Posted on 04/01/2022 2:23:21 PM PDT by nickcarraway
George Harrison rarely appeared on other artists’ records. However, in 1989, The Go-Go’s frontwoman, Belinda Carlisle, got the surprise of a lifetime when George agreed to appear on two songs off her third solo album, Runaway Horses.
The only thing George remembered about the collaboration, though, was that he gave one of his best slide guitar solos.
George Harrison agreed to work with Belinda Carlisle because he liked her voice
The Go-Go’s frontwoman is one of the few artists that the ex-Beatle agreed to work with throughout his career. He didn’t collaborate with many people. The ex-Beatle liked having other artists appear on his albums, not the other way around. He enjoyed working with Jeff Lynne on his 1987 album, Cloud Nine. George loved being a Traveling Wilbury with Lynne, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, and Roy Orbison too.
So George’s appearance on Carlisle’s album was unusual, to say the least. Apparently, it happened out of the blue too. George’s wife, Olivia, claims that her husband agreed to collaborate with Carlisle simply because he enjoyed her voice (per Ultimate Classic Rock).
In her memoir Lips Unsealed: A Memoir, Carlisle wrote that it was her idea.
“Rick [Nowels] said we should get someone cool and with a distinctive style to play the lead guitar part,” she wrote. “I thought for a moment and said ‘What about George Harrison?’ I had met George briefly a few years earlier in San Remo Italy and Morgan [Mason, Carlisle’s husband], through his work on Sex Lies and Videotape, knew someone who was close to [Harrison] and able to get word to him. George responded right away, saying he’d love to help out.”
Working together proved beneficial for both artists.
George said he did his best slide guitar solo on a Carlisle hit
The ex-Beatle contributed guitar on two tracks of Runaway Horses, “Leave a Light On” and “Deep Deep Ocean.” In a 1992 interview with Guitar World, George said he did his best slide guitar solo during his collaboration on either of the two songs. He didn’t name which song, but Guitar World thinks it’s “Leave a Light On.”
George seemed to forget who he worked with as well. He couldn’t remember The Go-Go’s frontwoman‘s name.
“The best slide solo I ever played was on… what’s her name? That girl singer who used to be with that all-girl band?… Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Go’s! That’s who it was,” George said.
“I played on one of her albums [1989’s Runaway Horses]. One of the slide solos had its own little tune which related to the tune Belinda was singing, but it’s also a little composition in its own right, which I was really pleased with.”
It’s a good thing George was pleased with the song, whichever one it was, because he got a blister while recording his slide solo.
How the world viewed ‘Leave a Light On’
Carlisle released “Leave a Light On” as a single. It narrowly missed the Top Ten on the U.S. chart, peaking at No. 11. However, it reached the Top Five in other countries, including the U.K.
George’s slide guitar was a key factor in the song’s success. Their collaboration was effortless. Carlisle knew George would be great on it; that’s why she suggested they get him.
It must have been special working with an ex-Beatle, especially since George rarely appeared on other artists’ albums. He should have done more collaborations.
That album is pretty underrated from Carlisle.
I never knew it was Harrison who did the guitar on those songs.
So, what does this have to do with dirty Democrat politics? [/s]
Not all that impressive if you ask me.
And yes, I do play the slide guitar among other things.
This post stinks without links.
It stlinks.
Well, which ones would you note?
It really is a simple little part he plays in that song. If that’s the best he’s ever done then he really wasn’t much of a slide player, IMO.
And I don't really care about George Harrison.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wxgsFA_qr0
Slide solo starts at 3:10. It does sound like George Harrison.
Hm. I'll take Sonny Landreth's slide guitar work any day.
George Harrison agreed to work with Belinda Carlisle because he liked her voice
Her voice? Why do I have a hard time believing that?
Damn' good.
I’ll have to find it and see how he compares to David Gilmore.
A few years ago my 26 year-old godson was dying of a very, very rare form of cancer; he was the 8th recorded case on record. There was and is not only no cure but all treatment is palliative.
A couple of weeks before he died he was at a well-known hospital in NYC. There was a knock on the door and a guy who said he used to be in a couple of bands came in and wanted to sit and talk. He had a Taylor guitar which he played and he let my godson play a bit. He stayed about 45 minutes then autographed the $1400 Taylor and left it as a gift.
That’s how Paul got to be my favorite Beatle.
I've revisited the Go-Go's recently. Their first three albums were very good.
I wasn't in to them during their heyday, preferring more harder rock stuff. But these gals were the real deal. Still, to this day, the only all-female band who wrote and performed their own songs to have a number one album.
Their recent documentary on Showtime was pretty good as well. I knew later that they all partied pretty hard after their notorious 1997 "Behind the Music" episode but I had no idea that guitarist Charlotte Caffey was a heroin junkie during their entire run in the early-mid 80s. And Carlisle herself was a cocaine addict and alcoholic up until 2005. They seemed like such wholesome young ladies.
I’ll bet if it was Susanna Hoffs he would have remembered her name.
I didn’t think she was an addict that long. She is married to a Reagan administration official.
Wow! Pretty cool of him to do that.
Sorry about your grandson.
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