The Concert For Bangla Desh

:This article is about the album. For the actual concert see The Concert for Bangladesh.

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The Concert For Bangla Desh is a live triple album by George Harrison and celebrity friends performed in aid of the homeless Bengali refugees of the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Performed on 1 August that year at New York City's Madison Square Garden, The Concert For Bangla Desh was a pioneering charity event - fourteen years before Live Aid.

Related Topics:
Live - Triple album - George Harrison - Bengali - 1971 - India - Pakistan - 1 August - New York City - Madison Square Garden - Live Aid

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After being made aware of the gravity of the situation by friend and musician Ravi Shankar, Harrison quickly organized two performances in their aid, in addition to composing and releasing a single called "Bangla Desh" just preceeding the event. With Harrison - highly popular following the success of All Things Must Pass - leading the shows, he wanted to surround himself with his closest musician friends, including Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan (both of whom were in reclusive states at that time), in addition to Billy Preston, Badfinger, Leon Russell, Shankar, and Ringo Starr, among others. Both John Lennon and Paul McCartney had been asked by Harrison to join, but while McCartney felt it was too soon for a Beatles reunion and declined, Lennon was keen to take part - only recanting his acceptance once Harrison made it clear that Yoko Ono was not required on stage. To enable Dylan's appearance on the album, his label, Columbia Records, were given the cassette distribution rights.

Related Topics:
Ravi Shankar - All Things Must Pass - Eric Clapton - Bob Dylan - Billy Preston - Badfinger - Leon Russell - Ringo Starr - John Lennon - Paul McCartney - Beatles - Yoko Ono - Columbia Records - Cassette

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The two concerts on 1 August 1971 were highly successful - with a cheque for US $243 418.50 being immeidiately sent to UNICEF for relief - and all involved were pleased with a job well done. However, both the UK and US governments held up the money for years. The proceeds ended up as high as fifteen million dollars after the release of the album with only a small amount actually making its way to those in need, leaving Harrison disgusted.

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Shortly before Christmas in 1971, The Concert For Bangla Desh was released in the US, while appearing in the UK shortly after New Year's Day 1972. It was an immediate best-seller, spending several weeks at #2 in the US and becoming Harrison's only #1 UK album. The album's significance was further cemented when it won the coveted Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1973.

Related Topics:
Christmas - New Year's Day - 1972 - Grammy Award for Album of the Year - 1973

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Initially reissued on CD in 1991, The Concert For Bangla Desh is set to be remastered and re-released in October 2005 with the addition of Dylan's performance of "Love Minus Zero/No Limit", as well as a simultaneous DVD release of the original 1972 film.

Related Topics:
CD - 1991 - October - 2005 - DVD

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