Out Of The Blue

The longest track on George Harrison’s third album All Things Must Pass, ‘Out Of The Blue’ was an improvised instrumental.

The track was recorded as ‘Jam 3’ on 2 July 1970 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road.

‘Out Of The Blue’ was based around a single-chord riff, and features an extended solo by saxophonist Bobby Keys. Both Keys and trumpeter Jim Price began working with The Rolling Stones around the time of the session.

Upon its release in 1970, ‘Out Of The Blue’ opened the third vinyl disc of All Things Must Pass, titled Apple Jam. For the album’s January 2001 reissue, Harrison resequenced the tracks so that the album closed with ‘Out Of The Blue’, as he had originally intended.

The reissue also carried personnel credits for the recording, including writer Al Aronowitz in an unspecified role. It also credited Eric Clapton, although Klaus Voormann later claimed he was the guitarist.

On that track they said Eric played the guitar, but it was me. He thought it was Eric, because I was playing a little thing like Eric.