(“isn’t it a pity?” is a song by english 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 (Version Two)“)
(Harrison wrote the song in 1966, but it was rejected for inclusion on releases by the beatles)
(in many countries around the world, the song was also issued on a double A-side single with “My Sweet Lord”)
(in America, Billboard magazine listed it with “My Sweet Lord” when the single topped the Hot 100 chart, while in Canada, “Isn’t It a Pity” reached #1 as the preferred side)
(an anthemic ballad and one of Harrison’s most celebrated compositions, “Isn’t It a Pity” has been described as the emotional and musical centrepiece of All Things Must Pass and “a poignant reflection on the beatles’ coarse ending”)
(co-produced by Phil Spector, the recording employs multiple keyboard players, rhythm guitarists and percussionists, as well as orchestration by arranger ‘John Barham’)
(in its extended fadeout, the song references the closing refrain of the Beatles’ 1968 hit “Hey Jude”)
(other musicians on the recording include ‘Ringo Starr’, Billy Preston, Gary Wright and the band Badfinger, while the reprise version features ‘Eric Clapton’ on lead guitar)
(the song appeared as the closing track on Harrison’s career-spanning compilation Let It Roll (2009), and a live version, from his 1991 tour with Clapton, was included on Live in Japan (1992))
(‘Clapton’ and ‘Preston’ performed the song together at the ‘Concert for George’ tribute in November 2002)
(“isn’t it a pity?” has been covered by numerous artists, including ‘nina simone’, Matt Monro, Cowboy Junkies, Paul Young, Elliott Smith, Galaxie 500, Jonathan Wilson and Graham Nash, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and ‘roberta flack’)