"Blow Away" is a song by English musician

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 ...

that was released in February 1979 on his album ''

''. It was also the lead single from the album. The song is one of Harrison's most popular recordings from his solo career and has appeared on the compilations '' Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989'' and '' Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison''.

Writing and recording

The song is one of Harrison's simplest compositions. Its uptempo pop sound fell far outside the dominant genres of the era:

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...

and punk. The end of "Blow Away", written on a rainy day (that's why first verses are about clouds), was included in '' Nuns on the Run'' – a comedy with Eric Idle and Robbie Coltrane. In his autobiography, '' I, Me, Mine'', Harrison says that the song arose from feelings of frustration and inadequacy resulting from a leaking roof at his Friar Park home. While viewing the downpour from an outbuilding on the property, he realised that, in surrendering to the problem, he was merely exacerbating it. With this realisation, the episode served as a reminder that he, in fact, "loved everybody" and should seek to be more optimistic. Additionally, he notes that, while he initially felt self-conscious about the song, thinking it "so obvious", the track grew on him when he recorded it.

Music video

The video for "Blow Away" includes shots of Harrison miming to the song superimposed over footage of moving clouds and land, and in some instances, accompanied by large toys (a wind-up duck; sitting in a toy swan and on a dog). There are also instances of Harrison acting silly – breaking into a quick smirk as the camera closes in on the lyric "be happy", and doing a playful dance step. This video was not included on the Dark Horse Years box set DVD.

Reception

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

''s singles reviewer said "Blow Away" had a "catchy melody" and that Harrison was in "top form both vocally and lyrically". ''

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'' listed the single first in its "feature picks" for the week, saying that it might "augur a new beginning" for the artist, with its buoyant mood, "strumming acoustic guitars, wood block beat, synthesizer moods and appealing singing". ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' said it has Harrison's "familiar guitar sound and a pop/rock beat that should appeal to several formats." Nick DeRiso of '' Ultimate Classic Rock'' calls it "a soul-lifting track about clearing skies and opening hearts that's aged as well as any '70s-era solo Beatles single". "Blow Away" reached number 51 on the UK Singles Chart, his first chart appearance on that chart since " You" in 1975. The single peaked at number 16 and number 7, respectively, in the United States and Canada. On the US Easy Listening chart, it reached number 2. "Blow Away" became one of Harrison's more popular songs among his fans. In 2010, AOL radio listeners chose the track as one of the "10 Best George Harrison Songs", appearing at number 2 on the list, behind " My Sweet Lord". "Blow Away" appears on the Harrison compilations '' Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989'' (1989) and '' Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison'' (2009). His demo of the song was released as an

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-exclusive bonus track on ''George Harrison''.

Personnel

According to author Simon Leng: *

– vocals, 12-string acoustic guitars, slide guitar, electric guitar, backing vocals * Neil Larsen – electric piano *

Andy Newmark Andrew Newmark (born July 14, 1950)

– drums * Willie Weeks – bass *

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 ...

– percussion * Del Newman – string arrangement

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

Sources

External links

* {{authority control 1979 songs 1979 singles George Harrison songs Dark Horse Records singles Songs written by George Harrison Song recordings produced by George Harrison Song recordings produced by Russ Titelman Music published by Oops Publishing and Ganga Publishing, B.V.