George Harrison may not have been part of The Beatles’ legendary songwriting partnership of Paul McCartney and John Lennon, but he had a talent early on for songwriting that deserved to be nurtured. He really stepped into his own in 1969 with a few self-penned Beatles tunes that would go on to change songwriting forever. These tunes were just a preview of what Harrison would do with his solo career.
“Something” from ‘Abbey Road’
Let’s start with the obvious. “Something” is one of The Beatles’ most enduring hit songs. And it’s easily one of the biggest releases from the Fab Four in 1969. Harrison penned “Something” as a love song with a beautifully constructed melody. The way those harmonics shift throughout the song is gorgeous. Many listeners at the time couldn’t believe how little Harrison had contributed to the band as a songwriter up until that point. “Something” would be Harrison’s first composition to get the A-side single treatment.
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“Something” was a smash hit across the board back in 1969. It peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 4 on the UK Singles chart.
“Here Comes The Sun” from ‘Abbey Road’
How about a sweet, flowery number? “Here Comes The Sun” is one of those Beatles songs that younger listeners have caught on to. Just look at how much love it gets on streaming services. This enduring classic was written by Harrison and has that beautiful simplicity to it often associated with folk pop. Those vocals that come in layers, the use of the ol’ Moog synth; the entirety of “Here Comes The Sun” is still a delight after all these years.
“Here Comes The Sun” wasn’t released as a single off Abbey Road. But it has become a beloved retrospective hit among fans, old and new.
“Old Brown Shoe”
This one’s a little bit of a deep cut, but it’s more than worthy of a spot on our list of songs George Harrison penned and released with The Beatles in 1969. This is definitely more of an experimental work from Harrison, but that doesn’t make it any less delightful. That rhythm is very ska-like, and the whole of the song (especially Harrison’s guitar parts) really sounds ahead of its time.
“Old Brown Shoe” was released as the B-side to “The Ballad Of John And Yoko” and didn’t place on the charts in the US, partly because of a radio ban that involved its A-side.
Photo by William Lovelace/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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