Somewhere in England | ||||
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Studio album by George Harrison | ||||
Released | 1 June 1981 | |||
Recorded | March–September 1980, November 1980–February 1981 | |||
Studio | FPSHOT, Oxfordshire | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 39:43 | |||
Label | Dark Horse | |||
Producer | ||||
George Harrison chronology | ||||
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Singles from Somewhere in England | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Elsewhere | |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
Goldmine | (favourable) |
Mojo | |
The Music Box | |
Music Story | |
People | (favourable) |
Rolling Stone | |
Uncut |
Somewhere in England is the ninth studio album by George Harrison, released in 1981. The album was recorded as Harrison was becoming increasingly frustrated with the music industry. The album's making was a long one, during which conflicts with Warner Bros. Records arose. Somewhere in England was the first Harrison album to be released after the death of his former Beatles bandmate John Lennon.
Harrison began recording Somewhere in England in March 1980 and continued sporadically, finally delivering the album to Warner Bros. Records, the distributor of his Dark Horse record label, in late September that year. However, the executives at Warner Bros. rejected the album, feeling it was "too laid back" and not sufficiently commercial. Harrison agreed to rework the album and to record new material. Harrison's original cover art, featuring his profile against a map of Great Britain, was also vetoed by Warner Bros.
Returning to the project in November, Harrison was joined in his Friar Park studio in Henley-on-Thames by Ringo Starr, who arrived specifically to have Harrison produce some songs for him. They recorded two Harrison originals – "Wrack My Brain" and "All Those Years Ago" – plus a cover of "You Belong to Me" for Starr's album Can't Fight Lightning (later released as Stop and Smell the Roses). The two other songs were completed but "All Those Years Ago" was left unfinished. Starr later admitted that the key was too high for him to sing.
Shortly before the death of John Lennon, excerpts from Lennon's forthcoming interview in Playboy magazine were published in which Lennon said he was hurt over Harrison's autobiography I, Me, Mine, which, in Lennon's estimation, praised every musician Harrison had worked with except him. Harrison was never able to make amends, as on 8 December 1980, Lennon was shot dead outside his apartment building, the Dakota. After the shock and devastation of Lennon's murder, Harrison decided to utilise the unfinished recording of "All Those Years Ago". He changed the lyrics of the song to reflect the Lennon tragedy. With Starr's pre-recorded drum track in place, Harrison invited Paul and Linda McCartney, and their Wings bandmate Denny Laine, to record backing vocals in early 1981.