| "Circles" | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:George_Harrison_US_single_face_label,_Circles,_1983.jpg) Face label for song's appearance as B-side of 1983 US single | |
| Song by George Harrison | |
| from the album Gone Troppo | |
| Released | 5 November 1982 |
| Genre | Hindustani blues |
| Length | 3:46 |
| Label | Dark Horse |
| Songwriter(s) | George Harrison |
| Producer(s) | George Harrison, Ray Cooper, Phil McDonald |
| Gone Troppo track listing | |
10 tracks
| |
"Circles" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison, released as the final track of his 1982 album Gone Troppo. Harrison wrote the song in India in 1968 while he and the Beatles were studying Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The theme of the lyrics is reincarnation. The composition reflects the cyclical aspect of human existence as, according to Hindu doctrine, the soul continues to pass from one life to the next. Although the Beatles never formally recorded it, "Circles" was among the demos the group made at Harrison's Esher home, Kinfauns, in May 1968, while considering material for their double album The Beatles.
Harrison revisited "Circles" during the sessions for his 1979 album George Harrison before he finally recorded it for Gone Troppo. Over this period, Harrison had softened the spiritual message in his work and had also begun to forgo the music business for a career as a film producer with his company HandMade Films. The song was produced by Harrison, Ray Cooper and former Beatles engineer Phil McDonald, with recording taking place at Harrison's Friar Park studio between May and August 1982. The track features extensive use of keyboards and synthesizer, with Billy Preston, Jon Lord and Mike Moran among the contributing musicians.
A slow, meditative song, "Circles" has received a varied response from reviewers. While some find it overly gloomy, others recognise the track as a highlight of a generally overlooked album. In the United States, it was issued as the B-side of the album's second single, "I Really Love You", in February 1983. As the closing track on Gone Troppo, "Circles" was the last song heard on a new Harrison album until 1987, when he returned with Cloud Nine. In November 2018, the Esher demo of "Circles" was officially released on the 50th anniversary edition of The Beatles.