While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Last night I was right in the middle of my usual mid-week homework procrastination, vegging out on the couch and flipping through the channels. I stumbled across a program on PBS showing the best of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction concerts. Let me just say that it was an unbelievable hour and a half of footage. George Harrison, Ringo Star, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springstein, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, and a guy with a keytar(!) doing some Beatles songs. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Tom Petty doing Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth"(Petty's puffing on a smoke throughout, looking pretty badass for an old guy. Not sure why I bothered to include this, but it's just so random). A reunited Santana jamming out "Black Magic Woman". These were just a few of the sonic gems that were included.

The highlight of the show was (and I'm sure you've probably guessed based on the title of this post) Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison, Steve Winwood, and Prince jamming out The Beatles "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", in honour of George Harrison's posthumous induction into the Hall. Petty and Lynne alternate on Harrison's haunting vocals, while Winwood belts out the first section Eric Clapton's famous guitar solo. Then Prince comes out and just kills the solo. It's pretty ridiculous. Maybe one of the best guitar solos that I've ever seen.

This got me thinking about Harrison's original version. I had never really included it in my favourite songs, but I think it's definitely made the jump. I listen to it fairly regularly on my IPOD and whenever I hear it on the radio, I turn up the volume. It's underrated as far as Beatles songs go. I'd go as far as saying it's my favourite Beatles song. I can't really explain why, but the song just has that feeling to it that draws me in.

I'm not the best at describing music because honestly I'm not that musical of a person, so I apologize for the poor quality of my above description. I think I'll just let the music do the talking. Here's the original and some cover versions. Enjoy.



The Beatles and Eric Clapton


Tom Petty, Dhani Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, and Prince


The Wu-Tang Clan, Eryka Badu, John Fruciante, and Dhani Harrison put a hip hop spin on it

There's also a great version by Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Dhani Harrison out there, but Youtube won't let me embed it, so you'll have search for it yourself.