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9.32pm
18 April 2013
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I am reading Anthology and this quote seems to shed some light on some inner darkness in George. He is talking about being witness to John and Paul writing songs and how he ended up writing them alone:
“Writing on my own became the only way I could do it, because I started like that. Consequently, over the years, I never really wrote with anyone else and I became a bit isolated. I suppose I was a bit paranoid because I didn’t have any experience of what it was like, writing with other people. It’s a tricky thing. What’s acceptable to one person may not be acceptable to another. You have to trust each other.”
Am I alone in thinking this points to some inner qualities in George, maybe some bitterness and introversion and lack of trust?
"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
9.57pm
22 December 2013
Offline I’m not sure when exactly that specific interview that you referenced took place, but I’m guessing that it was back in the earlier days, or George reflecting upon his early days. He collaborated quite well with Ringo later on, and then eventually with the Traveling Willburys who as you know were comprised of some great writers in the own wright. Socially, he was no “Loner”, as evidenced by the multitude of close friends that flew from all over the world to pay tribute at the one year anniversary of his passing during the ‘Concert For George’, you could even make a good case that he was perhaps, along with Paul, the most social of all four, even if that wasn’t as much the case earlier on…:-)
10.47pm
9 January 2014
Offline Yeah, it seemed to me that Harrison was quite extroverted.
11.15pm
14 February 2013
Offline I’ve heard an interview with George where he makes a comment something like “it’s pretty hard to write good songs when you have two musical geniuses in the band writing all the hits”. I think he definitely felt isolated in that capacity.
I believe it was also in Anthology where I read when George was writing Taxman and needed some help. He wouldn’t go to Paul, of course, so he asked John. John helped him, but said he “didn’t want to help him”. I thought that said a LOT.
I don’t think he was a loner, as Billy Rhythm said, but definitely introverted. I found a lot of his comments in Anthology leaning toward the fact that he didn’t enjoy being famous, etc.
"....take a sad song & make it Meilleur"....
11.40pm
18 April 2013
Offline I seem to recall that at some time or other he spent lots of time alone in his mansion without many visitors.
"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
11.52pm
20 December 2010
Offline I think Beatlemania pushed him to the edge. As soon as the last show at Candlestick Park was completed he flew to India to start his journey of self realization. He needed time to heal and cleanse himself. He was in constant battle with the material world and spiritual world and wanted to find out more about himself and why he was here and what God had in store for him. Sometimes to do this you end up shutting yourself down and closing yourself to the world. I am sure that Friar Park and becoming a Gardner helped him. Being a loner is not a bad thing as long as you don’t shut yourself off from everyone. He always seemed to have close relationships with those near him. I think that Olivia helped him to get through the tough times and help getting him back on the road to recovery.
The further one travels, the less one knows
2.22am
18 December 2012
Offline 
Funnily enough, reading “Tune In” I got the impression that Paul was more of a loner than George, at least when they were younger.
Maybe he felt that way at first, but in later years he seemed to really enjoy working with musicians like Ringo, Splinter, Badfinger, Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, The Traveling Wilburys, etc. Klaus mentions in his book that when he worked with him, George was very into collaborating with everyone and making everyone feel involved, much more so than John.
2.51am
9 January 2014
Offline I still get the sense that Paul is more of a homebody. I guess George was too, but very likely to invite people over. Are there many stories of nightly singalongs going on at the Macca household that extends towards anyone outside the family unit?
3.11am
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20 August 2013
Offline ivaughan said
I still get the sense that Paul is more of a homebody. I guess George was too, but very likely to invite people over. Are there many stories of nightly singalongs going on at the Macca household that extends towards anyone outside the family unit?
mmm and I dreamed up one once 
Hot chocolate was involved if I remember correctly.
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3.50pm
3 May 2012
Offline I know he spent a lot of time on his own at different stages in his life, but does that make him a ”loner”? He had plenty of friends, some of them very close, so I don’t think that term is really appropriate.
I think he doubted his talents sometimes, but that doesn’t say much about the rest of his personality IMO.
Moving along in our God given ways, safety is sat by the fire/Sanctuary from these feverish smiles, left with a mark on the door.
(Passover - I. Curtis)
9.05pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline It seems many people think/thought he was a ‘loner’. It was addressed in an interview someone posted in these pages a while back. When the interviewer asked him about that perception, George basically replied that he goes/went out quite often, but never felt the need to publicize it.
There are many references (most recently in Lewisohn’s book) to George’s dislike for nosey people. I always got the impression he was more private than lonely.
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OudisTo the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
9.28pm
14 January 2013
Offline I think he was defiantly introverted. People seem to think because you are quiet that you must be a loner or something is wrong with you; however, it is just the opposite of that. Sometimes being around a lot of people or just being around people all the time can be quite draining as an introvert. Which maybe one of the reasons he did not like touring that much in The Beatles heyday. After being around people for a while, you sort of have to recharge and spend alone time. You don’t have to talk all the time. He spoke his mind and cracked jokes when he want it to. I say this as being a introverted person myself.
He may have had some insecurities as well such as doubting his songwriting. I could imagine it would be a bit stressful to compete with John & Paul. Or to even ask for their help. He may have had other doubts too.
12.13am
Reviewers
29 August 2013
Offline From what I have seen in the Scorsese documentary he was far more social than I imagined – just look at all that stuff with the Formula-1 teams and drivers.
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1.00am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline George wasn’t a loner, he just liked his privacy away from the gazing and prying media and public who wanted to know every single thing about him. Since he didn’t give pointless interviews for no reason other than getting his name in the paper or play their game, George got the reputation of being some kind of mad recluse, but he was out there doing things, seeing people, just not doing a song and dance about it like so many celebs do.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
1.20am
27 December 2012
Offline not to mention that stabbing incident
1.31am
20 December 2010
Offline meanmistermustard said
George wasn’t a loner, he just liked his privacy away from the gazing and prying media and public who wanted to know every single thing about him. Since he didn’t give pointless interviews for no reason other than getting his name in the paper or play their game, George got the reputation of being some kind of mad recluse, but he was out there doing things, seeing people, just not doing a song and dance about it like so many celebs do.
Very well put!
The further one travels, the less one knows
5.16pm
29 January 2014
Offline I’ve never had the impression that George was a loner, he always came across quite sociable, adept at making friends and, from an early age, pretty outgoing.
From Chris O’Dell and Patti’s books, it seems like there was always a small entourage hanging around Friar Park, so it seems like he chose to be part of a crowd. I guess he wrote alone (while in The Beatles) because there was no-one really to write with. He collaborated a lot outside of the group…
It’s interesting that he became close friends with Eric Idle, who was also a sole writer in his group.
Peace and love
11.50pm
22 December 2013
Offline Here’ a nice little clip of George socializing in an English Pub, it’s a pretty casual setting where George is conversing about the London Bob Dylan show that he’d attended the previous night. Hanging out at the neighborhood Pub & going to concerts isn’t exactly what I’d call “loner” behaviour, and if you ever wanted to know what it’s like to have a late night drink with George Harrison then go pour yourself a little something and pull up a chair:
It’s hard to picture the others doing anything like this, maybe Ringo back in the day when he was a drinker but knowing him he’d probably have balked at the idea of doing it on television, this man appears to me to be quite social and not at all uncomfortable about it…:-)
12.20am
7 February 2014
Offline I did read somewhere that George said when he did his 1974 tour, he saw that much of the audience had shown up predominantly to get wasted rather than for the music and he said to himself “have I got anything in common with these people”?
I don’t think loners usually want to be alone – it’s just that they feel they don’t fit in and so basically have little choice but to go it alone.
Also, George was of course very interested in Indian culture and eastern religions, the sitar etc and very few English speaking people are interested in stuff like that so again George would feel out of place.
I read somewhere that Eric Clapton said that George became a recluse after the stabbing, which is sad but understandable.
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Expert Textpert8.21am
15 May 2014
Offline I apologize for my ignorance, but could anybody please post a link to the “stabbing incident”? I’ve no idea what happened.
Thanks and sorry,
Oudis.
“Forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit” (“Perhaps one day it will be a pleasure to look back on even this”; Virgil, The Aeneid, Book 1, line 203, where Aeneas says this to his men after the shipwreck that put them on the shores of Africa)
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