Tuesday 18 June 1968 | London Airport (Heathrow), London, England
On 18 June 1968, George Harrison, Pattie Harrison, Ringo Starr, Maureen Starkey, and road manager Mal Evans returned to England from California. A brief silent news clip of the party arriving at London Airport exists and circulates on bootleg collections β it shows Harrison wearing a hat and holding a sitar, walking with the others down the steps from their aeroplane.
The California Trip
The party had flown to California on 7 June 1968. The primary purpose of the visit was for Harrison to make a guest appearance in Ravi Shankar's documentary film Raga. The scene was filmed on 10 and 11 June at Big Sur, on the rugged California coast south of Monterey. During their stay, the group was based in Monterey.
The trip lasted eleven days β a relatively brief visit by the standards of the era, but one that combined professional purpose with the kind of informal, unhurried time in California that Harrison in particular found congenial. The late 1960s California scene β centred on San Francisco, the Haight-Ashbury, and the wider counterculture β was a natural environment for Harrison, whose interests in Indian music, meditation, and Eastern philosophy aligned closely with the spiritual currents running through the West Coast at the time.
Raga: The Film
Raga was a documentary about Ravi Shankar β the sitar maestro who had become one of the most significant figures in Harrison's life since the two had met in 1966. Shankar had taught Harrison the sitar, introduced him to Indian classical music, and profoundly influenced the direction of his songwriting and spiritual development. The relationship was one of the most consequential musical friendships of the 1960s.
The film was made under a series of working titles before its final release. It was originally known as East Meets West, then as Messenger Out Of The East, before the eventual title Raga was settled upon. It was released in 1971 and remains one of the most important documents of Shankar's work and his relationship with Western audiences in the late 1960s.
Harrison's appearance in the film β filmed at Big Sur on 10 and 11 June 1968 β was a natural extension of his public championing of Shankar and Indian classical music. He had introduced Shankar to Western rock audiences through his use of the sitar on Beatles recordings from Norwegian Wood (1965) onwards, and his endorsement had been instrumental in the extraordinary surge of Western interest in Indian music during the mid-to-late 1960s.
Mal Evans
Mal Evans was The Beatles' road manager and personal assistant β a gentle giant of a man who had been with the group since 1963 and was one of the most trusted figures in their inner circle. His presence on the California trip was entirely typical: Evans accompanied the Beatles and their partners on personal as well as professional trips throughout the 1960s, and his diaries and recollections are among the most valuable first-hand accounts of the group's later years.
Back in London: 18 June 1968
The return to London on 18 June placed Harrison and Starr back in the city on Paul McCartney's 26th birthday β though McCartney spent the day at the Apple offices on Wigmore Street, lunching with Apple Scruffs fans, while Harrison and Starr headed to the Old Vic that evening for the premiΓ¨re of the stage adaptation of John Lennon's In His Own Write.
It was a day that neatly illustrated the increasingly separate trajectories of the four Beatles in 1968: McCartney at Apple, Lennon at the Old Vic with Yoko Ono, Harrison and Starr arriving from California. The White Album sessions were underway at Abbey Road, but the group was already operating, in many respects, as four individuals rather than one band.
Key Facts: 18 June 1968
| Date of return | Tuesday 18 June 1968 |
| Returning party | George Harrison, Pattie Harrison, Ringo Starr, Maureen Starkey, Mal Evans |
| Departed for California | 7 June 1968 |
| Purpose of visit | Harrison's guest appearance in Ravi Shankar's documentary Raga |
| Filming dates | 10β11 June 1968, Big Sur, California |
| Base during visit | Monterey, California |
| Film working titles | East Meets West; Messenger Out Of The East; final title: Raga |
| Film release | 1971 |
| Arrival footage | Silent news clip; Harrison in hat, holding sitar, descending aircraft steps |
Big Sur, California β the location where George Harrison filmed his guest appearance in Ravi Shankar's documentary Raga on 10 and 11 June 1968. The party was based in nearby Monterey during their California visit.
The Beatles: 1968
The year of the White Album, Apple Corps, and four Beatles going their own ways. Officially licensed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did George Harrison go to California in June 1968?
George Harrison travelled to California on 7 June 1968 to make a guest appearance in Ravi Shankar's documentary film Raga. The scene was filmed at Big Sur on 10 and 11 June 1968. The party was based in Monterey during their visit and returned to England on 18 June.
What is the film Raga?
Raga is a documentary about Ravi Shankar, released in 1971. It was made under the working titles East Meets West and Messenger Out Of The East before the final title was settled upon. George Harrison appears in the film, filmed at Big Sur in June 1968.
Who was Mal Evans?
Mal Evans was The Beatles' road manager and personal assistant from 1963. He was one of the most trusted figures in the group's inner circle and accompanied them on personal and professional trips throughout the 1960s. He was part of the California party in June 1968.
What was the relationship between George Harrison and Ravi Shankar?
Ravi Shankar taught George Harrison the sitar and introduced him to Indian classical music from 1966 onwards. The relationship profoundly influenced Harrison's songwriting and spiritual development, and Harrison's championing of Shankar was instrumental in the surge of Western interest in Indian music in the late 1960s.
β 18 June in Beatles History
β June in Beatles History
β George Harrison: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
β Ringo Starr: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
β Paul McCartney: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
β John Lennon: Beatles History, Solo Career, Songs & Legacy
β The Beatles Knowledge Hub
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