Was george treated fairly in the beatles?

[linclink]

I should also say that...things were just spiraling and exploding for everyone...in The Beatles and the in the world, at that time. It was a period of great acceleration, and rapid growth overall.
Things happened as they did, and The Beatles made great albums, they had great George Harrison songs on them...even if they were a bit light of the potential full load in this area .
And... George got to have a monster coming out party...maybe the most monster coming out party ever. "All Things Must Pass" was needed to help end The Beatles in a powerful, and severe way. "Plastic Ono Band" did that in a heavy, though very different, way too..."McCartney" much less so; fine album that it is.
And there was just so much material flowing through The Beatles in the post-LSD awakened period...they were all producing at a pretty furious rate. Faster than they could keep up with as it was...and that is because they were growing apart and the end that was approaching was beginning to encroach in on them ever more, as the past that had thrown them together so tightly was receding and unraveling. This change meant working together wasn't as easy, and with the girth of songs to handle it was just yet another weight on a back that was bowing towards the eventual break. I think Harrison role in the band tells a whole lot about what was going on, and how it went on. But what a ride it was. Blessings!

[flextint]

george once said it was almost impossible to get in the studio when Lennon and Mccartney were around.I dont think Lennon and macca ever took george or Ringo seriously.Treated them more as session players at times.[not that ringo cared]

[maccafan]

No matter what, people can only treat you the way you let them treat you! George Harrison should of stood up for himself, he should have said something!

You can blame Lennon and McCartney all you want, but what was Harrisons responsibility in the matter?

[Mark Rink]

I think with the ego's of Lennon and McCartney,Yes he was looked down on .But in my opion George's solo work is much better than Lennon's.So they 're you go

[linclink]

No matter what, people can only treat you the way you let them treat you! George Harrison should of stood up for himself, he should have said something!

You can blame Lennon and McCartney all you want, but what was Harrisons responsibility in the matter?

The thing is, or things were that...This group started out as John & Paul as the primary writers, through the late 50's & early 60's. I don't even think George started to write until "Don't Bother Me". He was a few years younger, and coming at this, not only later, but as the new guy who never did this before & just sang some numbers and played guitar but didn't write.
This had to adapt as this situation changed. Look they didn't say no. They didn't shut him out...THEY WERE A MUSICAL COLLECTIVE. There have only been a few groups that such amazing collective driven bands...as opposed to having one central driving figure and the others as contributors, but not really a collective.
Things changed gradually, but...as they reached what I'd term some kind of critical mass that involved both the quality & quantity of Harrison's material. HE DID STAND UP FOR HIMSELF. He tried to bring in songs, and met with the mess that was the last years of The Beatles falling apart as a band. That falling apart, and downward motion of their arc, created material that was as great as any other point in their arc might I add.
What was Harrison's responsibility in this was reflected in his thoughts about releasing a solo album as early as '68, and his decisions to start hanging out & playing with Dylan, The Band, Eric Clapton, Delaney & Bonnie...he did this much more than any of the other three, or even more than the other three combined. Though Macca did do some stuff.
Then he decided to leave. He got called back in, but pretty much everyone except McCartney could read the writing on the wall and was readying themselves to move on. Granted they all had mixed feeling & went back & forth on it to. But Harrison didn't put up with this stuff for too long, and he went on to do great things!! Blessings!!!

[Harrythebannister]

The problem is, which Lennon & McCartney songs would you replace with Harrison compositions. Personally I wouldn't touch a Beatles Album and let's face it, eventually he got all of his songs out anyway. Does it matter?

[flextint]

Harry No it doesn't matter now since george has passed but i think that the way George was treated in beatles prevented us fans from getting a Mccartney/harrison song ever.George once said Paul never wanted to write with back in the day so why should i want to write with him now?He had a bit of bitterness still about it even as he got older.A shame i think.

[linclink]

The problem is, which Lennon & McCartney songs would you replace with Harrison compositions. Personally I wouldn't touch a Beatles Album and let's face it, eventually he got all of his songs out anyway. Does it matter?

Great question...as I said before in this thread, no matter what period The Beatles were going through, it always produced great music! I tend to want to add songs, not subtract them...like my diabolical plan to construct The White Album as a triple album, or Sgt. Pepper as a double album, etc.. That said there are unused Harrison tracks that I prefer to Lennon & McCartney tracks that were released, but that doesn't mean that I'd want to cut those songs, just that songs that I prefer by George were left off in favor of what I think were lesser efforts by John & Paul.
It was interesting question that got me thinking, from many angles, about all of this. I guess the thing that stuck out most, is thinking how much more amazing things would have been if a more equal- as in 3, and then 4 Harrison songs an album were the norm, or ideally later on a 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 parternship between them might haver taken the focus & edge off the Lennon-McCartney ego clash, and given breathing room, life, and a more efficient working relationship to the band, that possibly would have extended, and eased, their working relationship as The Beatles. What if...I know, who knows?
And I do agree that these songs, for the most part, did come to see the light of day (hopefully the lost ones will find their way out eventually), and in quite a spectacular fashion, which helped bury The Beatles & launch the career of George Harrison. Everything happens for a reason, and as much fun and wondering about all this is (and even more fun listening if you burn off your own virtual history altering CDs), it all worked out pretty darn well...as any of our music collections will attest to !! Blessings!

[chris]

george once said it was almost impossible to get in the studio when Lennon and Mccartney were around.I dont think Lennon and macca ever took george or Ringo seriously.Treated them more as session players at times.[not that ringo cared]

nicely said, flexy. i agree. john said in the playboy interviews before he was killed that the beatles would have still been the beatles if it were john, paul, and two other guys.

george and ringo were treated like session musicians. granted, friends since childhood...but still session musicians. and to whoever suggested george stick up for himself to john and paul...whooooow! how humiliating that would have been for george. they would have laughed all the livelong day.

[jgkojak]

The problem is, which Lennon & McCartney songs would you replace with Harrison compositions

I think about the only instance I could think of... there are 3 or 4 tunes on White Album (Cry Baby Cry, Honey Pie) I'd lose in favor of Not Guilty.

And then... if the Beatles were marginally more functional during Get Back Sessions- I'd say Across the Universe could be replaced with All Things Must Pass and it would actually improve the flow/cohesiveness of the album.