Tag Archives: My sweet Lord

Billy Preston: Encouraging Words

On September 11, 1970, “Apple” label released “Encouraging Words”, the fifth Billy Preston studio album. It was recorded February – December 1969 – April 1970, at “trident Studios” and “Olympic Sound Studios” in London, and was produced by George Harrison and Billy Preston.

Personnel:

  • Billy Preston – lead and backing vocals, organ, piano, electric piano, harmonica, backing vocals
  • George Harrison – electric guitar, Moog synthesizer, backing vocals
  • Eric Clapton – electric guitar
  • Delaney Bramlett – electric guitar, backing vocals
  • Klaus Voormann – bass guitar
  • Carl Radle – bass guitar
  • Jim Gordon – drums
  • Ringo Starr – drums
  • Bobby Keys – saxophones
  • Jim Price – trumpet, trombone, horn arrangements
  • The Edwin Hawkins Singers – backing vocals
  • Members of the Temptations’ tour band – electric guitar, bass guitar, drums
  • Members of Sam & Dave’s tour band – bass guitar, drums
  • Richard Polak – photography

Track listing:                                                                                                            

All tracks by Billy Preston, except where noted.

  1. Right Now
  2. Little Girl
  3. Use What You Got
  4. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
  5. Let the Music Play – Billy Preston, Joe Greene, Jesse Kirkland
  6. The Same Thing Again – Billy Preston, James Herndon
  7. I’ve Got a Feeling – John Lennon and Paul McCartney
  8. Sing One for the Lord – George Harrison, Billy Preston
  9. When You Are Mine
  10. I Don’t Want You to Pretend
  11. Encouraging Words
  12. All Things Must Pass – George Harrison
  13. You’ve Been Acting Strange – Ronnie Lee Williams

George Harrison

On November 29, 2001, George Harrison died aged 58. He was musician (guitar), singer, songwriter, and music and movie producer, lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Beatles. His interest in folk music and especially in Indian music had serious influence on the band’s Hindu-aligned spirituality in the later years. Some of his songs composed for the band include “Here Comes the Sun”, “Something”, “Taxman”, “Within You Without You”, and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. After The Beatles broke-up in 1970, Harrison released the album “All Things Must Pass” which included the track “My Sweet Lord”, his most successful single, and the first solo single by any member of The Beatles that sold over million copies. In 1971, together with Ravi Shankar he organized “Concert for Bangladesh”, the first big benefit concert in the music history. In 1974, Harrison founded the music label “Dark Horse Records”, and co-founded movie label “Hand Made Films” in 1978. In 1988, with Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and Roy Orbison, he co-founded the supergroup The Travelling Wilburys. As a guitarist he recorded for Badfinger, Billy Preston, Bob Dylan, Duane Eddy, Randy Newman, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Ronnie Wood, and Tom Petty. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked Harrison at number 11 in their list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”. In 1988, as a member of The Beatles he was inducted in the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, and in 2004, posthumously for his solo career. As leader, Harrison released twelve studio and two live albums.

George Harrison & Frineds: The Concert for Bangladesh

The_Concert_For_Bangla_Desh

On December 20, 1971, “Apple” label released “The Concert for Bangladesh”  a live triple album by George Harrison and his friends. The album is recording from the concert on August 1, 1971, at “Madison Square Garden” in New York, held in aid of the homeless Bengali refugees of the Bangladesh Liberation War. This was the first big humanitarian concert with international music stars and was the model for future big rock benefits events such as “Live Aid” (1985).  The album was produced by George Harrison and Phil Spector. The box set included a 64-page book containing concert photos. ”The Concert for Bangladesh” won “Grammy Award” for “Album of the Year”.

Personnel:

  • George Harrison – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
  • Ravi Shankar– sitar
  • Bob Dylan– vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica
  • Leon Russell– piano, vocals, bass, backing vocals
  • Ringo Starr– drums, vocals, tambourine
  • Billy Preston– Hammond organ, vocals
  • Eric Clapton– electric guitar
  • Ali Akbar Khan– sarod
  • Alla Rakha– tabla
  • Kamala Chakravarty– tambura
  • Jesse Ed Davis– electric guitar
  • Klaus Voormann– bass
  • Jim Keltner– drums
  • Pete Ham– acoustic guitar
  • Tom Evans– twelve-string acoustic guitar
  • Joey Molland– acoustic guitar
  • Mike Gibbins– tambourine, maracas
  • Don Preston– electric guitar, vocals, percussion
  • Carl Radle– bass
  • Jim Horn– saxophones, horn arrangements
  • Chuck Findley– trumpet
  • Jackie Kelso– saxophones
  • Allan Beutler – saxophones
  • Lou McCreary – trombone
  • Ollie Mitchell– trumpet
  • Claudia Linnear, Jo Green, Jeanie Greene, Marlin Greene, Dolores Hall, Don Nix – backing vocals
  • Tom Wilkes – design

Track listing:

  1. George Harrison/Ravi Shankar Introduction – George Harrison, Ravi Shankar
  2. Bangla Dhun – Ravi Shankar
  3. Wah-Wah – George Harrison
  4. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
  5. Awaiting on You All – George Harrison
  6. That’s the Way God Planned It – Billy Preston
  7. It Don’t Come Easy – Richard Starkey
  8. Beware of Darkness – George Harrison
  9. Band Introduction
  10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps – George Harrison
  11. Medley: Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Youngblood – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards/Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Doc Pomus
  12. Here Comes the Sun – George Harrison
  13. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan
  14. It Takes A Lot to Laugh It – Bob Dylan
  15. Blowin’ in the Wind – Bob Dylan
  16. Mr. Tambourine Man – Bob Dylan
  17. Just Like A Woman – Bob Dylan
  18. Something – George Harrison
  19. Bangla Desh – George Harrison

George Harrison: All Things Must Pass

George Harrison-All Things Must Pass

On November 27, 1970, “Apple” label released “All Things Must Pass”, the third George Harrison solo album. The material for the triple album was recorded from May to October 1970, at the Abbey Road Studios, Trident Studios,  Apple Studio in London, and was produced by Phil Spector and George Harrison. In 1993 “The Times” magazine ranked “All Things Must Pass” on number 79 on it’s list of “The 100 Best Albums of All Time”, magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked the album on place 433 on its list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In January 2014, “All Things Must Pass” was inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame”. The album was certified 6 x Platinum in the US by “RIAA”.

Personnel:

  • George Harrison – lead and backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitar, dobro, harmonica, Moog synthesizer, harmonium
  • Eric Clapton – acoustic and electric guitar, backing vocals
  • Dave Mason– electric and acoustic guitars
  • Pete Drake– pedal steel
  • Pete Ham– acoustic guitar
  • Tom Evans– acoustic guitar
  • Joey Molland– acoustic guitar
  • Tony Ashton– piano
  • Gary Brooker– piano
  • Gary Wright – piano, organ, electric piano
  • Bobby Whitlock – organ, harmonium, piano, tubular bells, backing vocals
  • Billy Preston– organ, piano
  • Klaus Voormann– bass, electric guitar
  • Carl Radle– bass
  • Ginger Baker– drums
  • Jim Gordon– drums
  • Ringo Starr– drums, percussion
  • Alan White– drums, vibraphone
  • Phil Collins– percussion
  • Mike Gibbins– percussion
  • Mal Evans– percussion, backing vocals
  • John Barham– vibraphone, harmonium, orchestral and choral arrangement
  • Bobby Keys– saxophones
  • Jim Price– trumpet, trombone, horn arrangements
  • Eddie Klein – backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by George Harrison, except where noted.

  1. I’d Have You Anytime George Harrison, Bob Dylan
  2. My Sweet Lord
  3. Wah-Wah
  4. Isn’t It a Pity (Version One)
  5. What Is Life
  6. If Not for You – Bob Dylan
  7. Behind That Locked Door
  8. Let It Down
  9. Run of the Mill
  10. Beware of Darkness
  11. Apple Scruffs
  12. Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
  13. Awaiting on You All
  14. All Things Must Pass
  15. I Dig Love
  16. Art of Dying
  17. Isn’t It a Pity (Version Two)
  18. Hear Me Lord
  19. Out of the Blue
  20. It’s Johnny’s Birthday – Bill Martin,Phil Coulter, George Harrison
  21. Plug Me In
  22. I Remember Jeep
  23. Thanks for the Pepperoni