Splinter's Bobby Purvis and Bill Elliott had had links with the Beatles for some time before they came to work with George Harrison,[1] since Mal Evans, in his role as a talent scout for Apple Records, had discovered the duo (then playing in the Newcastle band Half Breed) and become their manager.

[2][3] Following his involvement with the music documentaries Raga (1971) and The Concert for Bangladesh (1972), Harrison's first foray into feature-film production was Little Malcolm (1974),[4][5] directed by Stuart Cooper and shot primarily in Lancashire during February and March 1973.

[2][9] "Splinter had all the qualities that Harrison admired in abundance," Simon Leng has written in his musical biography of the ex-Beatle, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, noting Purvis's strength as a songwriter, Elliott's powerful vocals, and the pair's "lush harmonies".

[17][nb 1] Work on The Place I Love is said to have taken seventeen months, as Harrison encouraged Purvis and Elliott to refine their vocal sound in the studio and rework their songs, adding many ideas of his own.

[22][23] By the end of January 1974, before heading off to India for a month,[24] Harrison included portions of Splinter's unfinished songs "Gravy Train", "Somebody's City", "Drink All Day", "The Place I Love" and "China Light" on a tape for record-industry boss David Geffen.

[25] Hoping to secure a US distributor for his nascent record label, and considering Splinter the "jewel in Dark Horse's crown",[1] Harrison added comments stressing to Geffen the band's "really good" songwriting.

[17] While Elliott and Purvis perfected their vocals parts, Alvin Lee added guitar to "Gravy Train" and "Haven't Got Time", and Mel Collins' "well-targeted horn charts" featured on three tracks.

[22] Writing in Melody Maker in September 1974, Chris Irwin described The Place I Love as an "outstanding [debut]", which benefited from Harrison's "clean, unmuddled production job" and musical contributions, as well as those of Billy Preston.

Irwin suggested that it might have been "just another album" without this outside participation, but acknowledged that Splinter "have undoubtedly got something real and fresh to offer" and "[stamp] their own sweetly flowing style on the record, with an impressive collection of songs".

Shaw identified "China Light", "Costafine Town", "Situation Vacant" and "Somebody's City" as possible hit singles, adding: "each is a minor classic within the genre, flawlessly produced and full of the stirring melodies and tasty little touches that make a song linger in your head for years."

[47] As highlights, he singled out "Somebody's City" (an "absolute jewel", featuring some of Harrison's "best and flashiest" guitar playing), "Gravy Train" ("practically a sequel to 'Get Back'") and "Costafine Town" ("a warmly nostalgia-laden tune with a memorable melody and gorgeous singing").