The Concert For Bangladesh (1972 film)

This film was the victim of bad accountancy. The concert, its album and film was meant to generate proceeds that aid Bangladesh refugees as they try to win independence from Pakistan which had liberated itself from India which only 25 years earlier freed itself from Britain. What happened was the concert got the tax classification of a charity benefit, but the accountants forgot to classify the album and film as a tax deduction and it got taxed by the British government well out of 80% of its gross. People thought it was a tax hoax but he got taxed and no money as it was going to go Ravi Shankar's charity. Other than that it is an exceptional concert film. Not the multi-star event of Woodstock, Monterrey or Altamont but for being made on the quick it did well bringing celebrities tanks to George's friends in high places. John couldn't make it because Yoko wasn't welcomed and Paul didn't want to make the appearance as it would heighten reunion rumors. The other bad news was Eric Clapton and Badfinger made it but they didn't take center stage and sing for themselves. What you get is a 20 minute Ravi instrumental which is great but not a great opener. Then George goes into a few songs from his breakthrough album All Things Must Pass. Only the Beatles song "Something" and his duet with Bob Dylan are not from that album. Bob Dylan gets 5 songs. "Just Like A Woman" is the duet. The other 4 likewise came from 1963-1966 well established tunes except the Highway 61 Revisited album track "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry." "Blowin' In The Wind" "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall" being the other 3. So from George and Bob you get what you probably already have. That makes the real treasure the song Billy Preston, Ringo Starr, and Leon Russell each got to bring along. Billy does a lively performance of his gospel favorite "That's The Way God Planned It" pure classic. Ringo hops into his 1971 megahit "It Don't Come Easy" (marking Ringo's triumphant return to music after going on a acting stint that would continues to the mid 70s and re-emerge in the early 80s). Leon Russell does a classic rock medley "Jumpin' Jack Flash/Youngblood" which didn't match the tone of the event. Could of had Eric play "Layla" and it would've fitted better. All the same film is good. A bit too rushed and one-sided and I cannot help but wonder how much better it would have been with a just a couple of more guests and a more even distribution of each and player and a broader song catalog.