George Harrison’s Best Solo Song Didn’t Hit No. 1
George Harrison had a handful of hit songs after The Beatles broke up, but his best one didn’t hit No. 1. Interestingly, the tune in question was supposed to sound a bit like The Beatles’ “Penny Lane.” George’s best song might have hit No. 1 if he hadn’t made a particular decision.
George Harrison had 3 chart-toppers but they pale in comparison to this song
George had three No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100: “My Sweet Lord”/”Isn’t It a Pity,” “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth),” and “Got My Mind Set on You.” Those are all good songs, but they aren’t George’s best. The pinnacle of his career was “What Is Life.”
The tune combines George’s rock ‘n’ roll tendencies with his spiritual outlook and producer Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound technique. The lyrics are clever, as they could be interpreted as being about loving a partner or loving God. It’s hard to listen to it without feeling some uplift, whether you are spiritual or not.
How the song was supposed to mimic The Beatles’ ‘Penny Lane’
During a 2001 interview with Billboard, George discussed the origin of “What Is Love.” “When we were going through all the tapes, I just found this version that was like a rough mix [at Trident Studios in London on August 9, 1970] on which I tried having this piccolo trumpet player like the guy who played on ‘Penny Lane,'” he said. “It wasn’t actually the same bloke but I wanted that sound. So I had an oboe and a piccolo trumpet and I had this part for them all written out but they couldn’t play it the same; they couldn’t do this this kind of ‘hush’ phrase, and they played it very staccato like a classical player. So I must have just recorded them on it, then rough mixed it, and then ditched that.
“And as I was saying earlier, most of it was live,” he added. “I hadn’t done the vocal overdub because I’m playing the fuzz guitar part that goes all through the song. So all I could do on the [initial] take was to give the band the cue line.”
How George Harrison’s ‘My Sweet Lord’ got in the way of ‘What Is Life’
“What Is Life” reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a hit single. It just wasn’t as big as it could or should have been. The tune lasted on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks. “What Is Love” appeared on the album All Things Must Pass. That album is generally considered the defining record of George’s solo career. The record topped the Billboard 200 for seven weeks, lasting on the chart for 41 weeks.
Why wasn’t “What Is Life” a No. 1 hit? Well, it was released after “My Sweet Lord” reached No. 1. Perhaps audiences were so exposed to “My Sweet Lord” that they weren’t ready to let another George track reach the top spot. If George had put out “What Is Life” as the lead single from All Things Must Pass instead of “My Sweet Lord,” “What Is Life” might be his most famous solo song.
“What Is Life” is a perfect song — and it deserves more love from the public.
