Concert for George
The Concert for George ( German: Concert for George ) was held on 29 November 2002 to mark the first anniversary of the death of George Harrison at London's Royal Albert Hall.
At this concert occurred on friends and musical companions. Together with his son Dhani Harrison played among others Eric Clapton, Michael Palin, Jeff Lynne, Gary Brooker, Joe Brown, Sam Brown, Tom Petty, Anoushka Shankar ( daughter of Harrison's sitar teacher Ravi Shankar ) and even Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at this concert.
Expiration
George Harrison's famous twelve-string Rickenbacker guitar from Beatles - times was exhibited on the stage, plus an oversized framed photo of the honoree. Eric Clapton, this evening the musical director and master of ceremonies, welcomed the audience and gave the word on to Ravi Shankar. The concert opened with Indian music when Anoushka Shankar, played the daughter of Ravi Shankar, the song Your Eyes. Then played Anoushka Shankar and Jeff Lynne Harrison's composition The Inner Light, followed by Ravi Shankar -written especially for this evening work Arpan (Sanskrit for "to give" ).
After a few sketches of members of the Monty Python comedy group (Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam ) together with Neil Innes, Carol Cleveland and special guest Tom Hanks, began the second part of the concert.
An all- star band with Eric Clapton, Dhani Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Albert Lee, Andy Fairweather - Low, Marc Mann (all: Guitar ), Dave Bronze (bass ), Billy Preston, Gary Brooker, Chris Stainton (all: Keyboards ), Jim Horn, Tom Scott (both: saxophone), Ray Cooper ( percussion), Jim Capaldi, Jim Keltner, Henry Spinetti (all: drums ) and Tessa Niles and Katie Kissoon ( backing vocals ) was a few pieces enhanced by Ringo Starr ( drums), who in turn announced Paul McCartney (guitar, ukulele, keyboard). For individual pieces also met Klaus Voormann (bass ), Jools Holland ( keyboards) and Sam Brown (lead and background vocals) added. As the lead singer of the band strain were alternately Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Gary Brooker, Billy Preston, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and Sam Brown in appearance. Independent performances had Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jeff Lynne reinforced by, and Joe Brown and his band, reinforced by Andy Fairweather - Low.
The pieces came from all eras of the musician of the Beatles to the Traveling Wilburys, including Clapton and Billy Preston with Is not It a Pity, Ringo Starr with the written jointly with Harrison Photographer, Paul McCartney sang for Ukulele Something, Preston gospel like My Sweet Lord. In While My Guitar Gently Weeps played with McCartney, Clapton and Starr, the three remaining musicians from the original recording. After an interlude during " The Prince's Trust Concert" in 1987 they played here reunited for the second time.
Background
Harrison's friend Bob Dylan could not attend because its touring contract contained a territorial protection for the United States and Great Britain. Therefore, he played a few weeks before the Concert for George at his concert in the " Madison Square Garden " on 11 November 2002 Harrison Something composition as a tribute. He announced the piece with the words:
" [ ... ] There's a tribute going on in this next week or the week after us, over in England, for George Harrison and ah you know there's all kinds of people in it ... I'm not quite sure who, but ah we can 't make it and I just wanted to do this song in rememberence of George cos we were such good buddies. "
" [ ... ] Next or the week after next takes over in England an event in honor of George Harrison instead and it will take all kinds of people on it ... I do not know who, but I can not be there and I want this song in memory of George playing because we were really good friends. "
The bassist Klaus Voormann appeared upset about the fact that the younger Dave Bronze him was preferred for the master tape in his autobiography. Bronze was the only one of the participating musicians who had never played together during his lifetime Harrisons with this.
The presentation of Harrison's last song Horse to the Water by Jools Holland and Sam Brown is only included in the official film of the concert, but not on the CD.