Is This What You Want? is the debut album by English rock and soul singer Jackie Lomax, released in 1969 on the Beatles' Apple record label. It was produced by George Harrison and features contributions from Harrison's Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. The album includes Lomax's debut single for Apple, the Harrison-written "Sour Milk Sea". The US version added "New Day", which was produced by Lomax and released as a non-album single in Britain.
The recording sessions for Is This What You Want? began in London in June 1968. The majority of the songs were recorded in Los Angeles in October–November that year, after Harrison had completed work on the Beatles' self-titled double album (also known as the "White Album"). Among the other guest musicians were members of the Wrecking Crew, Eric Clapton, Nicky Hopkins, Klaus Voormann and John Barham. Although the album received favourable reviews, it failed to achieve commercial success. The 2010 reissue includes bonus tracks covering the rest of Lomax's output while on Apple Records.
Background
Jackie Lomax, a Liverpudlian, first met the Beatles while performing in Liverpool and Hamburg in the early 1960s as the lead singer of the Undertakers. In 1967, he signed to the Beatles' Apple Publishing as an in-house songwriter, recording demos of his songs at the company's original headquarters, on Baker Street in central London. John Lennon was the first to suggest he should consider becoming a solo artist, and with the formation of Apple Records in early 1968, George Harrison committed to producing an album by Lomax on the new label. Lomax later said he was concerned that the album might never get made since he was unsure whether Harrison would ever come back from India, where the Beatles were attending Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation course in the early months of 1968.
Harrison was the last Beatle to return from India, on 21 April, after which he and Lomax ran through material intended for the album at Harrison's Esher bungalow, Kinfauns. Lomax recalls first hearing the song "Sour Milk Sea" there, played by Harrison on acoustic guitar with Lomax accompanying on bass. Among Lomax's own material was the Motown-inspired "Speak to Me", and "Is This What You Want?", a song that has been described as bearing a close resemblance to the Beatles' "I Am the Walrus".
Production
London, summer 1968
Recording for Is This What You Want? began at EMI Studios in London in June 1968 and continued through the summer in between Harrison's work on the Beatles' self-titled double album (also known as the "White Album"). While working alone at Trident Studios, down the hall from where the band were recording, Lomax was invited to add backing vocals to "Dear Prudence" in late August; he had also joined the backing chorus for "Hey Jude" earlier that month. The songs recorded included "Sour Milk Sea" and "The Eagle Laughs at You", for the A- and B-side of Lomax's debut single on Apple, and "You've Got Me Thinking".
Among the guest musicians on the London sessions, much of which would go unused, were Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Nicky Hopkins, Klaus Voormann and Paul McCartney. Other participants included drummers Bishop O'Brien and Pete Clark; the former was part of Apple artist James Taylor's backing group, while Clark was the drummer for Lomax's live band. Lomax performed several London gigs during this period.
"Sour Milk Sea" was issued in late August as one of Apple's "Our First Four" single releases, marking the official launch of the label. In an interview to promote the single, Harrison said that the record was indicative of his and Lomax's decision to put artistic merit above the requirement for an "obvious hit", as well as their shared liking of a "heavy, tight [rock] sound". The single received considerable promotion and favourable reviews. It peaked at number 29 on Canada's RPM 100, but failed to achieve commercial success in Britain (where it failed to chart) and America.