George Harrison - Dark Horse (Early Take)

"Dark Horse" is the title track to George Harrison's 1974 album Dark Horse, and later the name of his record label.

CREDITS:
Andy Newmark: Drums
Willie Weeks: Bass
Billy Preston: Electric Piano
Jim Keltner: Hi Hats
George Harrison: Guitar And Voice

While "dark horse" is usually a reference to an unlikely or surprise winner, Harrison explained in his autobiography, I Me Mine, that he actually didn't know that meaning of the term, at the time. His lyrics instead referred to a man who carried on one or more clandestine sexual relationships with women; a "dark horse" in Liverpudlian terms. The song drew on his feelings toward his disintegrating marriage to Pattie Boyd, who had left him for guitarist (and mutual friend) Eric Clapton.

Harrison had begun the recording of the song at Friar Park, but it remained unfinished when it came time to mount his 1974 American tour. With the album's release date pending, and Harrison's throat wracked by laryngitis, the track was re-recorded quickly in an American studio, with his tour band.

A single was issued on November 18, 1974, reaching #15 in the U.S. pop singles chart. The single's B-side was a non-album track, "I Don't Care Anymore." Copies of the 45rpm single contained a manufacturing defect, causing the B-side to play abnormally unless re-centred on turntables. Whether this was accidental or deliberate is not known.



Dark Horse is an album by George Harrison, released as the follow-up to Living in the Material World in 1974. Dark Horse is notable for the well-attended, but ultimately infamous North American tour that supported it, which would turn out to be Harrison's only set of performances there as a solo artist.

1974 saw a separation from first wife Pattie Boyd (who left Harrison for friend Eric Clapton) with the situation later being uncomfortably parodied on Dark Horse with a cover of "Bye Bye Love". That year also saw Harrison planning for his future. With a new love interest, Olivia Arias, and with the end of his Apple Records contract in sight, he founded Dark Horse Records - initially to be distributed through A&M Records - and spent much of the year signing acts and guiding their development. When his Apple contract finally expired in January 1976, Harrison would move onto the Dark Horse label himself and switch distribution of the label to Warner Bros. Records.

With the impending tour pencilled in for the last two months of the year, Harrison was only able to start recording his own album - which he was also dubbing Dark Horse - in September, leaving him little time to complete it. Aiding Harrison were Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner, Nicky Hopkins, Billy Preston and the aforementioned Eric Clapton. The sessions, which were held at his home studio in Henley-on-Thames, were compounded by Harrison's unfortunate development of laryngitis. When it was time to leave for the US in mid-October to begin rehearsing for the tour - with the album still unfinished - Harrison's voice was completely raw. Ringo Starr confirmed this with Beatlefan Magazine when he stated that Harrison was hoarse before he left England to complete the album and start tour rehearsals.

After quickly recording the title track (a future US Top 20 hit), Dark Horse was quickly pressed and rushed into shops that December. Although the music was much more uplifting than Living in the Material World's and featured some excellent guitar work, critics soon began calling the album "Dark Hoarse", in reference to Harrison's suffering vocals. With no time to let his throat heal, he performed the entire tour in a sandpaper voice, much to the disapproval of reviewers and fans. The negative press Harrison received also stemmed from his unpopular decision to include an Indian music portion to the concert, as well as performing The Beatles' "In My Life" with philosophically-modified lyrics. After the tour's conclusion, Harrison was so averse to touring that he would hardly ever appear live again, save for a brief Japanese tour in 1991 at Clapton's insistence.

Surprisingly, Dark Horse failed to chart at all in the UK, while it reached #4 in the US during a brief chart stay, going gold.

In 1992, Dark Horse was remastered for CD release.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• The
• Beatles
• George
• Harrison
• Dark
• Horse
• Early
• Take
• 1974

[LittleHarrisonGirl]

nice version :-)

it's from a bootleg, isn't it?

could you tell me the name of it, please?

Jeannie

[piggies1]

It is called the Harri-Spector Show.

Thanks for watching!

[mitchmitchell68]

favorite song from favorite album!

[TEKENA]

NICE

[1974DarkHorse]

Wonderful. Thank you so much for posting this.

[danieoh52]

this is my favorite version yet. thanks for the share.

[acoronab]

Dark Hoarse

[ManhattanMusician]

@mitchmitchell68

Really, So many people seem to hate that album. I love them all.

[ManhattanMusician]

@LittleHarrisonGirl

Thumbs up. Yes. I forget.

[ManhattanMusician]

@springsteen96

His voice fits this song.

[remulak56]

George is darkly hoarse ...but still good!

[cometandcupids]

Too bad he didn't re-record his vocals after he got better.

[NicholeChoiceMusic]

Never underestimate a dark horse!

[springsteen96]

if only harrison hadnt lost his voice for this album :( eh i still love it!

[cindygibbsbarfield]

you can actually understand him on this version.lol

[simba1622]

I hope this version is included when "Dark Horse" is remastered! An edited version of "It is he (Jai Sri Krishna)" would be great too, lower that wobbly board a bit.

[bbeard913]

first time i've heard this slowed down version. amazing. no matter what he did, pure gold. george harrison is the fuckin greatest of all time god i love that man

[Iktofed]

omg....I was expecting an acoustic demo. i

[georgesgirl]

Thank you, thank you, thank you

[happylittleEStar]

This version is fantastic!! thankyou for it!!

George<3 for ever!!

[berherbi]

nice work mate, wonderful lot of comment, thanks a lot Andreas

[russelljdj]

The Horsed vocal version in my opinion is just so much better. Faster as well.  I like the frantic pace it had. Saw that tour in Boston December 74. A million years ago now. I hate time. Make It Stop!

[fuminov]

This version is too nice to describe my impression.

[DrHeathenScum]

Greatness

[theOldFriar]

WOW!!!

[LittleHarrisonGirl]

thanks a lot :-)