Dark Horse Records Partners with BMG, Will Release New Recordings

I think that tribute album/song was probably the first topic I started here after joining years ago, asking about what had happened to the project...and it received no responses.

 

Sorry -- I would have responded if I had seen it!

 

Not sure if I should post the URL to the blog because it has links, but a blog that can be easily found via google made an edit of the song, and Jim Yoakum is in the comments. He says:

"Yes, Jim Yoakum here. Me and Legs Larry spearheaded this project in 1996. What you are hearing is part of a sampler of the project for potential investors. The entire song was cut. The project was a Bonzo tribute CD that was to feature famous fans doing Bonzo tunes, but GH decided to cut an original, the CD was to be called It Was a Great Party (Until Somebody Found a Hammer) and had a load of peeps lined up. But then GH died, then project producer Gus Dudgeon died, and it lost its steam." (February 13, 2020)

and

"Anything is possible but I doubt it. GH told me he "recorded all the time" at FPSHOT (why not it was down the hall) so this track is just one of a zillion. I had the honor (alongwith Dave Stewart) to once help him routine another tune at FPSHOT that's yet to see the day, a quasi-dance thing called "Bring on the Dancing Girls."" (January 13, 2021)

I'd love hear the full song and of course this other title too!

 

Thank you, yes that blog was very easy to find. So much stuff laying around at FPSHOT, they could probably release an album a year and still never get through it all.

 

Since Ravi Shankar was an important Mentor and friend of George's here is Ravi's daughters Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones performing together live.

Sure hope Dhani signs these two on Dark Horse label imprint at some point!

Norah Jones & Anoushka Shankar

'Traces Of You'
(2023)

​

 

That's a lovely idea, but aren't they both already signed to other labels?

Anoushka's 2020 album was released by Mercury KX.
Norah's last several albums were issued on Blue Note.

 

Norah would be a great addition to the label, love her music and vibe.

 

On the question of the rejuvenated Dark Horse label so far there's a high number of Record Store Day related releases, plus a lot of Jo Strummer. The new catalog numbers are interesting too:

DH0001 Ravi Shankar - Chants of India (RSD)
DH0002 Joe Strummer - Assembly
DH0003 Joe Strummer - Junco Partner (Picture Disc) (RSD)
DH0004 Billy Idol - The Roadside
DH0005 Billy Idol - Happy Holidays
DH0006 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Johnny Appleseed (RSD)
DH0007 Shankar Family & Friends - I Am Missing You (RSD)
DH0008 Billy Idol - The Cage
DH0009 Joe Strummer - 002: The Mescaleros Years (Box Set)
DH0010 ?
DH0011 Leon Russell - Signature Songs
DH0012 The Best of Dark Horse 1974-1976 (RSD)
DH0013 Joe Strummer - Live at Music Millennium (RSD)
DH0014 Stairsteps - 2nd Resurrection (RSD)
DH0015 Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros - Streetcore (RSD)

I'm guessing the new Yusuf/Cat Stevens will be DH0016. Does anyone know if/why DH0010 was skipped?

 

I wonder if it's the new Benmont Tench album which was announced some time ago but, oddly, has still not appeared. It looks like something has held it up.

 

Early Takes Volume 2?

 

Yeah, forgot about that one. It could well be a number put aside for that release. Wonder what the issue is with it?

 

Thanks for sharing this video. It is part of a great podcast series by Jones called Nora Jones Is Playing Along. She interviews other musicians about their craft and they perform songs together. The latest was this one with with her sister Anoushka, but she's also done quite a few others now - people like Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples, Lukas Nelson, Chris Thile etc. https://www.norahjonesisplayingalong.com/episodes

 

I know the lack of a Harrison box set has been discussed here before, with claims that the record company is reluctant to put it out, but it still seems baffling to me that pretty much every legacy artist you can think of has some kind of archive release to their name, except George. Surely there's a market for a Harrison equivalent of the 'John Lennon Anthology' set, or even just a double album's worth of rarities? I discuss it in my latest blog post.

 

I think now more than ever it's unlikely to happen. Deluxe editions are still the dominant format for archival material.

 

hopefully I am wrong, but I don't know of any plans in this current Darkhorse program, or any other plan, to release George singing new stuff we've never been allowed to hear, stuff like Harrison singing That Kind Of Woman, or the much rumored Valentine, or songs he wrote or cowrote for Ringo, Photograph, Sunshine Life For Me, the 66 demo for Art of dying with a semi Revolver feel, a full mix of that silly one with the Bonzo guy, medium grade sound, Doing The Bonzo Dog, I imagine Bonzo Dog in a good mix is roughly comparable in quality-fidelity sonics to say Cheer Down Cockamamie Business Poor Little Girl, I believe Bonzo Dog was recorded within a few years of those, we have a lofi partial demo, and there are a dozen more I could probably think of. Of course the thinking is, despite what Olivia Harrison often says in the press, smart thinking tends to believe her comments are either misinformed, or deliberately obtuse...The son Dhani said Harrisons archives were 'Unbelievable" and other times, he said he felt the unreleased stuff was his, a part of his dad, he didin't want to share with the world. Dhani also railed on about not wanting to give up his career to spend his life as the archivist for his dads work, and understndably wants to concentrate on his new music instead... But like the other remarks from the family, it was specious... Why specious ? because none of these are either or choices, a professional archivist can easily be hired, they have the financial means to easily repair or relocate the Harrison recordings from the water leaky storage building, or just fix the building, apparently both Giles Martin and Ken Scott, and a 3rd fellow, an archivist was hired at least briefly, there was an announcement a few years ago. a year or two before the announcement of the archivist, Olivia made news with two different stories, One that a song each would be given to Harrison's friends, Clapton, McCartney. Jeff Lynne, etc, and a new posthumous album would be done in that manner, his friends finishing half completed songs or whatever, the other story she started, was that her son would likely produce a new George album, based on remaining archive material, presumably, a lot of Brainwashed era songs, remain in various states of completion from done to half done to less... George himself said at least twice, he had about 35 finished to half finished of what became the Brainwashed album....12 new tracks on the album & Harrison said and journalist said about 35, leaving roughly 2 dozen still unheard by public.

I know this thread is more designed from a re-releasing material from some of the great Dark Horse artists George signed, like Ravi Shankar and Splinter and others. BUT, what about something new from Harrison's archives, the recent ATMP anniversary box, while not necessarily a sonic improvement, did have a quite a few bonus tracks in good fidelity, including a few songs we'd never heard, and a few alternates worth hearing for sure. So yeah I appreciate the Dark Horse artists in their own right, and the ATMP bonus material, but lets face it, the primary artist on Dark Horse was and is always George Harrison himself. How about that kind of Woman with a George Harrison vocal,

 

I'm not reading all that — but congrats, or sorry you had to go through it, whichever applies

 

I finally received a copy of Larry 'Legs' Smith's 'Mr Wonderful' cd this week. One nice bonus, it contains an insert booklet which is stuffed with (Mr) wonderful artwork, much of it in the style of the Gone Troppo album cover. There's also a 'previously unpublished' photo of LLS with George and Pattie Harrison, Suzanne and Alvin Lee, Phil McDonald, and Mylon LeFevre taken at Friar Park in the early 70's. No specific mention of George Harrison contributing musically to the album but he's there under 'acknowledgements'.

 

any chance you can share that picture of George and friends in early 70's at Friar Park, there's very little of it online! Thank you also for sharing review of CD!

 

Not sure I can copy the photo but some of the album artwork is available on his website including this (which I rather wish had been the album cover).

 

Shankar Family & Friends is being reissued on CD on June 9.

 

well 1 LP out on CD... several more artists to be scheduled soon?

Thank you @Marry a Carrot

 

I wonder if the CD is being released to coincide with the Mobile Fidelity audiophile pressing? The MoFi site still doesn’t mention a release date, just that it’s available for preorder. Ravi Shankar - Shankar Family & Friends

 

It looks like there's coloured vinyl version coming too. No release date.

 

I notice Harrison, Voorman & Keltner are in the photo, along with Ravi Shankar & his band, I'm not sure what this album is about, except clearly its early to mid 70s, & George Jim & Klaus are part of the backing, is this the one where Ravi where Ravi wrote western style tunes, or the one where he did more tradional Indian music but used more western instrumments on the playing, I dont see Gary Wright or one of George's western pals in the photo, that I recognize, but at least 3/4ths of a typical 70s Harrison core band is in the picture, I wish there was just one with Harrison vocals & or written co-written by George, but I don't think any of the George-Ravi collaboration albums, feature any Harrison lead vocals & songwriting credits.....There is one where George sings as part of the chorus along with several other vocalists, & a couple George tunes Ravi is on, for example Ride Rajbun, where Ravi plays on and even sings one section....But I think the several Ravi albums with George feature Harrison only as a producer , guitarist & possibly as one of several singers in a big vocal ensemble on a chorus or fade out...... I wish we actually had a song with partial writing and lead vocals by George on one of these George/Ravi collaborations, I don't think such a track exists, if it does please post a clip or give us a title to find it ! Thanks in advance.