Needy

INT: Who are some contemporary artists you admire most?

George: There are so many, I'm madly in love with Smokey Robinson, from the old Miracles. When the Beatles first came here everybody was amazed that we all liked Tamla/Motown which was at that time a relatively new company. I like Smokey but just to try and pick one or two, Smokey Robinson is my favorite. I like Dickey Betts, there are a lot of guitar players – Ry Cooder I think is sensational and I hope Warner Bros. will try and sell a few more of his albums.

— George interviewed by Steven Rosen at Warner Bros. Records offices in Burbank, California (1974)

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“Pure Smokey started out with nice chord changes. I’ve always liked Smokey Robinson and he’s probably one of the best songwriters around. He writes great lyrics and great melodies, and he is fantastic to see in concert, because one tends to forget how many good tunes he has written. He brought out an album called Pure Smokey, and I’ve met him once or twice.

Sometimes you get an idea and write a specific song, but other times – often – it turns itself into whatever it’s going to be – with the effort put into it – and it turned into Pure Smokey.

I’m trying to make the point – if I like someone I want to say ‘I like you’. I don’t want to die and then to think 'Oh I forgot to tell them I liked them’.

Throughout my lifetime I’d hesitate I’d feel some joy But before I showed my thanks It became too late

So this song turned into an all purpose thing of generally trying to show appreciation, and then to focus on my appreciation of Smokey.”

— George Harrison, I, Me, Mine (1980)

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“Of all Tamla-Motown acts, George listened hardest to The Miracles, whose leader, Smokey Robinson had an ‘effortless butterfly of a voice**’ that he would never bring himself to criticize.”

— Alan Clayson, George Harrison (2001)

** “It’s hard to see the greats go, and I’m a big fan of so many kinds of rock and popular music, from Bob Marley to Cole Porter to Smokey Robinson to Hoagy Carmichael. I mean, I wrote ‘Pure Smokey’ on 33 1/3 as my little tribute to his brilliant songwriting and his effortless butterfly of a voice. The Beatles did Smokey’s ‘You Really Got A Hold On Me,’ and there was a song John did that was very much influenced by Smokey - ‘This Boy.’ If you listen to the middle eight of ‘This Boy,’ it was John trying to do Smokey. It suddenly occurs to me that there’s even a line on ‘When We Was Fab’ where I sing, ‘And you really got a hold on me.’”

— George Harrison interviewed for Musician Magazine (November 1987 Edition)

george harrison (+ john lennon) on the set of magical mystery tour, 1967

The Beatles during the filming of Magical Mystery Tour | September 1967

Why I’m obsessed with this scene from Get Back - Part 3:

A very human Paul McCartney being nervous and anxious about the progression of the project.

Paul’s only responding to John and discussing his worries with him and remains quiet while the others talk.

Several people trying to talk to John but his eyes constantly shift back to a silent Paul (of course the camera decides to zoom in on John’s face at that moment)

John’s attentiveness and trying to talk Paul through his worries.

George’s coat.

here’s more !!

I love my beautiful emo gf

Sometimes i think about george waiting for a signal of approval from bob when the beatles showed revolver to him and i always feel so sick

george harrison (+ john lennon) on the set of magical mystery tour, 1967

The thing about I'd have you anytime and behind that locked door is that both songs started with george trying to get to bob. He started I'd have you anytime with "let me in here, I know I've been here, let me into your heart" bc bob was distant in that trip to woodstock. Behind that locked door is an entire song with a similar idea but he also wants to show to bob that he is loved by everyone ("the love you are blessed with this/world is waiting for") and by george himself ("with only this short time/I'm gonna be here with you") and also how much george loves to listen to him ("and the tales you've told me/from the things that you saw/makes me want our your heart"). And then on the concert for bangladesh when bob goes there and play in the concert he is basically opening himself to that possibility, yknow??? And when George says "I'd like to bring an old friend of us all, Mr Bob Dylan" he is reinforcing those ideas he mentioned on behind that locked door, that Bob is loved by everyone, but he does it in a much bigger scale somehow

George Harrison during the recording of the song How Do You Sleep? (1971)