In honor of George Harrison’s 75th birthday on February 25, the eight-time platinum Concert for George will be available for the first time on vinyl, as a 4-LP box set and a Limited Edition Deluxe 10-disc box set via Concord Music.
“We will always celebrate George’s birthday, and this year we are releasing Concert for George in a very special package in memory of a special man,” said Olivia Harrison, George’s widow, in a press release.
The concert, which took place November 29, 2002, at London’s Royal Albert Hall, was organized by Olivia Harrison and George’s longtime friend, Eric Clapton. The show, which was captured on film by director David Leland, featured an all-star lineup of guests, including Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Clapton, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Jeff Lynne, Joe Brown and Ravi Shankar.
The new deluxe box set of the concert is limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide and features the complete sound and film recordings (on 4 180-gram LPs, 2 CDs, 2 DVDs and 2 Blu-rays), a 12″x12″ hard-bound 60-page book, plus an opportunity to own a piece of the historic event, by way of a cutting from the original hand-painted on-stage tapestry used as the backdrop at the Albert Hall that night.
The package is housed in a gold-colored, fabric-wrapped box with a die-cut mandala window to display the unique stage fabric, and includes a note from Olivia, explaining the story behind the tapestry.
The 4-LP box set includes the complete sound recordings from Concert for George on 180-gram vinyl, featuring a special, mandala-design etched on Side 8. This is the first time all the songs from the performance have been available on an audio configuration. The album also will be made newly available via streaming platforms, with a track listing mirroring that of the vinyl.
In addition to the vinyl formats, the release will be presented as a 2-CD set, as well as newly issued 2-CD + 2-DVD, and 2-CD + 2-Blu-ray combo packages. The 2-CD set features sound recordings from the concert. The 2-disc DVD and Blu-ray sets also include the complete filmed concert on the first disc, with a second disc containing the original theatrical version featuring concert highlights, interviews with the performers, rehearsals and behind-the-scenes footage. Exclusive to the Blu-ray format, the second disc includes an interview segment featuring Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner and Ray Cooper, entitled “Drummers.”
The Deluxe Box Set is available for pre-order exclusively from concertforgeorge.com. The 4-LP Box Set can be pre-ordered here, while the 2-CD Box Set can be pre-ordered here.
