Saw a commercial during the Today Show for "Katie at Night" this morning, the new Katie Couric interview vehicle which is supposed to include an interview with Olivia Harrison on it's debut. The show is being promoed as interviews with women who went through drastic changes in the past year.

It airs this Tuesday at 10 PM EST on NBC. They showed a brief clip of a smiling Olivia and Katie walking though a garden or park (Friar Park??? It was not made clear).

They showed brief sound bite clips of the other two interviews with Shania Twain and Sharon Stone, but not one of Olivia.

I picked up the vinyl Brainwashed at a local store for under $10. I assumed it was a basic import, going by the sticker on the shrinkwrap reading. Made in Holland, it read. But Capitol went one step further as the label has their logo on it (bottom of the Dark Horse artwork, Side B). I'm guessing the record was still pressed in Holland, but that the Capitol imports are unique to this country. The cover and booklet are probably the same as the European editions.

Thoughts on Georges new album. Sounds just like George - no new ground broken - this is not a complaint (this is coming from a person who played All Things Must Pass steady for about a year). The sound of his voice made me so sad when I first heard it though - he sounds ill or out of breath - which is certainly explainable and makes me curse the bastard that stabbed him. Main thing I am impressed with is Dhani (sp?)(posh accent and all) and Olivia. Very classy people.

Just bought George's new album today and thought it was amazing. Was all I'd hope for and more from a new George Harrison album...but one problem I had was finding it. It seems that it is not being promoted anywhere near as well as it deserves in Australia. Most shops still don't have it in yet and there has been little (or none that I've seen) promtional material released for it here. The only shop that had it filed away like it was just another album. This is the best new album I've heard this year from one of the most respected and talented singer/songwriter/guitarists of all time and it's given no attention by anyone but the real hardcore George Harrison/Beatles fans. I think that the record company and the record shops need to give this album the attention it deserves.

just had to write someone who would understand.... I'm sitting here listening to BRAINWASHED and its tracks in a state of awe, amazement, utter pleasure and yet bittersweet sorrow. George has never sounded better and the tracks are nothing short of outstanding. They're a perfect mix of introspection (Pisces Fish), good humour (Any Road), social comment (Brainwashed & Run So Far), good ole' rock and roll (P2 Blues) and one of the most beautiful love songs I think ever written (Never Get Over You).

Like any fan, I took my nightly delight as I awaited the release, listening on the net to my 30-second 'fixes' of the available tracks. Though wonderfully captivated by those brief 'clues', nothing could have prepared me for the finished and complete work that is BRAINWASHED.

We all know rock and roll is a bitter game. Many posthumous releases from Rock's 'Gone-Too-Soons' have been crass, commercial or hyped to the point of 'anticappointment'. Nothing could be further from the truth with this release.

I feel as if George has left us all a beautiful gift, all wrapped up till now....God bless him for this thoughtful and beautiful epitaph. God bless Dhani and Jeff too for the selfless effort they've brought to this endeavour.

If there is any gift we could return to George it would be to think, listen and enjoy. I know I am, and I'm going to make it my business to let people know the treat awaiting them by becoming BRAINWASHED.

Cheers.

Update (11/22/02) For those who didn't find a guitar pick in their limited edition, here's the answer from Jeremy Earle:

Steve:

EMI Canada emailed me back with a response this morning regarding the Canadian Limited Edition Brainwashed CD, and the lack of a guitar pick. They suggest I buy ANOTHER copy from a U.S. retailer. The nerve - I wonder if they'll re-imburse me for the first copy should I decide to go the U.S. route (LOL)...Oh well - thems the breaks for being a Canadian or a Brit...

Cheers,
Jeremy

---

Hello Jeremy,

Thanks for your note. We imported directly from the UK who DO NOT include the guitar pick. To include the pick was a US initiative only. If you still want it, I suggest you purchase another copy from an American online retailer but I hope you like your CD anyway - it's pretty amazing, with or without the pick. Thanks for your interest! Keep Visiting! Merci de votre intérêt! Revenez nous voir!

www.emimusic.ca
www.virginmusic.ca
www.emission-online.com

It looks like several people were able to buy the album ahead of time. From Erik Timmermans in Amsterdam:

Dear Steve,

Just as Naomichi Hirao wrote, I was able to buy Brainwashed already at Friday the 15th. 'My' recordshop in Amsterdam called me to tell that they had received the album, though the official release date for Brainwashed was the 19th. They wanted to make an exception for me, they said. I immediately took a day off and went to the store and then to my house where I spent listening all day! What a great album! I don't agree with the opinions that it's too posh. It's become a real George album and you can feel the love of the two producers in it. Dhani and Jeff did a great job.

Success with your great work!

Hi, You could buy "Brainwashed" before the official release also in Poland. I've bought my CD on Saturday the 16th. All the best.

In the Algemeen Dagblad, a daily published newspaper in Holland, the new album Brainwashed was favourably reviewed. George's voice and slide guitar are called extreme wonderful and Any Road and Looking for my Life are mentioned as pearls. Brainwashed proofs that the holy fire kept burning to George's last gasp, the paper writes lyrical. There was no link to the webpage of this article.

I don´´t know if somebody´s already pointed it, but we already have "Rocking Chair in Hawaii" as "Down To the River", from the "Songs for Patti" bootlegs. Also, looks like there´s a short quote from "Within You Without You" on "Marwa Blues".

Though the official release date for Brainwashed was the 18th, Naomichi Hirao, the Harrison Alliance's Japanese correspondent tells me that the CD was on sale in the shops at the end of last week. He bought his on Friday the 15th. Brainwashed debuted at the #1 spot in Japan today (Wednesday).

My copy of the limited edition version of Brainwashed bought in Montreal Canada also did not have a guitar pick. I took it back to the store and got another one but it was missing the pick as well. All the copies of the box set I saw in the stores here had stickers stating they were imported by EMI Canada from Europe. Both the CD and the DVD were manufactured by the EMI pressing plant in Uden, Holland. Prices ranged from $26.99 to $29.99 Canadian ($17.00 to $18.99 US)

Hi Steve...just picked up brainwashed at 8.99 at Target...I saw the box set that was advertised as having a 3 hour DVD. However the box is no different than all the other special editions carried by other store...

I just picked up the Brainwashed Limited Edition CD at a Music World here in Canada. Much to my disappointment, there is NO guitar pick included in the package!! Everything else is there - poster, DVD, sticker, cardboard digipak CD, but no guitar pick. Is there any reason why the Canadian release would not include this? Or is it possible that I picked up the only one with a missing pick?

According to the National Post, only one promo/advance copy of Brainwashed made it into Canada prior to today's official release. And that single copy was "watermarked," which allows for a tracing of every time it is copied, the Post said. Then single copy was in fact the only source used for the arranged four listening parties held in Canada for Brainwashed in the past month. Dick Jaws and Ron DeKlien would be proud! Lucky, really.

Hi Steve,

I´m very surprised that I already have in my hands (and in my ears) the Limited Edition of George Harrison's Brainwashed. I have the Capitol US Edition that is for sale in Monterrey Mexico(about 3 hours from the Texas border) since this morning. Price is $25 usd. The package is amazing.

Update II (11/19/02)

Hi Steve,

I hope you are planning on getting the Limited edition Box Set of Brainwashed. I picked it up at Tower Records just after Midnight Tues am. $25.99 on sale. This is a very lovely box set. Very like 2000 ATMP. Black box with dk purple Dark Horse on it. Super B&W poster of George inside and a purple Dark Horse sticker. The purple guitar pick is lovely right in the corner of my computer screen. Plus a DVD and the album comes in cardboard, which I love as I don't like jewel boxes.

My fave track is Rocking Chair in Hawaii. Stuck Inside A Cloud is super as is Rising Son and Brainwashed is really nice with lovely Vedic chant at the end. Dear George, Jeff and Dhani have made an excellent album here.

Enjoy it, Steve. Bless you and thank you for your wonderful web site. I visit every day.
Gaylene McFatridge

hi. I just like to comment that I am very positive about George`s Brainwashed-album. It is plain George. Good songs, well played and it really is a finished work - not the feeling of some demos or songs that the artist never even wanted to publish. George´s philosophy and humor is very strongly on the tracks.

If you remember how sick George was during his last two or three years, the album is amazingly strong. And I think that Jeff and Dhani has been just giving "a little help from his friends". After all: think how lucky we are to have this final album. We should be greateful to George and the team! Not to critizise certain sounds or lyrics in one or two songs. I think the autumn looks sunnier because of this album.

All the best. Waiting for your reports from Albert Hall´s concert for George. Keep on keepin' up your excellent work for the Beatle people around the world.
from Ilkka in Finland

Hi Steve,

A long interview of Dhani Harrison was published on Sunday in a French newspaper, Le Journal du Dimanche. They probably have a website but I don't know the address, and it wouldn't be much help for most of your readers at it'd be in French. It's too long for me to translate it fully but here's some of the most interesting items (I tried to select things he didn't say in other interviews)...

Bye and carry on with the good work !
Yann
Macca France web site : http://perso.maccafrance.mageos.com

----------------------------------

Q : You said "I don't know if these songs [from Brainwashed] can change a life, but they changed mine." How ?
DH : The loss of a parent or a beloved one is always a upheaval. It changes you forever. Then, there was the fact that I was working on a record which the public and the business guys expect. That changes your life too. I wanted to control every part of the album to be sure the result would be what my father wanted before he died. I was always under stress, I yelled at people when something was wrong. But it makes you humble to make a record on which you're just a tool.

Q : Close your eyes. What image of your father during the recording sessions [for Brainwashed] is coming back in your mind ?
DH : I remember him during the recording of "Rising Sun". A strong memory : I'm with him in this room, I'm listening to him playing his solo. I remember people looking at him with admiration while he plays. Everything goes round and round in my mind, between sounds and vibes. It's like listening to a radio and trying to reproduce them.

Q : Do you think this album is one of your father's best ?
DH : Yes, really. You know, I'm quite snobbish about the music I listen to : I only listen to good stuff, even among his work, I only listen to what I like. I don't want to compare it with what he wrote with the Beatles, but I think it's one of his most original albums.

Q : It seems that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were quite close to George during his last months.
DH : Paul and Ringo are the nicest persons I know. I love them, they're like my uncles. I see them often, about twice a month. They call to have news from me. I recently started talking with their children : to Zak, Ringo's son, and Stella, Paul's daughter. We understand each other, we know what it's like being Beatles kids.

Q : Have you got musical projects ?
DH : No, like my father, I don't like to make plans. It's good to know what you want, but nothing ever happens like you planned it. That's life. I'd like to make music but never be famous. Maybe someone, somewhere would enjoy my music, would listen to it and feel better. I won't try to compete with my father or re-do what he did. Of course, my work will sound like his as he taught me to play guitar and we have the same voice. But I have different musical tastes and everybody will be surprised by the music I play with my friends. It sounds more like film music, or what the French band Air does. I love them.

Hi Steve,

I, too, was one of the millions that went to see Harry Potter this weekend, and I, too, saw the George preview. I don't know if anyone has pointed this out, but the preview I saw wasn't in the block of previews/ads that come before the movie; it was before they even dimmed the lights (so you have something to watch before even the ads/previews start), and I believe they played it twice. It's amazing how much Dhani looks like George! Oh, and I saw the movie in Newport Beach, California, if you're interested in figuring out exactly where it has been playing. My friend saw the movie on Friday night in Irvine, California, and she saw the Brainwashed thing too.

Keep up the good work!

The piece I saw had some of the same shots, but was not the exact replica of what you have on your site. Perhaps it was edited just for theaters.

I like it alot. The first 2 songs are very TWilburys. Track 6 ("Marwa Blue") is an instrumental, pure Gh with slide guitar. I love "Behind the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" (the only non original song)..also like :Brainwashed" and "Stuck Inside a Cloud." I'm looking into getting an interview with Dhani...hope to feature more of the CD.

Just wanted to point out that not all theatres showing the new Harry Potter flick have the Brainwashed advert/preview. Our family went yesterday, and were in our seats before any of the previews. There must have been about 10 of 'em--more than I think I've ever seen at a movie--but, sadly, no George preview.

Of course the theatre we went to is, I believe, an independent one. No ads were screened, either. So maybe it's only the big theatre chains that are showing the Brainwashed clip (?)...

Hey Steve! I went to see the movie on Friday and the google plex in my neighborhood was not playing the preview...although I might go to a different movie just to see if it's in others! It's surprising because, I live in the bay area, and the theater I went to is one of the biggest in the East Bay.

Hi Steve,

I found that bit of news really interesting! Just after George died they interviewed the authroress of Harry Potter and she was very upset. She said that George was her favourite! Perhaps it was 'her doing'that managed to get the E P K played!!

Steve,

I went to see "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" last night, and was pleasantly surprised to see our Sweet George on the big screen! After showing the obligatory soda ads and the like, a few minutes of "The Making of Brainwashed" was shown! The sound was down pretty low, and I was the only one in the audience giving an enthusiasic response and trying to shut up the people sitting around me. It was a very pleasant surprise, to say the least. Does anyone know why they're showing this before "Harry Potter" and if it's being shown in all the theaters around the country? Thanks and all the best, Alison

This and the next note are the first we've heard. From Kirsten Tash:

Imagine my surprise today to walk into a movie theater with the kids to see "Harry Potter," and there on the screen is the Brainwashed DVD! They showed most of what was on GMA, then a Coke commercial, then more of the DVD that I hadn't seen before! It was wonderful on the BIG screen...tho hard to hear with a theater full of noisy kids! My older son was seeing a different movie, and he said they showed it there as well! Only thing, tho, they didn't really display that it was a promo for the new album...I knew, of course, but I don't know that the message got across...it would have been good to show the album cover at the end.

Oh...they also were showing a promo video for Paul's Back in the US (same as they showed on the monitors in some of the venues, I think) when we walked into the lobby of the theater. It was a two-fer! Kris

Update II (11/16/02) From Hofner:

Hi Steve,

Got my copy of Brainwashed yesterday and the strangest thing is that while the running-time in the booklet is set on 46.25 the real running-time in my player is 47.47. So it means you get one extra minute of George for free! Though I'm not really familiar with all George's work (only 'All Things' and his most recent work with the Wilburies and Lynne) it sounds very good to me. Great music, great lyrics. Indeed you can compare it with the Wilburies and Cloud Nine.

Update (11/16/02)

Steve,

Carl Savich doesn't mention about the special edition version of "Brainwashed," which has been ranking much higher than the regular version. Right now, it is at No. 23, compared to No. 43 for the regular CD. Another factor is this album has been racking up advance sales for nearly two months; that will help propel it higher in the charts. But I hope people still go out and buy a copy or two in the stores.

Update (11/15/02)

Hi Steve,

Got "Brainwashed" the other day. Very tasty. It's all very much consistent with George's style over the years, a couple of numbers ("Any Road" and "Brainwashed") very reminiscent of the Wilburys. Several others bring to mind "Cloud 9". I actually think the single is not one of the strongest tracks (though it has grown on me). My favorites are "Any Road", the very jaunty "P2 Vatican Blues", "Pisces Fish", "Looking for My Life" (the one where the lyrics most clearly seem to deal with his illness) and "Brainwashed". "Rising Son" is also very good and sort of makes the case that we're all part of a continuous existence. "Never Get Over You" is a beautiful love song. "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and "Rocking Chair in Hawaii" are fun. I've listened to the album numerous times, and it wears very well. And my 17-year-old son likes it very much, with his faves being "Any Road", "Looking for My Life", "Stuck Inside a Cloud" and "Devil and the Deep Blue Sea". The album easily is on the same level as "Cloud 9". Cheers, Bill

Steve,

A little more info on the Bhagavad Gita quote given in the Brainwashed booklet. The quote is from the 2nd chapter of the Bhagavad Gita (the 12th verse/text). This quote can also be found on the last page of Rolling Stone's "Harrison" book where it is said that it was among George's favorites.

Shalom!

Steve,

Just to give a sense of how the album is selling five days before release, BRAINWASHED is currently no.52 on the Amazon.com CD chart and no.68 on the CDNOW.com album chart. The single is getting airplay on classic rock stations as well. The question is: Where will the new album debut on Billboard?

Update (11/14/02)

Hey All, Our store just got in some promo goodies for Macca and Harrison's latest. For Harrison: 10 x 24 banner with the album graphics and name written on it. Dark Horse logo and capital records logo. It says, "In stores November 19th." Love and Peace.

A review of "Brainwashed" from Norwegian tabloid VG (in Norwegian):

http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=725028

A "4" on the dice, as you see. A translation of the conclusion:

"'Brainwashed' is not a classic record. But it's a record which becomes strong, considering the context in which it's created, and therefore a record you quickly can fall in love with. In any case it's a worthy testament from a big artist."

Another sentence: "The melodies charm and reveal both light playfulness and an underlying humour. Harrison's own characteristic guitar sound is central (you can hear a lot of it here!), which gets its own memorial in the sadly beautiful instrumental 'Marwa Blues'."

>From the other main Norwegian tabloid, Dagbladet (still in Norwegian):

http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2002/11/13/353719.html

They give it a "5," and write of "Marwa Blues": "Song number six on this album, 'Marwa Blues', is an instrumental tune carried by an almost fluorescent glow. With its fragile melancholy, Harrison lets the slide guitar tones rise to the stars, while a careful backing in some way throws soft shadows all the way back to the Beatles period. It sounds like a requiem. Is this the way you play when you know you're going to die?"

It sounds like "Marwa Blues" is going to be a strong listen... as will the rest of the album, I'm sure. How sad that George will never make new music like this...

A friend of mine got the Special Edition of Brainwashed from EMI yesterday because he was going to write a review of it, and he reports that everything is as described, but the guitar pick is missing. So I guess that one has been pulled. All the best,
Roger Stormo
http://www.norwegianwood.org

Update (11/13/02)

The same Bhagavad-Gita quote (with slightly different wording) was used on the SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND sleeve in reference to "J.O.L." (John Lennon).

Update (11/12/02)

Update (11/11/02) This week, Dennis Mitchell's "Breakfast With the Beatles" show features "Stuck Inside a Cloud" and the audio of the "making of ..." video. Here's Mitchell's description of the show, sent to us by Cheryl Mortensen:

The newest edition of "Dennis Mitchell's Breakfast With The Beatles" is now available by going to www.doseofreality.com. You can listen to the whole show on-demand, or any segment you want, by clicking on the link at the bottom of page one. The new website is coming soon, and we will be back on Las Vegas radio very soon. November 10-16, you can hear George Harrison's new single, "Stuck Inside a Cloud," along with a seven-minute promotional feature from Capitol/EMI, including several clips from the forthcoming album "Brainwashed," along with interviews with George and Dhani Harrison and Jeff Lynne. I appreciate your continued support. Enjoy the show!

Update (11/10/02)

Update II (11/9/02) A comment from Patti Murawski about the upcoming Katie Couric interview with Olivia Harrison:

It should be an interesting interview from at least one perspective -- Katie Couric lost her husband to colon cancer, and also her sister to pancreatic cancer...so she and Olivia have something in common on that level.

Update (11/9/02)

Update (11/8/02)

Hi Steve,

Basically we were-- all four of us kids--baptized in the Roman Catholic church. Mostly because my (our) Mum was brought up and -- brainwashed-- as a Catholic.She had been trained to believe that our eternal future was at stake if we were NOT baptized in the catholic Church.

I was, at first christened in the Church of England -- shortly after I was born, by my paternal grandmother. When my brother Harold was born and was baptized in the Catholic church , I was taken along too, and at age 3, then became a Catholic. My parents , being kind, compassionate, sensible and open minded, brought us up to think for yourselves and ultimately make out own decisions regarding which way we wished to honor our Creator. I personally do not give much credibility to "organized religions", they are rather like political parties--out for their own agenda's. I believe what Jesus taught was very valid, but much of what He said, has over the past 2 centuries, been very much "misinterpreted & misunderstood.

But Steve neither I nor my brother are theologians, I am just giving my own thoughts and beliefs, and I urge people to "THINK MORE-- IF JUST FOR YOUR OWN SAKE" as George said in one of his songs. "Think for yourself."

Due to much study and research both George and I came eventually to understand that we are, ALL OF US, simply individual DROPs in the OCEAN which we call GOD. We are all of the same essence as our Creator, and whilst, in our Earthly lives we inhabit (or wear)fleshly bodies, and mostly tend to identify ourselves WITH THE BODY --we are actually Spiritual Beings, each individual drops of that ocean--havng an Earthly experience. Death is merely relinquishing the BODY, which we were wearing, and returning or reconnecting, back to that OCEAN, GOD, the source of our LIFE.

For (your readers) who might be interested, refer them to Self Realization Fellowship, which is where George directed me back in 1969. A book called "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda, is available in most book stores. The address of SRF is. Self Realization Fellowship. The Mother Center, 3880 San Rafael Ave Los Angeles, CA 90065-3298. Phone (323)225-2471, if you call , tell them Lou Harrison sent you!!

In Love, Peace and friendship,

Lou H

A friend of mine got me into the Capitol Records listening party for "Brainwashed" held last night (11/6) in the recording studios that Jimi Hendrix built in the Village, Electric Lady Studios.

The party was held in legendary Studio A, and the studio was decorated wall-to-wall with various beautifully colored small Indian rugs. There were pillows around the perimeter on the floor and small square tables with little round cloth-covered chairs on the main studio floor. Candles were everywhere, and there was a four-foot high Buddha's head surrounded by candles and incense just below the screen that was used to show the promo video.

There was a food table (not completely vegetarian) and a bar serving wine, beer and mineral water. Selections from "All Things Must Pass" were being played from around 7 - 7:40 p.m. when the promo was aired followed by the CD being played completely.

My friend and I wandered into the control room during the third song and listened to the rest of the CD through the monitors placed above the recording console. The sound was fantastic and so were the songs. I was mesmerized.

The whole CD is wonderful, but the two songs that really blew me away initially were "Rising Sun" and the instrumental after it, "Marwa Blues."

But this is not fair to say, really, because the entire CD, from George's opening remark "Give me plenty of that guitar" to his chanting at the end was amazing and unlike any other George CD that exists.

Hearing the entire CD at Electric Lady Studios was quite a musical, sensual, spiritual journey for me, although I will admit that I had an underlying note of sadness that George, whom I had just seen in the promo video as a smiling, funny, peaceful man, was gone.

Update (11/7/02)

This might be old news already but the Hollywood site is fully automated. It requires Macromedia Flash (which installs unbelievably fast) and then the thing starts. You can do anything you want, them it just plays on. It's actually a loop because I'm hearing "Stuck Inside a Cloud" the 2nd time already. Bear with thesound though. It's like an AM radioshow,it soudns asifit came from the old bbc archives. Since I'm blind I'm not sure whether you also see the lyrics simultaneously. Screen readers and braille devices seem a bit scared of this site though. Anyway, the music is great. Makes me want to buy the album.Too bad the tracks fade out as soon as you get used to them.

peace, Yvonne

Update (11/5/02)

Update (11/4/02)

Update (11/2/02)

Update (11/1/02) More exclusive "Brainwashed" track previews (if you're just tuning in, see yesterday's update). Again, these descriptions may not be used anywhere else without specific credit to Abbeyrd's Beatles Page. (our thanks, again, to a friend):

"Any Road": "Give me plenty of that guitar," George says as the track begins. A much fuller sound (and more verses) than the version George sung on VH1.

"Never Get Over You": A lush, gorgeous ballad filled with George's slide. The track makes plentiful use of echo, which only increases the beauty of the song.

"Run So Far": Like Eric Clapton's version, George's vocal is double-tracked. Mainly acoustic guitar arrangement.

"Marwa Blues" is the song you can hear at the beginning of the "Making of ..." video. It's a gorgeous (yes, that word again, but it is ...) instrumental with a dreamy tempo.

Update (10/31/02) "Stuck Inside a Cloud" hit radio stations on Wednesday, two days after it first was premiered on America Online and one day after it was put out on the Netscape's First Listen post on the open Web. British DJs Terry Wogan and Ken Bruce both premiered "Stuck Inside a Cloud" on their UK radio shows. You can hear the Wogan show here. The George clip comes about 55 minutes into the show. (You can skip through the show at 5-minutes intervals on the player.) (Thanks to Diane.)

"Rockin' Chair In Hawaii:" The old blues song "Rockin' Chair" done in a mostly acoustic guitar style and slide in the background. George's vocal sounds like he was smiling the whole time.

"The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea": George and a spare backup band ramble through this song. The guitar solo has a hint of Django Reinhardt. Another song that sounded like he had a blast doing it.

"Vatican Blues": A rollicking rock-blues song with its satirical lyrics and even a hilaious Bob Dylan impression by George in the middle.

"Pisces Fish": A moody ballad with a heavy Dylan influence.

Update (10/30/02) You can now preview the first single from the album, "Stuck Inside a Cloud," at http://home.netscape.com/music/ . (The site also features a contest to win tickets to the tribute concert.)

After hearing it ourselves, we're quite impressed. Also, in case you haven't heard them yet, there are 30-second clips from "Stuck Inside a Cloud," "Any Road," "Looking For My Life," "Rising Sun" and "Brainwashed" on George's website. And the "Making of ..." video is on VH1.com. (That's no longer on George's website.). All we can say is, for us personally, hearing "Rising Sun" is quite an emotional experience. It's great to have this new music from George ....finally. Can't wait until the album comes out.

And apparently we won't hear much more about the album before the release date. We hear that no advance copies will be available.

Update (10/29/02)

There is a real good movie out that suggests what life was like in Liverpool for Catholics, Jews, and Protestants during the time George was a wee little lad ... actually a few years before he was born. The name of the movie is "Liam" by Stephen Frears and Jimmy McGovern. You can rent it. As A Roman Catholic raised in America in the fifties, the movie gets pretty close the TRUTH of the environment of the time.

Update (10/28/02) Responses to the comments by John S. Damm we posted in the 10/27 update. First from Lee Curtis:

Regarding John S Dunn's comments. George was bought up as a Catholic and like many people born into the Catholic faith tended to rebel against it in his teenage years. Mr Damm must understand that in England at least until Vatican 2 (which I believe was in the sixties) only the priests could read and interpret the Bible. Ordinary people were discouraged from reading the Bible in case they mis-interpreted`it and questioned Catholic doctrines. Therefore, when George talks about "the truth is hiding" one would assume that is what he is talking about. George was well known for his continual search for truth, especially spiritually, so he, as many, would not understand why this particular search, under the Catholic faith, was not open to everyone. Why indeed was the truth hidden ?? Well done George !

And from Emily Guicheux :

I would say a verse or even a song is too short to express conveniently complex feelings or opinions on say, politics or religion.

However, I could never agree that these are WASPish comments on Roman-Catholicism : First, because George Harrison is from an Irish Catholic family, and he has been a Catholic for a part of his life. Second, he has studied carefully aspects of each religion and was always respectful of other forms of belief, just as Olivia Harrison pointed out in her introduction for the Rolling Stone' book.

(Also a Catholic.)

From Carl Savich:

As early as the ALL THINGS MUST PASS album from 1970, George made his views on this issue well knowb to everybody although in a subtle form. If you listen to the song THE LORD IS AWAITING ON YOU ALL, Harrison sings: "The Pope owns shares in General Motors, The stock market is the only thing he is qualified to quote us". These lyrics were EXCLUDED from the lyric sheet but this is actually what he says. So perhaps there were hidden messages in Beatles songs after all! So his position on BRAINWASHED should not come as a surprise to anyone!

But we have to remember that Harrison was criticizing the Church hierarchy and bureaucracy and NOT Roman Catholicism as a religion. Much like the current controversy with sex abuse in the Church, criticizing priests who molest children is NOT the same as attacking Roman Catholicism as a religion. I think Harrison, like the other Beatles, rejected the hierarchy and bureaucracy of the Church but not Roman Catholicism itself. He objected to the corporate and politicized nature of the Church. After all, one of the reasons George explored Hinduism was because he was not completely satisfied with the Church. At any rate, none of this is new. George always made his position on this issue well known. Please listen to the song above to refresh your memory.

From Dr. Charles Crane:

I don't think that "P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night)" is anti-Roman Catholic...at least not their beliefs. It sounds like it's more about hypocrisy in church figures who don't practice what they preach. (Or in XTC's words, "Sunday church and they look fetching, Saturday I saw him retching over our fence.") When I read these lyrics, I was immediately reminded of what George said in the Anthology book (page 26):

"I felt that there was some hypocrisy going on, even though I was only about eleveen years old. It seemed to be the same on every housing estate in English cities: on one corner they'd have a church and on the other cforner a pub. Everybody's out there getting pissed and then just goes in the church, says three Hail Marys and one Our Father and sticks a fiver in the plate. It felt so alien to me. Not the stained-glass window or the pictures of Christ; I liked that a lot, and the smell of the incence and the candles. I just didn't like the bullshit. After Communion, I was supposed to have Confirmation, but I thought, 'I'm not going to bother with that, I'll just confirm it later myself. From then on, I avoided the church, but every Thursday a kid would come round to herald the arrival of the priest. They'd go round all the streets, knock on the door and shout 'The priest's coming!' And we'd all go, 'Oh shit,' and run like hell up the stairs and hide. My mother would have to open the door and he'd say, 'Ah, hello Mrs. Harrison, it's nice to see you again, so it is. Eh be Jesus...' She'd stuff two half-crowns in his sweaty little hand and off he'd go to build another church or pub."

Note that he even mentions "three Hail Marys and one Our Father", which is mentioned in the chorus of the song. So I don't think he mocks Roman Catholic beliefs, he just doesn't like the hypocrisy he found in it at an early age. "The Pope owns 51% of General Motors..."

More notes: "Rocking Chair in Hawaii" is known to bootleg collectors as "Down To The River" as a jam from the All Things Must Pass sessions! It is included on the bootleg "Songs For Patti" and has at least the same first verse, and a section of yodeling. "Run So Far" is subtly changed from Eric Clapton's version on Journeyman; the choruses are mixed around, and Eric's version has an additional verse: "I pray that you might make it through/Those teardrops now seems a part of you/And you know that you can't get away/And you know you can't hide it from yourself/Fallin' down, under par/Can't get out, can only run so far."

And from Jack C.:

George Harrison is not anti-Catholic, and in fact, was a Catholic when he was younger. In the Making of "Brainwashed" video, Jeff Lynne says that George wrote about what he believed--or didn't believe--in. George once said that he didn't believe Catholocism was right--just his opinion, mind you, but that's what he said. He didn't believe in it, so he wrote about it. And of course, look back at prior lyrics, like in "Awaiting on You All," "While the Pope owns 51% of General Motors..." and even Lennon's "Imagine." Again, he simply is writing what he doesn't believe in -- he's doing no harm.

Update (10/27/02) John S. Damm, one of the regulars on our message board and a big Beatle fan, posted some critical comments of some of the "Brainwashed" lyrics listed on George's website. Here's an excerpt of John's comments, used with his permission. We'd be interested to hear from others on this. We'll run excerpted comments here. :

My excitement at reviewing the supplemented website for "Brainwashed" was sure tempered by the blatantly anti-Roman Catholic lyrics of "Last Saturday Night(Vatican P2 Blues)" (as it is named in the "Lyric" portion of the website) and to a lesser degree "Pisces Fish" where George rather repetitiously refers again to the smoke signals used by the Roman Catholic Church to signify the designation of a pope. . . . For a man who claimed to be so spiritual and in a never ending search for enlightenment, Hari sounds surprisingly WASPish and prejudiced in these lyrics.

Update II (10/26/02) More on the preview of "Brainwashed" by Patti Murawski:

georgeharrison.com now features snippets of some of the songs, and the lyrics for the songs on Brainwashed. audio snippets include, : Any Road, Looking for My Life, Rising Sun, Stuck Inside a Cloud, and Brainwashed.

You'll need Flash 5 AND---- EITHER Quicktime 6 OR Windows MediaPlayer.

To get to the music and lyrics, when you enter the site, and get to the tv with the quadrants on it, click on "MUSIC" (upper right quadrant)

A listing of the songs comes up. There is a play button next to the titles that can be played, and a lyric button. Again, the songs are NOT complete, segments, less than 30 seconds.

The lyric buttons will bring you to the full lyrics of each song, and all I can say is, this is definitely a George album, and he had a lot to say. Also included are the personnel playing on each song.

What bits of songs they are allowing us to hear are fantastic. George sounds really good, strong voice, and the slide guitar on these songs is George at his best. Also used on the songs are uke and banjolele...

If anyone had any reservations about the production, worry no more, Dhani and Jeff Lynne were true to George's sound and production ideas. It sounds exactly like it would had George been sitting there with them (and in a way, maybe he was!)...and for this Harrison fan, some welcome sounds (and this after only hearing bits and bobs of many of the songs here and elsewhere...can't wait to get the full monty!)

Unfortunately it's a bit awkward to navigate back and forth from lyrics to the list with the play buttons, and if you are on dial-up rather than cable modem or the scrolling will be slow, and you have to scroll all the way back to the top of the lyrics to get to the back button. If you use the back button on your browser, you'll most likely jump back to a page out of the site....but definite worth your patience!

Patti Murawski, editor
The Harrison Alliance

And from Stan Yinger:

Hi , Happy to let you know that the George Harrison Page has been updated.As you go to the opening page,the TV set on the crash dummies laps now makes a static sound.Press the screen and off you go to the 4 different categories. Click on the one saying "MUSIC" and now the are showing the song list as shown below:

George Harrison - "Brainwashed" Music complete track listing
( click on any track to view the lyrics)

1. Any Road >play =lyrics
2. P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night) =lyrics
3. Pisces Fish =lyrics
4. Looking for My Life >play =lyrics
5. Rising Sun >play =lyrics
6. Marwa Blues =lyrics
7. Stuck Inside a Cloud >play =lyrics
8. Run So Far =lyrics
9. Never Get Over You =lyrics
10.Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea =lyrics
11.Rocking Chair in Hawaii =lyrics
12.Brainwashed >play =lyrics

I've gone to all that say play and found you get about a 15 to 30 second play of these songs and they are all better than I could've imagined. Also, every song has the lyrics printed as indicated. I will try to keep you updated as the site does the same.

Update (10/26/02) America Online will make available "Stuck Inside a Cloud" in its "First Listen" area on Monday. Here's the press release (thanks to Amber H.):

AOL Music Honors George Harrison With First Listen for 'Stuck Inside A Cloud,' the Lead Track From the Upcoming Album Brainwashed

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 2002--America Online, the world's leading interactive service, and Capitol Records today announced that "Stuck Inside A Cloud," the first track to be released from the upcoming George Harrison album Brainwashed, will premiere exclusively on AOL Music's First Listen on Monday, October 28. The album, which contains the recordings that George Harrison was working on--until two months before he died in 2001--is scheduled for a U.S. release on November 19, 2002.

The exclusive premiere of "Stuck Inside A Cloud" will debut for AOL members only at AOL Keyword: First Listen on Monday, October 28 at 12:01 a.m. Starting Tuesday, October 29, "Stuck Inside A Cloud" will also be available to fans on the Web at Netscape Music (music.netscape.com), AOL Instant Messenger's AIM Today, ICQ and CompuServe.

"George Harrison's music, from the Beatles to his solo albums, has transcended time and generations," said Evan Harrison, Executive Director, Music Industry Relations, AOL Music. "It's an honor that we can offer one of George Harrison's final recordings through our popular First Listen program. It's a special opportunity for AOL members to hear this song first from a true legend."

Undeniably loved as part of the Beatles as well as a solo artist, George Harrison has left a remarkable legacy on the music industry. The eagerly anticipated album, Brainwashed, is the last project he worked on before his death at the age of 58. The album, produced by George, Jeff Lynne, and Dhani Harrison, features 11 original tracks.

And there have been changes to George's website. From Jack C. and bandontherun:

Steve,

There's been a major update: now a few things are "previews" that lead you to new windows with the stuff previously on the site (making of...etc.). But the best part: there are samples of some of the songs on the site, and all of the lyrics are up!! They sound great so far!!

And from Patti Murawski:

The articles under album info and The Making of, now come up in pop up windows. That is new, even from earlier this evening, when I started looking at the lyrics in the Music section.

Update (10/22/02) Patti Murawski added this to her report on the video:

Just wanted to add this to what I already told you about the report on GMA on Friday:

Dhani's last comment in the piece was "I think this music has to be heard, and I'm not saying it's gonna, like, change your life or anything, but it definitely changed mine."

Update (10/20/02) George's website has now been updated as part of the "Brainwashed" promotion with info about the making of the album by Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone.

Here's a detailed report from Patti Murawski of the Harrison Alliance for which we are very grateful:

Hi guys,

georgeharrison.com now has more than just the two screens of album info

radical media is again handling the design chores, "in conjunction with the Harrison family", and everything is marked (c) Umlaut Corporation.

When the graphics load, it is of the album cover with an "Enter" button on the tv screen; the vertical hold on the screen is flipping different pictures of the crash test dummies.

Click on the enter button and it hypers you to the TV filling up the screen and divided into four quadrants; click on any of these quadrants to get to the next screen. (Clicking on the little red buttons around the dial to the right will do the same thing)

They are,

Album Info -- which is an overview of who plays on the album; scroll down using the up down red arrows to the right

Music-- which is the track listing of the album

The Making of-- which brings up an article by Anthony DeCurtis (perhaps his review or liner notes?); scroll down using the up down red arrows to the right.

Buy the album -- Which links you to a page on Capitol's hollywoodandvine.com site with a listing of 12 online retailers: Amazon, CD Now, Barnes & Noble, FYE, Best Buy, WalMart, JC Penney, Wherehouse Music, Sam Goody, Tower Records, Circuit City and K-Mart.

The most interesting part of the site is the article by DeCurtis.

From it we learn that Marwa Blues is an instrumental, derived from a raga, and "features Harrison's slide laying at its most gorgeous and yearning."

Also, that the Indian music we heard during the GMA segment of the clip with George in the studio with Ray Cooper is the end of the song "Brainwashed", which is a mantra chanted by George and double tracked by Dhani. Jeff Lynne says it was Dhani's idea to put it at the end. Dhani says he wanted to leave people with something positive at the end of the album.

DeCurtis also quotes some lines from the lyrics.

"Looking for My Life" he says "summons up a darker reality" quoting the lyrics, "I never knew that life was loaded, I never knew that things exploded, I only found it out when I was down upon my knees, Looking for my life."

There are quotes from Dhani (he is his father's son...if you read the article and you will know what I mean).

DeCurtis calls Brainwashed "Quite simply, it stands among the best work that Harrison ever did."

(Thanks also to Laura Theabald, mcgrath, Amber H., Richard Sinclair, Karen Dyson.)

Finally, here's a direct link to the "Brainwashed" video.

Update (10/19/02) At left is a photo from Amazon.com of the enhanced "Brainwashed."

Also, Dhani Harrison made an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" Friday. Here's a detailed report from Patti Murawski, editor of the Harrison Alliance magazine:

Hi Steve,

ABC-tv's Good Morning America ran some promo stuff for "Brainwashed" Friday morning (October 18). I suspect that some of the footage may be coming from the DVD included with the enhanced format of the album.

Included in the footage was part of the "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" clip from Jool's Holland's Mr. Roadrunner tv special from 1992, some footage of George and Dhani walking through the garden at Friar Park, George driving his golf cart through the garden at F.P., some interview clips with George that were done around the same time (sitting in the garden, working in the studio) as those on the All Things Must Pass EPK, and some comments from Dhani (voiced over or on camera...he does strongly resemble George at that same age...) During parts of the footage snippets of "Any Road" and "Stuck Inside a Cloud" were played, as well as bits of "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea". "Any Road" sounded gentler , a slower tempo than the acoustic performance of the song we all saw on VH1 last November. Dhani commented something about 7 being George's favorite number and he often did things or chose things related to that number whether he realized it or not. So, Dhani decided to make his favorite song on the CD track #7, which is "Stuck Inside a Cloud". The hosts reiterated info we already knew (how the two worked on the album, release date, etc.). It was nice to see ...

ABC News has the clip online (see link on right-hand side), but you must be a subscriber to get it. (Thanks to Larry Diaz.)

(Thanks also to Laura Theobald, Jo Mac, Alan Dean, Jay Burns, Matt Slys, Sue Kane and Susan Nannini for alerting us to the GMA broadcast.)

Update (10/18/02) From Jim Baumann, a rundown of the British formats for "Brainwashed":

Here are the official formats being issued in England: GEORGE HARRISON - Brainwashed
Brainwashed will initially be available in some very special formats...

Limited Edition CD Box Set:
Cat No: 7243 543747 0 8
A clamshell-style, limited edition, box carrying George Harrison's Dark Horse label design will contain.

An exclusive DVD containing footage about the making of the album - featuring George & Dhani Harrison and Jeff Lynne.

Digi-pack CD album with 16 page booklet.

An exclusive, double sided poster - cover art one side, a black and while photograph of George on the other.

An exclusive 'Dark Horse' circular sticker.

CD Digi-pack
Cat No: 7243 5 43246 2 8
A special digi-pack gatefold wallet with:

16 page booklet including:

Full lyrics for all songs

Artist photographs and original sketch.

Vinyl
Cat No: 7243 5 41969 1 1

Gatefold album sleeve

Heavyweight vinyl

12 page booklet including full lyrics, photograph and original artist sketch.

Cassette
Cat No: 7243 5 41969 4 2

Inlay containing artist photograph.

From Terry Ott:

It seems to me that George would have been amused-a-la-Stig-at the commotion surrounding the new release. Meethinks it would have been a great bit in a Rutles movie to have a family member scurry in to a board room with a lttile cassette player, blast 5 seconds of music, and then take off. Ron DeKlein would then make a pitch to Dick Jaws for millions!

Update (10/16/02) From nunki:

An interesting article in Sunday's Los Angeles Times about record labels' attempts to prevent albums from being leaked to the internet prior to release had this mention about George's upcoming album: "George Harrison's "Brainwashed" has thus far only been available for listening in sessions at Capitol Records' offices, with the CD brought in by Harrison's sister-in-law and then taken away by her at the session's end. Not even executives at Capitol or its parent, EMI Music, have been trusted with copies."

And Amazon.com now has only one "special edition" of the album listed. We've removed the non-working link from the order box above.

Update (10/15/02) More package details from Karen Dyson:

I asked my pal at EMD about the difference between the three listed configurations of Brainwashed on Amazon....this is his reply:

There are 2 versions of Brainwashed, the regular version and the Special Edition, which includes a DVD with a 7 1/2 minute video with interviews with George, Dhani, and Jeff Lynne. Amazon has incorrectly listed 3 versions and they'll remove the 3rd version as soon as they can figure out how it got on the site.

Update (10/14/02) From Patti Murawski, editor of The Harrison Alliance, here are the answers to the questions about "Brainwashed" and a lot more. (Our most sincere thanks to Patti!):

Here are some details on the packaging for Brainwashed: The standard edition of Brainwashed will include a four-color annotated booklet consisting of 16 pages illustrated by George's personal drawings. It will be in the digipack format.

In addition, the special limited edition version of the CD will include a bonus DVD single on the "Making of Brainwashed", a collector's poster, and an official George Harrison guitar pick, housed in a special collector's box.

Also, there are 2 different versions of the "Brainwashed" covers. One, with the om and cross under George's signature and one without. Though it is unclear at present which will be used for which version, one cover is for the standard issue CD, while the other will be used for the enhanced CD packaging.

Look for national television advertising in the US to start in the next week or two.

I received a track listing for Brainwashed dated September 25, 2002 from EMI which lists track 2 not as "P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night) or as "Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night)," but simply as "Last Saturday Night".

A video for "Stuck Inside a Cloud" to support the "Brainwashed" CD will be released world wide simultaneously on the album's released date.

Also, received information that there will be a national network TV specials (yes, that is plural) in the US in conjunction with the release date of "Brainwashed" on 11-19 and on the anniversary of George's passing, November 29. No other details. Here's hoping the latter means that the Concert for George (as it's officially being called) at the Royal Albert Hall will be televised here.

A syndicated radio special is being planned for broadcast in the USA for Brainwashed, dates/week to be announced. Also being planned for radio in the USA is a "national simultaneous radio play event in celebration of George's life and accomplishments" on November 29.

From Matt Hurwitz:

The reason for the confusion on the "Brainwashed" Special Editions is that Capitol had planned one Special Edition (which it had been referring to as "Limited Edition" on its schedule), which was then canceled and replaced with the current Special Edition. The current one contains the extra DVD, so one may assume that the Limited Edition version was simply an enhanced CD (meaning an audio CD with extra material viewable on your computer).

So, bottom line, Capitol currently has only two versions on their schedule - the regular CD and the Special Edition containing a bonus DVD. It's likely that Amazon simply hasn't gotten the most up-to-date information yet.

And from Jonathan Dancey on the UK versions:

Steve Here is some info on the UK issues of "Brainwashed," which I have just received from a UK dealer. This is now to be made available in two limited formats. There will be a Limited CD Digipack Edition and a CD Boxset. The Limited CD Boxset includes a DVD Interview & Poster. There will also be a Vinyl LP.

Update (10/13/02) From Patti Murawski:

Amazon has listings for 3 types of packages for Brainwashed. One is the regular CD. One is "Special edition with Bonus DVD". One is the "Special edition with Bonus DVD" and labeled ENHANCED (different ASIN number than the regular special edition").

There are no descriptions to know what the difference between the latter two are, and though they both retail for the same price, Amazon's discount for the "Special edition" is $6 less than the "Special Edition Enhanced" version.

Note: We have all three linked in the green box above. (Thanks also to sage rory.)

And more from Patti:

I find this amusing... Amazon UK is listing this ("Brainwashed") as an import! For Nov. 19. The CD is supposed to be released Nov. 18 there.

Comment: As we've learned in the past, Amazon isn't always reliable in its pre-sales listings and does make mistakes, though this one's an odd one.

Update (10/11/02) An interesting note from Manny regarding some George info from the John Lennon birthday gathering in Hollywood::

I went to the John Lennon birthday gathering last night in front of the Capitol Records building in Hollywood, hosted by Jerry Rubin of the Alliance for Survival. Besides singing "Happy Birthday" to John and Sean, having cake, and singing John's songs, one of the things they did was was show a short promo video for George's new album. It included interviews and footage of George in the studio and in his garden, as well as interviews with Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison and Jim Keltner. Looks like George made a video for "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" because a short segment of it was included in this promo video.

As for Dhani Harrison, he's a pretty good-looking kid, so he immediately got the attention of the teenage girls that were there. I swear, there was a gasp from them when he first appeared in the video. I heard one of them say, "Okay, one of the things I'm going to do is marry Dhani Harrison!" (or words to that effect). John's star up the street had flowers and candles on it, and the cake (on a table) was carried up to the star where it was cut by Chris Carter, host of "Breakfast with the Beatles". Later, a video on eradicating poverty was shown. They also had the usual "open mic" session, but I couldn't stay for that.

Update 10/9/02) From Matt Hurwitz:

Per Patti's note, "Brainwashed" will be issued in the UK on LP and imported by Capitol for sale in the U.S. Also, I believe the Special Edition not only comes with a DVD but a poster as well. Matt

And you'll notice the DVD edition is listed again in our box at the top linked to Amazon.com. The Amazon.com listings are back after having been mysteriously removed. (Thanks to Karen Dyson.)

Update (10/8/02) Some session musician details: Musicians who contributed to the record include Jeff Lynne on bass, Deep Purple's Jon Lord on piano, Jools Holland on piano and Sam Brown on backing vocals. Other featured include drummer Jim Keltner, who plays on seven tracks. Mike Moran and Marc Mann play on keyboards. Ray Cooper plays drums on one track while "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea" features Jools Holland (piano) and his band including Joe Brown (acoustic rhythm guitar) and Herbie Flowers (bass & tuba). The song "Brainwashed" includes Bikram Ghosh (tabla), Jon Lord (piano), Sam Brown (backing vocals), Jane Lister (harp).

And the answer to our inquiry about "Valentine" was that no additional information was available. So we'll have to wait and see.

And from Patti Murawski:

Hi Steve....

Just to let you know, I received the EMI New Releases sheet and there very definitely is an enhanced version of Brainwashed, being called the "Special Edition" that is a CD & DVD, that will be released the same day as the album, November 19.

Here are the catalog/upc numbers:

CD 7243 5 41969 2 8
CD & DVD 7243 5 43352 0 4

There is also a number given in the cassette/vinyl column, but it's not clear which format it's for (or both? I'm guessing cassette...) 7243 5 41969 4 2

Update (10/7/02) A source tells us that before George died, he was playing a lot of the album's songs for his friends on his acoustic guitar. He particularly loved playing "Brainwashed" to just about everyone whom visited him in the hospital and in Los Angeles.

And though a few people have heard the album, there's not much info out there on it because those who have heard it must sign a confidentiality agreement.

And from Bengt Warmlind in Sweden:

Hi, I attended a Beatle Convention in Gothenburg, Sweden yesterday, October 5th. George's album 'Brainwashed' will be released in 5 formats: 1. Ordinary CD
2. Digi-pak
3. Set with DVD
4. Cassette
5. Vinyl LP

Update (10/5/02) From Pete Cunningham:

In an update about George Harrison's new album, someone suggests that "Rocking Chair in Hawaii" might be a song rehearsed by George and Eric Clapton for their tour of Japan in the early nineties. I doubt it. "Rocking Chair" is a song by one of George's heroes, Hoagy Carmichael. Back in the late eighties, while promoting "Cloud Nine", I remember Harrison even joking about he and Clapton doing the song as old men. Since this song is not the one cover tune on the album, it's probably not the same thing.

Update (10/4/02) Several people have asked about the song "Valentine," which isn't on the final tracklist, but was mentioned by Timothy White in one of his stories on George. We'll check with our sources and see if we can get an answer.

From Hey Jude:

Two quick things about the "Brainwashed" album. First, it appears as though the cover art has changed very slightly compared to what it appeared like on Amazon.com. The cover on George's official site has a bit of extra writing/drawing under George's name.

Also, another track (or at least title) from the new album that we may have heard before is "Rocking Chair in Hawaii." I was flipping through Chip Madinger and Mark Easter's excellent "Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium" book, and found among a list of 35 songs George considered rehearsing for his December, 1991 Japan tour is a song titled "Rockin' Chair." Is this the same song as "Rocking Chair in Hawaii?" I don't know, but could be.

Comment: The Amazon.com scan now looks the same to us, with the exception of a copyright line on the left. We suspect it's been changed.

From Niels:

Judging from the personel-credit for "Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea," I expect it to be a stereo-mix of the version we already know from the bootleg "Pirate Songs." Madinger (8 arms, page 481) lists this version as a prerecorded performance with Jools Holland, Ray Cooper, Joe Brown and and Herbie Flowers ... sounds a lot like the version that is going to be on Brainwashed, doesn't it? Still - a nice stereo mix of that version makes a very nice song on the album!

From Jack C.:

Could the Brainwashed track "Rocking Chair in Hawaii" be a rewrite of "Sooty Goes to Hawaii"? It's the same number of syllables...

Update (10/3/02) From Keith Badman, a preview of the new album:

Hi Steve,

Good to hear from you...I understand the album was played just once and, just like all of George's albums, they grow on you. Apparently, the album ends with chanting, or some kind. The most recognisable track on the album is 'Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea'. As we know, George performed this on the Channel 4 Jools Holland TV programme 'Mr Roadrunner' (first transmitted on June 6, 1992). Best Wishes, Keith Badman

And Tim Smith with some comments on the track listing:

It appears that "P2 Vatican Blues" emerges -- it was listed as an outtake for "Cloud Nine"; Harrison's "Run So Far" was on Clapton's "Journeyman"; the "Every Road" track seems to be the song George was singing on VH1 in his special with Ravi.

Update (10/2/02) From Bill King, Jody Denburg and Roger Stormo, here's the press release for "Brainwashed" with the complete track listing:

George Harrison's 'Brainwashed' Track Listing, Musical Credits Revealed

The much-anticipated, forthcoming George Harrison album Brainwashed will be released November 19th on Dark Horse/EMI Recorded Music. Produced by George, Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison, the album features 11 new Harrison compositions alongside a cover of the old standard "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea."

In addition to lead and backing vocals, Brainwashed features George Harrison

on electric and acoustic guitars (including slide & dobro), ukulele, bass and keyboards. Jeff Lynne plays bass, piano, guitars and keyboards and supplies backing vocals. Dhani Harrison plays electric and acoustic guitars, Wurlizter and contributes backing vocals. Other musicians featured on Brainwashed include drummer Jim Keltner who plays on seven tracks and Mike Moran and Marc Mann on keyboards. Ray Cooper plays drums on one track, while "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea" features Jools Holland (piano) and his band including Joe Brown (acoustic rhythm guitar) and Herbie Flowers (bass & tuba).

The song 'Brainwashed' includes Bikram Ghosh (tabla), Jon Lord (piano), Sam Brown (backing vocals), Jane Lister (harp).

The first song to be played at radio will be "Stuck Inside A Cloud."

The complete track listing for Brainwashed is as follows:

1. "Any Road"
2. "Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night)"
3. "Pisces Fish"
4. "Looking For My Life"
5. "Rising Sun"
6. "Marwa Blues"
7. "Stuck Inside A Cloud"
8. "Run So Far"
9. "Never Get Over You"
10. "Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea"
11. "Rocking Chair In Hawaii"
12. "Brainwashed"

And from Keith Badman:

Hi Steve,

Thanks once again for the outstanding work you do on your site! I thought you'd be interested to know that the first listening 'get together' for George's album 'Brainwashed' took place at Abbey Road Studios in London last Wednesday (the 25th). It was, naturally, an invite only event...

Best Wishes from the UK

And we've heard via a reliable source that there may indeed be a DVD for "Brainwashed," but the pricing may be changing, hence the removal of the link from Amazon.com. (Thanks, Karen!)

Update II (9/28/02) Please note: Amazon.com has removed the limited edition link. (We have, too, from the table above until we can find out what's going on.) We wonder if the limited edition listing was a mistake.

Update (9/28/02) As several people pointed out to us, the bonus disc in the limited edition is a DVD.

Update (9/27/02) Amazon.com is now listing a special limited edition (with bonus disc) of Brainwashed along with the regular edition. No word on what will be the content on the bonus disc. (Thanks to David Moore, Patti Murawski, Tony Frye, Amber H.)

Update (9/26/02)

Update (9/24/02) You can now order George's "Brainwashed" album from Amazon.com. The site doesn't have a picture of the cover up as of yet.

Update (9/23/02) All the links below were provided by Karen Dyson, for which we (and you) thank her immensely! The English links are basically rehashes of wire stories and details that have already been reported, but we put them out for information's sake.

Hi Steve:

The Sept. 21 Billboard has an informative article about George's "Brainwashed," including an exclusive interview with EMI Recorded Music vice president David Munns. Munns described the album as reflective, poignant, with "a bit of fun" thrown in for good measure. "He's singing and playing fantastically well."

The article, part of Melinda Newman's "The Beat" column, notes that Harrison's back catalog with Dark Horse is being licensed to EMI. But Munns would not discuss future plans for those albums, nor would he delve into whether other unreleased music would eventually come out.

Update (9/19/02) From Matt Hurwitz:

George's "Brainwashed" may be coming out in a special limited edition version, along with the standard release. No details yet.

And the first single, which will only be released to radio, is, indeed, "Stuck Inside a Cloud." It will be released on 10/30/02, with likely radio "add date" of 11/4/02.

Update (9/18/01)

Update (9/15/02) Evelyn Schwarz of Beatlemania magazine sent us this:

To add a bit to all the assumptions for George's "Brainwashed" album, the most likely cover that comes to (my) mind, would be "Every Grain of Sand" by Bob Dylan (mentioned in the 6/99 Timothy White "Billboard" interview), a beautiful Dylan song (lyrics on his website: http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/grain.html ). Though there was also a mention of "Run So far" (for Eric Clapton's Journey Man 1979), the Dylan song is more likely, just to judge from the lyrics.

Update (9/13/02) The BeatlePages.com has a report on George's final recording sessions dated last January which details a couple of the song titles, but also adds information that a Traveling Wilburys compilation, called "Maximum Traveling," had been started before George's death. It says the compilation included a cover of Paul Simon's "Run That Body Down" and three songs sung by Del Shannon as the latest Wilbury. (Thanks to Bob Dunn.)

Update (9/11/02) This info may not be used elsewhere without specific credit to Abbeyrd's Beatles Page: The first single from George's new album is "Stuck Inside A Cloud." Radio stations will have it Nov. 1. Word from the Capitol Tower is that it's "a classic George record!" (Thanks very very much to DJ.)

Update (9/10/02) George fans have been longing for details about the upcoming album. The news has been slim; if you're a regular reader here, you know we've been on top of what little there was. It's come, so far, in bits and pieces. (Thank you, Dave Clark 5.)

But now, we finally have more details. The album George had been working on for two months before his death, formerly called "Portrait of a Leg End" (reflecting George's humor), is now called "Brainwashed." The album, to be released Nov. 19, 10 days before the anniversary of his death and 15 years after the release of his last album, "Cloud Nine," will be a combined effort from EMI and Dark Horse Records, the label Harrison established. It will feature 11 original tracks and one yet unnamed cover. Harrison did some of the production prior to his passing; Jeff Lynne and George's son, Dhani, will continue the work.

Here's the text of the EMI press release (special thanks to Terry Ott):

For Immediate Release
September 9, 2002

New George Harrison Studio Album Released This November

Dark Horse and EMI Recorded Music are proud to announce the release of "Brainwashed," the new George Harrison studio album written and recorded before he died in 2001. Produced by George, Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison, the album features eleven new Harrison compositions and one cover.

"Brainwashed" is the first release of new Harrison material since the 1987 album "Cloud Nine."

"We started working on the album in 1999," Jeff Lynne explains. "George would come round my house and he'd always have a new song with him. He would strum them on a guitar or ukulele. The songs just knocked me out."

Dhani Harrison and Jeff Lynne spent much of this year completing the final work on the album. "George talked about how he wanted the album to sound," Jeff adds. "He told Dhani a lot of things he would like to have done to the songs and left us little clues. There was always that spiritual energy that went into the lyrics as well as the music."

David Munns, Vice Chairman of EMI Recorded Music said: "EMI is thrilled to have this new affiliation with Dark Horse. George Harrison is an absolutely legendary artist and this is an extraordinary record and a testament to his genius. We are proud to offer this album to the world."

"Brainwashed" will be released in North America on Tuesday, November 19, 2002.

Several song titles -- "Valentine," described in Billboard as a "power ballad," and "Pisces Fish," which Billboard called "a partially autobiographical rock hymn," and "Love's Got a Hold on Me" and "Doing the Bonzo Dog," which were mentioned by drummer Jim Capaldi, have been known for a while, as has what is now the title song, "Brainwashed," which Billboard.com describes as a song directed at his former manager. The 1999 Billboard interview with George described it as "a blistering anthem about social delusions in a world running down," with the lyrics alternating between scathing and witty.

Harrison reflected on his philosophy for the album in an interview with Rolling Stone: "I don't listen to anything, and I don't read the papers, and I don't watch TV, and I don't go to concerts. And so my music, it doesn't matter if I did it twenty years ago or if I did it tomorrow. It doesn't go with trends. My trousers don't get wider and tighter every six months. My music just stays what it is, and that's the way I like it."

"Well, I say that everybody knows they're all being brainwashed, by everything. So in my music, I just sing a rock 'n' roll song about the power of love on "Valentine," or about the eternal river that keeps flowing through this area near my home in "Pisces Fish," or I sing (quoting from his new song, "Brainwashed"), "God, God, God, won't you lead us through this mess?!"

Final note: ABC News.com reported "Horse to the Water," the collaboration with Jools Holland that was the last new Harrison song to be released before his death, won't be on the new album.

(Our sincere appreciation to the many who emailed us about this: Terry Ott, Patti Murawski of the Harrison Alliance, Karen Dyson, Rudi Riet, Jim Baumann, Craig Pospisil, David Harper, Reechie Firestone, Brian and Mary Budde, Mark Hanlon, Alan Pagan, Edward Fields, Amber H., Ingrid McNamara, Rob Gibson of Beatleworld, David Furst, raph, Karen Dyson, Christopher Chiardi, Andrew Chess, Jeff Perry, Fred Velez, dwane, Carlos from Argentina, John Ellis, Dr. Charles W. Crane, Pablo, Michael Fameree, Gwen Craig, Lori Frayne, r.stamberg, Ken Cooke, Bob Dunn, Brian Hurley and Joe Cepin. If we missed anyone, we sincerely apologize. Thanks to each and every one of you.)

Links to reports: (note: all have just about the same info)

Update (6/26/02) The new issue of The Harrison Alliance, which just popped in our mailbox today, reports that Dhani Harrison, George's son, is overseeing work on George's final album with the goal of releasing it on Nov. 29, 2002, the anniversary of George's death. The magazine also says all of George's reissues were formulated before George's passing with bonus tracks picked out.

Update (5/23/02) Here's an interesting little Abbeyrd scooplet: We hear that the president and vice president of Capitol Records went to Jeff Lynne's house the other night for a listening session for some new George songs. Dhani and Olivia played them five songs. Capitol will be releasing the CD. Although George told Dhani to "never be famous," he has agreed to talk about the CD a bit to the press. George also left behind detailed notes and a storyboard for a video.

Update (5/9/02) In a recent interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Paul talked a little about George's upcoming album:

Q: George reportedly left behind a more or less finished album. Had the two of you worked together on anything in recent years? Or is there any chance for some sort of posthumous collaboration, a la what you, George and Ringo did with John's "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love" for the "Anthology" project?

A: I don't know about that. I do know he (George) had a lot of good material. I heard some of the songs. I do know at some point something will be coming out. I understand there is a little bit of work going on about it. But I don't know if people want it known yet. So I'm not gonna go blabbing. . . . And if someone asked me to do something on it, I'd be honored.

Update (2/18/02) From José Renato Coelho de Souza in Brazil:

In interview here in Brazil for the newspaper "Folha de Sao Paulo" Jim Capaldi said that he recorded two songs with George for his next album. The songs are "Love's Got a Hold on Me" and "Doing the Bonzo Dog." Never completed!

Update (12/2/01) The Sunday Times reports that, before his passing, George had pretty much finished the album he'd revealed some time back that he'd been working on. Drummer Jim Keltner said, "The CD is very close to finishing. There is a certain soulfulness about George’s music that doesn’t need a lot once he has put that voice on. There will be people who argue that it is underproduced and maybe there should be more on it. Knowing George, I have a feeling he would rather it be as simple and as direct as possible." Keltner also said, “I last saw him on Sunday night. It was a great gift to us that he was so beautiful. He looked fantastic. He looked like a prince. He didn’t look like a person suffering from cancer. His skin was shining and he was smiling.” The Times also says 25 unreleased tracks, some dating back to the '80s, remain in his vaults.

Update (12/31/00) From Sylvia (thanks!):

Don't miss the holiday year-end issue of "Billboard" (Dec. 30). Timothy White has a nice interview with George!

And in response to our request for a Spanish translation for the El Pais interview, several people (Sharon Nemzer, Fernando Luna, Enrique Rojas, JSM, Matthew Brown) sent along translations or summaries. (Thank you, all!) Here is Matthew Brown's summary:

Actually, this is a pretty interesting interview. George talks about playing with his son, whom he says has a beautiful voice, but bemoans the expectations placed on the children of famous artists, and names Julian Lennon as an example. He says Paul and Ringo are part of his life, and he enjoys going to a birthday at Ringo's, having known each other in adolescence, and seeing the old men they have become. He believes Paul and he share a destiny -- it was written that they would meet. He talks of the difficulty of getting heard by Lennon and McCartney, and the difficulty of writing without the help of others. He says he has written many songs as good or better than the best of the Beatles, but the Beatles were a phenomenon. He says their real influence -- whatever groups like Oasis might say -- was on the industry, on the changing relationships between artists, promoters and lawyers, and on the size of crowds at concerts. The writer says George is promoting the reissue by telephone only, and says this relates to the attack, which she says George won't talk about. She also seems to say that George has written enough songs for three new discs."

Question: What is your relationship like with Paul and Ringo, lately?
Answer: They're a part of my life. We've known each other since we were
teenagers and it's fun to go to a birthday party at Ringo's and see how old
we've gotten. Paul and I are different. But I think that destiny has brought
us together. It was written that we'd find each other.

Update (12/24/00) Another statement from George from the end of the Billboard interview worth noting:

"It's not going to be the end-it's going to be one of lots of records. Then I'll go on holiday again."

Update (12/22/00) When it rains, it pours. It's been a year and a half since George since revealed a new album and a reissue project was in the works. In the time since, we've gotten more emails wondering what was happening. And we wondered, especially in light of last Christmas's awful events, if it would ever come to pass.

Finally, we know. George has spoken. And the news is as good as we could hope for: He IS coming out with a new album. He revealed these details Wednesday in interviews with Billboard with editor Timothy White and to Reuters. Right now, it looks like we'll see it at the end of next year: He told Reuters the album would be out in either October or November, though he told Billboard the album will be out hopefully by November. He said, "It definitely won't be called 'Portrait Of A Leg End,'" the title he used in his June, 1999, interview with White. In a comment that gives even more reason for happiness, he said, "It's definitely going to be 'Volume One' -- it's not going to be the end."

He also told Reuters that the new album, which includes contributions from his son Dhani and drummer Jim Keltner, will be basically George playing his own instruments -- not surprisingly, without the use of computers. ``My music doesn't seem to belong to any particular period ... I just make it the same way as we made it back in the Sixties, which is analog tapes, microphones and guitars, bass, drums, pianos.'' One title he jokingly mentioned in the Reuters interview he might use is``Your Planet is Doomed, Volume One' because of George's concern over the all-too-rapid development of technology. ``The world is just going mental as far as I'm concerned,'' he told Reuters. ``It's speeding up with the whole technology and everything that's happening.''

Which points to his reason for re-recording "My Sweet Lord" on the new reissue coming out Jan. 23. ``I just like the idea and the opportunity to freshen it up, because the point of 'My Sweet Lord' is just to try and remind myself basically that there's more to life than the material world,'' he said. He also said, ``Basically I think the planet is doomed ... And it's my attempt to try to put a bit of a spin on the spiritual side, a reminder for myself and for anybody who's interested.''

As for his reissue projects, he told Billboard, "It's amazing ... I thought I'd cash in on the craze and put out all my old tracks!" He recalled that much of ATMP was originally done for the Beatles during the "Get Back" sessions. "I was probably trying to get them recorded in amongst all the usual John and Paul stuff ... For me, that was the great thing about splitting up: to be able to go off and make my own record and record all these songs that I'd been stockpiling." The next reissues, he told Billboard, will be "Living In The Material World" and "The Concert For Bangla Desh." These will be remastered, like ATMP, and include outtakes and bonus tracks. In the future, he plans to reissue his Warner Bros. catalog and his Traveling Wilburys material.

Of course, now the question is whether it will happen on time or not. We're crossing our fingers. (Note: More details will be revealed in an interview with Timothy White to be posted Friday on the Billboard site at http://www.billboard.com/musictomyears/.) (Thanks to Matthew Brown, Clint Romag, JPerry, Ddeepbblue, David Moore, Wendy Starr and GRappa6771.)

Update (8/28/00) In an interview with Launch.com, drummer Jim Keltner says George has been pulling tracks out of his vaults and finishing them over the last couple of years. "There's a tremendous amount of stuff he hadn't finished, and I put drums on a tremendous amount of that stuff. Some of the songs I played on were absolutely wonderful, brilliant. I can't wait to see what he does with them. I don't know whether he'll have somebody help him produce or what, but I'm sure he'll come out with something cool." He also says George seems to be the Traveling Wilbury least interested in doing a new TW album. : "I think it really all comes down to George. When I talk to the other guys, Tom (Petty) or Jeff (Lynne) or Bob (Dylan), they all sound like they're into it. George wants to sometimes, and other times he gets busy on other things."

Update (5/29/00) In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, asked if he was contributing to George's new album, Ringo said, "I had no idea that George is making an album. I had no idea that Paul might participate. Did Paul say this?" Told it was rumored on the Internet, Ringo said, "Oh, yes, go on. I'm producing it then. ... I saw both of them last month. They're up to whatever they're up to. If you want to know what they're doing, you've got to talk to them. It's up to them to let you know what they want you to know." (Thanks to Patti Murawski of the Harrison Alliance.)

Update (1/29/00) Very unsubstiated rumor going around: George's album will be a double-disc set.

Update (6/20/99) The full interview, in the June 19 issue, has some interesting revelations: The album, according to author Timothy White, who interviewed George, is to be titled "Portrait of a Leg End." Songs include "Valentine," "Pisces Fish," and "Brainwashed." In the interview, Harrison decries the cynicism rampant today and says he still believes in the power of music "to inspire, give comfort or another outlook" on "all the terrible things" that "we're doing to ourselves and each other these days." Read the excerpts online (at the link below) or go get the magazine with the full interview. Again, welcome back, George. We really missed you!

(6/12/99) In an exclusive interview with Billboard.com, George revealed a lot of long-awaited news: plans for "Yellow Submarine," plus some unexpected and surprising news about forthcoming solo ventures. Most of what he revealed about YS has been reported (here) previously. However, he revealed an official Beatles web site is in the works. (A number of Beatle domain names, including http://www.yellowsubmarine.com, are already owned by Apple.) Regarding his very long-awaited solo album, he said he's in the final states of recording it and trying to choose a label to sign with. He's taken ownership of his solo recordings and is considering reissuing them with bonus tracks. There's more: He's assembling a boxed set of unreleased material. (There was a petition through the Internet to persuade George to do just that. Did it work? We hope so.) We're really thrilled with these developments. Welcome back, George. (Thanks very much to Matt Hurwitz, David Harper, Steve Frank, Jeffrey Ross, Jeff Smulyan, Bob Bowen, A. Hayes and Rock Stamberg.)