Deep Blue

‘Deep Blue’ was the b-side of the ‘Bangla Desh’ single, released by George Harrison in 1971.

Harrison wrote the song in 1970, although it was not recorded until the following year.

I wrote ‘Deep Blue’ during the making of the All Things Must Pass LP. It’s a bit obscure as it was only the b-side of the ‘Bangla Desh’ single and never appeared on any album.

It was written during the year my mother was very ill, and dying, and after going in the hospitals over and over again; it’s that smell and the whole atmosphere of doom that’s in those hospitals. And that was that; when you stand and watch tired bodies full of sickness and pain it shows you how helpless you really are when you get down to the truth, it hurts: one’s inability to cure all ills.

‘Deep Blue’ was on Harrison’s setlist during rehearsals for the Concert For Bangladesh, but was not performed at either of the shows.

In the studio

‘Bangla Desh’ and ‘Deep Blue’ were recorded at Record Plant West in Los Angeles on 4 and 5 July 1971, with Phil Spector producing.

Unlike the wall of sound on ‘Bangla Desh’, the song had a more sparse arrangement. To the fore was Harrison’s dobro, influenced by his recent work with American guitarist David Bromberg.

‘Deep Blue’ received significant airplay on US radio, and the single was listed as a double a-side on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song appeared on an album for the first time in 2006, when it was a bonus track on a reissue of Harrison’s Living In The Material World album.