Isn’t It a Pity (version one)

This version of Isn’t It a Pity, at seven minutes and ten seconds long, feels like a centerpiece within the ambitious project All Things Must Pass. It is one of those compositions that George Harrison had kept, and which did not find a place in the Beatles' works before their separation in April 1970. Recorded with the help of Producer Phil Spector, the song displays a depth and scale that set it apart, reflecting Harrison's evolution as an individual artist.

The album All Things Must Pass, released in November 1970, was George Harrison's first major work after the dissolution of the Beatles. On it, the influence of his previous collaborations with musicians such as Bob Dylan, The Band, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, and Billy Preston between 1968 and 1970 can be perceived. This context of personal and musical growth becomes evident in tracks like Isn’t It a Pity, which, along with the title track, represent ideas Harrison had been developing. The sound of the slide guitar, which would become a trademark, and spiritual themes also begin to clearly take shape in this work.