George Harrison dethroned former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney from the top spot on the “Billboard” charts on this day in 1973.
“Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)” became George Harrison’s second No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 30, 1973. Harrison accomplished this by moving Paul McCartney’s ballad “My Love,” which was recorded with his band Wings, from the top of the chart to No. 2.
This was the only time in history that The Beatles’ two individual members held the top two spots on the Hot 100.
A week prior, McCartney and Wings’ most recent album, Red Rose Speedway, had fallen to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, to be replaced by Harrison’s solo album Living in the Material World.
Early in May 1973, “Give Me Love” was made available as a preview track from Living in the Material World. Three weeks or so later, the album was on the shelves.
The upbeat, slide guitar-driven song “Give Me Love” made a call for people to embrace harmony and peace. Jim Keltner on drums, Nicky Hopkins on piano, Klaus Voormann on bass, and Gary Wright on harmonium were all featured on the song.
Harrison wrote about “Give Me Love” in his 1980 memoir I, Me, Mine. “A prayer and personal statement between me, the Lord, and whoever likes it,” was how he put the song.
Meanwhile, Keltner discussed his response when he initially heard the song on the radio in a 2023 Uncut interview.
The drummer remembered, “It blew my mind.” George used to say that it was just a brief prayer. Even now, when I hear it, I still cry.
More Information About “Give Me Love” and Existing in the Material World in the Chart
The Billboard Hot 100 was topped by “Give Me Love” for a week. Billy Preston’s song “Will It Go Round in Circles,” which was also closely associated with The Beatles, took its place. Of course, Preston had contributed keyboards to several tracks on the last two Fab Four albums, Let It Be and Abbey Road.
Regarding Living in the Material World, it peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for five weeks. Harrison only released “Give Me Love” as a single off the album.
Other Harrison and McCartney Chart Achievements
When “My Sweet Lord” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in the last week of 1970, Harrison became the first Beatle to achieve that feat. In September 1971, McCartney achieved his first post-Beatles Hot 100 chart-topper when he and his wife Linda collaborated on the song “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey.”
Following The Beatles’ dissolution, McCartney and Harrison had their respective second No. 1 hits with “My Love” and “Give Me Love.”
Harrison only had one other solo single, “Got My Mind Set on You,” peak at No. 1 on the Hot 100. That song came in first place in 1988. Cancer claimed George’s life in November 2001. He was fifty-eight.
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