"Isn't It a Pity"

Isn't it a pity,

Now isn't it a shame?

How we break each other's hearts

And cause each other pain.

How we take each others love,

Without thinking anymore.

Forgetting to give back,

Isn't it a pity?

Somethings take too long

but how do I explain?

That not too many people

Can see we're all the same.

And because of all their tears

their eyes can't hope to see

The beauty that surronds them,

In't it a pity?

Isn't it a pity,

Now isn't it a shame?

How we break each other's hearts

and cause each other pain.

How we take each others love,

without thinking anymore.

Forgetting to give back

Isn't it a pity?

George Harrison - 1970

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2_Mq9gNaEM

Happy Birthday Ringo Starr!

Happy 74th to Ringo Starr. He has kept that back beat for along time, providing the pulse to our lives along the way. It's down to him and Paul McCartney now to keep the legacy of the Beatles alive. Paul does his thing and Ringo his, but there are always Beatles songs included in both their sets. How could it be otherwise?

Here Ringo performs a very heartfelt tribute to George Harrison, his dear friend and band mate for so many years, who had just passed away from cancer at the all too young age of 55. It was actually George who brought Ringo into the band just in time for their first record, "Love Me Do", in the fall of 1962. The irony was that Ringo never got to play on that record. I believe they used a session drummer named Allan White.

Ringo has always gotten short shrift for his accomplishments with the Beatles. But he's the one responsible for all the malapropisms such as "A Hard Day's Night", "Tomorrow Never Knows", "Eight Day's A Week", and the title for the album "Rubber Soul", along with quite a few others. A very witty man, Ringo is.

His wife, Barbara Bach; along with Olivia, the widow of the late George Harrison; have both been the driving force behind a project in Romania which has been going on since the days after the fall of the communists. They have sponsored orphanages for the children of rape; most of whom had AIDS. Some of those children are now alive and disease free due to the work of these two remarkable women and the support of their husbands.

Ringo Starr is still performing his summer concerts with the ever changing "All Star Band". If you've never been to one of those concerts you're missing out. Happy Birthday Ringo- with a little help from your friends...

"George Harrison: Living In the Material World" - Martin Scorsese (2011)

This may be the best rock biopic you will ever see about George Harrison. It shouldn’t surprise you as it was produced by Martin Scorsese and Olivia Harrison. It is filled with personal photos and film footage taken by Harrison and the other Beatles, and is narrated throughout by some of the people who knew and loved him the most.

That’s not to say that this is a marathon of celebrities stating how “Beatle George” affected, or influenced, them. Rather it is a film made by those closest to him, about him. Along the way Mr. Scorsese manages to extract the most telling interviews with George concerning fame, fortune and religion. Mr. Harrison’s take on religion was not so far removed from what he terms the concept of God being “a man in the sky”, which he originally rejected.

After delving into the sitar Mr. Harrison also embarked on a spiritual journey. He began in San Francisco, where he expected to see an enlightened community populated by people who had found some sort of inner peace. Instead he found sloth, rampant recreational use of LSD, and commercialism beyond belief. He promptly fled the scene after his famous walk through Golden Gate Park.

When he got to India he was lured into the Hindu teachings in a very simple way. He had always been taught, from birth, that you only needed to have Faith in God’s existence. But in India it was accepted that one cannot believe what he cannot see or feel for themselves. And, further, that this belief was valid.

His relationship with Ravi Shankar is explored and there is some film of George and Ravi weaving together on the sitar and guitar, melding the East and West into one. The film is so insightful and informative that you come away from it feeling as if you have met Mr. Harrison for the very first time; having misunderstood him for all these years.

Eric Clapton pays homage to not only his friend, but also to the creativity of the Beatles. He even tells the story of how he got to be on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, and the anxiety he felt about performing with them.

Klaus Voorman and Astrid Kirchherr, the two German friends from Hamburg days, give their first impressions of meeting both the Beatles and George, and how that relationship affected them, as well as influenced their own artistry. Their descriptions of the friendship post Hamburg; including the LSD trip which led to John writing “I Am the Walrus”; make this film even better. Klaus went on to do the cover for the Beatles album “Revolver” and also became the bass player in the original Plastic Ono Band.

Yoko Ono weighs in with some delightfully unguarded comments about meeting George and how he perceived her as a fellow artist, rather than an enemy. George Martin is fatherly in his affection for Mr. Harrison, and Paul McCartney talks of their first meeting and how he convinced John to hear George play.When he performed “Raunchy”; atop a double decker Liverpool bus one night; he was in the group.

This film is a delightful treat. I am the type who usually gets up several times during a film, either to eat or stretch. This film had me in my chair for the entire first disc, which runs about 94 minutes. There is also a second disc with bonus features and performances which runs about 2 hours.

Whether or not you were ever a fan of the Beatles; or even George Harrison; you will not leave this film “empty handed.” This film will lift you up while also making you take a closer look at your own system of beliefs. Surprisingly; whether you are an atheist, a Christian, a Jew, or even a Buddhist; this film will touch you in a very personal way.  

"Telephone Line" by Jeff Lynne with Richard Tandy (Acoustic)

Telephone Line

(Jeff Lynne)

Hello. How are you?

Have you been alright, through all those lonely lonely lonely lonely lonely nights

That's what I'd say. I'd tell you everything

If you'd pick up that telephone yeah yeah yeah

Hey. How you feelin?

Are you still the same?

Don't you realize the things we did, we did, were all for real, not a dream?

I just can't believe

They've all faded out of view yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Doowop dooby doo doowop doowah doolang

Blue days black nights doowah doolang

I look into the sky, the love you need ain't gonna see you through

And I wonder why the little things you planned ain't coming true

Oh oh Telephone Line, give me some time, I'm living in twilight

Oh oh Telephone Line, give me some time, I'm living in twilight

Ok. So no one's answering

Well can't you just let it ring a little longer longer longer oh oh ooohhhhh

I'll just sit tight through shadows of the night

And let it ring for evermore oh oh ooohhhhh yeah yeah yeah

Doowop dooby doo doowop doowah doolang

Blue days black nights doowah doolang.

_______________________________________
George Jones - Who's Gonna Fill Your Shoes?

George Harrison at 70

George Harrison would have turned 70 years old today. Born on February 25, 1943 in Liverpool, Mr. Harrison was often referred to as “the quiet Beatle” for his studious appearance on stage. But in many respects his voice, and influence, have rung louder than any of the other Fab Four since his untimely passing from cancer on November 29, 2001. 

Even more than the platitudes and anthems extolled by John Lennon’s iconic “Give Peace a Chance”, or “All You Need is Love”, and even beyond the foolishness of “Imagine”; which had John Lennon asking you to forgo your possessions, even as he lived a life of luxury himself; George Harrison eschewed the limelight of politics, choosing instead to champion Peace by his own actions. His wife, Olivia, along with Ringo's wife, Barbara Bach, have quietly funded the AIDS orphanages in Romania for over 20 years without any fanfare.

The Concert for Bangla Desh in August of 1971 was the first benefit concert of its kind, and they have now become the “norm” as a way to raise money after various disasters. Farm Aid, Feed the World; you name the benefit and it all started with George making a phone call or two for Ravi Shankar and the plight of the citizens of Bangla Desh.

His interest in a sitar on the set of the Beatle movie “Help” sparked an interest in all things Eastern, including Transcendental Meditation and the practice of Yoga. The spiritual aspects of Mr. Harrison’s later, solo efforts cannot be ignored. His album “Living In the Material World” will go down as one of the most beautiful musical tributes to spiritual beliefs ever recorded. You can read them as simply love songs, or you can delve the deeper meaning as Mr. Harrison sings his spiritual beliefs, shedding some of his personal pain as he does.

This video is of the Traveling Wilburys doing “It’s All Right” from their second album, “Traveling Wilburys Volume 3”, which was released in October 1990 when my daughter was about two years old. She loved this song; I think she still does. I’ll have to ask her. The point is that George Harrison; like all of the Beatles; transcended the boundaries imposed by generational differences. The bouncy and sometimes instospective nature of the songs are reminiscent of the Beatle's albums in the music of this highly unusual group, which released it's first album, "Traveling Wilburys Volume 1" in 1988.

Not since the advent of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young had there been such a collection of guitarists in one group. And what a group it was! With ex-Beatle George Harrison collaborating with Tom Petty,  Bob Dylan and Geoff Lynn of the Electric Light orchestra; along with rock legend Roy Orbison; this album just couldn’t miss. They followed it up in October of 1990 with the curiously titled “Traveling Wilburys Volume 3”. That album lacked the remarkable voice of Mr. Orbison, who had passed away just a year earlier, after scoring his last solo hit record in 1989. In some of the videos from this second Wilburys album; as in the one above;  you can see the empty chair left in tribute to him by the other band members.

Former band mates Lennon and McCartney said it best when they wrote, “And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make…” By those standards, George Harrison dwells in perfect peace and harmony; probably laughing at us all.

The Concert for Bangla Desh (1971)

It was 41 years ago today when the Concert for Bangla Desh was held at New York's Madison Square Garden. I never knew how, but Michael Held got tickets to this concert. For weeks the city had been abuzz with rumors of a hastily arranged concert for the victims of the disasters which were then taking place in Bangladesh (originally spelled as two separate words) a province located in India. Together with the fleeing refugees from Pakistan, there had also been a devastating cyclone in 1970; and coupled with these two tragedies, there was a Civil War going on, with massive atrocities committed against innocent civilians.

After seeing the power of Woodstock in 1969, George Harrison’s friend Ravi Shankar; who was originally from the affected area; approached him, asking if he thought that something could be done within the world of entertainment to help alleviate the misery and devastation being experienced by the hundreds of thousands of victims.

There were two concerts held that day, which was a Sunday. The first show was at noon, with the second show beginning at 7 PM. 40,000 lucky people got to see this historic event, and contribute to the relief of the people in Bangladesh.

The stage was alive with all of rock and roll’s royalty. But the intimate video above is one of my favorite parts of the concert. Bob Dylan being backed by Leon Russell on bass, with George Harrison on his white Fender Stratocaster, accompanied by Ringo Starr on a tambourine, playing Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman.” Does it ever get better than that?

This concert was the blueprint for all of the benefit concerts since then. From Live Aid to Farm Aid, all have their roots in this one event. The immediate effect was over $250,000 being administered by UNICEF, for relief in Bangladesh. After some of the initial problems had been ironed out, the concert continued to generate revenue for the agency, through movie and recording royalties, all of which found its way to the victims for whom it was intended.

But I still don’t know how the hell Michael got that ticket!

John Lennon with George Harrison (1971)

I love the process involved in making records. It's "magic", mixed in with a bit of technology, and a ton of emotions. In this clip from You Tube, John Lennon records "Oh, My Love" for his second solo album, "Imagine", with a little help from George Harrison on guitar, and Nicky Hopkins on electric piano. John played the acoustic piano on the recording. Phil Spector is also present, although he seems to contribute nothing of value to the session. This was a few years before he got mad and fired a pistol into the studio ceiling, which caused John Lennon to ban him forever as his producer.

The real meat of this video is in the transformation which the song takes; from a discussion about the meaning of love, to the first; and unorganized, version of the recording; and then through a bit of anger, before emerging, beginning at 2 minutes and 55 seconds into the film, as the wonderfully sensitive ballad which it is. Especially of interest to me is watching George Harrison effortlessly move about the neck of his guitar, totally at peace with himself, as well as his instrument. I'm still trying, on both accounts.

Happy Leap Year! See you tomorrow with an actual review of something....

Old Roads - "Any Road Will Take You There"

Old, abandoned roads have always held my interest. I like to imagine what was there, if anything, before the new road came in to pass it by. This is International Drive,in Statesville, just past the barrier which separates it from the existing road. I was looking for a different road, which is visible from Interstate 77, but no one seems to be able to remember how to get there! So, I'm going to keep looking for it. It's my current "El Dorado". But while I was walking, I was thinking of this song by George Harrison, which was recorded live on MTV sometime in the late '90's. I thought I'd share it with you here while I continue to look for the other road.



"Any Road Will Take You There" by George Harrison

But I've been traveling on a boat and a plane,
In a car on a bike with a bus and a train.
Traveling there, traveling here,
Everywhere, in every gear.

But oh Lord, we pay the price.
With the spin of the wheel, with the roll of the dice.
Ah yeah you pay your fare,
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.

And I've been traveling through the dirt and the grime,
From the past to the future through the space and the time.
Traveling deep beneath the waves,
In watery grottoes and mountainous caves.

But oh Lord we've got to fight,
With the thoughts in the head, with the dark and the light.
No use to stop and stare,
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.

You may not know where you came from,
May not know who you are,
May not have even wondered,
How you got this far.

I've been traveling on a wing and a prayer,
By the skin of my teeth, by the breadth of a hair.
Traveling where the four winds blow,
With the sun on my face, in the ice and the snow.

But oooeeee it's a game,
Sometimes you're cool, sometimes you're lame.
Ah yeah it's somewhere,
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.

But oh Lord we pay the price,
With the spin of the wheel with the roll of the dice.
Ah yeah you pay your fare,
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.

I keep traveling around the bend,
There was no beginning, there is no end.
It wasn't born and never dies,
There are no edges, there is no sides.

Oh yeah you just don't win,
It's so far out, the way out is in.
Bow to God and call him Sir,
But if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.
If you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.

The Concert for Bangla Desh

Today is the 40th anniversary of the Concert for Bangla Desh. In comparison to today, the concert is almost dated, but it is arguably the first of the "benefit" concerts, as defined by today's standards. This clip is a great example of the mixing and matching of different musicians, irrespective of record company contracts, which was almost normal for the times. Musicians were starting to really assert themselves in taking control, and direction, of their own careers. This is one of the best "pick up" bands ever assembled for a song or two. Leon Russell is on bass, Bob Dylan and George Harrison are trading ryhthm; note that Harrison is transposing by sight, while Dylan is using s capo; and Ringo is just thrilled to be there, letting everyone know, just by his presence, that everything would be alright, "with a little help" from his friends.

Delaney and Bonnie and Freinds - 1969

1969 was a pivotal year for Eric Clapton. It was the year he learned to sing. It happened on the Delaney and Bonnie and Freinds tour,which at times included George Harrison, who was still with The Beatles. The comparative luxury of playing with a band, on tour, without all the fanfare generated by The Beatles, was one of the things which influenced him in his decision to leave the band briefly in January 1969 during the filming of "Get Back."

Clapton had not sung while a lot while in Cream, leaving that task to Jack Bruce, and it wasn't until the Blind Faith Album on which he began to sing. But still, for the most part, the singing was left to Steve Windwood.

Listen to the vocals on this video and see if it's not the same vocal style as Eric Clapton. Not only was this association with Delaney and Bonnie beneficial to Clapton as a vocalist, but as you will note in the video, it also marks his first association with Carl Radle, Bobby Whitlock and Jim Gordon, who would become the nucleus of Derek and the Dominoes, along with Clapton and Duane Allman. Their album "Layla", recorded a mere 2 years later, would go on to make musical history.

George Harrison - They Say It's His Birthday!

It's hard to believe that George Harrison, my favorite Beatle, has been dead almost ten years this coming December. Always known as the "serious" Beatle, Mr. Harrison contributed quite a lot to the sucess of the band. And after they broke up, his last recording with The Beatles was done in July of 1969 for the "Abbey Road" album, he went on to establish a quiet, and varied career, touring the world with many different incarnations of a band. His most notable sucess came in the late 1980's when he teamed up with Jeff Lynne, of The Electric Light Orchestra, and old friend Bob Dylan, along with new friend Tom Petty, and an old influence, Roy Orbison, with whom the Beatles had toured Germany in 1962, to form The Traveling Wilbury's. They made two albums, one before Mr. Orbison passed away, for which he received a Best Vocalist Award, and the second one without him.

This song, "Handle me with Care", takes a hard look at the price of fame and fortune. The vocals are tight, and yet both Roy Orbison and George Harrison each come off as distinctly different vocalists in this song. That was the beauty of this band, it's sheer wealth of writing and performance talents, coupled with no egos. This was also a very unique band, centered as it was,around George Harrison, the man whose curiosity about a sitar on the set of the movie "Help" began a radical shift in pop music, as well as a resurgence in the Art of Yoga. We were lucky to have him for awhile. He would have been 68 years old today. Happy Birthday, George!

I hope that if you have the time, and inclination, you will take a few moments today to view the wealth of music that this quiet man left as a legacy. Here's a link to get you in the slip stream. It features George on his favorite instrument, the ukelele. The song is "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" by Ted Koehler. Mr. Harrison was a big fan of 1930's music, once responding to a news reporters question about what he had been listening to in his car that day with a very unexpected answer; "Barnacle Bill the Sailor and some Hoagie Carmichael." When asked if he was joking, he looked slightly annoyed as he answered, "No. are you?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5CkIniOcqs&feature=related