| "I'll Still Love You" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Ringo Starr | |
| from the album Ringo's Rotogravure | |
| Published | 1972 (as "When Every Song Is Sung") |
| Released | 17 September 1976 |
| Studio | Cherokee, Los Angeles |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 2:57 |
| Label | Polydor (UK)/Atlantic (US) |
| Songwriter(s) | George Harrison |
| Producer(s) | Arif Mardin |
"I'll Still Love You" is a song written by English rock musician George Harrison and first released in 1976 by his former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr. Produced by Arif Mardin, the track appeared on Starr's debut album for Atlantic Records and Polydor, Ringo's Rotogravure. The composition had a long recording history before then, having been written in 1970 as "Whenever", after which it was copyrighted with the title "When Every Song Is Sung".
Harrison originally intended the song for Welsh singer Shirley Bassey, who had a hit in the summer of 1970 with a cover version of his Beatles composition "Something". Although Harrison recorded "When Every Song Is Sung" himself during the sessions for All Things Must Pass that year, it was not included on his album. He went on to produce recordings of the track by former Ronette Ronnie Spector in February 1971, and Cilla Black in August 1972, but neither version was completed for release. Mary Hopkin and Leon and Mary Russell also attempted the song during the first half of the 1970s, with Harrison participating in the Russells' recording. A later version by Black – produced by David Mackay and titled "I'll Still Love You (When Every Song Is Sung)" – appeared on her 2003 compilation Cilla: The Best of 1963–78.
Together with John Lennon and Paul McCartney's respective contributions, the song's inclusion on Rotogravure marked the second occasion when Starr's former bandmates had each supplied a song for one of his albums, after Ringo in 1973. While Starr's rendition is often held in low regard, some commentators consider "I'll Still Love You" to be one of Harrison's finest love songs and on a par with "Something". Author Ian Inglis describes the song as "an unfinished masterpiece".[1]