A Concert for George

Tribute: A Concert For George

A Concert For George

Like many people, I went into a state of shock when John Lennon was killed in 1980 (see my recollections in the Double Fantasy review). Johnny Moondog, just out of self-imposed exile, was dead! Twenty one years later, when it was announced to the world press that George Harrison had passed away, I wadn't shocked, as such, I just became terribly, terribly depressed.

Why would that be?

It wasn't as if I was still connected to his work, that had been severed some time during the mid-1970s...and while I was always interested...and sometimes entertained, by his artistic output...I can't say it impacted much on my life.

You see, George's Bhakti-Yoga, an emotionally based, euphoric relationship with er...God (kind of like a Born-again Hindu), which dominated so much of his artistic output, just wasn't my cup of tea. Further, George's religious excesses as a young man had been somewhat mocked for me in later years with gossip about:

his numerous infidelities during the late 60s & early 70s &
over-indulgences with cocaine during the 1980s

...And I didn't think his death particularly depressed me over my own mortality (I was then a sprightly 43!)

No, it took me a few months...but I finally worked it out. You see, when Lennon died, I, the world, had lost an artist, a man who could make words and music come alive. That was the tragedy but when George died...and note, I write George, not Harrison, I lost somebody...I liked. I didn't know him personally... but:

I liked his mordant humor
I liked his modesty
I even liked his wife* (hot babe when she was young, dignified stunner in middle age)

...but most of all, I liked George not because he was wise, not because he was a man to follow...but because he was, apparently, what is increasingly rare, a good man. And making no attempt to qualify that over-used term, I repeat, he seemed to be...a good man.

And so to The Concert For George, held one year to the day that he died, November 1, 2002. Organised by his wife Olivia, with musical direction by Eric Clapton, the concert is, above all, friends gathering to say goodbye. Some of the performers are well known, some not...but they united to say farewell to him...and their strong feelings for George are frequently evident. The well-known ones included:

Paul McCartney
Ringo Starr
Eric Clapton
Jeff Lynne (Travelling Wilburys, producer for Harrison & The Beatles reunion of three etc) &
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Billy Preston &
Monty Python

...and the George Harrison songs chosen, cover the full range of his career.

I'm not going to delve into the emotion of the night, like any wake or funeral, what is one person's grief is excessive carrying on to another...but The Concert For George was a special night for the players and the audience. And for those who lived through those times, I dare you not to tear up when you see it, like when Ringo performs Photograph, #1 global smash for the 1973 album Ringo:

"...Everytime I see your face
I'm reminded of the places we used to go
But all I've got is a photograph
And I feel like you're not coming back anymore..."

Ringo Starr

Photograph

N.B.: With egos getting seriously out of control in 1969, The Beatles could find no room for All Things Must Pass on the Abbey Road album, much to George's frustration and anger. Through much of the early 1970s it was George, not John Lennon, who most vehemently denied the possibility of reforming the moptops and working with Paul McCartney again.

McCartney's performance, then, of All Things Must Pass, together with, pointedly, For You Blue & Something, both also from 1969, constitute a public apology to the spirit of the man he now refers to as "his baby brother" and whom he had treated so callously...all those years ago. I would like to think that Paul's apology was finally accepted.

Joe Brown was a lightweight English pop star from the 1960s who remained a good friend of George's for almost 40 years...and was the best man at his marriage to second wife, Olivia Trinidad Arias.

As Paul McCartney recounts before he performs Something, in his later years, George had become fond of playing songs on a ukelele instead of his guitar...and Joe performs the old standard I'll See You In My Dreams on the ukelele to close the concert and in my eyes, pop music doesn't get more moving than that.

Joe Brown : I'll See You In My Dreams

A Concert For George DVD

"...What a wonderful, emotional, f****** great concert and tribute to George. I have both the DVD and CD. Can't stop listening to it..." Amazon reviewer Helen Early

"...This is not merely a starry concert event; it's a group of people celebrating the life and music of a friend. The fact that they are some of the most talented musicians on earth is almost beside the point. Their renditions of his songs are moving and powerful, and as the concert progresses, the songs paint a picture of a man who was eccentric, spiritual and deeply loved...Chris Menges' cinematography helps make this a superior concert movie - warmly photographed with strong colours and close-up camera work that gets into the expressive eyes of the artists while capturing the grandeur of the setting..." shadowsonthewall.co.uk

"...This is a concert that will absolutely break your heart and move you if you love George Harrison or the Beatles...I've listened to it many times and still am not weary of it....The applause when Ringo appears is deafening and the infectious way he sings Photograph and Honey Don't will have you clapping your hands and smiling all over...I've watched Paul all my life and rarely have I seen him as moved, teary-eyed and emotional as he was this evening...It's obvious he is struggling not to break down and cry...I can't say enough superlatives about this album. All George and Beatles fans will cherish this concert...." Amazon reviewer Candace Scott

"...It's easy to forget the impact George had...Music is different now, not nearly as moving. The Concert for George brought it all back for me. It will for you too..." Amazon reviewer E. King

A Concert For George soundtrack

"...I bought this as a gift but wish I had kept it for myself. One of the best tribute albums to come along..." Amazon reviewer Nancy DeCicco "nd"

"...Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney's version of Something is worth the price of the CD alone - it is truly magnifcent..." Amazon reviewer C.Cavis "ramlin33"

"...George...helped shape the hearts, minds and soul of the generation that grew up in the 60's. This tribute literally brought me to tears of joy in appreciation of the music as well as the grief of the loss of someone whom many of us feel as strongly or more so than losing a very dear brother..." Amazon reviewer Steven Reiser

Goodby George, you're missed.

Concert For George Limited Edition from Genesis books

"...With over 400 photographs, Concert for George charts the show and its three weeks of rehearsals; it's a story of collaboration between the superstars, dozens of musicians, and Olivia and Dhani Harrison. But more than the story of one concert, this beautifully crafted book is full of loving recollections of George from Eric Clapton, Michael Palin, Tom Hanks, Eric Idle, Jeff Lynne, George Martin, Ravi and Anoushka Shankar, Ringo Starr, and many more..." Amazon blurb

"...Wow!! CONCERT FOR GEORGE is THE most beautiful and professionally-done book I have ever seen published. It is very nice to know that in this day and age of "throw-away" and mass production that there are still artisans who cherish what they do and can give us an exquisite example of quality and beauty..." Genesis books customer, Ira Zinman

"...The book Concert for George is a masterpiece, done with love and respect. We loved everything, every page, every photo, every detail. We loved even the smell..." Genesis books customer, Luciana and Ricardo