Unveiling the Untold Story of George Harrison's 'Not Guilty' and The Beatles' Internal Struggles
The Beatles faced internal conflicts during the recording of The White Album, with tensions rising among the band members. George Harrison's song "Not Guilty" was one of the tracks that almost made it to the album but was ultimately left out. The band's trip to India, seeking spiritual enlightenment, did not bring them closer together as hoped, leading to further discord within the group.
Harrison's association with Indian instrumentation and the Maharishi during the India trip influenced his songwriting, with "Not Guilty" serving as a critique of Lennon and McCartney for sidelining him in the band's creative process. The song reflected Harrison's feelings of being overlooked and undervalued by his bandmates, highlighting the underlying tensions that had been brewing for years.
Despite recording over 100 takes of "Not Guilty," the song was ultimately excluded from The White Album due to its lyrical content, which revealed Harrison's frustrations with his bandmates. The recording executives decided to leave it off the album to avoid exposing the band's internal conflicts. However, Lennon's song "Sexy Sadie," inspired by the Maharishi scandal, made it onto the tracklist, much to his satisfaction.
Harrison's dedication to perfecting "Not Guilty" resulted in a record-breaking 102 takes during the recording sessions, with only 20 takes being completed. The band members, including Harrison, grew weary of the song after numerous takes, leading to a lack of interest in recording it further. Despite the extensive effort put into the song, it was ultimately left unfinished and unreleased by The Beatles.
Following The Beatles' breakup, Harrison revisited "Not Guilty" a decade later and re-recorded a calmer version for his self-titled album. Fans and collectors have speculated about an official Beatles version of the song, with only a few versions released to the public. An edited version appeared on the Anthology 3 compilation, while an unedited version was included in the 50th-anniversary edition of The White Album, released years after Harrison's passing in 2001.