George Harrison/Complete Live Films

He calmly looked at himself as a musician and came to the conclusion that musical development could not be found in such turmoil. It is said that John and George, especially George, strongly advocated for a halt to stage activities involving touring. Ringo was in favor of following the opinions of the other members. Paul thought that the band’s unity and origins lay in live performances, but he ultimately agreed with the opinions of the other members. Originally, George was a typical Englishman who liked gardening and was quiet, as his nickname QUIET BEATLE suggests. George probably wanted to live a life like a fairy tale, with a mansion on a vast site and immersed in his hobbies. After the Beatles broke up, he released the masterpiece “ALL THINGS MUST PASS” and seemed to be enjoying the freedom of being free from live performances and from the Beatles. Although he appeared on stage once during the Bangladesh Concert, touring probably seemed unrelated to George. However, surprisingly, the first Beatles member to tour the US since 1966 was none other than George, who had avoided live performances so much. In 1974, he launched his own label, Dark Horse Label, released an album of the same name, and toured the US and Canada with Ravi Shankar, who was also on the label, for 45 shows. However, as you can hear from the remaining recordings, George’s voice, who was not used to touring, quickly became raspy, and Ravi Shankar’s performance in the middle of the show was not well received by the audience who came to listen to rock music, and the media criticized him harshly. George, who was “a sensitive person,” never toured again after that. In 1991, it was suddenly announced that George would be touring. It had been 17 years since the previous North American tour. What’s more, it was surprising that it was only in Japan. At that time, Japan was still feeling the aftereffects of the bubble economy, and the yen was strong. Clapton also offered George a band, including himself. Clapton had performed in Japan many times, and he knew that the Japanese media was not as harsh as in other countries. A number of factors came together, and George finally decided to perform in Japan with Eric. George felt that the success of this Japanese performance had given him confidence, and there were rumors of a UK tour afterwards, but this never happened. These are George’s main live performances. ■1971 Bangladesh Concert The two-day concert has been released under the title “COMPLETE PERFORMANCE OF BANGLADESH CONCERT”. The main album includes the rare “Hear Me Lord”, which is the only live take. It also includes rehearsal recordings and acetate recordings. You can listen to the legendary Bangladesh Concert in almost complete form for two days. ■1974 North American tour Four titles have been released: “FORTHWORTH EXPRESS” (complete recording including Ravi Shankar’s part), “SEATTLE EXPRESS” (with a replica of the tour pamphlet. Complete recording including Ravi Shankar’s part), “ROCKN’ ROUGE” (recording of the Baton Rouge and Long Beach performances), and “LOS ANGELES EXPRESS” (recording of soundboard). ■1991 Japan tour All 12 performances have been released. In particular, the complete recordings of the second day in Osaka, the Nagoya performance, and the Fukuoka performance are the first and only titles to feature M. Claudel. The set also includes a partial soundboard recording, an EXTRA DISC that contains a press conference in Japan with Eric in attendance, and a DVD that contains news reports about the tour. ■1992 Royal Albert Hall This was a one-off stage in the UK for only one day in the aftermath of the Japan performance. It was released under the title “CONCERT FOR NATURAL LAW PARTY”. This set includes not only the complete concert including the opening act Gary Moore, but also a DVD with the complete footage of the day shot by multiple audience cameras. Thus, George’s main live performances are roughly only these four types. Although it is sad compared to Paul and Ringo, each one shines like a gem of a treasure for fans. However, it is of course not true that George never stood on stage or performed live other than these. Even though he did not tour widely, he performed many one-off stages. Now, the records of George’s activities are known in detail. This work is a collection of detailed live footage other than the four types listed above, such as George’s one-off appearances, guest appearances, and TV appearances. Let’s take a look at the contents. [DELANEY AND BONNIE] This is a live video of Delaney & Bonnie in Copenhagen on December 10, 1969. George participated as one of the supporting guitarists. Not only does Delaboni’s song feature vocals, but Eric Clapton, who also accompanies the band as a supporting guitarist, also provides vocals, but unfortunately George does not provide vocals and focuses on backing up. Even so, George’s appearance is the same as on the cover of “ALL THINGS MUST PASS,” with his long hair parted in the middle like Saori Minami and his beard growing freely, even longer than during the Get Back sessions, and it is moving to see him doing so. It is not difficult to imagine that George’s desire to move forward and get out of the Beatles’ framework was stimulated by these interactions with other musicians, even though the Beatles were still barely continuing at the time. [DICK CAVETT SHOW] This is a live recording from a studio TV appearance in New York on November 23, 1971. The main performer is Gary Wright. The song they are playing, “Two Faced Man,” is from the album “Footprint,” which had just been released on November 1, 1971. George had fully cooperated with this album on guitar, and that led to this TV appearance. George plays an impressive slide guitar silently with his head bowed. Just by listening to this guitar, you can tell it is George’s hand, it is so distinctive. [DAVID FROST SHOW] This is a television appearance in New York on November 24, 1971. Appearing with Ravi Shankar, George plays the sitar. It feels more like he is strumming phrases that come to mind than songs. George says that it takes a lifetime to master the sitar. [RUTLAND WEEKEND TELEVISION] The location is back in the UK, and this is a live TV performance on December 13, 1975. As you would expect from the country that gave birth to Monty Python, George also appears in the comical skit at the beginning. George participates in the skit dressed as a typical pirate with one eye, one arm and one leg. You may feel as surprised as when Kenji Sawada appeared in a comedy skit by the Drifters, but George himself seems to enjoy it a lot, and contrary to the general image, he probably likes this kind of thing. The performance is well known, so there is no need to explain it now. This performance was held during a lawsuit over whether “My Sweet Lord” was a plagiarism of the Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine” (it is so similar that you might think it’s a parody), and the idea is to take advantage of that and respond with humor. The intro is “My Sweet Lord,” but when the song starts, the lyrics and melody are completely changed, and the song is called “The Pirate Song” (a stolen song). George’s smug face is a sight to behold. [SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE] A television appearance in New York on November 18, 1976. He performed with Paul Simon, singing each other’s songs. This is a truly wonderful performance and a masterpiece that cannot be missed in George’s live performances. When Paul Simon introduced George Harrison as his friend, the audience erupted in screams. The first song was “Here Comes The Sun.” The performance was tight, probably due to the wonderful guitar picking of Paul Simon. George sang first, and Simon sang the second verse. It created a good atmosphere that Paul Simon kept eye contact with George throughout the song. The second song was “Homeward Bound,” a masterpiece with Simon as the main performer. This time, it was the opposite of “Here Comes The Sun,” with Simon singing first and George singing the second verse. While following the original, he changed the way he sang to sound more like George, which is addictive. This is a must-see. [DISCO 77] This is a live recording from a studio on a German program on February 2, 1977. Although the audio is mimed, it is a rare opportunity to see George, who looks like he has curly hair and a moustache as seen on the cover of the album “33 1/3”, singing with such vivid color footage. There are also scenes where he smiles between lyrics. It’s not important, but George has beautiful teeth. [SLOW HAND TOUR] This is a video of him making a surprise appearance on Eric Clapton’s tour on December 7, 1978. The song is “Further On Up The Road”. George is dressed in casual clothes, brown top and bottoms and a hunting cap, and it seems like he only came out because he was called. During the interlude, Eric and George smile and whisper something to each other on stage, which is very endearing. This is a video of George on stage when he rarely appeared in public. The change in their appearance also gives a sense of the long history between the two. After the performance, George takes Eric’s hand and responds to the cheers of the audience. [DEEP PURPLE TOUR] An unexpected combination, but this is a video of George making a surprise appearance at a Deep Purple concert in Sydney on December 13, 1984. As expected, it was a sudden appearance, and the song was the oldies number “Lucille.” This is a rare video from George’s retirement in the 1980s. George, dressed in white, plays almost without leaving his post, just bending slightly and swaying his body from side to side. [A ROCKABILLY TRIBUTE TO CARL PERKINS] On October 21, 1985, a special live performance for television was held in London. The project featured Carl Perkins as the main performer, and various guests played Perkins’ songs. George, who admires Carl Perkins, participated in this concert with Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Dave Edmonds, and others. It was broadcast on television at the time, and both the audio and video were released on DVD, so it is a concert that fans will be familiar with. This album does not include the main feature, but leaked rehearsal footage. Although it is just a rehearsal, it is just like the real thing, with a tense performance amidst friendly laughter, making it seem like a final check just before the show. While Perkins and Eric are rehearsing, you can see some very rare scenes, such as Ringo and George having a meeting. [HEARTBEAT CONCERT] This is a charity concert held in Birmingham on March 15th, 1986, to raise funds for a children’s hospital. George, with his beard removed and short hair and a bold look on his face, performs “Jonny B Goode” with many guests. As George is introduced as the main act,He is the first to sing. The second verse is sung by Denny Laine, who was with Wings after the band broke up. [PALOMINO CLUB] This was a live performance at a small club in Hollywood on February 19, 1987. Someone came up with the name “Silver Wilburys,” but although Dylan and George are there, they don’t have much to do with the Wilburys. They play oldies numbers with a somewhat bluesy arrangement. George sings songs such as “Matchbox” and “Honey Don’t,” which Ringo sang, as well as George’s version of “Dizzy Miss Lizzy.” The last song, “Twist and Shout,” is not the main song, but is included as a chorus, just like in the Beatles era. Paul has sung “Peggy Sue” many times, but it is rare to see George singing it. [PRINCE’S TRUST CONCERT] The Prince’s Trust concert on June 6, 1987 is one of George’s most representative live performances of the 1980s. With Eric Clapton on the same stage, they performed “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” a representative song from the Beatles era. Of course, the guitar solo was Eric Clapton. Moreover, Ringo was playing the drums, making this a rare performance with all three members from the recording. Next, they switched to acoustic guitar and performed “Here Comes The Sun.” This song was written when George was still in his 20s, but George in his mid-40s added a mature touch to it, making it a great performance. And finally, everyone on stage performed “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Of course, Ringo was the main vocalist. Looking around at the other members, they were members of George’s 1991 Japan tour, members of the Ringo Starr Band, and members of the Wilburys, so you can see that the relationships around here are closely connected. [BOB DYLAN TOUR 1987] This is a video of George making a surprise appearance at Dylan’s concert in London on October 17, 1987. The song is “Rainy Day Girl” from “BLONDE ON BLONDE”. It is played at a slightly faster tempo than the original, and George plays his slide guitar at full throttle while young Dylan sings desperately. You can hear the cheers rising up during the guitar solo. There is a great scene where Dylan steps down from the microphone and gives the lead vocals to George. It is a very rare moment when George sings Dylan’s “Rainy Day Girl”. This film records the performance on this day with two cameras. The first camera is a shot from the top right of the stage, and the second camera is a shot from the front of the arena. [THE MOVIE LIFE OF GEORGE] At a live performance for filming in London on October 17, 1988, George plays two songs, “Honey Don’t” and “That’s Alright”, with Carl Perkins. George has performed with Carl Perkins many times before, but this will be their last public performance. This is the last time we will see the collaboration between George, who respects his senior, and Perkins, who responds to the respect of his cute junior. [BOB DYLAN TOUR 1991] Another video of Bob Dylan’s tour. At a concert in London on February 17, 1991, George did not perform on this day, but instead went up on stage with Ron Wood at the end of the concert to present Dylan with a bouquet of flowers. The audience was excited by the sudden appearance of the two. [BOB DYLAN 30th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT] Dylan’s presence has spread widely beyond general rock fans, having even won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016. Dylan is a special figure who is respected even among musicians. Dylan made his record debut in 1962. Then, on October 16, 1992, a concert celebrating the 30th anniversary of Dylan’s debut was held at MSG in New York. As you would expect from Dylan, a musician’s musician, the performers were luxurious. This work includes footage of the rehearsal, the sound check the day before, and the main part, collecting as much footage as possible. First, the rehearsal that took place from October 12th to 14th, 1992. Since all of them are well-known veterans, they probably don’t need to spend much time on rehearsals. George arrives at the rehearsal venue while Neil Young is singing. It starts with him chatting with Tom Petty and others. Next, Eric Clapton arrives and shakes hands with Neil Young, and they each hold their instruments and rehearse “My Back Pages”. Next is the sound check on October 15th, 1992. George is filming Dylan singing with his own camcorder. George is doing a sound check on “If Not For You”. Next, he carefully does another sound check on “Absolutely Sweet Marie”. And finally, it’s the day of the performance on October 16th, 1992. George is dressed in a flashy purple costume, making it an impressive George’s first stage in a long time. After singing two songs, “If Not For You” and “Absolutely Sweet Marie,” George takes on the important role of introducing Bob Dylan, the main star of the day. This is the highlight of the concert, where all the performers of the day sing “My Back Pages” and “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Dooor” around the main star. As for the main feature, this work contains three versions. Each version has different camera work and camera cuts, and also different songs, so three versions are included for completeness. At the end, it is also recorded in multi-view so that you can compare them side by side, so you can clearly see the difference in the shots in each version. [HOME MOVIE] This is a private video taken in 1993. They are playing “Hare Krishna” with people who seem to be monks at a Buddhist temple in the UK. George is playing the accordion. In a room of the temple, there are people playing, people taking photos, people sitting at desks, and it is a peaceful atmosphere where each person is spending their time as they like. [GENTE QUE BRILHA] I feel like George’s appearance started to age rapidly around this time. This is a video of him appearing on a Brazilian TV show. George is sitting on a chair in the garden of his home, Flyer Park, singing “Here Comes The Sun.” What’s interesting is that the lyrics of “Here Comes The Sun” are not sung exactly as they are, but are parodies that incorporate the name of the show’s host, Emerson, into the lyrics. Emerson’s happy face, which is occasionally inserted into the screen, is indescribable. He is probably someone who listened to the Beatles because of his age, and it must be an honor for one of them to sing “Here Comes Emmerson” with his name in it. George’s performance is also a highlight, but in this video, the embarrassment, joy, and happiness of the host, Emerson, is a sight to behold. [YIN & YANG] This is a TV appearance in New York on May 14, 1997. He is performing the sitar with Ravi Shankar. Since going to India during the Beatles era, the other members’ activities have not had a “smell of India,” but George alone has maintained a deep knowledge of Indian philosophy, religion, and music throughout his life. Next, George plays three songs on acoustic guitar: “Any Road,” “If You Belong To Me,” and “All Things Must Pass.” In particular, he plays the last song, “All Things Must Pass,” with a new arrangement and new interpretation. The title, which evokes “everything is in flux,” was probably the biggest theme of George’s life. This song was the last song he sang before his death. [CARL PERKINS MEMORIAL] If you have watched this film up to this point, you will understand that George had a deep love and respect for Carl Perkins. Before his debut, George used the stage name “Carl Harrison” for a while. During the Beatles era, he covered “Minna Ii Daughter.” And since going solo, he has performed with him many times. The beloved Carl Perkins also passed away in 1998. This is George’s performance at the funeral of Carl Perkins held at a church in Tennessee on January 23, 1998. George plays “Your True Love” with a light-hearted feel that is out of place in the solemn atmosphere, with handclaps spurring. This was not only George’s farewell performance, but also his last performance in public. It was George’s last performance in 36 years since he debuted as a member of The Beatles in 1962. [COMPLETE LIVE HARRISON FILMS] George, who had been reluctant to perform live since The Beatles, only did two major tours in his life, one in North America in 1974 and one in Japan in 1991. All other appearances were one-off. That was also George’s way of life and choice, so there is nothing for fans to say. However, when we look at them like this, we can see that they never performed live, but rather actively participated in any occasion where they could enjoy playing. It seems that they enjoyed playing with their beloved Perkins, their best friend Eric Clapton, or even for Dylan. Even though they were reluctant to repeat the same performance every night as a job, playing with like-minded friends must have been an irreplaceable time. Looking at George’s live footage from 1969 to about 30 years ago, we notice that the members around him haven’t changed much. In particular, his friendship with Eric Clapton, with whom he often performed, continued from beginning to end, and they performed together in each generation. The appearances of both George and Eric have changed greatly over the years, so much so that you can tell what year the footage or photos are from just by looking at them. Although their appearances change with age, you can still feel the friendship between the two of them that has not changed. This album is a compilation of George Harrison’s live performances over the course of roughly 30 years, from the 1969 Delabonnie tour to his final public performance at Perkins’ funeral in 1998. We hope that this album will allow you to relive the George Harrison who left such a huge mark on the history of rock. DVD DISC ONE DELANEY AND BONNIE Falconer Theater, Copenhagen Denmark December 10, 1969 01. Poor Elijah 02. I Don’t Know Why 03. Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way 04. Special Life 05. I Don’t Want To Discuss It 06. That’s What My Man Is For 07. Comin’ Home 08. Tutti Frutti – The Girl Can’t Help It – Long Tall Sally – Jenny Jenny THE DICK CAVETT SHOW with Gary Wright New York City U.S.A. November 23, 1971 09. Two Faced Man THE DAVID FROST SHOW New York City U.S.A. November 24, 1971 10. Sitar demonstration RUTLAND WEEKEND TELEVISION BBC U.K. December 13, 1975 11. Introduction – “Pirate Bob” Comic Skits 12. The Pirate Song SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE with Paul Simon New York City U.S.A. November 18, 1976 13. Intro Skit 14. Here Comes The Sun 15. Homeward Bound DISCO 77 ZDF, Germany February 2, 1977 16. Introduction 17. This Song SLOW HAND TOUR with Elton John Civic Hall Guilford U.K. December 7, 1978 18. Further Up On The Road DEEP PURPLE TOUR Entertaiment Center Sydney Australia December 13, 1984 19. Lucille A ROCKABILLY TRIBUTE TO CARL PERKINS London, U.K. October 21, 1985 20. Carl and George chat 21. Honey Don’ t 22. Matchbox 23. I Got A Woman 24. Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby 25. Your True Love DISC TWO HEARTBEAT CONCERT Birmingham U.K. March 15, 1986 01. Johnny B Goode PALOMINO CLUB Hollywood, CA U.S.A. February 19, 1987 02. Introduction – Checkin’Up On My Baby 03. Matchbox – Gone Gone 04. Honey Don’t 05. Blue Suede Shoes 06. Watching the River Flow – Willie and The Hand Jive 07. Peggy Sue 08. Dizzy Miss Lizzy 09. Twist and Shout THE PRINCE’S TRUST CONCERT Wembley U.K. June 6, 1987 10. Introduction 11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps 12. Here Comes The Sun 13. With A Little Help From My Friends BOB DYLAN TOUR Wembley U.K. October 17, 1987 14. Rainy Day Women 12 & 35 #1 15. Rainy Day Women 12 & 35 #2 THE MOVIE LIFE OF GEORGE Shepperton Film Studios London U.K. October 1, 1988 16. Honey Don’t 17. That’s All Right BOB DYLAN TOUR Hammersmith Odeon London U.K. February 17, 1991 18. George & Ron Wood bring flowers BOB DYLAN 30th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT CELEBRATION REHEARSALS Sir Studios, New York U.S.A. October 12-14, 1992 19. George arrives 20. My Back Pages #1 practice 21. My Back Pages #2 22. My Back Pages #3 practice 23. My Back Pages #4 24. My Back Pages #5 25. End of the Rehearsal DISC THREE BOB DYLAN 30th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT CELEBRATION SOUNDCHECK October 15, 1992 01. George Films Bob 02. If Not For You #1 03. If Not For You #2 04. Absolutely Sweet Marie #1 05. Absolutely Sweet Marie #2 06. Absolutely Sweet Marie #3 CONCERT October 16, 1992 VERSION 1 07. Introduction 08. If Not For You 09. Absolutely Sweet Marie 10. George Introduces Bob 11. My Back Pages 12. Kockin’ On Heaven’s Door VERSION 2 13. Introduction 14. If Not For You 15. Absolutely Sweet Marie 16. My Back Pages VERSION 3 17. Introduction 18. Absolutely Sweet Marie 19. My Back Pages (All Stars) MULTI VIEW 3 VERSIONS 20. If Not For You 21. Absolutely Sweet Marie 22. My Back Pages PROMO CLIP 23. My Back Pages HOME MOVIE Bhaktivedanta Manor Temple Summer 1993 24. Hare Krishna GENTE QUE BRILHA Friar Park Oxfordshire U.K. October 31, 1996 25. Here Comes Emerson YIN & YANG with Ravi Shankar New York City U.S.A. May 14, 1997 26. Introduction – practicing 27. Prabhujee 28. George test his guitar 29. Any Road #1 Rehearsal 30. Any Road #2 31. If You Belong To Me 32. All Things Must Pass CARL PERKINS MEMORIAL Womack Memorial Chapel Jackson TN U.S.A January 23, 1998 33. Your True Love