*George Harrison, his Songs Brought the Sun and the Stars

‘Sense never gratified/ Only swelling like a tide/ That could drown me in the material world.’ 

' George didn’t see black and white, up and down as different things. He didn’t compartmentalize his moods or his life. People think he was this or that or really extreme, But these extremes are all within one circle.’ Olivia Harrison

Harrison, the often overlooked Beatle, wrote some of the most loved Beatles songs - 'Something', 'All Things Must Pass' and 'Here Comes the Sun'. His guitar playing was highly expressive and admired by other guitarists. He added more to the Beatles sound than many realized. And my guitar gently weeps.....

I’ve been curious about Harrison since my twenties when this rhythm guitarist to my surprise said he was the most talented of the Beatles. After all it was always Paul and John in the spotlight. I watched Scorsese’s documentary ‘Living in the Material World’ recently and I enjoyed the way he is able to get under the skin of artists that he portrays, as he did in his  documentary on Bob Dylan entitled 'No Direction Home'. 

From the start George was the little brother, brought in by John and Paul to play the guitar riffs. He didn’t enjoy the teen worship and out of control screaming hoards of girls swooning for the band, and after a bit it became over whelming to him.

However anyone who studies the Beatles back catalogue will discover that some of their best songs were written by Harrison. He gave the Beatles a ‘lyrical’ style of playing. He is listed at number 11 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of "100 Greatest Guitarist of All Time". He drew from the records of Carl Perkins, Duanne Eddy, Chat Atkins, Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran. There was his prominent rhythm guitar on 1966 Taxman, Love You Too on Revolver; This Is Love, When We Was Fab on Cloud Nine. Eventually Harrison developed his own skills and he submitted his songs for Let It Be and Abbey Road albums – songs such as All Things Must Pass. Then he wrote one of the best love songs ever written ‘Something’ which was Harrison's first Beatles single (a double A side with Come Together). 

           

George the Innovator.  He was an innovator, an observer who was endlessly curious.  He was a free agent and he didn’t like the rules yet he was also very much a team player.

Concert for Bangladesh(1971) – Held at Madison Square this was the first large scale concert by pop musicians to support a charity and led to Geldof's Live Aid. Even today sales of the CD raise money for UNICEF.

George the Mystic. His spiritual journey meant everything. He had money at an early age yet there was still something missing for him.  He married blond model Patti Boyd after filming Hard Days Night and she led him to an interest in Eastern philosophies.  Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar  became his mentor and he believed you needed to have direct experience of god in whatever form to believe. ‘ Look we’re not these bodies lets not get hung up on that.’  Patti inspired two of the greatest love songs ever written - Something by Harrison and Layla by Eric Clapton.  She later married Clapton and Harrison married Mexican Olivia Arias. 

 Post Beatles. All Things must Pass is considered to be the best post Beatles solo record with songs such as – Isn’t It a Pity, Beware of Darkness, My Sweet Lord, I’d Have You Anytime (co-written with Dylan) and the Dylan cover If Not for You.

George The Filmmaker. Handmade Films. He paid the largest price ever for a movie ticket when he had his house mortgaged to fund Monty Python’s The Life of Brian.

The Traveling Wilburys (1988). When recording for his album Cloud Nine Harrison so enjoyed  working with Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lyne and Tom Petty(no less!) that he later got them together to tour and record as a super group. 

 Songs. I Gave My Heart To You, If I Needed Someone, All Things Must Pass, Something, Here Comes the Sun, My Guitar Gently Weeps, Isn’t It A Pity, Within You Without You, What Is Life, 

Harrison had a compassionate, spiritual and caring voice that seemed to come from a deep sense of belief and certainly of love. His friend Eric Clapton told of them sitting in the garden at Friar Park one morning when the sun started to come out and suddenly inspired the song .. like a miracle..The Beatles were different they were the first big band of the early 60s and those years 1963 to 1966 transformed the musical landscape forever. 

‘Create and preserve the image of your choice.’
 

‘’You don’t build a garden for yourself right now – you build a garden for future generations.’

 He had both grace and humour. He searched for inner light and inner peace …and yes Harrison did make the sunset with his songs. 

 All Things Must Pass, Concert for Bangladesh, Living in the Material World, Handmade Films, Cloud Nine, Travelling Willburys. 
It has been a joy reading about Harrison for this blog and listening to his music.

http://thehamburgbeatles.blogspot.com/

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Concert for Bangladesh

George's last concert 

Music Industry Night - City Halls Glasgow March 2012

Hear Glasgow!'s Music Industry Panel.  Thanks to Yvonne McLellan (Host), Dougie Souness (No Half Measures Ltd.,), Jen Hunter (Musicians' Union), Duncan McCrone (MCPS-PRS Alliance), Stephen Hume (SMIA) & Dave Corbet (Dfc Scotland) for an enlightening & inspiring evening.

Bands.  Do research. Managers – ask are they trustworthy, honest, enthusiastic. Represent you to PRS, fix amplifiers. Contacts.

Maintain contact with fanbase. Direct to fanbase, and build a community outside of friends.

Make your audience find you. Re-connect.

Have a Plan,

Songs are the most important. 

Be professional, appreciate the Backstage,

It is about 95% Creativity, 5% Business

PRS – Song Royalties for live gigs.

Song royalties copyright. Band copyright for lyrics and tune. Arrangement for drums and bass.

The Song Share Agreement. Share money but not the Rights.

Musicians Union. £20 for students. Ask Us First List.

New Business Models.

Record deal less relevant.

Get music out there. The Record labels do nothing – and there are many bands that get stuck on deals for years that do nothing for them.

Radio play is important. Different genres need different deals.

Build to 2 or 3 thousand people.

Creative grants.

PR person and plugger. 3% goes to PRS.

Have control.

Right person as plugger – to get Radio One, Jools Holland.

Major Labels have changed, no longer their own repertories.  

Distribution Partner - for marketing, promoting, iTunes, Spotify, Physical Goods, Signed Items.

Distribution Costs,

Press campaign promoter.

Licensing Deals for album. Pay royalty of every record sold 50/50.

Pledge Music.

Creative Scotland.

Record Label advance – it’s a loan that you have to pay back.  

Right deal, Right people. In your time and your style.

Labels? Do you understand the band.

Less advance and money for tour and marketing.

Re-register every song.

Watch and network with other fans.

Entrance pathways.

X factor is only a small path into industry.  It is simply a different channel.

T Break tent costs money to put on. It needs to be the right time for a band. Ask for feedback.

Radio is key.

Viking Galaxy 13th Note gig

Viking Galaxy played their gig at the 13^th Note Glasgow to an enthusiastic crowd!  They were so much fun and I Ioved the vibrant orange and their Viking space outfits! !  Their sound is packed with fantasy, high energy and drama. They are a band of Viking explorers from outer space who plunder, pillage and raid far away planets! 

William Hill is such a cool front man - my son Ross Keightley is the bass player, Mathew Brown on keys, Mike Parkin on guitar, Andrew Scott on drums. The band has played successful shows at Bannermans Edinburgh where fans turned up in Viking gear! Three of the members are long time school mates and they have all played in  other bands.

Music Unites Us

My Musicfootnotes blog is about art and music but I also occasionally post letters about politics and social concerns. I was thinking of the issues around Scottish Independence and about what is ‘Britishness’?  This then led me to thinking how music offers one voice and brings us together.

As the debate heats up around Scottish Independence, it led me to wondering what ‘Britishness’ means for me. English people, or rather those in London, should realise Scottish people don’t support the English teams at sporting events – why? Well the great rivalry is as strong as ever. However Scottish independence would offer many mutual benefits, a better partnership and renewed respect I feel. 

There are globalization fears as gigantic business conglomerates attempt to take over control. 

(Europe tried this one size fits all Euro which I always wondered seemed a half baked idea.)

I’m not enthused by a ‘one size fits all’ homogenised, faceless worldwide culture – where every city has its corner Big Mac and Nike trainers on display no matter where I travel, 

While I do believe in freedom of thought and speech – in One Young World and in voices of truth such as the Dalai Lama…and I don’t believe in tribalism or religious divides. People have advised that we shouldn’t speak of religious or political thoughts, this seems a terrible thing and I believe in good, healthy and informed debate…I believe in democracy whatever that means in today's world? 

It is more important than ever to keep our divergent heritages alive. I believe strongly that Scotland needs to move on now and to feel a renewed sense of confidence over it’s own 'identity' and not to feel 'dependent' on the decisions of a few in London. London is interested in its financial institutions, civil servants, media and more – and it is not interested in business opportunities elsewhere.

Today more than ever the individual voice matters. I believe in de-centralized government above all as I saw first hand in America - where each State runs its own affairs and the federal government runs the roads and military. Scotland has its own education system and Scots Law.

Scottish independence is a ‘positive’ debate and it is not about ‘divides’ or about old rivalries, but about a healthy and respectful ‘partnership’ in which Scotland no longer feels second-rate but able to stand on its own two feet as many other small countries do. 

When I wandered abroad many years sometimes I would hear the pipes of Scotland call me back home.  So I include a haunting Gaelic song that finished with those pipes - '' Crucan na bpaiste' and the 'Drummers of England'. I was born in England to Irish parents and grew up in Scotland - so yes I believe in Irish and English heritage too!  I had a songbook of National songs and we sang Irish and Welsh songs too. That's why I love the Celtic festival here in Glasgow - it is one big melting pot that celebrates many cultures through the medium of music.Celtic celebrates our differences while the music also brings us together.
MY SCOTTISH PORTRAITS  -  http://www.pkimage/scottishportraits

This blog has become also about music! 

Even In our world of mass communications it is harder and harder to get heard amid all the large corporate controls. Therefore it is important to maintain our heritage even more than it ever was. 

We must never believe that our voice cannot be heard.