Live in Japan is a live double album by the English musician George Harrison, released in July 1992. Credited to "George Harrison with Eric Clapton and Band", it was Harrison's second official live album release, after 1971's Grammy-winning The Concert for Bangladesh. The album was recorded during his Japanese tour backed by Eric Clapton in December 1991, and it contains live versions of Harrison's work as a solo artist alongside many of his best-known Beatles songs. Aside from the 2001 reissue of All Things Must Pass, with previously unavailable bonus tracks, Live in Japan was Harrison's last release before his death in November 2001.
History
In 1991, a year after releasing the second Traveling Wilburys album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3, Harrison was persuaded by close friend Eric Clapton to tour Japan with him. Although mindful of his troubled 1974 North American tour for Dark Horse, Harrison performed a series of well-received shows in December 1991, which also featured a short set of Clapton's songs. The experience proved to be an enjoyable one for Harrison, whose set list included a variety of his Beatles-era songs alongside selections from his solo career. It would end up being his final tour before his death, though he had more tours planned.
Release
A double album, Live in Japan was issued in July 1992, with production credited to "Spike and Nelson Wilbury", Harrison's two personæ on the Traveling Wilburys releases. The live album failed to chart in the United Kingdom and debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 126, its peak position in the United States. The album reached number 15 on Japan's Oricon chart.
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Billboard magazine described Live in Japan as "a skin-tinglin' romp, delicious and indispensable" in which "several renditions surpass the originals". The reviewer praised Clapton's playing and found Harrison's singing "splendidly nuanced throughout" before concluding: "A portable, utterly fab house party; just add plenty of room to dance."
- Greg Phillinganes – keyboards, backing vocals
- Steve Ferrone – drums
- Ray Cooper – percussion, drums
- Katie Kissoon – background vocals
- Tessa Niles – background vocals
Charts
{| class="wikitable"
!Chart (1992)
!Peak<br />position
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|Japanese Oricon Weekly Albums Chart
|align="center"|15
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|US Billboard 200
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