I own everything the Beatles ever did or even thought about doing, both American and European versions, by default--my husband is their #1 fan. (*big yawn*) I'm more of a Stones person, myself.

Reminds me of an SNL sketch several years ago. Rob Morrow from Northern Exposure was host. At the front gates of heaven, there's an entrance exam to get in. The first question: "Who's better, Beatles or Stones?"

I recently had some friends visiting from Dallas, TX and they were telling me about this radio station in Dallas (run by a wealthy Texan) that only played Beatles songs. Original recordings and covers 24/7. I guess the station went kaput when he ran out of money but it must've been fun while it lasted.

our radio station in texas city did that for a time, in the early 80's... got a lot of attention and big ratings for awhile... after 6 months or so interest waned, and they changed formats... definitely cool, while it lasted (esp. when you take into account some of the crap dominating the air- waves then)...

Just Martin just released his last album, Robin Williams and the like singing Beatles songs. Mostly comedy folks doing Beatles.

remember the 'rutles'?

One song on the Martin album is spoken by Sean Connery, I believe.

The Rutles were funny. I think that started out as a Monty Python sketch (part of it did, anyway). Speaking of Beatles parodies, I like "The Simpsons" where they form a barbershop quartet but the storyline is basically the story of the Beatles. Barney the drunk starts acting like John did when he met Yoko.

sounds excellent, i'd love to see that (who was homer?)

Not sure who Homer was, but just like the real Beatles, the group's manager told him not to bring up the fact that he's married because it would hurt their appeal to female fans. Marge, of course, was not pleased. "But marge, it's only through our tour of Sweden!" Just like the Beatles they got rid of one member (Chief Wiggins) and replaced him with Barney (Pete Best for Ringo). So I guess the Simpson's characters weren't taking the place of specific Beatles, just the group biography as a whole was a parody of the Beatles. As you can see, that's one of my favorite episodes.

That was a great one, George! I'm no Beatles fan, but I'd like to hear a bunch of comedians/celebrities cover their tunes--now that could be entertaining!

I am a Beatles fan. During the middle to late sixties they pretty much defined rock music. There were other groups, of course, but they pretty much imitated the beatles. Some didn't, but most did. I was just thinking about "Iron Butterfly", who pretty much did their own thing, and, "The Limelighters", who had their own group of imitators. I still remember my favorite song by The Limelighters, "Vikki Turn Your Back On Me", and how I laughed whenever I heard it. I often wondered what Vikki Dugan thought o it.

I love the Beatles. I love that little head nodding thing they used to do. It's so sweet.

Did you ever see them live?

I really enjoyed them, and still do, Riette. I liked the spectrum of their music. Terry, Riette was born after the beatles broke up.

Hey come to think of it! Maybe she went to a Wings Concert?

Who me??? I don't even know who the Wings are! And, NO, I never saw the Beatles live! I know them, because my mother still swoons over them as she used to when she was a teen.

Wings was Paul McCartney's band after the Beatles. Do you have a favorite Beatle, Ree?

My favorite was always Ringo Starr. He always had that WILD look about him.

My favourite was John Lennon - he was BAD! Ringo Starr's looks don't appeal to me; he looks like he's about to fall asleep the whole time - and you know how I feel about that!

If you get another chance to watch them Riette, watch ringo, see if he looks sleepy.

You're right, Tim! He looks positively DEAD!

I must go now, Tim. I'm going to write someone an e-mail quickly, and then I'm going to bed. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday, and I'll see you tomorrow?

Anyone I know?.....Enjoy your rest Riette, Sweet dreams. See you tomorrow, bright and early.

Maybe....

That's it, I'm gone! Got to see to my mails, then I have to go get some food, and then I'm going to work real close to the phone - I'm expecting that important phonecall I told you about today.

OK Riette, Have a good day.

I always seem to say the same thing at this point! I hope you had a good day too, Tim, and hope you'll have a good one today as well. I have to go wake my girlies now to go sledging.

Ok Riette, enjoy!!

And again! Shopping and work awaits me! I see you later?

Ok riette, We,ll talk later. Have a nice time!

From a friends who studies cuban affairs, I heard that right now, the BEatles are THE hip thing in Cuba. Obviously, they didn't catch the mania first time round, and were never sold reissues to, courtesy of somebody's stupid trade embargo. Imagine all the people - I bet Mike Jackson's and Paul M.'s mouths are already watering...

McCartney urges Ono to mend rift ASSOCIATED PRESS Oct. 13, 2001 | LONDON -- Paul McCartney has urged Yoko Ono that "there's still time" to mend a rift between the two over the Beatles song "Yesterday," according to a magazine interview. McCartney revealed earlier this year that he and John Lennon's widow had argued over the writing credit to the song during the making of the Beatles "Anthology" album. "Yesterday," like most of the Beatles songs, was officially credited to McCartney and John Lennon. But McCartney maintains that none of the other Beatles had anything to do with the song. He said in May that he asked Ono to put his name first on the credit, but she refused. "It actually is one of the reasons that we're not the greatest of friends," McCartney told Reader's Digest. "But if you're reading this, Yoko, there's still time." On Oct. 20, McCartney will take part in "The Concert for New York City" at Madison Square Garden, also featuring Mick Jagger, Macy Gray, Eric Clapton and The Who, to aid victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

I remember George Harrison mostly for the Concert for Bangladesh and "All Things Must Pass". Indeed. All things must pass. And George Harrison was a great part of all our lives and his music will live on for a long time. He was the "quet Beatle"; he was the spiritual one. The two best pieces I've seen on the net so far, one is very pictorial: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20011130/en/obit_harrison.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/obituaries/george_harrison/default.stm

Backtracking a bit, some stories just prior to Harrison's death. http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/1006175702226965.xml http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/10066077041471917.xml

To the memories. Goodbye George. Om shanti amen.

Om Shanti.

Paul McCartney: "He was a lovely guy and a very brave man and had a wonderful sense of humor. He is really just my baby brother." "We were school friends together, you know. And we joined the Beatles together and went through all of that together so � it's a very sad day." "I was lucky enough to see him a couple of weeks ago and he was still laughing and joking." "His music will live on forever. He was a very strong, loving man. But he didn't suffer fools gladly." Dhani Harrison (George's Son): We're truly grateful for the tremendous support we've received from friends and from the very many members of the public whom we don't know personally, but who thought of us and send us good wishes." Ringo Starr: "George was a best friend of mine. I loved him very much and I will miss him greatly � We will miss George for his sense of love, his sense of music and his sense of laughter." Yoko Ono: "George has given so much to us in his lifetime and he contiues to do so even after his passing with his music, his wit and his wisdom. His life was magical and we felt we had shared a little bit of it by knowing him. Thank you George. It was grand knowing you." Bob Geldof: ""As he said himself, how do you compare with the genius of John and Paul? But he did, very well." Michael Palin: "George wasn't head in the clouds all the time. When it came to business and all that he was feet very much on the ground." Alan Light: (editor, Spin) "It is almost impossible to come up with a pop musician of any sort of the last four decades who was not touched by the work of the Beatles � Artists � like Paul Simon, like Peter Gabriel � have looked to Latin and Indian and African music. The Beatles were the first to do that in pop music and George was the direct link that caused them to do that." Anthony DeCurtis: (critic, Rolling Stone): "I think his real gift was the kind of mystical view of life that he brought to their music and popular music in general."

I'm watching a George Harrison story on CBS Sunday Morning. Well done! I'd recommend spending some time at George's official website: www.allthingsmustpass.com Yahoo has a page of stories and links http://dailynews.yahoo.com/fc/Entertainment/The_Beatles/ VH1 did a wonderful interview with George and Ravi Shankar. He had just "dropped by" to help Ravi promote a new album and ended up picking up a guitar. He talked about the Concert for Bangladesh, Bob Dylan, the Traveling Wilburys, the evolution of man, the Maharishi and other topics. VH1 is did special programming. Details: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tvbarn2/message/4714 Ray Suarez did a piece on the PBS Newshour There is real audio if you scroll down the page. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/newshour_index.html "Here Comes the Sun" is riding as one of the recordings on Voyager. Dan Flanery said "it's entirely possible Harrison's "Here Comes The Sun", preserved on Sagan's record in the vast vacuum of space, will outlast not only humanity, but also the world that produced its author and the star referenced in its title." http://us.imdb.com/Name?Harrison,+George#Producer Over twenty films, an outstandingly excellent hit-to-miss ratio. Here's a smattering. These are just some of the comedies. He also produced fine dramas. _Life of Brian_ (1979) (executive producer) A classic, starring Monty Python. _Privates on Parade_ (1982) (producer) A classic, starring John Cleese. _The Missionary_ (1982) (executive producer) Michael Palin and Maggie Smith. _A Private Function_ (1985) (executive producer) Michael Palin and Maggie Smith. _Nuns on the Run_ (1990) (executive producer) Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane. _Time Bandits_ (1981) (executive producer) Pythonesque. [Directed by Terry Gilliam. Written by Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin. Starring John Cleese with Michael Palin] _How to Get Ahead in Advertising_ (1989) (executive producer) Wicked satire. _Powwow Highway_ (1989) (executive producer) Sublime. _Withnail and I_ (1987) (executive producer) A trifle eccentric, shall we say? _Cold Dog Soup_ (1990) (executive producer) I look forward to seeing this one. Bizarre dark comedy. _Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs_ (1974) A young John Hurt as Malcolm Screwdyke? Have any of you seen this film? Is it worth watching? -- The Toon Show http://www.well.com/user/silly/ silly@well.com

Former Grateful Dead bassist Phi Lesh, quoted on CNN: "I felt like I knew him through his music and through looking at his photographs, watching his films and noticing his kind of understated presence. The kind of prankster twinkle he had in his eye, you just knew he had a wicked sense of humor." http://www.cnn.com/interactive/entertainment/0111/harrison.quotes/content5.html http://borgman.enquirer.com/ is the online cartoon.

http://audio.pbs.org:8080/ramgen/newshour/expansion/2001/11/30/harrison.rm?altplay=harrison.rm

Fab news: A LAST album of George Harrison�s music was being finished in secrecy in the months before his death. He played tracks from the CD to his family and friends in his private room at a Los Angeles hospital last Sunday, four days before he died. [...] Jim Keltner, the world�s most in-demand session drummer, who has recorded with Harrison, Lennon, Ringo Starr and Bob Dylan, flew from his home in California to Friar Park to add drums to the tracks that Harrison and other musicians, believed to include Eric Clapton, had recorded. Keltner, who last played with Harrison in the Traveling Wilburys supergroup in the 1980s but still saw him regularly as a friend, said this weekend: �It was fantastic to be in the studio with him again. Some of the new songs are very poignant concerning his life in the past few years. It will be obvious when you hear them what they are about. More: http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/article/0,,9003-2001555241,00.html http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/12/02/MN116926.DTL http://www.auntviolet.com/George/George.html>. "He was a giant, a great, great soul, with all of the humanity, all of the wit and humor, all the wisdom, the spirituality, the common sense of a man and compassion for people. He inspired love and had the strength of a hundred men. He was like the sun, the flowers and the moon and we will miss him enormously. The world is a profoundly emptier place without him." -- Bob Dylan Harrison's ashes to be immersed in Ganges December 3, 2001 Posted: 12:13 PM EST (1713 GMT) NEW DELHI, India -- The ashes of the late Beatle George Harrison are to be immersed in the sacred Ganges River, according to a spokesman for the Hare Krishna movement. Maha Mantra Das, a New Delhi spokesman for International Society for Krishna Consciousness, told wire services that Harrison's widow, Olivia, and his son, Dhani, 23, would be accompanied by two Hare Krishna devotees who performed Hindu rites on Harrison's ashes with the family in London, England. Harrison was a devotee of the Hindu faith. Olivia and Dhani Harrison were headed for the holy city of Varanasi to carry out the rites, according to Reuters. The Associated Press reported that the ashes also would be sprinkled at Allahabad, where Hinduism's three holiest rivers -- the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati -- converge. More: http://engaged.well.com/engaged/engaged.cgi?&f=0&c=beatles&t=209&q=* Also covers how Ravi Shankhar spent the day before George's death with him and how the ashes will be sprinkled to coincide with today's minute of meditation... The "Dark Horse" that "came out a winner": http://www.msnbc.com/news/656871.asp?0dm=T1BML lines A nice tribute montauge on real player - 9 minutes... http://tm0.com/daywatch/sbct.cgi?s=183869793&i=427615&d=2086327 or the same thing at http://wgnradio.com/history/audio/georgeharrison.ram MSNBC.com Reflections from around the world on hearing of George Harrison's death Paul McCartney, from London "I am devastated and very, very sad. He was a lovely guy and a very brave man and had a wonderful sense of humor. He is really just my baby brother." Ringo Starr "George was a best friend of mine. I loved him very much and I will miss him greatly. Both (wife) Barbara and I send our love and light to Olivia and Dhani. We will miss George for his sense of love, his sense of music and his sense of laughter." George Martin, Beatles' record producer "George was ... the kid who followed the others around. I guess that with talents like John and Paul, probably the greatest songwriters of the 20th century, it's tough opposition. They collaborated and rivaled each other in their writing. George had to do it by himself. He worked away at it. ... He would craft his music meticulously, with every little stitch in the canvas.... I like to think he's gone to a better place. I think he'll be all right there....he's going to be happy now." Yoko Ono "His life was magical and we all felt we had shared a little bit of it by knowing him." Sitar musician Ravi Shankar "It was my sitar and Indian music which connected me to George in the beginning, but very soon our relationship went beyond that. He was a friend, disciple and son to me. George was a brave and beautiful soul, full of love, child-like humor and a deep spirituality." Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys "I am horribly saddened by the death of George Harrison. While we were not personal friends, I think that just like everybody in the world, I have always considered all the Beatles to be my friends. Their arrival in America in 1964 was electrifying, one of the most exciting things that ever happened in my life, and their music has always and will always mean so much to me." Alan Williams, The Beatles' first manager "He was a very lovable person. I would say he was the major cog in The Beatles at that time. He kept them together probably because of the calming effect he had." Bob Dylan, founded the Traveling Wilburys with Harrison "George was a giant, a great, great soul, with all of the humanity, all of the wit and humor, all the wisdom, the spirituality, the common sense of a man and compassion for people. He inspired love and had the strength of a hundred men. He was like the sun, the flowers and the moon and we will miss him enormously. The world is a profoundly emptier place without him." Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones lead singer "I am very saddened by George's death and will miss him enormously. As a guitarist, he invented many classic lines that were much copied by others and he wrote several very beautiful songs that we will always remember." Keith Richards, Rolling Stones guitarist "To me, George was, always will be, above all, a real gentleman, in the full meaning of the word. We both felt we held similar positions in our respective bands, which formed a special knowing bond between us. Let's hope he's jamming with John." Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young "He will certainly be missed, and his music will live on forever. My only regret about the situation apart from my personal feelings toward him and his family is wondering what other songs were in his mind that we will never get to hear." 'Godfather of Soul' James Brown "George Harrison was one of the world's few good men, one of the better people I ever met. I will and the world will miss him. He was truly loved." Alan Clayson, Harrison's biographer "He triumphed, because on their final album his songs were the highlight." British Prime Minister Tony Blair "I think people will be very sad at his death. I think it is worth of pointing out that he was not only a great musician and artist, but he did an immense amount for charity as well and so he will be very, very sadly missed by people right round the world." Lord Mayor Gerry Scott of Liverpool, England "George Harrison was one of the great Liverpudlians. He was a warm, peace-loving man who was much more than just a talented musician." Mike Storey, council leader, Liverpool, England "Everyone who knew of George Harrison knew he was a true Scouser who never forgot his roots. He was a great ambassador for the city." John Chambers, Liverpool Beatles Appreciation Society "Until now there has always been the hope of a reunion, perhaps with Julian Lennon standing in for his dad. It really is the end of a great deal." Bob Geldof, musician, activist "He wasn't a reluctant Beatle. He knew that his place in popular culture was absolutely secure." Tom Jones, singer "He was lovely man. He was unassuming, quiet, great musician. Just a lovely man." David Byrne, lead singer, Talking Heads "I was growing up in Baltimore at the time and I went out to see Ravi Shankar when he came to town and I know I wouldn't have if it wasn't for George Harrison and the Beatles being involved." Michael Palin, of Monty Python's Flying Circus "He had this inner energy which was there even if he was quite tired -- there would be this tremendous energy. And he was a great talker, this man who was supposed to be the quiet Beatle but never stopped talking when I was there. He was full of ideas, and takes on things." Fan drawn to Abbey Road "I'll light a candle, say a little prayer," said one teary-eyed fan drawn magnetically after Harrison's death to Abbey Road, site of the studio where The Beatles cut pop history. Kym Freedman, 17, Henley-on-Thames, England My "guitar will gently weep forever." Freedman, who considers Harrison a "big idol," was one of many fans and neighbors bringing bouquets and cards to Harrison's Victorian mansion west of London.

From the msnbc piece: As for death, there are likely few Western celebrities better prepared to face it. Though he often described this world as being illusory, and was aware as few people are of the burdens of effecting change in it - who else sees friends murdered or gets stabbed just for writing songs? - he gave greatly and freely to the rest of us, while still following the spiritual path he saw set before him. Unless he indeed forgot to put the cat out, he exits this life with few things left undone. living in the material world dark horse 33 1/3 george harrison TIME online: http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101011210/ Check out the minor planet that was named after George. It returns to our solar system 2-21-02: http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/ps/special/rocknroll/0004149.html http://www.winamp.com/news.jhtml;?articleid=9162 A eulogy to George on Winamp.com Maharishi : From a Dutch source translated into English "Not long before his death George Harrison paid a visit to the Maharishi in Vlodrop, Holland. During this last visit Maharishi tried to give George courage and hope. This was confirmed by a spokesman for the Maharishi movement in Holland. "Maharishi compared the sick body of Harrison with an old coat with holes. He said he was glad that Harrison would soon take off that coat and put on a new one". The spokesman also said that Paul McCartney is a regular visitor at Maharishi's. "Maharishi has always had a special place in his heart for the Beatles since their first meeting in 1967. That friendship has never ceased." Here's an interesting look at George's L.A./Hispanic connection: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-000097668dec09132046.story?coll=la%2Dnews%2Dcomment December 9, 2001 Remembering George Harrison By RAVI SHANKAR ENCINITAS, Calif. -- I feel I have been cheated by George. Why did he have to go so soon at such a young age when I really wanted to go first? In moments like this, it is so hard to express the feeling of emptiness and sadness within. Like a film flashing by, everything comes to my mind since I met him more than 30 years ago. His childlike quality, his shy but naughty little smile, his passion for all the music he loved and the serious quest for religion, particularly the old Vedic Hindu tradition, always amazed me as well as attracted me. The down-to-earth quality in George was something I could relate to with such joy. He would crack up when I told him all my jokes; we had such fun! We always competed with each other in punning. When I told him that I was known as a "pundit" because of my punning, he said something hilarious, connecting the old Hindu scriptures of the four Vedas (Rigveda, Samveda, Atharvaveda and Yajurveda). He said: "Do you know the four Wether brothers? They are Ric, Sam, Arthur and George Wethers." The only solid lessons on sitar he had from me were in the summer and autumn of 1966, which he couldn't pursue as much as we both wanted. He was very talented and would have become a great sitar player if only he could have given some time. His love, knowledge and understanding of Indian music developed immensely over the years. I gave him a copy of the book "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Swami Yogananda, and my brother, Rajendra, gave him a book by Swami Vivekananda. He had such thirst for the knowledge and wisdom of Indian traditions. In many ways he was more Indian than many Indians. Though I had been performing all over the world since 1954, my association with George attracted a whole young generation to sitar and to me from the mid- 1960's. Even though I didn't make any records jamming with him or any other pop or rock star, I was treated like a superstar, being the Beatle George's guru. Then came Monterey, Woodstock and finally the big Bangladesh concert, which he totally handled in producing. Because of George we had Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Leon Russell and other eminent musicians. After a year or so, when he spent time with me in Varanasi at my house, he suggested we make a couple of records and perhaps tour the United States. We did the first recording in the A&M Studios for his Dark Horse label. It was then that he met dear Olivia (whom he married in 1978). In the summer of 1974 the second album was recorded ("Festival of India") at his own studio. I'll never forget those couple of months when we worked on this album. I did all the compositions on the M4 while traveling from London to his home in Henley. George created such an atmosphere with such love and regard. We would start rehearsals in a beautiful large hall with a view to his lovely garden. We would have Indian food and snack between rehearsals. The recording was finished with simultaneous editing, which George was doing himself, always asking me to hear when he was satisfied. After this period of creative joy we went to tour the United States, giving more than 30 performances. George had a special 737 Boeing jetliner completely refurbished for us to travel in. What touched me so much was his worry about my health and well being. He would tell me always not to travel and exert myself so much. Then from the role of disciple and friend he became more of a son to me, especially after my own son Shubho died in 1992. He would fly and be with me whenever I was in the hospital or not well with my heart problems. His love and concern touched me deeply. I'll never forget how much love, care and time he gave to another project he did for me while staying in our house here in Encinitas. He went through all the details, right from choosing all the artwork, to writing the notes, to producing the four-CD boxed set "In Celebration," selections from my 40 years of sitar performances and compositions. The last wonderful musical experience I had with him was when we made the CD "Chants of India." We did some songs in Madras and the major part at his own studio in his mansion at Henley. His nearness and attention in producing the record always inspired me so. Even the complex compositions came out of me so spontaneously. Another one of many funny incidents was when George, Olivia and their son, Dhani, came to India in 1995 and spent a few weeks. We went to Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur. In Bombay, Delhi and Calcutta people recognized George and created a stampede, which George hated. But we had no such problem in Rajasthan and he enjoyed it so much. On our last stop, Udaipur, while we were walking in the busy main streets shopping - ornaments of silver, colourful materials, dresses, turbans, having tea and snacks - all of a sudden there was a big crowd which surrounded us. I was terrified thinking they had recognized George, but it was actually me they were after. Then the funniest thing happened. George, realizing the situation, immediately became my bodyguard. "Move, move. No, no. Don't bother Panditji." And cordoning me with both his hands, he brought me to our waiting car and saved me from those autograph hunters. The others were already seated, and when the car started, we burst out laughing. My daughter Anoushka and my wife, Sukanya, also were so attached to him. He had a beautiful and loving wife in Olivia and a wonderful son in Dhani. He had a magnanimous heart and always cared so much. He was a fearless and beautiful soul always conscious of God. I loved him dearly. Though he is gone physically, he will always be alive and vibrant in my heart.

Jorma Kaukonen on George Harrison When the Beatles exploded into the American and world music scene back in the early Sixties, I had totally immersed myself in traditional music and had eschewed all things vaguely electric or 'popular.' When I think about what a stuffed shirt I was then I really have to laugh today. Anyway, my friend Steve Mann came up from L.A. to visit me in Santa Clara and convinced me that one of the sugar cubes he had in his pocket would really open my world as a musician. Steve was such an innovative musician and so far ahead of his time that I accepted his recommendation as gospel and we each ate one. Well, needless to say I was totally unprepared for what followed and at some point a couple of hours later we had to go for a ride with a friend in a borrowed VW. We're driving somewhere on Highway 101 near Sunnyvale, California and a semi pulls up behind me filling the rear window with it's bumper and grill. Now, in retrospect, we were probably only going 20 miles an hour in rush hour but still it really scared the shit out of me. As I was contemplating my impending death and possibly the end of the world, we turned on the radio and as the tubes warmed up (remember tubes in car radios) the first thing I heard was George's solo in 'She's A Woman' and it changed my life! Not only did it get me through that moment of fear on the freeway, but it opened my eyes to more things than I can enumerate here. It prepared me to be, at least moderately, open to Paul Kantner's suggestion that I join some band that he was forming up in San Francisco. In that moment, the electric guitar became a real instrument for me again. I met George once a long time ago... I do not even remember when. I did not know him but of course as a man of my time I was always interested in what he was up to. He was immensely successful, but he and his family suffered all the things that can afflict 'normal' mortals. As I grew older, I came to appreciate more and more the huge contribution that he and his friends made to our world. I know that he had been ill for some time. As one who lives in some small way in the public eye, I admired the way he handled his privacy... the way he loved his family. I know that he is in a better place. (I always say that when someone dies, but I believe it.) He is all right now and my prayers are with his family. I thank George for helping to open my heart! For Immediate Release Contact: Keith Putney 650-324-3563 kputney@aol.com Compact Disc Land presents A Celebration of the life of George Harrison featuring the music of George Harrison and the Beatles Appearing in concert, playing the music of George and the Beatles: The New Moondogs with special guest Cyril Jordan... of the Flamin' Groovies, of course! Where: Compact Disc Land 477 University Avenue Palo Alto 650-324-3563 When: Sunday Dec. 16 First set-acoustic @5:00 p.m. Second set-electric @7:30 p.m. Admission: Free Please bring canned food donations for the Second Harvest food bank After George Harrison passed away, people continually asked me if I knew of any kind of celebration of what George Harrison did, what he meant to us and whathe gave us. I refrain from using the term memorial or tribute, only because what he did should truly be celebrated. For anyone who wants to, Sunday will be a nice moment to do that-celebrate the gifts we received from George Harrison. The Flamin' Groovies were a Bay Area institution from 1966 through to 1990, and they wore their Beatles influences on their sleeves; the Groovies included 3 Beatles tracks on their lp's during their Sire Records period. So no Bay Area person is more appropriate to help us in our appreciation of George than Cyril Jordan, guitarist, songwriter and vocalist for the Flamin' Groovies. Cyril will be joining the New Moondogs- for Beatles fans, an update of the name of an early incarnation of the Beatles, the Moondogs. The New Moondogs include Bob Vickers, formerly of the Orange Peels, switching between lead and rhythm guitar as well as lead and backing vocal duties. Expect guests from the Syndicate of Sound and Chocolate Watchband to drop by for a song or two as well. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 19 2001 THE RENSE RETORT, by Rip Rense ----------------------------------------------- Meeting George ----------------------------------------------- WorldNetDaily News Archives: Rip Rense The first time I saw George Harrison was in 1979, in Burbank, Calif. There was a little press conference at Warner Brothers Records for the release of his lovely eponymous album, and I was one of about 30 reporters present, clustered around in a half circle on the floor. He had walked in with a cane, the result of a gardening accident, and remarked that no one had touched the small mountain of scones on a nearby table, or helped themselves to tea. Scones and tea? Everyone was far too amazed to eat. He was, after all, one of them. Harrison answered the usual array of silly questions, and was patient, self-deprecating, soft-spoken, even kindly. When a young woman reporter asked, wide-eyed and breathless, "George, what are you trying to teach us," he chuckled and muttered, "I guess I'm looking for somebody to teach me a few things." It was jarring, to say the least, looking into that face that I'd seen so many times, hearing that voice that I'd heard so many times, singing words that I'd long since committed to memory. Yet, there he was, disarming and down-to-earth, asking, in all sincerity, why people hadn't enjoyed the free scones. Oddly, no one followed up on the breathless reporter's question - so I did, on the way out. I pushed through the mass of microphone-sprouting arms, sidled up beside him and said, "You said you're looking for someone to teach you a few things - like what?" Harrison's answer was deadpan, but had a ring of truth: "Like how to stop smoking." How sadly prophetic those words now seem, since he has fallen victim to lung cancer. The second time I encountered Harrison was in 1987, when he was promoting his album, "Cloud Nine," also at Warner Records in Burbank. This time, I had a little over an hour with him - alone. As a dedicated appreciator of his music and words, this was unimaginable. I have never prepared more for an interview - and I don't mean research. None was required. What I needed to do was wrench and pry myself into "work" mode, and squelch all gawking - else I would have simply babbled. (A lot of reporters in my generation have this same problem.) Yet Harrison put me at quickly at ease, and spoke at thoughtful length in response to every question. He'd probably done a dozen interviews since morning, so perhaps he was recycling. Yet, when I read other articles from interviews conducted the same day, the answers were very different. The man had not merely repeated himself from reporter to reporter. One question I remember asking was about the exquisitely affecting guitar solo on "Something," and where it had come from. He laughed, and joked: "Oh, I guess I must have smoked something." Of course, it turns out that whether he smoked something or not, he had worked diligently on that solo (as he did crafting all of his music.) It had grown out of a discarded vocal bridge in the song, and had been honed artfully over days before he executed it during a live orchestral overdub, in order to invest it with as much feeling as possible. That's the kind of musician he was. The last time I saw Harrison was in March of 2000. I went out to buy a new pair of shoes, one Wednesday, at the Santa Monica Place mall. It was around 1:30 in the afternoon, and almost empty, as I stepped onto an escalator behind two guys. I rode up one flight and turned for the next level, when something peripherally caught my eye. One of the two guys in front had a familiar profile, hidden by sunglasses, but was it? I looked again. Then I heard an unmistakable voice speaking one word, "OK." It was George, all right. He looked good. His hair was about early Beatles length, and salt-and-pepper. Seeing as he'd been fighting cancer, and had nearly been stabbed to death by a lunatic just three months earlier, I was floored. I was doubly floored by the fact that I'd run into him. What were the chances of crossing paths with the guy? Especially when all the press reports had him in seclusion, recovering from his near fatal assault? The cosmic cliche came to mind: Was this meant to be? I had a proper excuse for saying hello, seeing as I'd interviewed him twice - once for a cover story in a prominent music magazine. And there was nothing I wanted to do more than introduce myself, tell him how great it was to see him well, and that I looked forward to new music. But as I watched him scanning the mall, in search of what turned out to be an India imports store, I got to thinking that the last thing in the world this man wanted was to be bothered by a stranger. Especially considering the horrific intrusion he had just suffered. The decision came easily. In that small moment, I gave George Harrison the one thing he most coveted in day-to-day life: privacy. What a privilege. --------------------------------------------------- Rip Rense is a writer and columnist whose work has appeared in many newspapers and magazines, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Emmy Magazine, TV Guide, and Free China Review. An appreciation from a man who peed with the Quiet One. By Bill Holdship George Harrison is probably bemused by all the attention his passing received in the material world this past week. Most of the tributes have concentrated on the "quiet Beatle" thing, emphasizing his spirituality, humanitarianism, subtle-but-brilliant musicianship, and the quiet dignity he always so beautifully displayed. In retrospect, he may have been the only living ex- Beatle never to embarrass himself or us. And take it from someone who saw that much-maligned 1974 tour as a fan, not a critic: It was terrific, much better than McCartney's first two U.S. tours. All this concentration on the serious side of his personality, however, often misses the man's warmth and great sense of humor. I was fortunate enough to have two encounters with Harrison over the past 15 years, first interviewing him for Creem magazine in 1987. As a child, I had recurring dreams that the Beatles actually lived on my street and were playmates (probably a result of that Saturday morning cartoon series) -- so you can imagine the devastating impact it would have had, even on an adult, if George Harrison had turned out to be a dick. And a Beatle could obviously get away with being arrogant. But Harrison was a total sweetheart, everything you would want a former Beatle to be -- charming, warm, personable and hilariously funny. In fact, one of my most vivid memories of that afternoon is his hearty and genuine laugh, always delivered with a huge twinkle in his eye. "I saved you the big attack on everybody," he said, before dissing a few folks who deserved it, later adding "if you put this in the interview, you can say I'm smiling about it. I'm not letting it depress me." He strolled into the interview by himself, no entourage or handlers, immediately acknowledging, without prompting, my co-editor, whom he'd met more than six months before backstage at the Palace. "See, I told you we'd make this happen," he grinned. Harrison had grown very comfortable with his Beatles legacy by this point, but he still had hilarious stories to tell about Elvis and the Fabs' psychedelic years, as well as pointed comments to make about Dick Clark, the music business, and even Madonna, whom he'd recently worked with, producing Shanghai Surprise, the flop (the only one in Harrison's film-producing career) she co-starred in with then-husband Sean Penn. "The thing is, you see, people get famous for a bit, and this is why the Beatles were good," he said. "We had the four of us -- if one of us would start to get snooty or bigheaded, we'd just broadside him. But then you have these other people who get famous and they suddenly start thinking they're God's gift to mankind. When really all they are is a silly pop star. There's much more to life than just been a famous pop star. Unfortunately, a lot of them fall into the trap. They get surrounded by people saying how fab they are, all these sycophants. You have to see it from the other side, too -- which is that the pressure you're under when you're fab is tremendous. It sometimes does get you crazy when you can't do anything because everybody's bugging you and shooting cameras in your face. So I can sympathize from that point of view, too. But all Madonna needs is 500 milligrams of some good LSD." My second experience with Harrison was a bit cruder, but just as telling. It was at a 1990 record-release party for Ringo Starr at West Hollywood's Bar One, where a small group of gentlemen were suddenly astonished to find themselves in line for the men's room with a former Beatles guitarist. Noticing the fashion trend so popular among the follicle-challenged in the music biz at that time, George turned to the gent behind him and laughed, "Do you need a ponytail in this town to take a leak?" To this day, there are several guys walking around L.A. who still proudly boast that they "peed with George Harrison!" You just know Axl Rose would have had his thugs clear the joint, if he'd ever needed to use a public restroom at all. During that 1987 interview, Harrison talked about Elvis and Lennon as though they were both spiritually still here. He also addressed death: "Death is just where your suit falls off and now you're in your other suit. You can't see it on this level, but it's all right. Don't worry." And he claimed to absolutely believe in reincarnation, adding that "and half those people [in the record industry] are going to be reincarnated getting one cent on every CD they sell, and sell more records than everybody, and then not receive any of the money." I loved George Harrison. And I truly believe that those who never got to experience the Beatles first-hand missed out on what it was to have real musical and cultural heroes. It's one thing to mourn his death. But what we're really mourning is the fact that the world was a far better (and funnier) place when the Beatles were still in it. Harrison himself never seemed to fear moving on. As his friend Bob Dylan remarked after hearing the news: "He was like the sun, the flowers, and the moon -- and we will miss him enormously. The world is a profoundly emptier place without him." A letter from Natalie Merchant http://www.nataliemerchant.com November 30, 2001 Las Vegas, Nevada Dear Web Site Visitor, I woke up today to the news that George Harrison had died, that he had lost the battle he had been fighting against cancer for several years. The sadness that I feel over his death is very different from the reaction I had when the news of John Lennon's death was received. Mr. Harrison's passing was natural, premature, but not so sudden and horrible as Mr. Lennon's murder. The world has lost a cultural icon, an exceptional musician, a sweet man and with his death there is powerful realization that time is not standing still for any of us. For nearly 40 years we have had the phenomenon of the Beatles with which to measure the time of our lives, now we will add another member's death as a sad point of reference. I was born the year that the band released their first single, I joined my first band the year that John was killed, I'm sure that I will remember his death today along with other events that it parallels...waking up in a desert casino to more terrorism and bombing. Whenever I witness the death of someone or something it is a lesson in the fragility of life, a reminder of the temporal state of all things. I can only guess that George Harrison had a deeper understanding of that concept than most of us. Those of us who listened to his music and vicariously followed his search for meaning learned a great deal from him. He introduced me to the musical tradition and philosophy of an exotic culture...India. He staged the first large scale benefit concert for the starving people of Bangladesh and started an independent music label to promote artists he admired. He accepted his wealth and fame with grace and generosity. I've always thought of George as the secret weapon in the Beatles. His guitar work and songwriting are both understated as contributions compared to the titan songwriters Lennon/McCartney. But when I look over the list of his song credits, it is impressive and contains some of my favorites..."Something", "If I Needed Someone", "Here Comes The Sun", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "I Need You". We started the show tonight by playing 4 of George's songs and finished the night with "My Sweet Lord". It was a beautiful way for all of us in the band to celebrate his life more than to mourn his passing. As long as people continue to sing his songs he has the promise of immortality. Take Care, Natalie

"Honey Pie! Honey Pie! "Honey Pie! Honey Pie" "Honey Pie! Honey Pie! Honey Pie! Honey Pie! I love you! Honey Pie!" - Wild Honey Pie by Lennon & McCartney

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Richard "Ringo Starr" Starkey are four of the six men from the '60s who fundamentally changed rock'n'roll for eternity. The other two are Robert "Bob Dylan" Zimmerman and James "Jimi" Hendrix.

Did anyone see the recent two hour Paul McCartney concert? Wow! I tivoed it and will be watching it again. And again. And in the news the two remaining Beatles led a tribute to George Harrison with a concert in London organized by Olivia Harrison. Harrison died in Los Angeles at the age of 58 last November 29 after a long battle with cancer. Eric Clapton was the lead act in the gig attended by 5,000. A brief clip from the theage.com.au article: The first part of the concert was specially composed by Ravi Shankar, Harrison's musical guru in his Beatles days. Shankar told the audience: "I strongly feel that George is here tonight, I mean how can he not be here when all of us who loved him so much have assembled all together to sing for him and play music for him." Many of Harrison's Beatles and solo hits performed by McCartney and Starr along with Clapton were among the highlights of the concert. Profits from the show will go to the Material World Charitable Foundation set up by Harrison in 1973. Harrison died nearly 21 years after fellow Beatle John Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York City apartment in December 1980.

Paul and Ringo reunited for Harrison tribute Nov 30 2002 A reunion of the remaining Beatles has helped to put on a spectacular and moving musical tribute to George Harrison a year to the day since he died. Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were joined on stage by Harrison's son Dhani to reprise the former Beatle's hits in the Concert For George at the Royal Albert Hall. A host of other stars, friends and musical contributors with Harrison also played his music, bringing both cheers and tears to the 5,000-strong audience, including the Beatles' original producer George Martin. Eric Clapton, the musical director for the night, kicked off the Beatles hits to a huge cheer with a rousing rendition of I Want To Tell You, before being joined on stage by Joe Cocker and Dhani Harrison for Here Comes The Sun. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers then brought a wave of clapping and cheers as they began the opening bars of Taxman, with Jools Holland on piano and Sam Brown supporting. Clapton had the crowd on its feet to a standing ovation with the words: "Ladies and gentlemen, Ringo Starr". Harrison's former fellow Beatle ran on stage to tumultuous applause. He saluted the crowd and said: "What a night. I loved George and George loved me." He then sang Photograph, which he co-wrote with Harrison, as Clapton, Jeff Lynne and Dhani played guitar. After a rendition of one of Harrison's favourite songs, Honey Hon, many of the crowd were dancing along. Starr then grabbed the mike and again brought the audience to its feet with the words: "It gives me great pleasure to introduce another friend of George's, Paul McCartney." The two remaining Beatles then played the Beatles' hit I Love You. Sir Paul then brought a massive cheer from the crowd when they heard the first strains of Harrison's classic love song, Something. http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0600uk/page.cfm?objectid=12415551&method=full&siteid=50082

I saw the McCartney concert on TV a few days ago. Was listening out for "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" but didn't hear it. I guess the Colonel forbade it for being too silly. (Oops! Wrong group of Brits!) Great show! Hmm, let's see, Paul and Ringo, plus Eric Clapton, Julian & Dhani... it might just be possible...

How good a musician is Dhani, I've never heard he even was a musician before.

The Fab Fortune Ringo Starr: $166-million George Harrison: $231-million at the time of his death last year; his estate earned about $16-million since then from song and film royalties. John Lennon: $625-million at the time of his death in 1980, but his estate still earns about $30-million a year from song and art royalties. Paul McCartney: $2.4-billion from an interesting article at http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/ArticleNews/gttech/TGAM/20021130/UHARRM Ex-Beatle Harrison's estate worth $231-million But Britain's taxman likely to collect a lot less than famous song suggests ALAN FREEMAN Saturday, November 30, 2002 LONDON -- George Harrison left an estate valued at �98.9-million ($231-mil- lion), but that's before the taxman takes his share. Britain's Inland Revenue Department, however, is likely to take a lot less than "one for you, 19 for me," which the ex-Beatle sings about in the famous song. According to British tax law, any estate greater than �250,000 ($584,000) is taxed at a 40-per-cent rate, but accountants noted that if the beneficiary is the surviving spouse, the estate passes on tax free. The High Court in London, which released the inheritance figure yesterday on the first anniversary of Mr. Harrison's death, did not disclose the beneficiaries of the estate but his widow, Olivia, and 25-year-old son, Dhani, along with charities are likely to figure high on the list. . . .

The Beatles kids, can you beleive this picture?

More amazing pictures: http://www.geocities.com/maccacrayz/dhani.html

undercover.com.au: The Friends Of George Harrison Play For His Memory The friends of George Harrison gathered at The Royal Albert Hall in London last night to mark the first anniversary of his death. 5,200 fans joined Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Jeff Lynne, Jools Holland and the crew from Monty Python to pay a 3 � hour tribute to the late Beatle. Undercover's Tim Cashmere attended the show. He reports "The show opened with a 1 hour 15 minute set from the Ravi Shankar Orchestra conducted by Ravi's daughter Anouska. 82 year old Ravi Shankar did not play but spoke to the crowd thanking them for coming. "I strongly feel that George is here tonight" Ravi said. Eric Clapton and Jeff Lynne featured in that first part of the show." After a 30 minute break the second half commenced with four waiters on stage. They sang "Sit On My Face and Tell Me That You Love Me". It was the Monty Phyton crew featuring Terry Gillam, Eric Idle, Neil Innes, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. They finished with their classic hit 'The Lumberjack Song.' Eric Clapton then started off the rock component of the show with George's 'Revolver' song "I Want To Tell You". Highlight's of the show included Paul McCartney playing ukulele and telling the audience that "whenever I would visit George, after dinner he would play this song on the ukulele". McCartney then sang 'Something'. Tom Petty played "Taxman". He then gathered up his old Wilbury mate Jeff Lynne and added in Billy Preston for an all new Wilbury's and a stirring rendition of their signature tune 'Handle With Care'. Tom did George's part, Jeff took over the original Roy Orbison vocal. Ringo Starr played 'Photograph', the top 40 hit George wrote for him in 1973. Billy Preston and Sam Brown sang lead on George's most famous solo work 'My Sweet Lord'. He was backed by Paul McCartney on piano, Ringo on drums, Andy Fairweather- Low on guitar, Jeff Lynne on guitar and George's son Dhani also on guitar. Eric Clapton performed 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps'. He played lead on the original Beatle song. It was one of the finest rock pieces George ever wrote. Joe Brown, one of England's guitar heroes of the 60s played on the show. He performed "Here Comes The Sun' and ended with a song he said was a personal favourite of George's "I'll See You In My Dreams". Eric Clapton acted as music director for the band. Throughout the night the band featured Joe Brown, Jools Holland, Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Billy Preston, Tom Petty , Ringo Starr, Rob Blair, Sam Brown, Dave Bronze, Gary Brooker, Mike Campebll, Jim Capaldi, Phil Capaldi, Ray Cooper, Steve Ferrone, Neil R. Gauntlett, Dhani Harrison, Jim Horn, Jim Keltner, Katie Kissoon, Albert Lee, Andy Fairweather-Low, Mark Mann, Tessa Niles, Dave "Rico" Nilo, Emil Richards, Tom Scott, Henry Spinetta, Chris Stainton, Benmont Tench, Scott Thurston, Klaus Voormann. Anoushka Shankar conducted the Ravi Shankar Orchestra Michael Kamin conducted string section. The show was filmed for a TV special to come out soon. All proceeds from the night went to George's charity The Material World Charitable Foundation. By Tim Cashmere and Paul Cashmere

The show was filmed for a TV special . . . Wow!

Major update just made to http://www.spring.net/beatles Many, many great links.

Paul MacCartney Joke: Time period: The present day Cast: MacCARTNEY FAN (FAN rushes up to MacCARTNEY ) FAN: It's really you! I love your music!! (hands him book and pen) Can I have your autograph? MacCARTNEY: (fumbling with pen and notepad) Yeah...well, sure (signs book and hands over book and pen) FAN: Oh thank you! Wow! This is so grea... (Fan looks at autograph.) FAN: Hey, wait a minute! You mean you're not Dave Clark?

that's like the saddest thing i ever heard (paul must've been crushed)

I take it you're not a DC5 fan... (...neither am I, really...)

Did you check the major update at http://www.spring.net/beatles guys?

Cynthia Lennon has revealed that she is working on a book which is to be published in September. The book will be an honest and truthful account of her life with John with many, up to now, private memories and disclosures, �The time has come when I feel ready to tell the truth about John and me, our years together and the years since his death. Only I know what happened between us � why we stayed together, why we parted and the price I paid for having been John�s wife.� Although Cynthia wrote a book about John Lennon some years ago she says that her new book will include �so much that I have never said, so many incidents that I have never spoken of and so many feelings I have never expressed � great love on one hand; pain and torment on the other.� Simply titled John the book is published by Hodder and Stoughton this autumn...