Out of Print Gems: "In Concert 1972"

Far and away the most successful of the Beatles' (mostly ill-fated) business ventures of the late 1960s was the foundation of Apple Records. The label would put out all Beatles releases from the White Album on, as well as solo Beatle releases (including the "fifth Beatle," Billy Preston) for some time in the wake of the band's dissolution. However, it also served - especially early on - as an arena where the Beatles could record their favorite musicians (obscure figures or their own discoveries) and give them exposure they otherwise could never have received. Paul's pet projects included Badfinger and James Taylor; Ringo brought in the British modern classical composer John Tavener. George, of course, was fixated with Indian music, which he singlehandedly popularized in the Western world. Apple's first Indian release was The Radha Krishna Temple, whose lead single, a devotional chant called "Hare Krishna Mantra," somehow managed to hit #12 in the UK and spawned an entire generation of bald, barefoot white men dancing and handing out flowers at airports.

The biggest name Harrison was to introduce to Western audiences was sitarist Ravi Shankar. The two met shortly after Harrison began exploring Indian music in 1965 and would remain friends until Harrison's death in 2001. During that span a number of Shankar's recordings were produced in part or entirely by Harrison, who would eventually record him for his own Dark Horse label in the 80s. The first of these records (and only full-length Apple release), In Concert 1972, was truly an all-star affair, featuring, in addition to Shankar, two Indian classical maestros whose mastery of their respective instruments at least matched his: Ali Akbar Khan on the sarod, and Alla Rakha on the tabla. The recording came from a concert played in October 1972, a month after the death of Allauddin Khan, the beloved guru of both Khan and Shankar. The album opens with a dedication to his memory, and the emotion of the two disciples is evident in the fire of their playing throughout. Opening with a stately, lyrical evening raga composed by Allaudin Khan, the trio gradually builds momentum over the course of the performance and finishes with an astonishing crescendo on "Sindhi Bhairavi," played at a blazing speed as impressive in its emotional power as it is in sheer dexterity.

Unfortunately, except for a brief, Europe-only CD release, In Concert has remained out of print since it was originally issued on vinyl nearly 40 years ago. 2010 saw a grand resuscitation of Apple Records as a more-than-one-artist label, with the launch of a new website and the remastering and rerelease of 14 old titles (plus a new "Best of" compilation); with any luck, in due time In Concert will receive the same treatment. Until then, interested parties can download it here.