The Concert for Bangladesh, 50 Years On

The best sheet music download from our Library.

The Day the Music Changed the World: The Concert for Bangladesh, 50 Years On

Please, subscribe to our Sheet Music Library.

Fifty-three years ago, on a sweltering Sunday afternoon, August 1st, 1971, an unprecedented event unfolded on the stage of Madison Square Garden in New York City. It wasn't just a concert; it was a seismic shift in the relationship between popular music, global consciousness, and humanitarian action. The Concert for Bangladesh, conceived in urgency and executed with remarkable speed, became the blueprint for every major benefit concert that followed. More than a stellar gathering of musical giants, it was a powerful act of solidarity, a desperate plea for a nation facing annihilation, and a testament to the belief that music could genuinely help heal the world.

The Crucible of Crisis: Bangladesh's Agony

Search your favorite sheet music in the Sheet Music Library Catalog

Browse in the Sheet Music Library:

Or browse in the categories menus & download the Library Catalog PDF:

To understand the concert's profound significance, one must grasp the horrific context. In March 1971, following a landslide victory by the Bengali nationalist Awami League in Pakistan's first democratic elections, the Pakistani military junta in West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight. This was a brutal, systematic campaign of genocide against the people of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), aimed at crushing their aspirations for autonomy or independence.

The scale of the violence was staggering. Estimates suggest hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of Bengalis were massacred. Intellectuals, students, Hindus, and anyone perceived as sympathetic to independence were targeted. Millions more fled their homes in terror. By summer, an estimated 10 million refugees had poured across the border into the Indian state of West Bengal, overwhelming resources and creating a massive humanitarian catastrophe. Starvation and disease ran rampant in the overcrowded refugee camps. Images of skeletal children and desperate mothers began, slowly, to pierce the global consciousness.

The Spark: Ravi Shankar's Anguish and George Harrison's Conscience

The crisis struck a deep chord with Ravi Shankar, the world-renowned Indian sitar maestro. Though born in Varanasi, India, Shankar had familial and cultural ties to Bengal. He was horrified by the reports and images flooding in. Touring in Los Angeles in June 1971, Shankar confided his distress to his close friend and former student, George Harrison. Shankar expressed a desire to "do something" to help, initially suggesting a small benefit concert.

Harrison, fresh from the creative triumph of his seminal solo album All Things Must Pass and deeply influenced by Eastern spirituality and humanitarian ideals, instantly grasped the potential for something far larger. The quiet Beatle, often overshadowed in the public eye by Lennon and McCartney, possessed a unique combination of global musical influence, organizational capability (honed by years navigating Beatlemania), and genuine compassion. He didn't just agree; he took the reins. "I want to do it big," Harrison reportedly told Shankar. The seed for the Concert for Bangladesh was planted.

The Impossible Task: Organizing a Superstar Benefit in Five Weeks

What followed was a whirlwind of logistical chaos and diplomatic hurdles, compressed into an astonishing five weeks. Harrison became the driving force, the producer, the musical director, and the chief recruiter.

• The Lineup: Harrison leveraged his immense respect and friendships within the music world. Securing Bob Dylan, notoriously reclusive and not having performed live since 1969, was a coup of immense proportions. Harrison simply went to Dylan's house and asked. Eric Clapton, despite battling severe heroin addiction, agreed immediately out of loyalty to Harrison. Ringo Starr, Harrison's Beatles bandmate, signed on without hesitation. Billy Preston, the electrifying keyboardist who had played with the Beatles and on All Things Must Pass, brought gospel fervor. Leon Russell, the "Master of Space and Time," added his unique brand of swampy rock 'n' roll royalty. Badfinger, signed to the Beatles' Apple label, provided solid rock backing. And, of course, Ravi Shankar and his ensemble of Indian classical musicians – Alla Rakha (tabla), Kamala Chakravarty (tambura), and Ali Akbar Khan (sarod) – were the spiritual core.
• The Logistics: Organizing two shows (afternoon and evening) at Madison Square Garden, booking hotels, arranging visas for the Indian musicians (complicated by the tense political situation), dealing with unions, setting up sound and lights, and coordinating rehearsals was a monumental task. Promoter Bill Graham, known for his work at the Fillmore venues, was brought in to handle the Garden's complexities. Phil Spector was enlisted (with mixed results) to oversee the live recording.
• The Cause: Crucially, Harrison and Shankar insisted the event be non-political, focused purely on humanitarian relief. To ensure transparency and efficient distribution, they partnered with UNICEF, marking the first time a major rock event directly collaborated with a UN agency. Allen Klein (manager of Apple and the Beatles, a controversial figure) handled the business affairs through his company ABKCO.
• The Music: Rehearsals were intense and sometimes fraught. Clapton's condition was precarious. Dylan was famously nervous. Harrison acted as the glue, arranging songs, coaching the band (which featured stalwarts like bassist Klaus Voormann and drummer Jim Keltner alongside Starr and Preston), and ensuring Shankar's complex raga was understood and respected by the Western musicians.

August 1st, 1971: The Music Heard Around the World

The atmosphere at Madison Square Garden crackled with anticipation. Over 40,000 people filled the arena for the two shows. The air was thick with heat, concern, and the palpable sense that history was being made.

Act I: The Soul of India (Ravi Shankar and Ensemble)
The concert opened not with rock 'n' roll, but with the transcendent sounds of North Indian classical music. Shankar, Rakha, Khan, and Chakravarty took the stage. Shankar introduced the piece, "Bangla Dhun" (a traditional Bengali folk tune arranged by Shankar), explaining its significance and dedicating it to "the refugees and especially the little children." For seventeen mesmerizing minutes, the complex interplay of sitar, sarod, tabla, and tambura filled the Garden. It was a powerful, deliberate statement: this was about their culture, their suffering. The audience, largely unfamiliar with the form, listened with rapt attention, offering respectful applause that built to a thunderous standing ovation. It was a profound cultural bridge moment. Shankar later recalled both the beauty of the performance and his anxiety about how it would be received, only to be overwhelmed by the response: "I was so happy, I cried."

Act II: The Call to Action (George Harrison and Friends)
After a short break, Harrison and the band launched into the urgent, pleading chords of "Wah-Wah" from All Things Must Pass. Dressed in simple white, Harrison radiated a focused calm. The band, featuring Clapton and Russell on dueling guitars, Voormann on bass, Keltner and Starr sharing drum duties, Preston on keys, and the backing singers (Don Nix, Jo Green, Jeanie Green, Marlin Greene, Dolores Hall), was tight and powerful.

The setlist was a masterful blend of Harrison's solo work, Beatles classics reimagined, and carefully chosen covers:

1. Wah-Wah (Harrison) - A declaration of independence and energy.
2. My Sweet Lord (Harrison) - A universal hymn of devotion, transformed into a communal plea for peace and aid. The crowd sang along fervently.
3. Awaiting on You All (Harrison) - A driving rocker from All Things Must Pass, its spiritual message amplified by the context.
4. That's the Way God Planned It (Billy Preston) - Preston took center stage, delivering a show-stopping, soul-shaking performance that brought the house down. His raw energy and gospel fervor were electrifying.
5. It Don't Come Easy (Ringo Starr) - Ringo, always the beloved everyman, sang his recent hit, radiating warmth and charm.
6. Beware of Darkness (Harrison) - A poignant, cautionary ballad, its warnings taking on new resonance.
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Harrison) - Featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar. While Clapton's personal struggles were evident, his playing on this signature song was deeply emotional and powerful, a highlight of the show.
8. Jumpin' Jack Flash / Youngblood (Medley) (Leon Russell) - Russell, the wildcard, unleashed his swampy boogie-woogie piano and gritty vocals, injecting a dose of raw rock 'n' roll energy.
9. Here Comes the Sun (Harrison) - A moment of pure, gentle hope. Harrison's acoustic rendition was luminous.
10. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (Bob Dylan) - The anticipation reached fever pitch as Dylan, acoustic guitar in hand, harmonica around his neck, took the stage alone. Delivering his apocalyptic masterpiece with stark intensity, it felt like a prophecy echoing the Bangladesh crisis. The silence during his performance was profound.
11. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (Dylan) - A bluesy shuffle, offering slight respite.
12. Blowin' in the Wind (Dylan) - The anthem of a generation, its questions about peace and freedom achingly relevant.
13. Mr. Tambourine Man (Dylan) - A final, mesmerizing moment of poetic escape before Dylan departed.
14. Just Like a Woman (Dylan) - (Performed at the afternoon show only).
15. Something (Harrison) - Harrison reclaimed the stage with one of his most beautiful Beatles compositions, a love song transformed into a broader expression of compassion.
16. Bangla Desh (Harrison) - The song written specifically for the concert and the cause. Its direct lyrics ("My friend came to me, with sadness in his eyes / Told me that he wanted help before his country dies") and driving rhythm served as the event's powerful, unambiguous mission statement. "Relieve the people of Bangla Desh!" Harrison implored.

Encore: The entire ensemble returned for a joyous, uplifting rendition of "Bangla Desh" reprised, sending the audience out into the New York night charged with emotion and purpose.

Challenges and Chaos Behind the Scenes

The concert wasn't without its significant hitches:

• Sound Problems: The sound system, inadequate for the scale of the event and the complex blend of instruments, plagued both shows. Mixing Shankar's ensemble with rock bands was particularly challenging.
• Clapton's Struggles: Eric Clapton was in the throes of severe heroin addiction. He arrived late, missed rehearsals, and was visibly unwell. His performance, while emotionally resonant on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," was inconsistent. Famously, he played Harrison's borrowed guitar ("Lucy") because his own was stuck in customs.
• Dylan's Nerves: Dylan, returning to the stage after a long hiatus and facing enormous expectations, was extremely nervous. His minimalist performance was intense but reflected his anxiety.
• Spector's Recording: Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" approach, involving multiple tape machines and a complex setup, created technical headaches and later contributed to delays in releasing the album and film.
• Financial and Legal Tangles: The rushed nature meant contracts were loose. Allen Klein's involvement, while necessary for expediency, later led to protracted legal disputes over the funds and royalties that hampered the immediate flow of aid and the release of the concert materials for years.

Repercussions: Beyond the $250,000 Gate

The immediate box office take was around $250,000 – a substantial sum in 1971, but just a fraction of what was needed. The true impact lay in the concert's legacy:

1. Fundraising Powerhouse: While immediate aid was slowed by legal issues (Klein held funds in escrow amidst tax concerns and royalty disputes), the eventual release of the triple album The Concert for Bangladesh (1971) and the concert film (1972) generated millions more. By 1985, UNICEF reported receiving over $12 million (equivalent to roughly $50-$60 million today) from the project, providing vital food, medicine, and shelter for refugees and aiding in long-term recovery.
2. The Birth of the Mega-Benefit Concert: This was the prototype. It proved that major rock stars could unite for a cause, that audiences would respond en masse, and that music could generate significant humanitarian funds and global awareness on an unprecedented scale. It paved the way for Live Aid, Farm Aid, Amnesty International tours, and countless others.
3. Global Awareness: The concert catapulted the Bangladesh crisis onto the front pages of newspapers and into living rooms worldwide. It significantly influenced international opinion and pressured governments to act. It demonstrated the power of celebrity combined with a genuine cause to cut through political apathy.
4. Cultural Milestone: It showcased world music (Shankar's performance) to a massive Western audience in a context of deep respect. It captured a unique moment in rock history, featuring legends at pivotal points in their careers (Dylan's return, Harrison's post-Beatles emergence, Clapton pre-recovery). The album and film remain vital historical documents.
5. Harrison's Defining Moment: This was arguably George Harrison's finest hour. He stepped out of the Beatles' shadow completely, demonstrating remarkable leadership, musical vision, and humanitarian commitment. It solidified his stature as a major artist and a conscience of his generation.
6. The UNICEF Model: The partnership established a template for future collaborations between the entertainment industry and large humanitarian organizations.

Controversies and Complexities

The legacy isn't without shadows:

• The Long Wait for Funds: The legal battles between Harrison/Shankar and Klein/ABKCO over royalties and tax liabilities meant crucial aid was delayed for years. Harrison and Shankar felt deeply frustrated by this, feeling the money wasn't reaching the suffering quickly enough.
• Tax Issues: The complex nature of the event (two shows, film, album) created significant tax complications for the performers and organizers, another factor in the delayed disbursement.
• Artistic Compromise: The sound issues and rushed rehearsals meant some performances weren't technically perfect. Shankar, while grateful, later expressed some disappointment that the depth of Indian classical music couldn't be fully appreciated in the context.

Enduring Resonance: "Generosity Weaponized"

Despite the complexities, the Concert for Bangladesh stands as a monumental achievement. It was born not from calculation, but from genuine horror at human suffering and a profound belief that something could and must be done. George Harrison and Ravi Shankar harnessed the most potent force they possessed – their music and their friendships – and turned it into a lifeline for millions.

In an era before 24-hour news cycles and social media activism, they created a global moment of focused compassion. They proved that art isn't separate from the world's pain; it can be a direct response to it. They showed that superstars could leverage their fame for tangible good. The sound might have been imperfect, the logistics chaotic, and the money slow to arrive, but the intention was pure, the effort Herculean, and the impact undeniable.

The Concert for Bangladesh wasn't just about raising money; it was about raising consciousness. It declared that the suffering of people halfway across the globe mattered to the youth of America and the world. It translated anguish into action, melody into medicine, and star power into solidarity. It was, as one writer put it, "generosity weaponized."

Fifty-three years later, as humanitarian crises continue to unfold, the echoes of that sweltering day in Madison Square Garden remain potent. The images of Harrison's earnest pleas, Shankar's soulful sitar, Dylan's haunting return, Preston's electrifying joy, and the united stage of legends serving a cause greater than themselves, continue to inspire. It reminds us that music can be more than entertainment; it can be an act of urgent, collective humanity. The Concert for Bangladesh didn't just help save a nation; it forever changed the potential of the stage. It proved that sometimes, the most powerful sound in the world is the sound of people helping people, amplified by a guitar, a sitar, and a chorus of millions.

George Harrison - The Concert for Bangladesh

Feature film / concert directed by Phil Spector, which portrays the concert that George Harrison performed in 1971 with a group of friends as cool as he was (Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, among others).

George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, and all the artists involved demonstrated such profound courage, compassion, and organizational will to make it happen against daunting odds. It’s a story that deserves to be remembered and retold: a moment when music didn't just entertain, but genuinely tried to heal the world.

Browse in our Library the Rock, Pop and Popular Music (for all instruments)

The Concert for Bangladesh (the album)

The Concert for Bangladesh (originally spelt The Concert for Bangla Desh) is a live triple album credited to "George Harrison & Friends" and released on Apple Records in December 1971 in the United States and January 1972 in the United Kingdom. The album followed the two concerts of the same name, held on 1 August 1971 at New York's Madison Square Garden, featuring Harrison, Bob Dylan, Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and Eric Clapton. The shows were a pioneering charity event, in aid of the displaced Bengali refugees of the Bangladesh Liberation War, and set the model for future multi-artist rock benefits such as Live Aid (1985) and the Concert for New York City (2001). The event brought Harrison and Starr together on a concert stage for the first time since 1966, when the Beatles retired from live performance, and represented Dylan's first major concert appearance in the U.S. in five years.

On release, The Concert for Bangladesh was a major critical and commercial success. It topped albums charts in several countries and went on to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in March 1973. Together with the 1972 Apple concert film directed by Saul Swimmer, the album gained Indian classical music its largest Western audience up until that time. It was reissued in 2005, four years after Harrison's death, with revised artwork. As of 2011, sales of the album continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF, which raised $1.2 million for children in the Horn of Africa, in a campaign marking the album's 40th anniversary.