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"Awaiting on You All" is a song by English musician
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...
, released on his 1970 triple album, ''
All Things Must Pass ''All Things Must Pass'' is the third studio album by George Harrison. Released as a triple album in November 1970, it was Harrison's first solo work after Break-up of the Beatles, the break-up of the Beatles in April that year. It includes th ...
''. Along with the single "
My Sweet Lord "My Sweet Lord" is a song by the English musician George Harrison, released in November 1970 on his triple album ''All Things Must Pass''. It was also released as a single, Harrison's first as a solo artist, and topped charts worldwide; it was ...
", it is among the more overtly religious compositions on ''All Things Must Pass'', and the recording typifies co-producer
Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...
's influence on the album, due to his liberal use of
reverberation In acoustics, reverberation (commonly shortened to reverb) is a persistence of sound after it is produced. It is often created when a sound is reflection (physics), reflected on surfaces, causing multiple reflections that build up and then de ...
and other
Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...
production techniques. Harrison recorded the track in London backed by musicians such as
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
,
Bobby Whitlock Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memph ...
,
Klaus Voormann Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German graphic artist, artist, musician, and record producer. Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, includ ...
, Jim Gordon and Jim Price – many of whom he had toured with, as Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, in December 1969, while still officially a member of
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
. Musically, the composition reflects Harrison's embracing of the
gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compo ...
genre, following his production of fellow
Apple Records Apple Records is a British record label founded by the Beatles in 1968 as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists inclu ...
artists
Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richa ...
and
Doris Troy Doris Troy (born Doris Elaine Higginsen; January 6, 1937 – February 16, 2004) was an American R&B singer and songwriter, known to her fans as "Mama Soul". Her biggest hit was " Just One Look", a top 10 hit in 1963. Life and career She was ...
. In his lyrics to "Awaiting on You All", Harrison espouses a direct relationship with God over adherence to the tenets of organised religion. Influenced by both his association with London-based
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna may refer to: * International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a group commonly known as "Hare Krishnas" or the "Hare Krishna movement" * Hare Krishna (mantra), a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra also known as the "Maha Mantra" (Great ...
devotees, known as the
Radha Krishna Temple The Radha-Krishna Temple (also Radha-Krsna Temple) is the headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in the United Kingdom since the late 1960s. It was founded in Bury Place, Bloomsbury, by six devotees from ...
, and the
Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; , ), also known as ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six orthodox (Āstika and nāstika, ''āstika'') traditions of Hindu philosophy and textual exegesis. The word ''Vedanta'' means 'conclusion of the Vedas', and encompa ...
-inspired teachings of
Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda () (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindus, Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. Vivekananda was a major figu ...
, Harrison sings of chanting God's name as a means to cleanse and liberate oneself from the impurities of the material world. His song words explicitly criticise
the Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...
and the perceived materialism of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
– a verse that
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
and
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
continue to omit from the album's lyrics. He also questions the validity of
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
and
Yoko Ono Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...
's 1969 campaign for world peace, reflecting a divergence of philosophies between Harrison and his former bandmate after their shared interest in
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
spirituality in 1967–68. Several commentators have identified "Awaiting on You All" as one of the highlights of ''All Things Must Pass''; author and critic Richard Williams likens it to the Spector-produced "
River Deep – Mountain High "River Deep – Mountain High" is a song by Ike & Tina Turner released on Philles Records as the title track to their 1966 studio album. Produced by Phil Spector and written by Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked ...
", by
Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. ...
. The track is featured in the books '' 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die'' by Robert Dimery and ''1001 Songs'' by
Toby Creswell Toby Creswell (born 21 May 1955) is an Australian music journalist and pop-culture writer. He was editor of ''Rolling Stone'' (Australia) and a founding editor of ''Juice''. In 1986, he co-wrote, his first book, ''Too Much Ain't Enough'' a bio ...
. A similarly well-regarded live version, with backing from a large band including Clapton,
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
, Preston and
Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Do ...
, was released on the 1971 album ''
The Concert for Bangladesh The Concert for Bangladesh (or Bangla Desh, as the country's name was originally spelt)Harry, p. 135. was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and the Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows we ...
'' and appeared in the 1972 film of the same name. Harrison's posthumous compilation '' Early Takes: Volume 1'' (2012) includes a demo version of the song, recorded early in the 1970 sessions for ''All Things Must Pass''.


Background

In his book ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps'', Simon Leng describes
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...
's musical projects outside
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
during 1969–70 – such as producing American
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
and
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
artists
Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richa ...
and
Doris Troy Doris Troy (born Doris Elaine Higginsen; January 6, 1937 – February 16, 2004) was an American R&B singer and songwriter, known to her fans as "Mama Soul". Her biggest hit was " Just One Look", a top 10 hit in 1963. Life and career She was ...
, and touring with Delaney & Bonnie and Friends – as the completion of "a musical-philosophical circle", which resulted in his post-Beatles solo album ''
All Things Must Pass ''All Things Must Pass'' is the third studio album by George Harrison. Released as a triple album in November 1970, it was Harrison's first solo work after Break-up of the Beatles, the break-up of the Beatles in April that year. It includes th ...
'' (1970). Among the songs on that triple album, "
My Sweet Lord "My Sweet Lord" is a song by the English musician George Harrison, released in November 1970 on his triple album ''All Things Must Pass''. It was also released as a single, Harrison's first as a solo artist, and topped charts worldwide; it was ...
" and "Awaiting on You All" each reflect Harrison's immersion in
Krishna Consciousness The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 ...
, via his association with the UK branch of the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 in New York City by ...
(ISKCON), known as the
Radha Krishna Temple The Radha-Krishna Temple (also Radha-Krsna Temple) is the headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in the United Kingdom since the late 1960s. It was founded in Bury Place, Bloomsbury, by six devotees from ...
. An ISKCON devotee since 1970, author Joshua Greene writes of ''All Things Must Pass'' providing an "intimately detailed account of a spiritual journey", which had begun with Harrison's embracing of
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
while in India in September–October 1966. Having long disavowed the
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
faith of his upbringing, from 1966 Harrison was inspired by the teachings of Indian
yogi A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297–299, 331 ...
Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda () (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindus, Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. Vivekananda was a major figu ...
. The latter's contention that "Each soul is potentially divine, the goal is to manifest that divinity" particularly resonated with Harrison in its contrast to the doctrine of the Catholic Church. By 1967, Harrison's religious awakening had progressed to include
Gaudiya Vaishnava Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal (present-day Malda dist ...
chanting, a form of
meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...
that he shared with his Beatles bandmate
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
and would go on to espouse in "Awaiting on You All". Further to Vivekananda's assertion, chanting the
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna may refer to: * International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a group commonly known as "Hare Krishnas" or the "Hare Krishna movement" * Hare Krishna (mantra), a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra also known as the "Maha Mantra" (Great ...
or other
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
-worded
mantra A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...
s has, author
Gary Tillery Gary Tillery is an American writer and artist known for his biographies focusing on the spiritual lives of famous figures, and for his public sculptures. His 2009 book, ''The Cynical Idealist'', was named the official book of the 2010 Theatre Wi ...
writes, "the ability to send spiritual energy through the body, leading to the enlightenment of the person chanting".Tillery, p. 89. Whereas Lennon's interest in spiritual matters waned following the Beatles' visit to India in 1968, Harrison's involvement with the Radha Krishna Temple led to him producing two hit singles by the devotees over 1969–70, "
Hare Krishna Mantra The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the (), is a 16-word Vaishnava mantra mentioned in the Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa Upaniṣad. In the 15th century, it rose to importance in the Bhakti movement following the teachings of ...
" and "Govinda". While Lennon and his partner,
Yoko Ono Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...
, undertook a highly publicised campaign for world peace during 1969, Harrison believed that all human suffering could be averted if individuals focused on addressing their own imperfections rather than, as he put it, "trying to fix everybody else up like the Lone Ranger". This divergence in philosophy also formed part of Harrison's subject matter for "Awaiting on You All", a song that, Greene writes, "projected his message to the world".


Composition

In an October 1974 radio interview with
Alan Freeman Alan Leslie Freeman MBE (6 July 1927 – 27 November 2006), nicknamed "Fluff", was an Australian-born British disc jockey and radio personality in the United Kingdom for 40 years, best known for presenting '' Pick of the Pops'' from 1961 to 20 ...
, Harrison recalled writing "Awaiting on You All" while preparing to go to bed, and mentioned it as a composition that had come easily to him. In his autobiography, ''
I, Me, Mine ''I, Me, Mine'' is an autobiographic memoir by the English musician George Harrison, formerly of The Beatles. It was published in 1980 as a hand-bound, limited edition book by Genesis Publications, with a mixture of printed text and multi-colou ...
'', Harrison states that his inspiration for the song was "
Japa Yoga ''Japa'' () is the meditative repetition of a mantra or a divine name. It is a practice found in Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism, with parallels found in other Religion, religions. ''Japa'' may be performed while sitting in a Meditativ ...
meditation",Harrison, p. 200. whereby mantras are sung and counted out on prayer beads. Musically, the composition has elements of gospel and
rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...
; Leng describes it as "gospel-drenched" and cites Harrison's production of "
Sing One for the Lord "Sing One for the Lord" is a song by American soul musician Billy Preston that was released in September 1970 on his Apple Records album ''Encouraging Words''. It was written by George Harrison and Preston. Although the pair frequently collaborat ...
", which Preston recorded with the Edwin Hawkins Singers in early 1970, as a "catalyst" for the new composition. The song opens with a descending guitar
riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...
, later repeated after each chorus, which ends on the melody's root chord of
B major B major is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps. Its relative minor is G-sharp minor, its parallel minor is B minor, and its enharmonic equi ...
. In his lyrics to "Awaiting on You All", Harrison conveys the importance of experiencing spirituality directly, while rejecting organised religion as well as political and intellectual substitutes.Leng, p. 95. Author Ian Inglis writes that the lyrics recognise the merit in all faiths, as Harrison sings that the key to any religion is to "''open up your heart''".Inglis, p. 30. The choruses proclaim that individual freedom from the physical or material world can be attained through "''chanting the names of the Lord''", implying that there is a single deity who happens to be called by different names depending on the faith.Stowe, p. 53. The song's three verses provide a list of items or concepts that are unnecessary to this realisation. The opening lines – "''You don't need no love-in / You don't need no bed pan''" – serve as a criticism of Lennon and Ono's
bed-in A bed-in is a nonviolent protest against wars, initiated by Yoko Ono and her husband John Lennon during a two week period in Amsterdam and Montreal as an experimental test of new ways to promote peace. As the Vietnam War raged in 1969, artists On ...
s and other forms of peace activism during 1969. While Inglis views these words as indicative of a possible rift in Harrison's relationship with Lennon, Leng identifies the "tongue-lashing for John and Yoko" as the singer dismissing "all political-cum-intellectual musings". Harrison then uses what New Testament scholar
Dale Allison Dale C. Allison Jr. (born November 25, 1955) is an American historian and Christian theologian. His areas of expertise include the historical Jesus, the Gospel of Matthew, Second Temple Jewish literature, and the history of the interpretation ...
terms "the language of pollution" to describe the problems afflicting the world,Allison, p. 32. and offers a method by which to cleanse oneself spiritually. In verse two, Harrison sings of the futility of passports and travel for those searching to "''see Jesus''", since an open heart will reveal that
Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...
is "''right there''". Allison remarks on the song expressing Harrison's "
syncretistic Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thus ...
view of Jesus", a view he shared with Lennon, and cites comments that Harrison later made to Radha Krishna Temple co-founder Mukunda Goswami, that Christ was "an absolute yogi" yet modern-day Christian teachers misrepresent him and " ethim down very badly". In the song's final verse, Harrison states that churches, temples, religious texts and the
rosary beads The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...
associated with Catholic worship are no substitute for a direct relationship with God. These symbols of organised religion "meant searching in the wrong places", Tillery writes, when in keeping with Vivekananda's philosophy, "the spark of the divine is within us all. Every person is therefore the child of God ..."
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
critic Lindsay Planer comments on Harrison's "observation of eligiousrepression" in the lines "''We've been kept down so long / Someone's thinking that we're all green''." Harrison's most scathing criticism is directed at
the Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...
, in the lines: "''While the Pope owns 51% of General Motors / And the stock exchange is the only thing he's qualified to quote us.''" Contrasting this statement with Harrison's song-wide message that God "waits on us to wake up and open our hearts", Allison concludes: "whereas the Lord is about the business of helping human beings to wake up, the Pope is about the business of business."Allison, pp. 42, 129. In his book ''No Sympathy for the Devil'', Dave Ware Stowe writes of the effect of "Awaiting on You All" on
Evangelical Christian Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
sensibilities: "this was dangerous stuff. Harrison's lyrics exemplified what many in the
Jesus Movement The Jesus movement was an evangelical Christian movement that began on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and primarily spread throughout North America, Europe, Central America, Australia and New Zealand, befo ...
considered a lure and snare of the devil. No doubt the song was spiritually resonant, even reverent, but it leaves the all-important object of veneration vague." While identifying a similar ISKCON-inspired theme in Harrison's 1973 song " The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)", Allison discusses "Awaiting on You All" as a precedent for further statements by Harrison against organised religion, particularly Catholicism. Among these, Harrison parodied the
Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, ''The Last Supper (Leonardo), The Last Supper'' (1495-1498). Mural, tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic ...
in his inner-gatefold artwork for ''
Living in the Material World ''Living in the Material World'' is the fourth studio album by the English musician George Harrison, released in 1973 on Apple Records. As the follow-up to 1970's critically acclaimed ''All Things Must Pass'' and his pioneering charity project, ...
'' (1973), dressed as a Catholic priest and again mocking the "perceived materialism and violence of the Roman church", according to Allison. In addition, in his role as film producer, Harrison supported
Monty Python Monty Python, also known as the Pythons, were a British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The group came to prominence for the sketch comedy ser ...
's controversial parodying of the
biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...
story of Christ in ''
Life of Brian ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'' (also known as ''Life of Brian'') is a 1979 British biblical black comedy film starring and written by the comedy group Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michae ...
'' (1979), about which he said: "Actually,
he film He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...
was upholding Him and knocking all the idiotic stuff that goes on around religion."


Production


Phil Spector's involvement

Harrison and American producer
Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (December 26, 1939 – January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter who is best known for pioneering recording practices in the 1960s, followed by his trials and conviction for murder in the 2000s. S ...
began discussing the possibility of Harrison recording a solo album of songs in early 1970, after they had worked together on Lennon's
Plastic Ono Band The Plastic Ono Band was a rock band and Fluxus-based artist collective''John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band'' book by Yoko Ono and John Lennon, published by Thames & Hudson Ltd, October 2020, pp. 17-19 formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968-9 fo ...
single "
Instant Karma! "Instant Karma!" (also titled "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)") is a song by English musician John Lennon, released as a single on Apple Records in February 1970. The lyrics focus on a concept in which the consequences of one's actions are ...
" Before then, to show his support for Spector's comeback from self-imposed retirement, Harrison had supplied a written endorsement of the producer's work on the
Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. ...
album ''
River Deep – Mountain High "River Deep – Mountain High" is a song by Ike & Tina Turner released on Philles Records as the title track to their 1966 studio album. Produced by Phil Spector and written by Spector, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked ...
'', when
A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...
issued the three-year-old recordings in 1969. Long a fan of Spector's sound, Harrison praised ''River Deep – Mountain High'' with the words: "a perfect record from start to finish. You couldn't improve on it." Beatles biographer Peter Doggett suggests that Harrison had intended to make an entire album of devotional songs but, with that not being "an appropriate dish to set before Phil Spector", Harrison chose to delay starting work on ''All Things Must Pass'' and instead continued his activities with the Radha Krishna Temple.Doggett, p. 117. It was only after
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
's departure from the Beatles, and the band's break-up, that Harrison finally began sessions for his solo album – in late May 1970, at
Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, London, Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of ...
in London. Noting Spector's application of his signature
Wall of Sound The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...
production on "Awaiting on You All", Inglis writes that, but for Harrison's lyrics, the song "could be mistaken for the instrumental track of a song by
the Ronettes The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of the lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Ta ...
", one of Spector's
girl-group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups that f ...
protégés during the 1960s.


Recording

The line-up of musicians on the basic track included Harrison and
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
, on electric guitars; bassists
Klaus Voormann Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German graphic artist, artist, musician, and record producer. Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, includ ...
and
Carl Radle Carl Dean Radle (June 18, 1942 – May 30, 1980) was an American bassist who toured and recorded with many of the most influential recording artists of the late 1960s and 1970s. He was posthumously inducted to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame ...
, one of whom plays
six-string bass An extended-range bass is an electric bass guitar with a wider frequency range than a standard-tuned four-string bass guitar. Terminology One way that a bass can be considered ''extended-range'' is to use a mechanical detuner, a special tun ...
; and drummer Jim Gordon, who formed
Derek and the Dominos Derek and the Dominos was an English–American blues rock band formed in the spring of 1970 by singer-guitarist Eric Clapton, keyboardist-singer Bobby Whitlock, bassist Carl Radle and drummer Jim Gordon. All four members had previously playe ...
with Clapton and Radle during the sessions. In addition,
Bobby Whitlock Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memph ...
, the fourth member of the Dominos – all of whom were formerly part of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends – recalls playing
Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...
on the song. Authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter note the presence of a piano part on the recording as well. In his 2010 autobiography, Whitlock writes of Lennon and Ono visiting the studio during the ''All Things Must Pass'' sessions, during which Lennon "got his socks blown off" by the music Harrison was recording. The Hare Krishna devotees regularly attended the sessions also; Spector later cited their presence as an example of how Harrison inspired tolerance in non-believers, since the Temple devotees could be "the biggest pain in the necks in the world", according to Spector. Among the many unreleased songs from the ''All Things Must Pass'' sessions, Harrison recorded his all-Sanskrit composition "Gopala Krishna", which Leng describes as "a rocking companion to 'Awaiting on You All'". Madinger and Easter view "Awaiting on You All" as one of the more "heavily Spectorized" productions on ''All Things Must Pass'',Madinger & Easter, p. 431. due to Spector's liberal use of
echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
and other Wall of Sound techniques. Among the extensive
overdubs Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more a ...
on the basic track, Harrison added what Leng terms a "virtual guitar orchestra" of harmonised
slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...
parts,Leng, p. 96. and former Delaney & Bonnie musicians Jim Price and
Bobby Keys Robert Henry Keys (December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014) was an American saxophonist who performed as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Nilsson, Delaney ...
supplied horns.Spizer, p. 224. Whitlock and Clapton sang backing vocals with Harrison,Whitlock, p. 81. credited on the album as "the George O'Hara-Smith Singers". The recording also features prominent percussion such as tambourine and
maraca A maraca ( , , ), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas, also known as tamaracas, were rattles of d ...
s.Williams, p. 153. While the precise line-up on many of the songs on ''All Things Must Pass'' continues to invite conjecture,
Badfinger Badfinger were a Welsh rock music, rock band formed in Swansea in 1961. Their best-known lineup consisted of Pete Ham (guitar), Mike Gibbins (drums), Tom Evans (musician), Tom Evans (bass), and Joey Molland (guitar). They are recognised for th ...
drummer
Mike Gibbins Michael George Gibbins (12 March 1949 – 4 October 2005) was a Welsh musician, most notable for being the drummer of Badfinger. The Iveys Michael George Gibbins started playing drums while in the sea cadets. He played around South Wales for ...
has said that Spector nicknamed him "Mr Tambourine Man" due to his role on that instrument throughout the sessions, and that he and future
Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...
drummer Alan White played most of the percussion parts on the album, "switch ngon tambourine, sticks, bells, maracas ... whatever was needed".


Release

Apple Records Apple Records is a British record label founded by the Beatles in 1968 as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists inclu ...
released ''All Things Must Pass'' on 27 November 1970, with "Awaiting on You All" sequenced as the penultimate track on side three, in the original LP format, preceding the album's
title song Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...
. Of the 23 tracks released on ''All Things Must Pass'', it was one of the few overtly religious songs.Rodriguez, p. 148. Concerned at the potential offensiveness of the lyrics,
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
omitted verse three of "Awaiting on You All" from the lyric sheet. Madinger and Easter write that the lyrical content of this verse "probably shot down any chances of it being the hit single it could otherwise have been". Issued during a period when rock music was increasingly reflecting spiritual themes, ''All Things Must Pass'' was a major commercial success, outselling releases that year by Harrison's former bandmates, and topping albums charts throughout the world. Describing the impact of the album, with reference to "Awaiting on You All"'s exhortation to "chant the names of the Lord", author
Nicholas Schaffner Nicholas Schaffner (January 28, 1953 – August 28, 1991) was an American non-fiction author, journalist, and singer-songwriter. Biography Schaffner was born in Manhattan to John V. Schaffner (1913–1983), a literary agent whose clients includ ...
wrote of Harrison being "rewarded with a Number One single all over the world" with "My Sweet Lord".Schaffner, p. 142.


Reception

On release, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' critic Ben Gerson described "Awaiting on You All" as "a
Lesley Gore Lesley Gore (born Lesley Sue Goldstein, May 2, 1946 – February 16, 2015) was an American singer and songwriter. At the age of 16, she recorded her first hit song " It's My Party", a US number one in 1963. She follow ...
rave-up in which George manages to rhyme 'visas' with 'Jesus'". While he considered that lyrics such as "''You've been polluted so long''" "carry an air of sanctimoniousness and moral superiority which is offensive", Gerson added: "Remarkably, he vindicates these lapses." Writing for the same magazine 30 years later,
Anthony DeCurtis Anthony DeCurtis (born June 25, 1951) is an American author and music critic, who has written for ''Rolling Stone,'' ''The New York Times'', '' Relix'' and many other publications. Career DeCurtis is a contributing editor at ''Rolling Stone'', ...
opined that "the heart of ''All Things Must Pass'' resides in its songs of spiritual acceptance", and grouped "Awaiting on You All" with "My Sweet Lord" and "All Things Must Pass" as Harrison compositions that "capture the sweet satisfactions of faith". In his 1970 review for the ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'', Alan Smith described "Awaiting on You All" as "a rapid fire thumper with good chord progressions" and "one of the better tracks" on the album.Smith, Alan (5 December 1970). "George Harrison: ''All Things Must Pass'' (Apple)". ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
''. p. 2. Available a
Rock's Backpages
(subscription required).
AllMusic critic
Richie Unterberger Richie Unterberger (born 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing. Life and writing Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' The Daily P ...
views "Awaiting on You All" as a highlight of a collection on which "nearly every song is excellent", while author and critic
Bob Woffinden Robert Woffinden (31 January 1948 – 1 May 2018) was a British investigative journalist. Formerly a reporter with the ''New Musical Express'', he later specialised in investigating miscarriages of justice. He wrote about a number of high-profi ...
lists it with "My Sweet Lord", "
Isn't It a Pity "Isn't It a Pity" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 solo album ''All Things Must Pass''. It appears in two variations there: one the well-known, seven-minute version; the other a reprise, titled "Isn't It a Pity ...
" and "
What Is Life "What Is Life" is a song by the English rock musician George Harrison from his 1970 triple album '' All Things Must Pass''. In many countries, it was issued as the second single from the album, in February 1971, becoming a top-ten hit in th ...
" as "all excellent songs". In his book ''Phil Spector: Out of His Head'', Richard Williams writes that, unlike Lennon and McCartney on their 1970 solo albums, "Harrison concentrated on pure joyous melodies – the kind of songs that had made the group so loved", and he says of "Awaiting on You All": "Spector repaid Harrison for his benediction on the Ike and Tina Turner album cover by turning it into a virtual remake of 'River Deep – Mountain High'." Mark Ribowsky, another Spector biographer, writes of the producer's contribution to this and other songs on ''All Things Must Pass'': "Phil's rhythmically pounding basses and drum feels sutured George's sentimentality with cheerful energy and made Indian asceticism into dance music."Ribowsky, p. 255. Simon Leng describes "Awaiting on You All" as a "hot gospel stomper" and "the most successful example of Spector's work on the album".Leng, pp. 95, 96. Writing for ''
NME Originals {{No footnotes, date=February 2025 The NME Originals is a collection of articles and reviews from the ''NME'' and ''Melody Maker'' magazines about one band or genre. The first issue was about the Beatles, published on 3 April 2002. Many issues in ...
'' in 2005, Adrian Thrills named "Awaiting on You All" and " Wah-Wah" as examples of "a tendency to over-egg the mix" on the otherwise "magnificent" ''All Things Must Pass'', adding: "it is hard to think of another big rock album on which the tambourine is shaken quite so relentlessly." In his AllMusic article on the song, Lindsay Planer views it as "somewhat of a sacred rocker" with "ample lead guitar", and comments that Harrison's lyrics "cleverly rawupon an array of disparate imagery to convey a conversely simple spiritual revelation". Harrison biographer
Alan Clayson Alan Clayson (born 3 May 1951, Dover, Kent) is an English singer-songwriter, author and music journalist. He gained popularity in the late 1970s as leader of the band Clayson and the Argonauts. In addition to contributing to publications such as ...
considers the track "more uplifting" than "My Sweet Lord" and remarks on the aptness of Harrison's subject matter in 1970–71, when religious texts such as the Bible,
the Koran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
and ISKCON's ''Chant and Be Happy'' "now had discreet places on hip bookshelves". Former ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi * '' ...
'' editor
Mat Snow Mat Snow (born 20 October 1958) is an English music journalist, magazine editor, and author. From 1995 to 1999, he was the editor of '' Mojo'' magazine; he subsequently served in the same role on the football magazine '' FourFourTwo''. During th ...
describes the song as "glorious white gospel", in which Harrison "rejects the Catholicism of his Liverpool upbringing". "Awaiting on You All" has featured in the music reference books '' 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die'' by Robert Dimery and ''1001 Songs'' by Australian critic
Toby Creswell Toby Creswell (born 21 May 1955) is an Australian music journalist and pop-culture writer. He was editor of ''Rolling Stone'' (Australia) and a founding editor of ''Juice''. In 1986, he co-wrote, his first book, ''Too Much Ain't Enough'' a bio ...
. The latter describes the combination of Harrison's "tasteful" guitar parts and the "galloping"
rhythm section A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band. The rhythm ...
as "sublime and divine".Creswell, p. 622. In Dimery's book, contributor Bruno MacDonald writes of the track: "'Awaiting on You All' has a timeless exuberance that even Beatles-haters should experience."


Live version

"Awaiting on You All" was one of the songs Harrison played at
the Concert for Bangladesh The Concert for Bangladesh (or Bangla Desh, as the country's name was originally spelt)Harry, p. 135. was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and the Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows we ...
, held at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
, New York, on 1 August 1971. Featuring backing from a band including Clapton, Voormann,
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...
,
Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock a ...
, Billy Preston,
Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Do ...
and
Jim Horn James Ronald Horn (born November 20, 1940) is an American saxophonist, woodwind player, and session musician. Biography Horn was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for ...
, Harrison performed the song at both the afternoon and the evening shows. The latter performance was included on the ''
Concert for Bangladesh The Concert for Bangladesh (or Bangla Desh, as the country's name was originally spelt)Harry, p. 135. was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and the Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows we ...
'' live album, which Spector again co-produced, and in the film of the concert. Joshua Greene comments on there being a "logical chronology" to the first three songs in Harrison's setlist for this second show: "starting with 'Wah Wah,' which declared his independence from the Beatles; followed by 'My Sweet Lord,' which celebrated his internal discovery of God and spirit; and then 'Awaiting on You All'".Greene, p. 190. Writing in ''Rolling Stone'',
Jon Landau Jon Landau (born May 14, 1947) is an American music critic, manager, and record producer. He has worked with Bruce Springsteen. He is the head of the nominating committee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received that institution's Ahme ...
compared the less-polished performance of "Awaiting on You All" with the studio version's "perfect production" and concluded: "it is exhilarating to hear his voice clearly singing the song for the first time, likewise the excellent guitar." In his album review for ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...
'', Williams wrote of Harrison's opening trio of songs: "Unbelievably, they're as good as the originals, and in some ways even better, because they combine the power of the arrangements for horns and rhythm with a sense of joy that comes only in live performance. The two drummers (Ringo and Jim Keltner) are just breathtaking on 'Awaiting' ..."Williams, Richard (1 January 1972). "''The Concert for Bangla Desh'' (album review)". ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. In January 2001, it was merged into "long-standing rival" (and IPC Media sister publicatio ...
''. Available a
Rock's Backpages
(subscription required).
Planer also compliments what he calls "the tag-team percussion" of Starr and Keltner, which "driv sthrough the heart of the performance".


Reissue and other versions

In February 2001, during his extensive promotion for the 30th anniversary reissue of ''All Things Must Pass'', Harrison named "Awaiting on You All" among his three favourite tracks on the album. The
electronic press kit A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials that provide information about a person, company, organization or cause and which is distributed to members of the media for p ...
accompanying the release included a scene where Harrison plays back the song at his Friar Park studio and isolates certain parts of the recording in turn, such as the backing vocals and slide guitars. In the CD booklet, Harrison's liner notes conclude with a thank-you to "the amazing Mr. Phil Spector" and the acknowledgement: "He helped me so much to get this record made. In his company I came to realise the true value of the Hare Krishna Mantra." The Pope-related lyrics in "Awaiting on You All" were again omitted from the booklet; they similarly do not appear on the lyric sheet supplied with the 2014 '' Apple Years'' reissue. Part of the 2001 playback scene was included in
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
's documentary '' George Harrison: Living in the Material World'', and an early take from the 1970 sessions appeared on the bonus disc accompanying that film's DVD release in late 2011. This demo version, which Harrison introduces as "Awaiting for You All", was included on the compilation '' Early Takes: Volume 1'' (2012). Referring to Harrison's stated regret at the amount of echo Spector used on ''All Things Must Pass'', compilation producer
Giles Martin Giles Martin (born 9 October 1969) is an English record producer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist. His studio recordings, stage shows, TV and film works have been critically acclaimed and commercially successful around the world ...
says of the song's sparse arrangement on ''Early Takes'': "I think this is really cool, it's got a good basic band groove, I think of it as George breaking down a wall of sound." In 1971, Detroit band Silver Hawk released a cover version of "Awaiting on You All" as a single, which peaked at number 108 on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' magazine's Bubbling Under listings. In Canada, Silver Hawk's single climbed to number 49 on the ''RPM'' Top 100. A cover "worth mentioning", according to Planer, is a version recorded by
pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a console steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings, enabling more varied and complex music to be played than with other steel guitar designs. Like all steel guitars, it can play ...
ist Joe Goldmark, released on the 1997 tribute album ''Steelin' the Beatles''.


Personnel

According to authors Simon Leng and
Bruce Spizer David "Bruce" Spizer (born July 2, 1955) is an American tax attorney in New Orleans, Louisiana, who is also recognized as an expert on the Beatles. He has published thirteen books about the band, and is frequently quoted as an authority on th ...
, the line-up of musicians on "Awaiting on You All" is as follows: *
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...
– vocals, electric guitar,
slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...
s, backing vocals *
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
– electric guitar, backing vocals *
Bobby Whitlock Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memph ...
– organ, backing vocals *
Klaus Voormann Klaus Otto Wilhelm Voormann (born 29 April 1938) is a German graphic artist, artist, musician, and record producer. Voormann was the bassist for Manfred Mann from 1966 to 1969, and performed as a session musician on a host of recordings, includ ...
– bass *
Carl Radle Carl Dean Radle (June 18, 1942 – May 30, 1980) was an American bassist who toured and recorded with many of the most influential recording artists of the late 1960s and 1970s. He was posthumously inducted to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame ...
– bass * Jim Gordon – drums * Jim Price – trumpet, trombone, horn arrangement *
Bobby Keys Robert Henry Keys (December 18, 1943 – December 2, 2014) was an American saxophonist who performed as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Nilsson, Delaney ...
– saxophones *
Mike Gibbins Michael George Gibbins (12 March 1949 – 4 October 2005) was a Welsh musician, most notable for being the drummer of Badfinger. The Iveys Michael George Gibbins started playing drums while in the sea cadets. He played around South Wales for ...
– tambourine *''uncredited'' – piano *''uncredited'' – maracas


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * '' George Harrison: Living in the Material World'' DVD.
Village Roadshow Village Roadshow is an Australian company which operates cinemas and theme parks, and produces and distributes films. Before being acquired by private equity company BGH Capital, the company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange a ...
, 2011. (Directed by Martin Scorsese; produced by Olivia Harrison, Nigel Sinclair, Martin Scorsese.) * * Harris, John (July 2001). "A Quiet Storm". ''
Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi * '' ...
''. pp. 66–74. * * Hunt, Chris (ed.) (2005). ''
NME Originals {{No footnotes, date=February 2025 The NME Originals is a collection of articles and reviews from the ''NME'' and ''Melody Maker'' magazines about one band or genre. The first issue was about the Beatles, published on 3 April 2002. Many issues in ...
: Beatles – The Solo Years 1970–1980''. London: IPC Ignite!. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Whitlock, Bobby; with Roberty, Mark (2010). ''Bobby Whitlock: A Rock 'n' Roll Autobiography''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. . * * {{authority control 1970 songs George Harrison songs Songs written by George Harrison Song recordings produced by George Harrison Song recordings produced by Phil Spector Music published by Harrisongs Song recordings with Wall of Sound arrangements Songs critical of religion Indian mythology in music Songs about popes Criticism of the Catholic Church Gospel songs