February 24 . . .
When asked for the 200th time about the possibility of a Beatles reunion, George Harrison once deadpanned, “There will be no Beatles reunion so long as John Lennon remains dead.”
On the same subject – reuniting the Beatles – he observed, “You can’t reheat a soufflé.”
John Lennon was given all the credit for being clever, but George could deliver a great dry witticism himself. Happy birthday today to George Hilton Harrison, born this day in 1943 in – where else? – Liverpool.
During George’s lifetime, he received adoration but not respect – not even from his bandmates. Harrison had to fight to get his songs recorded by the Beatles, and his early efforts (‘Don’t Bother Me’, ‘Think For Yourself’) were simplistic and taciturn. But he kept plugging away, and by the time the group recorded its swansong, Abbey Road, Harrison walked off with top honors for ‘Something’ and ‘Here Comes The Sun’. His solo album, All Things Must Pass, was arguably the single greatest solo project by any of the former fabs.
While not as well-known as his music, George Harrison’s cinematic contributions were substantial. He produced such iconic films as ‘Withnail and I’ and ‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian’ (where he contributes a nifty cameo.) And his ‘Concert for Bangla Desh’ became the gold standard for charitable music concerts.
His best moment on camera was his earliest, in the classic ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (1964). His solo scene with a stuffy marketing professional midway through the film is classic. He manages to skewer pomp and arrogance while seemingly appearing naïve and innocent – a tricky juggling act. Not to mention his coining of the phrase ‘dead grotty.’
Check out this clip from ‘The Concert for Bangla Desh’ . . .
1 comment:
I love this clip! Makes me realize how much George is missed! -- Tatum D.
Post a Comment