Dark Horse [LP]

by George Harrison

Overview

With his first solo tour looming ahead in November and December of 1974, George Harrison felt impelled to rush out a new album, and even a steadily worsening case of laryngitis wouldn't stop him. Would that it did, for the appallingly weak state of his voice would torpedo this album and the tour, to his great embarrassment. "Hari's on Tour (Express)" -- with Tom Scott's L.A. Express churning out all-pro L.A.-studio jazz/rock -- gets the doomed project off to a spirited start, but it's an instrumental, and Harrison's vocal distress becomes obvious to all in the next track, "Simply Shady." Some of George's tunes -- particularly the title track and the exquisite "Far East Man" -- might have benefited from waiting for a better time to record, while others probably could not have been saved. The recording quality, like the voice, has a raw, coarse-grained sound that belies the impeccable musicianship. Dark Horse is perhaps most notorious for Harrison's bitter, slipshod rewrite of the Everly Brothers' hit "Bye Bye Love" -- referring openly to George's wife Pattie running off with Eric Clapton and, for good measure, having both of them on the session! Dark Horse would also be the name of Harrison's soon-to-be-formed new label, as well as a metaphor for the underestimated Beatle who leaped artistically and commercially ahead of his three colleagues immediately after the Beatles' breakup. Unfortunately, this album -- despite its humorous Sgt. Pepper parody on the cover and outright plea to critics on the margins of the inside jacket to go easy on its contents -- would only undermine Harrison's hard-fought campaign for respect. [Dark Horse was re-released on LP in 2017.] ~ Richard S. Ginell

Product Details

Release Date:	02/24/2017
Label:	Capitol / Universal
UPC:	0602557090345
Rank:	60175

Tracks

1. Hari's on Tour (Express)
2. Simply Shady
3. So Sad
4. Bye Bye Love
5. Maya Love
6. Ding Dong, Ding Dong
7. Dark Horse
8. Far East Man
9. It Is "He" (Jai Sri Krishna)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

George Harrison   Primary Artist,Guitar
Andy Newmark   Drums
Chuck Findley   Flute
Klaus Voormann   Bass
Gary Wright   Piano
Ringo Starr   Drums
Max Bennett   Bass
Nicky Hopkins   Piano
Mick Jones   Guitar
Billy Preston   Piano,Piano (Electric)
John Guerin   Drums
Emil Richards   Wobble Board
Robben Ford   Guitar
Jim Keltner   Drums
Jim Horn   Flute
Tom Scott   Horn,Flute
Willie Weeks   Bass
Andy Newman   Drums
Alvin Lee   Guitar (Electric)
Roger Kellaway   Piano

Technical Credits

John Henry Smith   Engineer
Boudleaux Bryant   Composer
George Harrison   Composer
Phil McDonald   Engineer
Ron Wood   Composer
Kumar Shankar   Engineer
Felice Bryant   Composer