A couple of months ago, I started a new program where on
the last Sunday of the month, I play an entire concert, as it happened. This is not just a compilation of live
recordings but an actual place and date, reconstructed historically with the actual
recordings. I have already done this
yearly with Woodstock and now I can take you back to other places and times
like you were there.
I guess I was destined to do this one from the
start. The Concert for Bangladesh is
largely forgotten today but it was one of the most pivotal events that would
change the music industry forever. It
all started with this hand painted sign in front of Madison Square Garden, in
New York City, back in 1971.
In 1970, the Bhola cyclone (a hurricane in that part of
the world) struck East Pakistan, causing massive devastation and creating a
great humanitarian plight. It is still
the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, killing 300,000 to 500,000
people. If that wasn’t enough, 1970 also
saw the beginning of Pakistan’s genocide against the Bengali people. Those that weren’t killed, were left starving
in the wake of the cyclone. In March of
1971, the Pakistani government launched Operation Searchlight against the
people of East Pakistan and President Yahya Khan said, “Kill three million of
them and the rest will eat out of our hands.”
It is estimated that up to 3 million people were killed
and that 10 million fled over the border into India and the humanitarian crisis
took an unprecedented toll. George Harrison,
a former Beatle, had strong ties to India and was deeply moved by what he was
witnessing. Harrison had traveled to
India to learn the Sitar back in 1966 and was a student of the great sitar
master, Ravi Shankar. If you recall my
Woodstock recreations, Ravi Shankar played the festival in 1969. Harrison and Shankar knew they had to do
something.
The Concert
Other concerts of this kind would have a line-up of artists and each would play a set during the show. The Concert for Bangladesh was different in that all the invited artists would form a single “super group” on stage. Ravi Shankar was an exception to this and did an Indian music set at the beginning of the show, usually referred to as “part one.” After Shankar, the “super group’ took to the stage and played the entire “part two” together with a couple of exceptions noted below. Here was the line-up…
George Harrison (guitar): Harrison was a former
Beatle and organizer for this concert.
Besides being good friends with Ravi Shankar, he was also close to Eric
Clapton. After securing his commitment,
he made his plea to other artists. So
moving was his pitch, many artists cancelled paying gigs to be there to donate
their performance to the cause.
Eric Clapton (guitar): Clapton was very sick the
day of the concert with heroin withdrawal, but he wasn’t about to let his
friend, George, down or the people of Bangladesh. He took the stage despite his illness and
still did a moving rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps. He had originally appeared as a guest artist
on the recording of that song for the Beatles White Album.
Ringo Starr (drums): Ringo is also a former Beatle. He was spotlighted and did his song, It Don’t Come Easy, which was currently topping the charts. It would reach #4 in both the United States and the UK. Author, Nicholas Schaffner, was in the audience and reported that Starr’s rendition of his current hit received the “biggest ovation” of the show. The addition of Billy Preston’s organ and Clapton’s distinct guitar makes this version a real treat. I’ve always been amazed at Ringo’s ability to both drum and sing at the same time.
Billy Preston (Hammond Organ): Preston was a
notable studio musician, and did work for the Beatles, before becoming a Grammy
winning artist himself. He was a
prolific songwriter and is credited with co-writing You Are so Beautiful
for Joe Cocker.
Leon Russell (bass/piano): He was probably one of
the most prolific musical collaborators in the industry and toured with
hundreds of artists. He also recorded
and performed on his own and his music crossed all genres including rock, soul,
country, gospel and even surf, to name but a few. He also wrote a song for Joe Cocker, Delta
Lady.
Bob Dylan (guitar): This man needs no introduction
but the story of his appearance here is one of the highlights of the concert
you will hear. Harrison had worked on
getting Dylan to come out of his seclusion and do the benefit. Dylan had been in a motorcycle accident in
1966 and completely withdrew from public appearance.
Some have even theorized that the “accident” was just an excuse for him
to escape the public eye.
Harrison had taped the set list to the back of his guitar and had just written “Bob?” at the point in the show where Dylan was scheduled. He was supposed to come on in the middle as a surprise, but Harrison had his doubts that Dylan would come through. It wasn’t until he saw him in the wing that he knew he would show. All of the concert promotions just said "George Harrison and Friends,"so no one knew who was appearing. When Dylan took the stage for the first time in five years, it was a surprise to the audience. During the concert on Sunday you will hear that electric moment as the crowd goes wild when Dylan steps on the stage to join the “super group.”
Badfinger: Who better to round out the sound and
add some more depth than the band that had been so closely compared to the
Beatles themselves. In fact, they were
signed to Apple Records. My favorite
moment in the concert came when George Harrison and Pete Ham of
Badfinger did a song that was my favorite Beatles song done by
my favorite Beatle George. He and Pete
Ham did a moving rendition of Here Comes the Sun on two acoustic
guitars. There were no drums or other
accompaniment other than the Soul Choir doing backing vocals.
The Hollywood Horns: Additional session musicians.
The Soul Choir: Backing vocals.
Legacy
After Operation Searchlight the previous March, Bangladesh officially declared their independence from Pakistan, beginning the Bangladesh Liberation War. The war waged on, further contributing to the humanitarian crisis, as Harrison and friends performed their relief concert in New York on August 1, 1971. The following December, India officially recognized Bangladesh and went to war with Pakistan to defend her. Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, had decided that it was in India’s best interest to go to war with Pakistan in consideration of the 10 million refugees crossing their border. Bangladesh was now an independent country.
While all of this was going on, the release of the album
was hung up by record company greed. The
musicians had donated their performances for the relief of the people of
Bangladesh and Apple records was donating the manufacturing and packaging for
free. Somehow, Capitol Records insisted
that it be compensated to the tune of $400,000 (over 2.5 million in today’s
dollars) for “production costs.”
Harrison thought that everyone else was giving and that Capitol should
be charitable too, but they weren’t backing down.
Neither was Harrison. Capitol
took a beating in the press and eventually did back down and settled for 25¢
from each album sale. The album was
finally released on December 20, four days after the Pakistani military
surrendered to the Bangladesh-India Allied Forces.
A few weeks later, a 13-year-old DJ Sue went to the
record store and paid her $12.98 (a lot of money back then), knowing that she
was helping to feed the starving people of Bangladesh. In the early ‘70s, $13.5 million was raised
for humanitarian relief for the people of Bangladesh through the concert, album
and movie. In 1990, ownership rights to the music,
films and recordings were transferred to UNICEF and by that time the effort had
made about $45 million. There would be
no more record company greed as UNICEF now owned the concert outright, along with all money generated.
The Concert for Bangladesh continues to make money today
for relief in Bangladesh as the “George Harrison Fund
for UNICEF.” It was the first ever
endeavor of its kind and other such benefit concerts like Live Aid, Farm Aid,
the Secret Policeman’s Ball, etc. owe their existence to the prototype, the
Concert for Bangladesh.
So, Join us…
This Sunday, November24, and I will recreate the Concert for Bangladesh at 7:00 PM SL time. I will magically transport us back to Madison Square Garden on August 1, 1971. We will relive one of the most important and memorable events in music history. If you really want to fully relive the experience, consider donating $25, the cost of a ticket in 1971, to the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF. The link is below…
"In one
day, the whole world knew the name of Bangladesh. It was a fantastic
occasion."
Ravi Shankar
