Concert for George (album)


Concert for George is a live tribute soundtrack album in honour of George Harrison, recorded on the first anniversary of his death, and issued in 2003 in conjunction with the simultaneous DVD release of the same name. Featuring performances of many of Harrison's best-known songs, played by his closest musician friends, Concert for George is considered a fitting and heartfelt celebration of Harrison's considerable career.

Tribute concert

Recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 – the first anniversary of Harrison's death – the performance features a wealth of talents who knew Harrison well. Eric Clapton, one of Harrison's closest friends, served as the musical director of the show, which was advertised as the Concert for George. Representing Indian music, an important influence on Harrison's life, is Ravi Shankar and his daughter Anoushka Shankar. Among Harrison's rock and roll cohorts are Jeff Lynne, Gary Brooker, Joe Brown, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Billy Preston and Jim Keltner, together with Harrison's former Beatles bandmates, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

Release and reception

Concert for George was issued on 17 November 2003 in Britain, with a US release following on 18 November. A double album, it was warmly received by the public, reaching number 97 on America's Billboard chart.
Uncut magazine's reviewer wrote: "Concerts like these are usually long on sentiment and short on worthwhile content. But under the directorship of Eric Clapton, the concert for George Harrison at the Albert Hall in November 2002 was an exception. The event exudes a powerful atmosphere and genuine musicality …" Writing in The Word, Paul Du Noyer described the posthumous tribute to Harrison as "the grandest send-off that he could possibly have wished for". Du Noyer said of the live album, "Its sins are only those of omission", and recommended the accompanying DVD release, before concluding: "In either format, however, show-closing 'I’ll See You In My Dreams' is an exquisitely poignant note to end upon."
In 2005, the Concert for George DVD won the Best Long Form Video Grammy. Directed by David Leland, it contains material not found on the album, including "Sit on My Face" and "The Lumberjack Song" by Monty Python, and "Horse to the Water", featuring Jools Holland with vocals by Sam Brown, daughter of English singer Joe Brown.
iTunes released Concert for George in 2008 with "Horse to the Water" added to the album. iTunes incorrectly attributes McCartney as a main performer on "Your Eyes". McCartney does not play on the track.
In 2018, Concert for George was released on 180-gram vinyl LP records, in several packages and formats, to celebrate Harrison's 75th birthday.

Track listing

All songs written by George Harrison, except where noted.