A new video featurette has been posted on the late George Harrison’s social media pages featuring audio commentary from Harrison’s Traveling Wilburys bandmate—and Electric Light Orchestra frontman—Jeff Lynne about George’s guitar talents.
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In the clip, Lynne shares his respect for Harrison’s slide-guitar skills. The video also features archival photos and film footage of the ex-Beatles legend playing guitar.
“I think George is the best slide player that I’ve ever heard,” Lynne says. “He’s so accurate on it, and he makes it sing, and he makes it cry, and he makes it do anything, really.”
Adds Jeff, “And he can hold out a pure note with just beautiful vibrato that is so even. And it’s that style, it’s the melodic aspect of it, but it’s also … soulful, bluesy. He can do it all.”
The video is accompanied by a segment of the 2024 mix of Harrison’s chart-topping 1973 solo tune “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth).” George’s slide playing is a highlight of the tune, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1973.
The updated mix of the track appears on the recently released 50th anniversary reissue of George’s 1973 studio album, Living in the Material World.
About Harrison and Lynne’s Work Together
Lynne first worked with Harrison on George’s 1987 solo album Cloud Nine. The collaboration came about after Dave Edmunds, whose 1983 album was co-produced by Lynne, told Jeff that Harrison was interested in working with him.
Lynne wound up co-producing Cloud Nine with Harrison and co-writing several of the album’s songs, including the hit Beatles tribute tune “When We Was Fab.” Jeff subsequently co-produced Tom Petty’s 1989 debut solo album, Full Moon Fever, which featured guest appearances by Harrison and Roy Orbison.
This led to the formation of the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, which featured Harrison, Lynne, Petty, Orbison, and Bob Dylan. The Traveling Wilburys released two albums, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 and Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3, in 1988 and 1990, respectively. Harrison and Lynne co-produced both albums, the latter of which was recorded after Orbison’s untimely death in December 1988.
Lynne again worked with Harrison when the surviving Beatles reunited in 1994 and ’95 to record new music for a few tracks, using unreleased John Lennon demo tapes from the late 1970s, for The Beatles Anthology compilation series. Jeff co-produced the new tracks, “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” with the Beatles members.
Lynne also co-produced Harrison’s final solo album, Brainwashed, which was released in November 2002, about a year after George’s death.
More About the Living in the Material World Reissue
As previously reported, the 50th anniversary reissue of Living in the Material World, was released on November 15. The expanded collection features a newly mixed version of the original album, and previously unreleased alternate takes from the sessions and other rarities.
The Living in the Material World Super Deluxe box set features two CDs, two LPs, a 7-inch vinyl single, and a Blu-ray audio disc. The Blu-ray features Dolby Atmos mixes of the entire album and bonus tracks. The limited-edition package also includes a 60-page booklet.
Other versions of the reissue include Deluxe two-CD and two-LP editions with select bonus tracks, and single CD and LP versions. A number of exclusive single-LP colored-vinyl variants also are available via various outlets.
The reissue project was produced by George’s widow and son, Olivia and Dhani Harrison.
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