George Harrison Concert For Bangla Desh Was Released 50 Years Ago

The album of the George Harrison charity event ‘Concert for Bangla Desh’ was released on 20 December 1971.

Harrison put on Concert for Bangla Desh at Madison Square Garden in New York on 1 August 1971. The concert raised $250,000 for Bangladesh relief from the 40,000 ticket sales, With the album and movie, the event eventually generated over $12 million.

Harrison recruited his famous friends for the concert including Bob Dylan, Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and Eric Clapton. The band of musicians and singers were Badfinger, Jim Horn, Klaus Voormann, Alla Rakha, Jim Keltner, Jesse Ed Davis and Claudia Lennear. Phil Spector produced the album.

Harrison also rushed a new single ‘Bangla Desh’, released four days before the concert and then performed the song at the concert.

Side one
1. “George Harrison/Ravi Shankar Introduction” (5:19)
2. “Bangla Dhun”, performed by Ravi Shankar (16:40)

Side two
1. “Wah-Wah” (3:30)
2. “My Sweet Lord” (4:36)
3. “Awaiting on You All” (3:00)
4. “That’s the Way God Planned It”, performed by Billy Preston (4:20)

Side three
1. “It Don’t Come Easy”, performed by Ringo Starr (3:01)
2. “Beware the Darkness”, performed with Leon Russell (3:36)
3. “Band Introduction” (2:39)
4. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (4:53)

Side four
1. “Medley: Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Youngblood”, performed by Leon Russell and Don Preston (9:27)
2. “Here Comes the Sun” (2:59)

Side five (Bob Dylan set)
1. “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” (5:44)
2. “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” (3:07)
3. “Blowin’ in the Wind” (4:07)
4. “Mr. Tambourine Man” (4:45)
5. “Just Like a Woman” (4:49)

Side six
1. “Something” (3:42)
2. “Bangla Desh” (4:55)

2005 Remaster (on second disc alongside the tracks on the last three sides)
1. “Love Minus Zero/No Limit”, performed by Bob Dylan (4:19)

2011 40th anniversary re-issue, iTunes exclusive
1. “Bangla Desh”, studio version (4:00)

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