The Concert for Bangladesh

[DyingSoul]

My friend came to me with sadness
in his eyes.
Told me he wanted to help
before his country dies.
Although i couldn't feel the pain,
I knew I had to try -
Now I am asking all of you
To help us save some lives


The Concert - Introduction by Ravi Shankar:



It makes me so happy that the Concert for Bangladesh is being released again. Hailing from Bengal, my heart went out to the Bengali speaking people of Bangladesh and it was natural for me to reach out and want to help the refugees and the hundreds of thousands of little children.

I expressed my concern to George Harrison. He knew about the turmoil of my mind and a concert to raise funds was initiated. An enormous amount of money was collected and this could never have been achieved without the help of dear George. What happened is now history: it was one of the most moving and intense musical experiences of the century.

Again and again I am asked which concerts stand out in my memory, and it is very difficult to remember all the prominent ones as my career spans over seventy-five years of performances; but the Concert for Bangladesh was very significant to me as the conception of the idea came from me and the people needing aid were very close to my heart; some of them, of course, being distantly related to me. Ali Akbar Khan and Alla Rakha joined me on stage for the first half and George Harrison played the second half, joined by other eminent musicians including Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton. George closed the concert with "Bangla Desh," the special song he wrote for the occasion.

As a result, overnight the name of the country Bangladesh came to be known all over the world. Millions of dollars were raised and given to UNICEF who distributed milk, blankets and clothes to refugees. It touches my heart very deeply to know that this event is not to be forgotten, and that with the re-release of the film and the album people in Bangladesh will continue to be helped. I am sure that the music of this electrifying concert of 1971 will move the listeners even today.



About The Concert:

The Concert for Bangladesh was the first benefit concert of its kind in that it brought together an extraordinary assemblage of major artists collaborating for a common humanitarian cause – setting the precedent that music could be used to serve a higher cause.

The concert sold out Madison Square Garden and along with the Grammy ® Award-winning triple-album boxset, and the feature film, has generated millions of dollars for UNICEF and raised awareness for the organization around the world, as well as among other musicians and their fans. It is therefore acknowledged as the inspiration and forerunner to the major global fundraising events of recent years.

To quote the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, "George and his friends were pioneers."



The Artists:

Eric Clapton — guitars
Bob Dylan — vocals, guitar, harmonica
George Harrison — vocals, guitars
Billy Preston — vocals, keyboards
Leon Russell — bass, keyboards, vocals
Ringo Starr — drums, vocals, tambourine
Ravi Shankar — sitar
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan — sarod
Ustad Alla Rakha — tabla
Kamala Chakravarty — tamboura


The Band
Jesse Ed Davis — rhythm guitar
Tom Evans — acoustic guitar
Pete Ham — acoustic guitar
Mike Gibbins — percussion
Jim Keltner — drums
Joey Molland — acoustic guitar
Don Preston — guitars, backing vocals
Carl Radle — bass guitar
Klaus Voormann — bass guitar

The Hollywood Horns:
Jim Horn, Allan Beutler, Chuck Findley, Jackie Kelso, Lou McCreary, Ollie Mitchell

The Backing Vocalists:
Don Nix, Jo Green, Jeanie Greene, Marlin Greene, Dolores Hall, Claudia Linnear



Performances:

1. INTRODUCTION
George Harrison/Ravi Shankar

2. BANGLA DHUN
(written by Ravi Shankar, published by Harrisongs Ltd)
sitar – Ravi Shankar
sarod – Ustad Ali Akbar Khan
tabla – Ustad Alla Rakha
tamboura – Kamala Chakravarty
Watch The Video: Bangla Dhun

3. WAH-WAH
(written by George Harrison, published by Harrisongs Ltd)
vocals/electric guitar – George Harrison
lead guitar – Eric Clapton
saxophone – Jim Horn
Watch The Video: WAH WAH

4. MY SWEET LORD
(written by George Harrison, published by Harrisongs Ltd)
vocals/6-string guitar – George Harrison
lead guitar – Eric Clapton
Watch The Video: My Sweet Lord

5. AWAITING ON YOU ALL
(written by George Harrison, published by Harrisongs Ltd)
vocals – George Harrison

6. THAT'S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT
(written by Billy Preston, published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd)
vocals/keyboards – Billy Preston
lead guitar – Eric Clapton
Watch The Video: That's The Way God Planned It

7. IT DON'T COME EASY
(written by Richard Starkey, published by Startling Music Ltd)
vocals/drums – Ringo Starr

8. BEWARE OF DARKNESS
(written by George Harrison, published by Harrisongs Ltd)
vocals – George Harrison, Leon Russell
saxophone – Jim Horn

9. BAND INTRODUCTION

10. WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS
(written by George Harrison, published by Harrisongs Ltd)
vocals/electric guitar – George Harrison
electric guitar – Eric Clapton

11. MEDLEY
JUMPIN' JACK FLASH
(written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, published by ABKCO Music)
vocals – Leon Russell
bass – Carl Radle
lead guitar – Don Preston
Watch The Video: Medley

YOUNG BLOOD
(written by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Doc Pomus, published by Jerry Leiber Music/Mike Stoller Music/Mike & Jerry Music LLC)
vocals – Leon Russell
vocals/lead guitar – Don Preston

12. HERE COMES THE SUN
(written by George Harrison, published by Harrisongs Ltd)
vocals/acoustic guitar – George Harrison
acoustic guitar – Pete Ham
Watch The Video: Here Comes The Sun

13. A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL
(written by Bob Dylan, published by Special Rider Music)
vocals/acoustic guitar – Bob Dylan
electric guitar – George Harrison
bass – Leon Russell
tambourine – Ringo Starr
Watch The video: A Hard RAin's - A Gonna Fall

14. IT TAKES A LOT TO LAUGH, IT TAKES A TRAIN TO CRY
(written by Bob Dylan, published by Special Rider Music)
vocals/harmonica/acoustic guitar – Bob Dylan
slide guitar – George Harrison
bass – Leon Russell
tambourine – Ringo Starr

15. BLOWIN' IN THE WIND
(written by Bob Dylan, published by Special Rider Music)
vocals/harmonica/acoustic guitar – Bob Dylan
electric guitar – George Harrison
bass – Leon Russell
tambourine – Ringo Starr

16. JUST LIKE A WOMAN
(written by Bob Dylan, published by Dwarf Music Inc.)
vocals/acoustic guitar – Bob Dylan
vocals/electric guitar – George Harrison
vocals/bass – Leon Russell
tambourine – Ringo Starr

17. SOMETHING
(written by George Harrison, published by Harrisongs Ltd)
vocals/electric guitar – George Harrison

18. BANGLA DESH
(written by George Harrison, published by Harrisongs Ltd)
vocals – George Harrison
saxophone – Jim Horn
(Lyrics reproduced courtesy Harrisongs Ltd.)

Performances from the rehearsals
IF NOT FOR YOU
(written by Bob Dylan, published by Big Sky Music)
vocals/acoustic guitar – Bob Dylan
vocals/acoustic guitar – George Harrison

Performances from the soundcheck
COME ON IN MY KITCHEN
(written by Robert Johnson, published by Leshem II, LLC/Claud L. Johnson/Finchley Music)
vocals/piano – Leon Russell
vocals/electric guitar – George Harrison
lead guitar – Eric Clapton

Performances from the afternoon show
LOVE MINUS ZERO / NO LIMIT
(written by Bob Dylan, published by Special Rider Music)
vocals/harmonica/acoustic guitar – Bob Dylan
electric guitar – George Harrison
bass – Leon Russell
tambourine – Ringo Starr


Watch The Concert Trailer: Narrowband | Broadband

[DyingSoul]

About The DVD:


Deluxe DVD Box | Standard DVD Box

The Concert for Bangladesh was the first benefit concert of its kind in that it brought together an extraordinary assemblage of major artists collaborating for a common humanitarian cause - setting the precedent that music could be used to serve a higher cause.

This landmark concert has now been stunningly re-mixed from the original source tapes and is released in two formats - standard and deluxe. Both 2 disc packages include the original 99 minute film restored and remixed in 5.1, as well as 72-minutes of extras.

The extras feature a 45 minute documentary "The Concert For Bangladesh Revisited with George Harrison & friends", about the background to the two shows with exclusive interviews and contributions from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Sir Bob Geldof.


The CD:

The album of the concert has been remixed and repackaged as a 2-disc set, and is released on October 25th, 2005 by Capitol Records. This will contain an additional track – the Bob Dylan performance of "Love Minus Zero/No Limit".



CD1

1. Introduction – George Harrison & Ravi Shankar
2. Bangla Dhun – Ravi Shankar
3. Wah Wah – George Harrison
4. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
5. Awaiting On You All – George Harrison
6. That's The Way God Planned It – Billy Preston
7. It Don't Come Easy – Ringo Starr
8. Beware Of Darkness – George Harrison
9. While My Guitar Gently Weeps – George Harrison
10. Jumpin' Jack Flash / Youngblood – Leon Russell


CD2

1. Here Comes The Sun – George Harrison
2. A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan
3. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry – Bob Dylan
4. Blowin' In The Wind – Bob Dylan
5. Mr. Tambourine Man – Bob Dylan
6. Just Like A Woman – Bob Dylan
7. Something – George Harrison
8. Bangladesh – George Harrison
9. Love Minus Zero/No Limit – Bob Dylan


Bangladesh & UNICEF: Crisis in Bangladesh

By August 1971, when George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, and friends took the stage at Madison Square Garden to play the Concert for Bangladesh, 10 million East Pakistani refugees had fled over the border into India with scant hope of surviving inevitable hunger and disease.

Up to that point, little public attention had been drawn to the crisis in East Pakistan/Bangladesh. Few people outside the region knew how the deadly catastrophe had come to be, or what individuals who cared could do to help relieve the suffering.

The events leading to Pakistan's refugee crisis had started with that nation's birth in 1947 and with the decision by local authorities, and the departing British, to carve the sub-continent's Muslim regions from predominantly Hindu India. The result was the creation of two distinct provincial territories, West and East Pakistan, with more than 1,000 miles of India dividing them.

It wasn't just geography that split Pakistan's two "wings." These two Pakistans could not have been more different, separated also by race, culture, and language. Urdu was the dominant language of West Pakistan. Bengla was spoken in the East. And although the East Bengalis outnumbered the Pakistanis in the west, political and economic power was centered in West Pakistan.

Eventually, conditions placed the East Pakistanis in a position to change the balance of power.

Promising to end dictatorship and introduce democracy, General Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan came to power in 1969. The general appeared to make good on his pledge when free elections, the first in Pakistan?s history, were held toward the end of the following year.

The outcome of the voting, however, came as a blow to the West Pakistani leadership. The Awami People's League of Bangladesh had won an overwhelming victory, capturing a majority of Pakistan?s legislative seats. It appeared that the Awami party had been mandated to create Pakistan's first democratic government.

But the regime in the West refused to allow the transfer of power to East Pakistan. In March, 1971, the order was issued to eliminate opposition to West Pakistan's dominance.

To this day no one knows how many were killed in the conflict that followed. Estimates range from several hundred thousand to three million.

The fleeing refugees who had survived the violence in their homeland were now threatened by starvation, lack of sanitation, cholera, and other deadly illnesses. Combined with these perils was a season of natural disaster in the form of destructive floods. Predictably, most of the victims succumbing to the hardship were children.

The Indian Government estimated the cost of caring for the refugees at $1 million a day. Foreign aid provided only a fraction of the desperately needed food, equipment, and medicine. It was in this dramatic context that George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, and their fellow musicians decided to rally worldwide support for relief efforts in Bangladesh -- thereby averting an even greater humanitarian disaster.


A long-playing Success:
It's easy to forget, in these media-saturated times, that in 1971 few people living in industrialized societies really paid attention to humanitarian emergencies far from home.

Fortunately for the children of Bangladesh, one of those few - Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar - was intimately aware of the tragedy then unfolding in their war-torn homeland. Convinced that something could be done, Shankar contacted his friend, George Harrison. Together, they conceived the Concert for Bangladesh as a fundraiser to support relief efforts by UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund.

The results were critically important to UNICEF's crisis response, which was already underway as part of a wider international campaign. The Concert for Bangladesh itself brought in $250,000 that was immediately converted to urgently needed aid. Artists' royalties from the release of the triple album boxed set in December 1971 and the concert film in March 1972 dramatically increased the revenue donated to UNICEF in the decade that followed.

These donations had a profound impact on UNICEF's ability to provide Bangladeshi children and families with the basic nutrition and clean water they needed to survive. The funds had a longer-term impact as well, helping UNICEF to expand its work in Bangladesh. While still poor, the country has made tremendous strides for its children in the past 30-plus years.

And donations from the Concert for Bangladesh did even more, supporting crucial field research on the control of diarrheal dehydration caused by drinking unsafe water. During the Bangladesh crisis, aid workers discovered that a solution called "oral rehydration therapy," or ORT - a simple packet of salts and sugars, with a bit of potassium added - was a low-cost lifesaver. ORT is now used widely and has saved millions of kids' lives.

More than three decades later, the beautiful sounds of the Concert for Bangladesh still reverberate to the benefit of young people throughout the developing world. To the musicians and music lovers whose generosity has made this long-playing success possible, please accept the heartfelt thanks of UNICEF and the children we serve.


Funding Supports UNICEF Research: Click Here

Readio Programs: Click Here


Web Site: The Concert for Bangladesh

[DyingSoul]

My friend came to me with sadness
in his eyes.
Told me he wanted to help
before his country dies.
Although i couldn't feel the pain,
I knew I had to try -
Now I am asking all of you
To help us save some lives

ek ta bairer manush ( non bangali ) koto ta feel korle ei typ kotha likhte pare..?

[Icy]

Ami speechless vai..

[khekshial]

great arnab great! darun thread suru korso..

ek ta bairer manush ( non bangali ) koto ta feel korle ei typ kotha likhte pare..?

sheitai

[Sh0m0y]

1 of da GREAT THREAD

[DyingSoul]

kicu din age news e dekhlam George Harrison er wife ei concert tar new DVD n CD ber korar plan korcilen..may be she was talking abt new editions..anyone has got any idea abt it..?

r BD te ki ei DVD or CD ta paowa jay..? anyone has got it..?

[Lamia]

I havent got it.. But amio obak hoisi.. Age shuninai eitar kotha.. Jotil thread open korso DyingSoul.. Rep added for u..

[depression_within]

beshi bhalo ekta thread khulli re...rep added

[friend_]

Thnx for such a nice thread.

Thread rated!