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"Blue Jay Way"

 (by George Harrison, 06.10.1967,
Abbey Road Studios, London)




In fact, the whole history of Blue Jay Way began on 1 August 1967. George and Patti Harrison rented a house on this day, near the Sunset Strip Boulevard in Los Angeles. The next day, Sir George wanted to visit a live concert by Ravi Shankar, who was playing at the famous Hollywood Bowl. Thus, here began the story of Blue Jay Way in the hills of Hollywood.

The Beatles had just returned from a vacation in Greece, where they had an short love affair with the island Leslo and imagined, in LSD-soaked dreams, to buy the island for nine thousand pounds in order to establish a New Age Community with family and friends. Until late into the night, George Harrison reported later, all had been sitting on deck of the yacht in the moonlight, and John and George were singing  the Hare Krishna mantra. They could not stop singing any more, it was very magical and mystical, and the mantra completely kept them  under its ban, George Harrison will say later. Only when the Fab Four reached island Leslo in the morning, after singing all night long, and went ashore there, they fell in love all at once with the island and spent their holiday there some time. Somehow, nothing became of the dream, and all four landed back in London in late July 1967. George traveled to Los Angeles a few days later. and Patty and him rented  a small villa at Blue Jay Way.

One foggy night George sat there alone in the Blue Jay Way, waiting for Derek Taylor and his wife Joan, whose plane from London was delayed. George remembers in "I Me Mine":
"Blue Jay Way was at a time when I'd rented a house in los Angeles on - Blue Jay Way, and I'd arrived there from England bevor. I was waiting around for Derek and Joan Taylor who were then living in L.A. I was very tired after the flight and the time change, and i started writing, and playing a liitle electric organ that was in the house. It had gotten foggy and they couldn't find the house for some time. The mood of the Song is also slightly Indian. Derek Taylor is slightly Welsh."


("Blue Jay Way" at YouTube)



Mark Levison noted rightly in his book "The Complete Beatles Recordings", that  Blue Jay Way would be George Harrisons Strawberry Fields Forever. An absolute psychedelic work,  bellyful with studio effects like ADT, phasing and  tapes played backwards.

In this piece of music history one hears very clearly the influence of Ravi Shankar, with whom George Harrison encircles himself more and more, visits his concerts and learning everything from him regarding  Sitar and Hinduism.


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