Newly discovered track – not 1968 after all
John Barham, Ringo Starr and Suresh Joshi.
A few days ago, we told you about a newly discovered track featuring George and Ringo. The story that went along with the track was this: The song, «Radhe Shaam», was written and produced by broadcaster Suresh Joshi in 1968 and features Ringo Starr on drums and George Harrison on guitar. Meant for inclusion in a film, the song was supposedly recorded at Trident Studios during a break in the recording sessions for «Hey Jude».
The film was shelved and the track almost forgotten until it was unearthed at 75 year old Joshi’s Birmingham home by a friend who was checking on him during lockdown. The track was premiered at the Liverpool Beatles Museum and later released through Apple Music and iTunes and it also has an official website. All proceeds of the sale of the track goes to charitable causes.
However, it has later been discovered that Mr Joshi was a bit off with placing the recording in time. The place was right, Trident Studios, but the most likely date of the recording is March 10, 1970.
The session was for a future project for Aashish Khan and John Barham. Musicians were Khan, Harrison, Clapton, Starr, Preston and Voormann. All save for Khan involved in George’s upcoming album «All things must pass».
So that’s not George playing lead, it’s Clapton, while George is on rhythm guitar. The song they were to record was a track called «In Praise Of Lord (We Are All Children Of God)» as discussed by Khan ten years ago. So it seems they also recorded Mr Joshi’s song, «Radhe Shaam». At the time, the song was untitled, which may explain why it escaped mention over the years.
George in action at Trident
John Barham & Ashish Khans’s album was eventually released in 1973. Titled «Jugalbandi» on Elektra Records, the album left out both of the superstar tracks from March 1970.
Are you sure that it is EC on lead-guitar and not George? I have asked Klaus Voormann, but he doesn’t remember. 🤔
I was listening to the lead guitar playing and thinking “is this George??” So that is really Clapton really playing the lead makes more sense.
Agreed. It’s too improvised to be George, and he just wans’t that kind of player.
This dating makes more sense. The earlier photograph didn’t match hairstyles/beards of 1968!
In Kristofer Engelhardt’s Deeper Under Undercover from 2010, the session is actually listed. The song is referred to as In Praise Of Lord (We Are All Children of God) [sic]. This is what K. Engelhardt says: “Aashish said Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton and a keyboard player helped him record a song tentatively titled In Praise Of Lord (We Are All Children Of God) that was a fusion of rock and Indian music sung in the Hindi language. Khan said the song was recorded at Trident Studios in London in 1969 or 1970, and was intended for a film soundtrack (probably Raga) but was never used.”
Okay, I didn’t check with Engelhardt. The film the song(s) were meant for was called “East meets West” and never got off the ground.
Although Engelhardt seems to have talked to Aashish Khan, he apparently was not aware that the song had been recorded for a different purpose than Raga. Interestingly, though, Aashish Khan was involved in the soundtrack to Raga. However, most of the filming and musical recordings for Raga were apparently done between 1967 1968 before the project came to a halt. The soundtrack was then prepared in the summer of 1971.
Recorded march 10th, 1970 Trident in London. George and Ringo did It Don’t Come Easy. John Barham did the arrangement for Aashish and is seen on the photo. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/solobeatlesphotosforum/10-march-1970-trident-studios-london-t13895.html#p37640 and
“From Matt Hurwitz: It is actually not from 1968, but was a song recorded at Trident on March 10, 1970, as detailed in my article on the recording of “All Things Must Pass.” George was helping out Aashish Khan, who was asked to contribute an Indian-themed pop song for an Indian film director, but the track was never used.” https://www.soundandvision.com/content/making-all-things-must-pass In 1973 John Barham and Aashish Khan did another project together. Jugalbandi K 42129, have a look at https://www.discogs.com/master/646751-John-Barham-And-Ashish-Khan-Jugalbandi. Backside of the sleeve have notes at the left by George and at the right by Ravi Shankar. To me it sounds strange that they together should have done 2 projects within say 2 years.
The person behind the JPGR&B YouTube channel which you link to for the video, received an e-mail from Aashish Khan, which disputes several of Suresh Joshi’s claims about the recording, and includes a threat of legal action:
“AASHISH KHAN
Lost Song “Radhe Shaam,” Featuring Ringo Starr and George Harrison Found in Attic was recorded at London’s Trident Studios in 1968, with vocals from Indian musician Aashish Khan, Harrison playing the guitar and Starr on the drums. This is to inform everyone : That the song RADHEY SHYAM is my composition and music, arranged by GEORGE HARRISON, this was recorded for a HINDI movie which never got produced. With the help of George Harrison i recorded this song in London’s TRIDENT Studio in 1968, and the Tracks were never Mixed down because the Film was never made. It is my Music and Lyrics, no one else have written the Lyrics. Since the Movie was never produced therefore I kept the ORIGINAL TAPE with me with the understanding with George Harrison’s WISH, that this song is incomplete therefore you must not release it. Now Mr. Suresh Joshi is claiming that he is the producer and has written the Lyrics, yes, he was the part producer of the movie with his friend from Pakistan, but the studio time and other expenses was paid by George Harrison’s APPLE CO. Mr. Joshi has done a very bad ILLEGAL job, without my PERMISSION he is claiming and released this unfinished song in media . I am asking him immediately remove this unfinished rough Track of the RADHEY SHYAM SONG to be REMOVED, otherwise I will be FORCED to LEGAL ACTION against Mr. Suresh Joshi, it is a very friendly gesture I am showing it to him. MESSAGE FOR SURESH JOSHI (U K) Mr. Suresh Joshi-ji Get in touch with me immediately it is extremely URGENT my Email: akhan@calarts.edu Thanks – Ustad Aashish Khan”
Really don’t care for the vocals
It’s actually Bobby Whitlock singing.