Recorded between Could and October 1970, George Harrison’s “What Is Life” turned the second single to be launched from All Issues Should Go. It entered the US Scorching 100 on February 27, 1971, and went on to change into George’s second High 10 hit in America.
Within the UK, “What Is Life” was issued because the B-side of “My Candy Lord.” As a single, it topped the Swiss charts, and did very well within the Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, and Norway. The tune was written shortly by George, and he thought initially that Billy Preston would document it for his solo album.
George had began work on All Issues Should Go, however they have been working 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 docket in London’s Soho the place they’d an 8-track recorder. In response to engineer Ken Scott, “Working with George was all the time a pleasure. When he did backing vocals, it was all George. It was tedious, nevertheless it was a lot enjoyable. We might double it and bounce these down, and double some extra and bounce these, getting the combination as we went alongside.”
It’s a tune that went via a number of totally different phases till George was pleased with it. An early combine had further devices that didn’t fairly match what George needed. In response to George, “It had elements for piccolo trumpet and oboe that weren’t used initially as a result of I didn’t like the texture. It sounds a little bit of a novelty now.”
The observe options a lot of those that graced the All Issues Should Go periods, together with all of Derek And The Dominos – Clapton, Whitlock, Radle, and Gordon, together with Pete Ham, Tom Evans, and Joey Molland of Badfinger. Further instrumentation comes from Jim Value on trumpet and Bobby Keys on saxophone, who have been within the throes of changing into The Rolling Stones‘ horn part, taking part in on Sticky Fingers and as a part of the band’s touring social gathering.
In America, the only got here in an image sleeve that reveals George taking part in guitar whereas standing in a window of his residence, 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 supposed 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 high 20 in March 1972, peaking at No.16.
George Harrison’s All Issues Should Go might be purchased right here.