NY, Jan 15: Six long out-of-print George Harrison solo albums will be reissued on Feb. 24 by Capitol Records. The albums "Thirty Three & 1/3," "George Harrison," "Somewhere in England," "Gone Troppo," "Cloud Nine" and "Live in Japan" were originally issued on the late former Beatle's Dark Horse imprint.
According to the Rolling Stone Album Guide, the best of the generally underwhelming bunch is 1987's "Cloud Nine," which it described as "relatively peppy."
Each has been digitally remastered and bolstered with bonus tracks, new liner notes and photographs. A boxed set, "The Dark Horse Years, 1976-1992," with a DVD, will also be available.

Harrison had been planning to reissue these albums, as well as his 1973 set "Living in the Material World" and the 1971 live album "The Concert for Bangla Desh" for some time before his death in December 2001. Earlier that year, Capitol released an expanded reissue of his 1970 solo debut "All Things Must Pass," which is considered his best work.

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The 1976 set "Thirty Three & 1/3," his Dark Horse Records debut, was produced by Harrison and sports contributions from Billy Preston, David Foster and Gary Wright. The set has been appended with the bonus cut "Tears of the World" and features comments from Harrison's autobiography, "I Me Mine."
"George Harrison" was released three years later and featured backing by Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood, among others. The reissue includes a demo of album track "Here Comes the Moon." 1981's "Somewhere in England," featuring the John Lennon tribute "All Those Years Ago" with former bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, now includes a demo of "Save the World."

"Gone Troppo," released in 1982 and best known for the minor single "Wake Up My Love," includes a bonus demo of "Mystical One." After a five-year break, Harrison returned with"Cloud Nine" and the smash hit "Got My Mind Set on You." the reissue now includes the bonus cut "Shanghai Surprise."

Because bonus tracks were not available for "Live in Japan," that album will be reissued as a double-disc Super Audio CD in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound. Taped during a tour of the country in 1991, the set finds Harrison backed by such artists as Clapton and Chuck Leavell as he runs through solo hits and such Beatles classics as "Taxman," "Something," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun."

The 75-minute DVD included in the boxed set will come with a 36-page booklet featuring an essay from Harrison's wife Olivia and liner notes by journalist David Fricke. Archival footage spotlights Harrison discussing his solo career and performing with Clapton on the 1991 Japanese tour.

Harrison will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist March 15 in New York. In November, Warner Strategic Marketing issued a CD/DVD of "Concert for George," a November 2002 tribute show in London that featured McCartney, Starr, Clapton and Tom Petty, among others.
Bureau Report