I Don't Want to Do It

"I Don't Want to Do It" was written by Bob Dylan in 1968 and was little known until George Harrison's version first appeared in March 1985. The song marked the first new release from Harrison in over two years, since his Gone Troppo album in November 1982.[1] Harrison recorded the song in Los Angeles in November 1984, with producer Dave Edmunds, who was overseeing musical contributions from a number of different artists for the Porky's Revenge! soundtrack. The soundtrack album was issued on Columbia Records in America on 18 March 1985, with a British release following on 28 June. As a US single from the album, released on 22 April, Columbia selected "I Don't Want to Do It", backed by Edmunds' "Queen of the Hop". The single version is distinguished by a guitar solo in the middle, while the mix chosen for the film instead features an organ solo from Chuck Leavell.

A demo of the song, recorded before the main sessions for Harrison's 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass, can be found on bootlegs such as Beware of ABKCO! and 12 Arnold Grove. This early version had remained officially unreleased until its appearance on the 50th Anniversary box set of “All Things Must Pass” on 6 August 2021.

In 2009 the Porky's Revenge version of the song was remastered by Giles Martin and Dave Edmunds for inclusion on the compilation album Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison.[2]

Cash Box described the single as a "fairly traditional early rock arrangement of this recently uncovered Bob Dylan gem."[3]