"Far East Man" is a song written by English rock musicians George Harrison and Ronnie Wood, each of whom released a recording of the song in 1974. Wood's version appeared on I've Got My Own Album to Do, his debut solo album, and Harrison's on Dark Horse. Their only official songwriting collaboration, "Far East Man" is an affirmation of friendship in the face of life's obstacles and musically reflects the two guitarists' adoption of the soul genre. Written mostly by Harrison, the composition has been interpreted as a restatement of the humanitarian message expressed in his 1971 single "Bangla Desh", and a tribute to Indian musician Ravi Shankar.
The song originated during a period of romantic intrigue surrounding Harrison's marriage to Pattie Boyd and Wood's to his wife Krissie, which culminated in Boyd leaving Harrison for his and Wood's mutual friend Eric Clapton. Wood recorded "Far East Man" in July 1974 at The Wick, his Surrey home that had also become an established meeting place for many leading rock musicians. Harrison sang and played slide guitar on this version, while other contributors included Wood's Faces bandmate Ian MacLagan, Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones, and drummer Andy Newmark. The Harrison recording took place at his Friar Park studio and features backing from Billy Preston, Tom Scott, Willie Weeks and Newmark, all of whom then played on his 1974 North American tour with Shankar. Opening with a spoken dedication to Frank Sinatra, the Dark Horse recording was marred by Harrison's damaged voice – a result of his rushing to complete the album's vocal parts in Los Angeles, while simultaneously rehearsing for the tour.
Several commentators have singled out "Far East Man" as a highlight of Harrison's 1974 album. While noting the two composers' troubled private lives during the song's creation, author Simon Leng describes it as "a wistful shrug of the shoulders set to music". In 2002, Wood released a concert DVD titled Far East Man, which included a live version of the track. Recorded in December 2001, two weeks after Harrison's death from cancer, this performance features Andrea Corr and Slash.
Background
According to author Robert Rodriguez, "Far East Man" resulted from the "informal musical round robin" that existed in England during the early 1970s among rock music's "elite". From 1972 onwards, guitarist Ronnie Wood's home in Richmond, Surrey – The Wick – was a regular location for these get-togethers, at which the participants included ex-Beatle George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Wood's Faces bandmates, and members of the Rolling Stones. Situated over a bend on the River Thames, The Wick was also where rehearsals took place for Clapton's comeback concerts at the Rainbow Theatre in January 1973. Harrison and his wife Pattie Boyd attended the Rainbow shows, on 13 January, and became friends with Wood and his wife, Krissie.
During this period, Harrison and Wood participated in Alvin Lee's recording of "So Sad", a Harrison composition reflecting the failure of his marriage to Boyd. In October 1973, the Woods stayed at Friar Park, Harrison's estate in Oxfordshire, where he and Wood recorded together. They also began writing "Far East Man", about which Harrison says in his 1980 autobiography, I, Me, Mine: "We stumbled on it and other things ..."
Beatles biographer Peter Doggett describes Friar Park as having become "a haven of adventurous intrigue" in 1973, with Harrison conducting an affair with Maureen Starkey, the wife of his former bandmate Ringo Starr, and Clapton urging Boyd to leave her husband for him. The romantic entanglements and party lifestyle were reflected in the content of Harrison's subsequent album, Dark Horse, which he likened to the television soap opera Peyton Place. During their stay at Friar Park, Wood began an affair with Boyd and the couple flew to the Bahamas, while Harrison and Krissie Wood holidayed together in Portugal. These details were kept from the press, but in late November 1973, Wood issued a statement from The Wick saying: "My romance with Patti Boyd is definitely on." Given these developments, Rodriguez notes the irony in "Far East Man" being "a rumination on letting a friend down".