Release
Originally, the intention had been to release "Isn't It a Pity" as the lead single from All Things Must Pass in October 1970, until Spector and others persuaded Harrison that "My Sweet Lord" was the most obvious choice. The full, seven-minute "Isn’t It a Pity" was therefore issued as a double A-side with "My Sweet Lord" on 23 November in the United States and Canada (as Apple 2995), just days before the album's release there. Reflecting the equal status of the two tracks, both sides of the single's picture sleeve featured the same Barry Feinstein-shot photo of Harrison, the only differences being the song title below Harrison's name and the fact that the green Apple Records logo and catalogue number appeared only on the side for "My Sweet Lord".
The single was phenomenally successful in North America, and around the world. Both songs reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but "Isn't It a Pity" was the lead side when the single held the top spot on Canada's RPM 100 chart for five weeks, through to mid January 1971. A few days after the single's release, "Isn't It a Pity" was issued on All Things Must Pass, as the final track on side one of the LP format, providing (in biographer Elliot Huntley's words) an "elegiac, plaintive song of reconciliation" after the angry "Wah-Wah". "Isn’t It a Pity (Version Two)" appeared in reprise form, as the penultimate track on side four of the original three-record set.
Despite this commercial success, and its standing as one of the most-covered songs among Harrison’s post-Beatles output, “Isn’t It a Pity" was a notable omission from EMI/Capitol’s The Best of George Harrison in November 1976. It was included on the 2009 compilation Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison, however. A demo version of the song, recorded during the Get Back sessions, is also available on Let It Roll as an iTunes Store exclusive.
A live version from December 1991, again with Clapton, was included on the album Live in Japan.
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