One of the staple attributes of George Harrison’s music is the Indian influence embedded within it. “My Sweet Lord,” “Within You Without You,” and “The Inner Light” are just a few of his solo and collaborative tracks that prove how much Indian music influenced his creative process. However, it seems Harrison would have never found this influence if it wasn’t his friend and fellow musician, David Crosby.
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David Crosby and George Harrison’s friendship transcends far beyond casual conversation and the occasional hangout. Rather, they were seemingly sounding boards for one another’s work, and Crosby even divulged that out of the four Beatles, he was closest to George Harrison. He told Music Connection in 2022, “I was very taken with George. I liked him a lot.”
“Always did, right from the start. Very sincere. Very friendly and trying hard to be a decent human being. And that appeals to me to no end,” continued Crosby. Other than the memories this friendship created, it also introduced George Harrison to one of his biggest influences, and it was all thanks to a present Crosby gave him.
The Simple Gift That Changed George Harrison’s Musical Perspective
The Indian artist who influenced both Crosby and Harrison was Ravi Shankar. Crosby had discovered him first, and given his affinity for Shankar, he thought he would share it with Harrison. Well, he did, as he gave Harrison an album of Shankar’s that he had in his possession.
Crosby recalled, “So, I had just been turned on to Ravi Shankar by a friend in the States, and I had an album by Ravi in my suitcase. I gave it to George.” In retrospect, Crosby knew just how much of an impact this simple gift had on George Harrison. Crosby added, “Now that had repercussions,” and “George told me later that I turned him on to Indian music. I have trouble believing that. I think there were other people who helped do that. But that’s what he told me. God bless me. George liked Indian music, got interested in it, and wound up going to India. When he was in India, he met a guru, a teacher that he liked.”
Imagine if David Crosby had never given that record to George Harrison. It’s not for sure, though one might speculate that the career of both The Beatles and George Harrison would have changed drastically. There could have been no All Things Must Pass and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band—which features”Within You Without You,” a track prominently influenced by Indian music. Luckily, that is a nightmare we do not have to entertain.
Ray Romano Hosts International Myeloma Foundation’s 7th Annual Comedy Celebration Benefiting The Peter Boyle Research Fund per Getty Images.
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