Editing Far East Man

{{Short description|1974 song written by George Harrison and Ron Wood}}
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{{EngvarB|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Far East Man
| cover      =
| alt        =
| type       = Song
| artist     = [[Ronnie Wood]]
| album      = [[I've Got My Own Album to Do]]
| EP         =
| written    =
| published  = 
| released   = 23 September 1974
| format     =
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[Soul music|soul]]
| length     = 4:40
| label      = [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]]
| writer     = [[George Harrison]], [[Ron Wood]]
| composer   =
| lyricist   =
| producer   = Ron Wood, [[Gary Kellgren]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| title      =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Far East Man
| cover      =
| alt        =
| type       = Song
| artist     = [[George Harrison]]
| album      = [[Dark Horse (George Harrison album)|Dark Horse]]
| EP         =
| written    =
| published  = 
| released   = 9 December 1974
| format     =
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Soul music|Soul]]
| length     = 5:52
| label      = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer     = [[George Harrison]], [[Ron Wood]]
| composer   =
| lyricist   =
| producer   = George Harrison
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| title      =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
}}
'''"Far East Man"''' is a song written by English rock musicians [[George Harrison]] and [[Ronnie Wood]], each of whom released a recording of the song in 1974. Wood's version appeared on ''[[I've Got My Own Album to Do]]'', his debut solo album, and Harrison's on ''[[Dark Horse (George Harrison album)|Dark Horse]]''. Their only official songwriting collaboration, "Far East Man" is an affirmation of friendship in the face of life's obstacles and musically reflects the two guitarists' adoption of the [[Soul music|soul]] genre. Written mostly by Harrison, the composition has been interpreted as a restatement of the humanitarian message expressed in his 1971 single "[[Bangla Desh (song)|Bangla Desh]]", and a tribute to Indian musician [[Ravi Shankar]].

The song originated during a period of romantic intrigue surrounding Harrison's marriage to [[Pattie Boyd]] and Wood's to his wife Krissie, which culminated in Boyd leaving Harrison for his and Wood's mutual friend [[Eric Clapton]]. Wood recorded "Far East Man" in July 1974 at [[The Wick]], his [[Surrey]] home that had also become an established meeting place for many leading rock musicians. Harrison sang and played [[slide guitar]] on this version, while other contributors included Wood's [[Faces (band)|Faces]] bandmate [[Ian MacLagan]], [[Mick Taylor]] of [[the Rolling Stones]], and drummer [[Andy Newmark]]. The Harrison recording took place at his [[Friar Park]] studio and features backing from [[Billy Preston]], [[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]], [[Willie Weeks]] and Newmark, all of whom then played on his [[George Harrison and Ravi Shankar's 1974 North American tour|1974 North American tour with Shankar]]. Opening with a spoken dedication to [[Frank Sinatra]], the ''Dark Horse'' recording was marred by Harrison's damaged voice – a result of his rushing to complete the album's vocal parts in Los Angeles, while simultaneously rehearsing for the tour.

Several commentators have singled out "Far East Man" as a highlight of Harrison's 1974 album. While noting the two composers' troubled private lives during the song's creation, author Simon Leng describes it as "a wistful shrug of the shoulders set to music".<ref name="Leng p 156" /> In 2002, Wood released a concert DVD titled ''Far East Man'', which included a live version of the track. Recorded in December 2001, two weeks after Harrison's death from cancer, this performance features [[Andrea Corr]] and [[Slash (musician)|Slash]].

==Background==
[[File:The Wick, Richmond Hill, Richmond, Surrey.jpg|thumb|left|upright|240px|[[The Wick]], in Richmond, Surrey]]
According to author Robert Rodriguez, "Far East Man" resulted from the "informal musical round robin" that existed in England during the early 1970s among [[rock music]]'s "elite".<ref name="Rodriguez p 234">Rodriguez, p. 234.</ref> From 1972 onwards, guitarist [[Ronnie Wood]]'s home in [[Richmond, London|Richmond]], Surrey – [[The Wick]] – was a regular location for these get-togethers, at which the participants included ex-[[The Beatles|Beatle]] [[George Harrison]], [[Eric Clapton]], Wood's [[Faces (band)|Faces]] bandmates, and members of [[the Rolling Stones]].<ref name="Rodriguez p 234" /> Situated over a bend on the [[River Thames]],<ref>Wood, pp. 96–97.</ref> The Wick was also where rehearsals took place for Clapton's [[Eric Clapton's Rainbow Concert|comeback concerts]] at the [[Rainbow Theatre]] in January 1973.<ref>Townshend, pp. 243–44.</ref> Harrison and his wife [[Pattie Boyd]] attended the Rainbow shows, on 13 January,<ref>Badman, p. 89.</ref> and became friends with Wood and his wife, Krissie.<ref>Wood, pp. 105, 106.</ref><ref>Boyd, pp. 171–72.</ref>

During this period, Harrison and Wood participated in [[Alvin Lee]]'s recording of "[[So Sad]]",<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, pp. 129, 206–07.</ref> a Harrison composition reflecting the failure of his marriage to Boyd.<ref>Harrison, p. 240.</ref><ref>Clayson, p. 320.</ref> In October 1973,<ref name="Leng p 156" /> the Woods stayed at [[Friar Park]], Harrison's estate in Oxfordshire, where he and Wood recorded together.<ref name="Badman p 109">Badman, p. 109.</ref> They also began writing "Far East Man",<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 444">Madinger & Easter, p. 444.</ref><ref name="Huntley p 111" /> about which Harrison says in his 1980 autobiography, ''[[I, Me, Mine (book)|I, Me, Mine]]'': "We stumbled on it and other things ..."<ref name="IMM p 292">Harrison, p. 292.</ref>

{{quote box|quote= Whatever Ronnie Wood has got to say about anything, certainly about us, it has got ''nothing'' to do with Patti or me! Got that?<ref name="Badman p 113" />|source= – Harrison responding to Wood's public announcement of his affair with [[Pattie Boyd]]|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
Beatles biographer [[Peter Doggett]] describes Friar Park as having become "a haven of adventurous intrigue" in 1973,<ref>Doggett, pp. 208–09.</ref> with Harrison conducting an affair with [[Maureen Starkey Tigrett|Maureen Starkey]], the wife of his former bandmate [[Ringo Starr]],<ref>O'Dell, pp. 258–59, 263–65.</ref><ref name="Tillery p 93">Tillery, p. 93.</ref> and Clapton urging Boyd to leave her husband for him.<ref>Boyd, pp. 177–78.</ref><ref>Townshend, pp. 265–66.</ref> The romantic entanglements and party lifestyle were reflected in the content of Harrison's subsequent album, ''[[Dark Horse (George Harrison album)|Dark Horse]]'',<ref>Nick Hasted, "George Solo: Dark Horse", ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut Ultimate Music Guide: George Harrison]]'', TI Media (London, 2018), p. 70.</ref> which he likened to the television soap opera ''[[Peyton Place (TV series)|Peyton Place]]''.<ref>Kahn, p. 186.</ref><ref>MacFarlane, p. 90.</ref> During their stay at Friar Park, Wood began an affair with Boyd and the couple flew to the Bahamas,<ref name="Clayson p 329">Clayson, p. 329.</ref> while Harrison and Krissie Wood holidayed together in Portugal.<ref>Wood, pp. 106, 147.</ref><ref>Doggett, p. 209.</ref> These details were kept from the press,<ref name="Clayson p 329" /> but in late November 1973, Wood issued a statement from The Wick saying: "My romance with Patti Boyd is definitely on."<ref name="Badman p 113">Badman, p. 113.</ref> Given these developments, Rodriguez notes the irony in "Far East Man" being "a rumination on letting a friend down".<ref name="Rodriguez p 235">Rodriguez, p. 235.</ref>

The song began as an [[instrumental]] collaboration, which Harrison then finished alone.<ref>Spizer, pp. 264–65.</ref> In ''I, Me, Mine'', Harrison recalls that he and Wood came up with the melody to the verses together, but that, at Wood's request, he later turned it into a song by writing the words and adding a [[middle eight]].<ref name="IMM p 292" /> The title came about because the Faces had just returned from a tour of the Far East and Wood was wearing a T-shirt that carried the slogan ''Far East Man'', a play on the phrase "far out, man".<ref name="IMM p 292" /> Harrison also says he "brushed up the lyrics a bit" before recording his own version for ''Dark Horse''.<ref name="IMM p 292" />

==Composition==
Harrison biographer Simon Leng describes the [[Chord progression|chord sequence]] in "Far East Man" as "a grin-making exploration of [[Major seventh chord|major]] and [[Minor seventh chord|minor seventh]]s that oozes smoochy [[Soul music|soul]]".<ref name="Leng p 156">Leng, p. 156.</ref> In the view of musicologist Thomas MacFarlane, the sequence "unfolds with such ease" as if in [[slow motion]], and the song evokes an original style beyond its initial debt to soul artists such as [[Marvin Gaye]] and [[Al Green]]. He cites this as an example of Harrison's pan-cultural style, since the raw elements are Western yet the relaxed delivery conveys "an Eastern approach to worldly matters".<ref>MacFarlane, pp. 91–92.</ref>

Author Ian Inglis interprets "Far East Man" as being about Indian classical musician [[Ravi Shankar]],<ref name="Inglis p 47">Inglis, p. 47.</ref> at whose request Harrison had staged [[the Concert for Bangladesh]] in August 1971.<ref>Tillery, pp. 95–97.</ref><ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 136.</ref> According to Inglis, with the new nation of [[Bangladesh]] still beset by problems in 1974, and conflict clouding the issue of friendship generally for Harrison, "this is one friendship he is determined to preserve".<ref name="Inglis p 47" /> The choruses therefore promise: "I won't let him down ... I won't let him drown ..."<ref name="Inglis p 47" />{{refn|group=nb|Aside from the financial and taxation problems that continued to hold funds from Harrison's aid project [[Escrow|in escrow]],<ref>Lavezzoli, pp. 193–94.</ref> Bangladesh was experiencing a [[Bangladesh famine of 1974|devastating famine]] that accounted for up to 1.5 million lives over 1973–74.<ref>Alagmir, p. 3.</ref>}} Harrison later credited Shankar as "probably the person who has influenced my life the most", since "Indian music was like a stepping-stone to the spiritual path".<ref>Book accompanying ''[[Collaborations (Ravi Shankar and George Harrison album)|Collaborations]]'' box set by Ravi Shankar and George Harrison ([[Dark Horse Records]], 2010; produced by Olivia Harrison), p. 11.</ref><ref>Michael Simmons, "Cry for a Shadow", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2011, p. 79.</ref> Inglis views the song as reflecting Harrison's commitment to "all the things that India has given him".<ref name="Inglis p 48">Inglis, p. 48.</ref>

Leng identifies "Far East Man" as a "hopeful song", where, despite his confusion, Harrison's "answer is to follow his instinct, his heart".<ref name="Leng p 156" /> Leng sums up the conclusion that Harrison provides in the middle eight's final line ("Can only do what it tells me"): "He surveys the problems of love, social strife, and disconnection from spiritual values, but decides that taking his own advice is a good enough start."<ref name="Leng p 156" />

While echoing this interpretation, theologian [[Dale Allison]] also highlights Harrison's "humanitarian impulse, his regrets about the world's current state, [and] his faint [[utopian]] hope for something better" as being evident in the lyrics to "Far East Man".<ref>Allison, pp. 15, 141.</ref> Allison likens the song to Harrison's 1971 compositions "[[Bangla Desh (song)|Bangla Desh]]" and "[[The Day the World Gets 'Round]]", and suggests that in the choruses to "Far East Man", Harrison is stating "his determination to help impoverished and oppressed peoples half a world away".<ref>Allison, pp. 69–70.</ref>

As reproduced in his autobiography, Harrison's original lyrics for the final verse include lines that he changed after recording the song with Wood.<ref>Harrison, pp. 293–94.</ref> Referring to the lyrics in Harrison's version, Allison describes his outlook as offering "a melioristic hope ... that people might be able to make the world a truly better place":<ref>Allison, p. 73.</ref>

{{blockquote|text=Looks like right here on earth <br> God, it's hellish at times <br> But I feel that a heaven's in sight&nbsp;...<ref>Harrison, p. 294.</ref>}}

==Ronnie Wood's version==

===Recording===
{{quote box|quote= George Harrison would show up with the [[Monty Python]] crew and we'd jam, and the actor [[John Hurt]] would show up and eventually we'd all wind up in the pub [nearby] … Day would turn into night and another day, and by then more friends would show up …<ref>Wood, p. 98.</ref>|source= – Wood on the convivial atmosphere at his home studio|width=25%|align=left|style=padding:8px;}}
In ''Ronnie'', his 2007 autobiography, Wood writes that The Wick was "a hive of recording activity as well as a thriving debauchery camp" during the year-long creation of his first solo release, ''[[I've Got My Own Album to Do]]''.<ref>Wood, pp. 101, 108.</ref> The album title originated from contributors such as Harrison and [[Mick Jagger]] "nagging me to let them go home" and work on their own projects.<ref>Wood, p. 99.</ref> Wood assisted Jagger in writing and recording the Rolling Stones' 1974 single "[[It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)|It's Only Rock 'n Roll]]" during this period,<ref>Bockris, pp. 176–77.</ref> and he similarly reciprocated Harrison, by playing on the former Beatle's Christmas single, "[[Ding Dong, Ding Dong]]".<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 444" />

The session for "Far East Man" took place at Wood's home studio in July 1974,<ref name="Spizer p 264">Spizer, p. 264.</ref> during the same month that Boyd left Harrison and joined Clapton on tour in North America.<ref name="Tillery p 94">Tillery, p. 94.</ref> According to his recollection in ''I, Me, Mine'', Harrison wrote much of the song's lyrics while driving to Wood's house to record the track.<ref name="IMM p 292" /> The session was a significant one for Harrison, since it introduced him to the [[rhythm section]] he subsequently used on his [[George Harrison and Ravi Shankar's 1974 North American tour|North American tour]] with Shankar – bassist [[Willie Weeks]] and drummer [[Andy Newmark]].<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 444" /><ref>Leng, pp. 156–57.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Wood writes in ''Ronnie'' of the American bass player's surprise at encountering Harrison at The Wick: "[Weeks] walked through the kitchen, noticed that George Harrison was there, kept right on walking until he found me somewhere just out of the room and pulled me aside [and said], 'Hey, man, you've got a Beatle in your kitchen.'"<ref>Wood, p. 101.</ref>}}

Discussing the song in 2012 on [[Sky Arts HD]]'s ''The Ronnie Wood Show'', Wood said that Weeks played on the track;<ref name="RonnieWoodShow" /> however, his 1974 LP credits list Rolling Stones lead guitarist [[Mick Taylor]] on bass.<ref name="C&P p 201" /> The other musicians were [[Ian MacLagan]] of the Faces, on electric piano, and [[Jean Roussel]], [[Cat Stevens]]' regular keyboard player,<ref name="RonnieWoodShow" /> on organ.<ref name="C&P p 201"/> Wood produced the recording with [[Gary Kellgren]],<ref name="C&P p 201">Castleman & Podrazik, p. 201.</ref> the co-owner of New York's [[Record Plant]] studios.<ref>Wood, p. 100.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Harrison was especially impressed with Kellgren's work in taping the Concert for Bangladesh shows at [[Madison Square Garden]] for the [[The Concert for Bangladesh (album)|triple live album]] from the event.<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 435, 436.</ref>}}

[[File:Rod Stewart and Ron Wood - Faces - 1975.jpg|thumb|185px|right|Wood (left) and [[Rod Stewart]] performing with [[Faces (band)|the Faces]] in 1975]]
Rodriguez describes the musical arrangement on the song as "a slow soul groove" and views Wood's version as "more Harrisonian" than Harrison's later reading.<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 234–35.</ref> Harrison's [[slide guitar]] and harmony vocals are prominent in the mix,<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 444" /><ref name="Rodriguez p 235" /> but he was only credited for his songwriting contribution.<ref name="Scoppa/RS">Bud Scoppa, "Ronnie Wood ''I've Got My Own Album to Do''", ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 7 November 1974; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/ronnie-wood-ive-got-my-own-album-to-do Rock's Backpages] (subscription required; retrieved 4 April 2014).</ref><ref name="WoodAlbum credits">Inner sleeve credits, ''I've Got My Own Album to Do'' LP ([[Warner Bros. Records]], 1974; produced by Ron Wood & Gary Kellgren).</ref> Wood recalled Harrison teaching him the song's vocal parts for "eighteen hours", since Harrison's own singing contribution had to be kept to a minimum in order to satisfy the requirements of "his publishers".<ref name="RonnieWoodShow">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJUYQFkGz8A "George Harrison and 'Far East Man'"], ''The Ronnie Wood Show'', episode 4, [[Sky Arts HD]], 2012.</ref>

===Release===
[[Warner Bros. Records]] released ''I've Got My Own Album to Do'' on 23 September 1974.<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 113.</ref> "Far East Man" was sequenced as the second track, following Wood's collaboration with Jagger,<ref>Wood, pp. 99–100.</ref> "[[I Can Feel the Fire]]".<ref>Stephen Thomas Erlewine, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/ive-got-my-own-album-to-do-r22253 "Ron Wood ''I've Got My Own Album to Do''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 4 April 2014).</ref> The album also included contributions from [[Keith Richards]] and Faces vocalist [[Rod Stewart]],<ref name="Scoppa/RS" /> and was critically well received.<ref>Bockris, pp. 177, 178.</ref>

Like Harrison,<ref>Leng, pp. 195–96.</ref> Wood continued to incorporate soul music in his solo recordings, working with former [[The Valentinos|Valentino]] [[Bobby Womack]] on his 1975 album ''[[Now Look]]''.<ref>Bonanno, p. 138.</ref><ref>Wood, pp. 182, 184.</ref> By the time of that album's release, Wood had replaced Taylor in the Rolling Stones,<ref>Barbara Charone, "'Now Read' Ronnie Wood", ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'', 26 July 1975; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/now-read-ronnie-wood Rock's Backpages] (subscription required; retrieved 4 April 2014).</ref> leading to Stewart announcing the break-up of the Faces in December 1975.<ref>Wood, p. 136.</ref><ref>Bonanno, pp. 138, 143.</ref> Although Wood and Harrison never officially co-wrote another song after "Far East Man",<ref name="Rodriguez p 234" /> their friendship continued, with Wood announcing in 1996 that he and Harrison were recording together.<ref>Badman, pp. 537, 554.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|In January 2000, shortly after Harrison was the victim of a knife attack by an intruder at Friar Park,<ref>Tillery, pp. 145–46.</ref> he and his second wife, [[Olivia Harrison|Olivia]], holidayed with Wood at the latter's property in Ireland.<ref>Badman, p. 654.</ref>}}

The song appears on Wood's career-spanning compilation ''[[Ronnie Wood Anthology: The Essential Crossexion|Anthology: The Essential Crossexion]]'', released in 2006. In their respective reviews for [[AllMusic]] and ''[[musicOMH]]'', Thom Jurek and Barnaby Smith each identify "Far East Man" as a highlight of the two-disc set.<ref>Thom Jurek, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/ronnie-wood-anthology-the-essential-crossexion-mw0000550053 "Ron Wood ''Ronne Wood Anthology: The Essential Crossexion''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 21 December 2014).</ref><ref>Barnaby Smith, [http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/ronnie-wood-anthology-the-essential-collection "Ronnie Wood – Anthology: The Essential Collection"], ''[[musicOMH]]'', 22 June 2006 (retrieved 21 December 2014).</ref>

==George Harrison's version==

===Recording===
[[File:Willie Weeks 2007.jpg|thumb|right|155px|The song was the first of many Harrison recordings to feature bassist [[Willie Weeks]] (pictured in 2007).]]
Harrison taped the basic track for his version of "Far East Man" at Friar Park over August and September 1974.<ref>Leng, p. 147.</ref><ref name="MacFarlane p 91">MacFarlane, p. 91.</ref> Retaining Newmark and Weeks from the sessions with Wood, he brought in keyboard player [[Billy Preston]] and saxophonist and arranger [[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]],<ref name="Spizer p 265">Spizer, p. 265.</ref> both of whom would also be part of his all-American tour band.<ref>Leng, p. 167.</ref> Leng describes "Far East Man" as "the first Harrisong to tap into 1970s soul" and recognises the "supreme soul credentials" of Newmark, as the former drummer with [[Sly and the Family Stone]], and Weeks, whose bass playing on [[Donny Hathaway]]'s [[Live (Donny Hathaway album)|self-titled live album]] had impressed many rock musicians of the time.<ref>Leng, pp. 156, 157.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|In his pre-tour press conference in October,<ref>Badman, pp. 136–37.</ref> Harrison cited Weeks' musicianship when dismissing the likelihood of a Beatles reunion, saying he would "rather have Willie Weeks on bass than [[Paul McCartney]]".<ref>Doggett, pp. 224–25.</ref><ref>Kahn, p. 188.</ref>}} Newmark later recalled of his and Weeks' first sessions for Harrison: "We were completely thrilled to be asked to play on his record … It was the most exciting thing to happen to me. I had to keep pinching myself to remember it was real."<ref name="Leng p 157">Leng, p. 157.</ref>

At the start of the song, Harrison delivers a spoken dedication to [[Frank Sinatra]],<ref name="Huntley p 111">Huntley, p. 111.</ref> adding: "We love you, Frank, and we hope you include this one at [[Caesars Palace]] on your next live album."<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 444" /> This message referred to Sinatra's adoption of the Harrison composition "[[Something (Beatles song)|Something]]",<ref name="Rodriguez p 235" /> which he lauded as "the greatest love song of the past fifty years".<ref>Clayson, p. 283.</ref><ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 178.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|After meeting Sinatra in Los Angeles in October 1968,<ref>Clayson, pp. 259–60.</ref> Harrison had considered offering him "[[Isn't It a Pity]]", a song that [[John Lennon]] had turned down in 1966 for inclusion on a Beatles release.<ref>Sulpy & Schweighardt, p. 269.</ref>}} MacFarlane recognises the dedication as an example of Harrison [[breaking the fourth wall]] between performer and audience, as he immediately draws the listener's attention to "the medium rather than just the musical content".<ref>MacFarlane, pp. 92, 108.</ref>

Harrison played all the guitars on the track,<ref>Spizer, pp. 264, 265.</ref> including a slide guitar part.<ref name="Huntley p 111-12" /> Author Elliot Huntley describes the musical arrangement as "very West Coast" with Scott's "bachelor-pad saxophones" complementing the slide guitar lines, and Preston's electric piano recalling his solo on the Beatles' "[[Don't Let Me Down (Beatles song)|Don't Let Me Down]]".<ref name="Huntley p 111-12">Huntley, pp. 111–12.</ref> Inglis likens Scott's horn parts to the "soul stylings" of [[King Curtis]], [[Junior Walker]] and [[the Funk Brothers]].<ref name="Inglis p 48" />

Harrison's commitment to his other projects – such as starting up a new record label, [[Dark Horse Records]],<ref>Doggett, p. 224.</ref> and organising Shankar's European concert revue, the [[Ravi Shankar's Music Festival from India|Music Festival from India]]<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 195.</ref> – affected progress on the album.<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 44.</ref><ref>Huntley, pp. 106–07.</ref> According to authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter, Harrison had to overdub much of his vocals while in Los Angeles for tour rehearsals, in October.<ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 442.</ref> Combined with his having to sing during the rehearsals, the overexertion damaged Harrison's voice,<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 198–99.</ref> compromising his performance on songs such as "Far East Man".<ref name="Ginell/AM" /><ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 442, 443.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Rodriguez comments that the effect of Harrison's shot voice on the ''Dark Horse'' recording "perversely giv[es] the vocals a resemblance to Wood's".<ref name="Rodriguez p 235" />}} His throat condition worsened during the subsequent tour,<ref>Tillery, p. 114.</ref> earning Harrison highly unfavourable concert reviews from a number of critics, who objected also to the substantial stage-time afforded Shankar's ensemble.<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 58–59.</ref>

===Release===
''Dark Horse'' was released on [[Apple Records]] on 9 December 1974 in the United States,<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 144.</ref> towards the end of the Harrison–Shankar tour.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 443">Madinger & Easter, p. 443.</ref> Harrison sequenced "Far East Man" as the penultimate track, between "[[Dark Horse (George Harrison song)|Dark Horse]]", the album's [[lead single]] in the US,<ref>Spizer, pp. 259, 263.</ref> and the pop-''[[bhajan]]'' "[[It Is 'He' (Jai Sri Krishna)]]".<ref>Leng, pp. 155–57.</ref>

Given Harrison's marital problems, and the generally unfavourable reception given to his tour and album, author [[Gary Tillery]] describes his new relationship with [[Olivia Arias]] as "the one bright spot in the problematic year".<ref>Tillery, p. 115.</ref> Having met Arias in Los Angeles in October,<ref>Olivia Harrison's foreword, in George Harrison, p. 1.</ref> Harrison used a photo of her on the face label for side two of the ''Dark Horse'' [[LP record|LP]].<ref>Spizer, pp. 265, 268.</ref> Writing in 1981, ''[[NME]]'' critic [[Bob Woffinden]] viewed the inclusion of this image, combined with the more upbeat message of side-two songs such as "Ding Dong" and "Far East Man", as Harrison ushering in Arias, his future wife, and farewelling Boyd.<ref>Woffinden, pp. 84–85.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|In addition to writing coded remarks about Boyd and Clapton<ref name="Planer/AM">Lindsay Planer, [http://www.allmusic.com/song/bye-bye-love-mt0012454413 "George Harrison 'Bye Bye Love'"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 5 April 2014).</ref> in his handwritten sleeve credits for ''Dark Horse'', Harrison listed Wood as "Ron Would If You Let Him" under "Ding Dong".<ref>Spizer, pp. 264, 265, 267.</ref>}}

===Critical reception===
Along with Jim Miller's opinions in ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine,<ref>Leng, p. 174.</ref> Woffinden's 1974 album review for the ''NME'' was one of the most scathing critiques.<ref>Clayson, p. 342.</ref><ref name="Harris/Mojo">John Harris, "Beware of Darkness", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2011, p. 82.</ref> Woffinden bemoaned how on ''Dark Horse'', "the radiant light of George's spirituality is planted firmly under a bushel and darkness is not confined to equine matters". He also wrote: "['Far East Man'] seems to have most chance of independent survival, especially as the song turned up in quite pleasant shape on Wood's ''I've Got My Own Album to Do'', but here again the production effectively smothers it, and Harrison's drab vocals complete the assassination."<ref name="Woffinden/NME">Bob Woffinden, "George Harrison: ''Dark Horse''", ''[[NME]]'', 21 December 1974; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/article.html?ArticleID=9434 Rock's Backpages] (subscription required; retrieved 22 November 2013).</ref>

By contrast, [[Michael Gross (American writer)|Michael Gross]] of ''[[Circus (magazine)|Circus Raves]]'' magazine viewed ''Dark Horse'' as the equal of Harrison's acclaimed 1970 triple album ''[[All Things Must Pass]]'' and praised the song and its arrangement, writing: "Scott again excels on 'Far East Man', with a horn solo that would vindicate any context in which it was put."<ref name="Gross/CircusRaves">Michael Gross, "George Harrison: How ''Dark Horse'' Whipped Up a Winning Tour", ''[[Circus (magazine)|Circus Raves]]'', March 1975; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/george-harrison-how-dark-horse-whipped-up-a-winning-tour Rock's Backpages] (subscription required; retrieved 8 October 2013).</ref> In a similarly positive assessment for ''[[Melody Maker]]'', Brian Harrigan opined that the album "should certainly do a tremendous amount to salvage George's battered reputation" but found the extended playout to "Far East Man" overlong – an example, he said, where "you can have just too much of a good thing".<ref name="Harrigan/MM">Brian Harrigan, "Harrison: Eastern Promise", ''[[Melody Maker]]'', 21 December 1974, p. 36.</ref> Sue Byrom of ''[[Record Mirror]]'' said it was her favourite track on ''Dark Horse'', adding that had side one of the LP "contained the variety and progression of the second [side], it would be a great album".<ref>Sue Byrom, "George Harrison: Dark Horse", ''[[Record Mirror]]'', 21 December 1974, p. 11.</ref>

Among more recent commentators, Simon Leng considers "Far East Man" to be among Harrison's best compositions and "one of its writer's most beguiling pieces",<ref>Leng, pp. 156, 159.</ref> while AllMusic's Richard Ginell describes it as "exquisite".<ref name="Ginell/AM">Richard S. Ginell, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/r8990/review "George Harrison ''Dark Horse''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 5 April 2014).</ref> Leng admires the "especially attractive" middle eight and views the track as "a musical acceptance of life as an unfathomable riddle … a wistful shrug of the shoulders set to music".<ref name="Leng p 156">Leng, p. 156.</ref> Ian Inglis says it typifies the album's erratic quality, since a "lovely melodic passage" in the chorus "is never fully developed elsewhere", although he compares the song favourably with Marvin Gaye's 1971 album ''[[What's Going On (Marvin Gaye album)|What's Going On]]''.<ref name="Inglis p 48" /> In an April 2004 article in ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' magazine, [[Paul Du Noyer]] deemed "Far East Man" to be the "standout track" on an album that displayed an "uncharacteristic spell of rock star excess" on Harrison's part.<ref>Paul Du Noyer, "Back Catalogue: George Harrison", ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'', April 2004, pp. 152–53.</ref>

Reviewing the [[The Apple Years 1968–75|2014 reissue]] of Harrison's Apple catalogue, for ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', Tom Doyle describes the song as "the excellently smooth [[Steely Dan]]-ish Far East Man".<ref>Tom Doyle, "Hari Styles: George Harrison ''The Apple Years 1968–1975''", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2014, p. 109.</ref> Joe Marchese of ''The Second Disc'' writes of the "impeccable" musicianship found throughout ''Dark Horse'' and adds: "There are many stellar moments, such as 'Far East Man', with Scott contributing his trademark [[Jazz fusion#Jazz rock|jazz-rock]] saxophone on a deliciously fab slice of '[[yacht rock]]'."<ref name="Marchese/Review">Joe Marchese, [http://theseconddisc.com/2014/09/23/review-the-george-harrison-remasters-the-apple-years-1968-1975/ "Review: The George Harrison Remasters – 'The Apple Years 1968–1975'"], ''The Second Disc'', 23 September 2014 (retrieved 29 September 2014).</ref> [[Blogcritics]]' Chaz Lipp similarly finds "a lot of rewarding listening" on ''Dark Horse'', and highlights the track as "a smooth soul collaboration with Ron Wood that, once heard, lodges itself in the brain".<ref>Chaz Lipp, [http://blogcritics.org/music-review-george-harrison-apple-albums-remastered/ "Music Review: George Harrison’s Apple Albums Remastered"], [[Blogcritics]], 5 October 2014 (retrieved 6 October 2014).</ref> In his review of the 2014 reissues, for ''[[Record Collector]]'', Oregano Rathbone cites "Far East Man" as an example of how each of Harrison's Apple albums after ''All Things Must Pass'' "contains shivery moments of release".<ref name="Rathbone/RecCollect">Oregano Rathbone, [http://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/apple-years-1968-75 "George Harrison – The Apple Years 1968–75"], ''[[Record Collector]]'', December 2014 (retrieved 4 December 2014).</ref>

==Other versions==
Before leaving for Los Angeles in October 1974, Harrison performed a portion of "Far East Man" during an interview with [[BBC Radio]]'s [[Alan Freeman]].<ref name="Badman p 138">Badman, p. 138.</ref> Harrison began playing the song, on acoustic guitar, in reply to Freeman asking whether he had felt let down by friends in the past.<ref name="ContraBand">[http://beatlechat.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/thats-entertainment.html "That's Entertainment"], Contra Band Music, 10 October 2012 (retrieved 8 October 2013).</ref><ref>"Interview with George Harrison", ''Rock Around the World'', program 61, 5 October 1975.</ref> The interview was broadcast in the UK on ''Rockspeak'', in December, but delayed until September 1975 in America,<ref name="Badman p 138" /> where it formed part of Freeman's syndicated show ''Rock Around the World''.<ref name="M&E p 445">Madinger & Easter, p. 445.</ref> Along with Harrison's performances of "Dark Horse", "[[Awaiting on You All]]" and "[[I Don't Care Anymore (George Harrison song)|I Don't Care Anymore]]", this recording is available only on bootleg compilations.<ref name="M&E p 445" />

Following his troubled tour with Shankar, Harrison's only other tour as a solo artist took place in December 1991,<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 196.</ref> when he and Clapton performed a series of well-received [[George Harrison–Eric Clapton 1991 Japanese Tour|concerts in Japan]].<ref>Doggett, p. 305.</ref> In 2002, various Japanese musicians recorded the Harrison tribute album ''Gentle Guitar Dreams'', for which [[Hiroshi Takano]] contributed a cover version of "Far East Man".<ref>Album notes, ''Gentle Guitar Dreams'' CD ([[East West Records|EastWest Records]], 2002; produced by Ryomei Shirai).</ref> Takano later included it on ''Tokio Covers'', his 2013 collection of cover recordings, released to commemorate his first 25 years as a recording artist.<ref>[http://www-c.billboard-data.com/special/detail/1413 "特集：高野寛～日々進化し続ける音楽家の足跡～" (in Japanese)]{{Dead link|date=December 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, [[Billboard Japan|c.billboard-data.com]] (retrieved 28 February 2021).</ref>

===''Far East Man'' live DVD===
Beginning on 8 December 2001, less than two weeks after Harrison succumbed to cancer at the age of 58,<ref>Tillery, pp. 148, 167–68.</ref> Wood played the song during his shows in Dublin and London,<ref name="CompleteWorks2001">[http://www.nzentgraf.de/books/tcw/2001.html "2001 > 8th–12th December"], The Rolling Stones Complete Works Database (retrieved 3 April 2014).</ref> in support of his sixth solo album, ''[[Not for Beginners]]''.<ref name="DVDnet review">Terry Kemp, [http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=2217 "Ronnie Wood – ''Far East Man''"], DVD.net (retrieved 8 October 2013).</ref> A live version filmed on 11 December at the [[Shepherd's Bush Empire]], west London,<ref>[http://www.nzentgraf.de/books/tcw/2001.html "2001 > 11th December"], The Rolling Stones Complete Works Database (retrieved 3 April 2014).</ref> appeared on the 2002 concert DVD ''Far East Man''.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/far-east-man-mr0002537183 "Ronnie Wood ''Far East Man''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 8 October 2013).</ref> Among Wood's band were his son Jessie (on guitar) and daughter Leah (vocals),<ref name="DVDnet review" /> the latter being Wood's eldest child by his second wife, [[Jo Wood|Jo Karslake]].<ref>Wood, pp. 202–03, 274.</ref>

The performance of "Far East Man" includes guest appearances by [[Andrea Corr]] and [[Slash (musician)|Slash]].<ref name="DVDnet review" /> Wood introduces the song as "brilliant!", before saying of Harrison: "And we shall miss that man ..."<ref name="Wood/FarEast DVD">Selection 9 ("Far East Man"), ''Far East Man'' DVD (Steamhammer, 2002; directed by Charlie Lightening).</ref>{{refn|group=nb|The following day, Wood filmed an appearance for [[BBC2]]'s New Year's Eve broadcast of ''[[List of Later... with Jools Holland episodes#Jools' 9th Annual Hootenanny|Jools' 9th Annual Hootenanny]]''. At the end of the show, as a tribute to Harrison, he joined host [[Jools Holland]] and fellow guests [[Beverley Knight]], [[Sam Brown (singer)|Sam Brown]] and [[David Gray (British musician)|David Gray]] in a performance of "[[My Sweet Lord]]".<ref>[http://www.nzentgraf.de/books/tcw/2001.html "2001 > 31st December"], The Rolling Stones Complete Works Database (retrieved 3 April 2014).</ref><ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p006yybp "Jools' 9th Annual Hootenanny – 2001 > Music Played"], [[BBC Online|bbc.co.uk]] (retrieved 3 April 2014).</ref>}}

==Personnel==
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}

'''Ronnie Wood version'''

According to the 1974 LP credits (except where noted):<ref name="WoodAlbum credits" />
*[[Ron Wood]] – lead and backing vocals,<ref name="RonnieWoodShow" /> electric guitars
*[[George Harrison]] – [[slide guitar]],<ref name="Rodriguez p 235" /> harmony vocal<ref name="Leng p 156" />
*[[Ian McLagan]] – electric piano
*[[Jean Roussel]] – organ
*[[Mick Taylor]] – bass
*[[Andy Newmark]] – drums

{{col-2}}

'''George Harrison version'''

Adapted from [[Bruce Spizer]]'s book ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'' (except where noted):<ref name="Spizer p 265" />
*[[George Harrison]] – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, [[slide guitar]]<ref name="Huntley p 111-12" />
*[[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]] – saxophones
*[[Billy Preston]] – electric piano
*[[Willie Weeks]] – bass
*[[Andy Newmark]] – drums, percussion

{{col-end}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em|group=nb}}

==References==
{{reflist|20em}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* Alagmir, Mohiuddin, ''Famine in South Asia: Political Economy of Mass Starvation'', Oelgeschlager, Gunn & Hain (Cambridge, MA, 1980; {{ISBN|0-89946-042-9}}).
* [[Dale Allison|Allison, Dale C. Jr]], ''The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-8264-1917-0}}).
* Badman, Keith, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; {{ISBN|0-7119-8307-0}}).
* [[Victor Bockris|Bockris, Victor]], ''Keith Richards: The Unauthorised Biography'', Hutchinson (London, 1992; {{ISBN|0-09-174397-4}}).
* Bonanno, Massimo, ''The Rolling Stones Chronicle'', Plexus Publishing (London, 1990; {{ISBN|0-207-16940-3}}).
* [[Pattie Boyd|Boyd, Pattie]] (with [[Penny Junor]]), ''Wonderful Today: The Autobiography'', Headline Review (London, 2007; {{ISBN|978-0-7553-1646-5}}).
* Castleman, Harry & Podrazik, Walter J., ''All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975'', Ballantine Books (New York, NY, 1976; {{ISBN|0-345-25680-8}}).
* [[Alan Clayson|Clayson, Alan]], ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; {{ISBN|1-86074-489-3}}).
* [[Peter Doggett|Doggett, Peter]], ''You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup'', It Books (New York, NY, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-06-177418-8}}).
* The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; {{ISBN|0-7432-3581-9}}).
* [[George Harrison|Harrison, George]], ''I Me Mine'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2002 [1980]; {{ISBN|0-8118-3793-9}}).
* Huntley, Elliot J., ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles'', Guernica Editions (Toronto, ON, 2006; {{ISBN|1-55071-197-0}}).
* Inglis, Ian, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-313-37532-3}}).
* [[Ashley Kahn|Kahn, Ashley]] (ed.), ''George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters'', Chicago Review Press (Chicago, IL, 2020; {{ISBN|978-1-64160-051-4}}).
* Lavezzoli, Peter, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|0-8264-2819-3}}).
* Leng, Simon, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; {{ISBN|1-4234-0609-5}}).
* MacFarlane, Thomas, ''The Music of George Harrison'', Routledge (Abingdon, UK, 2019; {{ISBN|978-1-138-59910-9}}).
* Madinger, Chip & Easter, Mark, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; {{ISBN|0-615-11724-4}}).
* O'Dell, Chris (with Katherine Ketcham), ''Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved'', Touchstone (New York, NY, 2009; {{ISBN|978-1-4165-9093-4}}).
* Rodriguez, Robert, ''Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980'', Backbeat Books (Milwaukee, WI, 2010; {{ISBN|978-1-4165-9093-4}}).
* [[Bruce Spizer|Spizer, Bruce]], ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', 498 Productions (New Orleans, LA, 2005; {{ISBN|0-9662649-5-9}}).
* Sulpy, Doug & Schweighardt, Ray, ''Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of The Beatles' Let It Be Disaster'', St. Martin's Griffin (New York, NY, 1997; {{ISBN|0-312-19981-3}}).
* [[Gary Tillery|Tillery, Gary]], ''Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison'', Quest Books (Wheaton, IL, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-8356-0900-5}}).
* [[Pete Townshend|Townshend, Pete]], ''Who I Am'', HarperCollins (London, 2012; {{ISBN|978-0-00-746603-0}}).
* [[Bob Woffinden|Woffinden, Bob]], ''The Beatles Apart'', Proteus (London, 1981; {{ISBN|0-906071-89-5}}).
* [[Ronnie Wood|Wood, Ronnie]], ''Ronnie'', Macmillan (Sydney, NSW, 2007; {{ISBN|978-1-4050-3817-1}}).
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18oaNAJRPPo "Far East Man" at the George Harrison YouTube channel]

{{Dark Horse}}
{{Ronnie Wood}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:1974 songs]]
[[Category:George Harrison songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Songs written by Ronnie Wood]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Music published by Oops Publishing and Ganga Publishing, B.V.]]
[[Category:British soul songs]]