George Harrison "Early Takes Volume 1" *

I don't really care for George's successful contemporaries overdubbing onto a fantasy album. If they weren't envisioned to be on the original recordings, I'd rather not hear the Post-mortem All-Star We-Love-Hari Band, just George's demos or some subtle additions.

I think you're reading a little far into Olivia's vague answer. We don't even know if any release happening or not, let alone whether it will be just George or also Dhani (who I think sounds great on Brainwashed, etc.) or George with a little help from a roster of rockers. Even for the Hoffman board, it's super early to get worked up about anything/nothing.

 

I had wondered, if the Billboard article, was a cut & paste job, using segments of 3-4 past articles featuring Olivia Harrison, speaking about releasing archival Harrison recordings. She has said some of the same things, almost word for word, for years. So it's not early, it's more a question of her actual intent.

As far as slagging off on Dhani Harrison. Sticking just to the facts. He has some talent, of subjective merit. Commercially, as far as I know. He's never had a hit song or album, or hit song he's written for someone else. He is famous for being George Harrison's son, & inheriting huge sums of money. Not for any music he created. He's certainly had advantages of funding, contacts, & opportunity. He's made a number of albums, singles, EPS, songs for films, all commercially unsuccessful.

So as a big fan of George Harrison's music, I would rather see, overdubbing. From his talented contemporaries, with legendary track records. I'm a fan of Dylan, McCartney, Jeff Lynne, Ringo & Clapton also. So it's not really slagging him.

He has some talent, which is subjective. He's close to 40 & all his projects stiffed. He did an interview some months back, where he says ( F ) the fans, I don't owe anybody especially effing fans anything. I'll do what I want, George's archives are mine, I'll do what I want he says.. .. he says how busy he is with his important career, & if & when he ever decides to release anything, it will be his choosing, timing, and content, F the effing fans he said.

So you know, I don't know the guy. I don't care about him one way or the other. But he openly despises fans, & says he's in charge, & he's busy with his stuff.

Most fans of Harrison's music, might just want to hear the archives, he throws tantrums you know. He's nearly 40 & his mom explains his thoughts to the press, saying essentially, what she said, 4-5 years ago.

I don't know him, I don't have any of his records, I loved Brainwashed. Probably because of George & Jeff Lynne. But yeah, when you read EFF the fans, I'm thinking, doesn't this guy know people want to hear his dad's songs, nobody would be concerned about him one way or the other, except he's an impediment to more archival releases. The man's been gone 15 years, we don't even know what's in the archives. At this rate, we'll all be dead. Before we find out.

It was suggested, when he said how busy he is, that nothing's preventing him from hiring an archivist, or hiring the services of someone like Jeff Lynne or Giles Martin or some other qualified person. I think the primary objections, are the rude way he speaks of fans, & that he says he's too busy, but refuses to hire someone else. It has been 15 years.

 

FITD?

ACBVA (Acronyms Can Be Very Annoying)

 

It means the Flowers In The Dirt album. By Paul McCartney in 1989, it coincided with his first tour where v he began playing post 1966 Beatles songs live, for the first time. This was the album, where McCartney cowrote some of the songs with Elvis Costello, & created somewhat of a Beatles vibe on some of the tunes. Particularly the lift or B section on My Brave Face, where he sings the line " Take me to that place" which sounds very John & Paul circa 1964.

fITD followed on the heels of Harrison's Cloud Nine comeback in 1987, & Wilburys 1988. Much like Paul, George also played his Beatle hits in 1991, on a Japanese tour. Just a year after Paul began touring his Beatle hits, for essentially the 1st time. Harrison did Piggies, Something, Guitar Gently Weeps & Taxman, while Paul began doing, Penny Lane, Getting Better & Hello Goodbye.

So the Beatle sounding thing was definitely in the ether & water at the time. Both former Beatles had returned with acclaimed comebacks after multi year layoffs, & just 4 years later reunited temporarily.

McCartney doesn't play anything from that album, since he began touring regularly, with his current band around 2001.

Critics rated it, as one of his 4 great albums in 1990, along with Band on The Run, Tug of war, & Ram. Subsequently, Flaming Pie in 1997 & Chaos & Creation in 2005, have joined most critics lists, for the best post Beatle McCartney albums. & Now, you know FITD

 

I don't mind Dhani finishing off George's songs. He obviously sounds a lot like him so he could do vocal overdubs that sound almost exactly like George, and he already worked on the bonus 2001 ATMP songs and Brainwashed, so he has plenty of experience.

Just because Dhani would be in charge doesn't mean that Paul, Jeff or Eric etc. won't be contributing in some way... I'm sure if you asked them to help on a song or two they would be more than willing to do it for their great friend.

 

Did Dhani really said that about the "effing" fans?

 

My problem with Dhani is that they dont realize that they are making a poor job on his fathers music. Fans really want a Live In Japan DVD, release the damn thing. Fans really want some demos since the 1999 interview with Billboard, just release some demos from time to time. It isnt that hard. But Dhani has to be the big boss and do this things when he really has nothing else to do with his "projects".

 

So Paul playing "Lady Madonna", "Blackbird" and "The Long And Winding Road" on the Wings Over The World tour doesn't count?

 

...or 'Get Back' at the 1986 Prince's Trust concert. Or 'The Fool On The Hill' and 'Let It Be' in 1979.

 

If he did, then efff him. Just a grump like his old man, minus the talent and luck.

 

Just reas the article om BillBoard dot com, well.. Olivia wasnt talking about the Early Takes Vol2, and about Dhani finishing some songs of George. Ill say we will see this project in about 5-7 years.

 

"New George Harrison Music? His Widow Says 'Maybe'"

You'd think that after years of waiting, Olivia and Dhani would give a more definite answer than "maybe".

George Harrison's Widow Says Their Son Dhani May Finish The Beatle's Unreleased Songs Plus More Inside Scoop »

 

No.

 

Interviewer: So Olivia, are you feeling well today?
Olivia: Maybe.
Interviewer: Are you excited about the upcoming Beatles film directed by Ron Howard?
Olivia: Maybe.
Interviewer: And what about the Live At The Hollywood Bowl CD re-release? Do you think George would have approved of this?
Olivia: Maybe.
Interviewer: It seems that Dhani, who previously has worked on some of George's unreleased material, is fed up with the fans and would rather concentrate on something else. Is this true?
Olivia: Maybe.
Interviewer: I know that you told Donald Trump to halt using "Here Comes The Sun" at any of his appearances. Has he complied?
Olivia: Maybe.
Interviewer: Finally, we all know George loved Buddy Holly, among many other rock pioneers. Do you know what George's favorite Buddy Holly song was?
Olivia: Maybe.... baby.

 

You know, I accidentally misspoke on that point, the effing this & effing that was directed specifically at EMI records, he told his-his dad's record company to F off. In the same article he did slag on the fans, & he has slagged on the fans several times, at least in print. But the actual use of the F word, was directed at EMI, he said he had prepared a box set years earlier, & EMI wanted changes to release it, would'nt simply release it, his way.

Even the recent Rolling Stone article, he insults fans, says there will be no barrel scraping of George's archives. Intended as a put down to fans, that wanted archival releases.

No one suggested barrel scraping, he just used it, as a verbal weapon, to insult fans.. previously, I believe in 2009 at Coachella, he said the contents of Harrison's archives were incredible, beyond even anyone's imagination. The statement was clear, there was tons of unbelievable great stuff to release. But as several years elapsed with nothing from the archives, he accused people of encouraging barrel scraping.

Also Olivia Harrison first floated the notion of a Brainwashed 2. Then later, she suggested Paul McCartney & others, would complete some Harrison recordings. Then a few more years went by. Olivia Harrison then said, there were no finished or releasable songs, & that she was so busy... then more of the I don't know remarks. Now she says maybe there's a project there. Maybe Dhani will finish some unreleased Harrison songs, but she really can't say. Because she hadn't had time to look into it. Dhani also said there was some great material, but he liked having it just for him, & didin't want to share it with the world. Because it was better for him, to just keep it for him alone to listen to.

It's been 16 years, & Olivia Harrison's best answer is she just hasn't had time to look into it. Several years ago, she said she found George Beatles demos from 1966, but she didin't know what would be done with them. She just didin't have time to look into it.

Both the Harrison's give the most contradictory answers, there's a wealth of material. There is no material at all. When directly asked about Harrison's most famous unreleased song " Valentine " which journalist Timothy White called " one of Harrison's most hit destined songs since the Beatles " Olivia blankly replied, she wasn't familiar with that one. It didin't exist.

Harrison himself, in the years before his death. Said he had compiled at least 3 box sets of unissued material, unreleased songs, demos, alternate versions of his classics, impromptu jams. We know he probably had entire albums worth of recordings devoted to Dylan, George Formby, possibly Hoagy Carmichael, & others. As I said, Harrison himself told Timothy White, he had compiled 3 volumes of a box set. He said he also had enough for 3 new studio albums. Part of which turned into Brainwashed. So according to George Harrison's own testimony, there should be another 20+ unreleased songs under consideration for Brainwashed. Harrison clearly stated his wishes 3 volume box set & enough new material for 3 new albums. Plus the jams, Dylan covers, & everything else.

Both Giles Martin & Ken Scott spent at least months, possibly years, organizing the archives.

So yeah people don't have the highest regard for the handling of the archives, lack of information, or paltry amount of releases in 16 years.

They did reorganize & remaster the entire catalogue, & include a very skimpy smattering of 1/2 a dozen bonus tracks, primarily guitar demos of well known songs . A few years ago 4 ? They did release Early Takes volume 1. 15 years ago Jeff Lynne oversaw the completion of Brainwashed. Martin Scorsese & his team did do a documentary. So they have done things occasionally. Or hired people to do it.

But after 16 years, saying I haven't had time to look into it. Is a pretty specious comment.

Hell before his death, Harrison had 3 archival albums, & 3 albums of fresh material on the table, he did the work. 16 years seems like plenty of time to cross t's, dot the i's, & finish up.

 

I hope Dhani and Olivia never release another single scrap just to make a few heads explode

 

Please dont say that! I actually get sad the way they treat the fans A lot of people here seem to love George's music and persona as much I do, so the way they seem o didnt care about anything kind of hurt me..

 

The reason why I am annoyed is because time and time again Olivia, Dhani and Giles Martin will mention how George accumulated tons of unreleased stuff over the years yet practically none of it has been officially released. If you don't want to release it then stop teasing his fans about it.

 

George Harrison: Early Scraps Volume 2 --- The Best Of The Bottom Of The Barrel: Due Out in ... maybe

 

Track 1: "Maybe." (Olivia Harrison speaking to interviewer)

 

Forget the musical scraps. I just hope that George's pants never see the light of day again:

 

I know that if he reads some of the er extreme levels of fandom in this thread he won't bother. He knows they will never be happy whatever he does ....

 

Betcha it comes with an effing tote bag!!

 

And the tote bag will match George's pants! Perfect!

 

I find this quote from the article a heck of a lot more interesting than Dhani's possible "finishing" of his father's music:

When was the Love soundtrack updated and remixed, and will it be reissued? Remixed remixes . . . that is a novel idea. I think the reporter got her facts wrong, unfortunately, regarding an update to the Love soundtrack, though.