Like most of my peers, I was a fan of the Beatles. They were raw and exciting and, unlike other groups of the time, had a captivating take on American rock'n'roll. They were ordinary working class guys while simultaneously being the first rock superstars (along with Elvis Presly and Bob Dylan).
The group was always more powerful than the individuals. A leading reason behind their success was that their personalities and talents complemented each other.
John Lennon was the proletarian poet with a cutting sense of humour, who also had one of the great pop voices. Paul McCartney was sweet and charming and could compose instantly attractive melodies. Ringo Starr was older and had the kind of sad-sack face that women of all ages wanted to mother. And George Harrison was the quiet one, the baby and the dark horse.
Over 30 years, the public has seemingly never tired of the group. Rising acts such as Travis and Coldplay are still mining the Beatles' musical heritage. It's interesting, then, to remember that their recording career lasted just seven years.
Harrison was my favourite Beatle - possibly because he looked shy, or perhaps it was because he was the youngest in the group and I was the youngest in my family.
His leather suit, flaming cowboy boots and towering quiff also had something to do with his appeal for me. I am thinking here of a wonderful photograph in Harrison's autobiography that shows him, Lennon and McCartney standing on the roof of the Top Ten club in Germany in 1961. George's face has a look made up of innocence and raw ambition.
In the beginning, Lennon and McCartney's prodigious output of songs left little room for Harrison's contributions. Instead, he toiled away, perfecting his Carl Perkins and Chet Atkins inspired guitar licks. Harrison became a genuinly distinctive guitar picker; you could always pick him when a song on which he played came on the radio.
Harrison was an adventurous musician, always on a quest to improve his knowledge and skills. As the Beatles disintegrated, he worked with such diverse talents as Eric Clapton, Badfinger and Delaney and Bonnie. He also produced albums for Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar and Jackie Lomax.
The fact that Harrison was a millionaire rock star while adopting the beliefs of Vedanta, the main branch of Hinduism, could have made him appear a figure of ridicule, but it didn't, simply because he seemed genuine in his exploration. He maintained his interest in Eastern philosophy for life.
It wasn't until The Beatles (a.k.a the White Album) and Abbey Road that Harrison really staked his claim as a songwriter. Ironically, it was at a time when the tensions within the group were coming to a head.
Stand out Harrison compsositions from this period included "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Here Comes The Sun" and "Something".
Frank Sinatra called "Something" the greatest love song of the past 50 years.
"Something" was Harrison's first A-side single for the Beatles. Fans presumed the song was wirtten for Harrison's wife, Patti, but in his autobiography, Harrison claims he wrote the song with Ray Charles in mind. His prefered version was by James Brown, which confirms for me Harrison's good taste.
By 1970, the Beatles had split and Harrison began work on All Things Must pass. The triple record set included many songs stockpiled over the years. Phil Spector produced the record and brought with him his famous symphonic sound.
Harrison's pent up creativity unleashed a batch of fine songs: "Beware Of Darkness", "What Is Life?", "My Sweet Lord" and two songs Harrison co-wrote with Bob Dylan, "If Not For You" and "I'd Have You Any Time".
I recall an apt quote from Harrison about his songwriting: "I have never really thought about myself as someone who writes songs as a craft. Mainly, the object has been to get something out of my system."
About six years ago, I was recording my album Falling Swinger with Steve Kilbey, of the Church, in Sydney. Kilbey announced that the greatest rock album of all time was All Things Must Pass.
I think I probably rolled my eyes and groaned, but that night at a friend's house I dragged it out and played it over and over. It is without doubt the most satisfying collection by any solo Beatle and has stood up well to the passing of time. In fact, I borrowed a lyric for my album title.
After All Things Must Pass, music was in some ways an anti-climax for Harrison, although that was probably just what he wanted. He organised the concert for Bangladesh and the associated triple album set. This was also a massive seller although there were difficulties about getting the money to the people for whom it was intended.
Over the next decade Harrison released a number of albums on his own Dark Horse label. Although most had one ot two good tunes, they were generally forgettable, apart from 1987's Cloud Nine, which was underatted.
Harrison started his own film production company, Handmade Films, to help his friends in the Monty Python comedy team finish Life Of Brian. Handmade Films made a number of successful movies. In 1988, Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne released an album under the name the Traveling Wilburys. It was a success.
A single, "Handle With Care", was released featuring a warm vocal duet with Harrison and Roy Orbison.
Harrison's life was now centred round his two hobbies: gardening and motor racing. Of all the Beatles, it was Harrison who appeared to have the healthiest perspective of what had happened to them and what it meant.
In the early 1990s, Eric Clapton accompanied a reluctant Harrison on a tour of Japan. After that, Harrison gave up recording and live appearances, focusing instead on Beatles repackages and remastering All Things Must Pass for release this year.
The thing is, Harrison was always a skilled, attentive guitarist, along with being a thoughtful lyricist. His guitar parts and vocal shadings helped create the secret 'x' factor that made the Beatles' songs so enduring.