| Fans are excited about
the twin disc set. Current plans are to release two versions of the
film – one being the straight concert performance, and the other
being a shorter “posh” version, all cleaned up and presented
with documentary footage, though with several performances excised.
Providing audiences with an advance peek, the “posh” version
was presented in a limited theatrical release. In the best George
Harrison tradition, little to zero fanfare accompanied the engagement.
In fact, the newspaper theater listings did not even include the film,
but mention was made on the theater’s phone message.
As the concert itself (the players, the performances,
the set list, etc…) has been duly documented in these pages,
we’ll stick largely to the merits of the film itself. Cinematically,
the film is a real treat. Filmed on high-definition cameras, the
colors are rich and vibrant and, as mentioned, the sound mix is
nothing less than superb. As well, unlike most concert videos of
the last decade or so (see "Paul Is Live"), there's none
of the incessant cutting from shot to shot every two seconds or
so. The music and the occasion are allowed to breathe while still
giving viewers the full spectrum of what's happening onstage. In
this way, together with the peppering of behind the scenes footage,
"Concert for George" more closely parallels "The
Last Waltz", than, say, “Rock Show”.
 Taken
in that context, the concert repertoire has been heavily re-sequenced,
to the point of being somewhat disjointed at times. We see some
of the headliners (particularly Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney)
on stage, then they are missing in action for a while, only to return
later on. Most alarmingly, and to the detriment of the flow of the
film, the introductory Indian music segment is placed smack in the
middle of the movie, right after McCartney’s appearance (or
the first portion of his appearance, anyway). This set also happens
to include the film’s most extended non-musical segment, including
interviews with Ravi and Anoushkaa Shankar. In the
concert’s original form, the opening Eastern set bridges nicely
into the Western portion via Jeff Lynne’s performance
of “The Inner Light”, for which he is accompanied by the
Indian musicians. A-la the Concert for Bangladesh, the pace of film
would have benefited greatly by maintaining the integrity of the
original sequencing here.
As for Paul and Ringo, it was heartwarming to see them
on the same concert stage. Ringo’s set included “Photograph”,
written with Harrison, and “Honey Don’t” in
recognition of George’s fondness for Carl Perkins. Paul (with
Ringo on drums) led the band through “For You Blue”,
“All Things Must Pass”, and “Something”.
Fans may recall Paul’s ukulele version of the latter from his
recent tour; here, the song starts out in this arrangement, with
the band chiming in bit by bit (including Ringo using brushes!)
until the instrumental passage, when they modulate from the key
of B-flat (owing to the ukulele tuning) up to the C, the song’s
original pitch. Indeed, it is at this point that Paul relieves himself
of the uke, and switches back to guitar. Both stay on stage, joining
Billy Preston for “My Sweet Lord” (with
everyone except Macca chanting the background mantra at the top
of their lungs – he stuck out like a sore thumb) and Eric
Clapton for “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”,
with Paul lending harmony vocals.
Some observations viewers will immediately connect
with include the “family” atmosphere the event bore. Harrison’s
mentor Ravi Shankar comments that he always considered George
to be his son, and duly alludes to Dhani as his grandson.
In another sequence, Dhani makes reference to his “Uncle Ringo”.
The sight of the young Harrison on stage, particularly when juxtaposed
with Paul and Uncle Ringo, makes for startling viewing.
As for the rest of the ensemble, clearly this was intended
to be a who’s-who of George’s closest friends and collaborators.
Indeed, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne performing the Traveling
Wilbury’s “Handle With Care” raised the inevitable
question of where Bob Dylan was. Given the magnitude of the
event, and the fact that George appeared at Dylan’s own tribute
a decade prior, his absence was truly pronounced.
"A moving and memorable Oscar-worthy tribute to
George Harrison."
-The Hollywood Reporter
"The sweet, solemn music of George Harrison has
rarely sounded more majestic than in David Leland's moving documentary."
-The New York Times
"A perfect concert film!"
-Joel Siegel of Good Morning America
"Stellar! Invested with priceless emotional resonance."
-USA Today
"A moving tribute... near-flawless."
-The Variety
"Glorious! Offers a special something for everyone."
-The Washington Post
 BURBANK,
Calif. -Sept. 9, 2003- Concert For George in U.S. Theatres Oct.
3 for Limited Theatrical Release; Musical Director Eric Clapton
Performs with Harrison's Closest Friends
Rock music's most celebrated musicians gathered at Royal Albert
Hall in London on Nov. 29, 2001, to pay tribute to one of their
own, the legendary George Harrison, on the one year anniversary
of his death. On that magical night, Harrison's closest friends
gathered to perform a collection of his music for a live audience.
Concert For George is far more than a concert film;
it is a soulful cinematic tribute to a musician whose vision transcended
the ordinary and whose talents contributed to a revolution in the
music industry.
Under the musical direction of Harrison's longtime
friend Eric Clapton, the film captures an emotional gathering of
musicians such as Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers, Billy Preston and Ringo Starr. Truly a rare moment
in music history, this documentary showcases these legends of music
not likely to perform together on the same stage again.
Concert For George is masterfully directed by famed
British director David Leland, whose credits include Wish You Were
Here (BAFTA winner), HBO's Band of Brothers television series and
The Traveling Wilburys video Handle With Care. The film transports
viewers to Royal Albert Hall, beautifully shot, digitally remastered
and recorded in 5.1 surround sound.
"The Concert For George was all I hoped it would
be. The glue that held it together was our love for George. I don't
think I've ever heard a band play with so much emotion and respect,"
said Olivia Harrison.
 "All
I wanted to do was really share our love for George and his music,"
said Eric Clapton of his vision for the Concert For George.
"George kept up a relationship with everybody
on that stage like old friends, old pals on stage, hanging out in
rehearsals and backstage with everybody.
It was a great way of getting closure, because we all
had our stories and our memories and our laughter and our sad points
of view, and it was just so great to be around all these people
for me, that you could laugh and cry about, you know different moments
in our life that George had touched," said Ringo Starr.
All proceeds from the concert, the film and the DVD
will go to The Material World Charitable Foundation, founded by
Harrison in 1973.
About The Production
A @radical.media Production, produced by Ray Cooper, Harrison's
longtime film producing partner, Olivia Harrison and Jon Kamen,
the documentary is meant as a celebration and tribute to George
Harrison's extraordinary musical career.
Under the direction of Leland and Director of Photography
Chris Menges, the film captures the beauty of Royal Albert Hall
from more than a dozen camera locations. The film was shot in High
Definition and digitally mastered with sound recorded in 5.1 surround.
The entire producing team was aware that the concert had an intimate
feel that night -a feeling that required non-intrusive camera points
and discreet filming. The result is a unique experience that truly
makes viewers feel as if they've taken a seat in Royal Albert Hall
and have an emotional connection to the music and the performers.
The legendary Eric Clapton, who created a palette of music spanning
Harrison's entire career, oversaw the complete musical effort as
Musical Director. Harrison's longtime music producing partner, Jeff
Lynne (also of The Traveling Wilburys), performed as well as collaborated
on audio elements of the concert. A few special interviews and backstage
moments are woven into the film, giving viewers a sense of the extraordinary
bond Harrison shared with his friends and family, and how deeply
they felt for him.
 About
The Performance
Each musician in the Western lineup had a personal friendship with
George, and many from the Indian orchestra were chosen because of
their history with George. The group spent three emotional weeks
rehearsing George's songs and collectively grieving the loss of
their dear friend.
Eric Clapton led the performers through music from
George Harrison's spanning much of George's career. Clapton led
the band with Jeff Lynne singing "I Want To Tell You,"
"Inner Light" and "Give Me Love." Tom Petty
performed "Taxman" and "I Need You" along with
the Wilburys' number, "Handle With Care." Ringo Starr
brought the crowd to an emotional peak with "Photograph,"
a song he co-wrote with Harrison. Paul McCartney played a bit of
ukulele, one of Harrison's favorite instruments, and joined the
band for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "For
You Blue."
The audience was treated to the Monty Python team performing
some of Harrison's favorite skits, including participation from
surprise guest Tom Hanks. The show also pointed to Harrison's spiritual
side with Anoushka Shankar and a 16-piece orchestra of Indian musicians
performing a special composition by her father and Harrison's mentor,
Ravi Shankar. The piece was entitled Arpan, meaning offering. Joe
Brown closed the evening with the old standard, "I'll See You
In My Dreams," a loving and appropriate sentiment.
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The
following was forwarded to us by George Harrison.com:
