Recording: I Live For You by George Harrison

Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector
Engineers: Phil McDonald, John Leckie

Tuesday 9 June 1970 was the ninth recording session for George Harrison’s third solo album All Things Must Pass.

Joining the musicians on this day was pedal steel guitarist Pete Drake.

George was making an album and I sent my car for this steel guitarist and producer Pete Drake, from Nashville. So Pete Came and he noticed in my car I had all these country tapes. I don’t know why he was shocked at this but he goes, ‘Wow, you’ve got all these country tapes!’ ‘Yeah. I love country music.’ He said, ‘Well, why don’t you come to Nashville and we’ll make a record?’ Furthest thing from my mind. And I said, ‘Oh no, I’m not going to Nashville for months to make a record.’ With The Beatles I was so used to months and months making a record. He said, ‘What are you talking about? We did [Bob Dylan’s] Nashville Skyline in a day,’ or whatever. Couple of hours! ‘Oh, OK.’ So I flew to Nashville because of him and we did Beaucoups Of Blues. And we actually did it in two days. Far out. We picked and learned five songs in the morning and we recorded five songs at night, and had a lot of fun in between. But these were all starters, I felt for getting me back on my feet.

Nothing from this session made it onto All Things Must Pass. The focus was on ‘I Live For You’, although after take 3 the musicians jammed a version of ‘Wedding Bells (Are Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine)’. Another bluesy jam followed take 10.

Sixteen takes of ‘I Live For You’ were recorded, but the results were considered dissatisfactory and the song was returned to during the following day’s session.