Not Guilty (song)

Last updated

"Not Guilty"
Song by George Harrison
from the album George Harrison
Released20 February 1979 (1979-02-20)
RecordedApril–October 1978
Genre Jazz-pop
Length3:35
Label Dark Horse
Songwriter(s) George Harrison
Producer(s) George Harrison, Russ Titelman
George Harrison track listing
10 tracks
Side one
  1. "Love Comes to Everyone"
  2. "Not Guilty"
  3. "Here Comes the Moon"
  4. "Soft-Hearted Hana"
  5. "Blow Away"
Side two
  1. "Faster"
  2. "Dark Sweet Lady"
  3. "Your Love Is Forever"
  4. "Soft Touch"
  5. "If You Believe"
"Not Guilty"
Song by the Beatles
from the album Anthology 3
Released28 October 1996 (1996-10-28)
Recorded8–9, 12 August 1968
Genre Rock
Length3:22
Label Apple
Songwriter(s) George Harrison
Producer(s) George Martin

"Not Guilty" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1979 album George Harrison . He wrote the song in 1968 following the Beatles' Transcendental Meditation course in India with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, an activity that he had led the group into undertaking. The lyrics serve as a response to the recrimination Harrison received from his bandmates John Lennon and Paul McCartney in the aftermath to the group's public falling out with the Maharishi, and as the Beatles launched their multimedia company Apple Corps. The band recorded the song amid the tensions that characterised the sessions for their 1968 double LP The Beatles (also known as the "White Album"). The track was completed in August 1968 but not included on the release.

Contents

Harrison revisited "Not Guilty" in early 1978, shortly after participating in the Rutles' television satire of the Beatles' history, All You Need Is Cash . In contrast to the atmosphere surrounding the song's creation, this period was one of personal contentment for Harrison, who enjoyed the opportunity to debunk the myths surrounding his former band. The musical arrangement similarly differs in mood from the 1968 version; where the latter features distorted electric guitars and harpsichord, Harrison's version reflects his adoption of a mellow jazz-pop style. The other musicians on the recording include Neil Larsen and Willie Weeks.

"Not Guilty" was known to be a Beatles outtake but the song was unheard by the public until the release of Harrison's 1979 album. The Beatles' version continued to be the subject of speculation among collectors. An edit of the band's recording was prepared for the aborted Sessions album in 1984 and became available on bootlegs before its official release on the Beatles' Anthology 3 outtakes compilation in 1996. The full version of the track, together with Harrison's May 1968 demo of the song, appears on the 50th Anniversary Edition box-set release of The Beatles.

Background and inspiration

View of Rishikesh and the Ganges. When writing "Not Guilty", Harrison addressed the divisive atmosphere within the Beatles following their return from India in 1968. Rishikesh view across bridge.jpg
View of Rishikesh and the Ganges. When writing "Not Guilty", Harrison addressed the divisive atmosphere within the Beatles following their return from India in 1968.

George Harrison wrote "Not Guilty" in 1968 following the Beatles' highly publicised spiritual retreat in Rishikesh, India, where they studied Transcendental Meditation under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. [1] Harrison had led the Beatles' interest in meditation and Indian culture, [2] influencing their audience and musical peers, [3] [4] but the band's falling out with the Maharishi in April 1968 became the source of public embarrassment. [5] Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney had each left the ashram early and returned to England, with McCartney more interested in attending to the band's new Apple Corps business venture. [6] Harrison and John Lennon stayed on, only to then depart hurriedly after hearing of alleged impropriety between the Maharishi and a female student. [7] The Rishikesh sojourn was the Beatles' last extracurricular activity as a group [8] [9] and was followed by a divergence of opinion between Lennon, McCartney and Harrison that lasted until the band's break-up in April 1970. [10] In his 1980 autobiography, I, Me, Mine , Harrison says that "Not Guilty" addresses "Paul-John-Apple-Rishikesh-Indian friends, etc." [11]

Rather than return to England with Lennon, Harrison extended his time away by visiting his mentor Ravi Shankar in Madras. [12] When he returned to London in late April, [13] according to Apple press officer Derek Taylor, Harrison "reacted with real horror" at the extravagance of Apple's operation. [14] [15] The company had taken out print advertisements inviting any budding artist to submit their creative ideas. [13] [16] The London offices were inundated with submissions, almost all of which were ignored, [13] [17] along with crowds of eccentrics responding to the Beatles' invitation. [18] [nb 1] In a 1987 interview with Timothy White for Musician magazine, [21] Harrison referred to "the grief I was catching" from Lennon and McCartney post-India. He explained the message behind the song: "I said I wasn't guilty of getting in the way of their career. I said I wasn't guilty of leading them astray in our going to Rishikesh to see the Maharishi. I was sticking up for myself …" [22] [23]

The Rishikesh sojourn also resulted in Harrison's emergence as a prolific songwriter. [24] [25] "Not Guilty" was one of several guitar-based compositions from this period, coinciding with Harrison's re-engagement with his main instrument after two years of dedicated sitar study under Shankar. [25] [26] The full extent of this productivity was hidden until his 1970 solo album, All Things Must Pass , however, [27] [28] as Lennon and McCartney continued to dominate the Beatles' songwriting. [29] [30] In author Peter Doggett's description, the band's stay in Rishikesh marked the end of a period when Harrison's championing of Indian culture had guided the Beatles' musical and philosophical direction. He adds that the "old balance of power was uneasily resumed", as Harrison had to push to have his songs included on the group's albums, and Lennon, further to their self-produced 1967 TV film Magical Mystery Tour , continued to resent McCartney's attempts to manage their career. [31]

Composition

The key of "Not Guilty" is E minor. [32] It contains combined verse and choruses; [33] each of the three verse-chorus sections begins and ends with the song's title phrase. [34] The composition includes a guitar riff that author Alan Clayson views as distinctive and "low-down", and closes with an instrumental coda. [35] It also features syncopation, [35] half-bars, and, on the Beatles recording, a guitar solo followed by a change in time signature from 4/4 to six bars in 3/8. [36]

Musicologist Walter Everett highlights the song's musical form as an example of "the composer's typically outlandish chord juxtapositions", which in this case reveals "a new level of sophistication similar to jazz methodology". He says that while E minor is the main key, A minor is tonicised in the start of the verses and is further suggested with a surprising G–Dm8–Dm7–E7 chord sequence. Following the final chord in that sequence, he hears the Gm chord as "confident and loudly protesting", and contextually derived via an "unprecedented use of mixture from the Phrygian mode (thus the chord's B♭ [note]) into A pentatonic minor". [33] [nb 2]

"Not Guilty" follows Harrison's 1967 song "Only a Northern Song" as a statement of his dissatisfaction in the Beatles. [37] Everett describes the lyrics as a "defense against the tyranny of his songwriting comrades". [38] Harrison refers to his bandmates as seeking to "steal the day"; he recognises his place and vows not to "[get] underneath your feet". [37] In the third verse, he promises not to "upset the Apple cart", as "I only want what I can get". [39] With regard to Rishikesh and the Maharishi, he denies any responsibility for the others' disappointment with the experience. [40] He denies leading the group "astray on the road to Mandalay" [40] and "making friends with every Sikh". [41]

Beatles version

Esher demo

In May 1968, Harrison taped an acoustic demo of the song at his home, Kinfauns in Esher. [42] This and other demos of the band's new material were part of their preparation for recording the double LP The Beatles , also known as the "White Album". [43] [44] On the tapes, the song follows a group performance of Harrison's tribute to meditation, "Sour Milk Sea", after which he refers to "Not Guilty" as "a jazz number" that would make "a good rocker". [45] Having long been available on bootleg compilations, the Esher demo was issued in 2018 on the White Album's 50th Anniversary box set. [46] [47]

Studio recording

Basic track

The Beatles recorded "Not Guilty" at EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios) in London in August 1968. [48] The recording was produced by George Martin and engineered by Ken Scott. [49] The song was difficult to learn due to its time signature changes. [50] During the first 18 takes on 7 August, the band focused only on the introduction, before going on to tape a further 27 takes that night. On 8 August, they first attended to a technical problem on the recording of their forthcoming single, "Hey Jude", and then resumed work on "Not Guilty". [51] The group recorded a total of 101 takes over the two sessions, although only 21 of these attempts were complete performances, before settling on take 99 as a satisfactory basic track. [51]

Initial takes included keyboard accompaniment from an electric piano, [52] but this was replaced by a harpsichord for the 8 August session. [50] The instruments used on the basic track were therefore electric guitar, harpsichord, bass and drums. [51] Although author Ian MacDonald says Harrison or Lennon played the harpsichord part, [50] Everett credits Lennon, who also played the instrument on "All You Need Is Love" the previous year. [53] [nb 3] The recording marked the first time that Harrison used his Gibson Les Paul guitar known as "Lucy", which was a gift from his friend Eric Clapton. [56]

Overdubs

The band recorded overdubs onto take 99 on 9 August, [57] with Starr adding further drums and McCartney augmenting his bass part. [51] Much of the six-and-a-half-hour session was dedicated to Harrison's lead guitar part; for this, he chose to play in the control room while his amplifier was recorded in an echo chamber. [51] On 12 August, Harrison overdubbed his lead vocal, trying different areas of the studio in an effort to achieve the sound he was after. He again settled on the control room [52] with, in Scott's description, "everything coming back through the speakers to give it more of a live theater-type feel or club feel". [58] Lennon and McCartney experimented with harmony vocals on some parts of the song, but Harrison was unsatisfied. [52] Scott told journalist Marshall Terrill in 2012 that the recording was problematic because "George wasn't feeling it. It was his song and he wasn't feeling it. He could not get a vocal that he was happy with. He couldn't get even into sort of the mood of singing it, that's why we tried different ways of him singing it …" [58] [nb 4]

Harrison then spent more time recording guitar at live performance levels. A mono mix, titled RM1, of the completed track was carried out that same day. [52] [60] In the description of Guitar World 's editors, Harrison's playing on the song has a "sinewy" quality and a "sizzling tone" made more effective by being performed at full volume. [61] Author Simon Leng writes that the recording "might have passed for grunge", with its "phased vocals and ... pseudo-harpsichord under attack from George's heavily distorted guitars and fierce riff". He adds that the lead guitar is "spiky-rough in a way Harrison would rarely approach again". [62] Following his pioneering backwards-recorded guitar solo on "I'm Only Sleeping", in 1966, [63] Harrison's use of reverse echo-chamber effect on "Not Guilty" marked the last time the Beatles used backwards audio on one of their recordings. [64]

MacDonald cites "Not Guilty" as an example of how Harrison's contributions to the White Album were "stymied" by the divisive atmosphere that characterised the sessions, which included a lack of collaboration between the band members. [65] After Harrison departed for a short holiday in Greece, [66] the other Beatles resumed recording on 20 August with tensions running high; [67] Lennon and Starr completed overdubs on "Yer Blues" in one studio while McCartney recorded "Mother Nature's Son" alone in another. [68] Two days later, by which point Harrison had returned to London, the acrimony that had been building within the group led to Starr walking out, intent on quitting the Beatles. [69] [70]

Exclusion from the White Album

According to Everett, "Not Guilty" was one of the last songs to be cut from the final running order of The Beatles. [39] When announcing the release on 26 October, the NME listed "Not Guilty" among the possible tracks; [71] Mal Evans, the Beatles' longtime aide, then wrote in the band's official fan magazine that it would not appear on the double album. [72] Lennon admired the composition initially, [35] but in Leng's view, with its "barbs about the Beatles", the song "was just a little too candid in airing the band's dirty laundry". [37] [nb 5] Music journalist Mikal Gilmore similarly says that its exclusion was "perhaps because it was apparent to everybody that Harrison had aimed the song at Lennon and McCartney". [77]

In its three-part study of the 1968 double album, in 2008, Goldmine magazine commented that the song's exclusion has long been one of the points of debate regarding the White Album. The writers said that some listeners find the content of the set "exquisitely balanced", while others contend that the Beatles "really should have added 'Not Guilty' to the brew". [78] Increasingly marginalised from the Beatles' creative decision-making in 1968, [79] Martin had favoured paring down the double LP to a single disc. [80] [81] Everett offers a 15-song running order in keeping with the producer's typical "preferences and constraints", in which he contends that Martin would have selected "Not Guilty", along with the Harrison compositions "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Long, Long, Long". [82]

The final take, numbered 102 (a reduction mix of take 99), [51] was edited and remixed by Geoff Emerick in 1984 for the aborted Sessions album. [83] [84] After Harrison and McCartney filed affidavits criticising the "quality of the work", one of EMI's in-house cassettes of the Sessions recordings found its way to bootleggers, resulting in the Ultra Rare Trax bootlegs. [85] "Not Guilty" appeared on the third volume in the Ultra Rare Trax series. [86] It was officially released on Apple's outtakes compilation Anthology 3 in October 1996. [50] Author and critic Richie Unterberger describes the Anthology 3 version of "Not Guilty" as a "bastardization" due to the editing out of a mid-song guitar solo and other features from the 1968 stereo mix. He adds that this treatment is "more roundly castigated than almost any other of the Anthology reconstructions". [87] [nb 6] The unedited version of the track appears on the 50th Anniversary box set of the White Album. [89]

George Harrison recording

According to author Robert Rodriguez, "Not Guilty" was "much-fabled" among Beatles fans by the late 1970s, since the song was known as a White Album outtake but had never been heard publicly. [90] [nb 7] In their respective books on the Beatles published at that time, Nicholas Schaffner paired it with Lennon's "What's the New Mary Jane" as completed recordings that were known to have been left off the White Album, [92] while Harry Castleman and Walter Podrazik wrote that, as far as collectors were aware, Harrison had taped "Not Guilty" with Clapton in summer 1968 before the Beatles attempted to record the song in March 1969. [93]

In early 1978, while gathering song manuscripts for I, Me, Mine, [94] Harrison rediscovered his Kinfauns demo of "Not Guilty". [41] He decided to record the song again for what became his 1979 album George Harrison . [95] At this time, he also revisited "Circles", [96] another song he had demoed in Esher before the Beatles began recording the White Album, [97] and he wrote "Here Comes the Moon" as a sequel to his 1969 Abbey Road composition "Here Comes the Sun". [98]

The sessions took place between April and October 1978, [99] [100] [nb 8] and coincided with a period of domestic contentment for Harrison, [102] during which he married his partner Olivia Arias and become a father for the first time, to son Dhani. [103] [104] In addition, Harrison had enjoyed participating in the Rutles' recent spoof of the Beatles' history, All You Need Is Cash , a film project that allowed him to debunk the myths that surrounded his former band. [105] [106] [nb 9] Harrison allowed his spiritual preoccupations to be satirised in the film as, following the Rutles' break-up, his character, Stig O'Hara, withdraws from the limelight to become a female flight attendant with Air India. [109] Building on his reputation as the "Quiet Beatle", the identity of the alleged dead band member in the Paul is dead conspiracy theory was transferred to Stig, [110] as the clues include the fact that he had not spoken since 1966. [111] [nb 10]

Harrison recorded "Not Guilty" at his home studio, FPSHOT, in Henley, Oxfordshire, [95] [96] with Neil Larsen, Stevie Winwood, Willie Weeks and Andy Newmark among the backing musicians. [113] Larsen played Rhodes piano, [114] which serves as the main feature of the track, [33] while Harrison exchanged the electric guitar arrangement from 1968 with acoustic parts. [115] [62] The recording also omits the section in 3/8 time, which had caused difficulty during the Beatles' attempts ten years before. [65] Its mellow jazz arrangement ends with interplay between Harrison's scat singing and Weeks's bass. [115] George Harrison was scheduled for release in December but an issue with the artwork delayed the process. [100] On 15 December, Harrison accompanied Starr to the re-opening of the Star-Club in Hamburg, [116] [117] where the Beatles had regularly performed before achieving fame in 1963. [118]

Harrison produced the track with Russ Titelman, a Warner Bros. Records staff producer whose other projects included the self-titled debut album by Rickie Lee Jones. [119] [120] Leng views Harrison's remake as typical of the singer's frame of mind on George Harrison, writing: "In complete contrast [to the Beatles' version], the 1979 reproduction is all shimmering cool and acoustic sea spray – here is a man looking back on events rather than being caught up in their heat." [62] Leng describes the musical mood on the track as "a loose version of the Rickie Lee Jones or Paul Simon jazz-pop sound, dominated by phased electric piano and breathy vocals". [62]

Release and reception

We recorded it [in 1968] but we didn't get it down right or something ... The lyrics are a bit passé – all about upsetting "Apple carts" and stuff – but it's a bit about what was happening at the time ... the Maharishi and going to the Himalayas and all that was said about that. I like the tune a lot; it would make a great tune for Peggy Lee or someone. [121]

– George Harrison to Rolling Stone , 1979

George Harrison was released on Dark Horse Records on 20 February 1979. [122] "Not Guilty" appeared as the second track, sequenced between with "Love Comes to Everyone" and "Here Comes the Moon". [123] The song was of particular interest to Harrison's audience, due to its reputation as a lost Beatles track. [90] Harrison carried out limited promotion for the album, [104] during which the speculation surrounding a possible Beatles reunion was a regular theme put forward by members of the media. [124] At his press conference in Los Angeles, he suggested the former bandmates could meet for a cup of tea and televise the proceedings via satellite. [125] [126] He also denied that "Not Guilty" was aimed purely at McCartney, saying: "No, it's just about that period in 1968 ... there's a lot of comedy in it. You just have to look for it." [22] [nb 11]

Peter Doggett writes that, in the context of its release, eleven years after the events of 1968, the song "gently satirised the global obsession with the past, and specifically the era that the Beatles allegedly epitomised". [129] Doggett adds that although Harrison distanced himself from Beatles nostalgia in his promotional activities, he shared the public's interest in what Lennon might be doing during the latter's fourth year as a house-husband and stay-at-home father. [130] In his Rolling Stone interview at this time, Harrison commented that he had not seen Lennon in the last two years and, after the recent changes in his own life, he understood his former bandmate's decision to remain out of the limelight. [131] [nb 12]

The album received favourable reviews, [90] particularly in the UK, where it was Harrison's best-received work since the early 1970s. [133] [134] Harry George of the NME welcomed the inclusion of "Not Guilty", saying "No Beatle who could take part in All You Need Is Cash can be all bad", and assumed that the reference to upsetting the "Apple cart" was a line from the Rutles. [nb 13] He described the song as a "tense soft-shoe shuffle", highlighting Larsen's electric piano, Weeks's "serpentine bass", and Harrison lyrics that offered "wit and composure" rather than "the whining defensiveness of yore". [136] Writing in Melody Maker in 1979, E.J. Thribb also approved of Harrison's openness to being the target of Eric Idle's satire in the Rutles film. He named "Not Guilty" among the album's three most enjoyable songs, along with "Love Comes to Everyone" and "Blow Away", saying: "The chords roll and tumble, the melodies are good to chant, and the lyrics are simple but tell their story." [137] [138]

Personnel

Beatles version

According to Walter Everett: [139]

George Harrison version

According to Simon Leng: [140]

Notes

  1. ↑ Lennon and McCartney added to the chaos by repeating their offer on American television in May. [19] According to Harrison in an interview late that year, Lennon and McCartney acknowledged that this method of promoting the company had been a bad idea. [20]
  2. ↑ Everett concludes that the song would most likely have impressed European composers Hugo Wolf and Max Reger. [33]
  3. ↑ In his study of the Beatles' recordings, John Winn says the harpsichord was "probably" played by Chris Thomas, [52] Martin's understudy. [54] In a 2018 interview, Thomas recalls playing harpsichord on Harrison's "Piggies", among several keyboard contributions he made to the White Album from September 1968 onwards; when asked about "Not Guilty", he states that he did not play on the song. [55]
  4. ↑ The unusual setting for Harrison's vocal overdub inspired Lennon to suggest the band record their next song, "Yer Blues", in the tiny room off from the studio control room. [59]
  5. ↑ The problems in Apple Corps' design were already evident to the public, [73] since the band had closed their Apple Boutique in late July and had given away all the stock. [74] [75] In the early hours of 8 August, following the first session for "Not Guilty", McCartney and his girlfriend had written the titles of "Hey Jude" and "Revolution" on the whitewashed windows of the empty shop, [48] to promote the Beatles' next single. [76]
  6. ↑ Beatles author John Winn also criticises Emerick's work, describing it as a "mangled mix" with inconsistent sound and several "superfluous edits". [88]
  7. ↑ As a result, some bootleg compilers had taken "Frenzy and Distortion", a track that Harrison produced for Shankar's Raga soundtrack album in 1971, [91] and retitled it "Not Guilty" for inclusion on collections of the Beatles' rare recordings. [90]
  8. ↑ In I, Me Mine, Harrison's handwritten lyrics for the song are reproduced on Dark Horse Records notepaper and dated May 1978. [101]
  9. ↑ As well as appearing briefly in the television film, Harrison acted as a consultant to its creators, Neil Innes and Eric Idle. [106] [107] He also supplied them with archival footage from the Beatles' long-planned documentary project, [108] which eventually aired as The Beatles Anthology in 1995. [109]
  10. ↑ The film also sends up Apple's chaotic operation. [76] In one scene, employees pillage the Rutle Corps headquarters while the company's press agent is interviewed by a reporter, played by Harrison. [112]
  11. ↑ In an interview he gave to Rolling Stone to promote the album, in February, Harrison mentioned he had spent the morning in a London recording studio with McCartney, but he was quick to add that it was merely a social meeting. [127] Mick Brown, the magazine's writer, said the chances of a "musical realignment" between the four former Beatles was "as unlikely as Richard Nixon regaining the presidency". [121] [128]
  12. ↑ Harrison said that the pair kept in touch with postcards and, alluding to the Rutles, "tapping on the table". [132] He added: "But I myself would be interested to know whether John still writes tunes and puts them on a cassette, or does he just forget about music and not touch the guitar. Because that's what I did, all of 1977 ... And I didn't miss it." [131]
  13. ↑ When asked in a 2001 online Q&A how the Rutles had "influenced your career", Harrison responded: "I got all my ideas from the Rutles! Particularly, the 12-string Rickenbacker and slide guitar styles I got from Stig O'Hara." [135]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Harrison</span> English musician and member of the Beatles (1943–2001)

George Harrison was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian culture and helped broaden the scope of popular music through his incorporation of Indian instrumentation and Hindu-aligned spirituality in the Beatles' work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">While My Guitar Gently Weeps</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist, as an exercise in randomness inspired by the Chinese I Ching. The song conveys his dismay at the world's unrealised potential for universal love, which he refers to as "the love there that's sleeping".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Me Mine</span> 1970 song by the Beatles

"I Me Mine" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album Let It Be. Written by George Harrison, it was the last new track the group recorded before their break-up in April 1970. The song originated from their January 1969 rehearsals at Twickenham Film Studios when they were considering making a return to live performance. Written at a time of acrimony within the group, the lyrics lament humankind's propensity for self-centredness and serve as a comment on the discord that led to Harrison temporarily leaving the Beatles. The musical arrangement alternates between waltz-time verses and choruses played in the hard rock style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">For You Blue</span> 1970 single by the Beatles

"For You Blue" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album Let It Be. The track was written by George Harrison as a love song to his wife, Pattie Boyd. It was also the B-side to the "Long and Winding Road" single, issued in many countries, but not Britain, and was listed with that song when the single topped the US Billboard Hot 100 and Canada's national chart in June 1970. On the Cash Box Top 100 chart, which measured the US performance of single sides individually, "For You Blue" peaked at number 71.

"Across the Universe" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the 1969 various artists' charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World and later, in a different form, on their 1970 album Let It Be, the group's final released studio album. The original version featured on two different albums both titled Rarities: a 1978 British release and a 1980 US release. It was also included on their 1988 album Past Masters, Volume Two. The song has been covered by many artists, including David Bowie on his 1975 album Young Americans, which featured contributions from Lennon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savoy Truffle</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Savoy Truffle" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles. The song was written by George Harrison and inspired by his friend Eric Clapton's fondness for chocolate. The lyrics list the various flavours offered in Mackintosh's Good News chocolates and serve as a warning to Clapton about the detrimental effect that his gorging would have on his teeth. Along with Clapton's guest appearance on the White Album track "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and Harrison reciprocating on Cream's "Badge", it is one of several songs that mark the start of a long-lasting musical association between the two guitarists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dig a Pony</span> 1970 song by the Beatles

"Dig a Pony" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1970 album Let It Be. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The band recorded the song on 30 January 1969, during their rooftop concert at the Apple Corps building on Savile Row in central London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dear Prudence</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Dear Prudence" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. The song was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Written in Rishikesh during the group's trip to India in early 1968, it was inspired by actress Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence Farrow, who became obsessive about meditating while practising with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Her designated partners on the meditation course, Lennon and George Harrison, attempted to coax Farrow out of her seclusion, which led to Lennon writing the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piggies</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Piggies" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles. Written by George Harrison as a social commentary, the song serves as an Orwellian satire on greed and consumerism. Among several elements it incorporates from classical music, the track features harpsichord and orchestral strings in the baroque pop style, which are contrasted by Harrison's acerbic lyrics and the sound of grunting pigs. Although credited to George Martin, the recording was largely produced by Chris Thomas, who also contributed the harpsichord part.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The lyrics contain sayings the Beatles heard from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with whom they studied Transcendental Meditation in India in early 1968. In his subsequent comments on the song, Lennon said it addressed his bandmates' initial reaction to his relationship with Yoko Ono. Recorded early in the sessions for the White Album, the track typifies Lennon and the Beatles' return to a rock sound in 1968 after their psychedelic period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexy Sadie</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Sexy Sadie" is a song by the English rock group the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. The song was written by John Lennon in India and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Lennon wrote the song during the Beatles' stay in India in response to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's alleged sexual advance on actress Mia Farrow. The song has been considered an early example of a diss track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long, Long, Long</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Long, Long, Long" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 album The Beatles. It was written by George Harrison, the group's lead guitarist, while he and his bandmates were attending Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation course in Rishikesh, India, in early 1968. Although Harrison later stated that he was addressing God in the lyrics, it is the first of his compositions that invites interpretation as both a standard love song and a paean to his deity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only a Northern Song</span> 1969 song by the Beatles

"Only a Northern Song" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 soundtrack album Yellow Submarine. Written by George Harrison, it was the first of four songs the band provided for the 1968 animated film Yellow Submarine, to meet their contractual obligations to United Artists. The song was recorded mainly in February 1967, during the sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, but the Beatles chose not to include it on that album. The group completed the recording two months later, straight after finishing work on Sgt. Pepper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Brown Shoe</span> 1969 single by the Beatles

"Old Brown Shoe" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. Written by George Harrison, the group's lead guitarist, it was released on a non-album single in May 1969, as the B-side to "The Ballad of John and Yoko". The song was subsequently included on the band's compilation albums Hey Jude, 1967–1970 and Past Masters, Volume Two. Although "Old Brown Shoe" remains a relatively obscure song in the band's catalogue, several music critics view it as one of Harrison's best compositions from the Beatles era and especially admire his guitar solo on the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Spite of All the Danger</span> 1995 song by the Quarrymen

"In Spite of All the Danger" is the first song recorded by the Quarrymen, then consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, pianist John Lowe, and drummer Colin Hanton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sour Milk Sea</span> 1968 single by Jackie Lomax

"Sour Milk Sea" is a song written by George Harrison and released by English rock singer Jackie Lomax as his debut single on the Beatles' Apple record label in August 1968. Harrison wrote the song during the Beatles' stay in Rishikesh, India and gave it to Lomax to help launch Apple Records. Lomax's recording is a rarity among non-Beatles songs since it features three members of the band – Harrison, who also produced the track, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. Performed in the hard rock style, the song also includes musical contributions from Eric Clapton and session pianist Nicky Hopkins. It was the first of many Harrison productions for artists signed to the Beatles' record label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wah-Wah (song)</span> Song by George Harrison

"Wah-Wah" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. Harrison wrote the song following his temporary departure from the Beatles in January 1969, during the troubled Get Back sessions that resulted in their Let It Be album and film. The lyrics reflect his frustration with the atmosphere in the group at that time – namely, Paul McCartney's over-assertiveness and criticism of his guitar playing, John Lennon's lack of engagement with the project and dismissal of Harrison as a songwriter, and Yoko Ono's constant involvement in the band's activities. Music critics and biographers recognise the song as Harrison's statement of personal and artistic freedom from the Beatles. Its creation contrasted sharply with his rewarding collaborations outside the group in the months before the Get Back project, particularly with Bob Dylan and the Band in upstate New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Run of the Mill (George Harrison song)</span> 1970 song by George Harrison

"Run of the Mill" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. Harrison wrote the song shortly after the Beatles' troubled Get Back sessions in early 1969, during a period when his growth as a songwriter had inadvertently contributed to the dysfunction within the Beatles' group dynamic. It is commonly asserted that the lyrics reflect the toll that running their company Apple Corps had taken on relationships within the band, especially between Paul McCartney and the other three Beatles, as well as Harrison's dismay at John Lennon's emotional withdrawal from the band. Many commentators recognise "Run of the Mill" as one of several Harrison compositions that provide an insight into events behind the Beatles' break-up, particularly the difficulties surrounding Apple.

"Simply Shady" is a song by English musician George Harrison that was released on his 1974 album Dark Horse. The song addresses Harrison's wayward behaviour during the final year of his marriage to Pattie Boyd, particularly the allure of temptations such as alcohol and drugs over spiritual goals. Harrison said the song was about "what happens to naughty boys in the music business".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Circles (George Harrison song)</span> 1982 song by George Harrison

"Circles" is a song by the English rock musician George Harrison, released as the final track of his 1982 album Gone Troppo. Harrison wrote the song in India in 1968 while he and the Beatles were studying Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The theme of the lyrics is reincarnation. The composition reflects the cyclical aspect of human existence as, according to Hindu doctrine, the soul continues to pass from one life to the next. Although the Beatles never formally recorded it, "Circles" was among the demos the group made at Harrison's Esher home, Kinfauns, in May 1968, while considering material for their double album The Beatles.

References

  1. ↑ Greene 2006, pp. 99–100.
  2. ↑ Tillery 2011, pp. 151–52.
  3. ↑ The Editors of Rolling Stone 2002, pp. 34–37.
  4. ↑ Lavezzoli 2006, p. 180.
  5. ↑ Paytress, Mark. "A Passage to India". In: Mojo Special Limited Edition 2003 , p. 12.
  6. ↑ Tillery 2011, pp. 64–65.
  7. ↑ Woffinden 1981, p. 4.
  8. ↑ Greene 2006, p. 100.
  9. ↑ Gould 2007, pp. 468–69.
  10. ↑ Schaffner 1978, p. 89.
  11. ↑ Harrison 2002, p. 138.
  12. ↑ Tillery 2011, p. 65.
  13. 1 2 3 Miles 2001, p. 296.
  14. ↑ Doggett 2011, p. 35.
  15. ↑ Clayson 2003, pp. 236–37.
  16. ↑ Schaffner 1978, pp. 101, 103.
  17. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 145.
  18. ↑ Schaffner 1978, p. 103.
  19. ↑ Miles 1998, p. 560.
  20. ↑ "George Harrison on business & The Beatles, 1969: CBC Archives". CBC Archives at YouTube. 21 December 2011. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  21. ↑ White, Timothy (November 1987). "George Harrison – Reconsidered". Musician . p. 55.
  22. 1 2 Huntley 2006, p. 165.
  23. ↑ Harry 2003, p. 286.
  24. ↑ Greene 2006, p. 99.
  25. 1 2 Leng 2006, p. 34.
  26. ↑ Lavezzoli 2006, p. 185.
  27. ↑ Everett 1999, p. 199.
  28. ↑ Lavezzoli 2006, p. 186.
  29. ↑ The Editors of Rolling Stone 2002, pp. 39–40, 187.
  30. ↑ Rodriguez 2010, p. 147.
  31. ↑ Doggett, Peter. "Fight to the Finish". In: Mojo Special Limited Edition 2003 , pp. 136–37.
  32. ↑ MacDonald 1998, p. 452.
  33. 1 2 3 4 Everett 1999, p. 203.
  34. ↑ Harrison 2002, pp. 139–40.
  35. 1 2 3 Clayson 2003, p. 253.
  36. ↑ MacDonald 1998, pp. 266, 267.
  37. 1 2 3 Leng 2006, p. 38.
  38. ↑ Everett 1999, p. 233.
  39. 1 2 Everett 1999, p. 202.
  40. 1 2 Gould 2007, p. 468.
  41. 1 2 Kahn 2020, p. 280.
  42. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 169.
  43. ↑ Unterberger 2006, pp. 195, 198.
  44. ↑ Quantick 2002, pp. 23, 110.
  45. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 170.
  46. ↑ Fricke, David (8 November 2018). "'The Beatles (White Album) Super Deluxe' Is a Revelatory Dive into Their Frayed Late-Sixties Drama". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  47. ↑ Ives, Brian (27 September 2018). "How the Beatles' 'Esher Demos' Enhance the White Album". Ultimate Classic Rock . Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  48. 1 2 Miles 2001, pp. 305–06.
  49. ↑ Lewisohn 2005, pp. 147–48.
  50. 1 2 3 4 MacDonald 1998, p. 266.
  51. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lewisohn 2005, p. 147.
  52. 1 2 3 4 5 Winn 2009, p. 199.
  53. ↑ Everett 1999, pp. 125, 202.
  54. ↑ Lewisohn 2005, p. 135.
  55. ↑ Rodriguez, Robert (25 December 2018). "154: It's Chris T(ho)mas Time!" (Podcast). somethingaboutthebeatles.com. Event occurs at 16:12–25:25. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  56. ↑ Babiuk 2002, p. 224.
  57. ↑ Winn 2009, p. 198.
  58. 1 2 Terrill, Marshall (25 July 2012). "Beatles' recording engineer Ken Scott reveals behind the scenes details on working with The Fab Four". Daytrippin'. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  59. ↑ Lewisohn 2005, p. 148.
  60. ↑ Unterberger 2006, pp. 209–10.
  61. ↑ Scapelliti, Christopher; Fanelli, Damian; Brown, Jimmy (6 July 2015). "The Fab 50: The Beatles' 50 Greatest Guitar Moments" > "29. Not Guilty". Guitar World . Archived from the original on 19 November 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  62. 1 2 3 4 Leng 2006, p. 203.
  63. ↑ Brend 2005, p. 56.
  64. ↑ Ryan & Kehew 2006, p. 490.
  65. 1 2 MacDonald 1998, p. 267.
  66. ↑ Lewisohn 2005, p. 150.
  67. ↑ Miles 2001, pp. 306–07.
  68. ↑ Quantick 2002, p. 27.
  69. ↑ Lewisohn 2005, pp. 150–51.
  70. ↑ MacDonald 1998, p. 271.
  71. ↑ NME staff (26 October 1968). "Beatles Double Album Tracks & Price". NME . pp. 12–13.
  72. ↑ Babiuk 2002, pp. 224–25.
  73. ↑ Schaffner 1978, p. 95.
  74. ↑ Everett 1999, p. 160.
  75. ↑ Babiuk 2002, p. 227.
  76. 1 2 Du Noyer, Paul (October 1996). "Ten Minutes That Shook the World – Hey Jude/Revolution: Masterpiece, turning point". Mojo . p. 60.
  77. ↑ The Editors of Rolling Stone 2002, p. 38.
  78. ↑ Goldmine staff (16 October 2008). "Cover Story – The White Album: Artistic zenith or full of filler? Part I". Goldmine . Retrieved 5 August 2015.
  79. ↑ Everett 1999, p. 163.
  80. ↑ Gould 2007, pp. 488–89.
  81. ↑ Quantick 2002, pp. 52, 57–58.
  82. ↑ Everett 1999, p. 343.
  83. ↑ Unterberger 2006, pp. 373–74.
  84. ↑ Huntley 2006, pp. 193–94.
  85. ↑ Doggett 2011, pp. 284–85.
  86. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "The Beatles Ultra Rare Trax, Vol. 3". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  87. ↑ Unterberger 2006, p. 210.
  88. ↑ Winn 2009, pp. 199–200.
  89. ↑ Marchese, Joe (9 November 2018). "Review: The Beatles, 'The Beatles (The White Album): Anniversary Edition'". The Second Disc. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  90. 1 2 3 4 Rodriguez 2010, p. 392.
  91. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, pp. 107, 202.
  92. ↑ Schaffner 1978, p. 111.
  93. ↑ Castleman & Podrazik 1976, pp. 260, 263.
  94. ↑ Thompson, Dave (25 January 2002). "The Music of George Harrison: An album-by-album guide". Goldmine . p. 18.
  95. 1 2 Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 457.
  96. 1 2 Badman 2001, p. 221.
  97. ↑ Quantick 2002, pp. 110–11.
  98. ↑ MacFarlane 2019, pp. 115, 116.
  99. ↑ Huntley 2006, pp. 156, 164.
  100. 1 2 Kahn 2020, p. 268.
  101. ↑ Harrison 2002, p. 139.
  102. ↑ Lavezzoli 2006, p. 196.
  103. ↑ Tillery 2011, pp. 120, 163.
  104. 1 2 Rodriguez 2010, p. 175.
  105. ↑ Woffinden 1981, p. 104.
  106. 1 2 Doggett 2011, pp. 243–44.
  107. ↑ Huntley 2006, pp. 155–56.
  108. ↑ Badman 2001, p. 220.
  109. 1 2 Huntley 2006, p. 155.
  110. ↑ Rodriguez 2010, p. 308.
  111. ↑ Idle, Eric (1978). "The Rutles Story". The Rutles (LP booklet). Warner Bros. Records. p. 16.
  112. ↑ Clayson 2003, p. 264.
  113. ↑ Leng 2006, pp. 199, 202.
  114. ↑ Planer, Lindsay. "George Harrison 'Not Guilty'". AllMusic . Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  115. 1 2 Rodriguez 2010, p. 176.
  116. ↑ Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 458.
  117. ↑ Harry 2003, p. 82.
  118. ↑ MacDonald 1998, pp. 97, 356, 360.
  119. ↑ Leng 2006, p. 201.
  120. ↑ Rodriguez 2010, pp. 355–56.
  121. 1 2 Brown, Mick (19 April 1979). "A Conversation with George Harrison". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  122. ↑ Badman 2001, p. 229.
  123. ↑ Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 635.
  124. ↑ Clayson 2003, pp. 366, 369.
  125. ↑ Huntley 2006, pp. 162–63.
  126. ↑ Doggett 2011, p. 242.
  127. ↑ Kahn 2020, pp. 266, 267.
  128. ↑ Kahn 2020, p. 267.
  129. ↑ Doggett 2011, p. 257.
  130. ↑ Doggett 2011, pp. 257–58.
  131. 1 2 Kahn 2020, pp. 274–75.
  132. ↑ Rodriguez 2010, p. 413.
  133. ↑ Huntley 2006, pp. 163, 169.
  134. ↑ Woffinden 1981, p. 106.
  135. ↑ Kahn 2020, p. 533.
  136. ↑ George, Harry (24 February 1979). "George Harrison George Harrison (Dark Horse)". NME . p. 22.
  137. ↑ Thribb, E.J. (24 February 1979). "George Harrison: George Harrison (Dark Horse)". Melody Maker . p. 29.
  138. ↑ Hunt, Chris, ed. (2005). NME Originals: Beatles – The Solo Years 1970–1980. London: IPC Ignite!. p. 122.
  139. ↑ Everett 1999, pp. 202–03.
  140. ↑ Leng 2006, pp. 202–03.

Sources

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.