SerpApi.Org
When The Beatles first started, Paul McCartney and John Lennon dominated the songwriting side of things. Their partnership, known as Lennon-McCartney, is one of the most successful and prolific songwriting duos to this day. But as the Fab Four's fame grew, so did their musical abilities, and soon enough, George Harrison caught up to them. The youngest Beatle was what some would call a late bloomer, but by the time he started confidently bringing songs to the band, they were at the same level of excellence as the best Lennon-McCartney compositions. In 1968, when The Beatles were recording their eponymous record, popularly known as the White Album, Harrison's songwriting broadened the band's horizons yet again by bringing in their first collaborator, his close friend Eric Clapton. What they did together in this song still amazes rock fans.
Eric Clapton Was the First Outsider to Play on a Beatles Record
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is a huge favorite among Beatles fans, and definitely one of the best songs George Harrison ever wrote. The guitarist had a clear vision for what he wanted for this song, and he knew he couldn't do it on his own. Especially considering how frustrated he was with the band's recording process at the time. In an interview with Guitar Player magazine in 1987, Harrison opened up about the process of writing the song and how he got his friend Eric Clapton to play on it.
When Harrison brought the song, which he had originally written on acoustic guitar, to his fellow Beatles, he said they were "not interested at all." This, of course, frustrated the guitarist, who knew he had a good track and wanted to make it work. So, he recruited Clapton to help him push the song forward. It wasn't easy to convince him, though. Not because Clapton didn't want to play with his friend, but because he was intimidated by the prospect of appearing on a Beatles album. By that point, the Fab Four had not collaborated with any of their contemporaries, and whenever they incorporated musicians outside the band, they were always session musicians.
"He said, 'Oh, no. I can't do that. Nobody ever plays on The Beatles records,'" Harrison explained. But he eventually convinced him that it would work out. Despite Clapton's reservations, the rest of the band were thrilled to have him in the studio, and Clapton ended up recording a great, iconic solo that elevated the song to another level. Back in the day, Harrison shared, the solos were cut live, which only makes the final product more impressive.
Harrison was the lead guitarist of The Beatles, so for him to bring another guitar player and give him the solo was a hugely generous gesture. However, when he was asked about it, Harrison didn't seem to see it that way. Not only did it not hurt his ego, having Clapton play the solo made him all the more proud of the song.
"My ego would rather have Eric play on it."
Harrison Brought in Another Great Collaborator to the Band
The next year, Harrison changed the game for the band once again when he brought in yet another friend of his to improve the recording process. The Beatles had met Billy Preston when he was playing with Little Richard in Hamburg, and in 1969, Harrison reconnected with him when he was visiting London. As fans can see in Peter Jackson's Get Back documentary, tensions were high while The Beatles were recording Let It Be, and Harrison had the idea that an outside influence could improve things not only musically but personally as well.
He got in touch with Preston and invited him to the studio, and as soon as the then-22-year-old musical genius walked in with a wide smile, the atmosphere changed. "He got on the electric piano, and straight away there was a 100 percent improvement in the vibe in the room," Harrison shared.
"Billy didn’t know all the politics and the games that had been going on, so in his innocence he got stuck in and gave an extra little kick to the band. Everybody was happier to have somebody else playing and it made what we were doing more enjoyable. We all played better, and it was a great session."
Preston's contributions to the record undoubtedly helped make it into the masterpiece that it is. It would be difficult to imagine songs like "Get Back" and "Don't Let Me Down" without his dreamy electric piano, just as "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" would be unthinkable without Clapton's guitar solo.
Among the countless gifts that Harrison brought to The Beatles, his generosity was undeniably a huge one. Lennon and McCartney are the biggest songwriters of the 20th century, no one is disputing that, but Harrison wasn't as blinded by his ego as his bandmates were at the time. The music world owes him more than just his incredible songs, and his contributions, sometimes overlooked, quietly changed rock 'n' roll forever.
