"What Is Life" is a riff-driven song by George Harrison and is the first track on side two of his 1970 solo album All Things Must Pass. It was released as the second single from that album in the United States on February 15, 1971 with another album track "Apple Scruffs" as the B-side. On March 27, "What Is Life" peaked at #10 in the Billboard Hot 100.[1]
The song was written for Billy Preston in 1969, but Harrison decided not to ask Preston to record the song during his "funky" phase, seeing the song as too much of a "catchy pop tune".[2]
An instrumental outtake version of the song appears on the 2001 re-release of All Things Must Pass. Featuring a piccolo trumpet and oboe, it was discarded because Harrison "didn't like the feel".
Cover versions
German studio trio The Discoteques made a cover of the song, making the Swedish charts in the winter of 1972. Australian pop singer Olivia Newton-John recorded a cover of "What Is Life" and reached the UK top 20 and the US Adult Contemporary singles chart in 1972. Les Fradkin has a cover version included on his 2005 tribute CD "Something for George".
Harrison's original version is featured in the movie Goodfellas, during the "May 11th, 1980" sequence. It is also featured in the movies Patch Adams and Big Daddy, the latter being a cover by Shawn Mullins during the end credits.
Credits
Charts
George Harrison version
| Chart (1971) |
Peak
position |
| German Singles Chart |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 |
10 |
Olivia Newton-John version
| Chart (1972) |
Peak
position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks |
34 |
| UK Singles Chart |
16 |
References
- ^ Spizer, Bruce (March 2005). The Beatles Solo on Apple Records. 498 Productions, L.L.C., 231. ISBN 0-9662649-5-9.
- ^ a b c Spizer, Bruce (March 2005). The Beatles Solo on Apple Records. 498 Productions, L.L.C., 222. ISBN 0-9662649-5-9.
External links
|
