Dhani Harrison: talk of plans to finish Father George's songs...

Let's throw in a duplicated Please Please Me/Get Back album cover with the 4 of them leaning over the balcony

 

Speaking of hokey, my idea for a video for Paul's "Early Days" song would have been to have current Paul and, as backing musicians, Zak, Dhani & Sean. Back when The Who did the 911 concert, Zak (w/beard) looked just like Ringo, and Sean & Dhani really look like their dads. It would've been hokey as hell, and it would never have happened, but it would've been a great visual to have Paul in his 70s "playing" alongside the sons, singing about his "Early Days". The others might arguably look more like the Beatles, but he'd be the only "real" one.

 

Okay, that would be pretty funny!

 

You mean like this promo from the 90s?

 

This is pure conjecture, but imagine as one example that the archives included recordings made by George where he was covering Paul's songs for the fun of it. Would George have wanted the existence of those recordings to be known by the public and by Paul, let alone released?

Obviously my example is not real (although it could be I suppose), but I can see why Dhani is protective of the tapes that George made. George liked recording his jam and party sessions with his various friends, and those parties often included drink and other substances, so it would not be surprising if many of the recordings included rather throwaway performances, similar in quality to some of the lesser covers recorded during the Beatles 'Get Back' sessions.

 

Like this you mean?

 

Did George ever define how large the 'Portrait Of A Boot Leg' release might be or whether he had finalised the tracklist?

 

I completely agree; as long as the untouched songs are also released, I would be more than happy for Dhani to augment the unfinished songs, either in a way similar to the 'Brainwashed' project, or as part of a project including George's friends. It could be wonderful to hear what Paul, Eric, Jeff, Petty and maybe even Dylan would do to some of the unfinished songs, and it would be great to have Ringo drum on some of them, or maybe even sing on one of them with George (in a similar way to how Paul sang with him on 'Walk With You').

 

That would be pretty special. George and Ringo never sang harmony together in some 40 years of working together.

 

I don't think George would have seen it as coattail-riding at all. I think Dhani was George's closest musical collaborator in his final years, and he would only really have trusted his son to finish his work the way he would have wanted to himself.

 

"Photograph"?

 

Exactly! I had forgotten about that performance. If he was singing Paul's songs during the period where they weren't on very good terms, then it is fairly likely that he did occasionally cover more of his songs through the years, whether they were recorded or not.

It would be fascinating to hear George sing Paul's songs, especially if done in a similar way to how he covered 'Fear Of Flying'. I know that he liked 'I'm Carrying' and it would be very special to hear a recording of him singing anything like that, and the same applies to songs by the likes of Lynne and Petty. A 'George Sings His Friends Songs' release would be fantastic.

 

As far as I recall, George only went into detail on the outtakes box in that one Timothy White Billboard article; I'd have to dig it up for exact quotes, but the descriptions certainly implied it would be a multi-CD affair, as you would have expected in the late 1990s.

Since it seems relevant to this thread, I did a pretty detailed breakdown of all the clues that were sprinkled in those Billboard articles a couple of years ago:

Why wasn't there a post-Beatles Anthology George Harrison album? »

 

Personally I'd say that's just backing vocals from George alongside Ringo's lead (Wrack My Brain is this as well). I want them both to share lead vocals like on Walk With You and a lot of Beatles songs.

 

how about the "Beatle kids"
playing their dads as The Ruttles.
in the new spiffy Ruttles sequel?

 

When something like 'Portrait Of A Bootleg' is (hopefully) eventually released, I think that they should stick to the original idea and make it a several volume release. If cost is a problem, I would be more than happy with a online only release.

It is tantalising to think about the potential contents of George's archives. There could literally be 10's of hours of interesting and/or wonderful unfinished songs, unheard demos, alternative studio takes, and covers of songs that he liked. We know that Paul visited Friar Park and that they played on ukeleles (where have I heard that story before? ), and it would be fascinating to hear any potential recordings of those visits.

 

I actually very much like that idea, hokey or not. It would have been moving if done well, and it would have recieved a large amount of attention for the song. It would also have made more sense than the actual video, which was too universal IMO.

 

I suppose, but I think "Photograph" is pretty darn close to a co-lead. Almost like it IS a co-lead, and George's vocals were turned down some because it was Ringo's song.

 

Thanks. I, too, think it could have been really elegant and moving if done right, which is the exact opposite of 99.97% of most ideas that incorporate the Beatle sons with their fathers...

It really could have struck a universal chord about aging and mortality, while being a helluva visual "trip", too.

 

I completely agree. I really dislike the idea of the 'Sons' doing anything musically together, because it would be so forced and because it would most likely cheapen the image of them as people and of the Beatles as a band/brand.

Your video idea would be the only way that any sort of collaboration could work.

 

Something like the "When I Was a Boy" video for ELO could have been interesting-

A journey through Paul's life featuring actors as the young Beatles and/or archive footage, intercut with clips of modern Paul playing alongside the Beatles sons.

 

Can't we let their sons be themselves and have their own identity without having to become The Beatles 2.0 just to appease Beatles fans? Let them do their own things.

 

Finishing his father' unrealeased tracks would be cool(with Jeff Lynne): Finishing Beatles tracks is a little dicier.

 

You must have selective amnesia or don't participate in many of the Beatles threads here.......

EDIT: Forgot a third option - head trauma.......

 

Not sure if that was directed at my "hokey" idea, but I agree with you.

I just think for one artistic video it would've been a cool idea. In addition to their music, The Beatles® image personifies YOUTH, since they were only Beatles during their late teens/early 20s. That's why I love the idea of seeing an aged Paul surrounded by the iconic images of them in their "early days" - the sons would all look much more convincing than actors, but just different enough to make people stop, do a double-take, and think... IF it were done well.

But (a) it's not gonna happen anyway and (b) I'm totally fine with those who think it's a crappy idea to begin with. It's tough for me to explain very well, it's just sort of a gut feeling about what how/why it might work.