Regardless of the decade you happened to find him in, Tom Petty was never someone to take lightly. Even though he gave off the impression of being a kind soul when performing songs like “Free Fallin,” he was not above taking a fight with anyone who he felt was treating him unfairly. When it came time to honor George Harrison, Petty could have been taken out with a feather, but he wasn’t easily frightened.
However, any professional musician would have given their all to play at the Concert for George. Harrison composed some of the best Beatles songs ever. Despite his reserved stage manner, he was a powerful speaker whenever he spoke.
Considering how close Petty was to Harrison, it’s actually kind of strange that he was nervous. Petty seemed to regard Harrison as an older brother figure half the time when he was a Traveling Wilbury, paying him sporadic visits at Friar Park and penning the odd song like “Cheer Down.”
Petty told Paul Zollo, “I was scared to death at that show,” admitting that he was too terrified to move a muscle when it came time to put on the concert. I was quite anxious. There was a sizable lineup of people for something similar. We hadn’t rehearsed much and we wanted to be exceptionally good. We hadn’t performed those songs very often. And we were able to achieve our goal of shining brightly, and happily.
Of course, Petty may be vastly undervaluing himself in this instance. Although it’s not difficult to honor someone like Harrison with Beatles songs, his rendition of “I Need You” from Help! might even be superior to the original. Harrison’s cadence and Petty’s rustic drawl mesh surprisingly well. Mike Campbell’s stabs are quite tasteful, considering the original’s wah-wah delayed guitar.
The entire occasion felt more like a celebration of Harrison’s music than an attempt to play the piece flawlessly. Regardless of how they performed that evening, the spirit of celebration prevailed. The evening’s high point, aside from Petty’s songs, had to be Paul McCartney’s moving ukulele rendition of “Something.”
In the end, Petty’s audacious interpretation of Harrison’s songs couldn’t have come at a better moment. A short while later, Prince gave Harrison the guitar solo of a lifetime when he destroyed “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and he inducted Harrison into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Tom Petty had already experienced that emotional roller coaster. One would wonder if anyone else on that stage would want to perform music again after witnessing something like that. Saying goodbye to a friend was necessary to ensure that one incredible rock and roll song wouldn’t stand in the way of him continuing the tradition. He then proceeded to perform the song of a lifetime.
