Harrison wrote "Simply Shady" in Bombay in early 1974 during his first visit to India since 1968, when he and his Beatles bandmates had studied Transcendental Meditation at Rishikesh. In his lyrics, he reflects on the karmic consequences of his lifestyle in England and references John Lennon's "Sexy Sadie", a song inspired by the Beatles' time in Rishikesh. Harrison recorded the track at an impromptu session held at his Friar Park home studio with the L.A. Express, who were touring Britain as Joni Mitchell's backing band at the time. Two of the musicians, Tom Scott and Robben Ford, subsequently played with Harrison on his 1974 North American tour with Ravi Shankar.