John Lennon Said George Harrison Did ‘Concert for Bangladesh’ Because The Beatles Broke Up
George Harrison‘s The Concert for Bangladesh was a seminal moment in the history of classic rock. John Lennon said it wouldn’t have happened if The Beatles didn’t break up. Subsequently, Yoko Ono contrasted The Concert for Bangladesh with The Beatles’ work.
John Lennon said George Harrison’s The Concert for Bangladesh was ‘fantastic’
The book Lennon on Lennon: Conversations With John Lennon includes an interview from 1972. In it, John discussed The Concert for Bangladesh. “We wouldn’t have had Bangladesh, which is the most fantastic thing, [if The Beatles had stayed together],” he said. “And they’re blowing that movie up to 70 [millimeter film], apparently. And it’s gonna earn millions and millions for those people. It’s fantastic.
“And George is virtually an ambassador in the world now,” he added. “I think it’s fantastic. And he’s gonna go to India and Bangladesh and see where the money goes. He’s following it through. He’s taken on a great responsibility, and he’s doing it because he’s on his own and he’s found what he wants to do.”
Yoko revealed her opinion of The Concert for Bangladesh. “Individually now, The Beatles, instead of just saying ‘It’s OK,’ are starting to point out the troubles in the world,” he said. “Like George sings ‘Bangla Desh’ and Paul is doing something about … not the weather but what is it? The pollution, you know. Everybody’s starting to bring out the problems, and that’s beautiful, I think. It’s healthy.”
Kiss’ Paul Stanley slept outside a Macy’s to get tickets for George Harrison’s concert
The Concert for Bangladesh was one of the most famous concerts to ever happen at Madison Square Garden. In his 2014 book Face the Music: A Life Exposed, Kiss’ Paul Stanley recalled seeing The Concert for Bangladesh. He slept outside a Macy’s in order to purchase tickets.
Stanley said watching the concert, as well as performances at Madison Square Garden by Alice Cooper and The Rolling Stones, made him dream of performing there. Getting to play at Madison Square Garden was a big deal for him. Before Kiss performed at the venue, Stanley was so nervous beforehand he “took half a Valium.” He said he had so much adrenaline during the concert he could have taken many more pills and still had energy.
How ‘The Concert for Bangladesh’ performed in the United States and the United Kingdom
The live album The Concert for Bangladesh reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. It remained on the chart for 41 weeks. It lasted longer on the chart than any of George’s other albums besides All Things Must Pass. The song “Bangla Desh” reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the chart for seven weeks.
According to The Official Charts Company, The Concert for Bangladesh hit No. 1 in the United Kingdom for one week. It lasted a total of 13 weeks on the chart. Meanwhile, the song “Bangla Desh” peaked at No. 10 and remained on the chart for nine weeks.
The Concert for Bangladesh was an important part of George’s career and John said it wouldn’t have happened if The Beatles stayed together.
