Behind That Locked Door: George Harrison Demos Surface on “Early Takes Volume 1”

As if yesterday’s announcement of Paul McCartney’s reissue plans for Ram wasn’t enough…

Martin Scorsese’s documentary Living in the Material World, exploring the life and legacy of George Harrison, premiered in October 2011, broadcast in the United States on HBO.  Roger Ebert wrote of the film, “Scorsese has accomplished the best documentary that is probably possible,” noting that the film is a “more objective, less personal documentary than Scorsese usually makes.”  Todd McCarthy in The Hollywood Reporter praised its deeply personal look at the artist: “[Here] is the man himself, reticent, cagey but open to life, his mind occupied with many things, and his music and friends as well, all up on the screen. It’s not a film one particularly expected to be made but it’s a vastly welcome one.”

Just one week after its American television debut, the U.K. arm of Lionsgate Home Entertainment released Living in the Material World in three home video editions: DVD, Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack and a deluxe Blu-Ray/DVD/CD edition.  No U.S. video release was announced at the time, and no soundtrack was issued, either.  (In comparison, Scorsese’s 2005 Bob Dylan documentary No Direction Home spawned a comprehensive 2-CD soundtrack as part of the artist’s Bootleg Series.)  The CD included in the Blu-Ray/DVD Deluxe Edition, containing ten unreleased demos and early takes performed by Harrison, was only available as part of the pricey box set.  Now, on the heels of its announcement of a May 1 DVD and Blu-Ray release for the documentary in America, UMe/Hip-o Records will issue on the same day Early Takes Volume 1, the 10-track CD previously only available in that import box set.  If you held out these past months from purchasing the U.K. set , you’re finally in luck!

Hit the jump for details, including the track listing, for this new collection of Harrisongs!