Tony's Guitarist Picks - George Harrison [Part Two]

Beatles recording engineer Geoff Emerick [RIP] wrote a book about his experiences recording with the Beatles titled Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles.  In his book, he made the absurd claim that George Harrison “couldn’t play guitar” simply because it took George awhile to think of guitar parts that would complement the songs of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  The book was very deferential to Paul McCartney, whom he would always refer to as “Paul”, whereas he would refer to John Lennon and George Harrison as simply “Lennon” and “Harrison”.  Where he still alive, I would have some choice words for Mr. Emerick.  But since he is no longer among the living to defend himself, I’ll simply state that Geoff Emerick was wrong.  Bob Dylan liked George’s musicianship, and was in awe on George’s knowledge of “all those chords”.  Mike Campbell owes much of his style to George Harrison. George Harrison would have been 76 this week.

As I said in Part One of my blog about George as a guitarist, George wasn’t a show-off.  Most of the guitarists that I list as favorites play solos that last longer than most Beatles songs.  That kind of playing was not in George’s toolbox.  He played whatever the songs of Lennon and McCartney required.  What amazed me about George Harrison is that once he wasn’t a Beatle, he became a better guitar player.  I attribute this to Delaney Bramlett.  After Abbey Road was in the can, George [with Eric Clapton] toured England with Delaney and Bonnie & Friends.  It was during this short tour that George learned from Delaney how to play slide.  Unlike most slide players, George’s slide playing didn’t come from the blues.  His playing is unique in that it reflects his love for Indian music.  His slide emulated the Indian sounds he heard in his head and with his heart.  Like his playing with a slide, you can practically sing his slide solos.  As for his other solos, the norm for George would be eight bars, but sometimes he got to stretch out a little bit longer.

Here are my favorite musical moments from George.  Mostly they are guitar solos for the songs of Lennon and McCartney, but others are songs that I like that don’t have any solos at all [you’ll know them when you read them].

I Saw Her Standing There – What a great way to start a recording career.  This song from Paul [with a little help from John] was the first song from the first album, Please Please Me [1963].  By Beatles standards the solo is a long one [16 bars].  More than fifty years after this track was cut, you can still feel the excitement bursting from your stereo speakers.

Don’t Bother Me – This was the first song he wrote [other than any instrumentals].  He said he was sick in bed at a hotel in Bournemouth, and he was doing an exercise to see if he could write a song.  Even George didn’t care for it, but I love it and the solo.  It’s not like The Doors’ Robbie Krieger’s first song [Light My Fire], where the first song he wrote in his life was a #1 hit [where do you go from there?].

A Hard Day’s Night – The iconic chord that introduces the song is the “Big Bang” of the British Invasion.  The sound of the solo sounds lightning fast, but George couldn’t play that fast [not yet, anyway].  He played the solo at half speed and an octave lower.  George Martin doubled the part on piano.  What you hear on the record is tape at twice normal speed.  Once it came to playing live, George got it [the Hollywood Bowl shows are evidence].

You Can’t Do That – The twelve-string riff from this song from John Lennon is George’s.  John plays the solo [a rarity], but George keeps chugging along with the riff.  At the time, 12 string electrics were virtually non-existent.  George was given his by Rickenbacker when the Beatles first came to New York in February 1964 [Remember, Mike Campbell’s first Rickenbacker 12-string came off their assembly line right after George’s].

 

Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby – George Harrison was the Beatles’ Carl Perkins guy.  At one time before they got signed to EMI, he used the pseudonym “Carl Harrison”. Many English guitar players were influenced by the blues.  George was influenced by rockabilly.  George plays two solos, the second of which is another long one by Beatles standards [24 bars].

Norwegian Wood [This Bird Has Flown] – George introduces the sitar into Western music and finds his musical identity.  ‘Nuff said.

Nowhere Man - This solo is at the top of my list.  This is what a Stratocaster with no effects sounds like.  I still have no idea how he got that “ping” at the end of the solo.

Drive My Car – The idea for the arrangement for this song by Paul McCartney was George’s idea.  He had been listening to Otis Redding's Respect.  He suggested that Drive My Car's bass and guitar parts should play similar lines in an approximation of Redding's bass-heavy sound.  That’s why you have such a unique sound here.  According to George: “We laid the track because what Paul would do, if he's written a song, he'd learn all the parts for Paul and then come in the studio and say, 'Do this.' He'd never give you the opportunity to come out with something. But on Drive My Car I just played the line, which is really like a lick off Respect, you know, the Otis Redding version – and I played that line on guitar and Paul laid that with me on bass. We laid the track down like that. We played the lead part later on top of it.”

If I Needed Someone – After Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark and David Crosby saw A Hard Day’s Night, Roger McGuinn got himself a Rickenbacker 12-string.  George said this track was inspired by the Byrds’ The Bells Of Rhymney.  This was the only George Harrison original [from Rubber Soul] that the Beatles would play live.

Taxman – George’s song that started Revolver, and it’s a great one. George shows off his rhythm guitar chops while Paul lays the lead.  He had some uncredited help from John on the lyrics [And my advice for those who die, declare the pennies on your eye…].  For me, this song was a statement that George could write songs as good as John and Paul.

I’m Only Sleeping – This is John Lennon’s song, but he wanted a backwards guitar solo.  How do you play a guitar solo backwards?  According to Geoff Emerick, it took George six hours to figure out how the notes he would play could be transposed backwards to give the solo a “yawning” feeling.  And he did it a year before Hendrix did it on Are You Experienced?

Let It Be – I have five versions of this song, four of which are completed studio versions, the other is a demo found on the deluxe White Album from last year.  Each studio has a different guitar solo.  The single version is probably the best known of them all [and my favorite of the four].  The second version from the Let It Be album is recorded with a Les Paul, and has a dirty, aggressive sound.  The first and second versions actually have the same basic track, just different solos.  The third version [from Let It Be…Naked] has George playing through a rotating Leslie speaker.  The fourth studio version [from the hits collection 1] is a remix of the first version.  It keeps the solo played on the single, but you can hear elements of the Leslie from the Let It Be…Naked version.

Come Together – This is the last great Lennon Beatles track, which kicks off Abbey Road.  It’s as bluesy and as swampy as the Beatles would ever get.  You don’t hear George until John is halfway through his electric piano solo, but when he makes his entrance he provides a textbook lesson on string bending.  At 3:02, you can hear him doing volume swells on the guitar, followed by more BB King-like soloing as the song fades.

Something - George cut this one live with an orchestra in one take.  As the story goes, there was some much overdubbing of instruments on this song that there was only one track left on the tape, and that was saved for the orchestra.  This didn’t faze George in the slightest.  He said he would play along live with the orchestra, such was his renewed confidence in his abilities.  He nailed the solo in a single take, shredding Geoff Emerick’s claims that George couldn’t play.

My Sweet Lord – This is the first recording where you hear “George Harrison – slide guitarist”.  Phil Spector baked the studio reverb into the recording of the entire All Things Must Pass album, and it gives this song and others a HUGE sound.  Not only was there a big 12-string guitar sound, and the Wall of Sound orchestra, George overdubbed many backing vocals [all those Hare Krishnas] which he dubbed the “George O’Hara Smith Singers”.  Whether or not it was an unconscious rip-off of the Chiffons He’s So Fine, this is a great sounding record.

Isn’t It a Pity – George recorded two versions of this song.  The better-known version appears on the first side of All Things Must Pass.  One word can describe that version – “majestic”.  The other is more of a dirge, which is ok.  The longer version is better. 

Cloud 9 – After laying low for five years [Gone Troppo was done in 1982 before he took a break], George did Cloud 9 in 1987.  The title cut has him dueling guitars with Eric Clapton.  EC does his usual thing but somewhat restrained while George keeps up with him on slide.  Keith Richards describes his rhythm/lead playing with Ron Wood as an “ancient form of weaving”.  EC and George do the same thing on Cloud 9.  This is magical stuff.

When We Was Fab – George kept his Beatles past at arm’s length.  When he finally came to terms with having been a Beatle, he wanted an I Am the Walrus vibe.  And like I Am the Walrus, there isn’t much guitar to be heard, but that wasn’t the point.  I think he captured the Walrus vibe magnificently here.

Handle With Care – Coming hot on the heels of Cloud 9 came the Traveling Wilburys, Volume 1 in 1988.  Warner Brothers wanted a B-side for the single This Is Love [from Cloud 9].  Either he or the record company [I don’t remember which – it’s immaterial] didn’t want the B-side to come from the album.  If you listen to the lyrics of When We Was Fab and Handle With Care, one hears the story that was started on one was continued with the other.  Maybe that’s why I like to hear them back-to-back.   Mike Campbell told the story of how Tom Petty called him to come to the studio to lay down the ending solo for the song.  For whatever reason he couldn’t get it.  George played it himself and nailed it.

Tweeter and the Monkey Man – A Wilburys track, my favorite after Handle With Care.  This hilariously funny homage to Bruce Springsteen was written mostly by Bob Dylan and Tom Petty.  However, there is a nasty twelve-string slide played by George.  His slide part appears throughout the song.  For me, that’s the hook – it starts the song.  Once you’re hooked, Dylan and Petty’s lyrics keep you interested for almost six minutes of fun.

Cheer Down – This was written with Tom Petty for the movie South Pacific [so he said jokingly in Japan].  The last 1:40 is all solos [very “out-of-character” for him], like a guitar duel, only it’s George vs. George.  The world loves a clown…

Lift Me Up – This is the third song from Jeff Lynne’s Armchair Theatre.  That’s George playing the slide solo at the end.

That Kind of Woman – After years of playing hard rock and heavy metal, Gary Moore decided he would be a bluesman.  Gary Moore’s Still Got the Blues came out in March 1990.  George gave him this song and traded solos with Gary Moore.  Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 came out in October 1990.  Gary Moore returned the favor and played the blistering lead guitar on their song She’s My Baby. 

All She Wanted – This from the Electric Light Orchestra’s album Zoom.  It was one of the last things George recorded.

Woman Don't You Cry for Me – This is the first song from 33 1/3, his first album for Warner Brothers on his own Dark Horse label after leaving Apple.  George shows that it is possible for a white Englishman to get funky.

Any Road – “Give me plenty of that guitar…” This is the first thing you hear to start George’s last album, Brainwashed.  I’m a firm believer in “truth in advertising” and George delivers plenty of guitar.  His main axe on this song is a ukulele, over which he plays plenty of slide guitar.  “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there”…very cosmic.

Back Off Boogaloo – This was Ringo Starr’s second single from 1972.  Like It Don’t Come Easy, this too was produced by George.  His slide is all over this one.

I’m the Greatest - For the Ringo album [1973], John, George and Ringo were all on I’m the Greatest with Billy Preston and Klaus Voorman, just one Beatle shy of a full reunion. George played all the fills, and a nasty guitar during the song’s fade-out.

I’ve Got a Feeling – This one is live from the Apple rooftop, January 30, 1969.  John plays the riff while George gets a big sound out of a Fender Telecaster [of all things].  When George enters the song, he makes his presence known immediately. I remember seeing the movie Let It Be, where Paul describes how he wants to hear the lead guitar sound like it's falling off a cliff. I can't remember if it was George or John trying to get what Paul wanted, and one can hear a studio outtake on Anthology 3 where George can't quite get it. But when it came to time play it live on the rooftop, George nailed it.

One After 909 – This one is live from the Apple rooftop recorded in 1969.  It sounds like the guys are having fun.  This is proof that the Beatles could cut it live.  George’s lead playing is flawless.

Octopus's Garden – From Abbey Road, George played the opening riff, and he played another solo in the middle.  This sounds like George’s Chet Atkins influence coming to the fore.

Here Comes the Sun – This song from Abbey Road is one of George’s finest.  It was a spring day in 1969 and George didn’t feel like going to work at Apple one day.  He went to Eric Clapton’s house instead.  Whilst wondering around EC’s backyard, he picked up an acoustic guitar, and this song popped out.  It is one of happiest songs George ever did.  If you’re wondering, he put a capo at the 7^th fret.

Old Brown Shoe - This was the B-side to The Ballad of John and Yoko.  I think it’s the first time one can hear George playing a slide on a Beatles song, but I can’t be sure.  But the solo is a very nimble little exercise played on a Telecaster through a Leslie speaker.  Throughout the song, you can hear the same guitar-bass playing in unison like they did on Drive My Car.

You Never Give Me Your Money – This Paul McCartney song from Abbey Road is his commentary on the Beatles business problems.  It starts as a simple piano melody, then suddenly switches to a faster boogie-woogie part, which is a fondly nostalgic look back at the early Beatle days that describes the magic feeling with nowhere to go.  After a lengthy [by Beatles standards] guitar interlude, then it’s rock city.  John’s holding down the rhythm while George steps on the gas.  You can hear over the repeated chant of "One two three four five six seven, all good children go to heaven" a motif of guitar notes that would later return as the bridge between Carry That Weight and The End.  That chiming, sparkling guitar is all George.

I Want You [She's So Heavy] – John Lennon played a rare lead on this song, with George providing the fills. But after you hear John’s final “she’s so…” then begins the long playout with a massive guitar wall of sound with many guitar parts played by both John and George.  The Moog synthesizer starts off like a wind in the distance and then becomes a hurricane with the John/George guitar wall of sound.  The listener is lured into a trance until the music suddenly stops, snapping the listener out of the trance.  It’s still a mind-blower for my kids.

Gimme Some Truth and How Do You Sleep? – Gimme Some Truth from John’s Imagine album first appeared during the Beatles Let It Be sessions.  Resurrected for Imagine, this song has elements of the Phil Spector “wall of sound” [he co-produced with John & Yoko].  George plays one of his most nasty slide solos of his life [0:50 – 1:15] which cuts through the wall of sound like a stiletto.  It was on the Imagine album where John said George was playing the best guitar of his life.  When I first heard it and How Do You Sleep? so many years ago, I did a double take, thinking to myself “that’s George?”  I checked the liner notes and sure enough, it was George.  These are “we’re not worthy” moments.

What Is Life – You’re recording your first proper solo album after leaving the biggest band on the planet, Eric Clapton plays lead on most of the songs while you play rhythm.  That album was George’s All Things Must Pass, arguably the best Beatle solo album of them all.  On this song, the roles are reversed – George plays the fuzzy lead guitar riff while EC plays rhythm. 

Day After Day – George produced roughly half of Badfinger’s Straight Up album before he had to tend to the arrangements for staging the Concerts for Bangladesh.  Before he handed the production reins over to Todd Rundgren, George asked the band if he could play on this himself.  I think the slide part that starts the song is Pete Ham, but the rest of the slide parts are all George.  There’s some beautiful playing here.

Hey Bulldog – The terms “screaming guitar solo” and “George Harrison” are, for the most part, mutually exclusive.  Not so with this hidden gem from Yellow Submarine.  George uses a Gibson SG here.  This one is the nastiest solos George recorded with the Beatles.  After spending most of the previous year NOT playing guitar, he laid down this blistering solo.

Dear Prudence – The main guitar motif played throughout this song from the White Album is fingerpicked by John Lennon.  George doesn’t make an appearance until the 1:40 mark.  George uses two guitars to weave a guitar tapestry throughout that gives the songs a “trippy” quality.  From here the song keeps building up to a climax, which comes at 3:35, where the song starts to fade as it began, with John fingerpicking alone.

Happiness Is a Warm Gun – This is another fingerpicking exercise from John Lennon.  George often cited this song as one of his favorites because of the time changes.  The song has four distinctive parts, with time changes between 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 9/8, 10/8 and 12/8 time signatures and tempo changes to match.  George enjoyed navigating the twists and turns of the song.  His fuzzy, distorted Stratocaster has and “acid rock” vibe to it.  Great string bending here.

Savoy Truffle – This one from Side 4 of the White Album is an ode to Eric Clapton’s sweet tooth.  Most of the words came directly from a box of Good News chocolates.  This song has a great horn section, but the guitar greatness comes from George’s tasty solo [no pun] between 1:27 – 1:50.

If Not for You – The only Dylan cover I like more than this one is Hendrix’s take on All Along the Watchtower.  More acoustic slide greatness from George.

It Don't Come Easy – Ringo Starr’s first hit.  Produced by George, he also plays all over it.  The Leslie guitar intro is George.  This is a great record.

Sue Me, Sue You Blues & Soft-Hearted Hana – both of these tunes, recorded five years apart, are played on acoustic slide guitar.  Sue Me, Sue You Blues [from Living in the Material World] is George’s commentary on the Beatles’ legal woes. Soft-Hearted Hana is a more light-hearted affair that discusses the effects of “magic mushrooms”.  The song’s speed is varied at the end to give the listener a woozy, drugged-out feeling.  At first, I thought there was something wrong with either the record or the turntable.  But the disoriented feeling was done deliberately.

The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord) – All Things Must Pass featured Eric Clapton and Dave Mason in addition to George.  On Living in the Material World, George is the only guitarist.  The song has an acoustic beginning, which he strums throughout.  He has the slide pop up in bits and pieces throughout, but at 3:53 until the songs conclusion [4:35] he performs a very tasty slide solo, about 15 ½ bars worth.

So Sad – Dark Horse doesn’t have many songs to recommend it, but this one caught my ear the first time I heard it 40 years ago.  The main guitar here is a twelve-string acoustic, with plenty of electric slide throughout.  The song begins and ends with an eight-bar instrumental passage played on the acoustic twelve-string, and for me that’s the song’s hook.  Originally recorded for Living in the Material World, this song paints a bleak picture of George’s failing marriage to his first wife, Pattie. 

Photograph – George co-wrote this song with Ringo Starr.  It appears on Ringo’s eponymous album [Ringo] from 1973.  Like So Sad, Photograph is about lost love and was also first begun during sessions for Living in the Material World.  Of course, after George’s death the song took on a new meaning.  There are no guitar solos.  George’s 12-string acoustic guitar is part of the song’s Spectoresque wall of sound.

Marwa Blues – Every now and then George would cut an instrumental.  This one from Brainwashed impressed the Grammy people enough to give him the award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.

Stuck Inside A Cloud – Dhani Harrison once said that if his dad had a favorite song on any album, he would place it as the seventh song.  Stuck Inside A Cloud is the seventh song on Brainwashed.  I think this was the only song where George addressed his declining health and his quiet despair.  There’s beautiful slide playing here.

The End - Paul, George and John each play three little two-bar solos, in that order. John has a raunchy, distorted guitar tone on his Epiphone Casino, Paul also plays a Casino but his style is more stinging and a bit frantic [think Taxman and Sgt Pepper]. George is more melodic and polished, and plays a Les Paul. According to engineer Geoff Emerick, they did the soling in one take.

Part One - http://tonysmusicroom.blogspot.com/2013/02/tonys-guitarist-picks-george-harrison.html