George Harrison Once Pulled A Prank On Phil Collins
At 19 years old, the British musician and former Genesis member, Phil Collins contributed to the recordings of George Harrison’s debut solo album, All Things Must Pass (1970). However, his involvement remained uncredited, prompting Harrison to playfully make amends.
Harrison once remarked:
“I play a little guitar, write a few tunes, make a few movies, but none of that’s really me.
“The real me is something else.”
With a decade-long tenure with The Beatles and over three decades as a solo artist, Harrison’s musical journey includes notable works like the triple album All Things Must Pass (1970) and his collaboration with the supergroup Traveling Wilburys.
Though recognized as the most reserved and mystical member of the Fab Four, Harrison possessed a keen sense of humor, exemplified in a memorable anecdote involving Collins.
Collins’ connection to The Beatles traces back to 1964 when, at the age of 13, he appeared as an extra in their film A Hard Day’s Night (1964). Despite spending the day amidst screaming teenagers during a climactic concert scene, his musical integrity prevailed.
Years later, Collins found himself in another Beatles-related encounter, albeit with disappointing results. In 1970, he was enlisted to play congas for a session of “The Art of Dying,” a track intended for Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album.
It wasn’t until 2001, during preparations for a remastered album release marking its 30th anniversary, that Harrison discovered Collins’ uncredited contributions. Given their friendship over the years, Harrison decided to playfully rectify the oversight.
As an apology, Harrison sent Collins a version of the song claiming it included his lost percussion contributions. Collins, reflecting on the prank, humorously recounted:
“So now I know, they didn’t go off to watch TV, they went somewhere and said, ‘Get rid of him,’ cos I was playing so badly… I now realise I was fired by a Beatle… Thought you’d like it!’ I said, ‘You fucking bastard!’… It was lovely, wasn’t it?”
