My Encounter w/Dhani Harrison About George

For all we know this has already been done. If he says a multi-boxset was rejected by EMI five years ago then lots of work must have been involved back then. He mentioned to CDice that "they" are well aware of what the bootleggers have put out and it's the proverbial tip of the iceberg, both in contents and sound quality, which is amazing when one has heard the 5 or 6 CDs of ATMP sessions, plus all sorts of rarities and demos that have leaked over the years. Since he and his mom were rebuffed by EMI, maybe he feels working on a rarities box is just a waste of time. Again, without knowing George's distribution deal with EMI, there's no way to know if the Harrison Estate CAN preview or sell outtakes, sessions and demos on their own website, without approval by EMI. It would be phenomenal if they COULD do so, perhaps that's what will happen in a few years time. Ron

 

I wonder if maybe the sales on the reissued catalog may have something to do with EMI's reluctance to deal with anything to do with George's recorded legacy that they feel may not sell in large quantities. The upcoming hits package WILL sell in enough numbers to make it worth doing. And Dhani probably knows this, hence his "bean counter" reference.

Evan

 

Well, if they're not getting a positive from the label, then it makes sense that they wouldn't be putting further effort into it. If there are other avenues to pursue, then it comes down to Dhani and/or Olivia's level of interest in it. They could do something for "the fans", but I doubt it's a primary concern for either of them. It's hard to keep in mind that they are real people with actual lives and that they owe us nothing. I think it's quite sensible to not worry about the fans too much. If they start thinking they have to get certain projects out before people die, they'll drive themselves crazy. I wish it was someone's responsibility to tend to my need for unreleased recordings by my favorite musicians, but I have yet to find that person.

One can only imagine what George's tape vault looks like. It probably fills up a decent sized room. It only stands to reason that the bootleggers have nothing in comparison. I'm sure Dhani can listen to whatever he wants, when he wants.

 

Yes, I can never understand the concept that any artist owes "the fans" ..anything.
George did good work in his lifetime. Anything released from the vaults will be a bonus, but Dhani certainly has invested a fair amount of his time already dealing with his fathers legacy, and taking a break to concentrate on his own career for a bit is certainly understandable.
Of course a box set of George raritie's would be great. I just wince a little when I read people DEMANDING them, and demanding them... now.

 

I figure that, if I fork over a coupla bucks to the artist (via their record co.), and end up with a CD that I'll enjoy listening to for years to come, that I've probably got the best part of that deal. Then, if I ever run into them in public, we can talk about gardening, auto racing or whatever. No demands!

 

Holy Smokes

I respec everyone's view. However I stand by the credo release the remaining archival gems! It has been in the most extreme beatle case-fifty one years that things have sat unreleased. In the case of George's solo work
not as long clearly.

Owe it to us ? well thats a subjective thing I suppose. The Beatles as a group and as solo artists gave a lot, a great deal. They recieved a great deal
in return, international adulation,critical praise and billions of dollars.

Now cancer has no cure, but this problem does. It doesn't have to be an ongoing dilemna just put the stuff out and the problem is solved forever!
Its the music that counts!

I don't want to bring a video cam into Ringo's kitchen or the Harrisons mansion or talk to their kids or pry into their personal affairs. I don't want to
look at their financial statements or contribuutions to charity. I just want to hear the bloody songs that remain unheard. Actually they are losing money
by not putting it out as the fanbase is aging and dying off. The fans most likely to have an interest in the archives are older fans and perhaps musicians.

this is a fake argument do they owe it to the fans.. LOVE, The Beatle game
all of it is rereleasing the same stuff in a new package basically. Great make another billion, but while your'e at it give over the last of the Beatles archive
the Harrison, Lennon and Mccartney. Yoko has been pretty good about it so you don't hear much squawking about here on this issue. Dhani wants to put it out and EMI said no. Its been sitting there five years. If you don't object that some dude at EMI has determined you cant hear Harrisons archives just on his say so. Well you should object because it would make money in all
probability and better yet it would be great. Harrison said over the weekend
we will hear it someday, well why put off those good times! Lets have it!

"you have no idea what I have in the vault, you have no idea"
Dhani Harrison Sunday Coachella California

 

If Dhani and Olivia give in to EMI's terms for releasing George's remaining vault material, where's their leverage for fair compensation? Just as George did, THEY have to "live in the material world", too!!!

 

They owe you nothing. That's not subjective- it's a fact.

 

You make it seem

you make it seem like I am trying to force the Harrisons to release something
against their will ? What Harrison said was he has had it ready to release
for five years "Those sons of bitches at EMI won't put it out"

That hardly seems like I am trying to foist my will on the Harrisons

WHo are you talking about EMI ? They owe me nothing ?


Who says anybody owes ? Thats a philosphical view

I'm not into Linda's vegetarian foods or Parker Brothers Beatle Monopoly.

I dig buying their music. I think they should make the music available. I should just go away because EMI doesn't agree ? Its not the beatles who disagree apparently but excecutives at record companies from the sound of it.

Who's talking about owing ? First and foremost the Beatles and solo Beatles
earning power is their music. I think it makes perfect business sense to release archival music while a window still exists. Hey answer this if it isin't going to come out why is it being stored and catalogued so carefully ?

What would be the point of storing something unless their was a use for it.

 

But how many times, over the years, has there been an artist who was highly reluctant to release vault material, where we fans imagined that the artist was hoarding loads of great unreleased material (an idea sometimes propogated by the artist themself), and then the reality turned out to be an anti-climax, I.E. that the quantity turned out to be quite small, or if there was a significant quantity of unreleased material, that they turned out to be mediocre, unpolished or incomplete.

I believe that the George Harrison vault material is probably, for the most part, unreleased takes, versions or arrangements.......sort of like The Beatles vault material.

Don't get me wrong. I dig(and collect) Beatles outtakes, but the alternate arrangements only establish that the group's quality control mechanism worked well. The best arrangements and mixes were the ones selected for release.

 

Jeff, you never come out and say they "owe" you anything, but your constant harangues certainly have that edge to them.

 

Here's the deal:
1. EMI have the contract rights to release the Harrison archival material, probably subject to the family's OK.
2. If it makes business sense, it will.
The end.

 

Oh

well I probably have my shortcummings Sean. But that has little to do with
the issue at hand. I don't argue with anybodys legal rights to do what
they choose with their music. I object personally to keeping the stuff locked
up. It's going to come out Sean thats why its in storage and not destroyed.

Do I have a legal right to object of course not. I would like to see the stuff
come out. Dhani Harrison said not only would he like it to come out, but he
presented a box of Georges archival material five years ago, because the Harrisons wanted it out!

What we have is an impasse between the artists estate and the record company. Thats a shame.

Look if the Beatles stood up tommorrow and said look on artistic grounds
we have some remaining archival material, but we feel it would be wrong
to present it to the public. We feel it portrays the beatles in a way we don't want.

But Sean that hasn't happened. No one ever says anything. Just veils of
secrecy and supposition. Heck the chairman of Ford was on Tv yesterday answering the publics questions. the Beatles could certainly answer the publics questions about remaining archival material. I think they probably
owe that much. But I don't think it has anything to do with anything except
sniping disagreement between the Beatles or solo beatles with their record companies.

Dhani Harrisons remarks were a breath of air. Don't you want the stuff out Sean ? Do you wanna just keep listening to this drivel ? Just tell people what your'e gonna do! ANd Dhani did he said the public would hear the stuff eventually but he had an impasse with the record company.

I find it annoying personally because I'd like to hear it while I'm still in this
earthly realm, er, alive!

 

I just don't get this argument. If EMI isn't interested in putting out a box set themselves, then why not license the material to a smaller label? At least EMI would make money off the licensing arrangement. The last time I checked, businesses were supposed to prefer making money over not making money.

 

Look at the bright side Jeff. If a box set of George's rarities keeps getting put back long enough, you might get to hear George sing you his unreleased songs....in person instead.

 

I heard

I heard it takes a year to get a reservation, and thats only after
you tip them in reservations

 

Is that a fact? Do you think EMI has the rights to something Harrison recorded at home when he wasn't even under contract with them?

 

Not unless it subsequently acquired the rights. I thought we were talking about the material in the box set that Dhani said the SOBs at EMI wouldn't release, etc., etc. I think you can assume that EMI has the rights to that stuff, otherwise it wouldn't have SOB standing, right?

 

It's always risky to go after the juggler. No telling how he may react.

 

The thing that makes your posts exhausting (for me, anyway) is the way you seize upon every single tiny nugget of information (or quasi-information) and then obsess over it for days on end. How many times have you already repeated the "You have no idea" quote -- a dozen? Twenty? Did it ever occur to you that Dhani might have been slightly pissed that this middle-aged Beatles fan came up to him after one of HIS concerts and started grilling him about his dad's archives? Did you stop to think that maybe he was blaming EMI because it was a convenient way to get this person off his back? Is it possible that he said those things just to shut him up and make him go away?

I'm not saying any of that IS the case, but you seem to lose all sense of perspective when some new detail emerges, no matter how innocuous. Last week it was all about how the QuickTime mini-documentaries were going to contain complete Beatles outtakes -- "Carnival of Light" even! -- and now it's about Dhani's supposed beef with EMI. Dhani drops a few candid opinions on a fan at Coachella, and you've got him sitting on a multi-disc box set, ready to go, that evil forces are preventing YOU from hearing. You're saying the Beatles should be grilled by the government about why they aren't releasing outtakes -- you say they "owe" us answers!

Do I want a George Harrison rarities box? OF COURSE I DO! Do a search of my name and "George Harrison" and you'll find dozens (if not hundreds) of posts detailing my love of his music and my longing for more of it. But these things just don't happen as quickly as WE want them to, and like it or not, these people who own the stuff we want DON'T HAVE TO sell it to us! Time passes slowly, my friend; Yoko authorized the Lost Lennon Tapes radio show SEVERAL YEARS after John died, and she didn't release HIS outtakes box until EIGHTEEN YEARS after he died.

Look at all the stuff Olivia and Dhani HAVE done in the last seven years -- Concert for George, Brainwashed, Bangladesh, The Wilburys, The Dark Horse LPs, Living In The Material World ... good GOD, man, there's been a project nearly every year since his passing! Dhani spent most of his twenties grieving his father and finishing a lot of his work -- please forgive a 30-year old man for wanting to get on with his OWN career! Or should he pack it in, because YOU don't like his album, and spend the next two years assembling the box set YOU want?

George Harrison gave us enough music to last us the rest of our lives; we're not entitled to any more of it than his family wants to give us. I don't LIKE that, but I RESPECT it.

 

and he's always got a lot of things he can throw at you.

 

oh

You sound like an apologist of the Harrisons Sean. Oh he didin't mean this
he gave his twenties to his father! and I want him to devote his thirties
as well

What malarky. You actually said Dhani Harrison didin't mean anything he said
and you know how to interpret the guys feelings ? hah . he was just blowing
off steam could be how do you know ?

I take him literally or almost. Who knows , Sean you might be well served
to allow opinions besides your own. You aren't the guardian of the blog! or the Harrisons moods!

I just want to hear some unreleased tracks your characterization of what I
do is not even anything but half truth. I get excited I think its important
so what. Thats the kind of things people discuss on these blogs. You think
the remasters are the cats pajamas good for you.

As far as bonus tracks embedded in video discs, download bonus's, it hasn't played out yet time will tell. Those aren't my reports I just endorse some
of them. Maybe you just want things you think are okay.

I'd say Harrisons remarks he has had a box set ready five years are pretty clear cut, but you say no you understand the guys feelings and know he didin't mean that ? uh huh

 

Look out for the meat cleavers!!!

 

The apple with a bite out of it scares me!

 

I agree.