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George Harrison Took on a Bob Dylan Classic and Officially Made It His Own

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After The Beatles broke up in 1970, George Harrison was probably the one with the most to gain. And to prove. Without the support of his bandmates, he was both set free and alone. So, when he was putting together his first post-Beatles album, his triple album All Things Must Pass, he leaned on other collaborators. In particular, he found support in one of his closest friends, Bob Dylan. Dylan had become close with The Beatles when the Fab Four first visited America on tour, and he developed a special relationship with Harrison.

In 1970, Dylan invited Harrison to a session, and he showed him some songs he was working on. One that stood out to him was “If Not for You,” one that Dylan had written about his first wife and their family life. Harrison loved it, and decided he wanted to include it in his album. No one could have predicted that this cover would become so much bigger than the original.

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George Harrison’s Incredible Cover

It’s no secret that George Harrison was feeling stifled in The Beatles. The Lennon-McCartney partnership was hard to compete with, considering that his bandmates had been writing together and honing their craft since they were teenagers. So, as a result, his songs were often overlooked from the albums. When the band broke up, he was excited about the future, but he was also feeling intimidated about building his own career. Turns out he needn’t have worried, because All Things Must Pass was a raging success despite being a triple album. And that was thanks in part to the support of his closest collaborators outside The Beatles.

Subconsciously I needed a bit of support,” he said about making the album. So he recruited Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan to play on it. Of course, Dylan did a lot more than just play for him. He helped him write songs, and actually gave him one of his own to record. Dylan invited Harrison to one of his sessions for his album New Mornings, and Harrison heard his new song “If Not for You.” The former Beatle loved it, and with his friend’s blessing, he recorded his own version for All Things Must Pass. Harrison made the song entirely his own, making it into a slower, more soulful ballad, and incorporating his signature slide guitar. When the album topped the charts, Harrison’s cover became so popular that, for a lot of fans, his version was the original.

Dylan didn’t seem to mind the popularity of his friend’s cover. In fact, the two of them played the song together at the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971, and Harrison performed it for his friend in 1992 during a celebration for Dylan’s 30-year career anniversary.

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George Harrison and Bob Dylan’s Closet Friendship

Bob Dylan and George Harrison’s professional collaboration extended way beyond this wildly popular cover. One of George Harrison’s most moving love songs was actually for his friend. “I’d Have You Anytime” was also included on All Things Must Pass, and Harrison wrote it as a way to tell his friend that he would always be there for him. It was while Dylan was going through a tough time, and he wanted to show his support in the best way he knew how.



Who’s Your Perfect Classic Rock Band?























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Classic Rock Personality Quiz
Who’s Your Perfect
Classic Rock Band?

A Personality Quiz · 10 Questions
Five legendary bands. One perfect match. Answer 10 questions about your personality, attitude, and taste to find out which classic rock icon you truly belong with. Are you raw power, rolling swagger, operatic drama, thunderous riffs, or timeless melody?
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AC/DC

👅Rolling Stones

🤘Metallica

👑Queen

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🎸The Beatles

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01

How do you walk into a room?
Choose the answer that feels most like you.





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02

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What does your ideal Friday night look like?





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03

What’s your philosophy on keeping things simple vs. complex?





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04

How would your friends describe your personal style?





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05

How do you want to be remembered?





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06

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What kind of crowd do you want around you?





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07

If you were writing a song, what would it be about?





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08

What’s your secret to staying relevant over time?





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09

You’re playing to 80,000 people. What does your performance look like?





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10

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Pick the word that best sums up your relationship with rock music.
This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.





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Your Result
Your Perfect Band Is Revealed

Based on your personality, energy, and taste, the classic rock band that matches your soul is…

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⚡ AC/DC

You are pure, undiluted rock energy. You don’t need tricks, trends, or theatrical gimmicks — you have something more powerful: a riff that hits like a thunderbolt and an attitude that never wavers. Like AC/DC, you understand that simplicity executed with absolute conviction is its own form of genius. You’re the person in the room who doesn’t overthink it, doesn’t pretend, and never turns the volume down. The highway to hell is a state of mind — and you’ve been on it since day one.

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👅 The Rolling Stones

You’ve got swagger that can’t be taught. Rooted in the blues and soaked in street-level attitude, you move through life with a loose, dangerous elegance that draws people in without ever trying too hard. Like the Stones, you’ve seen it all, done most of it, and somehow look better for it. You’re not chasing perfection — you’re chasing truth, groove, and that electric moment when everything clicks. Can’t always get what you want? You tend to get it anyway.

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👑 Queen

You are magnificent, and you know it — not from arrogance, but from an unshakeable sense of self that has never needed anyone’s permission. Like Queen, you defy every category people try to place you in. You blend the epic with the intimate, the operatic with the anthemic, the serious with the playful. You live boldly, love fiercely, and perform every aspect of your life as though the whole world is watching. Because sometimes it is. We are the champions — and so are you.

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🎸 The Beatles

You have the rarest of gifts: the ability to make something that feels both deeply personal and universally human. Like The Beatles, you’re a natural connector — someone whose warmth, curiosity, and creative instincts draw people together across every divide. You believe in melody, in craftsmanship, and in the quiet power of a song that says exactly what someone needed to hear. You’ve changed the people around you just by being who you are. All you need is love — and you give it generously.

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Who’s Your Perfect Classic Rock Band?

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Classic Rock Personality QuizWho’s Your PerfectClassic Rock Band?A Personality Quiz · 10 QuestionsFive legendary bands. One perfect match. Answer 10 questions about your personality, attitude, and taste to find out which classic rock icon you truly belong with. Are you raw power, rolling swagger, operatic drama, thunderous riffs, or timeless melody?

AC/DC

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👅Rolling Stones

🤘Metallica

👑Queen

🎸The Beatles

Advertisement

Begin Quiz →

01

How do you walk into a room?Choose the answer that feels most like you.

ALike a freight train — loud, fast, and everyone knows I’ve arrived.BWith a slow, cool swagger — I take my time and own every step.CHead down, focused — I’m here for a purpose and small talk isn’t it.DWith total confidence and a flair for the dramatic — all eyes on me.EWarmly and curiously — genuinely excited to see what and who is here.

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Next Question →

02

What does your ideal Friday night look like?

ALoud bar, cold beer, cranked jukebox — the louder the better.BA smoky club, good company, and doing whatever feels right in the moment.CIntense concert or staying in with headphones — nothing in between.DSomething theatrical — a show, a dinner party, an experience worth remembering.EHanging with close friends, maybe making music, keeping it relaxed and genuine.

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Next Question →

03

What’s your philosophy on keeping things simple vs. complex?

ASimple is king. A great riff repeated perfectly beats any amount of cleverness.BKeep it loose and bluesy — the groove matters more than technical perfection.CGo deep and dark — I want layers, tension, and something that hits hard.DWhy not both? Elaborate arrangements and hook-driven anthems can coexist.ECraft every detail — a perfect melody is the result of countless small choices.

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Next Question →

04

How would your friends describe your personal style?

ANo-frills, no-nonsense — jeans, a t-shirt, and ready to go.BEffortlessly cool — slightly dishevelled in a way that somehow always works.CDark and deliberate — black is a lifestyle, not just a colour.DBold and expressive — fashion is a form of performance for me.EClean and classic — timeless over trendy, always put-together.

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Next Question →

05

How do you want to be remembered?

AAs someone who never let the energy drop — relentless, loud, and alive.BAs someone who lived fully and on my own terms, unapologetically.CAs someone who was brutally honest and made music that meant something real.DAs someone who transcended genres, boundaries, and expectations entirely.EAs someone who changed the world — and left it genuinely better than I found it.

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Next Question →

06

What kind of crowd do you want around you?

APeople who are there to have a blast — no pretension, just pure fun and noise.BA mix of rebels and free spirits who don’t take themselves too seriously.CA loyal, passionate crew who are all in — intensity over numbers every time.DEveryone — I want to unite people who wouldn’t normally be in the same room.EPeople who appreciate craft and feel genuinely connected by the music.

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Next Question →

07

If you were writing a song, what would it be about?

AHaving a good time, turning it up, and not overthinking it.BStreet life, desire, and the rawness of being human.CAnger, grief, war, or the darker side of the world — music as a weapon.DSomething epic and emotional — love, loss, triumph, or pure fantasy.ESomething personal and universal at once — a feeling everyone can recognise.

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Next Question →

08

What’s your secret to staying relevant over time?

ANever change the formula — if it works, it works. Consistency is everything.BStay hungry, stay dangerous, and always keep a bit of that rebellious edge.CEarn respect through dedication — the work and the live show speak for themselves.DReinvent constantly — never let anyone put you in a box or predict your next move.EWrite songs so good they can’t be ignored, in any decade, in any context.

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Next Question →

09

You’re playing to 80,000 people. What does your performance look like?

AA wall of sound and sweat — pure, unfiltered energy from first note to last.BLoose, cool, and dangerous — every song feels like it might fall apart but never does.CBrutal precision — tight, powerful, and leaving no one unmoved.DA full spectacle — lights, costumes, vocal acrobatics, and total theatrical command.EWarm, joyful, and tight — the crowd singing every word back at you.

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Next Question →

10

Pick the word that best sums up your relationship with rock music.This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.

ARaw — stripped back, high-voltage, no frills.BRolling — fluid, dangerous, built on blues and attitude.CHeavy — powerful, honest, uncompromising.DMajestic — theatrical, boundary-defying, unforgettable.ETimeless — melodic, human, built to last forever.

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See My Result →

Your ResultYour Perfect Band Is Revealed
Based on your personality, energy, and taste, the classic rock band that matches your soul is…

Advertisement

⚡ AC/DC
You are pure, undiluted rock energy. You don’t need tricks, trends, or theatrical gimmicks — you have something more powerful: a riff that hits like a thunderbolt and an attitude that never wavers. Like AC/DC, you understand that simplicity executed with absolute conviction is its own form of genius. You’re the person in the room who doesn’t overthink it, doesn’t pretend, and never turns the volume down. The highway to hell is a state of mind — and you’ve been on it since day one.

👅 The Rolling Stones
You’ve got swagger that can’t be taught. Rooted in the blues and soaked in street-level attitude, you move through life with a loose, dangerous elegance that draws people in without ever trying too hard. Like the Stones, you’ve seen it all, done most of it, and somehow look better for it. You’re not chasing perfection — you’re chasing truth, groove, and that electric moment when everything clicks. Can’t always get what you want? You tend to get it anyway.

👑 Queen
You are magnificent, and you know it — not from arrogance, but from an unshakeable sense of self that has never needed anyone’s permission. Like Queen, you defy every category people try to place you in. You blend the epic with the intimate, the operatic with the anthemic, the serious with the playful. You live boldly, love fiercely, and perform every aspect of your life as though the whole world is watching. Because sometimes it is. We are the champions — and so are you.

Advertisement

🎸 The Beatles
You have the rarest of gifts: the ability to make something that feels both deeply personal and universally human. Like The Beatles, you’re a natural connector — someone whose warmth, curiosity, and creative instincts draw people together across every divide. You believe in melody, in craftsmanship, and in the quiet power of a song that says exactly what someone needed to hear. You’ve changed the people around you just by being who you are. All you need is love — and you give it generously.

↩ Retake Quiz

“Let me in here, I know I’ve been here, let me into your heart,” Harrison sings to his friend. “All I have is yours, all you see is mine. And I’m glad to hold you in my arms, I’d have you anytime.” Dylan heard the song and loved it, and even co-wrote it with him, and their collaborations on Harrison’s triple album remain a testament to their legendary and intimate bond.

Much later, in the late ’80s, this powerful duo teamed up with Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne to form supergroup The Traveling Wilburys. Together, they had hits like “Handle with Care” and “End of the Line.” Their friendship and incredible chemistry really shone in the group, and proved how good together they were. It’s no wonder Dylan wanted his friend to sing “If Not for You.” He knew Harrison would do his song justice, and that’s exactly what happened.–

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