Real reason George Harrison's 'self-indulgent' Beatles song was dropped from Sgt Pepper
As the creative masterminds of The Beatles, Paul McCartney and John Lennon took the helm with songwriting duties. They created most of the iconic hits attributed to the Lennon-McCartney partnership, whether as individual efforts or collaborations, despite the duo's strained relationship, which culminated in a bitter feud.
Wilfred Mellors remarked on their synergy in 1972: "Opposite poles generate electricity: between John and Paul the sparks flew. John's fiery iconoclasm was tempered by Paul's lyrical grace, while Paul's wide-eyed charm was toughened by John's resilience."
Despite George Harrison's songwriting prowess, he often found himself in the shadows of John and Paul's dominant roles in the band. The Liverpool-born musician did contribute tracks to The Beatles' albums, having a set number of songs allocated per record, before he left the band, leaving with a four word statement.
George's discontent became palpable post-touring era, specifically during studio work for 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' and 'The White Album', where his input was limited, reports the Liverpool Echo.
While 'Sgt Pepper' showcased George's 'Within You Without You', another piece he penned during the early 1967 sessions didn't make the final cut for the album.
The song in question is 'Only a Northern Song', a title that nods to George's Northern roots and the band's publishing company, Northern Songs. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the majority shareholders of this company, each holding 15%, while George and Ringo Starr had a mere 0.8% each.
In 1979, George explained the track saying: "(It) was a joke relating to Liverpool, the Holy City in the North of England. In addition, the song was copyrighted Northern Songs Ltd., which I don't own, so: (quoting the lyrics) 'It doesn't really matter what chords I play ... as it's only a Northern Song'."
George further clarified his feelings about the situation in a 1999 interview with Billboard. He stated: "I realized Dick James (Northern Songs managing director) had conned me out of the copyrights for my own songs by offering to become my publisher.
"As an 18 or 19-year-old kid, I thought, 'Great, somebody's gonna publish my songs!'".
Source: themirror.com/John O'Sullivan, Dan Haygarth
