“Ring out the old, ring in the new!”
The George Harrison song, “Ding Dong, Ding Dong,” was included on his fifth studio album, 1974’s Dark Horse (and was also on 2014’s Apple Years collection). It’s always worked as a way to herald the beginning of a new year.
Joining Harrison on the song are classic rock stars Alvin Lee, Jim Keltner, Ron Wood, Mick Jones, Gary Wright and Ringo Starr, plus saxophonist Tom Scott and Beatles pal Klaus Voormann. “Ding Dong, Ding Dong” was actually released as a George Harrison single in December 1974 and was a modest hit, reaching the Top 40 of the U.K. (#38) and U.S. (#36) singles charts.
This ad for the single appeared in the Dec. 28, 1974 issue of Record World
On December 13, 1974, Harrison visited the White House for a meeting with President Gerald Ford.
Weeks earlier, on Nov. 2, Harrison had begun his first solo tour, joined by Ravi Shankar, the Indian sitar player (and father of Norah Jones) who Harrison had signed to his Dark Horse label. Harrison suffered bouts of laryngitis that prompted some to refer to the tour as “Dark Hoarse.”
Related: Our look back at Harrison’s Dark Horse tour
Best Classic Bands wishes all of our readers a Happy New Year via this Classic Video. “Ring out the old, ring in the new!”
A much-improved and updated version was released November 2016.
Harrison’s catalog, including 2024’s expanded editions of Living in the Material World, is available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationOn the list of former Beatle Christmas tunes, I give “Ding Dong” fourth place. Sounds like too much of a throwaway.
#1 Wonderful Christmastime
#2 Happy Christmas (downer, but a classic)
#3 Come On Christmas (rocks!)