In its 13 February 1975 issue, "Rolling Stone" magazine derided George Harrison's North American tour with Ravi Shankar over November–December 1974, and the accompanying "Dark Horse" album, as "disastrous". Previously viewed as "the surprise winner of the ex-Beatle sweepstakes", in the words of author Nicholas Schaffner – the dark horse – Harrison had disappointed many fans of his former group by failing to acknowledge the Beatles' legacy, both in the content of his 1974 shows and in his dealings with the media. In addition, his commitment to launching his Dark Horse record label had left Harrison rushing to finish the album while rehearsing for the concerts; as a result, he contracted laryngitis and sang hoarse on much of the recordings and throughout the tour. While "Dark Horse" sold well initially in America, it failed to place at all on Britain's top 50 albums chart.