Recording: All Things Must Pass demos by George Harrison – 27 May 1970
Wednesday 27 May 1970 | George Harrison, Studio
Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector
Engineers: Phil McDonald, John Leckie
On 27 May 1970, George Harrison recorded 15 demos at Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road — the second of two consecutive demo sessions for his third solo album All Things Must Pass. Together with the 15 demos recorded the previous day, the two sessions produced a total of 30 demos, the majority of which found their way onto the finished album.
Studio Three, EMI Studios (now Abbey Road Studios), 3 Abbey Road, London — where George Harrison recorded 30 All Things Must Pass demos across 26–27 May 1970.
The Session
Harrison recorded just one take of each song during the 27 May session. The recordings were all solo performances featuring Harrison on vocals and acoustic or electric guitar, with one exception: 'Wah-Wah', which included a bass guitar part by Klaus Voormann.
The full set of 30 demos was released as part of the super deluxe reissue of All Things Must Pass in August 2021.
Songs Demoed on 27 May 1970
- 'Run Of The Mill'
- 'Art Of Dying'
- 'Everybody/Nobody'
- 'Wah-Wah' (with bass guitar by Klaus Voormann)
- 'Window Window'
- 'Beautiful Girl'
- 'Beware Of Darkness'
- 'Let It Down'
- 'Tell Me What Has Happened To You'
- 'Hear Me Lord'
- 'Nowhere To Go'
- 'Cosmic Empire'
- 'Mother Divine'
- 'I Don't Want To Do It'
- 'If Not For You'
All Things Must Pass
All Things Must Pass was George Harrison's third solo album, released on 27 November 1970 as a triple LP. Produced by Harrison and Phil Spector, it was recorded primarily at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, with some overdub and mixing sessions at Trident Studios. The album featured contributions from Ringo Starr, Klaus Voormann, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Dave Mason, Gary Wright, and members of Badfinger, among many others.
The album was a critical and commercial triumph — a vindication of Harrison's years of creative frustration within The Beatles, during which Lennon and McCartney had consistently limited the number of his songs on each album. All Things Must Pass reached number one in both the UK and the US, and spawned the number one single 'My Sweet Lord'.
Many of the songs on the album had been written during the Beatles years but rejected or passed over. 'Wah-Wah' had been written during the Let It Be sessions in January 1969, the day Harrison temporarily quit the group. 'Beware Of Darkness', 'Let It Down', and 'Hear Me Lord' had also been offered to The Beatles and declined.
The Demo Sessions: 26–27 May 1970
The two demo sessions on 26 and 27 May 1970 were the starting point for the album recordings. Harrison demoed 15 songs on each day, recording one take of each. The sessions were produced by Harrison and Phil Spector, with engineers Phil McDonald and John Leckie.
The full album recording sessions took place primarily at EMI Studios, Abbey Road from late May through to the summer of 1970, with the album completed in time for its November release.
Klaus Voormann
Klaus Voormann (born 1938) was a German musician, artist, and long-time friend of The Beatles, whom he had met in Hamburg in 1960. He designed the cover artwork for Revolver (1966), for which he won a Grammy Award. As a bass player he appeared on numerous solo Beatles recordings, including John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band (1970), Ringo Starr's Ringo (1973), and George Harrison's All Things Must Pass (1970). His bass part on the 'Wah-Wah' demo on 27 May 1970 was one of his earliest contributions to the album sessions.
Key Facts: 27 May 1970
- Studio: Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London
- Session type: Demo recordings
- Songs recorded: 15
- Takes per song: 1
- Instrumentation: Harrison — vocals, acoustic/electric guitar; Klaus Voormann — bass guitar on 'Wah-Wah'
- Producers: George Harrison, Phil Spector
- Engineers: Phil McDonald, John Leckie
- Demo release: All Things Must Pass super deluxe reissue, August 2021
- Album release: All Things Must Pass, 27 November 1970
Frequently Asked Questions
When were the All Things Must Pass demos recorded?
The 30 demos were recorded across two consecutive sessions on 26 and 27 May 1970 at Studio Three, EMI Studios, Abbey Road. Harrison recorded 15 songs on each day, one take per song.
Were the All Things Must Pass demos released?
Yes — the full set of 30 demos was released as part of the All Things Must Pass super deluxe reissue in August 2021.
Who played on the All Things Must Pass demos?
The demos were almost entirely solo recordings by George Harrison on vocals and acoustic or electric guitar. The only exception was 'Wah-Wah', which featured a bass guitar part by Klaus Voormann.
What songs were demoed on 27 May 1970?
'Run Of The Mill', 'Art Of Dying', 'Everybody/Nobody', 'Wah-Wah', 'Window Window', 'Beautiful Girl', 'Beware Of Darkness', 'Let It Down', 'Tell Me What Has Happened To You', 'Hear Me Lord', 'Nowhere To Go', 'Cosmic Empire', 'Mother Divine', 'I Don't Want To Do It', and 'If Not For You'.
Who produced All Things Must Pass?
George Harrison and Phil Spector. The album was recorded primarily at EMI Studios, Abbey Road, with some overdub and mixing sessions at Trident Studios.
→ John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Montreal Bed-In – 27 May 1969
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