George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters

Ashley Kahn (Editor)

Chicago Review Press (AUG 4) Hardcover $30 (432pp), 978-1-64160-051-4

The compiled interviews and texts of George Harrison on George Harrison come from across the music legend’s career, from before the Beatles hit it big up into the final year of his life. This comprehensive, chronological tome is an essential omnibus for Harrison fans, sharing his thoughts, in the moment, about the biggest moments in his career.

Most of the book is made up of transcripts of Harrison (sometimes with his bandmates) from television and radio interviews, press conferences, and even online chats with fans. These include gems, ranging from a 1963 interview with the Beatles right before their Ed Sullivan appearance, in which Harrison ruminates on his hope that the band be able to make music a career for four years, to an awkward 1989 MTV interview featuring three-fifths of the Traveling Wilburys, with Harrison straining to give serious answers to an unprepared interviewer.

The dozens of interviews include conversations with Anthony Decurtis of Rolling Stone, talk show host Dick Cavett, and Harrison’s friend Michael Palin, of Monty Python fame. Interesting written documents, like Harrison’s 1963-1964 columns for the Daily Express, reveal his thoughts on fame as he was first experiencing it. There’s even a short story from a 1963 high school paper, written by a student who interviewed Harrison when he visited his sister in the United States. Each entry includes a brief preamble from editor Ashley Kahn with context or a reflection on Harrison’s words.

Throughout the pieces, George Harrison comes across as thoughtful not just about songwriting and touring, but about his influences, celebrity, the films he produced, and his friendships in music. The wealth of material in George Harrison on George Harrison makes it possible to track the life and career of this worthy subject, making the text a valuable addition to rock history.