Not Guilty (Harrison)
Not Guilty was written by George during the Beatles’ 1968 meditation trip to India. A demo was recorded as part of the Esher Demos and was recorded during sessions for The Beatles but a final version was never recorded by The Beatles. It was recorded for George’s 1979 solo album George Harrison.
Quotes
“Actually, I wrote that in 1968. It was after we got back from Rishikesh in the Himalayas on the Maharishi trip, and it was for the White Album. We recorded it but we didn’t get it down right or something. Then I forgot all about it until a year ago, when I found this old demo I’d made in the Sixties. The lyrics are a bit passé – all about upsetting ‘Apple carts’ and stuff – but it’s a bit about what was happening at the time. ‘Not guilty for getting in your way/While you’re trying to steal the day’ – which was me trying to get a space. ‘Not guilty/For looking like a freak/Making friends with every Sikh/For leading your astray/On the road to Mandalay’ – which is the Maharishi and going to the Himalayas and all that was said about that. I like the tune a lot; it would make a great tune for Peggy Lee or someone.” – George Harrison, Rolling Stone
Personnel
- George Harrison – vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
- John Lennon – harpsichord
- Paul McCartney – bass
- Ringo Starr – drums
Release history
- Anthology 3 (1996)
- The Beatles Anniversary Edition (2018) [demo]
- The Beatles Anniversary Edition (2018) [take 102]
