The Concert for George was held at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

on 29 November 2002 as a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of ...

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organised by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and his son, Dhani, and arranged under the musical direction of

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...

. The profits from the event went to the Material World Charitable Foundation, an organisation founded by Harrison.

Performances

The concert opened with a traditional

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

invocation, the ''Sarvesham''

chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of n ...

, followed by Indian music starting with Anoushka Shankar, daughter of

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North In ...

, playing "Your Eyes". Next, Anoushka Shankar, Dhani Harrison, and

Jeff Lynne Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder of the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970. As a songwriter, he has cont ...

performed "

The Inner Light ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

", followed by a Ravi Shankar composition "Arpan" (Sanskrit for 'to give'), specially written for the occasion. Next, there was a comedy interlude with four of the surviving members of the

Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over fou ...

troupe (

Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broad ...

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including '' Time Bandits'' (1981), '' ...

Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh comedian, director, historian, actor, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy team. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and ...

along with Python contributor

Neil Innes Neil James Innes (; 9 December 1944 – 29 December 2019) was an English writer, comedian and musician. He first came to prominence in the pioneering comedy rock group Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later became a frequent collaborator with the M ...

) performing " Sit on My Face". Then, Michael Palin came out as an over-the-top announcer who eventually states that he only ever wanted to be a lumberjack. He was then joined by the Pythons, Innes, Carol Cleveland,

Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...

, and

The Fred Tomlinson Singers Frederick Tomlinson (18 December 1927 – 17 July 2016) was a British singer, songwriter and composer. He founded the Fred Tomlinson Singers, who sang the music featured on ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', ''The Two Ronnies'' and other British t ...

to perform " The Lumberjack Song". The remainder of the concert featured "George's Band" and included the surviving members of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

(

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

and

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

), Harrison's son Dhani Harrison, as well as musicians

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer ...

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...

Jools Holland Julian Miles Holland, (born 24 January 1958) is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer and television presenter. He was an original member of the band Squeeze and has worked with many artists including Jayne County, Sting, Eric C ...

Albert Lee Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked, both in the studio and on tour, with many famous musicians from a wide range of genres. He has also mai ...

, Sam Brown, Gary Brooker, Joe Brown,

Ray Cooper Raymond Cooper (born 19 September 1947) is an English musician who has worked as a session and road-tour percussionist. During his career, Cooper has worked and toured with numerous musically diverse bands and artists including Elton John (as ...

Andy Fairweather-Low Andrew Fairweather Low (born 2 August 1948) is a Welsh guitarist and singer. He was a founding member and lead singer of 1960s pop band Amen Corner, and in recent years has toured extensively with Roger Waters, Eric Clapton and Bill Wyman's ...

, Marc Mann, Dave Bronze,

Klaus Voormann Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German artist, musician, and record producer. Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, including " You're So ...

Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Dow ...

and several other musicians who had appeared on Harrison's recordings over the years. They played a selection of mostly Harrison's songs, from both Beatles and post-Beatles eras, generally staying faithful to Harrison's arrangements. Performances included Lynne on "

I Want to Tell You "I Want to Tell You" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album ''Revolver''. It was written and sung by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. After "Taxman" and "Love You To", it was the third Harrison compositi ...

" and "

Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released as the opening track of his 1973 album ''Living in the Material World''. It was also issued as the album's lead single, in May that year, and becam ...

"; Clapton on "

If I Needed Someone "If I Needed Someone" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by George Harrison, the group's lead guitarist. It was released in December 1965 on their album '' Rubber Soul'', except in North America, where it appeared on the J ...

" and " Beware of Darkness"; Petty on " I Need You" and " Taxman"; Petty, Lynne, Dhani Harrison, and

on " Handle With Care" (reuniting most of the surviving Traveling Wilburys except for

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

); Clapton and Preston on "

Isn't It a Pity "Isn't It a Pity" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 solo album ''All Things Must Pass''. It appears in two variations there: one the well-known, seven-minute version; the other a reprise, titled "Isn't It a Pity ...

"; Starr on "

Photograph A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now create ...

" and " Honey Don't"; McCartney on " For You Blue" and "

All Things Must Pass ''All Things Must Pass'' is the third studio album by English rock musician George Harrison. Released as a triple album in November 1970, it was Harrison's first solo work after the break-up of the Beatles in April that year. It includes the h ...

"; McCartney and Clapton on " Something" (McCartney opening with a solo ukulele accompaniment that shifts into a full band version featuring Clapton); Clapton, McCartney, and Starr reuniting on "

While My Guitar Gently Weeps "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album '' The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album"). It was written by George Harrison, the band's lead guitarist. Harrison wrote "While ...

"; Preston on "

My Sweet Lord "My Sweet Lord" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released in November 1970 on his triple album ''All Things Must Pass''. It was also released as a single, Harrison's first as a solo artist, and topped charts worldwide; it was the ...

"; and the group performance of " Wah-Wah". Joe Brown closed the show with a rendition of " I'll See You in My Dreams" on

ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...

, one of Harrison's favourite instruments. The event was filmed and a motion picture version, directed by David Leland and photographed by

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-winning cinematographer Chris Menges, was released on DVD on 17 November 2003. A compact disc version was also released on the same date although the Monty Python and Sam Brown tracks were not included on the CD. A Blu-ray version was released by

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species ...

on 22 March 2011. In 2018, to honour what would have been Harrison's 75th birthday, the concert made its debut on streaming services, and was issued on a vinyl LP set for the first time.

Set list

#"Sarveshaam" #*Traditional prayer – including a dedication by Ravi Shankar #"Your Eyes" (Ravi Shankar) – 8:22 #*Anoushka Shankar: sitar; Tanmoy Bose: tabla #"

" (Harrison) – 3:01 #*Anoushka Shankar: sitar; Jeff Lynne: lead vocals, acoustic guitar; Dhani Harrison: backing vocals, piano; Rajendara Prasanna: shahnai; Tanmoy Bose: tabla; Sunil Gupta: flute; M. Balanchandar: mridangam; Unidentified musicians: other instruments #"Arpan" (Ravi Shankar) – 23:01 #*Anoushka Shankar: conductor; Sukanya Shankar: vocal-shloka; M. Balanchandar: mridangam; Rajendara Prasanna: shahnai; Vishwa Mohan Bhatt: mohan vina; Tanmoy Bose: tabla, dholak; Chandrasekhar, Balu Raghuraman: violins; Eric Clapton: acoustic guitar; Pedro Eustache: wind instruments; Sunil Gupta: flute; Anuradha Krishamurthi, O.S. Arun: lead vocals; Jane Lister: harp; Gaurav Mazumdar: sitar; Snehashish Mzumdar: mandolin; Ramesh Mishra: sarangi; Pirashanna Thevarajah: percussion; Kenji Ota: tanpura; Barry Phillips: cello; Emil Richards: marimba; Partho Sarathy: sarod; Hari Sivanesan, Sivaskti Sivanesan: veena; Boys and Girls Choir courtesy of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan; English Chamber Choir; London Metropolitan Orchestra (Andrew Brown, Roger Chase, Chris Fish, Helen Hathorn, Lynda Houghton, Ian Humphries, Zoe Martlew, Stella Page, Debbie Widdup) #*

Michael Kamen Michael Arnold Kamen (April 15, 1948 – November 18, 2003) was an American composer (especially of film scores), orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, songwriter, and session musician. Biography Early life Michael Arnold Kamen was bor ...

– string conductor, string arrangement #Comedy Interlude including four members of Monty Python: Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Also performing: Neil Innes, Carol Cleveland, Tom Hanks, and The Fred Tomlinson Singers. #*" Sit on My Face" (Eric Idle / Harry Parr-Davies) – 0:44 #*" The Lumberjack Song" (Terry Jones / Michael Palin / Fred Tomlinson) – 4:09 #"

" (Harrison) – 2:52 #*Jeff Lynne: lead vocals, rhythm guitar #"

" (Harrison) – 2:28 #*Eric Clapton: lead vocals, rhythm guitar #" Old Brown Shoe" (Harrison) – 3:48 #*Gary Brooker: lead vocals, electric piano #"

" (Harrison) – 3:29 #*Jeff Lynne: lead vocals, acoustic guitar #" Beware of Darkness" (Harrison) – 4:00 #*Eric Clapton: lead vocals, rhythm guitar #"

Here Comes the Sun "Here Comes the Sun" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album ''Abbey Road''. It was written by George Harrison and is one of his best-known compositions. Harrison wrote the song in early 1969 at the country house o ...

" (Harrison) – 3:09 #*Joe Brown: lead vocals, acoustic guitar; Neil Gauntlett: acoustic guitar; Dave "Rico" Niles: bass; Phil Capaldi: drums; Andy Fairweather-Low: electric guitar #" That's the Way It Goes" (Harrison) – 3:39 #*Joe Brown: lead vocals, mandolin; Neil Gauntlett: acoustic guitar; Dave "Rico" Niles: bass; Phil Capaldi: drums; Andy Fairweather-Low: slide electric guitar #" Horse to the Water" (George Harrison / Dhani Harrison) – 5:08 #*Sam Brown: lead vocals; Jools Holland: piano; Jim Capaldi: drums #" Taxman" (Harrison) – 3:10 #*Tom Petty: lead vocals, rhythm guitar; Mike Campbell: lead guitar;

Benmont Tench Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Early years Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin ...

: electric piano; Ron Blair: bass; Steve Ferrone: drums;

Scott Thurston Scott Troy Thurston (born January 10, 1952) is an American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and session musician. He was a member of the Stooges, and of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, in which he sang harmony vocals and played guitar, bass, ...

: backing vocals, rhythm guitar #" I Need You" (Harrison) – 3:00 #*Tom Petty: lead vocals, 12-string acoustic rhythm guitar; Mike Campbell: lead guitar; Benmont Tench: electric piano; Ron Blair: bass; Steve Ferrone: drums; Scott Thurston: backing vocals, rhythm guitar #" Handle with Care" (George Harrison / Jeff Lynne / Roy Orbison / Tom Petty / Bob Dylan) – 3:27 #*Tom Petty: lead vocals, 12-string acoustic rhythm guitar; Jeff Lynne: lead vocals, rhythm guitar; Dhani Harrison: acoustic rhythm guitar; Scott Thurston: backing vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica; Mike Campbell: lead guitar; Benmont Tench: electric piano; Ron Blair: bass; Steve Ferrone: drums; Jim Keltner: drums #"

" (Harrison) – 6:58 #*Billy Preston: lead vocals, Hammond organ; Eric Clapton: lead vocals, lead guitar solos; Marc Mann: slide guitar #"

" (George Harrison / Richard Starkey) – 3:56 #*Ringo Starr: lead vocals; Jim Horn: sax solo #" Honey Don't" (

Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...

) – 3:03 #*Ringo Starr: lead vocals; Albert Lee: lead guitar solo; Gary Brooker: piano solo; Billy Preston: Hammond organ #" For You Blue" (Harrison) – 3:04 #*Paul McCartney: lead vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar; Ringo Starr: drums; Marc Mann: slide guitar; Gary Brooker: piano solo #" Something" (Harrison) – 4:25 #*Paul McCartney: lead vocals, ukulele, acoustic rhythm guitar; Ringo Starr: drums; Eric Clapton: lead vocals, rhythm guitar; Marc Mann: lead guitar #"

" (Harrison) – 3:33 #*Paul McCartney: lead vocals, acoustic guitar; Ringo Starr: drums; Eric Clapton: 12-string acoustic guitar; Dhani Harrison: electric guitar; Klaus Voormann: bass; Marc Mann: slide guitar #"

" (Harrison) – 5:57 #*Eric Clapton: lead vocals, lead guitar solos; Paul McCartney: lead vocals, piano; Ringo Starr: drums; Dhani Harrison: acoustic guitar; Marc Mann: lead guitar #"

" (Harrison) – 5:02 #*Billy Preston: lead vocals, Hammond organ; Paul McCartney: piano; Ringo Starr: drums; Eric Clapton: 12-string acoustic guitar; Dhani Harrison: backing vocals, acoustic guitar; Marc Mann: slide guitar; Jeff Lynne: acoustic guitar #" Wah-Wah" (Harrison) – 6:06 #*Eric Clapton: rhythm guitar/vocals; Jeff Lynne: acoustic rhythm guitar/vocals;concert for george album Paul McCartney: piano; Ringo Starr: drums; Andy Fairweather-Low: rhythm guitar/vocals; Supergroup of Guest Musicians: other instruments #" I'll See You in My Dreams" (

Isham Jones Isham Edgar Jones (January 31, 1894 – October 19, 1956) was an American bandleader, saxophonist, bassist and songwriter. Career Jones was born in Coalton, Ohio, United States, to a musical and mining family. His father, Richard Isham Jone ...

Gus Kahn Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886October 8, 1941) was an American lyricist who contributed a number of songs to the Great American Songbook, including " Pretty Baby", " Ain't We Got Fun?", " Carolina in the Morning", " Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo ...

) – 4:01 #*Joe Brown: lead vocals, ukulele; Neil Gauntlett: acoustic guitar; Dave "Rico" Niles: bass; Phil Capaldi: drums

George's Band (after interlude) and guests

– electric and acoustic guitars, musical director *

, Marc Mann, Andy Fairweather Low, Dhani Harrison,

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the la ...

, Joe Brown,

– electric and acoustic guitars * Gary Brooker,

Chris Stainton Christopher Robert "Chris" Stainton (born 22 March 1944) is an English session musician, keyboard player, bassist and songwriter, who first gained recognition with Joe Cocker in the late 1960s. In addition to his collaboration with Cocker, Stai ...

, Paul McCartney – keyboards *Dave Bronze,

– bass *

Henry Spinetti Enrico Antonio Giorgio Spinetti (born 31 March 1951) is a Welsh session drummer whose playing has featured on many prominent rock and pop albums. Career Spinetti was born in Cwm, near Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, Wales. His first band, aged about ...

, Jim Capaldi – drums *

Emil Richards Emil Richards (born Emilio Joseph Radocchia; September 2, 1932 – December 13, 2019) was an American vibraphonist and percussionist. Biography Musician Richards began playing the xylophone aged six. In High School, he performed with the Hartf ...

, Jim Capaldi – percussion *

Jim Horn James Ronald Horn (born November 20, 1940) is an American saxophonist, woodwind player, and session musician. Biography Horn was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for ...

– tenor saxophone * Tom Scott – alto saxophone *

Katie Kissoon Mac and Katie Kissoon are a pop soul duo, consisting of brother and sister Mac Kissoon (born Gerald Farthing, November 11, 1943, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) and Katie Kissoon (born Katherine Farthing, March 11, 1951, Port of Spain). E ...

, Tessa Niles, Sam Brown – backing vocals

References

External links

Official website''Looking Back at the Concert for George'' review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Concert for George George Harrison Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall 2002 in British music 2002 in London Tribute concerts in the United Kingdom November 2002 events in the United Kingdom

Performances

Set list

George's Band (after interlude) and guests

See also

References

External links