#george h

[midchelle]

In the audience during Bob Dylan's concert at the Isle of Wight Festival: Pattie Boyd, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Maureen Starkey, John Lennon, and Yoko Ono | August 31, 1969 © Jeffrey Mayer

[king-of-the-birds]

The story behind the cover art

There was one final bit of happenstance, eventually reflected in the image used - along with a new painting by the acclaimed American artist Ed Ruscha - on the song's accompanying cover art. It's a clock featuring the words "Now and Then" created by an American artist called Chris Giffin, bought by George Harrison in 1997 from a shop in Providence, Rhode Island, and kept for years at the home he shared with his wife Olivia.

She recently decided to have a closer look at it. "I put it on the mantelpiece," she says. "Then the phone rang. It's Paul, and he begins to remind me of this third song with Real Love and Free as a Bird. I said, I remember it.' He said, It's called Now And Then.' I'm standing there with the phone in one hand, looking at the clock that said Now and Then.

I was sort of dumbfounded. I said, "I think this is George saying it's OK?"

[midchelle]

Beatles Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison at the wedding of Pattie Boyd and Eric Clapton, Surrey, 19 May 1979 © Pattie Boyd

[midchelle]

happy birthday, george harrison • february 25, 1943

[midchelle]

Fun Movie Facts: In this scene, George winks at a woman who Ringo had been interested in, subtly foreshadowing the fact that he is going to sleep with Ringo's wife.

[midchelle]

George Harrison and Pattie Boyd married on this day, January 21, 1966.

‘For a long time I could not talk about Patti, after she left. But I now admit that I loved her very much and wish her the best.’

‘[Eric Clapton] was a cop-out, it was an easy way forward for me. I think George was the greatest love of my life, really.’

[midchelle]

Cover shoot for George Harrison's Living in the Material World, Los Angeles, 1973 © Pattie Boyd

[midchelle]

In India George had become fascinated by the god Krishna, who was always surrounded by young maidens, and came back wanting to be some kind of Krishna figure, a spiritual being with lots of concubines. He actually said so. And no woman was out of bounds.

Pattie Boyd, Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Me