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"The Inner Light" is a song written by George Harrison that was first released by The Beatles as a B-side to "Lady Madonna". It was the first ever Harrison composition to be featured on a Beatles single. The lyrics are a rendering of Chapter 47 in the Laozi's Dao De Jing, the foundational book of Daoism. It is also available on the Beatles' compilation albums Rarities and Past Masters, Volume Two.
The Beatles' recording of this song features lead vocals from Harrison and brief backing vocals from John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The instrumental track was recorded in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, during the sessions for Harrison's Wonderwall Music (a soundtrack album), during January 1968.
"The Inner Light," was one of the last Beatles songs to become readily available on an album in the English-speaking world. Although the song had been included in Por Siempre Beatles, a compilation album released only in Spain in 1971, it was not available on a British or American long-playing record until the release of Rarities (which had been included in the British and American boxed set, The Beatles Collection, in 1978, and released separately as an album in the United Kingdom in 1979). The first stand-alone American album to feature "The Inner Light" was The Beatles Rarities, which was released in 1980. "The Inner Light" is available on CD on Past Masters: Volume Two.
The mono version of the song that was released as the B-Side of the "Lady Madonna" single (and later on the Rarities compilation) is slightly different from the stereo version available on "Past Masters: Volume Two". The mono mix features an extra horn riff during the intro and overdubbed vocals, whereas the stereo mix lacks the extra horn and features a single vocal track.
Jeff Lynne of ELO, who worked heavily with George Harrison, sang the song accompanied by his acoustic guitar, Anoushka Shankar on sitar, and an ensemble of Indian musicians in 2002's Concert for George.
Part of the song appears mixed alongside another Harrison composition, Here Comes the Sun, on the 2006 Cirque du Soleil album, Love.
[edit] External links
| v • d • e The Beatles |
| Singles (UK - Parlophone, Apple Records) |
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1962: Love Me Do • 1963: Please Please Me, From Me to You, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand • 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I Feel Fine • 1965: Ticket to Ride, Help!, Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out • 1966: Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine • 1967: Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane, All You Need Is Love, Hello, Goodbye • 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude • 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together • 1970: Let It Be
1976: Yesterday, Back in the U.S.S.R. • 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / A Day in the Life • 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley, Love Me Do (reissue) • 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird • 1996: Real Love
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| B-sides |
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1962: P.S. I Love You • 1963: Ask Me Why, Thank You Girl, I'll Get You, This Boy • 1964: You Can't Do That, Things We Said Today, She's a Woman • 1965: Yes It Is, I'm Down • 1966: Rain • 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus • 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution • 1969: Old Brown Shoe • 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number)
1976: I Should Have Known Better, Twist and Shout • 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, P.S. I Love You (reissue) • 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, Christmas Time (Is Here Again) • 1996: Baby's in Black
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| Singles (U.S. - Capitol Records, Apple Records) |
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1963: I Want to Hold Your Hand • 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I'll Cry Instead, And I Love Her, Matchbox, I Feel Fine • 1965: Eight Days a Week, Ticket to Ride, Help!, Yesterday, We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper • 1966: Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine • 1967: Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need Is Love, Hello, Goodbye • 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude • 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together • 1970: Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road
1976: Got to Get You into My Life • 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / A Day in the Life • 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley • 1986: Twist and Shout • 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird• 1996: Real Love
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| B-sides |
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1963: I Saw Her Standing There • 1964: You Can't Do That, I Should Have Known Better, I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, If I Fell, Slow Down, She's a Woman • 1965: I Don't Want to Spoil the Party, Yes It Is, I'm Down, Act Naturally • 1966: What Goes On, Rain • 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus • 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution • 1969: Old Brown Shoe • 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number), For You Blue
1976: Helter Skelter • 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You • 1986: There's a Place • 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, I Saw Her Standing There / This Boy / Christmas Time (Is Here Again) • 1996: Baby's in Black / Yellow Submarine / Here, There and Everywhere
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