George Harrison (album)

Infobox Album
Name = George Harrison
Type = studio
Artist = George Harrison


Released = Start date|1979|2|23
Recorded = July - November 1978 at Friar Park, England
Genre = Rock music
Length = 39:58 (LP)
43:37 (CD)
Label = Dark Horse, Warner Bros.
Producer = George Harrison,
Russ Titelman
Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:geh1z84ajyvn~T1 link]
*"Rolling Stone" (positive) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/georgeharrison/albums/album/302412/review/5944250/george_harrison link]
Last album = "Thirty Three & 1/ॐ"
(1976)
This album = "George Harrison"
(1979)
Next album = "Somewhere in England"
(1981)
Misc = Singles
Name = George Harrison
Type = studio
Single 1 = Blow Away
Single 1 date = February 14 1979
Single 2 = Love Comes to Everyone
Single 2 date = 1979
Single 3 = Faster
Single 3 date = 1979 (UK only) Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = Alternative cover
Type = studio


Lower caption = The 2004 CD-remaster cover featured Harrison's signature.

"George Harrison" is the eponymous album release by George Harrison in 1979. It was recorded during a period of domestic happiness which saw Harrison marry Olivia Trinidad Arias and fathering his son Dhani, all during "George Harrison"'s making in 1978.

History

With Harrison's penchant for leisure and travel following "Thirty Three & 1/3"'s release, he had not started recording a follow-up until mid-1978, although he had been writing songs during his hiatus. Teaming up with a co-producer for the first time in years, Harrison decided to use Russ Titelman to help realize the music for "George Harrison", which was recorded at his home studio, entitled Friar Park, with string overdubs being effected at London's AIR Studios. Special guests included Steve Winwood, Gary Wright (who co-wrote "If You Believe") and Eric Clapton.

The album was previewed by the single "Blow Away", which reached #51 in the UK and #16 in the United States. "George Harrison" received positive reviews upon its February 1979 release. It reached #39 in the UK and it peaked at #14 in the U.S., going gold. The album peaked at #3 in Canada and was Harrison's biggest-selling album in years there. "Blow Away" as a single was also successful in Canada, peaking at #3 on the singles chart. Harrison's increasing efforts, however, were being directed towards the film industry, having formed Handmade Films in order to help his friends in Monty Python complete "Life of Brian".

In 2004, "George Harrison" was remastered and reissued both separately and as part of the deluxe box set "The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992" on Dark Horse with new distribution by EMI, adding the bonus track demo version of "Here Comes the Moon", recorded just after it was written in Hawaii.

The cover

The original LP featured a close-up photograph of Harrison, taken by Mike Salisbury, with the album's name printed in brown in the top right corner. For the 2004 CD-remaster, the same picture was used but with different lettering. The brown title was erased, and Harrison's signature in white was added to the top left corner.

Track listing

All songs by written by George Harrison, except where noted.
# "Love Comes to Everyone" – 4:36
#* Guitar intro played by Eric Clapton, who would go on to cover the song on his 2005 album "Back Home".
#*"Song was performed live only once during Harrison's Japanese tour in December 1991
# "Not Guilty" – 3:35
#* Originally written by Harrison for The Beatles in 1968 for inclusion on "The Beatles" album. It did not however appear on that album.
# "Here Comes the Moon" – 4:48
#* A lyrical successor to Harrison's 1969 composition "Here Comes the Sun".
# "Soft-Hearted Hana" – 4:03
#* Written about a Psychedelic mushroom experience Harrison had in Maui.
#* Incorporates actual atmosphere from Harrison's local Henley-on-Thames pub, "The Row Barge".
#* Title a reference to Tin Pan Alley song, "Hard Hearted Hannah."
# "Blow Away" – 4:00
# "Faster" – 4:46
#* Incorporates actual racing effects from the British Grand Prix on 16 July 1978.
# "Dark Sweet Lady" – 3:22
# "Your Love Is Forever" – 3:45
# "Soft Touch" – 3:59
# "If You Believe" (George Harrison, Gary Wright) – 2:55

For the 2004 digitally remastered issue of "George Harrison" a bonus track was added:

11. "Here Comes the Moon" (demo version) - 3:37

Personnel

The following personnel was credited in the liner notes. [cite album-notes |title=George Harrison|bandname= George Harrison|year= 2004|pages= p. 10|format= CD booklet |publisher= Dark Horse Records|mbid=cc96a400-31f8-46b8-bb28-921125adc2db]

* George Harrison - Guitars, vocals & backing vocals, bass on "Faster"
* Andy Newmark - Drums
* Willie Weeks - Bass
* Neil Larsen - Keyboards, Minimoog
* Ray Cooper - Percussion
* Steve Winwood - Polymoog, Harmonium, Minimoog and backing vocals
* Emily Richards - Marimba
* Gayle Levant - Harp
* Eric Clapton - Guitar intro on "Love Comes To Everyone"
* Gary Wright - Oberheim on "If You Believe"
* Del Newman - String and horn arrangements

References