CHAT REVEALED SONGS BACKLOG

In one of George Harrison's last interviews, he revealed he had 35 songs planned for a new album release in late 2001.

Unfortunately, his cancer made it impossible for him to finish recording the songs before his death.

There was speculation in Los Angeles yesterday that Capitol Records might release an album posthumously. There was no comment from the company.

Harrison went online to chat with his fans in February.

One fan asked him about his plans for a new album.

"Yeah, I hope to put out a new studio album... possibly in November... and I have at the moment many songs in various states of completeness."

"Possibly 35 songs that I have been working on over the years."

But Harrison said his first priority was a re-issue of All Things Must Pass on its 30th anniversary, which came out in March this year.

"I'm in the process of remastering my entire catalogue, which I want to get back into the stores," he said.

He said all the other boxes of unreleased demos could possibly follow in 18 months.

"I'm trying to get everything that has ever been done out there. It'll just take a little time."

Time was not on his side, however.

Harrison told fans that he still owned his 1961 Fender Strat guitar, known as Rocky, and his advice to a young Australian woman, 18-year-old Natalie, was to start her budding guitar career on a ukulele.

The 58-year-old "quiet one" of the Fab Four also discussed the most frequently asked question from fans: Would there be a Beatles' reunion tour?

There had been speculation after the success of the singles compilation this year that the three remaining members would be joined by John Lennon's son, Julian.

"Stranger things have happened," was Harrison's online reaction.

Harrison said his favourite version of his solo hit single "My Sweet Lord" was the newest version he had recorded - "because it's new" - and he liked UK soul singer Sam Brown doing her cover version. "At the time, the song was so popular and also so controversial that the most important thing about it for me was that it, in its small way, conjured up a touch of spirituality... something we are very short of," Harrison said of his decision to re-record the song.

Harrison said it was "cool" that he had so many teenage fans in the 21st century.

He was also enjoying the success of the Beatles' latest release, 1.

"It's very nice. It's also nice that young children seem to be hearing it for the first time and I think as an alternative form of music for today it has its place alongside all this other stuff."

Pushed further on today's music, a fan asked him his opinion of rapper Eminem.

"What's Eminem? Aren't they chocolates or something?"

He said Traveling Wilbury mate Bob Dylan deserved to win all the Grammys, not Eminem.

Harrison said he missed John Lennon, his fellow Beatle shot to death by a deranged fan, but declined to elaborate.

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