George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters

by Ashley Kahn

George Harrison on George Harrison is an authoritative, chronologically arranged anthology of Harrison’s most revealing and illuminating interviews, personal correspondence, and writings, spanning the years 1962 to 2001. Though known as the “Quiet Beatle,” Harrison was arguably the most thoughtful and certainly the most outspoken of the famous four. This compendium of his words and ideas proves that point repeatedly, revealing his passion for music, his focus on spirituality, and his responsibility as a  celebrity, as well as a sense of deep commitment and humor.

Genres: Biography, Music, Nonfiction, History, Pop Culture

573 pages, Hardcover

Published July 7, 2020

About the author

Ashley Kahn is an American music historian, journalist, and producer.

Reviews

[Ashley Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent a few hours in one night reading this cover to cover.

My favourite thing about George is his attitudes about life and his spirituality. Like anyone who gets excited about an idea or belief that is new to them, he is often remembered for his very public venture into spirituality in the sixties and seventies (you don't even know how many times I've listened to Awaiting On You All without really hearing). But it wasn't a phase. He just learned balance and learned how he could use the knowledge and practices in his own life without being tied to one teacher or organization. The thing I most respected reading this was how balanced he really was. His ego was admirable. Especially considering the experiences he had.

His wisdom is really practical. There is one part where he talks about having forgiveness for each other since we are all imperfect. If we were perfect, we wouldn't be in these bodies. He speaks of how we fear new things. We fear knowledge. But how adding spiritual wealth really puts things in perspective and we don't get so attached to physical things. Throughout the whole book, he is never dogmatic or pushy - but he is never shy when the subject is brought up or the time was right.

I know I would not have cared so much reading this even six months ago. I wasn't ready. I would have been like "why doesn't he talk about guitars more". So go in knowing it's not a juicy tell all or music thing at all, really.

Listening to George Harrison the last little while has been blowing my mind. Because I finally *get* what he is singing about. I remember when Brainwashed came out, I was in high school and I was so excited. Me and my friends Melanie, Adam, and Andy would chat over MSN Messenger (haha) about the tracks. When I listened to "Any Road" the other day, I was like, "ohhhhhhhhhhh!" And I cried.

My favourite part was the transcript to the Yahoo Live chats when the remastered version of All Things Must Pass came out shortly before he died - because I was there! I was live on that chat! Wow, the memories. When he died, I put on a tribute in my school cafeteria. I didn't know how much he would go on to mean to me. What a beautiful spirit.

Bless you, George. Wherever you are now.

[M. Sarki · Rating 4 out of 5]

nikolaidisgm asks: George, what do you miss most about John Lennon? George: John Lennon.

Interesting to read the words of George Harrison in order to understand how he evolved as a human being, his spiritual beliefs, and his own unvarnished truth about the band he was in called The Beatles. A rather long book because George was open to talking at length when he felt the need. He remained for thirty years or more pretty much the same from the moment he met his guru until the day he died. Always searching.

...Try to realize what the purpose of being in a body is. There is only one purpose really and that is what you have to try to not forget. "Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?"...

[Bindu Reddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My absolute favourite book of this year.
I might be biased because Harrison is one of my life guides.
I found this version of getting to know someone is lovely, a compilation of all their interviews. It would eliminate a narrative by someone else, often not necessary.
5/5
This book is one of my greatest loves ❤️

[Layna T · Rating 4 out of 5]

what a delightful peek into the being that was George Harrison. we only shared 2 years together being on this earth, but somehow I miss him! what a delightful, insightful, thoughtful, kind human.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look through the media's perception (and George's personal presentation of himself through it) of George Harrison and the Beatles through a compilation of contemporary interviews and news snippets. Fascinating journey especially for those of us too young to remember the Beatles as an up-and-coming band and group of growing artists.

[Craig Rowland · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters was a hefty book of 573 pages, compiling interviews conducted with Harrison between 1962 and 2001, the year of his death. In the spring of 1980 when I fell in love with the music of the Beatles my first favourite member was John. As I listened to more of the Beatles’ oeuvre I changed my obligatory favourite Beatle to George. I recall when I bought the Revolver album in the summer of 1980 that A&A Records had a promotion where customers could pick a button of one of the individual Beatles with every purchase. Although I had decided before Revolver that Harrison was my new favourite, the decision on which button to choose cemented the deal.

And what an aural treat that decision would yield: there were three ( ! ) George songs on Revolver, all of them winners: “Taxman”, “Love You To” and “I Want to Tell You”. When it came to the Beatles’ solo albums, the first ones I received were as Christmas presents in 1980: Paul’s latest (McCartney II) and John and Yoko’s (Double Fantasy) however the first solo album I ever bought was The Best of George Harrison.

In George Harrison on George Harrison, the very first interviews were light and unrevealing, showing more the frenzy the Beatles were caught up in and Harrison’s bewilderment by it all. I have read plenty of his interviews already–and I was happy that the editor, Ashley Kahn, included so many that were new to me–yet I could never get into Harrison’s religious philosophy and his often lengthy answers about Krishna, meditation, reincarnation, the Bhagavad-gītā and so on. I found these religious segments tiring and, as is often the case with oral transcriptions, difficult to follow when every single sentence false start and mid-sentence change of subject is included. These interviews would have been easier to follow if listened to, or watched, versus by being read.

Harrison offered some witty replies that made me laugh out loud. Dick Cavett, who had just had John and Yoko on his show, informed George:

“Yoko sat in that very chair.”

to which George replied:

“Ah! [Gets out of chair in mock fear; audience laughs.]”

And in a curious pairing of two reclusive types who are both averse to giving interviews, George and Michael Jackson took part in a rate-a-record show for the BBC in early 1979. Jackson informed George:

Jackson: “I never…you wrote ‘Something’?”
Harrison: “Oh yeah.”
Jackson: “Oh, I didn’t know that. I was surprised. That’s another one of my favorite ones. I thought Lennon and McCartney did that.”
Harrison: “Everybody thinks that.”

In a conversation with Mick Brown of Rolling Stone in spring 1979, they had the following exchange:

Brown: Another sub-industry that’s grown up in the Beatles’ wake is all that personal reminiscence about the band. There seems to be an extraordinary number of people who were either your manager, your road manager, delivered the milk….

Harrison: [Laughing] Yeah, and the fifth Beatle…there’re about 10 million fifth Beatles. No, really, that’s sickening. All those Beatlefests and things are a terrible rip-off. These people–“the man who gave away the Beatles“–none of them know what they’re talking about. It’s like Britain has always been hung up talking about the Second World War–even now you turn on the TV and they love to talk about the war. It’s like that. The Beatles were in and out of these people’s lives in a flash, and yet they’re still there fifteen years later talking about the ten minutes we were in their lives, and robbing the money of innocent kids while doing it. It’s pathetic. It’s immoral; it shouldn’t be allowed.

Towards the end of the eighties, while Harrison was promoting his Cloud Nine album and talking about being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he was more at ease during interviews, talking less about spirituality and religion and not shying away from sensitive questions. He did not shirk questions about John Lennon’s murder, and shared how he first heard the news and how he felt afterward.

Harrison answered the same questions over the years and often gave the same replies, down to the last word. He obviously had stock answers that rolled off his tongue as soon as he heard the interviewer’s first words. The most amusing exchange was his Q&A session with Yahoo! in early 2001. He would die in November of that year, but some of his on-line answers had me laughing out loud, reminiscent of the early Beatles press conferences.

[Glenn Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, it displayed how, in trying to separate the ‘fab four ‘ years from his current age, he grew spiritually better able to deal with the 60s madness and subsequent lack of interest in the music industry
I enjoyed it, perhaps a little heavy on the spiritual, but as it’s taken from interviews, then George felt it really important to discuss. It was interesting to read some of the interviewees fairly unprepared questions which were plain stupid. I’m surprised at the patience he displayed.
A good man, too early gone

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fascinating to follow Harrison's development over the years via this collection of interviews conducted over the years.

The 1960's ones are the least satisfactory, conducted either during Beatlemania or focusing on his spiritual belief which at that point sound repetitive over a few interviews.

But from ATMP onwards they become more engrossing. George sounds like as well-balanced a rock star as you might find.

So sad to have lost him so young.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of George interviews spanning the length of his career, a good few of the magazine interviews I had never read before so that left me happy. There were one too many strictly Hare Krishna interviews in the 1960s, which I don't care that much about so it was annoying to have to skim through 40 pages of talk but apart from that, a great collection!

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite artist of all time. His album All Things Must Pass has gotten me through some tough times. Some of my favorite aspects of his interviews is when he delves into spirituality . He seemed like a very interesting man. Great musician , poetic songwriter . This book was filled with so many wonderful interviews :)

[Aaron Badgley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these interview collections. Lennon's was great, as is this one.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It had good interviews in it with George Harrison. It was interesting to read.

[Melissa Seitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a true George fan, I learned things I didn't know before. I enjoyed hearing his words about his own life.

[Roof Beam Reader (Adam) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so grateful for this man, and for this book that tells his story in his own words.

[Abroop · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of George's views, thoughts, and other ramblings from his own mouth. It's a great look into the quiet Beatle. No one knows George like George.