What does it take to be a die hard Beatles fan?

@stuartk I mean he was very involved with the development

@grislybutter 

Sorry to be so dense but my aging brain is not following you. I don't see how Harrison could've been involved in the creation/design of the Encinitas Center because that was built in 1937. Do you mean the smaller SRF Encinitas temple that was built much later? 

@stuartk 

I mean the garden and I mean he went there a lot and supported it financially. Whether he had any input into the garden ($, design, etc.) I don't know. I just imagine in a whatever vague, spiritual sense he did. I go there a lot but it doesn't mean I know a lot about it so feel free to correct or ignore me.

@stuartk: I became an instant fan of Clapton upon hearing Eric Clapton & The Powerhouse on the 1966 Elektra Records album entitled What’s Shakin’, the first time I had seen his name (I and those I knew didn’t yet know Clapton is heard on about half the songs on The Yardbirds For Your Love album, which we all loved. Neither his name nor picture appear on that album). What’s Shakin’ is a various artists compilation album featuring The Lovin’ Spoonful (front cover of the LP) and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (back cover), Clapton & The Powerhouse contributing three songs, including a 2:32 length studio recording of "Crossroads" (I prefer this version to the live Cream one).

I then followed Clapton into John Mayall’s band, Clapton’s guitar playing on Mayall’s debut stunning me. Before I knew it, Clapton had formed Cream, of whom I was a huge fan. I loved the first and second Cream albums, seeing them live on their first two U.S. tours. But as I have chronicled a few times (apparently to the chagrin of rpeluso ;-), that all changed in the Summer of ’69. Unbeknownst to me, the same happened to Clapton. His from hearing Music From Big Pink, which was way over my head in 1968. But by Summer ’69 I got it, and my musical taste underwent a radical change. I wasn’t much of a fan of Psychedelic music, which is why I found amusing how Atlantic Records President Ahmet Ertegun characterized Cream’s Disraeli Gear album when it was submitted to him: Psychedelic horsesh*t. ;-)

You can hear the change in Clapton’s playing in "Badge" (good song), the last Cream song I bothered listening to. Clapton disbanded Cream, and went off in his new direction, which was to my ears more musical. Up to that point a Blues purist, he opened up to other influences, including what can be called Country Blues. The Band didn’t fulfill Clapton’s ambition to be a member of that ensemble, but Delaney & Bonnie gave him a job as a sideman.

Clapton derailed his career a few times (post-Derek & The Dominos), but has kept at his craft his entire (so far) life. George Harrison for the most part didn’t. After being in The Beatles, that is completely understandable.

If this post strikes one as being done to make myself appear any certain way, oh well.

In the words of Lt. Gerard in the opening moments of the 1960's TV show "The Fugitive," when it comes to my opinion of Blues Breakers/Cream era Clapton all I can say is "I don't philosophize, I hunt."