The Pop Corporation

‘Electronic Sound’ isn’t exactly at the front of people’s brains when it comes to Beatle Solo LPs. However, it is one of the more interesting cuts, from a vault that is possibly the most interesting and varied of off-shoot projects of any rock group. This is George Harrison of ‘My Sweet Lord’ lawsuit fame, and funder of Python films and Withnail & I, race cars, keen gardener, and the sprawling ‘All Things Must Pass’ LP.

The album we’re looking at is totally experimental – not a hit on it, because there’s not a tradition song anywhere near it. If you’re looking for the ear that picked up ‘Got My Mind Set On You’, this ain’t gonna do it. If you’re into drone ambient works, neo-classical space jams, then step right up and walk this way!

An album that featured the marvellous quote: “There are a lot of people around, making a lot of noise, here’s some more.”

The was the second studio album by Harrison, and was released on the (sadly short lived) Apple subsidiary Zapple, which focused on avant garde works and electronic sounds. George had been introduced to the Moog by Bernie Krause – an exponent of synthesizers and, handily, Moog salesman. So what, you might think – Harrison went on to introduce the rest of the Beatles to synths, and there’s a glorious Moog line in ‘Here Comes The Sun’ and the psychedelic electronic nuclear winter that is the close of ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’ on ‘Abbey Road’.

The Beatle was producing some sessions for Jackie Lomax in LA, and Krause showing off the possibilities of electronic music jammed ‘No Time Or Space’, which Harrison recorded on the sly and put out on his own LP without crediting Krause (since corrected). Listening to the song is quite literally listening to a Beatle having his mind blown.

Harrison soon recorded his own piece, called ‘Under The Mersey Wall’. It’s a long, very experimental piece of music and of course, on release rock critics turned their nose up at the whole thing. Since then, lovers of vintage electronics have reappraised it, listening to electronic music in its infancy, and how futuristic it must have sounded in the late ’60s.

In reissues, there’d be additional liner notes added by Tom Chemical Brother, saying what an important piece of work it is.

Naturally, sonic experimentation came naturally to a Beatle. They’d used Hammond Organs and Mellotrons before, so why wouldn’t they mess around with this new piece of kit? Harrison’s interest in Indian music would have seen him drawn to the otherworldly psychedelic drones of the Moog: “It unlocked this enormous big door in the back of my consciousness.”

Future Masterchef foodie and Through The Keyhole house snooper Loyd Grossman, writing for Fusion magazine in Boston was not impressed: “If YOU fweemfweemfweemfweem apapapapapapap have an olD SunbeamToaster ugwachattttattachurgchurg churg and enjoyputting your dddddldddlddlllderear up to it wwhoooooooggggg*-*- you may enjoy this albumphwerpphwerp phwerp phwerp phwerp phwerp…”

However, it was part of a burgeoning electronic movement. Bruce Haack, Cecil Leuter, Wendy Carlos and many more were already playing these new instruments, with the latter having a Top 10 Billboard hit. Beaver and Krause also released seminal electronic works themselves, opening the door to a host of progressive bands, Isao Tomita and Kraftwerk, before synthensizers became the calling card of musical futurists.

Krause, finding out Harrison planned to release his demo under his own name, protested to Harrison: “I said, Not without my permission you’re not, that’s Paul and I’s stuff – and then he said, ‘Trust me, I’m a Beatle.’”

While it’s nice that Krause’s name finally got some credit on the song, Harrison also musically credited his two Siamese cats (Jostick and Rupert) on the LP too. Funny, if a little cruel.

What did George really think of it all? In later years, he offered this classic groaner: “It could be called avant-garde, but a more apt description would be (in the words of my old friend Alvin) ‘Avant Garde Clue’!”

Worth having a poke around in, for fans of experimental electronic music. Two tracks, beamed straight into your brain.