Question about George Harrison's "Somewhere In England" (1980 version)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Calico, Feb 20, 2014.

  1. Calico

    Calico Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Belgium
    We all know the story of how the album George Harrison had submitted to Warner Brothers in the fall of 1980, which was due to be released on October 29 of that year, got cancelled. The listening team at Warner's had received John & Yoko's "Double Fantasy" on the same day and thought George's LP was not commercial enough to warrant a release as it was. So George was asked to record some more ubpeat tunes and replace 4 tracks of the original tracklisting. Plus, the originally intended cover had to go as well.

    Soon after the revised copy was released in June 1981, bootleg copies of the original version started to turn up at record fairs and Beatles conventions.

    What I would like to know is: are genuine copies of the original 1980 version known to exist ? And they do I suppose they would come with an alternate inner sleeve that would include the lyrics to "Flying Hour", "Lay His Head", "Sat Singing" and "Tears Of The World". Counterfeited copies have no such inner sleeve.

    And if any original version have turned up over the years, was it a US pressings ? a UK pressing ?
    A few years ago I have seen a genuine German copy of the record sleeeve for the 1st version of the album, but it didn't have a LP or inner sleeve, since production had apparently been stopped before actual albums had been pressed.
     
  2. Calico

    Calico Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Belgium
    Edit: it seems that there were genuine German test pressings, after all, which looked like this:
    [​IMG]
     
  3. albert_m

    albert_m Forum Resident

    Location:
    Atl., Ga, USA
    Not to digress from the OP, but I actually finally ordered the 2004 remaster of thirty three and it has "tears of the world" as a bonus track - does anyone know why it would be a bonus track on that cd as opposed to somewhere??
     
    Lewisboogie and JimC like this.
  4. Calico

    Calico Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Belgium
    Everything is out of place with this bonus track : the producer, the musicians, the downbeat lyrics and music, the sound... This track had nothing to do on the generally happy "33 & 1/3" album and was obviously added there by someone who didn't think much of George Harrison's music.
     
  5. Fred68

    Fred68 Loves Music

    Location:
    USA
    I think part of the problem for the original album's poor reception was the sequencing. Flying Hour was the most upbeat tune of the lot, and should have opened the album. George got the sequencing much better on the revised LP.

    I would have sequenced the original thus:

    Side 1
    1. Flying Hour
    2. Unconsciousness Rules
    3. Life Itself
    4. Lay His Head
    5. Baltimore Oriole

    Side 2
    1. Sat Singing
    2. Tears of the World
    3. Writing's on the Wall
    4. Hong Kong Blues
    5. Save the World
     
  6. toptentwist

    toptentwist Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX

    I've always loved the first track on the revised album. The one with the line about Zappa.

    I thought it was a perfect comment on the previous rejection. I've always been amazed the label
    let him release that song, given that it seems kind of angry...

    I consider it somewhat similar to Graham Parker's "Mercury Poisoning"... the ultimate "I'm angry
    at my record label" song....
     
  7. jconsolmagno

    jconsolmagno Forum Resident

    Does anyone think we will see a issue of Somewhere In England, the way it was intended? I would buy that.
     
    andrewskyDE and Strontian like this.
  8. Blue Cactus

    Blue Cactus Forum Resident

    Location:
    Illinois
    Uh, no.

    The way Olivia and Dhani Harrison are handling George's catalog, it doesn't look very likely.
     
  9. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I have to agree. If they didn't get it right when they reissued the album on CD when they did all of the other Dark Horse-label albums, then I doubt they will do it now. I'm still amazed they didn't amend everything at that time. A lost opportunity. And now, it's not like there is a huge demand for this album. Sales would be pretty paltry.
     
  10. Phil_Lip

    Phil_Lip Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nottingham, UK
    There is something out there which may be of interest, PM me.
     
  11. JimC

    JimC Senior Member

    Location:
    Illinois
    The same sort of haphazard approach that gave us Early Takes Vol. 1.
     
    Lewisboogie likes this.
  12. paulisdead

    paulisdead fast and bulbous

    I can't believe Warner didn't go for the original cover art. It's stands out more than the bland photo they used for the '81 version.
     
  13. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    Was any explanation given for the way in which the Dark Horse albums were sequenced and re-released? I mean, it's clear that SOME work was put in, but it seemed to be all window dressing rather than the actual substance of the music.

    Definitely a missed opportunity as I'd love to hear the originally intended album.
     
  14. Floater

    Floater Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    I bought SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND in 1981.
    I used to live at that time near the dutch border in germany.
    My record dealer sometimes got the records from the netherlands.
    To my surprise, and after 35 years later i am still surprises, this record contains two (2!!!) inner sleeves.
    The first inner sleeve is the standard official inner sleeve.

    The second inner sleeve shows the image with george's head and the british island.
    Printed on is the originally planned tracklist and the lyrics of these songs.

    I still do not know how this second inner sleeve came into the record's cover.
     
  15. Fred68

    Fred68 Loves Music

    Location:
    USA
    If possible, please scan and post. I'd really like to see that.
     
  16. Floater

    Floater Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    Hello,

    Because of your reply, i hold the record in my hand after many many years.
    I wrote "The second inner sleeve shows the image with george's head and the british island."
    But it's another picture than i have described.

    I will take pictures of the cover and the inner sleeves tomorrow.
     
    tages and Fred68 like this.
  17. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    The mystery deepens... ;)
     
  18. tages

    tages Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    I can't wait to see this as I have always been curious what the original inner sleeve looked like. Thanks in advance!
     
  19. bward

    bward Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston, MA USA
    If George submitted a tape to Warners and the company rejected it, and the cover art for good measure, how could there be any official, yet unsold, stock of the original version of Somewhere in England?
    It doesn't make sense to me.
    Would't Warners have to sign off on the album before it paid to have any of them pressed?
    I'm not sure how the industry works, I'm just asking.
     
    Ken Wood likes this.
  20. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    I have the absolute original NM full first printers proof slick with George's head w/ UK shown in hair archive framed.
    The original songs are listed on what would be the back. This is one of the handful of actual real ones per Perry C.
    Incidentally, this same original LP cover has been booted many times with a disc...
    It is one of my fave pieces.



    (I am extremely comp-picture posting impaired... I for the life of me can not post pics on SHF.. I would love to post pics every day.
    Talked w/ gort and a few SHF buds, but can't seem to "get it". Two years ago I posted several with photo bucket, but will not go through that torture again... especially when I've been told copy and paste works, etc. I'm on a new iMac. Would be extremely thankful if someone would help me. I see everyone doing it and it makes me sick. I wish I could just use the pics on my comp, like I can to change my avatar photo from my
    pics on my comp.)
     
    Horse Brunsby likes this.
  21. musicfan37

    musicfan37 Senior Member

    I've always wondered why George had to listen to WB regarding his albums on his own Dark Horse label. I thought George's albums were only distributed by WB.
     
    Flaming Torch likes this.
  22. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I don't think George HAD to listen to Warner Brothers. However, George did get along with the people running or working at Warners (Mo Ostin and Russ Titelman, among others), so he probably didnt have a problem in listening to their advice. Also, George was at various times in his career willing to be more commercial than at other times. And this may have been a time when he was willing to try to be more commercial. (Of course, in my opinion, the original track listing was more commerical than the revamped lineup of songs, but that's another story...)
     
  23. the sands

    the sands Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oslo, Norway
    I have never understood why the original cover art was rejected. It's quite nice. Was there a power struggle going on. Ha had his own label.
     
    warewolf95 and musicfan37 like this.
  24. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    Yeah the original cover is great, perhaps some religious based objection?? The new cover is ordinary
     
    Ken.e. and warewolf95 like this.
  25. Calico

    Calico Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Belgium
    So would I!!!
    What I have already seen at an exhibition years ago are uncut proof covers from the German pressing.
    No records came along, but since German test pressings of the original 1980 LP also exists, so it should be possible to have that in the best possible audio quality.
     

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