Eric Clapton Plays "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with Paul and Ringo in 2002

On November 29, 2002, the first anniversary of George Harrison's death at age 58, an impressive assemblage of the former Beatle's band mates, family members and pals gathered at London's Royal Albert Hall to pay tribute to his life and music.

Near the end of the show, Clapton (playing one of his "Crash" Fender Strats) took lead vocals on Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." With McCartney on piano, Starr on drums and Clapton making a serious attempt to recreate his guitar parts from the Beatles' original 1968 recording, it was the closest thing possible to a Beatles reunion. Even Preston—who recorded with the Beatles throughout 1969 and can be heard on Abbey Road and Let It Be—joined in on organ.

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.

Latest

“One of the most important guitars in rock and roll history”: George Harrison’s Futurama smashes auction estimate and sets a new record with staggering $1.27 million sale

See more latest ►

“What I do with the trem arm is not an exact science. It’s more like an absurdist alchemy”: Imperial Triumphant guitarist Zachary Ezrin showcases his wild whammy technique on Eye of Mars – and a Gibson with the Midas touch

“He came out to the studio, sick, did the solo and killed it after a couple of passes. I tried to pay him some money, but he wouldn’t accept it”: Jim Suhler on the time Joe Bonamassa played on one of his tracks – and delivered a searing solo while sick

With up to 80% off at Reverb this Black Friday is it time to forget about new models in favour of second-hand?

“You can get a little bit formulaic sometimes when you know where to go next, and alternate tunings definitely take that away”: Soccer Mommy on the power of alternate tunings in pushing her songwriting capabilities

“The missing link”: Line 6 keeps up the pace with the Fender Tone Master Pro by adding EVH 5150-inspired amps for the first time in free bumper Helix update

“I put a crushed cigarette packet underneath it to get it nearer the strings... It helped give the guitar a mysterious sound”: Vic Flick, the guitarist who played the iconic James Bond riff, dies aged 87

“I don't have a vast collection of notable guitars, but I'm open to that idea”: Tom Morello’s ‘Arm the Homeless’ guitar is one of his most iconic instruments – and it could be revived as a signature run

“The crowd got ugly – they were just being assholes, throwing mud at us the whole set, hitting us hard on our bodies and on our guitars”: Donita Sparks tells the story of L7’s infamous set at 1992’s Reading Festival

“When Chicago hit the scene, it stuck out like nothing else”: Steve Vai lays down a smoking alternative solo for South California Purples in this rare fret-melting guest spot at Chicago’s Live at 55 show

“It’s been road-tested, kicked around, X-rayed… We’ve made a guitar that's adaptable to all situations”: Fender and Chris Shiflett cut no corners in creating the new signature ‘Cleaver’ Telecaster – a long-awaited replica of his Masterbuilt model

A Taylor acoustic for the price of a pair of sneakers? Buy one Taylor and get a second for as little as $99 in the ultimate Black Friday deal for acoustic players

Get The Pick Newsletter

Most Popular