Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector
Engineers: Phil McDonald, John Leckie
Tuesday 2 June 1970 was the fifth recording session for George Harrison’s third solo album All Things Must Pass.
Three songs were worked on during this session: ‘Isn’t It A Pity’ and ‘I Dig Love’.
A single take of ‘Isn’t It A Pity’ had been recorded on 29 May.
The recording featured keyboardist Gary Wright of Spooky Tooth, who left a session at Olympic Studios after getting a call from Klaus Voormann inviting him to attend.
The group had been rehearsing ‘Isn’t It A Pity’ when I arrived. George took his acoustic guitar and began showing me the chord changes, which I nervously wrote out on a chord chart.
The recording took some time to get right, and Harrison voiced his dissatisfaction during take 14, singing “It’s it so shitty? Isn’t it a pain? How we do so many takes. Now we’re doing it again”.
Nineteen takes of ‘Isn’t It A Pity’ were taped on this day, the last of which became version one of the song on All Things Must Pass. Version two was recorded the following day.
Attentions then turned to ‘I Dig Love’. Thirty-one takes were recorded, ten of which were complete. Take 20 was chosen as the best, and appears on the album.