The business of meeting and exceeding needs
Between May 1967 and October 1968, The Beatles experienced a whirlwind of life-changing events that most of us can only fathom. During this period, they released the iconic concept album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," marking a radical departure from conventional music creation.
Amidst their astonishing success, tragedy struck as their long-time manager, friend, and mentor, Brian Epstein, died unexpectedly four months later. They received the news while attending a seminar with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in North Wales.
In February 1968, seeking solace, they embarked on a journey to Rishikesh, India, where they spent weeks in the Maharishi's meditation compound. It was in this isolated enclave, surrounded by other artists and ordinary people, that most of the songs for their next album took shape.
On May 30, they commenced a five-month-long recording session effort that culminated in the release of their even more iconic record: "The Beatles," better known as "The White Album." The only double album in the entire catalog, it showcased their most eclectic collection of songs.
Prior to the final recordings, George Harrison, the lead guitarist, faced difficulties in getting his bandmates to embrace his song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Harrison, though slowly revealing his extraordinary songwriting talent, found himself struggling. In the end, he would match the well-known stardom of the Lennon-McCartney partnership.
Frustrated with the lack of appreciation for his song, Harrison made an unusual decision—he invited his longtime friend and top artist in his own right, Eric Clapton—to play the lead guitar sections.
While not unprecedented, (Jimmy Nicol substituted drummer Ringo Starr during part of the 1964 World Tour, and Billy Preston left an indelible signature on the band’s last public appearance), no other musician had, in essence, played such a significant part in a published song (yet Clapton went uncredited in the record).
Clapton's initial reaction was disbelief: "I can't do that. Nobody ever plays on Beatles records." However, the rest of the band, deeply admiring Clapton, not only supported the decision but also played masterfully, resulting in one of their top 5 best songs ever, in my opinion.
The song's lyrics have been described as mystical, nuanced, and perfectly capturing the essence of a major cultural shift. Harrison's committed singing adds to its depth, but what truly mesmerizes me about this song is Clapton's guitar playing.
Titled "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," Clapton indeed makes his instrument—the 1957 Gibson Les Paul "Lucy," a gift from Clapton to Harrison—weep. During two deeply moving solos and the outro, Clapton's contribution during a single session made the song timeless. While I will always cherish the original, one of the versions played by the duo while touring Japan in 1991 is even more breathtaking.
This song evokes for me a multitude of feelings and thoughts, but one that is resonating these days is: Clapton truly nailed the "Client's Brief." Just as we wanted to hear a guitar weeping in a massively successful album from one of the greatest bands ever, Clapton delivered it flawlessly.
These past few weeks, I've been contemplating this idea extensively. At the age of 57, I was invited by a successful business leader, Paul Siegel, to join his leadership team at Starweaver, his flagship company.
Starweaver is a cutting-edge "Technology Enabled Educational Content Factory" that covers the entire value chain for specialized products across various industries and topics, including analytics, sourcing, production, management, and distribution of high quality content.
The invitation came after several enriching conversations that got into both professional and personal aspects, accompanied by a compelling story about Starweaver's foundation, growth, and positioning for unprecedented success.
As a leader, Paul is what I consider the perfect balance of hands-on and strategic, transparent, and honest, and exceedingly capable in both intellectual and creative endeavors. He's tireless at work, yet knows how to enjoy life, and has assembled a team of talented, motivated, and highly effective individuals who consistently amaze me with their performance.
The technology behind Starweaver facilitates opportunities to match client needs with subject matter experts worldwide, enabling the creation, production, and release of engaging and well-delivered courses.
One of the most exciting aspects of my new role is joining Paul in client meetings. With his decades of experience, he can intuitively grasp the "Client's Brief”, and, just like Eric Clapton skillfully playing the enduring chords on Lucy, we deliver the final product, often exceeding expectations.
To all my friends, colleagues, and current and future business partners, I warmly invite you to engage in conversations about how Starweaver can be an effective ally in promoting and elevating your organization's professional learning strategies.
Tell us what you need, and consider it done.