The solo catalog of George Harrison has moved to Dark Horse Records, the label the late Beatle founded in 1974 that is now run by his son Dhani and David Zonshine. Distribution will be handled by BMG, and the Harrison family retains the rights to his catalog.
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Spanning his 1968 debut Wonderwall Music—the soundtrack to the film of the same name—through his 12th and final album Brainwashed in 2002, which was released a year after his death in 2001 from cancer at the age of 58, the deal also includes his classic 1970 album, All Things Must Pass, and the 1973 follow-up, Living in the Material World, along with Dark Horse (1974) and his 1987 release Cloud Nine.
Harrison’s live albums and compilations, including Live in Japan, featuring Eric Clapton, along with Let It Roll – Songs by George Harrison, Early Takes Vol 1, The Apple Years 1968-1975, and The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992, are also moving under Dark Horse.
When Harrison originally began releasing his solo material in 1968, his albums were released on The Beatles’ label Apple Records, and later moved to Dark Horse Records via Warner Bros. and EMI Records.
In 2022, BMG entered into a global publishing agreement with the George Harrison Estate to manage Harrisons’ catalog, which includes more than 200 songs he wrote with The Beatles, the Traveling Wilburys, and within his solo career.
In celebration of the new deal and what would have been Harrison’s 80th birthday on Feb. 25, his catalog is being released in Dolby Atmos surround sound on Apple Music.
“Twenty-two years since his passing, for what would have been his 80th birthday, I am overjoyed to announce that we are bringing my father’s music catalog back home to Dark Horse Records, the company he started back in 1974,” said Dhani Harrison in a statement. “We look forward to releasing only the finest of packages and hope the fans join us on the deepest of dives into our archives as we continue to grow his legacy through our partnership with BMG, starting with the release of his entire back catalog in Spatial Audio, for the first time, on Apple Music.”
Harrison added, “We also will be using this opportunity to make all the custom limited vinyl that we can get away with. Happy 80th Dad! We love you always.”
Photo by Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
