#Harrisong rarities

[harrisonarchive]

George Harrison, Friar Park, 1970; photo by Barry Feinstein.

“[Featured in ‘I Me Mine - The Extended Edition’ are] songs [George Harrison] never released, such as ‘Mother Divine’ — ‘It's a lovely sentiment,’ she [Olivia Harrison] said, ‘and something he did sing over the years, maybe as a mantra.’” - Los Angeles Times, 24 February 2017

Q: “Mr. Harrison, I was wondering if you might tell us a bit about your ideas on love. Romantic love, that is. I recall you having written some of the Beatles' most beatiful love songs. It would be interesting to hear how your religious attitudes have impacted your beliefs concerning romanticism.” George Harrison: “Well, the lover that we miss is actually God. The beauty that you see within each other is actually God. So, Krishna was the greatest romanticist. He had girlfriends on every corner! I can't seperate the two — a beautiful girl is the divine mother, a beautiful man is the manifestation of potential.” - Yahoo web chat, 15 February 2001 (x)

[asidesandbsides]

Starts With H, Part 1

Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds - Don't Pull Your Love / Funk-in-Wagnal

Kind of an odd name for a group, but this song is pretty great. Funny thing, I recognized the A-Side right away, even though I accidentally had the turntable on 33 rpm. Still sounds pretty good at that speed! It's a real lean bit of 70s horns pop. B-Side is an instrumental, like if funk was a joke. I'm just saying, I've heard funkier. Both sides sound good though.

George Harrison - My Sweet Lord / Isn't It a Pity

When I saw this, I said "there's no way that's not a double A-Side." And I was correct, of course, because how could a disc with two such incredible tracks not be? And both sides are still sounding beautifully clear. There's no question to me, this is one of the best discs ever put out by an ex-Beatle, even considering how great the next two discs I'm about to spin are.

George Harrison - What Is Life / Apple Scruffs

See, that's just a hell of an A-Side right there. It is noticeably more worn down than the B-Side, but not enough to detract from the energy of the production. "Apple Scruffs" is, however, a definite B-Sider in comparison to its companion. A good song, but not a chart contender.

George Harrison - Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) / Miss O'Dell

Ahh, this might actually have the best-preserved sound of all these Harrisongs. Hell of a beautiful song on side A, too. "Miss O'Dell" is a goofy song and something of a rarity, I gather. It feels nice to have such things.

Heart - Crazy on You / Dreamboat Annie

This might be the most stunning disc in today's set, actually. The A-Side is a stone cold classic, the B-Side is brief but gorgeous, and they both sound just a hair short of brand new. If you don't know these two immediately, do yourself a favor and listen to the Dreamboat Annie LP and give thanks to those who deserve it. This is why they call it classic rock.

Bobby Hebb - Sunny / Bread

Unacceptably fuzzy on the A-Side, alas, but it must be admitted a good song. I know it well, and I'd have liked a cleaner copy. "Bread" sounds a lot better, which I guess is good because it's a good song, but I wanted to hear "Sunny."

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower / Burning of the Midnight Lamp

Sounds great, in every sense. What else is there to say about one of the most legendary rock recordings of all time? As for the B-Side, I'd never actually heard it before, but I can say it's a much odder song, a little more psychedelic, and the kind of thing that I guess is exactly what I'd expect from a Hendrix B-Side. But apparently it was an A-Side in Britain? Absolutely wild.