George Harrison - Red Lady Too
I am completely bewitched by this album Wonderwall Music—this song in particular “Red Lady Too”— and desperate to find a copy of the out-of-print limited release DVD set of the accompanying film Wonderwall. I had heard of this album during the Beatles Anthology heyday in the mid 90s, and being a huge fan, was intrigued. I was especially intrigued, when during that same period, Oasis came out with their song Wonderwall which sounds absolutely nothing like the George Harrison music, but the infamous Gallager brothers said that the word/concept was inspired by their favorite album of all time, Wonderwall Music.
This little-known album is actually the first solo album from a Beatles member. Composed between 1967 and 1968, just around the time the Beatles head to India, it corresponds with George Harrison’s emmersion into Eastern music. The entire record is instrumental (with some non english singing/chanting on a couple of tracks) and the majority of the record features Indian instruments in non-traditional orchestration, mixed with Western instruments and used in less conventional ways. Secretly, Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr contributed to the instrumentation under the psuedonyms Eddie Clayton and Richie Snare, and Peter Tork of the Monkees also contributed to Banjo melodies without credit. The album was initially released on the Beatles’ newly opened Apple Records, and reached number #49 on the ‘68 American charts, but was also the first Apple album to be deleted from their records! Luckily it was remastered and rereleased in 1992.
I just came across this album this week. I can’t remember how I was reminded of it, but I saw the album cover for the first time and had to have it. I also checked out a summary of the film plot its based on. Its an indie psychedelic film, starring Jane Birkin (which is a good reason to look in to it) and the Wikipedia plot summary goes like this:
“The story of the film revolves around the reclusive, eccentric scientist Oscar Collins (MacGowran), whose next-door neighbours are a pop photographer (Quarrier) and his girlfriend/model (Birkin), named Penny Lane. Discovering a beam of light streaming through a hole in the wall between them, Collins follows the light and spots Penny modelling for a photo shoot. Intrigued, he begins to make more holes, as days go by and they do more photo sessions. Oscar gradually becomes infatuated with the girl, and feels a part of the couple’s lives, even forsaking work to observe them. When they quarrel and the couple split, Penny takes an overdose of pills and passes out, but Oscar comes to her rescue.”
The album is a bit inconvenient to get: Its mostly out-of-print, imported, and expensive to get your hands on for a CD, so there’s much more incentive to grab via free download than buy on CD; But the film on DVD is nearly impossible to get. Most copies go for hundreds, though you can get a VHS copy on ebay occasionally for cheap.
The album has an magical, hypnotic sound. It’s very unconventional, somewhere between Eastern and Western, and is ambient and very animated like a soundtrack. I love how obscure it is, it feels like a ancient lost gem that you want to keep secret. Even the track titles of the album hint at its mysterious quality:
- ex libris
