It was 48 years ago today, January 10 1969 to be precise, when George Harrison left the fraught Let it Be sessions never to return to the world’s biggest band.

In honor of that sad event, let’s take a look back at some of George’s best solos, collected here in glorious isolation.

What is Life

George came roaring out of the gate following The Beatles dissolution. Case in point, this All Things Must Pass classic, What is Life.

How Do You Sleep?

Lending his hand to Lennon’s poison pen letter to Paul, George is in fine form here with some chugging backing lines.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

George was a tasteful, functional acoustic player (putting it mildly), as shown here in the raw tracks from Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. (Lead guitars by John Lennon).

Hey Bulldog

George could get gnarly with the best of them, as the snarling guitar lines from Hey Bulldog attest.

George’s lost solo

Here’s the strange, brilliant alternate solo from the Harrison-penned classic, Here Comes the Sun.