George Harrison Lost Interview 1971

We once again rummaged through our dusty archives and found a real gem. This never before seen or heard interview with George Harrison was found underneath a stack of old Partridge Family cards and Tiger Beat magazines.

This Harrison interview, conducted by renowned rock journalist Claude Balzac, was recorded backstage at MSG on August 1, 1971. It was the day of the Concert for Bangladesh featuring Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston and more.

Madhouse Magazine: Hi George, thanks for talking to us and congratulations on your great performances tonight.

George Harrison: Thank You Claude – It’s been a while, Do you realize I have not been in front of a large paying audience since 1966. And I have never performed as a solo artist, I almost peed me knickers tonight. By the way, I am a huge fan of Madhouse. Me and Patti love it, especially when you make fun of Yoko.

Yoko

Madhouse: So I understand there was some tension while recording “Let it Be” and “Abbey Road”. The word on the street is that Yoko broke up The Beatles?

Harrison: You were there for some of it so you know. I don’t want to say it’s all Yoko’s fault, but everything was fine for the first 8 years until she came along. How would you like to try to be creative and have to stare at that face everyday? The final straw for me was when she farted on my favorite amp. It’s bad enough she was sitting on it, but then to fart on it! I walked out and told the lads, see you around the clubs. It was disgusting, it smelt like eggs and cabbage. I almost vomited. I quit the band right then and there, but I agreed to come back.

Madhouse: Well we are glad you came back, what happened during Abbey Road recording sessions?

Harrison: Once again there she was, everyday sitting there staring at us. I tell you, I should have quit the band during the White Album as soon as they tried to push that Revolution 9 nonsense on us. That song is the biggest rubbish ever recorded. I was excited when John and Yoko got into a car accident and I thought we would have some peace, but NO. John sets up a hospital bed for her so she can lay there and stare at us. Now I could understand if she were a hot bird or something, but you have seen her. We think she hypnotized John or put a voodoo spell on him or something.

More Yoko

Madhouse: Let’s talk about The Concert For Bangladesh, enough about Yoko.

Harrison: Ok let me just tell you one more thing. John agreed to appear tonight, but I laid down the law. I said John, there is no way we are going to inflict Yoko’s singing on the fans, the crowd and the poor people of Bangladesh. They have suffered enough. Ravi Shankar told me that the people would rather starve than listen to Yoko. John agreed to appear without Yoko but when he went home and told her, they got into a big fight. She hit him over the head with a frying pan. So he backed out and fled the city last week.

George Harrison Illustration By Paul King Art

Madhouse: [laughs] Ok Back to the concert. By the way, you should increase security. I was accosted by a junkie in the bathroom.

Harrison: That was no junkie. That was Eric Clapton.

Madhouse: Oh my, He looks in bad shape.

Harrison: Yeah, we had to get Billy Preston to run up to Harlem to score some H for him so he could play.

Madhouse: I can’t believe you are still friends with Clapton after he tried to steal your wife and wrote, “Layla” about her.

Harrison: Well, a bird is a bird, they are a dime a dozen, but a good mate lasts forever. Plus I told Eric that he could have Pattie if he traded me for his beautiful red Gibson Les Paul Guitar that he calls Lucy. He said no, but he will eventually cave. Then he will cheat on Pattie and they will get divorced. It’s inevitable. But we will always be friends.

Dylan

Madhouse: Dylan was good tonight.

Harrison: Yeah, do you believe that weirdo wasn’t sure he was going to go through with it until the last minute. I announced his name and prayed. Then I prayed he would walk out from behind the curtain and he did. I held my breath and then the big freak walked out. I love Bob.

Madhouse: A drunken Stephen Stills was yelling backstage and cursing you. What’s that about?

Harrison: Apparently he is all butt hurt because I didn’t thank him enough for letting us use his stage and lights. Fook him, I just forgot, I have been pretty busy just trying to get through the night. What a girl he is, crying like a woman because I didn’t thank him enough. Come on let’s get a drink Claude and you can hold my jacket while I slap the shite out of Stills.

*Note – Following the two sellout concerts, all the participants and Claude attended a celebratory party in a basement club known as Ungano’s. Ungano’s was a club at 210 West 70th St (between Amsterdam and West End). It was run by two brothers, Arnie and Nicky Ungano. The party ended when a drunken Keith Moon smashes a drum kit belonging to Badfinger. A large man in a trench coat pulls a gun on Moon. The club closed for good the next day.