On this day twelve years ago, George Harrison died at the age of 58. Here he is with Eric Clapton in Japan, performing a song he wrote that appeared on the UK version of Rubber Soul in 1965, “If I Needed Someone.”

Actually, this song of George’s was first recorded by the Hollies. Here’s their version:

Independent since 1969.

The Washington Monthly is nonprofit and reader-supported. Your tax-deductible gift pays for the reporting you just read.

Ed Kilgore, a contributing editor of the Washington Monthly, is a columnist for New York.