Dark Horse (George Harrison Album) - Recording

Recording

Harrison was only able to dedicate himself to his own album in late September 1974, meaning that a pre-tour release − and therefore maximum exposure to US record buyers − was an impossibility. Around a third of Dark Horse was recorded during this period, in the final week of September through to the middle of October, at Harrison's FPSHOT (short for Friar Park Studios, Henley-on-Thames). With him on these sessions were four musicians who had signed on for the upcoming tour: old friend Billy Preston on keyboards; horn player Tom Scott, who had collaborated on Shankar Family & Friends the previous year; and rock music's hottest rhythm section at the time, Andy Newmark and Willie Weeks, both of whom Harrison had met while working on Ronnie Wood's solo album. "Māya Love", "Far East Man" and "It Is 'He' (Jai Sri Krishna)" were laid down with this all-American group of musicians. (It is also thought that the basic track for "His Name Is Legs" was taped at this point, although the song would appear on a later release, 1975's Extra Texture album.)

Fortunately, Harrison had some material recorded at various stages over the past year. From November 1973 sessions held at FPSHOT came "So Sad" and "Ding Dong, Ding Dong". These songs featured more typical Harrison line-ups, comprising Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner, Klaus Voormann, Gary Wright and Nicky Hopkins, with later overdubs from Wood, Weeks, Scott and others. An unreleased version of the album's title track was also recorded at this point, with Harrison accompanied by just Starr and Voormann.

Next up chronologically were "Hari's On Tour (Express)" and "Simply Shady", which came about during a single day's session in April 1974. Having caught Joni Mitchell's concert at the New Victoria Theatre in London, and having been much impressed with her Tom Scott-led backing band, The LA Express, Harrison had invited them to Friar Park the following day. It is possible that the non-album B-side "I Don't Care Anymore" was recorded in July, when he was known to have been working alone in the studio. Another solo track, "Bye Bye, Love", albeit one with multiple overdubs from Harrison, was recorded in October, Scott would later tell journalist Michael Gross, when the main core of musicians had left Friar Park.

The September–October sessions compounded Harrison's development of laryngitis, however. When it was time to fly off to the United States to begin rehearsing for the tour, with the album still unfinished, his throat was completely raw. Starr confirmed this to Beatlefan magazine, stating that Harrison was hoarse before he left England. (In fact, it would seem he had been having throat problems on and off for up to a year − the catarrh-inflected lead vocal on the released version of "Ding Dong", for instance, was the one Harrison recorded with the backing track, back in late '73.) Later, Harrison himself would admit he was "knackered" by the time he arrived in Los Angeles, having simply taken on too much over the previous year.

Once in LA, further overdubs were carried out, among them, the flute parts on "It Is 'He'" by Scott's fellow horn players Jim Horn and Chuck Findley, and percussion by Emil Richards. All of these musicians were added to the tour party, along with guitarist Robben Ford and Harrison's drummer of choice, Jim Keltner. But there was still the album's title track to complete.

In fact, "Dark Horse" was re-recorded in its entirety, live, on a sound stage at A&M Studios, with the whole touring band. Almost nothing from George Harrison's 1974 tour has ever been officially released, but decades later, as author Simon Leng puts it: "Anyone wondering what Harrison's voice sounded like on the Dark Horse Tour need look no further: this track was cut only days before the first date in Vancouver. Although the band sounded good, his voice was in shreds ..."