The release
In September 2002, Brainwashed, the first posthumous George Harrison album, was announced.It was released on 18 November 2002 on vinyl and compact disc. There was also a limited edition CD set in a clamshell box containing a poster, Dark Horse sticker, guitar plectrum bearing Harrison signature, and a bonus DVD about the making of the album.
Brainwashed received broadly positive reviews, and enjoyed its highest chart success in Norway, where it peaked at number nine on the album chart. In the US it reached number 18 on the Billboard 200, and in the UK it peaked at 29.
‘Stuck Inside A Cloud’ was a promotional-only single to support the album. The only proper single was ‘Any Road’, which was released in the UK on 12 May 2003. ‘Any Road’ spent two weeks on the chart, peaking at number 37.
Brainwashed was reissued to coincide with the single, with a cardboard slipcase to match the single artwork.
‘Marwa Blues’ won a Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Brainwashed also received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, as did ‘Any Road’ for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.
‘Any Road’, ‘Marwa Blues’, and ‘Rising Sun’ were all included on the 2009 retrospective Let It Roll: Songs By George Harrison.
Press release
Dark Horse and EMI Recorded Music are proud to announce the release of Brainwashed, the long-awaited George Harrison studio album which he was working on up until two months before he died in 2001.Produced by George, Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison, the album features eleven new Harrison compositions and one cover.
“Before we started working on the album, George and Dhani had collaborated extensively on pre-production. We started working on the album in 1999,” Jeff Lynne explains. “George would come round my house and he’d always have a new song with him. He would strum them on a guitar or ukulele. The songs just knocked me out.”
Brainwashed is the first release of new Harrison material since the 1987 multi-platinum album Cloud Nine.
Dhani and Jeff Lynne spent much of this year completing the final work on the album. “George constantly talked about how he wanted the album to sound,” Jeff adds, “and there was always that spiritual energy that went into the lyrics as well as the music.”
David Munns, Vice Chairman of EMI Recorded Music said: “EMI is thrilled to have this new affiliation with Dark Horse. George Harrison is an absolutely legendary artist and this is an extraordinary record and a testament to his genius. We are proud to offer this album to the world.”
In addition to lead and backing vocals, Brainwashed features GEORGE HARRISON on electric and acoustic guitars (including slide & dobro), ukulele, bass and keyboards. Jeff Lynne plays bass, piano, guitars and keyboards and supplies backing vocals. Dhani Harrison plays electric and acoustic guitars, Wurlitzer and contributes backing vocals.
Other musicians featured on Brainwashed include drummer Jim Keltner who plays on seven tracks and Mike Moran and Marc Mann on keyboards. Ray Cooper plays drums on one track, while ‘Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea’ features Jools Holland (piano) and his band including Joe Brown (acoustic rhythm guitar) and Herbie Flowers (bass & tuba).
The song ‘Brainwashed’ includes Bikram Ghosh (tabla), Jon Lord (piano), Sam Brown (backing vocals) and Jane Lister (harp).
