative passes of his own hits and standards, questions clearly linger for him about the preferred commercial nd logistical pathsto take ina technologically expanding marketplace. He mentions the internet as an alluring outlet, ‘My attitude is abit like, Il always write songs and record ehem and wane other people to enjoy them,” he says, smiling serenely. “As for the rest, well see ‘Stepping into the control room, Harrison eues up tracks slated for his solo project. Olivia Linda and Dhani slip in to listen. Among the numerous new songs he unveils are “Valentine,” a potent power ballad that sounds Tike one of his cleverest,hit-destined excursions, with the song’s hapless protagonist tossing out every ardent couplet he can conjure up to capture an unattainable lver’sheart. In sharp contrast are “Pisces Fish," partially autoliographieal rock hymn about learning to both swim in the river andl watch ie flow, and “Brainwashed,” blistering anthem about social {delusions ina world running down. The lyric by turns seadhing and wity tibruptly shifts into a brief, ethereal spoken: word bridge before roaring bback fora cumuleuous fina says Harrison of Cooder's ‘Coming next in the series of DAT cassettes are surprisingly different incarnations of classes from the Harrison canon, interspersed with unusual ‘cover versions, dexterous acoustic woodsheddings with famous colleagues and deft melodie laks that consistently show G orge’s instinctive gifts 2s vocalist, mult-instrumentalist and Iytiest. What's most striking about al ‘the music isthe sense of exuberance, the delight in the fine points and the ‘expansive rightness of each imprompt flight. Traversing the full emotional spectrum, this is skilled, unselfconseious inspiration, plainly pursued in Private for its own ehapsodie sake. Among the songs under consideration forthe new album is track that deals both caustcaly and hilariously with Harrison's mid-Nineties legal triumph in Los Angeles Superior court aver ex-husiness partner Denis O'Brien, who George sued in 1993 for outrageous fiscal mismanagement, Another song makes light of the intrigues surrounding the politics of Grand Prix racing, Asin so much of Harrison's songwriting allegory and soeial commentary are thread! through rock that draws froma wealth of stylistie textures (blues, folk, Country, ragas and other world musies and ven contemporary electronica) to make its wel-tailored points A lot depends on what the sponsors ofthe radio programmers want to hear,” George says with a mischievous wink, “But I've gone too far down the road of what I'm about to adjust things to suit dhe bad taste of the moment. I mean, I've got music on my jukebox that's 70 years ol and it sounds so fan and happy, with great arrangementscute ok songs, like ‘Rarnacle Bill the Sailor’ that have great-sounding instruments and incredible performances, And all ofit was ustblown live down one of those ancient recording horns. ‘Popular music improved so ineredibly over the last 60 years, from the “Thirties onvatd and that includes the War years—altho few bad things in the Fortes. ut you'd think thacby now, in the Nineties, people woul be open to the fll range of the music that's heen made! “But people in TV or radio still hold onto the old sense af control. There's a disease of conceit out there, even though there ae a few people hanging onto the old values, But to venture out and compete with sch pen prejudices is really something. To get [those old values} across, you hhave to go out there.” there were a ITIS LONG AFTER 1... when Harrison winds up his kaleidoscopic torrent oftimeless tapes with his own lustrous, harmony-steeped version of "Run So Far,’ the poignant song he gave to Eric Clapton for his old chums 1989 Journeyman album. George muses that it might fit well with the more current efforts he's culled for the new record, and it's true. Ieshares their Same startlingopennessand intimacy heralding what could welle the most stunningly personal omnibus he’s ever offered his fans, What, Harrison is asked, will he call this wholly novel album when is finally dane? George indicates aTined notepad lad on a corner ofthe mixing console ‘on whieh has been sketched asimple outline ofa human foot from the ankle ownvvard, Penned above itis the ttle Portrait of @ Ley End. His eyes twinkle as his guest ges the gag, and then he adds, “Maybe L could draw a boot an the foot for my boxed set of old demos, outtakes and unreleased stuff, and Ul call that Portrait ofa Boot Leg The next morning, following a round af Apple-related phone calls Harrison reflected on the immediate business at hand: the allegorical Yellow Submarine film fantasy be was always delighted by and the companion album he always felt was somewhat lacking—until now. Giguling as he recalls how John Lennon would impersonate the voices of the mythical BEATLES “YELLOW SUBMARINE, YELLOW SUBMARINE hs Inner ght,” “Lady Madonna’ and other material? Do remember how the ap with John’s pia > Posey corey rot jn most U.K il to make sure ths time in the movie of the dog with now have an unreleased video of “Hey Bulldog." We were cording [10 Hey Bulldog,” snd apparently it was ura cos Lats ar by cern current cer to all the people is ack This will be a total as written ordone around the time of St those six ne Martn-orchest was in the st time, And they've al been remixed! ts] Yeah And everthing has diferentmix on tnove! You songs, like “Eleanor Rigby:" that are on see, another thing is that al co four-track inal their new mixes. So the video and the onto one tre So what they've done in these new mixes—which we did alittle bitofon ns and the new CDs will also have the same ne nat will match he wraparound sou have the fir O84 suv westurs ois ote Poets words, the individual tr us to separate each ofthe So far the first time ‘son thebasic tapes were rediscovered, allowing ginal, ineremental tracks, fou've actualy got a much bigger, cleaner mis, original bass and drum and guitar eracks untied And also, with all the old equipment anda the eompressors and the stuf that we used in ehose days, you'd spend ages trying to improve the final four-track mix you figured you were stuck with This engineer 1 fellow named Peter Mew, did a lot ofthe work with a guy called Allan Rouse, who today is kind of in charge of all he Beatles catalog. So we went in and listened to all these new, fully remixed tracks, and they really are ‘004, with the sound coming all around you. {LA few more questions about the classe songs ariginally on the Yellow Submarine album, like “Its All Foo Much,” Is that you playing fon that track? ARRISON That's right probably wrote i on {1 Attheend of Too Much there are snippets of Jeremiah Clarke's "Peince of Denmark's March’ and the Merseys’ 66 [No. 4 U.K] hit “Sorrow aRRsON You mean on the fade-out? Yeah, "With yourlongblond hair/And your eyes of biue-"‘That wasall just his bigending we had, going out. And sit was in those days, we had the horn players jst play abit of trumpet voluntarily, and so that’s how that “Prince of Denmark” bit was played. And we just came up with and sang that Irie of “your eyes of blue,” But just a couple of years ago somebaaly suddenly tried to sue us for that! {4 For singing litle snatch of lyre to give exposure toa song? aRRISON Oh yeah. I just ignored it.I think that’s one of my songs that’s actually published now by ATV and Michael Jackson’s Northern Songs, so 1 just thought, "Well, they can deal with it ridiculous, you know. Incidentally, that riff that’s played on “It's All Too Much, have heard at least 50 songs that ve used that lick since then. I mean, that’s beconielikea stock ching. The difference isome people admit where their nfluences come from, like the Byrds [did] withthe Rickenbacker 12-string thing after ehey all went to see Hard Day's Night Buc then I've had people writing to me and telling me about a group called Texas witha song called “Black Eyed oy” [a No. U.K, hit in 1997 and everybody's saying, “He ue I don't che orn they've ripped off yours O36 rue nesries know, because somebouly sent me a cassette and I pur it on, and Leauldn’e hear a thing We've neverreally been into suing people fr things like that. Pvebea bunch ofrecordsin the past that took things from songs lke“ What Is Life or "Living in the Material World,” or “Here Comes the Sun.” Whats the point? But I suppose the point would be like Bright Tunes [the ipany that started the protracted plagiarism suit against Harrison for“My Sweet Lord"|—you could just try aid make some money out of people The guitar feedback on the intro tot’ All Too Much” wasdonein May ‘of'67, s0 it was pre-Hendrix, before he started to go wild with that stuf, since his Are You Experienced? album [released in the U.K, on December 5 1967| hadint come ox yr. Buc now I don't think I was playing the guitar feehack; as a playing the organ, so I think it was probably Paul who did that. But it was, like, manufactured, meaning that it wasnt like an accident or anything; i ‘was part ofthe arrangement. just wanted to write a rock andl rll song about the whole psychedeli thing ofthe time: “Sail me on a silver sur/Where 1 know that Lam free Show me that I'meverywhere/And get me home forte, you'd trip out, you ee, onal his stuff, and then whoops!—yourd j hack having your evening cup of tea! But we also had that feedback on “I Feel Fine” [in 1964], John always claimed itame about from playing an acoustic Gibson with pickup init. Ichadabig round sound hole, and itjust used to feed back very easily fyou faced i toward the amplifier Bucthen ve heard other peoplesay that wasn’ tthe fist feedback either: 11807, we had feedback on such and such” [ahs] ‘Only a Northern Song” was intended asa litle commentary of yours, aRRisON It was at the point that I realized [Beatles music publisher) Dick James had conned me out ofthe copyrights for my own songs by offering to become my publisher. As an 18- or 19-year-old kid, I thought, Great somebody’s gonna publish my songs! But he never sad, “And incidentally ‘when you sign this document here, youre assigning me the ownership of the songs [Harrison had written asa Beatle” which is what tis. [twas just ablatane theft By the time {realized what had happened, when they were going public and makingall this money out of this eatalog, [wrote “Only a Northern Song” as what we call a“pisstake,” just to have a joke about @“All Together Now.” by Paul and John—do you have any thoughts about that? ‘aRnison Ie was a nursery shyme kind of thing. Again, ifyou look at from one point of view, i's embarrassing. But we seem to have been the all- around entertainers, weren't wee Somichowr we got away with stuf ike thar, ether with Ri ‘Yellow Submarine” or us doing a song like All Together Now at speaking oft children from the Beatles, Al Brodax, whi proxtuced the Yellow Submarine movie, also had done the series of Beatles cartoons that were shown on Saturday and Sunday mornings in America [several dazen episodes were broadeast on ABC-TV starting in 1965 but on given limited later exposure in England on Granada Television,] Whateve happened to those eartoons? HARRISON Oh, we Bought them al a few years ago, just so we'd have control over them forthe fucure. I aways kind of liked them-they were so bad or silly they were good, ifyouknow what L men, And think the passage oftime might make them more fur now, in terms ofbeing more watchable than the really were back then. But we don't ave any’plans for them at che ‘By the way, thesong"Yellow Submarine” never really did have anything todo witha narcotic pill by that nickname, did it? 'aRRsON I never heard ofthat pill. Paul eame up with the concept of*Vellow Submarine." AIL know isjust tha every time we'dall get around the piano ‘with guitars and star listening to itand arranging it into a record, we'd all fool about. As said, John does the voice that sounds like someone talking down a cube or ship's funnel, as they do in the merchant marine. [laughs] Andon the final track there's aetually cha very smal party happening! As | seem to remember, theresa fewscreamsand what sounds ike small coved noises in the background. 61 Fans still wonder if that voice shouting into the submarine’s funnel is John, same as they still ask who coughed atthe stare of “Taxman” on the Revolver album. MARRISON My son Dhani reckons it was me. He says, cough anywhere! [laghs] But I don't remember: {1 Your own Set. Pepper'-ish film characters in the Yellow Submarine movie were dubbed by actors. The Beatles’ only actual appearance in the film is atthe end ofthe picture nis sited f 1'd recognize that ‘HaRnison Well, we hadi’ really been that involved inthe making of what ‘was supposed to be our third movie, I must say, at that poine I had no idea ‘ofhow [our appearance] was goingto fic intothe lm or where twas going, Wehad ourlines and justkind of didi, buticall turned out quite well with the animation, dda’ it? ‘a ewas excellent, and the film was very influential, particularly the work ‘of principal animation designer Heinz Ealelmann, "ARRON Right, and then Peter Max buile his whole career on the fact that everybody thought he'd done it faved alot of chose characters [Edelman] ‘came up with, And the Blue Meanie named Max, lalways wondered ifthe Jater idea ofthe Mad Max movie character came from him, G1 [e'sa spectacular, Dante's Inferno-ype tale of yood versus evil, And that flying glove characteris scary! ‘aRnison laughs] Iti, itis! And all those Apple Bonkers! The acti, with the way the culture and che government are now, is all sil happening hhow as it was in Yellow Submarine, Except the Blue Meanies have got a bigger stranglehold on the planer right nov than they even had back in ‘6 And it looks like there's no musieal group coming along to break the bubble of grayness, because even the musi indistry has turned gray and is dominated by Blue Meanies, {6 Do you think popular music has had an impact on shaping minds, and that scross history i's helped influence people's thinking? ‘aRnison I hink definitely there's no question irhas, and I know that from the feedback I'm still getting. The ather day 1 gota letter from a guy in London who's homeopathie doctor, who'd gotten ie from an 84-year-old Patient ofhis,so he passed her letter on to me. Andshe just wenton saying, “My Sweet Lord’ changed my life, and even to this day has such a great influence on me.” just know from people I've met, fans Imeet and people who come to mein teas from places like Argentina that the Beatles’ nmsie had great influence. And still has. That's the great thing about music, So 1 ean be influenced! now, and 1 can listen to and enjoy a Hoagy Carmichael record from 1929 on my jukebox, with all those great musicians on it, and i's timeles its captured on that ise ‘Musi definitely influences you, whether it just makes you feel happy or sad. And likewise, 'm sure all that horrible musi these days is making people change—there’s just worse erime, more cynicism. I wouldn't necessarily directly blame the muse for al ofthat but there is this kind of chemistry that's created through endless television or musie programming ‘or advertising that drones away on these things—with erap musi, with ‘murder moviesand that whole thing with Robert De Niro pointing a big un ateveryone on the big posters [for the film Ronin] that you see everywhere now in London. And so it’ like my son Dhani was saying, that “Who gives a shit about bombing Bosnia!” becomes the attitude on a eampus, because they're all so desensitized, GL rs like the music and entertainment business has gotten into the arms business, ‘Hannison Yeah! And it was both pathetie and very funny atthe time, But a couple of years ago I was in Los Angeles and I had the television on, and forthe focal weather we went to some guy at the beach. And in the shot of him “Tive,” with the beach inthe background, you could just see ‘the pollution was just dreadful. And he just goes, “Yes, wel, i's another beautiful day down here at Santa Monica! And I thought, What are you talking about? Ie stinks! But that’s how it is—thar's the desensitizing. Maybe in another few hhuncired years people will be living in sewers with rats crawling all over "hen andl theyll be thinking, “Thisis great, lifes good,” Mahatma Gandhi said, “Create and preserve the image of your choice,” and the image we seem to have chosen js one of greed and butchery. GL Many observers feel that basic issues of control are shifting in the eeertainment industries the majar companies don't getinto the business of belpingartistsby offering unique new goodisand services on mutually favorable O38 rue pevrues Ms JUST KNOW FROM PEOPLE I'VE MET, FANS | MEET AND PEOPLE WHO COME TO MEIN TEARS THAT THE BEATLES’? MUSIC HAD A GREAT INFLUENCE. ANDSTILLHAS.” terms the artists could just get inthe habit of doingiton their own, anon While everybody is getting all excited about the fact that t's gonna be the millennium, the sad thingisnot jus the way musi’s being made these days but also the way music's being played~or rather not being played — on the radio and elsewhere. You've got such a wealth of great music out there, old and new, but the marketplace doesn’t indicate that. Meanwhile, someone like Hoagy Carmichael, who would have been a hundred years ‘ld rightat the millennium, he represented a certain quality of songwriting snd musicianship and integrity chat lasted a hundred years! ‘What I'm crying to say is that everybady’s getting so excited about something that doesn't really exist—this whole idea of time turning and 2,000 years. Isee time as an infinite thing, and I see Creation as an infinite thing, but Monday, Tuesday or the millennium just typify how mankind hha to subdivide it up into things for personal future gain ‘a1 You've spent the last few years focusing on your family life while Fecording music at home just for the jy oft, [HARRISON 've spent too long in the garden. [laughs] So the concept of going ‘on a TV show with Jerry Stringer or whatever his nante is, o try to talk about something while everybads’s punching each other—that to me is pathetic. To ery and sell something ike that, you sell your soul! That's why 1 just feel I can't go back int the side ofthe industry that’s ‘become this way. And that’s why I'm just going along with that gel from Abba [Agnetha Faltskou) who chat-show people erticze for being off on an island these days and out of touch with the music business. One fellow on television actually sid, "She had a beautiful ass but naw she isan ass” It was so hasty—can you believe i But she's probably mach more spiritual, much more content and justa better person to her family and friends Did you ever see that [1989] movie made for [starrison’s own] HandMade Films ealled How to Get Ahead in Advertising? Iewas written and directed by Bruce Robinson, who hated the Thatcherism going on at the time he made the picture. It’s about this bloke inthis advertising ageney who's under heavy stress to have this eampaign for pimple lotion done by Monday. He ends up. xetting a big oil on his neck, and the boil gets bigger and bigger ‘manifests into this face. One day he looks in the mirror and say bastard looks just like me!” He's getting sik of the lies and the bullshit this industry, and he says, “They won't be happy until every fucking one ‘of usis crouching in some hatehback on a motorway,” and he's trying to withdraw from it Butthe bol, this head,” is his bad side, and its taki ‘ver. He goes into the hospital, and they lance the real head, and i's the boil side that comes back to work! Ie'sa very bizarre black comedy about ‘he conflict between the greed and the moral stance against it. {4 There's no ceiling tothe top ifyou've got the courage to climb that high. ‘But if you're diving for the bottom in life, ou discover there's no bottom tothe bottom, aRnisoN Oh, yeah, thereis noend, and na beginning. Butwhat isl really about isthe now. And righ now, music is being dictated by all the people who have nothing to do with music, like sponsors, or executives who are just trying to climb socal ladders rather than actually enjoy what itis they {do So the music is getting worse because somehow we just created these ‘monsters in the music industry {Imean, you tell me one person other than Bob Dylan who has a moral ‘message ina tune that’s improved upon Bob's words in his song "Every Grain of Sand.” [He recites some of te fries] “Don't have the inclination tolook back on any mistakes/Like Cain I now behold this chain of events that I must breaky/n the fury ofthe moment I can see the Master's hand In every leaf that trembles/tn every grain of sand./Oh the flowers of indulgence and the weeds of yesteryear/Like criminals they have choked the breath of conscience and good cheer/..1 gaze into the doorway of femptation’s angry fame/And every time I pass that way/1 always hear ‘my name/Then onward in my journey/1 come to understand /That every hisiris numbered Like every grain af sand, 41 So what does Geonge Harrison do as a songwriter and a person to talk ‘back to this awful era that Dylan once recognized would arrive? ‘aRmuson Well I say that everybody knows they're all being brainwashed, by everything. So in my music 1 just sing a roek and rol song about the power of love, on “Valentine,” or about the eternal river that keeps flowing through this area near my home, on “Pisces Fish.” Or Ising [quoting from his new song “Brainwashed”, “God, God, God, won't you lead us through this mess?” & Acasa A meta) r Se 2 i} MS SA) Bead /

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