John Lennon - George Harrison relationship in the 70's

Hello, long-time lurker here.

I've seen quite a few people mention George being incredibly bitter about The Beatles, but I honestly don't think that's true. I think his moodiness during Anthology had more to do with him being uncomfortable in front of the camera and John not being there. Things like these anecdotes are why I don't believe he was as bitter as people make out:

"If we had been dropped from the same height, George would have been a feather, drifting this way and that on the breeze; I would have been a lead weight plunging straight down. There were times when we could have been living on different planets, when George was procrastinating and I would be all action, when he was wearing way-out clothes and I was traditionally dressed. But we were alike in paying fanatical attention to detail. He could be amazingly fastidious, keeping his cars immaculately clean, working on a song until it was so precisely right that it would sound as if it had evolved out of nothing, dreamily and effortlessly. We shared many wonderful times. On one occasion, when he was staying with us in Switzerland, we went to the French Grand Prix in Dijon. It was a clear, warm evening when we arrived home. Helen had prepared a barbecue, and Paul, who was 12 at the time, brought out his guitar. George started to play, running through all the great Beatles hits, singing parts of the songs, explaining what the lyrics meant to various members of the band. I remember sitting there, thinking this had to be one of the greatest privileges anybody could have." - Jackie Stewart

"A couple of years ago, George Harrison and his lovely wife, Olivia, visited Lomalagi Resort on Vanua Levu, in Fiji. After a couple of days they asked if they could visit the nearby Fijian village. The visit was arranged, with much excitement and anticipation by the villagers. When we arrived, they had a big area set up, with mats and cushions for all of us. Tea was served. Then the men put on a Fijian “meke” — a beautifully choreographed war dance. Following that performance, the “Lomalagi Band Boys” got out their guitars and a ukulele and began to play. George immediately jumped up and joined the band. He played a couple of Beatles songs, then joined with the boys, playing along with them.

First he took the ukulele and began to play. After a couple of Fijian songs, he borrowed one of the guitars and played more Beatles songs, to wild cheering and applause. The concert lasted more than an hour.
The musicians’ guitars and ukulele were very old and pretty beat up. About six weeks after Harrison’s visit, a huge box arrived, containing three guitars, a ukulele, small percussion instruments for the band and for the school children, and lots of extra guitar and ukulele strings. A few days later, two more packages arrived, each containing a dozen Beatles cassettes.
George Harrison will be missed by all but his legacy lives on — in the beautiful Fiji islands." - Collin McKenny (Owner, Lomalagi Resort - Vanua Levu, Fiji)

“A couple of weeks later, on February 2, we were still doubtful even as Danny kept calling with hourly updates on the various stops he and George were making as they supposedly were making their way to our home. And then sometime in the early afternoon Danny and George Harrison walked into our living room. My first memory was that George grabbed a banjo uke resting on a stand and began to strum and sing the Formby song (and Herman Hermits hit) ‘Leaning On A Lamppost.’ And for the next three hours we talked ukuleles and sang songs. George sang and strummed several original songs that eventually ended up on his last CD, “Brainwashed”. “As it happened, at the time of George’s visit, Liz and I were putting the finishing touches on our Jumpin’ Jim’s ‘60s Uke-In songbook which was to include a number of Beatles songs arranged for ukulele. We were very excited about this book because it was going to be the first uke songbook to feature songs from the 1960s and we were especially pleased at how good these classic tunes sounded on the ukulele. As an example I pointed out the arrangement for ‘All My Loving.’ And then a moment later Liz, Danny Ferrington and I were all singing and strumming ‘All My Loving’ with George Harrison. Liz and I stole a look at each other while this was occurring as if to say ‘treasure this moment– this is about as good as it gets.’

“There are two other moments that are worth sharing. The first came about towards the end of the visit when I asked George if he would be willing to write a short note on why he liked the ukulele. He sat at our dining table and composed the charming paragraph that became the ‘appreciation’ in the ‘60s Uke Insongbook. “The other great moment was an unexpected flourish as George and Danny were leaving. At the end of our goodbyes George ran over to the piano and grandly played the famous intro to his song, ‘Something.’ And with that he said ‘See you later’ and dashed off. After Danny and George were gone Liz and I were left stunned and amazed. The year before we had made the somewhat crazy decision to leave good jobs (I worked for Billboard Magazineand Liz was a highly regarded graphic designer in the movie biz) to go full time into the ukulele business. At that moment we became convinced that George’s visit was a blessing that we were on the right path. We still do.”" - Jim Beloff

"Derek, who was forced to retire due to ill-health in 1994, recalls seeing Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at Friar Park, 'They always seemed to get on extremely well,' he said. 'The tennis star John McEnroe paid a visit once. He played a few sets with George, Olivia and their son Dhani on their own court in the gardens. John Lennon built a mosaic of what looked like an alien in the garden which was surrounded by roses named after Paul McCartney. George had a pet Yorkshire terrior called Winston, John Lennon’s middle name.'" - Derek Mann (George's ex-head gardener)

 

I'm not a John & George specialist, but for me the last meeting must be Dec 1974at the party after the madison square garden concert, with George, Paul & John. Any help for the " real " story ? thanks a lot

 

So, MSG was the last show of George's Tour?

 

Some will say John was so busy raising the boy from 1975-1980 that he didn't have much time to socialize with his friends.

 

I think you may be right about the date of the last meeting. Probably the last meeting for which there is evidence.

Not sure why or when relations between the two cooled. They were at their closest immediately after the split but then had a falling out over the Bangladesh concert.

John was supposedly offended by the short space George gave to him in his memoirs. I think it's more likely that they just lost contact over time, the way John did with so many people during the latter seventies.

 

I'm no expert on the relationship but I do remember reading they were never that close due to the age difference and then more tension developed when George was mad at John's actions as the band was dissolving their business relationship. Lennon took offense to Harrison's book that came out the year John was killed. I always thought in terms of personality they were the two Beatles who were the most polar opposite of each other.

**edited to add old thread on this topic**

John Lennon - George Harrison relationship in the 70's

 

Perhaps after being together a long time they just drifted apart.

 

Just wondering what the information gleaned from this thread can afford in terms of insight.

 

George talks about his last meeting with John here:

 

I’m pretty sure John was furious about George’s book and how he didn’t give John any credit. John spoke about this in one of his last interviews. Probably Playboy.

 

John Lennon, interview w/ David Sheff for Playboy. (September, 1980)

" JOHN: George put out a book [I, Me, Mine] privately and I was hurt by it, so this message will go out to him. By glaring omission in the book, my influence on his life is absolutely zilch and nil. Not mentioned. In his book, which is purportedly this clarity of vision of each song he wrote and its influences, he remembers every two-bit sax player or guitarist he met in subsequent years. I’m not in the book."

 

And yet, if you check the credits in George’s book, John is listed more than Paul or Ringo!

 

During his 1979 Rolling Stone interview George mentions visiting John and Yoko in America. I can't remember the details, but I took it to suggest he had been visiting post J&Y getting back together, so after Dec 74. Perhaps in '76 during his 33&1/3rd promotional jaunt?

 

Yoko also strongly dissuaded John from interacting with his old friends, other Fabs, etc.

Pete Shotton has stated this.

.

 

Well he says in the interview clip above that he hadn’t seen him in two years, which would make 78 a possibility. Maybe he came over after Dhani was born?

 

I like this clip a lot...

Now there's a shock.....

 

I'm not so sure this was Yoko's influence entirely, despite what has become to be the accepted reason why John distanced himself from his old music circle. I'm not convinced Yoko was entirely responsible for this. John sounds very assertive in those interviews he gave to promote Double Fantasy, and he gives enough information to suggest he was the one who wasn't that interested in actively hanging much with his old guard. I remember some interview somewhere, with Keith or Mick, who also said they tried to entice John out or get him to hang, he just didn't seem up for it during those years. It wasn't as if he was being completely reclusive either. We know he spent some time in Japan at least. It doesn't seem like he had a lot of stimulating company around though. Some of the people he and Yoko had in their inner circle during that time seem less than great. It doesn't appear that any of the Beatles spent much time with each other between 76-80. We know Paul, George and Ringo visited the Dakota during those years however.
John even said he would've gone to Eric and Patti's wedding in 79 if anybody had bothered to invite him

 

I didn’t even know John Lydon and George Jones were ever friendly.

 

Actually, despite their musical differences they hit it off pretty well.

 

In a 1987 interview in Rolling Stone, George said that he'd visited John at the Dakota on more than one occasion during his househusband period. In a 1979 interview he mentioned that he hadn't seen John in "a couple of years." That would suggest the last time they saw each other face to face was sometime in 1976 or 1977.

 

I think John's repudiation of the Maharishi was a massive wedge between John and George (and the suffocating closeness JohnAndYoko shared was another massive wedge between John and George).

 

I wouldn't doubt George visiting while doing Saturday Night Live in 1976.

 

Mark Lewisohn has said that one thing he will focus on in his next two volumes is just how close John and George were -- until Yoko arrived on the scene.

 

Interesting topic. I don't have any solid to contribute, alas (also not the John/George expert that others around here are!).

One thing I might add, though, is that John's "Househusband" period was also sometimes one of his "Heroin" periods, if I recall my lore. If that's the case, then it may be that John felt inhibited from reaching out to former friends who were not in that head-space, if that makes sense. It would be nice to think that John was happily baking bread -- too happy and satisfied to venture beyond his domestic bliss -- but if he was strung out and depressed (finally with anorexia concerns?), then that might better explain a lot about John's social relations in his final years. (I mean, how happy is Double Fantasy, really?)

 

I agree with you. John was one who couldn't turn off his brain. I can't imagine him being content without some sort of help. And with all the negative comments he made about anything in general, he surely must have had some anxiety issues. When one isolates themselves, they tend to find bad blood with others even when it's not really there.