Recorded between May and October 1970, George Harrison’s “What Is Life” turned the second single to be launched from All Things Must Pass. It entered the US Hot 100 on February 27, 1971, and went on to change into George’s second Top 10 hit in America.
In the UK, “What Is Life” was issued because the B-side of “My Sweet Lord.” As a single, it topped the Swiss charts, and did rather well within the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, and Norway. The tune was written rapidly by George, and he thought initially that Billy Preston would document it for his solo album.
George had began work on All Things Must Pass, however they have been operating out of tracks on the well-known studio, as a result of it solely had a four-track machine, so he went to Trident at St. Anne’s Court in London’s Soho the place that they had an 8-track recorder. According to engineer Ken Scott, “Working with George was always a joy. When he did backing vocals, it was all George. It was tedious, but it was so much fun. We would double it and bounce those down, and double some more and bounce those, getting the mix as we went along.”
It’s a tune that went via a number of completely different phases till George was pleased with it. An early combine had extra devices that didn’t fairly match what George needed. According to George, “It had parts for piccolo trumpet and oboe that weren’t used originally because I didn’t like the feel. It sounds a bit of a novelty now.”
The monitor options lots of those that graced the All Things Must Pass classes, together with all of Derek And The Dominos – Clapton, Whitlock, Radle, and Gordon, together with Pete Ham, Tom Evans, and Joey Molland of Badfinger. Additional instrumentation comes from Jim Price on trumpet and Bobby Keys on saxophone, who have been within the throes of changing into The Rolling Stones‘ horn section, playing on Sticky Fingers and as part of the band’s touring social gathering.
In America, the one got here in an image sleeve that reveals George taking part in guitar whereas standing in a window of his house, Friar Park. The photograph was taken by Barry Feinstein, whose Camouflage Productions accomplice, Tom Wilkes, needed it to be a part of an elaborate poster meant as an insert within the album package deal, however that design was rejected by George in favor of an easier photograph of him, which turned the ultimate poster. In 1972, Olivia Newton-John recorded “What Is Life,” and it reached the UK prime 20 in March 1972, peaking at No.16.
George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass will be purchased right here.