Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal

Last updated
Nobody's Child:
Romanian Angel Appeal
Nobodys Child Romanian Angel Appeal cover.jpg
Compilation album by
Various Artists
Released23 July 1990
Recorded1976−90
Genre Rock
Length1:03:48
Label Warner Bros.
Compiler George Harrison
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly B [2]
Select U+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A1.svgU+25A1.svgU+25A1.svg [3]

Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal is a charity album released in July 1990 to benefit Romanian orphans, under the auspices of the Romanian Angel Appeal Foundation. It was compiled by English rock musician George Harrison in response to concerns raised by his wife Olivia Harrison, who had visited Romania and witnessed the suffering in the country's abandoned state orphanages following the fall of Communism. [4] The release was preceded by a single, "Nobody's Child", recorded by Harrison's band the Traveling Wilburys. [5] Other artists who donated songs to the album include Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, Duane Eddy, Van Morrison, Guns N' Roses, Ringo Starr, Ric Ocasek and Elton John. Many of the recordings were previously unreleased. [6]

Contents

The Romanian Angel Appeal marked a rare foray into the media spotlight by Olivia Harrison, who created the foundation with support from the other wives of the former Beatles – Barbara Bach, Yoko Ono and Linda McCartney. [7] She and her husband promoted the project in the UK with appearances on the television talk show Wogan and in the one-hour Radio 1 documentary Nobody's Child. [8] The album was released by Harrison's record company, Warner Bros. Records, on 23 July 1990. [9] It was preceded by a launch at London's Hyde Park Hotel on 22 July, attended by the Harrisons, and Bach and Starr. [9] The video for the "Nobody's Child" single included animated scenes and footage of the Romanian orphanages. [10]

Song selection

George Harrison's involvement in the project reprised his role in assisting refugees of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, when he staged an all-star benefit concert and oversaw the release of an associated album and documentary film. [11] [12] Aside from the title track, his presence on Nobody's Child was reflected in the recordings submitted by Simon, Clapton and Eddy. [11]

Harrison said in compiling Nobody's Child he was conscious of not making it his album by dominating the content. He said that his request for a live track from Bruce Springsteen went unanswered, and his approach to Michael Jackson became confused in the acrimony taking place between Jackson and Paul McCartney over the ownership of the Beatles' Northern Songs catalogue. Selections by Stevie Winwood and Queen arrived too late for inclusion on the album. [13]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)ArtistLength
1."Nobody's Child" Cy Coben, Mel Foree Traveling Wilburys 3:27
2."Wonderful Remark" (From the soundtrack to The King of Comedy )Van Morrison Van Morrison 3:58
3."Medicine Man" (B-side to You Gotta Love Someone single)Elton John, Bernie Taupin Elton John 4:24
4."This Week"David A. Stewart Dave Stewart & The Spiritual Cowboys3:03
5."Homeward Bound" (Performed live on Saturday Night Live , 20 November 1976)Paul Simon Paul Simon & George Harrison 2:38
6."How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" (Recorded live on November 17 & 18, 1989 National Tennis Centre, Melbourne, Australia) Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb Bee Gees 3:30
7."Lovechild"Billy Idol Billy Idol 5:40
8."Big Day Little Boat" Edie Brickell Edie Brickell & New Bohemians 3:34
9."Feeding Off the Love of the Land"Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder 5:54
10."That Kind of Woman"George Harrison Eric Clapton 3:56
11."Goodnight Little One"Ric Ocasek Ric Ocasek 5:36
12."The Trembler" Ravi Shankar, Duane Eddy Duane Eddy 3:31
13."Ain't That Peculiar" (Performed live on Late Night with David Letterman , April 6, 1989) William "Smokey" Robinson, Pete Moore, Marv Tarplin, Bobby Rogers Mike & the Mechanics with Paul Shaffer and The World's Most Dangerous Band3:23
14."Civil War" Slash, W. Axl Rose, Duff McKagan Guns N' Roses 7:36
15."With a Little Help from My Friends" (Recorded live at The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, September 3 & 4, 1989) Lennon–McCartney Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band 3:41

Vinyl and cassette releases

Side one

  1. "Nobody's Child"
  2. "Wonderful Remark"
  3. "Medicine Man"
  4. "This Week"
  5. "Homeward Bound"
  6. "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?"
  7. "Lovechild"
  8. "Big Day Little Boat"

Side two

  1. "Feeding Off the Love of the Land"
  2. "That Kind of Woman"
  3. "Goodnight Little One"
  4. "The Trembler"
  5. "Ain't That Peculiar"
  6. "Civil War"

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ringo Starr</span> English musician and member of the Beatles (born 1940)

Sir Richard Starkey, known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, usually for one song on each album, including "Yellow Submarine" and "With a Little Help from My Friends". He also wrote and sang the Beatles songs "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus's Garden", and is credited as a co-writer of four others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Concert for Bangladesh</span> 1971 benefit concert organised by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar

The Concert for Bangladesh was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows were held at 2:30 and 8:00 pm on Sunday, 1 August 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, to raise international awareness of, and fund relief for refugees from East Pakistan, following the Bangladesh Liberation War-related genocide. The concerts were followed by a bestselling live album, a boxed three-record set, and Apple Films' concert documentary, which opened in cinemas in the spring of 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Harrison</span> American author, film producer (born 1948)

Olivia Trinidad Harrison is an American author and film producer, and the widow of English musician George Harrison of the Beatles. She first worked in the music industry in Los Angeles, for A&M Records, where she met Harrison and then helped run his Dark Horse record label. In 1990, she launched the Romanian Angel Appeal to raise funds for the thousands of orphans left abandoned in Romania after the fall of Communism there.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Those Years Ago</span> 1981 single by George Harrison

"All Those Years Ago" is a song by the English rock musician George Harrison, released in May 1981 as a single from his ninth studio album Somewhere in England. Having previously recorded the music for the song, Harrison tailored the lyrics to serve as a personal tribute to his former Beatles bandmate John Lennon, following the latter's murder in 1980. Ringo Starr is featured on drums, and Paul McCartney overdubbed backing vocals onto the basic track. The single spent three weeks at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, behind "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes, and it peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. It also topped Canada's RPM singles chart and spent one week at number 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary listings.

The discography of English singer-songwriter and former Beatle George Harrison consists of 12 studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, 35 singles, two video albums and four box sets. Harrison's first solo releases – the Wonderwall Music film soundtrack (1968) and Electronic Sound (1969) – were almost entirely instrumental works, issued during the last two years of the Beatles' career. Following the band's break-up in April 1970, Harrison continued to produce recordings by his fellow Apple Records acts, notably former bandmate Ringo Starr. He recorded and collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Shankar, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Gary Wright.

<i>Sentimental Journey</i> (Ringo Starr album) 1970 studio album by Ringo Starr

Sentimental Journey is the debut solo album by English rock musician Ringo Starr. It was released by Apple Records in March 1970 as the Beatles were breaking up. The album is a collection of pre-rock 'n' roll standards that Starr recalled from his childhood in Liverpool. As a departure from the experimental quality that had characterised solo LPs by George Harrison and John Lennon since 1968, it was the first studio album by an individual Beatle to embrace a popular music form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Things Must Pass (song)</span> 1970 song by George Harrison

"All Things Must Pass" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison, issued in November 1970 as the title track to his triple album of the same name. Billy Preston released the song originally – as "All Things (Must) Pass" – on his Apple Records album Encouraging Words (1970) after the Beatles had rehearsed the song in January 1969 but did not include it on their Let It Be album. The composition reflects the influence of the Band's sound and communal music-making on Harrison, after he had spent time with the group in Woodstock, New York, in late 1968. In his lyrics, Harrison drew inspiration from Timothy Leary's poem "All Things Pass", a psychedelic adaptation of the Tao Te Ching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It Don't Come Easy</span> 1971 single by Ringo Starr

"It Don't Come Easy" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as a non-album single in April 1971. It was produced by Starr's former Beatles bandmate George Harrison, who also helped write the song, although only Starr is credited. Recording for the track took place in March 1970 at Trident Studios in London, with overdubs added in October. Starr and Harrison performed the song together in August 1971 at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh shows in New York City, a recording from which was released on the live album of the same name. Starr has continued to perform it in subsequent decades with his All-Starr Band.

<i>Ringos Rotogravure</i> 1976 studio album by Ringo Starr

Ringo's Rotogravure is the fifth studio album by Ringo Starr, released in 1976. It was the last project to feature active involvement from all four former Beatles before John Lennon's murder in 1980, and the second of two projects following the band's 1970 breakup to hold the distinction. Following the end of his contract with EMI, Starr signed on with Polydor Records worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photograph (Ringo Starr song)</span> 1973 single by Ringo Starr

"Photograph" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as the lead single from his 1973 album Ringo. Starr co-wrote it with George Harrison, his former bandmate from the Beatles. Although they collaborated on other songs, it is the only one officially credited to the pair. A signature tune for Starr as a solo artist, "Photograph" was an international hit, topping singles charts in the United States, Canada and Australia, and receiving gold disc certification for US sales of 1 million. Music critics have similarly received the song favourably; Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic considers it to be "among the very best post-Beatles songs by any of the Fab Four".

"I'm the Greatest" is a song written by English musician John Lennon that was released as the opening track of the 1973 album Ringo by Ringo Starr. With Starr, Lennon and George Harrison appearing on the track, it marks the only time that three former Beatles recorded together between the band's break-up in 1970 and Lennon's death in 1980. Lennon wrote the song in December 1970 as a wry comment on his rise to fame, and later tailored the lyrics for Starr to sing. Named after one of Muhammad Ali's catchphrases, the song partly evokes the stage-show concept of the Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back Off Boogaloo</span> 1972 song by Ringo Starr

"Back Off Boogaloo" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as a non-album single in March 1972. Starr's former Beatles bandmate George Harrison produced the recording and helped Starr write the song, although he remained uncredited as a co-writer until 2017. Recording took place in London shortly after the pair had appeared together at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh shows in August 1971. The single was a follow-up to Starr's 1971 hit song "It Don't Come Easy" and continued his successful run as a solo artist. "Back Off Boogaloo" peaked at number 2 in Britain and Canada, and number 9 on America's Billboard Hot 100. It remains Starr's highest-charting single in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheer Down</span> 1989 single by George Harrison

"Cheer Down" is a song by English musician George Harrison that was first released in 1989. The track was his contribution to the soundtrack of the film Lethal Weapon 2 and was also issued as a single. Harrison wrote the song with Tom Petty and co-produced the recording with Jeff Lynne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early 1970</span> 1971 single by Ringo Starr

"Early 1970" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as the B-side of his April 1971 single "It Don't Come Easy". A rare example of Starr's songwriting at the time, it was inspired by the break-up of the Beatles and documents his relationship with his three former bandmates. The lyrics to the verses comment in turn on Paul McCartney, John Lennon and George Harrison as individuals, and the likelihood of each of them making music with Starr again. In the final verse, Starr offers a self-deprecating picture of his musical abilities and expresses the hope that all four will play together in the future. Commentators have variously described "Early 1970" as "a rough draft of a peace treaty" and "a disarming open letter" from Starr to Lennon, McCartney and Harrison.

"Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)" is a song by English musician Ringo Starr from his 1973 album Ringo. It was written by George Harrison, Starr's former bandmate in the Beatles, and was one of several contributions Harrison made to Ringo. Recording for the song took place in Los Angeles in March 1973, with Richard Perry as producer. In addition to Starr and Harrison, the musicians on the track include Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson of the Band, and multi-instrumentalist David Bromberg.

"Nobody's Child" is a song written by Cy Coben and Mel Foree and first recorded by Hank Snow in 1949. Many other versions of this song exist.

"Six O'Clock" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr from his 1973 album Ringo. It was written by Starr's former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney and the latter's wife, Linda, who also participated in the recording of the song. It was the first time McCartney and Starr had worked together since the Beatles' break-up in 1970. Their collaboration reflected an easing of the tensions that had existed between the two musicians for much of that period.

"You and Me (Babe)" is a song by English musician Ringo Starr, released as the final track on his 1973 album Ringo. Starr's fellow ex-Beatle George Harrison wrote the song along with Mal Evans, the Beatles' longtime aide and a personal assistant to Starr during the making of Ringo. The track serves as a farewell from Starr to his audience in the manner of a show-closing finale, by lyrically referring to the completion of the album. During the extended fadeout, Starr delivers a spoken message in which he thanks the musicians and studio personnel who helped with the recording of Ringo – among them, Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and his producer, Richard Perry.

"I'll Still Love You" is a song written by English rock musician George Harrison and first released in 1976 by his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr. Produced by Arif Mardin, the track appeared on Starr's debut album for Atlantic Records and Polydor, Ringo's Rotogravure. The composition had a long recording history before then, having been written in 1970 as "Whenever", after which it was copyrighted with the title "When Every Song Is Sung".

References

  1. ↑ Cassidy, Kenneth M. "Various Artists Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal". AllMusic . Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  2. ↑ Sandow, Greg (10 August 1990). "Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 21 August 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  3. ↑ Kirsch, Michele (September 1990). "Biting The Hand That Feeds". Select . No. 3. p. 98.
  4. ↑ Harry, Bill (2003). The George Harrison Encyclopedia. London: Virgin Books. pp. 224, 285, 326. ISBN   978-0-7535-0822-0.
  5. ↑ Madinger, Chip; Easter, Mark (2000). Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium. Chesterfield, MO: 44.1 Productions. p. 478. ISBN   0-615-11724-4.
  6. 1 2 3 Album liner notes
  7. ↑ Harry 2003, p. 224.
  8. ↑ Badman, Keith (2001). The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001. London: Omnibus Press. p. 448. ISBN   978-0-7119-8307-6.
  9. 1 2 Badman 2001, p. 451.
  10. ↑ Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 480.
  11. 1 2 Huntley, Elliot J. (2006). Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles. Toronto, ON: Guernica Editions. pp. 226–27. ISBN   978-1-55071-197-4.
  12. ↑ Allison, Dale C. Jr (2006). The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison . New York, NY: Continuum. p. 69. ISBN   978-0-8264-1917-0.
  13. ↑ Harry 2003, p. 285.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.