The Beatles & Friends - The Concert For Bangladesh - 1973

As East Pakistan struggled to become the separate state of Bangladesh during the 1972 Bangladesh Liberation War, the political and military turmoil and associated atrocities led to a massive refugee problem, with at least 7 million displaced people pouring into India. East Pakistan had recently endured devastation as a result of the Bhola cyclone, and the Bengalis' desperate plight increased in March that year when torrential rains and floods arrived in the region, threatening a humanitarian disaster.

Appalled at the situation affecting his homeland and relatives, Bengali musician Ravi Shankar first brought the issue to the attention of his close friend George Harrison in the late months of 1972, over dinner at Friar Park. By then, the Sunday Times in London had just published an influential article by Pakistani journalist Anthony Mascarenhas, which exposed the full horror of the Bangladesh atrocities, and a distraught Shankar approached Harrison for help in trying to alleviate the suffering.

"I was in a very sad mood, having read all this news, and I said, "George, this is the situation, I know it doesn't concern you, I know you can't possibly identify." But while I talked to George he was very deeply moved ... and he said, "Yes, I think we'll be able to do something." - Ravi Shankar, 1973

Harrison later approached McCartney and explained to him what was going on in Bangladesh, who in turn spread the info on to Linda. Eventually, all five Beatles understood the weight of the situation, and at one point, the idea of setting up 'a charity show of sorts' came up. 'Where anyone and everyone who wants to perform, can perform. No ending, and no profits going towards us. Only Bangladesh'.

While recording their 1972 album, 'Raymond', Harrison and Laine set about making phone calls, securing the venue, and recruiting artists. By the time 'Raymond' was released, and 1973 began, the now-dubbed 'Beatles Blowout' was known far and wide. Rumors of The Beatles preparing 'some massive monster of a show' were everywhere. It wasn't until commercials on television from all five Beatles, and full-page advertisements in the papers began showing up, that people understood what this was:

It was a concert for Bangladesh.

Beginning on the first Wednesday of February, and anticipated to be drawn to a close a week later, The Beatles headlined a massive, star-studded festival at Hyde Park, for which admittance cost only £3. With a constant flow from one act to the next, each act would get a maximum of two hours on the stage before the next one, with this process repeating 24/7. Any band or artist could join the queue-line, which at one point stretched to over 150 musical groups and artists.

While initially planned to end after a week due to lack of artists, the festival was extended to over a month. It would have been stretched out further, but local governance voted to shut it down due to the residential ares surrounding the park being exposed to constant music for over a month.

With a total of 300+ artists having performed, and over 1,040,000 people having come and gone throughout the month to see the concert, over £3,000,000 was raised, with every last banknote going towards relieving Bangladesh.

"The money we raised was secondary. The main thing was, we spread the word and helped get the war ended ... What we did show was that musicians and people are more humane than politicians." - George Harrison, 1992

"I think it was really our crowning moment. Not just for The Beatles, but for the whole music scene. It showed a whole new side of artists, and how we don't just play because we love to. We play because we need to." - Paul McCartney, 1976

After he festival had ended, Apple set to work on an album stretching across 4 LPs, highlighting the biggest acts of the festival. The album, 'The Concert For Bangladesh', was released midway through 1973, quickly selling over 500,000 copies in the first week, with these proceeds (and all future proceeds), continuing to go towards Bangladesh and other war-torn countries.

"The Beatles, and all others who performed at the Concert For Bangladesh, have proven that they are not just musicians, but some of our strongest allies; a term which I am honored to use." - Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 1973