My Sweet Lord - John?

[FPSHOT]

There is some "news" circling round about this song. I just will share it with you here.

The main reason I am posting it is because of John Lennon being named as having contributed on the song.

Now we are aware of the mistery from the album and in Simon Leng's edited book Klaus does mention certain things about the recordings which were/are quite 'new' so when that book came out it was fascinating to read. The part about John is not in it and I do not have the magazine article.

John did do a little "My Sweet Lord" performance himself at a hotel party I believe in Canada, I have that recording, but this is the first I hear of him playin/singing on All Things Must Pass.

I did see an intersesting observation somewhere on line saying "Not everyone shared George's enthusiasm for God, at the same time George was mixing 'All Things Must Pass' at Abbey Road Studios in October 1970 John Lennon was in the same building recording the 'Plastic Ono Band' album and singing 'God is a concept by which we measure our pain.' Also on John's album were Klaus Voorman and Ringo and it was produced by Phil Spector - I wonder how they felt about these two contrasting albums!"

Anyways... it is "just so you know"

I am going to try to contact Klaus to find out more about this.

In case John contributed it would be 'news'.

Flashback: George Harrison's 'my Sweet Lord' Hits Number One
By: Howie Edelson

It was 38 years ago on Friday (December 26th, 1970) that George Harrison scored the first Number One hit by an ex-Beatle with his single "My Sweet Lord," which went on to top the charts for four weeks. The tune, which he had first produced as a gospel song for good friend Billy Preston, was the first single from Harrison's triple album All Things Must Pass.

Harrison recalled recording the song in his 1980 "song biography" titled I Me Mine, admitting, "I thought a lot about whether to do 'My Sweet Lord'or not, because I would be committing myself publicly (to my beliefs) and I anticipated that a lot of people might get weird about it. Many people fear the words 'Lord'and 'God.'(It) makes them angry for some reason."

It's recently been revealed that "My Sweet Lord" turned out to be a mini-Beatles reunion of sorts. Ringo Starr and future Derek & the Dominoes member Jim Gordon drum on the track, along with Apple band Badfinger on acoustic guitars and none other than John Lennon strumming along himself. In a recent Beatlefan magazine interview, Harrison's longtime friend and bassist Klaus Voormann stated that Lennon actually performs on the track.

[glennan]

It doesn't seem beyond the realms of reason to me. I'm not the only one, I hope, who always thought they could hear John singing backing vocals prominently in the mix. At least one Beatles book has recorded John and Yoko as being present at the session as well, though I can't remember for the life of me which one.

[John Cee]

I'd be astounded if John actually performed on the track, and then never admitted it in the years to come. In his PLAYBOY interview shortly before his death, John was bitter about hardly being mentioned in George's book "I Me Mine". John then talked about contributing to George's song "Taxman" and making sure George got the "B" side of "Ballad of John & Yoko" -- if John had played on "My Sweet Lord", surely he would have mentioned that in PLAYBOY too.

[beatlebangs1964]

John also did a version of "I Am the Greatest," and I prefer John's version of the song to Ringo. It is always a Godsend to find bonus "Beatle crossing" works.

George did "It Don't Come Easy," and I confess that I prefer George's voice and arrangements over Ringo's more publicized version which is and will remain identified with Ringo.

Paul did a good version of "Something" on the uke as a nod to George in 2002. Beatles covering the work other Beatles have made famous just proves what I've said all along -- even a Beatle could not dodge his own influence!

[FPSHOT]

George and Bob did a pretty awesome version of Paul's song about the day before today.

[ringo_rama]

I would so love to hear Paul and George's demos/recordings of "Six O'Clock" and "Sunshine Life for Me" respectively.

I can't see John having contributed to MSL to be honest, because he seems to have instantly noticed the similarity to "He's So Fine," and since he wasn't particularly vindictive against George in the early 70s I think he would have pointed out, "You might wanna change these chords a little bit."

[FPSHOT]

I can't see John having contributed to MSL to be honest, because he seems to have instantly noticed the similarity to "He's So Fine," and since he wasn't particularly vindictive against George in the early 70s I think he would have pointed out, "You might wanna change these chords a little bit."
I agree with you.

George and John worked together in the early years of the 70's on various projects. Then later when I Me Mine (the book) was published some sensitivities were written about.

Over the years, various musicians talked about the All Things Must Pass recording days so some new things came to daylight, yet nowhere there and also never did either John or George referred in any way to John being involved in All Things Must Pass, so I put this to the story of "fiction"

[lennonluvr9]

Yeah, I was gonna say, I never heard anything about John having been involved with My Sweet Lord in any way. That would be news to me

[Legs]

"Not everyone shared George's enthusiasm for God, at the same time George was mixing 'All Things Must Pass' at Abbey Road Studios in October 1970 John Lennon was in the same building recording the 'Plastic Ono Band' album and singing 'God is a concept by which we measure our pain.' Also on John's album were Klaus Voorman and Ringo and it was produced by Phil Spector - I wonder how they felt about these two contrasting albums!"

It might be not that contrasting as both are deeply personal records and in that respect very much alike. I can't see it would make that much of a difference for Klaus and Ringo to participate on both, and only can have respect for both in what they go through and believe. Don't know if I make sense, but I can listen to both the respective albums and get into them without feeling of contradictons.

I also think that if John was on "My Sweet Lord" we somehow would know by now.