50 years ago this Friday, March 3rd, 1973, George Harrison and Ringo Starr became the first members of The Beatles to win an Album of the Year Grammy for Harrison's 1971's three-record set The Concert for Bangladesh, which featured Ringo on drums.
The Beatles won the award in 1968 for 1967's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and John Lennon posthumously won it in 1982 for 1980's Double Fantasy.
Paul McCartney has not achieved this milestone.
The album has been reissued several times, most recently in 2011 as a digital download for its 40th anniversary. It's also noted for being the first album to include officially released live material from Bob Dylan.
The first-of-its-kind large-scale all-star benefit, The Concert for Bangladesh paved the way for the likes of Live Aid, Farm Aid, Live 8 and the Concert for New York City. It was held on August 1st, 1971, with two shows -- afternoon and night -- at New York's Madison Square Garden.
The shows raised money for refugees from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) at the request of his friend, Indian sitar virtuoso and a composer Ravi Shankar.
In addition to Bob Dylan, Harrison also rounded up Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and Badfinger. Clapton, who was addicted to heroin, agreed to participate but only if Harrison would supply drugs. John Lennon was invited, but without Yoko Ono. He reportedly agreed, but then argued with Yoko over it and backed out. Paul McCartney declined in the wake of The Beatles' acrimonious breakup the year before, while Ringo crashed the party.
And even though Bob Dylan agreed to perform, no one knew if he'd show up.
Harrison performed eight of his songs live for the first time that day, including The Beatles' "Something," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun." "Wah-Wah," "My Sweet Lord," "Awaiting on You All" and "Beware of Darkness" came from his first post-Beatles solo album, 1970's All Things Must Pass. The song "Bangladesh" was written specifically for the event. Ringo debuted "It Don't Come Easy" and flubbed the lyrics.
A documentary film of the concert opened in 1972 and has since become available on video and DVD. (Crowd noise from the film was used by producer Jack Douglas on Aerosmith's cover of "Train Kept A-Rollin'.")
The two concerts initially raised $243,000, which was handed over to UNICEF. By 1985, nearly $12 million in proceeds had been earmarked for Bangladesh. However, the money was tied up for more than a decade because concert organizers had neglected to seek tax-exempt status.
Sales of the album and DVD continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.
Songs played at The Concert for Bangladesh:
George Harrison:
- "Wah-Wah"
- "Something"
- "Awaiting on You All"
- "Beware of Darkness"
- "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
- "Here Comes the Sun"
- "Hear Me Lord"
- "My Sweet Lord"
- "Bangladesh"
Billy Preston:
- "That's the Way God Planned It"
Ringo Starr:
- "It Don't Come Easy"
Leon Russell:
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash" into "Young Blood"
Bob Dylan:
- "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"
- "Blowin' in the Wind"
- "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
- "Love Minus Zero/No Limit"
- "Just Like a Woman"
- "Mr. Tambourine Man"