Ex-Journey Singer Steve Perry Reveals His Favorite All-Time George Harrison Songs

December 24, 2024, 4:25pm

Former Journey frontman Steve Perry recently signed a new record deal with Dark Horse Records, the label founded by late Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Perry’s first release on Dark Horse was The Season 3, an expanded version of his 2021 holiday album The Season.

Perry recently was interviewed about The Season 3 on an episode of “Dark Horse Radio,” a Harrison-themed radio show that airs on SiriusXM’s The Beatles Channel. During his appearance, Steve also discussed some of his favorite Harrison songs and recordings, both with The Beatles and as a solo artist.

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Among the tunes Perry singles out were the Beatles songs “I Need You” and “Here Comes the Sun,” and the Harrison solo tune “Beware of Darkness.”

About “I Need You” and Perry’s Own Version of the Song

Perry began with “I Need You,” a 1965 Beatles song from the Help soundtrack that was written and sung by Harrison. Steve covered the tune on his 2018 solo album, Traces. For his version, Perry put a mellow, R&B-flavored spin on the tune.

“When I first heard the version of ‘I Need You’ by The Beatles, I always heard it differently than the way they did it,” he explained. “I know that sounds a bit arrogant, but the truth is, I loved what they did. It was kind of a bossa nova … kind of feel. And the vocals were beautiful, and the melody is stunning, but for some reason, in my mind, I always heard it like a slow R&B song.”

He added, “[I]n my opinion, any song that can be done in different ways, in different arrangements with different approaches, just absolutely qualifies the song as being bigger universally than you thought.”

Getting Olivia Harrison’s Approval for His “I Need You” Cover

Perry also shared that before he felt comfortable releasing his version of “I Need You,” he wanted Harrison’s widow, Olivia, to hear it and to approve of it.

Steve explained that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone helped put him in touch with Olivia Harrison, and he was able to listen to a recording of his cover with her.

“I was very nervous, because I so felt in my heart the presence of George and her together,” Perry admitted. “It was very strange. I mean, I was just hoping they together would love my version. So she played it, and then she stopped at the end of it, and she restarted it again and played it a second time. … And then she stopped halfway through, and she looked at me and said, ‘George would’ve really loved this version so much.’ And I just could breathe again, you know? ’Cause that’s all I wanted, was to be respectful to the song.”

About “Here Comes the Sun”

Perry singled out Harrison’s classic 1969 ballad “Here Comes the Sun,” from The Beatles’ Abbey Road album, as one of his all-time favorites.

“‘Here Comes the Sun’ is the most beautiful song,” Steve said. “I mean, George did an amazing job. It’s so cavalier and so positive. You know, who doesn’t want to hear that? I certainly need that. I certainly need the simplistic, beautiful, melodic contribution from this song.”

He added, “In fact, I think it’s one of my absolute favorites, because it just takes me back into looking at a sunset, a sunrise. Just looking into the sky and getting a perspective of what really is happening here, not what I’ve been told to believe.”

About “Beware of Darkness”

Another Harrison song Perry chose to discuss was “Beware of Darkness,” which appeared on George’s acclaimed 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass.

“Well, that song has the most amazing chord changes I’ve ever heard anyone come up with,” Steve maintained. “And the storyline in that song is so powerful. I personally have experienced I guess [what] you can call darkness. This song explains it in a way that tells me that George obviously had his own experiences with it. And I can relate to what he’s talking about and how it made him feel.”

He added, “I can listen to that song over and over again, and what I get from [it] … is I get lifted into not giving in to such feelings and thoughts of [darkness]. Boy, that’s one where I think it’s a real personal thing. If you’ve experienced it, this song will speak to you.”

Other Harrison Songs Perry Discussed

Also during his interview, Perry discussed the 1965 Beatles tune “If I Needed Someone” and a stripped-down alternate take of the All Things Must Pass track “Run of the Mill.” You can check out the full “Dark Horse Radio” episode featuring Perry on The Beatles Channel on SiriusXM radio.