When We Was Fab

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“When We Was Fab”
Single by George Harrison from the album Cloud Nine
B-side	"Zig Zag", "That's The Way It Goes (remix)", "When We Was Fab (reverse end)"
Released	January 25, 1988
Format	7", 12", CD
Genre	Rock
Length	3:59
Label	Dark Horse Records
Writer(s)	Jeff Lynne, George Harrison
Producer	Jeff Lynne, George Harrison
George Harrison singles chronology
"Got My Mind Set on You" (October 1987) "When We Was Fab" (January 1988) "This Is Love" (June 1988)
Picture disc
12" (W8131TP)
Cloud Nine track listing
"This Is Love" (5) "When We Was Fab" (6) "Devil's Radio" (7)

"When We Was Fab" is a song written by George Harrison and Jeff Lynne about the days of Beatlemania, when The Beatles were sometimes referred to as the "Fab Four". The song appears as the sixth track on Harrison's 1987 album Cloud Nine and was later released as the second single from that album in January 1988. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at #25 in the UK Singles Chart, and in the United States, the song peaked at #23 in Billboard magazine's Hot 100 singles chart.

The music video that accompanied the song (directed by Godley and Creme) also referenced the other three former Beatles. Ringo Starr appears prominently first as Harrison's assistant and then as the drummer. A man dressed up in a Walrus costume playing a left-handed bass guitar refers to Paul McCartney (who was asked to appear as well but was not available.^[1]) John Lennon, who died in 1980, is represented by some passer-by carrying his Imagine album.

Also making guest appearances in the video are Gary Wright, Elton John, Derek Taylor, Jeff Lynne, Ray Cooper and Neil Aspinall.

The single cover incorporates Klaus Voormann's 1966 line drawing of Harrison, which was used in the album art for The Beatles' album Revolver (the letters ER from the title are visible), along with a similar, updated drawing of Harrison 22 years later.

The song was covered by Wendy Ip in 2002 on "He Was Fab: a loving tribute to George Harrison" album.

[edit] Track listings

• 7" W8131

1. "When We Was Fab" - 3:59
2. "Zig Zag" - 2:45
   • An instrumental track originally appearing on the 1986 soundtrack for the film Shanghai Surprise.

• 12" W8131T, 12" picture disc W8131TP, 3" CD W8131CD

1. "When We Was Fab" (unextended version)
2. "Zig Zag" - 2:45
3. "That's The Way It Goes" (remix)
   • The original version appears on Harrison's 1982 album Gone Troppo.
4. "When We Was Fab" (reverse end)

[edit] External links

• George Harrison - When We Was Fab at Graham Calkin's Beatles Pages.

v • d • e George Harrison Studio albums All Things Must Pass · Living in the Material World · Dark Horse · Extra Texture (Read All About It) · Thirty Three & 1/ॐ · George Harrison · Somewhere in England · Gone Troppo · Cloud Nine · Brainwashed With Traveling Wilburys Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 · Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 Live albums The Concert for Bangla Desh · Live in Japan Compilations The Best of George Harrison · Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989 Soundtracks Wonderwall Music · Concert for George Experimental albums Electronic Sound Box sets The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992 Related articles Discography · The Beatles · Concert for George · Harrisongs · Dark Horse Records · Pattie Boyd · Olivia Trinidad Arias · Dhani Harrison · thenewno2 · Friar Park · Traveling Wilburys · George songs in Beatles

[edit] References