Lakshmi Shankar: I Am Missing You (1974)

When George Harrison established his own Dark Horse record label it allowed him to release projects that were close to his spiritual heart, if not exactly commercial propositions.

That said, both the Shankar Family and Friends (1974) and Ravi Shankar's Music Festival from India ('76) albums were absolute delights of immacuately produced, beautifully played Indian music which gently roamed from a musical suite (the second side of Family and Friends) to folk tunes, contemporary pieces and invocations.

And pop.

This song by Ravi's sister-in-law (a dancer, singer and swarmandal player) appeared on Shankar Family and Friends and boasts a pure pop production by Harrison -- and has Jim Keltner and Ringo on drums, Billy Preston (keyboards), Klaus Voorman (bass), Tom Scott (saxophones), Emil Richards (percussion) and Harrison playing guitar.

This is one of the few songs Ravi Shankar has written in English and there were two versions on the album.

This was the version which could have been a radio hit . . . if it had appeared within months of Harrison's My Sweet Lord four years previous.

No matter. It still sounds sublime. 

For more oddities, one-offs or songs with a backstory see From the Vaults.