The late legendary George Harrison was the youngest Beatle, but was a fundamental part of the band’s sound and songwriting. Although he and Ringo didn’t have much space to share their compositions, because Lennon and McCartney were the dominant songwriters, he had the chance to write many incredible songs with The Beatles and during his solo career.
He was the first Beatles member to have a number 1 hit song and had a really successful solo career until his death in 2001 at the age of 58. Harrison revealed once which was the song that according to him had one of the nicest melodies that he wrote.
The song George Harrison said had one of the nicest melodies he wrote
George Harrison mentioned the track “Something” in an interview with Ritchie Yorke back in 1969 as one of the nicest melody tunes he wrote. The track was released as a single and featured on their 1969 album “Abbey Road”.
“When I wrote it, I imagined somebody like Ray Charles doing it. It’s, you know, that’s how I – the feel I imagined. But because I’m not Ray Charles. Then you know, I’m sort of much more limited in what I can do, then it came out like this. It’s nice. It’s probably the nicest melody tune that I’ve written,” George Harrison said.
Generally the track is considered a love statement to his former wife Pattie Boyd, who later on married his great friend Eric Clapton. But as he said in the interview, he wrote the track with Ray Charles in mind. He even offered the track to Joe Cocker before it was recorded with The Beatles. Because Paul and John not always gave him and Ringo the opportunity to do their songs. It is considered the best song of the “Abbey Road” album by many Beatles fans.
His favorite versions of “Something”
In 2019, George Harrison’s official social networks posted a quote from the late musician talking about the Ray Charles version. He said “My favorite version is the one by James Brown… When I wrote it, in my mind I heard Ray Charles singing it. He did do it some years later.”
It had George Harrison on vocals and guitar, John Lennon on piano, Paul McCartney on bass and Ringo Starr on drums. The additional musicians were Billy Preston on the Hammond organ, George Martin on string arrangement besides unidentified sessions musicians playing violins, violas, cellos and string bass.
Although Harrison wrote the track with Ray Charles in mind he wasn’t happy with the version the American musician did for the song later. Two covers he praised were done by James Brown and Smokey Robinson, two artists he also loved. He revealed that in an interview with MuchMusic back in 1988 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage).
“The best one I ever heard was (from) James Brown and he did it in 1972. But he did only as the b-side of a re-recorded version of ‘Think’, which is a very old song of his. So it was only on the b-side. I sent him a postcard and said: “You should make it the A side, it’s a killer! It’s really good. I like Smokey Robinson‘s version of ‘Something’ as well. I can’t think off hand, of anything else (other versions),” George Harrison said.