Hi, everyone, and welcome to my first post at In The Groove! This site is dedicated to all the great songs we’ve come to love, anything from Ella Fitzgerald to Led Zeppelin. Maybe you’ll come across an old favorite you haven’t heard in a long time or find a new tune that really turns you on. My hope is that whatever videos I play here, someone will say “Yes! I love that song!”
Anyone who knows me also knows I love The Beatles so it seemed only appropriate that I open this site with a Beatles song. Now, for those of you who don’t like The Beatles (a concept I cannot wrap my head around), don’t panic – this site is not devoted to them but I believe you’re going to like what I’ve chosen today.
As Mr. Bump said in his first post, we’re going to try to keep our blurbs short and sweet. I can do sweet but I’m a storyteller so short doesn’t come easy. I will try my best. Please bear with me because sometimes there are some songs/artists that are too great to skim over – like this one.
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was written by George Harrison after his return from India where The Beatles had been studying Transcendental Meditation. The song appears on the 1968 double album The Beatles, also known as the White Album.
George Harrison said “The Eastern concept is that whatever happens is what is meant to be; every little item that’s going down has a purpose. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was a simple study based on that theory. I picked up a book at random, opened it and saw “gently weeps”. I laid the book down and started writing the song.”
“A simple study”, he said. Ha!
New Yorker columnist Mark Hertsgaard said “While My Guitar Gently Weeps was the single most impressive song on the White Album”.
Rolling Stone ranked George’s composition 136th on its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, seventh on the “100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time”, and at number 10 on its list of “The Beatles’ 100 Greatest Songs”. At long last George was getting his due!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my post and a tribute to George Harrison. Now you’re really going to get your money’s worth here at In The Groove– not one but two versions of this incredible song. The first video features today’s song from the White Album and the second video is from “Concert for George”. (Look for a very young Dhani Harrison among the concert musicians; he is without a doubt his father’s son!)
Now let’s get this show on the road!
On November 29, 2002, one year after George’s passing, Olivia Harrison and Eric Clapton organized a performance tribute to celebrate the life and music of George. Held at London’s Royal Albert Hall, the momentous “Concert for George” featured George’s songs and the music he loved performed by artists including Eric Clapton, Joe Brown, Dhani Harrison, Jools Holland, Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Monty Python, Tom Petty, Billy Preston, Ravi & Anoushka Shankar, Ringo Starr and more.
Now for the question of the day:
If you were to pick the perfect band or perhaps a tribute concert for YOURSELF, which famous artists would be in the band and what song(s) would they play? OK, have at it! Let’s see what you got!
Thanks for tuning in; I hope you had as good a time as I did.
We have a brand new and totally different segment lined up next. I can’t wait to see what DA’s got planned for us!
Join me In The Groove next Tuesday. Have a great week!
See you on the flip side.
I’m The Sicilian Storyteller
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