About The Song
âMy Sweet Lordâ is a song by English musician George Harrison, released in November 1970 on his triple album All Things Must Pass. It was also released as a single, Harrisonâs first as a solo artist, and topped charts worldwide; it was the biggest-selling single of 1971 in the UK. In America and Britain, the song was the first number-one single by an ex-Beatle. Harrison originally gave the song to his fellow Apple Records artist Billy Preston to record; this version, which Harrison co-produced, appeared on Prestonâs Encouraging Words album in September 1970. Harrison wrote âMy Sweet Lordâ in praise of the Hindu god Krishna, while intending the lyrics as a call to abandon religious sectarianism through his blending of the Hebrew word hallelujah with chants of âHare Krishnaâ and Vedic prayer.
With the Beatles still together officially in December 1969, Harrison had no plans to make a solo album of his own and reportedly intended to offer âMy Sweet Lordâ to Edwin Hawkins. Instead, following the Delaney & Bonnie tour, he decided to record it with Billy Preston, for whom Harrison was co-producing a second Apple album, Encouraging Words. Recording took place at Olympic Studios in London, in January 1970, with Preston as principal musician, supported by the guitarist, bass player and drummer from the Temptationsâ backing band. The Edwin Hawkins Singers happened to be on tour in the UK as well, so Harrison invited them to participate.
Prestonâs version of âMy Sweet Lordâ differs from Harrisonâs later reading in that the âhallelujahâ refrain appears from the start of the song and, rather than the full mantra section, the words âHare Krishnaâ are sung only twice throughout the whole track.  âMy Sweet Lordâ climbed to number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100 by the end of February 1971, helped by the enormous success of Harrisonâs version.