Written by: Harrison
Recorded: May 1968
Unreleased
George Harrison: vocals, organ
Recorded among the May 1968 demos for the White Album, Circles was a George Harrison composition which eventually saw light of day in 1982.
Upon their return from India, all four Beatles gathered at Kinfauns, Harrison's Esher bungalow. They recorded demos of 27 songs, to be put forward as potential titles for the White Album. Of these songs, 19 eventually found their way onto the album.
One of the discarded titles was Circles, seemingly recorded alone by Harrison with just an organ accompaniment. Speaking voices can be heard in the background; they may be those of the other Beatles, or possibly the sound of a television or radio.
One of Harrison's more philosophical songs, Circles is lyrically similar to The Inner Light or Within You Without You, although the concept of the changing world being observed by a stationary individual perhaps best recalls John Lennon's I'm Only Sleeping.
The Beatles never recorded Circles as a group, although Harrison's demo was later widely bootlegged along with the other Kinfauns recordings. Like Lennon's Child Of Nature - which also resurfaced in a different form some years later - Circles wasn't included on Anthology 3, although some of the other May 1968 demos did feature.
Harrison eventually released a version of Circles on his 1982 album Gone Troppo. It was recorded with a full band - including Billy Preston on organ and piano - and with largely different lyrics to those written in 1968.
Lyrics
Friends come and friends go
As I go round and round
In circles
Love warms and love colds
As I go round and round
In circles
He who knows does not speak
He who speaks does not know
And I go round in circles
Life comes and life goes
As I go round and round
In circles
He who knows does not speak
He who speaks does not know
And I go round in circles
Life comes and life goes
As I go round and round
In circles
Life comes and love goes
As we go round and round
In circles
Related articles:
- Demo recordings for the White Album
- Junk
- Working titles for Beatles songs, albums and films
- The Beatles go sightseeing in India
- You Know What To Do
There's tons of copies of the Kinfaus demo of this song floating around the internet.
It has got to be the most horrible Beatles song ever.
I can barely make out the lyrics, it's just a repetion of George playing the same jntes on and on and singing apparent gibberish. No wonder it wasn't released.
Personally I wish the Beatles had recorded it. I think its got a haunting melody and the lyric concept is basically sound. I don't think he did it very well on Gone Troppo but the Beatles would probably have nailed it.
I agree with you James, I think this is a very eery song, a great, dark melody, similar in vein to "Blue Jay Way", another vastly underrated Harrison composition. I do not like his solo version at all, and I completely agree a Beatles version would have far surpassed it - much like their Anthology vers of "Not Guilty", another great Harrison gem that has been criminally ignored, which blew away the eventual Harrison solo recording. Love the line "He who knows does not speak, he who speaks does not know...". Seriously one of my favorite lyrics of all time and a perfect reflection I think of George's philosophy of people at the time.