George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters

The so-called quiet Beatle speaks up in this sweeping collection of the guitarist’s words. Music writer Kahn (A Love Supreme) collects Harrison’s 1964 columns for the Daily Express, in which he wrote about the Beatles, noting, “we’ve years of life and great hopes as a foursome... there’s still a lot of work to be done and a lot of songs to sing.” In a 1974 radio interview, Harrison (1943–2001) names some of the contemporary artists he admires most: “I’m madly in love with Smokey Robinson... I think Ry Cooder is sensational.” During a 1987 interview with Rolling Stone’s Anthony DeCurtis, Harrison explains that he wrote the song “Devil’s Radio” after he saw a church sign that read “Gossip: the Devil’s Radio.” In a 1979 interview on BBC 1, Michael Jackson asks George Harrison if the Beatles wrote their own songs, wondering how they ever managed to do that; Harrison replies with laughter, “I don’t know, they were clever little fellas.” Also included are Harrison’s final words: “everything else can wait, but the search for God cannot wait, and love one another.” Perfect for Beatles fans, Kahn’s excellent collection revels in Harrison’s humor, spirituality, and his passion for songwriting. (July)