This was Harrison's first single as a solo artist. It was his biggest hit.

In 1976, Bright Tunes Music sued Harrison because this sounded too much like the 1963 Chiffons hit "He's So Fine." Bright Tunes owned the copyright to "He's So Fine" and received $587,000 when a judge ruled that Harrison "subconsciously plagiarized" the song. Harrison claimed he got the idea for the song from The Edwin Hawkins Singers' "Oh Happy Day," not "He's So Fine."

This was recorded at Abbey Road studios using the same equipment The Beatles used. There were some familiar faces at the sessions who had contributed to Beatles albums, including John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Billy Preston and Eric Clapton. Bobby Whitlock was friends with Harrison and Clapton, and played keyboards on the album. His thoughts:
"That whole session was great. George Harrison, what a wonderful man. All the time that I ever knew him, which was from 1969 to his passing, he was a wonderful man. He included everyone on everything he did because there was enough for all."

Whitlock: "All during the sessions, the door would pop open and in would spring 3 or 4 or 5 Hare Krishnas in their white robes and shaved heads with a pony tail coming out the top. They were all painted up, throwing rose petals and distributing peanut butter cookies." (For more on these sessions, check out our Bobby Whitlock interview)

Harrison wrote this about the Eastern religions he was studying. The lyrics contain references to the Hare Krishna faith, with some of their mantra written into the lyrics. Harrison said he was pointing out that "Hallelujah and Hare Krishna are quite the same thing."

This was the first #1 hit for any Beatle after the band broke up. Harrison was the first Beatle to release a solo album. He came out with Wonderwall Music, a soundtrack to the movie Wonderwall, in 1968.

After Harrison died, this was re-released in the UK, where it once again went to #1. Proceeds from the single went to the Material World Charitable Foundation, which Harrison started in 1973 to support charities that work with children and the poor.

U2 performed this as a tribute at their show in Atlanta on November 30, 2001, the night after Harrison died.

Harrison released a new version, "My Sweet Lord 2000," when he reissued All Things Must Pass.

Phil Spector produced this and sang backup. With the blessing of Harrison and John Lennon (and over the objections of Paul McCartney), Spector produced the last Beatles album, Let It Be.

George Harrison parodied "My Sweet Lord" during Eric Idle's Rutland Weekend Television Christmas special on December 26, 1975. He turned it into The Pirate Song.