Tag Archives: 60s music

New book about George Harrison’s DARK HORSE RECORDS hits the shelves & author Aaron Badgley’s 100’s of hours of research result in a great look at music history

Dark Horse Records: The Story of George Harrison’s Post-Beatles Record Label
Author: Aaron Badgley
Sonic Bond Publishing
Publication date: January 26, 2024
$24.95  Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and select bookstores
204 pages plus 16 pages of colour photos
ISBN: 978-1-78952-287-7

Written by respected broadcaster and Beatles expert, Aaron Badgley, this is the first book to discuss Harrison’s label in such detail. This book is like reading the intimate diary of George Harrison’s life in music, his recording label, his collaborations and lifelong friendships with other trailblazing artists whose music is still played and appreciated today. In fact, Harrison played with, produced and wrote for a virtual who’s-who of the rock and pop world and helped create a whole new genre of music – World Music. His long-time collaborations with Indian superstar Ravi Shankar and his daughter, Anoushka, brought a world audience to the unique and melodic sounds of India where George found such spiritual enlightenment during his 60’s Beatles days.In 1974, with Apple winding down, Harrison still aspired to help new artists, so rather than trying to salvage Apple, he set up his own label, Dark Horse Records, but on a much smaller scale. His plan was to release records from new artists as well as some of his old friends, with an eye to eventually releasing his own music. While Dark Horse had an encouraging beginning with a hit single from the band Splinter, the label suffered increasing problems, failing to establish itself in the way Harrison hoped. However, some incredible and varied music was created from 1974 to 1977, including some of Harrison’s best solo material. Towards the end of its initial life, Dark Horse dropped most of its artists and released mainly Harrison’s solo work. Thankfully, since 2020, George’s talented musician son, Dhani, has taken the reins and has made Dark Horse viable once again, signing legends Cat Stevens and Billy Idol, and releasing music from Joe Strummer and Leon Russell. Finally, in 2023, it was announced that Harrison’s entire solo catalog was going to be re-released on Dark Horse. Badgley’s book tells the story of the label from the beginning, through its struggles and on to its exciting renaissance in the new millennium.Dark Horse Records was not a vanity label set up exclusively for George Harrison’s music. It was a record label and company that attempted – and succeeded – in being unique, that desired to make a difference. Harrison had a passion for helping artists and introduce them to the world. He felt there was room in the music business to accommodate many different styles and a label with diverse acts could not only exist but thrive. It was more of a philosophy than a business plan, and the world was a better place because of it. Dark Horse Records is now in the hands of Harrison’s musician son, Dhani, along with his widow, Olivia.

I recently spoke with Aaron who kindly filled me in on how the book came to be and how Harrison’s music has impacted his own….

Aaron, congratulations on your new book Dark Horse Records. What inspired you to write about this relatively unknown part of George Harrison’s life? First, thank you. The reason for writing this is because it’s a relatively unknown part of George Harrison’s life and career. His All Things Must Pass, Concert For Bangladesh, Cloud Nine and The Traveling Wilburys get a lot of attention, but there is this other chapter in his life that is equally as important. Dark Horse Records was a chance for Harrison to help others and to promote new and undiscovered talent, like he did with Apple Records (The Beatles own record label). I think this time period really deserved to be explored and explained. It has always been a very fascinating chapter in his history for me. The label was so eclectic, like George himself. You have British folk (Splinter), classical Indian music, blues, jazz-rock, rhythm and blues, and pop. In very few years he did a lot for these artists and had a remarkably diverse label. Not to mention his own music. I would argue that he made some of his best solo albums on Dark Horse Records.Most people feel that the Lennon & McCartney- written songs are the biggest influences on their own lives or have impacted the music industry the most….where does George Harrison’s writing and recording fit into the public zeitgeist? That is an excellent question! I am not really sure how to answer that, but with songs like “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Here Comes the Sun”, I think he joins their ranks. As a solo artist, his All Things Must Pass Album was a triple album and now considered a classic. Maybe at the time he was overshadowed by Lennon & McCartney but I think he has caught up with them in the public’s eye. Even McCartney admits that “Something” is one of the greatest love songs ever written. I think that there has been a serious re-evaluation of his work and he is being appreciated by whole new generations.George’s wife, Olivia, and son Dhani (pictured below) have cherished and sustained his legacy, both in music and peace activism – how do you think future generations of music lovers will embrace George Harrison’s music? I find it interesting that Dhani has also resurrected the Dark Horse Records label. He has signed Cat Stevens, Billy Idol and has released Leon Russell and Joe Strummer (of The Clash) solo music so I am glad to see they are also keeping his record label alive along with his music and spirit. I hope that this music lives on forever, quite frankly, and is embraced by all future generations. I was thrilled to see the new Beatles single, “Now and Then” top the charts all around the world, including Spotify and other streaming charts. Because Harrison never tried to follow trends and jump on bandwagons, I think his music has aged well and will continue to age well. He had his own distinct style and it sounds as good today as it did when it was first released. Harrison is really coming into his own these days, and my 24 year-old daughter tells me that friends and people of her age group are really enjoying discovering his music, both with The Beatles and solo.You’ve enjoyed a long career in radio playing great music, chatting with music makers and offering opinions and reviews – how do today’s songs compare with those of the 60s and 70s and do you wish more under-40s would listen to the rock and pop classics of that era? When I was growing up, listening to AM radio, like CHUM and CFTR (in Toronto), what I loved about it, in hindsight, is that they would play everything. Oldies and new songs. So, as kids of that era, we all knew Buddy Holly, Elvis, Janis, and all sorts of artists along with the current top 40. I think that is missing today. Radio is so fragmented that young people only listen to their genre and never get the chance to branch out. There are some fine artists today making really creative and wonderful music, and as much as I enjoy discovering new bands, I notice radio will not play new music by anyone over 40. This is a shame. Because when I hear some new artists, I can hear the older bands coming through their sound. So, I wish the young listeners were also aware of the artist’s influences as they enjoy the music. Was the music of my youth better? I don’t know. But, when I was young, the music of my parents’ generation was Bing Crosby or even Al Jolson, which was pretty square at the time. Now, I love Bing and listen to him a lot. Maybe as the youth get older, they will look back and discover this incredible body of work, not only of George Harrison but all the other artists.So tell us, was George your favourite Beatle, if not, who was? I am one of five boys, and my mother used to say, ‘I love you all equally, just differently’. I guess that is how I see The Beatles. I don’t really have a favourite, but I do go through phases. Some months, I just listen to McCartney, other months it may be Lennon. I love George, I love his lyrics and his musical ability and his spiritualism. His solo albums are full of fantastic, astounding songs, of which I never ever tire. I guess that may not answer your question, but that is the best I have.How/where can people buy your book? My book is available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indigo, basically all the book sellers. It is also found in select stores and Burning Shed website.

For younger fans of both The Beatles and Harrison as a solo artist, perhaps a reminder of his tragic final years is needed: in May 1997, Harrison was diagnosed with throat cancer. He was treated with radiotherapy, which initially seemed successful. Then two years later, on December 30th 1999, Harrison and his wife, Olivia, were attacked in their home. Harrison suffered over 40 stab wounds and part of his punctured lung had to be removed. And yet, Harrison continued to record, helping new bands and old friends such as Bill Wyman, Jeff Lynne, Albert Lee and Jim Capaldi.  On 29 November 2001, George Harrison lost his battle with cancer and passed away.

About the author
As a youngster, Aaron Badgley developed a profound love of The Beatles and music in general, also developing a fascination with record labels. At the age of 19, he started working in radio and by 20, he was a production manager for a number of stations in Canada. In 2005, Aaron debuted his syndicated radio show The Beatles Universe, which ran for six years. Currently, he is the host of Here Today and Backwards Traveller radio shows and cohosts From Memphis To Merseyside and The Way-Back Music Machine (with Tony Stuart). He writes for Spill Magazine and Immersive Audio Album, and has also contributed to the All Music Guide. Aaron resides in Toronto, Canada.At the back of the book, there are pages and pages of reference works and a bibliography so extensive, one can only imagine the hours, days, weeks, months Badgley put in to research for his book.

 

COOL CALIFORNIA BAND BRINGS GARAGE/INDIE ROCK VIBE TO THIS YEAR’S “VIRTUAL” CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK

Last week, I read an interesting Fcbk post from Boyce & Hart (award-winning pop/rock songwriters) via The Monkees’ Fcbk account about a young indie band out of California covering one of the 60’s iconic hit-writers’ songs, (I’m not your) Stepping Stone which was originally recorded by Paul Revere and the Raiders but it was The Monkees who created magic with the tune. As many of you know, I’m a huge Monkees fan – I used to argue with my BFF at high school who was better, The Monkees or the Rolling Stones (LOL) – then in the 80’s I got to work press for the eastern Canadian leg of their original reunion tour (sans Mike Nesmith). Below, hanging with Davy Jones backstage pre-show in Toronto.Davy-Jones-80s-tour-197x300Needless to say, I was intrigued by this groovy young band, the VELVET STARLINGS, and clicked thru to their cover version of “Stepping Stone”…WOW! Big juicy sound, great licks, fab vocals. Bravo, boys! I was hooked and said so by leaving a comment on the Boyce & Hart page who seemed to like my response. So when the songwriters of a classic pop song endorse your cover version, you must be pretty damn good. VELVET STARLINGS MAIN BAND 1The band was founded by young lead singer, guitarist & organ player Christian Gisborne, brothers Foster Polling (drums) and Hudson Polling (bass), and new addition Ashton Minnich on second guitar.  I wanted to make sure I shared news of my latest discovery with my music-lovin’ friends and industry colleagues so I reached out to the band who is participating in this year’s virtual version of Canadian Music Week and asked them a few questions….

Congratulations, lads, on your participation in this year’s CMW, even though it’s online only. How has Covid quarantining and travel bans affected your new album launch and reaching new audiences?   We’ve actually finished 2 albums during Covid and we’re finally putting out our debut album “Technicolour Shakedown” this summer (to be distributed by AWAL/The Orchard in US.)! While Covid did put a damper on touring, it gave us the time we needed to really focus in on the music. We’ve started doing a lot more livestreams and such so that’s been pretty fun getting to connect with people mid-song, playing requested songs and what not.

Has the band participated in any online concerts or socially distanced events over the past year, and if so, how were you received by fans?  Yes! We did a livestream benefitting Alexandria House, raising money for displaced women and children. It was super fun as we had to learn how to do multi-camera editing which ended up being the reason for our new extremely DIY music videos coming out this summer…haa haa!  We’ve played a couple of socially-distanced local shows and they’ve been pretty fun, I think people are ready for live stuff to come back – just gotta get on that vaccine!VELVET STARLINGS PRESS MAIN BAND 2 808How long have each of you been playing/performing? And do any of you have formal music training?  Drummer Foster says:  I started playing when I was about 12, and my brother, our bass player, Hudson started playing when he was about 10. We both took music classes at our middle school and high school, but we really started getting serious about music when we started playing in high school bands. That’s around the time we figured out that we really just liked playing rock n roll as opposed to the jazz and classical music we’d play in school.  Lead singer, guitarist and keyboardist Christian (pictured below) says:  I guess with music I took the same approach as Brian Wilson, McCartney and Lennon. I learned to play by ear for most part, found all of the chords in my Beatles songbook and just applied them to my own songwriting. I had heard that George Martin made sure Lennon & McCartney didn’t learn to read and write as he thought it would confine them creatively. I wanted to play organs and keyboards after hearing Alan Price (The Animals) & Ray Manzerek (The Doors) – those guys are huge influences.10_VelvetStarlings_SkylerBarberio_53A3819What drew you together as a band? Was it style, genre or simply the love of music creation?  Christian:  I met brothers Foster and Hudson at a Cage the Elephant show and we’ve been friends ever since. Ashton used to play in their band and now we’re all rocking out together. I think growing up in a time when everyone at school worships Drake and Post Malone definitely contributed to the ‘want’ to find other people who dig rock’n’roll and organic instruments. We all love the same bands and it all just somehow worked out.

Being an oldie, I am truly impressed with your musical influences from the 60’s – legendary artists such as The Stones, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Iron Maiden…even Humble Pie! Did you each discover these groups via your parents (or grandparents)? And what appealed most to you about the rock/R&B grooves? Foster:  We just love rock’n’roll. The energy of playing music in a room or outdoors and getting a reaction out of the audience is really what we love to see each time we play, and we work hard to try and squeeze it out of an audience at each concert. Of course, this has a lot to do with what music we were introduced to when we were younger. Growing up during the garage rock revival was huge for us, listening to all these killer bands like The White Stripes or Jet really kickstarted our love of the energy that rock n roll gives off. From that point, you start to really get into it and research who influenced who, and then you just go down the rabbit hole from there.4_VelvetStarlings_SkylerBarberio_53A2967I discovered Velvet Starlings thanks to a Boyce & Hart/Monkees Facebook shout-out …you covered their “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone”. Why this song…what did you hear in it that prompted you to cover it with your own style?  Stepping Stone is such a bad-ass moment in their discography. We were gonna try and do Valleri but the solo just rips too hard and I couldn’t figure it out..haa haa. That’s so sick that you worked with them for their reunion tour! Seeing The Monkees live would be the dream – I saw Mickey Dolenz play Pleasant Valley Sunday and Last Train to Clarksville at a mini local festival in Laurel Canyon and just that blew my mind.

Thanks, guys, any messages for your new fans in Canada and around the world?  We’re big fans of Canadian rock’n’roll. Arcade Fire, DFA1979, Mac Demarco. The New Pornographers was actually the last show I went to right before Covid. We’re hoping to make it up to Canada some day…hopefully in 2022.  Toronto & Montreal are on our list of places to rock. We really appreciate Steven Dagenais & Robert Singerman for including us on this year’s CMW line up. The funny thing is we were supposed to be in Toronto in 2020 for CMW & Indie Week, but due to Covid they were postponed along with our official SXSW conference slot and our UK tour. We look forward to getting back out there again playing to a live audience.

Good luck with CMW, fellas – check out news of the Velvet Starlings and other great artists at www.cmw.net (online May 18-21) and I encourage you to visit VS’s own website for more music videos & band news as well as social media links www.velvetstarlings.com

Big thanks to Roger Gisborne, Owner/CEO Sound x 3 Records and Gemma Downes, Label Mgr/A&R/Artist Development at Sound x 3 Music UK for their kind assistance with writing this blog. Band photos courtesy: Skyler Barberio