Pictured here with George, Ringo, Maureen, and Pattie in Cannes on May 17, 1968; photos by by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images, The Associated Press, Farabola/Bridgeman Images, and REPORTERS ASSOCIES/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images.
“I remember the mystery that was around George Harrison. I wouldn’t have asked him a question. I wouldn’t have added because of… feeling he… he was onto something else.” - Jane Birkin, Living In The Material World (2011)
“[Director Joe Massot] asked me if I would do the music, but I told him I didn’t write music for films. Then he said that whatever I gave him, he would use. That sounded pretty simple, and I thought, ‘I’ll give them an Indian music anthology, and who knows, maybe a few hippies will get turned on to Indian music.’ […]
Ringo came with me to the [Wonderwall] premiere in Cannes. (I know this because they’ve put out a CD and I’ve read Derek’s liner notes. I didn’t remember it until I saw the photos of us with a rather nice young lady called Jane Birkin who was in the movie.)” - George Harrison, The Beatles Anthology (2000) (x)
Onstage during the Dark Horse Tour, December 1974; photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images.
“We became like brothers, very close. […] [George] was a very, very loving person, a great guy. […] He had such a heart. […] He was very unaffected by the fame. He just loved God and his family and his friends.” - Billy Preston, WBUR, November 30, 2001
“[When The Beatles first met Billy Preston in Hamburg] Billy was so young George said you could hardly see his head over the Hammond organ. They had a connection — like brothers. His mother used to call George her paler son.” - Olivia Harrison, Concert for George ltd. ed. book
“[Billy] used to play with George a lot in his studio at home in England and he had Billy’s [Hammond] B3. We just called it ‘Billy’s B3.’ Billy would sit and dance on that seat and on the pedals of that organ. He really did. His seat would just dance across there, he was just amazing. Such a sweet man. So gentle and what a talent. He had absolute fluidity on that organ and on any keyboard really.” - Olivia Harrison, Billboard, April 3, 2017
“[George is] a very emotional guy; he’s very spiritual and sensitive. He’s a very kind-hearted person. […] We feel like we’re together all the time, just through spirit.” - Billy Preston, Ticket To Ride: A Celebration Of The Beatles (1989)
“[Billy Preston]’s a tremendous inspiration to work with.” - George Harrison, Disc & Music Echo, July 5, 1969
“Billy Preston, man — Billy Preston, I just love him. I never wanna play in another band without Billy. I mean, I hope I don’t ever have to.” - George Harrison, KLOL, November 1974 (x)
A very rare photo of Paul, John and George in the Quarrymen era was recently discovered in Liverpool,the photo was found on an auction lot and was taken in 1959.
Mobs of angry white people, protesting for their right to [checks notes] get a haircut—in the middle of a pandemic—yelled at cops, shoved them, threw things at them, and were nowhere near being respectful or peaceful, but for some reason, police officers didn’t mace them, didn’t shoot rubber bullets at them, didn’t tear gas them, and didn’t kneel on their necks and choke them to death. Qwhite interesting how differently white people are treated even when they disrespect the police and even when they riot over things like [checks notes again] their sports team losing or hell, even winning a game.
ON 17 APRIL 1970, PAUL McCARTNEY’S DEBUT SOLO ALBUM, ‘McCARTNEY’ IS RELEASED.
Paul recorded the album, which was “one of the first big lo-fi records of its day”, in secrecy, mostly using basic home-recording equipment at his house in St John’s Wood. Apart from occasional contributions by Linda, he performed the entire album alone. In the UK, McCartney debuted at number 2, while on the Billboard Top LPs chart it held the number 1 spot for three weeks.
↳ Which solo album have you most enjoyed recording?
Probably the first one, McCartney, which was recorded on a four-track machine and was done in the living-room at home. Linda and I were newly-weds, and we had a baby, so we had that golden glow that you get in the first years of marriage. We still have it now, of course, but those first years are always special.
Also, I felt a certain relief at not being tied into the Apple situation, because along with a regret about the break-up of the Beatles there was also a good side to it, which was the feeling of a new start … even if it was a little bit terrifying.
So, putting McCartney together was probably the most fun. It was so intimate, it was just me, and, listening to it now, I think that I did stuff that I wouldn’t normally have done. Some of the instrumentals I like a lot.