Background
Like "Woman Don't You Cry for Me" and "Sue Me, Sue You Blues", "I Dig Love" originated from George Harrison's initial experimentation with slide-guitar playing, in open E tuning. [1] His introduction to this technique occurred in December 1969, when he joined Eric Clapton as a guest on Delaney & Bonnie's European tour. [2] [3] In his autobiography, I Me Mine , Harrison recalls that Delaney Bramlett "handed me a bottleneck slide and asked me to play a line which Dave Mason had played on the ['Coming Home'] record", [4] since Mason had recently quit the tour. [5] [6]
With Harrison travelling without his wife, Pattie Boyd, the Delaney & Bonnie tour revealed an aspect of his persona that was at odds with his public image as the Beatle most preoccupied with Eastern religion and spirituality. [6] Despite Harrison's strong ties to the Hare Krishna movement, whose core principles espoused a life of abstinence, [7] Bramlett later recalled him "let[ting] his hair down" on the tour, [6] in a manner reminiscent of the Beatles' pre-fame years in Hamburg. [8] [nb 1]
With regard to the inclusion of "I Dig Love" on Harrison's first post-Beatles solo album, All Things Must Pass , author Simon Leng describes it as an "unusually libidinous detour", similar to the "brief sensory interlude" offered by the track "Let It Down". [11] Leng notes that the composition is one of the few that Harrison fails to either discuss in his autobiography or include in the two-volume Songs by George Harrison ; this repeated omission, Leng concludes, "perhaps suggests what its writer ultimately thought of [the song]". [12]
Composition
Musically, "I Dig Love" is built around a riff, played primarily on piano, that first descends before retracing the same notes back to its starting point. [13] In a contemporary review of All Things Must Pass, music journalist Alan Smith likened the sequence to "The Pink Panther Theme" by Henry Mancini. [14]
Leng writes that, with the repeated declaration of "I dig love every morning / I dig love every evening", Harrison's lyrics reflect the "loosening of social taboos about sex and sexuality", an issue that was at the forefront of the 1960s countercultural revolution. [12] While also viewing the lyrics as a marked departure from the predominantly spiritual themes found on All Things Must Pass, theologian Dale Allison describes "I Dig Love" as an endorsement of that era's free love movement. [15] Leng cites lines from the song's first verse [16] as being a mix of "Pseudo-Dylanesque wordplay" and "George's schoolboy jokes": [12]
Small love, big love, I don't care
Love's all good love to me
Left love, right love, anywhere love
There's a rare love – come on and get it, it's free.
Leng draws parallels between "I Dig Love" and the Beatles' more free-form compositions of the late 1960s. [12] Among these, Paul McCartney's "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" exemplifies what Ian MacDonald termed in the 1990s the "long-gone let-it-all-hang-out era". [17] In his book Working Class Mystic, Gary Tillery identifies "I Dig Love" as one of two All Things Must Pass tracks (the other being "Wah-Wah") that could have been sung by John Lennon, [18] whose style increasingly embraced provocative artistic statements following the start of his relationship with Yoko Ono in 1968. [19] Leng also compares "I Dig Love" with "Love the One You're With", a "hymn to hedonism" by Stephen Stills, with whom Harrison worked on Doris Troy's eponymous album for Apple Records, in 1969–70. [20]
Recording
The basic track for "I Dig Love" was recorded in London, either at Abbey Road Studios or Trident, between June and August 1970. [21] As on many of the sessions for All Things Must Pass, [22] the contributing musicians included members of Delaney & Bonnie's 1969 tour band, including Bobby Whitlock and Jim Gordon, [23] both of whom formed Derek and the Dominos with Clapton at this time. [24]
According to Leng and author Bruce Spizer, Whitlock provided the piano part on the recording, while the Wurlitzer electric piano and Hammond organ were played by Gary Wright and Billy Preston, respectively. [12] [25] In his autobiography, however, Whitlock states that, being a non-pianist at this stage of his career, he played organ on the track, while Preston supplied the piano part. [26] Accompanying Harrison on electric guitars (at least two of which were played using a slide) [27] were Clapton and Mason, while Ringo Starr contributed the drum fills that complement the main riff, alongside Gordon on a second drum kit. [12] [25] [nb 2] While Leng and Spizer credit Klaus Voormann for the bass guitar part, [12] [25] Whitlock lists Carl Radle, [27] his former Delaney & Bonnie bandmate and the fourth member of Derek and the Dominos. [29] In Whitlock's recollection, Mason joined the proceedings right at the end of the sessions for the album's basic tracks, making "I Dig Love" one of the final songs recorded. [30]
Described by Leng as "sassy", [12] Harrison's slide guitar solo was added during the album's principal overdubbing phase, which ended on 12 August. [31] Frequently absent from the All Things Must Pass sessions, [32] [33] his co-producer, Phil Spector, had recommended in a letter dated 19 August that a synthesizer be added onto the song's intro – a suggestion that Harrison apparently ignored, according to authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter. [34]
Release and reception
"I Dig Love" was released in November 1970 [35] as the opening track on side four of All Things Must Pass, in its original LP format. [36] Reviewing the album for the NME , Alan Smith described the song as a "simple and effective opener" [14] that would "stand the passage of time". [37] Author Robert Rodriguez includes the track among examples of how the musical diversity on All Things Must Pass surprised listeners, following Lennon and McCartney's dominance as songwriters in the Beatles. [38] Rodriguez writes: "That the 'Quiet Beatle' was capable of such range – from the joyful 'What Is Life' to the meditative 'Isn't It a Pity' to the steamrolling 'Art of Dying' to the playful 'I Dig Love' – was truly revelatory." [39]
In addition to receiving critical acclaim for the quality of its songs, [38] [40] the album was noted for introducing Harrison as a slide guitarist, [41] a role that contributed to his signature sound as a solo artist. [42] [43] After "My Sweet Lord", "Isn't It a Pity" and "What Is Life" – all of which were featured single tracks and enjoyed heavy airplay on US radio [44] – "I Dig Love" was among the album's most-played songs in America, along with "Wah-Wah", "All Things Must Pass" and "Awaiting on You All". [45]
Among Harrison and Beatles biographers, opinions on "I Dig Love" have been less favourable in the ensuing decades. Alan Clayson suggests that, given the abundance of quality music on Harrison's triple album, the track "could have been ditched without any hardship", together with the second of the two versions of "Isn't It a Pity". [46] Bruce Spizer finds the song "catchy and at times interesting" musically, with "some excellent guitar playing", but considers the words "trite" by Harrison's standards. [25]
Simon Leng bemoans the song's "hackneyed, falling-and-rising chromatic chord pattern" and lyrics that are "probably the weakest of Harrison's career", and suggests that the 1970 outtake "I Live for You" would have been a preferable inclusion. [47] Leng adds that Harrison's guitar solo and "particularly strong" vocal performance on "I Dig Love" "almost save the day", yet the song "lacks the expressive clout" of the rest of its parent album. [12] Ian Inglis similarly dismisses "I Dig Love", describing it as repetitive and lyrically simplistic. [13] While also comparing the composition with Stills' "Love the One You're With", he opines: "But whereas that song is a celebratory endorsement of 'free love,' Harrison's is a gloomy and unconvincing contribution." [48]
Elliot Huntley views the track as "a rather scantily clad four-chord throwaway" and "the closest thing to filler on the entire album". Recognising the need for "a little light relief", Huntley concludes: "'I Dig Love' can best be described as audacious songwriting, believing that everything will work out in the studio. And the song succeeds almost despite itself." [49]
Cover versions
Indian singer Asha Puthli recorded "I Dig Love", creating a version that Jon Pareles of The New York Times describes as "a wild, post-psychedelic artifact, complete with sound effects, soul horns and Ms. Puthli alternately breathy and giggling". [50] The recording appeared on her self-titled debut album, released in 1973. [51] Speaking to Pareles in 2006, Puthli explained that she had viewed Harrison's reading of "I Dig Love" as a "spiritual song", adding: "They did it like a bhajan, an Indian religious song. In 1973, when I did it, I felt I was already Indian, and the spirituality was inside me. I was trying to become Western, so I brought out the material aspect, the sexual aspect." [50] In 2005, Puthli's recording was sampled by British rapper Kano on his track "Reload It". [52]
The Black Crowes have regularly performed the song live, notably during their 2001 Brotherly Love tour with Oasis. [53] [54] In 2008, Suburban Skies recorded "I Dig Love" for their Harrison tribute album George. [55]
Derek and the Dominos were an English–American blues-rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by guitarist and singer Eric Clapton, keyboardist and singer Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon. All four members had previously played together in Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, during and after Clapton's brief tenure with Blind Faith. Dave Mason supplied additional lead guitar on early studio sessions and played at their first live gig. Another participant at their first session as a band was George Harrison, the recording for whose album All Things Must Pass marked the formation of Derek and the Dominos.
All Things Must Pass is the third studio album by English rock musician George Harrison. Released as a triple album in November 1970, it was Harrison's first solo work after the break-up of the Beatles in April that year. It includes the hit singles "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life", as well as songs such as "Isn't It a Pity" and the title track that had been overlooked for inclusion on releases by the Beatles. The album reflects the influence of Harrison's musical activities with artists such as Bob Dylan, the Band, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends and Billy Preston during 1968–70, and his growth as an artist beyond his supporting role to former bandmates John Lennon and Paul McCartney. All Things Must Pass introduced Harrison's signature slide guitar sound and the spiritual themes present throughout his subsequent solo work. The original vinyl release consisted of two LPs of songs and a third disc of informal jams titled Apple Jam. Several commentators interpret Barry Feinstein's album cover photo, showing Harrison surrounded by four garden gnomes, as a statement on his independence from the Beatles.
"My Sweet Lord" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released in November 1970 on his triple album All Things Must Pass. It was also released as a single, Harrison's first as a solo artist, and topped charts worldwide; it was the biggest-selling single of 1971 in the UK. In America and Britain, the song was the first number-one single by an ex-Beatle. Harrison originally gave the song to his fellow Apple Records artist Billy Preston to record; this version, which Harrison co-produced, appeared on Preston's Encouraging Words album in September 1970.
"All Things Must Pass" is a song by English musician George Harrison, issued in November 1970 as the title track to his triple album of the same name. Billy Preston released the song originally – as "All Things (Must) Pass" – on his Apple Records album Encouraging Words (1970), after the Beatles had rejected it for inclusion on their Let It Be album in January 1969. The composition reflects the influence of the Band's sound and communal music-making on Harrison, after he had spent time with the group in Woodstock, New York, in late 1968, while Timothy Leary's poem "All Things Pass", a psychedelic adaptation of the Tao Te Ching, provided inspiration for his song lyrics.
"What Is Life" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. In many countries, it was issued as the second single from the album, in February 1971, becoming a top-ten hit in the United States, Canada and elsewhere, and topping singles charts in Australia and Switzerland. In the United Kingdom, "What Is Life" appeared as the B-side to "My Sweet Lord", which was the best-selling single there of 1971. Harrison's backing musicians on the song include Eric Clapton and the entire Delaney & Bonnie and Friends band, with whom he had toured during the final months of the Beatles. Harrison co-produced the recording with Phil Spector, whose Wall of Sound production also employed a prominent string arrangement by John Barham and multiple acoustic rhythm guitars, played by Harrison's fellow Apple Records signings Badfinger.
"Beware of Darkness" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. It is the opening track on the second disc of the album. The lyrics warn against allowing illusion to get in the way of one's true purpose in life, an admonition that, like the content of "My Sweet Lord", reflects the influence of Harrison's association with the Radha Krishna Temple. Several critics recognise the song as one of the best tracks on All Things Must Pass.
"Who Can See It" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1973 album Living in the Material World. The lyrics reflect Harrison's uneasy feelings towards the Beatles' legacy, three years after the group's break-up, and serve as his statement of independence from expectations raised by the band's unprecedented popularity. Some music critics and biographers suggest that he wrote the song during a period of personal anguish, following the acclaim he had received as a solo artist with the 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass and his 1971–72 Bangladesh aid project. The revelatory nature of the lyrics has encouraged comparisons between Living in the Material World and John Lennon's primal therapy-inspired 1970 release, Plastic Ono Band.
"Isn't It a Pity" is a song by English musician George Harrison from his 1970 solo album All Things Must Pass. It appears in two variations there: one the well-known, seven-minute version; the other a reprise, titled "Isn't It a Pity ". Harrison wrote the song in 1966, but it was rejected for inclusion on releases by the Beatles. In many countries around the world, the song was also issued on a double A-side single with "My Sweet Lord". In America, Billboard magazine listed it with "My Sweet Lord" when the single topped the Hot 100 chart, while in Canada, "Isn't It a Pity" reached number 1 as the preferred side.
"Wah-Wah" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. Harrison wrote the song following his temporary departure from the Beatles in January 1969, during the troubled Get Back sessions that resulted in their Let It Be album and film. The lyrics reflect his frustration with the atmosphere in the group at that time – namely, Paul McCartney's over-assertiveness and criticism of his guitar playing, John Lennon's lack of engagement with the project and dismissal of Harrison as a songwriter, and Yoko Ono's constant involvement in the band's activities. Music critics and biographers recognise the song as Harrison's statement of personal and artistic freedom from the Beatles. Its creation contrasted sharply with his rewarding collaborations outside the group in the months before the Get Back project, particularly with Bob Dylan and the Band in upstate New York.
"I Live for You" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison originally recorded during the sessions for his All Things Must Pass triple album in 1970. Long available on bootlegs, the song was finally released officially as a bonus track on the 30th anniversary reissue of All Things Must Pass in January 2001. The released recording features only Harrison's lead vocal and Pete Drake's prominent pedal-steel guitar from the 1970 album sessions, with all other instruments overdubbed by Harrison and his son Dhani in 2000. Despite the wealth of unreleased material recorded for All Things Must Pass, it was the only new song included with the album's 2001 reissue. Music critics recognise "I Live for You" as one of many George Harrison compositions that can be interpreted as both a traditional love song and a devotional song.
"I'd Have You Anytime" is a song written by George Harrison and Bob Dylan, released in 1970 as the opening track of Harrison's first post-Beatles solo album, All Things Must Pass. The pair wrote the song at Dylan's home in Bearsville, near Woodstock in upstate New York, in November 1968. Its creation occurred during a period when Harrison had outgrown his role in the Beatles and Dylan had withdrawn from the pressures of fame to raise a family. "I'd Have You Anytime" is recognised as a statement of friendship between the two musicians, whose meetings from 1964 onwards resulted in changes in musical direction for both Dylan and the Beatles. The song reflects the environment in which it was written, as Harrison's verses urge the shy and elusive Dylan to let down his guard, and the Dylan-composed choruses respond with a message of welcome.
"Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp " is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. Harrison wrote the song as a tribute to Frank Crisp, a nineteenth-century lawyer and the original owner of Friar Park – the Victorian Gothic residence in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, that Harrison purchased in early 1970. Commentators have likened the song to a cinematic journey through the grand house and the grounds of the estate.
"Run of the Mill" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. Harrison wrote the song shortly after the Beatles' troubled Get Back sessions in early 1969, during a period when his growth as a songwriter had inadvertently contributed to the dysfunction within the Beatles' group dynamic. The lyrics reflect the toll that running their company Apple Corps had taken on relationships within the band, especially between Paul McCartney and the other three Beatles, as well as Harrison's dismay at John Lennon's emotional withdrawal from the band. Commentators recognise "Run of the Mill" as one of several Harrison compositions that provide an insight into events behind the Beatles' break-up, particularly the difficulties surrounding Apple.
"Awaiting on You All" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1970 triple album, All Things Must Pass. Along with the single "My Sweet Lord", it is among the more overtly religious compositions on All Things Must Pass, and the recording typifies co-producer Phil Spector's influence on the album, due to his liberal use of reverberation and other Wall of Sound production techniques. Harrison recorded the track in London backed by musicians such as Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Klaus Voormann, Jim Gordon and Jim Price – many of whom he had toured with, as Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, in December 1969, while still officially a member of the Beatles. Musically, the composition reflects Harrison's embracing of the gospel music genre, following his production of fellow Apple Records artists Billy Preston and Doris Troy.
"Let It Down" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. The recording was co-produced by Phil Spector and employs the latter's Wall of Sound production technique to lavish effect. Its brash opening and choruses contrast with the ethereal quality of the verses – a loud/soft approach that has been credited with influencing indie bands during the 1980s and 1990s.
"Art of Dying" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. Harrison began writing the song in 1966 while still a member of the Beatles and during a period when he had first become enamoured with Hindu-aligned spirituality. The subject matter is reincarnation and the need to avoid rebirth, by limiting actions and thoughts that lead to one's soul returning in another, earthbound life form.
"Hear Me Lord" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. It was the last track on side four of the original LP format and is generally viewed as the closing song on the album, disc three being the largely instrumental Apple Jam. Harrison wrote "Hear Me Lord" in January 1969 while still a member of the Beatles. The band rehearsed it briefly at Twickenham Film Studios that month, but it was passed over for inclusion on what became their final album, Let It Be.
"Māya Love" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1974 album Dark Horse. The song originated as a slide guitar tune, to which Harrison later added lyrics relating to the illusory nature of love – maya being a Sanskrit term for "illusion", or "that which is not". Harrison's biographers consider the lyrical theme to be reflective of his failed marriage to Pattie Boyd, who left him for his friend Eric Clapton shortly before the words were written. Harrison recorded the song at his home, Friar Park, on the eve of his North American tour with Ravi Shankar, which took place in November and December 1974. The recording features Harrison's slide guitar extensively and contributions from four musicians who formed the nucleus of his tour band: Billy Preston, Tom Scott, Willie Weeks and Andy Newmark. Reviewers note the track as an example of its parent album's more diverse musical genres, namely funk and rhythm and blues, compared with the more traditional rock orientation of Harrison's earlier solo work.
"Beautiful Girl" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1976 album Thirty Three & 1/3. Harrison began writing the song in 1969 and considered recording it for his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. In its finished, 1976 form, the lyrics of "Beautiful Girl" were inspired by Harrison's second wife, Olivia Arias.
"I'll Still Love You" is a song written by English rock musician George Harrison and first released in 1976 by his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr. Produced by Arif Mardin, the track appeared on Starr's debut album for Atlantic Records and Polydor, Ringo's Rotogravure. The composition had a long recording history before then, having been written in 1970 as "Whenever", after which it was copyrighted with the title "When Every Song Is Sung".
