If you’re a fan of George Harrison you’ll be familiar with his 1977 hit ‘Crackerbox Palace’. If you’re a really big George Harrison fan you’ll know that the song was inspired by the comedian Lord Buckley. This oddball gentleman was an American stand-up comedian and recording artist, who created a character that was, according to The New York Times, "an unlikely persona ... part English royalty, part Dizzy Gillespie.". Lord Buckley really tickled George’s funny-bone, and although they never met, Harrison did meet his former manager, a Mr Grief, who appears in the song's lyrics.
But did you know that George slipped in a reference to another American comedian, Mel Brooks? Me neither until I saw ‘Blazing Saddles’. One of Harrison’s favourite films was Brooks' ‘The Producers’. A quote from the film is used on the inner gatefold sleeve for his album ‘Dark Horse’. It wouldn’t be the last time he quoted lines from a Mel Brook's film. In 1977 he slipped a very sly reference to Brooks' 1974 film 'Blazing Saddles' into ‘Crackerbox Palace’. I was always intrigued by the way George delivered the line “It’s true, it’s true”. He sings the line with a strange lispy accent. “It’s twoo, it’s twoo”. Why? Once you’ve seen ‘Blazing Saddles’ the answer is simple. George was mimicking Madeline Kahn who delivers the exact same line in the film, although in very difference circumstances.
As noted earlier, George loved to quote Mel Brooks. He continued until the very end of his life. The last song he recorded was ‘Horse To The Water’. In the ‘The Producers’ Zero Mostel says: “Some people sail through life, I’ve struck a reef”. George borrowed the line and changed it subtilty to “Some people sail through life, he has struck a reef”. Like the previous references it's subtle. Unless you're a big fan of Mel Brooks you'd miss it. Sadly, by the time George came to record ‘Horse To The Water’ he had struck a big reef, but by changing "I" to "he" he deflicts attention away from himself and makes the line more universal.
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