Recorded: May-October 1970
Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector
Engineers: Ken Scott, Phil McDonald
Released: 30 November 1970 (UK), 27 November 1970 (US)
George Harrison: vocals, guitar, slide guitar, harmonica
Eric Clapton: backing vocals, guitar
Dave Mason: guitar
Pete Drake: pedal steel guitar
Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland: acoustic rhythm guitar
Billy Preston: piano, keyboards, organ
Gary Wright: piano, electric piano, keyboards, organ
Gary Brooker, Tony Ashton: piano
Bobby Whitlock: backing vocals, piano, organ
Klaus Voormann: guitar, bass guitar
Carl Radle: bass guitar
Jim Price: trumpet
Bobby Keys: saxophone
Ringo Starr: drums, tambourine
Alan White, Jim Gordon, Ginger Baker: drums
Phil Collins: percussion
Mike Gibbins: tambourine
Mal Evans: vocals
Eddie Klein: vocals
Uncredited: xylophone, harmonium
Tracklisting:
I'd Have You Anytime
My Sweet Lord
Wah-Wah
Isn't It A Pity
What Is Life
If Not For You
Behind That Locked Door
Let It Down
Run Of The Mill
Beware Of Darkness
Apple Scruffs
The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
Awaiting On You All
All Things Must Pass
I Dig Love
The Art Of Dying
Isn't It A Pity (Version 2)
Hear Me Lord
Out Of The Blue
It's Johnny's Birthday
Plug Me In
I Remember Jeep
Thanks For The Pepperoni
This is a holding page. Full article coming soon.
On 17 August 1970 Phil Spector wrote a letter to Harrison in which he outlined his thoughts on the first mix of the All Things Must Pass album. He gave specific suggestions on 14 songs, and an overview of how he envisaged the final release sounding.
August 19, 1970
NOTES FOR GEORGE HARRISONFrom: Phil Spector
Re: George Harrison LP
Dear George:
I have listed each tune and some opinions on each for you to use, as I will not be in London for some time. In general, I feel the remixing of the album requires a great deal of work or at least a few hours on each number. I feel it would be best if we saved all remixing until I return as a great deal of the mixes should be done with a fresh approach. Though the following looks like a book, it is just because there are so many songs and opinions.
1. AWAITING ON YOU ALL:
The mixes I heard had the voice too buried, in my opinion. I'm sure we could do better. The performance probably will be okay, unless you really think you can do it better. However, as I said above, I think a lot of it is in the final mix when we do it.
2. IF NOT FOR YOU:
The mix I heard also had the voice too buried. Performance was fine. It also should be remixed when the entire album is remixed.
3. I'LL HAVE YOU ANYTIME:
Same comments as "IF NOT FOR YOU"
4. ALL THINGS MUST PASS:
I'm not sure if the performance is good or not. Even on that first mix you did which had the "original" voice, I'm sure is not the best you can do. But, perhaps you should concentrate on getting a good performance. I still prefer the horns out on the intro but that is a remix decision which should be done at that time. Also the voices in the bridge (Eric and Bobby) sound flat, and should be very low in the final mix. This particular song is so good that any honest performance by you will be acceptable as far as I'm concerned but if you wish to concentrate on doing another then you should do that.
5. BEWARE OF DARKNESS:
The eight track I heard after it was bumped had the electric guitar you played bumped on with the rhythm guitars. I personally feel you can make a better bump with a bit more rhythm guitars. The electric guitar seems to drown them out. Perhaps you should do another bump with more rhythm guitars, or seriously consider taking this one to Trident Studios using the original eight track and avoiding bumping, as each track we used is important and vital to a good final mix.
6. ISN'T IT A PITY (NO. 1):
Still needs full string and horns. Naturally, performance is still needed by you. I think you should just concentrate on singing it and getting that out of the way.
7. ISN'T IT A PITY (NO. 2):
Still needs full or some type of orchestration. Performance seemed okay, but needs to be listened to at the end.
9. LET IT DOWN:
This side needs an excellent and very subtle remix which I am positive can be gotten and it will become one of the great highlights of the album. Believe me. In listening I find it needs an answer vocal from you on "Let It Down" parts. I'm not sure about this next point, but maybe a better performance with better pronunciation of words should be tried at Trident without erasing the original which did have much warmth to it. Perhaps you could try this at Trident. The vocal group (Eric and Bobby) on the "Let it Down" parts sounded okay. The "Moonlight Bay" horn parts should be out the first time and very, very low the second time they play that riff, I think. Perhaps at the end, near the fade, a wailing sax (old rock and roll style) played by Bobby Keys would possibly add some highlight to the ending and make it totally different from the rest of the song. It's hard to explain, but some kind of a screaming saxophone mixed in with all that madness at the end might be an idea. Anyhow it's something to think about. Even though everything is not exactly as we had hoped (horns, etc.) I think it will be great when it is finished. Everything on those eight tracks now is important and vital to the final product. I know the right mix and sounds even on the horns can be obtained in remix. The only other thing the horns could have done is what they play originally on the "Let it Down" parts, only more forcefully. However, I still think it's all there and there's nothing to worry about on that number.
10. MY SWEET LORD:
This still needs backing vocals and also an opening lead vocal where you didn't come in on the original session. The rest of the vocal should be checked out but a lot of the original lead vocal is good. Also an acoustic guitar, perhaps playing some frills should be overdubbed or a solo put in. Don't rush to erase the original vocal on this one as it might be quite good, since background voices will have to be done at Trident Studios, any lead vocals perhaps should be done there as well.
11. WAH WAH:
This still needs some bridge, and perhaps a Bobby Keyes solo. Also needs lead vocal and background voices.
13. WHAT IS LIFE:
The band track is fine. This needs a good performance by you and proper background voice. It should be done at Trident Studios if further tracks are necessary.
15. HEAR ME LORD:
Still needs horns or other orchestration. The vocal should be checked out to see if it is okay in performance and level.
16. APPLE SCRUFFS:
This mix seems to be okay as is.
18. BEHIND THAT LOCKED DOOR:
Maybe the vocal performance can be better. I'm not sure. Also, the mix may be able to be better as well. The voice seems a little down.
George, on all the 18 numbers I just mentioned, this is what I feel are the most important items on each. Naturally, wherever possible, of main importance is to get a good vocal performance by yourself. Also, if you do any of the background voices, you should spend considerable time on them to make sure they are good. In practically every case, I would recommend that you use Trident Studios for overdubbing voices, lead or otherwise, so as not to bump tracks or go eight-to eight, and also to be able to do as much an possible before reducing everything back to the original eight track. This would probably be an easier way to do it and would also insure the best type of protection for our original eight tracks when it comes to remixing, as most of those tracks are presently very good and I'd rather avoid going eight-to-eight and further bumping. Also, in many cases one erases a performance before comparing it to the new performance, which would not have to happen on a sixteen track.
I'm sure the album will be able to be remixed excellently. I also feel that therein lies much of the album because many of the tracks are really quite good and will reproduce on record very well. Therefore, I think you should spend whatever time you are going to on performances so that they are the very best you can do and that will make the remixing of the album that much easier. I really feel that your voice has got to be heard throughout the album so that the greatness of the songs can really come through. We can't cover you up too much (and there really is no need to) although as I said, I'm sure excellent mixes can be obtained with just the proper amount of time spent on each one. When the recording of the album is finished, I think we can get into it better on a remix level if we just devote time to it and thereby we will make a much better album since we will be concentrating on one thing at a time.
George, thank you for all your understanding about what we discussed, I appreciate your concern very much and hope to see you as soon as it is possible.
Much love. Regards to everyone. Hare Krishna,
Phil Spector
PS/sjh
The Apple Jam recordings
Those jams happened all the time. You know, we were very relaxed: there was no pressure and we had time to jam as we warmed up, or after we did a track. It was never organised – somebody would just start playing something, we'd all join in and started jamming around. In the end, George had a whole tape of this stuff – he knew from all the past sessions that so many things were just forgotten, so this time he thought he'd just keep the machine on.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Simon Leng
#AllThingsMustPass "Contains 2 8-Track Cartridges. Equivalent to the THREE RECORD SET. 8XWB-639." #ATMP #8track pic.twitter.com/OihKW7pYXF
— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) July 18, 2017
One of the best beatles solo albums but I think it’s overproduced. A stripped down version would be nice, but I think that’s hard to do, because the songs were meant to have the spector stuff (unlike let it be, that’s why let it be… Naked exists). The only way to get a stripped down version is to buy the new early takes, vol. 1 I think but I don’t really like demos
I agree. Wah Wah for example is a great hard song and would sound fantastic with just a electric rhythm guitar, lead wah guitar, a bass and some drums, but there’s so much unnecessary instrumentation on the album.
also I believe Harrison said he regretted how much echo was in the album and I agree. it sounds like it was recorded in a tunnel. fantastic album either way
Does a complete sessionography of the All Things Must Pass recording sessions exist? I mean a detailed list of recording dates and musician participants? I am looking to see how the album was recorded over the months from May to October 1970.
Can anyone definitively answer the question as to whether a de-Spectorized version of this album is even possible? Was the echo added during the recording phase and thus permanently burned-in to the master multi-track tape? or was it added during post-production mix-down? The above notes from Spector seem to indicate that George was acting as producer for the recording sessions and producing preliminary mixes, with Spector acting merely as an adviser. This seems to correlate with George’s claims that he essentially produced the recording sessions because Spector was too drunk to attend the sessions. Since Spector produced the final mixes – which George initially hated – and given that the Beatles were not accustomed to recording music in the Spector “wall of sound” style with echo chamber, this would seem to indicate that the echo was added in post production mix-down.
Can anyone actually confirm this theory please?
Didn’t they release a ‘reverb’ minimal version of the album around 2000 ?
Yes there is a de-spectorized version of this album (all things must pass) . I believe it was released around 2001. The new cut of this album is much cleaner and is truer to George as an artist. Harrison on reflection couldn’t believe he released the Spector version of the album – although at the time he was ok with the mix. I suspect the commercial and critical acclaim afforded to the initial release of the album would have cemented George’s view that using Spector was generally speaking a reasonable decision. One final note – yes – Spector was very volatile and drunk during the production of this album and much production was done by George and those around him.
no, the 2001 version is not de-spectorized, even if George had the will to do it, but preferred to not. it’s only remastered. the one without the wall of sound is available only on bootlegs such as Songs for Patty
All Things Must Pass is a monumental effort by George Harrison ; his finest solo achievement and one of the greatest of pop/ rock history. He and Phil Spector at their best. The years of waiting behind Lennon and McCartney ironically worked in Georges favor with such a great backlog of songs. My Sweet Lord, What Is Life?, Isnt It A Pity,Beware of Darkness, All Things Must Pass,Wah-Wah and Id Have You Any Time are all personal favorites of mine. It was George Harrisons birthday just the other day and how the world misses him.
The Beatles anthology has the early recordings that were not released as Beatles songs, & later were released on All Things Must Pass. No wall of sound on those!
I bought atmp in 1974 in a record shop in Belfast called—Harrison’s!, played it until. It was almost white . I loved everything about it ,the music ,of course, but the packaging was great the coloured sleeves with lyrics ,the brilliant poster,right down to the orange apple labels and stunning apple jam label.all those years ago!,,,
It was definitely ahead of its time, as well. It’s big sound and celebrity roster were like the prototype for the super group tours like Ringo’s All Star Band and his own Bangalalesh benefit. Harrison was always my favorite Beatle, but I didn’t realize the depth of the impact his death had on me until I bought the CD version of ATMP. I only made it through a few songs before I broke down in tears and had to turn it off. Its such a masterpiece… both musically and lyrically… Who knew such greatness was hiding inside what was always the shyest and most subdued member of the Fab Four? I remember his words from an interview “I”m just a gardener tending to God’s garden”. (About his private life at his sprawling estate) For someone of his fame and stature level, to be that materially stripped down and philosophically aware, is totally inspiring. I’m proud to say he’s one of my biggest, if not THEE biggest, hero I’ve ever had.
EVERYONE seems to put down PHIL SPECTOR’s work with the Beatles – including THE ‘producer’ of the final Beatles albums… (not GEORGE MARTIN)….PAUL McCARTNEY who
even went so far as to remix LET IT BE (‘Naked’)… which he had a right to do as the ‘featured artist’ on what was HIS album idea for the Beatles to ‘Get Back’ to the very basics of how they USED to record & work in the beginning… only to abandon & hate the whole idea in realizing they’d grown as artists (and men) with ideas & concepts that couldn’t be done like that anymore, and DUMPED the whole LET IT BE disaster in SPECTOR’s lap… and even McCARTNEY himself after doing THE LONG & WINDING ROAD ‘stripped down and naked’ & performed it LIVE that way went BACK to using the horn arrangements (less full choir) that SPECTOR had arranged/produced.
And now Phil’s work on ATMP is being attacked for “his” WOS echoing style.
Harrison’s album WAS & IS a masterpiece – and (as far as THIS musician is concerned) still the FINEST solo album of those four legendary figures ever released.
Just ‘LET IT BE’ – as it was… ?
Nope…