George Harrison’s Half-Hearted Contribution to The Beatles’ Final Christmas Record Was Only 6 Seconds Long
From 1963 to 1969, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr headed to the studio to record Christmas singles for The Beatles’ fan club. Their earliest Christmas records captured the camaraderie of the band members. Over the years, the records lost some of their early playfulness, particularly with Harrison’s parts. His final contribution clocked in at just six seconds long.
The band released Christmas records for their fan club
In 1963, The Beatles sent their first Christmas record to paying members of their fan club. Backed only by chimes, the band performed a heavily ad-libbed version of “Good King Wenceslas.” Included with the song was a great deal of banter back and forth between the band.
When they finished recording, they left it up to press officer Tony Barrow to put a presentable record together. Looking back, Barrow wished he had preserved the master tape.
“I actually cut the tape recording with scissors, patched the pieces together, and let the discarded bits drop to the floor,” he wrote in his memoir, John, Paul, George, Ringo and Me, per Rolling Stone. “In doing this we destroyed a master tape that at some future date might have raised many thousands of pounds at auction as a unique piece of memorabilia – particularly with all the unused bad language left in!”
George Harrison didn’t put much effort into The Beatles’ final Christmas record
Over the years, relations between The Beatles had grown distinctly chillier. They still released their Christmas record in 1968 and 1969, but they primarily worked on their contributions independently, recording in their homes.
In 1968, Harrison invited American artist Tiny Tim to record the song “Nowhere Man” as a part of his contribution. “Well, here we are again, another fab Christmas,” Harrison said to fans. “Christmas time is here again. Ain’t been around since … last year!”
In 1969, Harrison was notably less festive. While each of his bandmates recorded themselves — Lennon and Yoko Ono interviewed each other, McCartney sang “This Is to Wish You,” and Starr plugged his film The Magic Christian in a song — Harrison didn’t contribute much. He recorded a single line at Apple Records in London. It clocked in at six seconds, perhaps demonstrating Harrison’s growing frustration with The Beatles.
George Harrison said it was a relief when The Beatles broke up
In 1970, McCartney announced that The Beatles had broken up, making their 1969 Christmas record their last. For Harrison, the split came as a relief. He felt that McCartney and Lennon undervalued his contributions to the group. He was glad when The Beatles stopped touring and felt that their split was inevitable.
“There was a sense of relief after that [final tour], getting home,” he told Rolling Stone in 1987. “Then we spent what seemed like fifty years going in and out of each other’s houses, writing tunes and going into the studio for Sgt. Pepper and the White Album. But for me, I think for all of us, it was just too much. The novelty had worn off. Everybody was growing up. Everybody was getting married and leaving home, in effect. I think it was inevitable, really.”
