George Harrison
I Still Love You

In addition to publications on his own albums George Harrison also boasts a notable activity as a producer and songwriter for other artists. Already the Lennon-McCartney duo during the Beatles era had given many songs to emerging singers, think of "Goodbye" written by Paul for Mary Hopkins in '68. With the birth of Apple, the four then devoted themselves to the search for new talents, Harrison discovered Badfinger and Apple produced the debut of James Taylor. With the end of the Beatles, this activity as a talent scout for their label actually waned, but George continued to write songs for others, especially for dear friend Ringo, always in need of a few gems from friends. The song "I Still Love You" has a complex genesis and is symptomatic of a certain artistic uncertainty experienced by the author around the mid-'70s.

This song was initially supposed to be completed and included in a George album, but then the confusion triggered by the birth of "Dark Horse" must have influenced its fate. The author had also thought of giving it to Shirley Bassey but never really managed to complete it so much that he came back to it several times, eventually letting it go. In '76, however, Ringo Starr retired to Los Angeles to start work on the new LP, the usual call of great artists for sessions that seem more like an endless party than a real work project, all obviously in full respect of Ringo's spirit. The drummer asks Harrison for a song who has nothing but "I Still Love You", the song is finally completed to be recorded by Ringo's band for his "Ringo's Rotogravure". 

An enormous misjudgment, the song is beautiful. A melodic line that combines both the magical atmosphere of "Something" with the more reflective one of "Be Here Now". A magnificent electric guitar intro, the notes flow smoothly until Ringo's voice arrives singing "When every song is sung, when every bell is been rung...I still love you", an accelerated reprise, very powerful and suggestive. The lyrics are simple but the music in its dramatic evolution highlights the passages impeccably. 

It deserved to be recorded by George, considering the weak material of "Extra Texture" ('75), there is a demo version of his but it is not very indicative, the final version sung by Ringo is something else.