"Ride Rajbun" is a song by English musician

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

. It was released in 1992 on the multi-artist charity album ''The Bunbury Tails'', which was the soundtrack to the British

animated television series An animated series is a set of Animation, animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can ...

of the same name. Harrison co-wrote the song's lyrics with ''Bunbury Tails'' creator David English. The eponymous Rajbun was a character in the series based on English's friend and cricketer

Rajendrasinh Jadeja Rajendrasinh Jadeja, also spelt as Rajendra Raisinh Jadeja aka Rajendra Jadeja (29 November 1955 – 16 May 2021), was an Indian cricketer, coach and former BCCI official referee. He played first-class cricket representing Saurashtra, West Z ...

, one of a team of

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

-playing rabbits – in this case, from Bangalore in India. The composition is in the style of a

nursery rhyme A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and many other countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. From t ...

children's song A children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that children invent and share among themselves or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home or education. Although children's songs have been recorded and studied ...

, while the all-Indian instrumentation on the recording recalls some of Harrison's compositions for

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

during 1966–68. Harrison recorded "Ride Rajbun" in March 1988, between the release of his successful comeback album, ''

Cloud Nine Cloud Nine, cloud 9 or cloud nine is a name colloquially given to the state of euphoria, and may refer to: Books and comics * Cloud 9 (comics), a Marvel Comics superhero that debuted in ''Avengers: The Initiative'' * ''Cloud Nine'' (novel), a 19 ...

'', and his formation of

the Traveling Wilburys The Traveling Wilburys were a British-American supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. Originating from an idea discussed by Harrison and Lynne during the sessions for Harrison's 1987 album '' ...

. Harrison's nine-year-old son Dhani and English accompanied him on the recording, as fellow vocalists, and Indian musician and composer

Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar (; born Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, sometimes spelled as Rabindra Shankar Chowdhury; 7 April 1920 – 11 December 2012) was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known export of North Ind ...

provided the opening

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...

part. The song appeared in the ''Bunbury Tails'' episode "Rajbun Story", and on the soundtrack album alongside contributions from

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

the Bee Gees ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

and

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

. Issued briefly in only the UK, "Ride Rajbun" remains one of Harrison's rarest releases.

Background

Having previously been averse to most

team sports A team sport includes any sport where individuals are organized into opposing teams which compete to win or cooperate to entertain their audience. Team members act together towards a shared objective. This can be done in a number of ways s ...

,Clayson, p. 364.

came to appreciate

while recording his 1987 comeback album, ''

'', with fellow musicians

Jeff Lynne Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder of the rock music, rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970. As a songwriter, h ...

and

, both fans of the game. Author Ian Inglis suggests that Harrison's involvement in ''The Bunbury Tails'' – a children's

animated TV series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have either ...

about a group of heroic, sports-playing rabbitsHarry, p. 43. – partly resulted from his friendship with

, another cricket fan and an occasional player for the Bunbury Cricket Club. The latter was a charity-fundraising team founded in 1986 by writer and former

RSO Records RSO Records was a record label formed by rock and roll and musical theatre impresario Robert Stigwood and record executive Al Coury in 1973. The letters "RSO" stood for the Robert Stigwood Organisation. RSO managed the careers of several maj ...

executive David English, whose ''Bunbury Tails''

cartoon book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are oft ...

s inspired the TV show. According to English, he suggested to Harrison that he contribute a song to the series while they were playing cricket in the grounds of

Friar Park Friar Park is a Victorian neo-Gothic mansion in Henley-on-Thames, England, built in 1889. It was originally owned by eccentric lawyer Sir Frank Crisp and purchased in January 1970 by English rock musician and former Beatle George Harrison. ...

, Harrison's home in

Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, west of Maidenhead, southeast of Oxford and west of London (by road), near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buc ...

, Oxfordshire. English says he likened the "Bunburys" to Harrison's idea for a semi-fictional band,

, which Harrison would soon form with Lynne,

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the lat ...

and

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...

. Financed by

,Madinger & Easter, p. 474. production on ''The Bunburys Tails'' began in early 1988, although it would not air on British television until 1992. The series was directed by

Bob Godfrey Roland Frederick Godfrey MBE (27 May 1921 – 21 February 2013),the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' 1968 animated film '' Yellow Submarine''. Harrison's participation followed his work on various film soundtracks, particularly for releases by his company

HandMade Films HandMade Films was a British film production and distribution company. Notable films from the studio include ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'', ''Time Bandits'', ''The Long Good Friday'' and ''Withnail and I''. History Foundation HandMade Fil ...

, during the five years preceding his return with ''Cloud Nine''. The Bee Gees, Clapton and John were among the other artists who contributed to the ''Bunbury Tails'' soundtrack.Clayson, p. 424. Harrison wrote the song "Ride Rajbun" about one of the show's characters, Rajbun,Huntley, p. 244. a rabbit who originated from the Indian city of

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

. In English's recollection, the night after he had made the request, Harrison called him at home in London and played the tune down the phone. The pair met the next day and co-wrote the song's lyrics.

Composition

Musically, "Ride Rajbun" is in the style of what author

Alan Clayson Alan Clayson (born 3 May 1951, Dover, Kent) is an English singer-songwriter, author and music journalist. He gained popularity in the late 1970s as leader of the band Clayson and the Argonauts. In addition to contributing to publications such as ' ...

calls "George's Indo-pop productions" for the Beatles, "

Love You To "Love You To" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1966 album '' Revolver''. The song was written and sung by George Harrison and features Indian instrumentation such as sitar and tabla. Following Harrison's introduction ...

" and " The Inner Light", released in 1966 and 1968 respectively. The lyrics take the form of a traditional

, author Simon Leng writes, with its refrain sung in rounds, similar to "London's Burning". In a chorus that Inglis terms " nursery-rhyme-like", Harrison urges Rajbun to cycle away from his home in India and embrace his destiny: Inglis draws parallels between Rajbun's journey of discovery and that of nursery-rhyme or folk-tale characters

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

Dick Whittington Richard Whittington (c. 1354–1423) of the parish of St Michael Paternoster Royal, City of London, was an English merchant and a politician of the late medieval period. He is also the real-life inspiration for the English folk tale ''Dick ...

and

Dorothy Gale Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of its ...

, in that he "has a 'quest' that awaits him". On this journey, Harrison sings of Rajbun's adversaries, one of which warns him: "You may think that you have heard the last of Katman / … I'll be watching you 'round ev'ry bend you'll take …" Inglis writes that Rajbun must face his quest "without 'fears' or 'tears'" and cites the verse-one lines "Bunbury stands for freedom / Being young and having fun" as evidence of the song's "overwhelmingly positive" message.

Recording

Harrison recorded "Ride Rajbun" in late March 1988,Madinger & Easter, p. 475. at his Friar Park studio, FPSHOT, and at an unnamed studio in London.Leng, p. 272. The song was his first to feature only Indian instrumentation since "The Inner Light",Leng, p. 273.Inglis, p. 106. recorded in Bombay in January 1968. The

introduction to "Ride Rabjan" – or

alap The Alap (; ) is the opening section of a typical North Indian classical performance. It is a form of melodic improvisation that introduces and develops a raga. In dhrupad singing the alap is unmetered, improvised (within the raga) and unaccompani ...

, in the

Indian classical Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as '' Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were not ...

tradition – was performed by

. According to English, Harrison visited Shankar at the London hotel where the sitarist was staying and taped Shankar's intro in his hotel room. Harrison otherwise played all the sitar parts on the song. As with Harrison's appearance on "Friar Park", a track on Shankar's album '' Tana Mana'' (1987), "Ride Rajbun" marked a rare collaboration between the two musicians in the years since their joint North American tour at the end of 1974. Harrison sung the choruses with his son Dhani, and English (in the role of Katman) provided what Leng calls a " cameo vocal" part. According to author

Bill Harry William Harry (born 17 September 1938) is the creator of '' Mersey Beat'', a newspaper of the early 1960s which focused on the Liverpool music scene. Harry had previously started various magazines and newspapers, such as ''Biped'' and ''Premier ...

Ray Cooper Raymond Cooper (born 19 September 1947) is an English musician who has worked as a session and road-tour percussionist. During his career, Cooper has worked and toured with numerous musically diverse bands and artists including Elton John (as ...

played percussion on the track; in English's description, all the other contributors were "top Indian musicians", none of whom are credited by name. Besides sitar, the Indian instruments on the recording include

tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల� ...

shehnai The ''shehnai'' is a musical instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end.bansuri A bansuri is an ancient side blown flute originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is an aerophone produced from bamboo and metal like material used in Hindustani classical music. It is referred to as ''nadi'' and ''tunava'' in the ''Ri ...

(flute). From writing the song to the finished recording,Harry, p. 44. work on "Ride Rajbun" lasted for four days. Harrison then left for Los Angeles, a trip that resulted in the formation of the Traveling Wilburys.

Release and reception

"Ride Rajbun" appeared in the ''Bunbury Tails'' episode "Rajbun Story".Badman, p. 406. After the show's broadcast in 1992, on Britain's

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

network,

Polydor Records Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

included the song on its soundtrack album from the series.Madinger & Easter, p. 638. The UK-only album was released on 5 October that year, on the same day that Harrison joined guitarist

Gary Moore Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 19526 February 2011) was a Northern Irish musician. Over the course of his career he played in various groups and performed a range of music including blues, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and jazz ...

on stage at London's

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

.Badman, p. 487. While Harrison made a number of concert appearances throughout 1992, this period marked the end of his successful return to full-time music-making, after ''Cloud Nine'' and two albums with the Traveling Wilburys. Although he would continue to record privately as a solo artist, "Ride Rajbun" was the last new Harrison song to be commercially released until "

Horse to the Water "Horse to the Water" is a song written by George Harrison and his son Dhani. It was originally performed by Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, featuring Harrison, on the album ''Small World, Big Band'' Recorded on 2 October 2001, the son ...

" in 2001. Proceeds from the ''Bunbury Tails'' album went to the Bunbury Cricket Club for dispersal to charity. The "Rajbun Story" episode was included on the

home video Home video is prerecorded media sold or rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD, Blu-ray and streaming me ...

of the series, although a narrator's voice renders Harrison's song almost inaudible.Huntley, p. 245.Allison, p. 153. With the album and video only available in the UK for a short time, "Ride Rajbun" has become one of Harrison's rarest recordings. The song has since appeared on

bootleg Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...

compilations such as ''Artifacts III''. Among Harrison's biographers, Elliot Huntley views "Ride Rajbun" as "another truly great 'lost' Harrison gem" alongside tracks released privately on the two ''Songs by George Harrison'' discs, in 1988 and 1992.Huntley, pp. 244, 245. Huntley laments the unavailability of "Ride Rajbun", since "the song is excellent, with a delightful melody, earnest vocals, and some great sitar work by Ravi Shankar". Simon Leng similarly admires Shankar's "characteristically precious" alap; Leng writes that while the song "will never be regarded as a Harrison classic", it is significant within the artist's work as the first "purely Indian piece issued under his name since 'The Inner Light'". Ian Inglis notes the precedents set in the 1960s by Beatle songs such as " Yellow Submarine" and "

Cry Baby Cry "Cry Baby Cry" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album ''The Beatles'' (also known as the "White Album"). It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The coda of the song ...

", which had reflected the band's "fascination with the conventions of the children's nursery rhyme", and comments on ''The Bunbury Tails'' "eccentric combination" of rabbits and cricket.

Personnel

– vocals,

s, backing vocals *

Dhani Harrison Dhani Harrison (; born 1 August 1978) is an English musician, composer and singer-songwriter. He is the only child of George and Olivia Harrison. Dhani debuted as a professional musician assisting in recording his father's final album, '' Brainw ...

– vocals *

– sitar intro * David English – vocals *''uncredited musicians'' –

– percussion

Notes

References

Sources

* Dale C. Allison Jr., ''The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; ). * Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; ). * Eric Clapton, ''Clapton: The Autobiography'', Broadway Books (New York, NY, 2007; ). * Alan Clayson, ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; ). * The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; ). * Bill Harry, ''The George Harrison Encyclopedia'', Virgin Books (London, 2003; ). * Elliot J. Huntley, ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles'', Guernica Editions (Toronto, ON, 2006; ). * Ian Inglis, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; ). * Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; ). * Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; ). * Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; ). * Ravi Shankar, ''Raga Mala: The Autobiography of Ravi Shankar'', Welcome Rain (New York, NY, 1999; ). * Gary Tillery, ''Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison'', Quest Books (Wheaton, IL, 2011; ). {{George Harrison 1992 songs George Harrison songs Songs written by George Harrison Song recordings produced by George Harrison Songs about rabbits and hares