The late George Harrison’s 1973 solo album, Living in the Material World, will be reissued in expanded form on November 15 in honor of its 50th anniversary. Several tracks from the collection have been made available in advance of its release. They include a new mix and an alternate take of the song “Be Here Now.”
Videos by American Songwriter
The gentle acoustic tune boasts a dreamlike quality and incorporates some of the Indian music influences for which the ex-Beatles guitarist was known.
The song’s main concept was partly inspired by spiritual teacher Ram Dass’ popular 1971 book Be Here Now. The idea being, live in the moment rather than dwelling on the past or focusing on what hasn’t happened yet.
A video feature posted on Harrison’s social media pages includes archival audio of George discussing the meaning behind the song.
In the clip, Harrison begins by quoting a poem that Sir Frank Crisp, the quirky lawyer who had previously owned George’s U.K. estate Friar Park, had engraved into a wall on the property.
The verse reads, “Past is gone, thou canst not that recall. Future is not, may not be at all. Present is, improve the flying hour. Present only is within thy power.”
Harrison then explained, “So it’s like the idea that this guy kept saying to me, ‘Be here now.’ Because a lot of the time, people are either dreaming about tomorrow, your future, or, ‘Oh, wasn’t it good last week,’ but in the meantime, they’re not having that experience of what’s happening now.”
He added, “So I write that from that idea, ‘Remember now, be here now, as it’s not like it was before. The past was, be here now.’”
Gary Wright on “Be Here Now”
Another video promo posted on Harrison’s socials features archival commentary from keyboardist Gary Wright, George’s good friend and frequent collaborator. In the clip, Wright expresses his admiration for “Be Here Now.”
“That’s my favorite. I love that track,” says Gary, who passed away on 2023. “I’ll never forget when [George] played me just the guitar song. He just sat down and played it for me. I just couldn’t believe it. I mean, it was just such a beautiful ballad. It was amazing.”
He added, “The time signatures in that are incredible. That’s one of those other tracks he had where he’s mixing time signatures to make it really unusual. It’s very Indian-sounding in that respect.”
About the Living in the Material World Reissue
The Living in the Material World reissue, which you can pre-order now, will be available in multiple formats and configurations.
Among the versions is a Super Deluxe Edition box set featuring two CDs, two LPs, a 7-inch vinyl single, and a Blu-ray audio disc. The package, which is limited to 5,000 copies globally, also will include a 60-page booklet.
The reissue project was produced by George’s widow and son, Olivia and Dhani Harrison.
The Living in the Material World reissue features a newly mixed version of the original album, a selection of previously unreleased alternate takes from the sessions, and the B-side “Miss O’Dell.” It also includes a previously unheard recording of “Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond),” a Harrison-penned tune that appeared on Ringo Starr’s 1973 solo album, Ringo.
The vinyl single features the unheard recording of “Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond),” and an instrumental version of the track.
The Blu-ray features Dolby Atmos mixes of all of the Living in the Material Word album and bonus tracks.
More About the Living in the Material World Album
Living in the Material World was Harrison’s second solo studio album released after The Beatles’ breakup, and his fourth overall. Released in May 1973, Living in the Material World topped the Billboard 200, sitting in the No. 1 spot for five weeks in June and July of that year.
It featured the chart-topping Billboard Hot 100 hit “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth).”
Among the musicians who accompanied Harrison on the album were Starr and Jim Keltner on drums, Wright and Nicky Hopkins on keyboards, Klaus Voormann on bass, and Jim Horn on sax and flute.
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