If you’d been taking bets in 1970 on which former Beatle would be the most successful in the new decade, George Harrison was definitely – to borrow the name of one of his future hits – the dark horse. But as he’d sing in that tune, “Baby, it looks like I’ve been breaking out.”
In November, he turned the page on the Fabs with All Things Must Pass, a triple album brimming with artistic confidence and gorgeous, melancholy songs, not to mention the world’s first-ever God-conscious Number 1 single.
The album topped the charts around the globe, earned two Grammy nominations and had critics spouting superlatives about the formerly quiet one. As Melody Maker put it, “Garbo talks! – Harrison is free!”
Free maybe, but as 1971 unfolded, he was caught up in all kinds of trouble and strife. There was the prolonged legal drama of the Beatles’ split, the newly filed copyright infringement case over My Sweet Lord (in the context of its similarity to the Chiffons’ He’s So Fine), a marriage on the rocks and a drug-addled producer who was losing his mind.
To this, George had single-handedly taken on the Concert for Bangladesh, a combination concert-album-film, all to raise money for a country beset by natural disaster and genocide.
![George Harrison - Living in the Material World (2024 Mix) [Official Audio] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/3FtuZ-EPAIE/maxresdefault.jpg)
The first-ever such relief project on the world stage, it was a logistical nightmare of trying to form a supergroup while convincing record companies and governments to forfeit profits. “I spent the month of June and half of July just telephoning people,” Harrison later said in a press conference.
If anything was keeping him sane during that time, it was meditation, music and guitar playing. And they all came together on 1973’s Living in the Material World, a song cycle about the healing power of love and prayer in a harsh, unfeeling world.
More than 50 years later, the album’s life-affirming messages remain potent and evergreen. Is there a better couplet for our moment than, “Give me hope / Help me cope with this heavy load”?
Now released in a 50th anniversary deluxe box set edition (about a year and a half late), produced by George’s son Dhani and widow Olivia, and sporting a vibrant new mix by Paul Hicks, the album has never sounded or looked better.
On a Zoom from Australia, Dhani talked to us about the challenges of assembling the project, why it’s sometimes helpful to fire your producer and the evolution of his dad’s unique slide guitar style.
You’ve been working with mixing engineer Paul Hicks for many years. How does your shared history give you creative insight into remixing your dad’s albums?
“We grew up as only-children together, and our dads had been at Abbey Road at the same time. His dad [Tony] was in studio three with the Hollies; my dad was in studio two with the Beatles. And then Paul worked for Abbey Road for 18 years. He was very close with my dad, and I’m close with his dad.
“Paul has spent the last 25 years remastering and remixing all the Beatles records. So he has the perfect encyclopedic knowledge of everything. We had a really good success on All Things Must Pass. And people were really happy with that remaster.
“When you build confidence like that, you can kind of push things a bit more, and I think that’s what we’ve really seen on Material World. We went back to the original 24-track tapes, as opposed to just a remaster. So this is what we call an ultra remaster.”
![George Harrison - Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond) [Official Video] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/73khKiJtd2w/maxresdefault.jpg)
It was the first album your dad recorded at Friar Park, his home studio, right?
“Yes, and maybe they hadn’t quite dialed it in 100 percent yet, because they were still tuning the room. They were learning the songs in relation to how it sounds in the room.
“Since I’ve renovated the studio, there’ve been improvements that I made to the sound field, so you can get a truer mix. So I said to Paul, ‘It’s possible that you nailed the mix a bit better than they did in the original one.’ And that’s no insult to my dad and his engineers.”
When you start a project like this, do you make a wish list for what you want to hear?
They do have to occasionally reel me in on my design work, otherwise I’ll make these Death Star-size box sets that no one can lift
“There’s definitely the fan wish list that we consider. People really wanted to hear Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond), so we made a vinyl 45 of that as a bonus. We have the most amazing archivists we work with. But you have to make choices about what will live in a digital space, and the stuff that’s only available if you have a turntable.
“We try to consider the price and make it very competitive. It’s expensive buying big box sets. It’s not something a lot of people can afford right now. So that’s why we were keen on keeping a lid on this one, making it accessible.”
Your design background helps to give the box its visual appeal.
“Thanks. They do have to occasionally reel me in on my design work, otherwise I’ll make these Death Star-size box sets that no one can lift. [Laughs] But we always like to have very good quality, high-res photos and treat them as if they’re part of a photo album or scrapbook, so people feel like it’s something from their family, like something you’ve put together yourself.”
![George Harrison - Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (2024 Mix) [Official Audio] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qKULwAoNibI/maxresdefault.jpg)
What were the challenges going through the audio?
“On some songs, we had up to 90 takes, all done with the band. We didn’t want to drive everyone mad by including them all. [Laughs] I used to love my Beach Boys box sets, but after four takes of God Only Knows in a row, I want to go to the next track. I don’t feel like I’m listening to an album anymore.
“On the All Things Must Pass box, we did the extra disc that was like the ‘de-Spectored version,’ for want of a better term – the no-reverb version of the record that was from the demos. And then there’s the version you can listen to start to finish.
“I think people were surprised at how little we put on the Material World box set. But we went through all 90 takes of each song, and there are ones that just have the magic; those are the ones we included.”
![George Harrison - Sue Me, Sue You Blues (2024 Mix) [Official Audio] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/l7IrxBgHGJA/maxresdefault.jpg)
Did you have a favorite discovery?
“Be Here Now, and some of the alternate takes for that [George borrowed the title from the book on spirituality by American yogi Ram Dass]. That’s just heartbreaking, and such an amazing song.
“We teamed up with the Ram Dass Foundation, making a beautiful video using the original illustrations from the Ram Dass book. They were riffing off each other, George and Ram Dass. That’s something that really captures the vibe of what was going on during the making of this record.”
George had wanted Phil Spector to produce this album, but when Spector showed up in London, he was in bad shape, drinking a lot, paranoid, holed up in a hotel room.
“Dad told me it was a pain in the ass. And he took the hotel room next to Phil, because Phil was an addict. Dad would have to take him to the hospital because he’d overdose, and he’d be just a mess, on all kinds of drugs. And that was a time when my dad was choosing the light, you know?”
![George Harrison - Be Here Now (2024 Mix) [Official Video] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oSYmD6kHdKo/maxresdefault.jpg)
It was a blessing in disguise that Spector couldn’t do the record because it pushed your dad into the role of the producer, working with a small ensemble, which I think is one of the strengths of this record.
“Agreed. I don’t think the Wall of Sound approach would’ve suited these songs. How many times have you heard that same thing where it’s like, ‘We were doing the record and the producer just wasn’t right’? And then it forced the artist to do it himself. And that’s when they became the guy. I’ve had it happen myself.
“You know, firing the producer at the beginning is usually one of the best things you can do. [Laughs] If you want to make something that’s true to yourself. George had needed the extra confidence with All Things Must Pass. It was a Number 1 album, and maybe he thought, ‘Okay, let’s get Phil back in to do this one.’
“But it was such a pain having to deal with him, because he was so out of it. My dad needed to free himself up from all of that dark energy. And then it turns into a band record. And it’s a ripping band, with a lot of cool cats like Jim Keltner and Nicky Hopkins.”
![George Harrison - Try Some Buy Some (2024 Mix) [Official Audio] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Kws5ebmRmlY/maxresdefault.jpg)
He was dealing with a lot of stress – the legal drama with the Beatles’ breakup, the My Sweet Lord copyright case and then trying to organize this massive relief project for Bangladesh.
“Yes, and this album really came about as a result of needing more money for Bangladesh, and the philanthropic movement he was trying to fund. Trying to get the money to go to the right places, in a charity sense, is very hard. But at the same time, I think you can also really hear how things are looking up for my dad, because he met my mother during this time.
“All Things Must Pass is a sad record. It was about the things that he’d gone through. On Material World, you can kind of see where the stuff he’s writing has a new feeling. There’s new foliage growing. It’s not winter anymore.”
The album opens with Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth), which is such a deceptively tricky rhythm part.
“It is! Actually, I did it recently with Eric Clapton at the Albert Hall, for one of his concerts. And I remember doing it also at the Concert for George [in 2002]. It’s really easy to get the signature wrong. I remember Jeff Lynne had a hard time with the syncopation.
“I think it was Jim Keltner’s favorite track to play, because it’s got that Indian rhythm influence, the Tihai [repeating a group of beats three times]. You know, like [sings], “Won’t you please, oh, won’t you please…” Here Comes the Sun has also got that Tihai.”
Something that always blows my mind is that your dad didn’t play slide guitar on any Beatles records.
“Well, Free As a Bird…"
Yeah, but on the original albums, from 1963 to ’70 he didn’t. And then in the early ’70s, he emerges with this distinctly beautiful slide sound.
“I think that definitely came off the back of hanging out with Ravi Shankar and learning sitar. There was more discipline involved. I remember watching when my dad would be doing stuff in the studio at home, and he was so concentrated, really focused on double tracking harmonies – or ‘guitarmonies,’ as he called it. He had his method.
He only had that little bit of spotlight in every Beatles song. So much of it was George Martin telling him what he could or couldn’t play. So he had to be really clever
“When we went to finish things on Brainwashed [2002], there would be, like, 20 solos. And then if you’d pull them all up, they would still work! And then it was like, ‘Wait, which one is the one?’ He would try so many things. But it wasn’t just like he just did it once and forgot about it. He really workshopped his parts and solos.
“I think that approach was because he only had that little bit of spotlight in every Beatles song. So much of it was George Martin telling him what he could or couldn’t play. So he had to be really clever. It might have not felt good at the time to be told what to play by George Martin, but I think that’s what helped create that later style.
“If you ever want to hear a solo that’ll blow your mind, listen to the Belinda Carlisle song Leave a Light On. It was a hit, and my dad played [slide guitar] on it. It’s ripping, one of his better solos.
“And then there’s Cheer Down from Lethal Weapon 2, which is fantastic. The live version from Japan is great as well. Dad really liked that Santo & Johnny Teardrop kind of style that they did on Sleepwalk.”
What’s the story with Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)? Did he intend to record it in addition to giving it to Ringo?
“I don’t know why it didn’t go on this record, unless it was specifically written for Ringo [ed. It was one of several Harrison-contributed songs on Starr’s hit 1973 album, Ringo]. I’m not sure. It’s such a great song, and I’m glad we have two versions, because they’re both great.
“It’s a demo. But keep in mind, my dad’s way of making demos is what we call ‘posh demos’ [Laughs], because you don’t really need to do much with them afterwards. Posh demos turn into tracks really easily!”
I remember sitting around playing acoustics with my dad and asking him to show me that opening riff
Dhani Harrison on Be Here Now
Do you remember the first time you heard Material World, and did you talk to your dad about it?
“I remember talking to him about the artwork, because I was discussing Wings, and I’d noticed that the Wings two-hands logo was like a double version of the Material World hand, and it was like, ‘Wow, cool!’ Obviously, I knew Give Me Love, which kind of lives separately in its own world. It’s such a famous song, you don’t think of it being part of the album.
“For me, I’m drawn to the album tracks. You go through each of my dad’s records and you find tracks like Here Comes the Moon [from 1979’s George Harrison] and you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s not something that I remembered!’ And then for this album, it was definitely Be Here Now. It’s powerful stuff. I remember sitting around playing acoustics with my dad and asking him to show me that opening riff.”
When you’re working on these albums, do you ever consult with the surviving players from the albums, such as Klaus Voormann or Jim Keltner?
“Not really. I mean, I haven’t spoken to Klaus for a long time. Keltner and I talk about stuff whenever we see each other. My mom had a good natter with him the other day, because he did two nights at the Albert Hall in London with Dylan.
“It’s funny, I remember asking Jim to come on tour with me, Joseph Arthur and Ben Harper back in 2012 with Fistful of Mercy. And Keltner said, ‘No, I don’t play shows anymore.’ And here we are in 2024, he’s on the road with Dylan, and he’s 82. So that was a lie. Thanks, Jim. [Laughs] Seriously, he’s one of my favorite people in the world, and I know he was really proud of this record and loved it.”
What’s the status of the Concert for Bangladesh reissue?
“We’ve got the audio done. It’s a blinder of an album. We also have the whole second show, which no-one’s heard before. But we don’t want to mix everything up and just put version after version of the same songs, because you lose perspective, and it ruins the listening experience.
“I’d rather hear the demo version from start to finish, then go on to the real version from start to finish, then the Day Two version from start to finish.
“We’ve started working on the film, using the same [AI-driven] algorithm Peter Jackson used on Get Back. We’re working with Peter on restoring it, which takes a long time. It takes years to finish these projects. And that’s with me trying to have my own career as well, in the meantime.”
Do you have any new music in the works?
“I just finished a tour that kind of drew a line underneath this year. It was a few select shows that we did for my last record, which was called Innerstanding [2023]. Hopefully next year, I’ll be able to get a couple shows in with the band Huun-Huur-Tu, who are the Tuvan throat-singing lords. They are just incredible.
“I’ve got another project that we haven’t announced yet, with one of my heroes of the English music scene. I can’t say more than that at the moment. Also, I’ve been working a little bit with Anoushka Shankar, and we were collaborating with the Bulgarian Women’s Choir of Sofia. So there’s just always lots of stuff in the pipeline.”
- Living in the Material World 50th Anniversary is out now via Dark Horse.
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