To mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the recording sessions from "Get Back" project, I bring you a new work, this time with the complet evolution of the album, later know as "Let It Be". From the original acetate to the mixes made by Glyn Johns in May 1969 and January 1970.
In addition to an extra, a fourth disc with a reconstructed version of "Let It Be", made according to the option of the director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, that the content of the album and movie were almost the same. Ok!,So let's get into the subject and review some of the history.
Due to the tensions accumulated among the members of the group in recent months, since the death of Brian Epstein in 1967, Paul McCartney thought that his next studio album should be more simple, without so much applied technology, like a a return to its beginnings, The project would be composed of a album recorded almost live, accompanied by a documentary film from the american director Michael Lindsay-Hogg. This director, previously had worked with The Beatles in the promotional films of "Paperback Writer" / "Rain", "Hey Jude", and "Revolution".
One of many ideas from this project was to include a farewell concert,The Beatles had not performed in concert from August 29,1966 in San Francisco at The Candlestick Park,and was not a bad idea, finish in this way. About the location of the event; conventional places like the Roundhouse in London were discussed, but were also considered more unusual places like a disused flour mill and an ocean liner. The place that received the most consideration was a Roman amphitheater in North Africa. None of these ideas got success.
With all this in mind and more, the project started on Thursday, January 2, 1969 in London at Twickenham Studios. However what was supposed to be a relaxed atmosphere, it soon became clear that it was not, because the inconveniences of the place, cold, dark and with bad acoustics, were added the fact of having to record in the morning or early afternoon, accustomed to work by night or dawn, without cameras recording around they. Only Paul McCartney seemed interested, because John and Yoko, were in their world;. George had his mind set on other matters and Ringo was simply there.., thinking possibly of the script of "The Magic Christian".
After long, long days of fruitless work, with endless and bored rehearsals, in fact, all the recorded material was considered disposable and unusable for the future album; all finished with a discussion, on January 10, between Paul and George, in which Harrison momentarily quited the Beatles. He only returned, when Paul apologize, Billy Preston join to the band and they abandoned Twickenham Studios, went to Apple Studios in Savile Road, to continuing with the plans.
The recording sessions are resumed with a more professional atmosphere on Wednesday, January 22, uninterrupted until Thursday 30. The next day and after abandoning the idea of giving a concert on a boat or in the middle of the desert, they played a concert on the roof of Apple with this setlist: two takes of "Get Back", followed by "Dont Let Me Down Tk-1"; I've Got A Feeling Tk-1 ";" One After 909 "," Dig to Pony "," I've Got a Feelin Tk-2 ";" Don't Let Me Down Tk-2 ", and one last version , the third of "Get Back". Moment in which the project went to its assembly phase.
In February, John and Paul called the sound engineer Glyn Johns and passed him the tapes that had been recorded at Apple Studios between January 22 and 31, and he was asked to mount a record. On March 10, after a few days of work at Olympic Studios, Glyn Johns had a acetate with this provisional order:
Side A: (19:10)
1.- Get Back #1.(2:37)
2.- Teddy Boy.(5:53)
3.-On Our Way Home. (3:41) – (A.k.a: “Two Of Us”).
4,- Dig a Pony. (4:04)
5.- I´ve Got a Feeling.
Side B: (20:42)
1.- The Long and Winding Road.(3:38)
2.- Let It Be.(3:58)
3.-Rocker.(0:45)
4.- Save The Last Dance For me.(1:37)
5.- Don´t Let Me Down.(3:42)
6.- Because You´re Sweet and Lovely. (3:05). (A.k.a: “For You Blue”).
7.-Get Back #2.(2:55)
8.- The Walk. (0:58)
After listening it, the Beatles approved it and asked him to start with the final mix of the album. Glyn Johns returned to Olympic Studio 1 and began working on "Get Back" album between April 3 and May 28. Meanwhile, the film assembly continued, whose date of released both, film & album, had been fixed for the month of July, right in the middle of the sessions of recording of what should have been its last disc "Abbey Road".
Begining of June, showed the album "Get Back" finished to The Beatleswith this line-up:
Side A: (19:34)
1.- The One After 909. (3:08) - (Jan.30.69)
2.- Rocker. (0:45) - (Jan.22.69)
3.- Save The Last Dance For Me. (1:37) - (Jan.22.69)
4.- Don´t Let Me Down. (4:08) - (Jan.22.69)
5.- Dig a Pony. (3:47) - (Jan.24.69)
6.- I´ve Got A Feeling. (2:46) - (Jan.24.69)
7.- Get Back (3:21) - (Jan.28.69) (The single release version)
Side B: (23:38)
1.- For You Blue. (2:55) - (Jan.25.69)
2.- Teddy Boy. (3:43) - (Jan.24.69)
3.-Two Of Us. (3:30) - (Jan.24.69)
4.-Maggie Mae (0:42) - (Jan.24.69)
5.-Dig It. (4:25) - (Jan.26.69)
6.-Let It Be. (3:57) - (Jan.30.69 & April 31 overdub)
7.-The Long and Winding Road. (3:42) - (Jan.31.69)
8.- Get Back (Reprise). (0:40) - (Jan.28.69)
On July 20, the Beatles attended a private screening of the film with director Michael Lindsay-Hogg. When the Beatles finished watching it, they did not like it and thought that the best thing would be to file it and released only the lp. But the executives of Apple Corps demanded the director to finish it, because it had cost a lot of money to produce it.
But before it was concluded the film, their next studio album "Abbey Road" was released by Apple-Parlophone, on September 26, 1969: so the “Get Back” project was postponed until to early 1970. bit.ly/69TBGBC On January 3, George Harrison recorded "I Me Mine" in Studio 2 of Abbey Road and the next day Paul retouched "Let It Be" with a remix of "Across the universe", were given to Glyn Johns for update the album "Get Back", with a 2nd mix as follows:
Side A: (22:54)
1.- The One After 909. (3:08) - (Jan.30.69)
2.- Rocker. (0:45) - (Jan.22.69)
3.- Save The Last Dance For Me. (1:37) - (Jan.22.69)
4.- Don´t Let Me Down. (4:08) - (Jan.22.69)
5.- Dig a Pony. (3:47) - (Jan.24.69)
6.- I´ve Got A Feeling. (2:46) - (Jan.24.69)
7.- Get Back (3:21) - (Jan.28.69) (The single release version)
8.-Let It Be. (3:57) - (Jan.30.69 & April 31 overdub)
Side B: (20:34)
1.- For You Blue. (2:55) - (Jan.25.69)
2.-Two Of Us. (3:30) - (Jan.24.69)
3.-Maggie Mae (0:42) - (Jan.24.69)
4.-Dig It. (4:25) - (Jan.26.69)
5-The Long and Winding Road. (3:42) - (Jan.31.69)
6..-I Me Mine. (1:45) – (Jan.3.1970)
7.- Across The Universe. (3:27) – (Feb.4 / 8.68)
8.- Get Back (Reprise). (0:40) - (Jan.28.69)
Paul asked Glyn Johns to remove "Teddy Boy", because this song was going to include it in his solo album: "McCartney", released in April 1970, something that was supposed to be a secret for the other three Beatles.
The project was renamed now "Let It Be", but the director of the film suggested to the Beatles that the album be retouched, once again, with the intention of looking more like the content of the film, with this is the optional line-up:
Side A: (20:44)
1.- Don´t Let Me Down. (3:19) (*)
2.- I´ve Got a Feeling. (3:36) (*)
3.- One After 909. (2:50) (*)
4.- Dig a Pony. (3:43) (*)
5.- Get Back (3:53) (*)
6.- Let It Be. (4:01) - (Jan.25.69)
(*) live at The Rooftop Concert. January 30.1969 3 Savile Row, London, UK
Side B: (20:48)
1.- For You Blue. (2:16) - (Jan.25.69)
2.- Two Of Us. (3:23) - (Jan.24.69)
3.- Mailman. Bring Me No More Blues. (1:54) - (Jan.29.69) (+)
4.- Dig It. (1:02) - (Jan.24.69) (Alternate unreleased edit)
5.- The Long And Winding Road. (3:38) - (Jan.26.69)
6.- Rock Medley: Rip it Up/Shake,Rattle N´Roll/Blue Suede Shoes. (3:08) - (Jan.26.69) 7.- I Me Mine. (1:45). (Jan.3.70)
8.- Across The Universe. (3:37). (Feb.4 & 8.68)
(+) Not on film.Added to complete the minutes per side.
John, fed up with so many inconveniences, said to Paul: let's finish with this now. Called the producer Phil Spector, gave him the work that Glyn Johns had done and asked him to set up his own version, something that bothered Paul McCartney especially.
Finally in May, film and album (Phil Spector version) were published; The weekend 8th to 10, in United Kingdom were released film with the soundtrack, the last Beatles album: "let it be"..The13th in the United States.
The film won the Oscar for best soundtrack, (best musical adaptation) of 1970 for the song "Let It Be"; however, at the awards ceremony of the academy, Quincy Jones was the one who picked up the prize since none of the fab four attended. Isn´t it a pity?.
Enjoy it as always.
