S$# 032 George Harrison | I Don't Want To Do It

Between 1982's Gone Troppo and 1987's Cloud Nine albums, we didn't hear much new music from George Harrison. He was keeping busy with his Handmade Films company, and his musical output was limited. He had a few songs in the Shanghai Surprise film, and he played at a Prince's Trust concert, for example. He also released I Don't Want To Do It, a real gem of a song that was plunked into the very excellent soundtrack of a not-so excellent film, in 1985.

Dave Edmunds was asked to produce the music for Porky's Revenge, the third in a series of adolescent sex comedies. He brought together a number of high profile musicians to perform the songs on a soundtrack that fit the early 60s setting of the flick. The roster included Carl Perkins, Willie Nelson, Jeff Beck, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Clarence Clemons, and the quiet Beatle.

Dave also hired a great studio band to play on the tracks. Supporting George on IDW2DI are Jimmie Vaughan and Dave on guitars, Chuck Leavell on keyboards, Michael Shrieve on drums and Kenny Aaronson playing bass.

Rather than write a song for this project, or sing one of the tunes Dave wrote for it, George picked a song that had long fascinated him - a never-before released Bob Dylan song that George had been playing for himself at least since the 1970 sessions for All Things Must Pass. (He does a great acoustic version of the song on the ATMP-era bootleg Beware Of ABKCO.) (It's also been rumoured that Ringo recorded a version of the song too that still languishes on the shelf; Bob may have recorded a version, but it's never been released either.)

IDW2DI is an introspective song; the singer is re-examining his life and reflecting on a love he doesn't want to let go.

Looking back upon my youth
The time I always knew the truth
I don't want to do it
I don't want to say goodbye

To go back in the yard and play
If I could only have another day
I don't want to do it
I don't want to make you cry

To go back on the hill beside the track
And try to concentrate
All in all the places that I want to be
No, it shows you that I could not wait

So come back into my arms again.
This love of ours, it has no end
I don't want to do it
I don't want to make you cry

I don't want to do it
I don't want to say goodbye

I don't want to do it
I don't want to see you cry

To go back on the hill beside the track
And try to concentrate
All in all the places that I want to be
No, it shows you that I could not wait

So come back into my arms again
This love of ours, it has no end
I don't want to do it
I don't want to say goodbye

I don't want to do it
I don't want to say goodbye

I don't want to do it
I don't want to make you cry

The liner notes of the remastered issue of the soundtrack sum up how moving the cut is:

One of the album's standout songs - and the one furthest removed from the project's good-timey focus - is George Harrison's haunting performance of I Don't Want To Do It, a previously unreleased Bob Dylan composition that receives a yearning, heartfelt treatment, with Leavell's elegant organ work underscoring the poignance of Harrison's vocal.

I Don't Want To Do It was released as a single, with a Dave Edmunds b-side, that unfortunately didn't do anything on the charts. The soundtrack CD was out of print for a long time, but was reissued in 2004. It has not appeared on any George Harrison album.