Written by: Harrison
Recorded: 26 May; 2 June 1970
Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector
Engineers: Phil McDonald, John Leckie, Ken Scott
Released: 30 November 1970 (UK), 27 November 1970 (US)
Available on:
All Things Must Pass
Personnel
George Harrison: vocals, guitar
Eric Clapton, Dave Mason: guitar
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Bobby Whitlock: organ
Gary Wright: electric piano
Billy Preston: piano
Ringo Starr, Jim Gordon: drums
‘I Dig Love’ was the opening song on side four of All Things Must Pass, George Harrison’s third solo album.
Although All Things Must Pass is better known for its spiritual songs, Harrison had his libidinous moments. ‘I Dig Love’ is a paean to free love and other earthly pleasures, philosophies he didn’t always share with those closest to him.
And there were other women. That really hurt. In India George had become fascinated by the god Krishna, who was always surrounded by young maidens, and came back wanting to be some kind of Krishna figure, a spiritual being with lots of concubines. He actually said so. And no woman was out of bounds…It might have been different if I had been a stronger, more confident person: I might have guessed that, with his infidelity, he was just being a boy and would get over it, that it didn’t mean he didn’t love me, but my ego was too fragile and I couldn’t see it as anything other than betrayal. I felt unloved and miserable.
Wonderful Today
The lyrics are among Harrison’s simplest, relying primarily on repetition and wordplay of the title. The bridge also contains an echo of The Beatles’ ‘The End’: “Make love, take love, but you should give love”.
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
‘I Dig Love’ was never performed live by Harrison or included in a compilation; nor was it mentioned in his autobiography I Me Mine, or Genesis Publications’ two-volume Songs By George Harrison.
In the studio
George Harrison recorded a demo of ‘I Dig Love’ at Abbey Road on 26 May 1970, with Klaus Voormann on bass guitar and Ringo Starr on drums. It was the ninth song performed on the first day of the album sessions.
The master version was taped on 2 June. Thirty-one takes were recorded, ten of which were complete. Take 20 was chosen as the best, and appears on the album.
