George Harrison
Extra Texture
Oct. 1975
US pressing (mastered by Bernie Grundman)
This LP comes between the “Dark Horse” and “Thirty Three & One-Third” LPs. The audio presented here
is from a sealed US pressing.
From wikipedia:
Extra Texture (Read All About It) is an album by George Harrison which was released in 1975. Following
the Dark Horse debacle, Extra Texture (Read All About It) was Harrison's last album under his contract
with Apple Records (and also the last studio album on Apple) and EMI, all set to embark on his own
Dark Horse Records imprint, initially distributed by A&M Records.
Once Harrison allowed himself some needed time to rest following the events of 1974 and busied himself
with other Dark Horse acts, he finally got around to recording his "contractual obligation" album -
the bulk of which was cut at A&M Studios in Los Angeles in the summer of 1975. Among the musicians he
used to record Extra Texture (Read All About It) were Jim Keltner on drums, Leon Russell on piano, and
a young David Foster - then contracted with Dark Horse Records with a band called Attitudes - who provided
three string arrangements and keyboards. Different bass guitarists appear on nearly every track, and
include Klaus Voormann, Carl Radle, Paul Stallworth, Willie Weeks, and Harrison himself, playing synthesized
Arp bass.
Specially for the album, Harrison completed "You", a song he had intended for Ronnie Spector to record,
and which went no further than its backing track back in 1971. It subsequently became a Top 20 hit in
the United States, and reached #38 in the United Kingdom. The follow-up single in February 1976,
"This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)" - a lyrical sequel to "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" - was the
last new release on Apple Records until the label was revived in the 1990s, and also the first solo
Beatles single to miss the charts. "Ooh Baby (You Know That I Love You)" was the first of two Smokey
Robinson tributes Harrison would release.
Released with a thick and heavily textured orange cover (hence its title), Extra Texture (Read All About It)
was better received than Dark Horse by the critics, though it was still considered slightly below par by
the general public. Harrison himself would later designate the album as his worst. The album reached #8 in
the US - his last Top 10 album there for twelve years - and went gold, while reaching #16 in the UK.
Points of interest: Perhaps a joke referencing the impending demise of The Beatles' Apple Records label,
the Apple logo is presented on Extra Texture (Read All About It) all eaten away. In addition, Harrison is
pictured on the inside jacket with the caption "OHNOTHIMAGEN" (i.e. "Oh, not him again!"); a humorous take
on Harrison's dwindling popularity at this time. The album's curious title stemmed from a word game played
by Harrison and several other musicians during the album's recording sessions.
Extra Texture (Read All About It) was remastered for CD release in 1992.
All songs written and composed by George Harrison
The tracks included are:
1) "You"
Backing track cut in February 1971 and intended for Ronnie Spector; finished in 1975 for this album.
2) "The Answer's At The End"
Inspired by a wall caption written by Sir Frankie Crisp, the original proprietor of Friar Park, which Harrison
purchased in 1970
3) "This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)"
A lyrical successor to Harrison's 1968 composition "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
4) "Ooh Baby (You Know That I Love You)"
A musical tribute to Smokey Robinson
5) "World of Stone"
6) "A Bit More of You"
A 45-second reprise of "You"'s backing track
7) "Can't Stop Thinking About You"
8) "Tired Of Midnight Blue"
Originally titled 'Midnight Blue', but changed to avoid confusion with Melissa Manchester's recent hit.
It was inspired by George's feelings of frustration during his mother's long illness and subsequent death
9) "Grey Cloudy Lies"
10) "His Name Is Legs (Ladies And Gentlemen)" – 5:46
Features the vocal antics of "Legs" Larry Smith, formerly a member of Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band
Bonus track:
11) “You” from a U.S. mono promo 45rpm
Personnel:
George Harrison - vocals, guitar, Moog synthesizer
Jesse Ed Davis - guitar (tracks 3-7, 9)
Chuck Findley - horn (tracks 4, 10)
David Foster - organ, electric piano, arp (tracks 1-3, 5-7, 9, 10)
Jim Gordon - drums (track 1)
Nicky Hopkins - piano (tracks 6, 7)
Jim Horn - flute, saxophone (track 1)
Jim Keltner - drums, percussion (tracks 1-9)
Dennis Killeen - percussion
Norm Kinney - percussion (track 2)
Andy Newmark - drums (track 10)
Billy Preston - electric piano (track 10)
Carl Radle - bass (track 1)
Emil Richards - percussion
Leon Russell - piano (tracks 1, 8)
Tom Scott - horn, saxophone (tracks 4, 10)
Legs Larry Smith - vocals (track 10)
Paul Stallworth - bass, background vocals (tracks 2, 7, 8)
Klaus Voormann - bass (tracks 4-7)
Willie Weeks - bass (track 10)
Gary Wright - organ, electric piano, arp (tracks 1-7)
The setup used:
-Technics SL-1900 direct drive turntable running an Ortofon 2M Black cartridge
-Underwood/Parts Connexion performance-modified PS Audio GCPH phono preamp
-E-MU 1212M sound card
The audio was captured at 192/32-bit (float)
All pops & clicks were removed manually in Audition. No EQ or NR has been added.
Sample rate conversion to 96kHz & 44.1kHz and down-converting to 16-bit audio was accomplished
via iZotope RX Advanced.
Artwork is included for those who care for it.
Enjoy.
-DLedin