George Harrison, "You"

Same here. I hardly ever hear this song mentioned, so I was happy to see this thread.

 

Apart from "You" which is a classic IMHO, "Extra Texture" may well be the worst ever solo Beatles album with actual songs on it and that includes all of Ringo's albums!. It really is a terrible and totally depressing album.

 

Lets patiently wait the Dhani and Olivia worshippers replying me saying that they are not obligated to release anything to us(even though both said they have a lof of stuff in the vaults).

 

I do like This Guitar as well, but I overall agree. Most of the other songs not about Legs I can like listening to individually, but the last 9 tracks in a row would be Sonic Ambien were it not for the wake up call of the You reprise. The only Beatle or Ex Beatle albums I like less are some of their John/Yoko, Paul and George's experimental efforts and some of Paul's classical work. Certainly spin this more than Electronic Sound or Wonderwall.

 

And one has it in the title.

 

My favourite song on the album...

 

To paraphrase George:
A life time is so short
A new one can't be bought
But the Early Takes Volume 1 means such a lot to me

 

Yes, it feels like there's some padding cause "Can't Stop Thinking About You" is another started earlier and the title is repeated so much it's gets worn out by the end but it has a pretty good melody. But dig the slowness of that and so many others that "You" was the one energy source on the album that could be used as a single to me. A lot of people like "Tired of Midnight Blue" but it's not quite a single.

I like that George seemed to try more anthemic songs like "The Answer's At the End" and "World of Stone"-they could have fit on All Things Must Pass but "World of Stone" seems to have issues with its lyric not fitting into the music well. I like most of the album anyway but it desperately needed one more energetic song.

 

Thats what I get from posting without checking sources. My bad. Ron

 

I think we throw around the word "classic" too easily. "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun" are classics. "You" is a song that you and many others may really like/love a lot, but I'd hold off on designating it as a "classic".

 

You is, for me, an amazing track (to the extent you like Wall of Sound production) built around a mediocre song.

Actually contemplating covering this as my band has a sax and a singer that does Ronnie better than Ronnie.

 

During the Let It Be sessions Paul and George were talking about how the vast majority of their material at the time was slow, and mused about making an entire album of slow songs. The Beatles never did, but Harrison comes damn close on Extra Texture.

 

Me too on 8-Track (Extra Texture)
Never had this on Lp or CD and the Cartridge is long gone = Thinks revisit, will I remember.

 

As long as you don't have someone in your band who does Phil better than Phil, then that sounds excellent...

 

That is a very good way to describe the song!

 

Takes serious effort listening to one track over and over on 8 track unless it is at least 8 minutes long (long enough to occupy a whole track)

Am I the only one here who edited the reprise on to the end as a Coda and listens to You that way?

 

We have a strict "all non violent" policy in this group. And Lon Van Eaton producing, though no covers will make our release.

 

The vocal was not sped up. It's basically the same vocal when it was recorded in 1970. I have several takes of it, it was recorded live in the studio. It's just a up-tempo, rocking number and he's putting some work into it. that's all

 

That would be a great idea if the reprise was actually 'A Bit More...' of the unedited track rather than a repeated section from the regular track (albeit mixed differently).

 

Amazing how good this sounds compared to the released take with the awful synth parts and saxophone. Less is more.

 

Never noticed that. Thanks.

 

The video says "1970", but George said in his book that he laid down the track with Leon Russell. So shouldn't the backing track really date from 1971. I believe that early 1971 is when George did the sessions with Ronnie and Phil.

 

I don't think the songs are particularly bad (excepting perhaps 'Legs'), just that the overall tempo of the album is as you say, rather "depressing". With one or two more energetic and uptempo songs, the album would probably have been a lot more enjoyable.

I remember being so excited when I first heard "You" on the radio. The energy of it really spilled out of the radio. In fact, I hadn't heard a song with as much energy from George since 'What Is Life' and after reading a fabulously positive review of the album in Melody Maker magazine, I hot-footed it to my local store. I excitedly grabbed the rather odd looking, orange cover from the rack, shelled out my cash, caught the bus home and put the record on the deck.

Only then did I suddenly get the feeling that perhaps "You" (and indeed that gushing Melody Maker review) had perhaps led me up the garden path a little...

 

You know it's a bit odd. Some sources claim that the basic track was recorded during the last sessions for All Things Must Pass, and it has many of the same cast of characters; such as, Jim Gordon, Carl Radle, and Gary Wright on it. IF this is true, then it predates by a good four or five months the 2 February 1971 session at Abbey Road Studios. This is why I mentioned earlier that the song was not written for Ronnie Spector, but possibly for Doris Troy. George and his ATMP recording crew did some recordings that are all well-known boots (Gopala Krishna, Get Back, Going Dera Dhun, etc) during sessions for Troy's album. Again, IF You was recorded at this time it may well have been intended for her... or a last-second tune for his own album. When the February session was booked for Abbey Road, Spector pushed Harrison to have Ronnie on Apple and they did some additional work on the song. Perhaps adding Leon Russel on second piano and having Spector do a guide vocal attempt. Maybe this is why George remembered the song being "written" for Spector originally. I'm not sure there's a definitive recording date for the backing track, but the players involved indicate ATMP sessions, in my mind. Ron

 

The complete version of the 1970/1971 version: