In the studio
The Beatles released two versions of ‘Let It Be’ during their career, although both were based on the same recording.The group first attempted the song at Twickenham Film Studios in London, where they made what was to become the Let It Be film. It made its debut on 3 January 1969, the second day of filming, with a solo rendition by Paul McCartney.
Three versions were attempted with the whole group on 8 January. McCartney led with piano and vocals, with the other Beatles tentatively joining in. Further work continued the following day, with 16 versions helping to knock the song into shape. During one of the takes McCartney sang the line: “Read the Record Mirror, let it be”.
10 January saw one solo attempt by McCartney, playing before the group started work properly. The Beatles never attempted it again at Twickenham, however – George Harrison temporarily quit the group on this day, only agreeing to rejoin if sessions moved to Apple Studios.
Recording at Apple
Two versions of ‘Let It Be’ were recorded on 23 January 1969, the second day of recording at Apple. They spent more time on it on 25 January, recording 18 versions, one of which was included on Anthology 3. The recording lacks the final verse – instead of “And when the night is cloudy…” Paul McCartney repeated the first verse.
The Beatles recorded 28 versions of ‘Let It Be’ on 26 January, with Billy Preston on organ. Much of the session was taken up with work on the song, and by 16 takes of ‘The Long And Winding Road’. It seems likely that at this point both songs had become central to the group’s next album.
Twelve versions were recorded on 27 January, and another take was made two days later. The group were preparing for the Apple rooftop performance at this stage, and so were focusing on their more uptempo songs.
On 31 January they returned to ‘Let It Be’, recording 22 takes with McCartney on piano, John Lennon playing bass, Harrison on lead guitar, Ringo Starr on drums and Billy Preston playing organ.
The occasion was the ‘Apple studio performance’, during which they were to record the songs unsuitable for the previous day’s rooftop show. The day was also filmed, and portions of it featured in the Let It Be movie.
Making progress
The Beatles taped nine takes of ‘Let It Be’ on 31 January 1969, numbered 20-27. Take 27 actually consisted of two audio-only attempts, the first of which the group judged good enough to receive further overdubs.
John Lennon’s query – “Are we supposed to giggle in the solo?” – was asked prior to take 23. It was used on Anthology 3, as were his comments “I think that was rather grand. I’d take one home with me” and “OK, let’s track it… You bounder, you cheat!” – the latter spoken after take 25.
George Harrison added a new guitar solo on 30 April 1969, recorded through a rotating Leslie speaker. This solo was used on the single version of the song, and is available on the Past Masters collection. It was also supposed to feature in the aborted Get Back album.
Work on the song stopped until 4 January 1970, which was the last session by The Beatles as a group, although Lennon was absent.
McCartney replaced Lennon’s bass guitar part, then two trumpets, two trombones and a tenor saxophone were overdubbed by session musicians, as was McCartney’s descending piano motifs in between chorus and verses.
Three reduction mixes were then made, and a simultaneous overdub of brass and woodwind double-tracked the previous recording. Cellos, again played by session musicians, were also added during the reduction mixes.
McCartney, his wife Linda, and George Harrison triple-tracked some high harmony vocals, and more reduction mixes were made. The day’s final recording saw Harrison add lead guitar, including a new solo, along with maracas by McCartney and extra drums by Ringo Starr. This solo can be heard on the Let It Be album.
The album version was mixed by Phil Spector on 26 March 1970. Spector used the 4 January 1970 guitar solo, and emphasised the brass and strings. He also added huge amounts of tape echo to Starr’s hi-hat in the second verse, and slightly extended the song by repeating part of the final chorus.
A new mix was made for 2003’s Let It Be… Naked. Spector’s echo was removed, as were the maracas and tom tom overdubs from 4 January. Billy Preston’s Lowrey organ is also more prominent in the first verse, and added guitar flourishes come to the fore. The guitar solo was from a different take from 31 January 1969.
Another day when Lennon was asked about a McCartney song, and he hadn’t caught the dragon. People drone on and on about McCartney wanting “Lennon’s mind”. Lennon’s remarks here are pure jealousy.
This song and “Long and Winding Road” have always seemed very boring to me.
Let It Be was written during the White Album sessions, fully a year before “Bridge….Waters” was out.
Lennon with his typical Paul-attacks. Rarely based on fact (and ever-changing).
How can they change? He’s been dead for almost 40 years.
OK, “ever changing IN HIS LIFETIME”. I figured most people would understand that, but I was giving at least one far too much credit……smh.
Let It Be is gorgeous.
All the published versions of Lennon’s Playboy interview are riddled with transcription errors and deliberate edits which often distort the meaning of what was said. The actual transcription of Lennon’s comments about “Let it Be” are as follows:
Playboy: “Let it Be”?
Lennon: That’s Paul.
Playboy: Nothing (unintelligible) Beatles?
Lennon: What can you say? Nothing to do with the Beatles, no… it could have been Wings, right?
Playboy: Yeah. Except it, I mean that was the one that everybody said was the statement after Paul was…
Lennon (interrupting): Oh, I have no idea, you see I don’t know what he’s thinking when he writes “Let it Be.” He probably heard a gospel song. No, I think he was inspired by “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”
Playboy: Uh huh.
Lennon: That’s my feeling, although I have no, nothing to go on, you know… that he wanted to write a “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”
From the correct transcription, it’s clear that his intent is not to disparage the song but simply to say that he does not know what type of statement Paul might have been trying to make.with the song.
Thank you for the full transcription. I agree that it’s clear John didn’t set out to disparage the song and was just trying to brush the question off, as he didn’t want to speculate on one of Paul’s songs. Of course, it’s quite likely not to be his favourite song, but I don’t think he actually intends to bash it as it’s now been insisted everywhere from Wikipedia to various biographies.
If anything, the banter at the end of the take in the Anthology indicates that he thought it was at least decent — “I think that was rather grand. I’d take one home with me. OK let’s track it.”
Lennon also was quoted in the Playboy interview as saying:
He had a little spurt just before we split. I think the shock of Yoko and what was happening gave him a creative spurt including “Let It Be” and “Long And Winding Road,” ‘cuz that was the last gasp from him.
Suggesting “Let it Be” was part of a creative spurt also is clearly a positive comment. It’s too bad the myth that he disliked the song is so widely disseminated.
Well, it seems to have depended on which side of Paul’s face he wanted to slap.
Your quote presents a textbook example of a “left-handed compliment”.
When I was 10 years old way back in 1970 my parents gave me an AM/FM small radio I used to listen to at night.That’s when I first heard “Let it be” such a beautiful song that you just can’t forget.That’s when I became a Beatles fan.I went to the record store and bought the 45.Anyone remember 45’s?? I sure have enjoyed them through the years and still like them as much as ever.
It might have been the direct opposite, “Let it Be” came out a year before “Bridge over troubled Waters”
It’s impossible for Paul to be influenced by Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” when he wrote “Let it Be”, as assuming that he wrote it in late 1968, Paul Simon hadn’t written “Bridge Over Troubled Water” yet not to mention that when The Beatles were in London during January 1969 recording the Get Back project, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were probably still in production on “The Boxer” and the song “Baby Driver”.
It’s always been obvious that John himself was perhaps the most unreliable source when it came to his opinions the Beatles’ work. Depending on his mood on the day of the interview, he’d either praise it, trash it or show indifference.
I think it’s safe to say that whatever he thought of the Beatles’ musical output will always be somewhat vague, and open to all kinds of ridiculous over-analyzing by pundits, critics and fans. The other three have always been pretty consistent on their opinions.
Yet more evidence that Lennon could be an utter t**t at times. Let it be was recorded a full year before Bridge over troubled waters was released.
I’m I the only one who , on watching the infamous scene in Let it Be where Harrison is throwing a strop saying to Paul, I’ll play what you want me to play or not play at all, thinks, Harrison was a precious jealous member of the awkward squad? McCartney is walking on eggshells in this scene , going out if his way to not annoy the precocious little child.
Hey,
No, I don’t think George was being precious or jealous. I think he was genuinely (and reasonably) fed up with be instructed on what to play.
George just had enough of being bossed around by Paul! After that scene, George left, went home and wrote “WAH-WAH” which appeared on his up and coming solo album “All Things Must Pass” George was Great 😉
Their argument happened on Monday January 6th 1969. George left the next Friday, January 10th, following a physical altercation with John which was hushed up afterwards [although John alludes to it in the 1970 Rolling Stone interview].
This according to George Martin, told to Philip Norman.
There was no “physical altercation” – that was a bullshit story cooked up by a tabloid journalist, and John and George wanted to sue him over it. You see them discussing it in Get Back (2021).
I agree 100%.
The right word is not jealous, of course. He was envious, for sure. Great to see a person here who finally got it. And now we can listen to the scene the way it really happened, not edited as in the documentary. When we listen to it we can see George was the one that was sort of insulting Paul. Not otherwise. The song was his, he had the right to ask whatever he wanted and he never asked in a rude way. People can listen to the whole thing on you tube where it is clarified. No, Paul was not arrogant at all. In fact, there was nothing remotely looking like a fight between them. But George was a bit sarcastic reminding him of Maxwell Silver Hammer and also referring to him as Pauline instead of Paul. Using a feminine name for what reason? Quite strange.
George did not say “Pauline”… You heard that wrong.
I don’t think George wanted to be there in the first place, according to Anthology.
I agree with Slipper of the Yard. Paul had every right for his song to be played the way he wanted and, if anything, he showed a great deal of patience towards George. Harrison the misunderstood angel, Lennon the tortured genius, and McCartney the overbearing control freak was pretty much the barrow pushed by the seventies music press who at the time blamed McCartney for the break up of the Beatles. Perhaps attitudes have softened since then but it’s still left its unpleasant stain on both the film and the song.
Paul is responsible for the breakup of the Beatles? I was 16 years old at the time and all I ever heard was the breakup of The Beatles was caused by Yoko. Neither one broke up the Beatles. George was increasingly frustrated that not enough of his songs were reaching the Beatle albums. The breakup created one of the most successful albums of all time, All things must pass. George Harrison finally displayed his enormous talent on three albums. George would never look back.
I think the idea of George having trouble getting The Beatles to record his songs or get them on the albums is a complete exaggeration and a frequent misconception that authors like to cultivate as a result of poorly researched information or through their propaganda, because these are the facts: a) John and Paul never made any effort to be the only writers/singers for the group or publicly trash George’s songwriting and b) George got at least two songs per album in earnest starting with “Help!” onwards or if he was lucky, three on “Revolver” and four on The White Album, being a double album.
George himself later reflected that at first, he was fine with contributing two songs per album, but it only became a problem around the period of the White Album and Paul held “The Inner Light” in very high regard and even Walter Everett has indicated that John also liked the song.
John even called “Within You Without You” a nice little Indian one by George and he also liked “Something” plus he came to George’s defence when The Hollies covered “If I Needed Someone” by also criticizing their treatment of it.
Actually 4 songs on an hour and half double album is not that many- just sayin.
George played two different lead versions on Let It Be because Paul couldn’t make up his mind. Personally I like the album version better, the lead is very stinging and crisp. I guess this lead satisfied Paul, finally. Paul had become very hard to work with. He could never play the guitar like George Harrison and he knew it. The Big brother routine had worn out.
I disagree with your assessment of Paul being very difficult to work with, because if that was the case, nobody would have been collaborating with him outside The Beatles, let alone invite to guest appear on their records, and you must not take John, George or Ringo’s perceptions or misperceptions of Paul as fact. Don’t forget that during the Twickenham sessions prior to moving into Savile Row, John was addicted to heroin, which wasn’t going to help his musical creativity, and according to this webpage, https://theymaybeparted.com/2020/08/27/jan-10-see-you-round-the-clubs/, George was having marital issues and as a result of his affair with French model Charlotte Martin, he was briefly separated from Pattie, which may explain his bad mood at the sessions and as John suggested, perhaps whatever issues George was facing in The Beatles were exacerbated by his marital issues.
I like the lead on the album version better too. I especially like the new Giles Martin mix–it turns down the orchestra and turns up the guitar and organ–it really rocks!
I always preferred the single version. The Harrison solo was almost church-like, with a rough feel (yeah, I know it’s not a religious song, but it worked brilliantly on that level). The solo on the album version never really worked for me. But, if the Spector mix was going for over-the-top, why not the solo?
Actually I disagree here, Macca in his zest to get the group ‘going’ again was coming across as patronising at times, and with George fed up over trying to get his songs noticed let some sarcasm spill – somewhat understandable in my view.
With the Beatles, the one who created the song typically called the shots on the arrangement. For example, of George wanted Indian musicians and instruments on his songs, he got it. If he wanted Eric Clapton to play the solo, the others didn’t bitch.
John typically wasn’t very demanding. He went strictly for feel and spontaneity. If he wanted anything, he’d voice it in ambiguous terms (like “make me sound like I’m shouting from the moon”). Or, he’d torture the engineers by asking to merge two tracks in different keys (Strawberry Fields Forever).
Paul obviously was a perfectionist when it came to his songs. As it should be. He knew exactly what he wanted. And if it meant telling George not to answer every line with a guitar lick on Hey Jude, that’s his call (and the right one, in retrospect).
As for George trying to get his songs on the records, it took a while for him to match Lennon/McCartney. Prior to the White Album, most of his output was album filler, Indian ragas and the occasional flash of brilliance (Taxman). So, he had to realize that he had to really bust his ass to get recognized. And once he did, John and Paul praised his work. They even released Something as an A-side. It was very well deserved, since George knocked it out of the park and came up with the two best songs on Abbey Road. So, respect was finally earned, and not simply handed to him.
Paul was probably a hardass toward George at times when it came to his songs, but George let his own ego get in the way and got pissy about it, rather than use it as motivation to improve his own stature. Good thing he did.
I was only 11 years old when Let It Be was released. It was one of the best years of my life and this song as well as the LP Abbey Road in late 1969 were a major part of my soundtrack.
I was also 11 when Let It Be came out. Born in 1959, I love this song. I still do, but I must admit that the message is just so-so to me. What type of statement is it? I mean, Paul says to just let things be. So, bad lyrics but a lovely melody and musical arrangement.
Oh come on, he’s said loads of times it’s about his late Mum! Not that hard to understand surely?
I have a reel to reel recording of this song . The song is not finished and paul is humming in a lot of it. Has ajyone heard something like this . Any information wouldbe great
That sounds interesting, put it up somewhere and let people hear about it, you might have something interesting on your hands
Maybe it’s only me, but I can hear Lennon’s bass part in the released version:
If you listen to Take 27A (the original take), you can hear that Lennon plays “F”-“A”-“C” notes just after McCartney sings “Let It Be”, in every verse.
McCartney’s bass part, in those sections, goes like: “F”-“E”-“D”-“C”.
So, Lennon plays an “A” instead of McCartney’s “E” and “D”.
So it’s like:
F – E – D – C (McCartney);
F – A – C (Lennon).
On the Past Masters version (and on the Let It Be version too), I can clearly hear an “A” under the “E” and “D”, especially at 2:11 and 2:39. It sounds like there are two bass parts together in those spots.
What do you think?
I hear no evidence of John’s original bass in the final mix of “Let it Be” and according to https://www.guitarworld.com/blogs/song-facts-beatles-let-it-be-both-versions, George Martin suggested that Paul replace John’s clumsy bass playing with his own effort.
I have long assumed that there is no trace of Lennon’s bass in the original album and single version, but I’ll have to listen again.
What’s interesting about the Let It Be Naked version is that it seems to include parts both of Lennon and McCartney’s bass parts. Not sure if any of McCartney’s bass is present from the guitar solo on, but it seems to be included before that… almost like they switched bass tracks halfway through. I guess that Lennons’ part must have been one of the things they imported from the movie version, as I think it was erased from the main version to make room for McCartney’s bass.
You are right! I hadn’t noticed before but the bass part switches from Paul’s to John’s when the guitar solo starts. Maybe it’s a result of bringing that solo in from one of the original takes rather than using either of the overdubbed solos (which makes sense in the context of Naked).
If John had been aware that his bass part, if not backing vocals, was removed from the final mix of “Let it Be” in favour of Paul’s own bass part, I think he would’ve flippantly shrugged it off, as according to what I’ve read, he didn’t enjoy playing bass guitar at all.
Paul, at least, had the decency not to replace guitar or keyboard parts played by John and/or George, let alone Ringo’s drumming, with his own. It’s totally understandable why he replaced bass parts played by John or George with his own – a) he was the usual bassist and b) John or George perhaps played guide bass parts with the understanding that Paul would replace them with his own bass overdubs.
I’ve never liked the song, either. It’s pretty on the surface, but that’s all it is, it’s another impressive, but empty, genre exercise from the master of empty genre exercises.
Your comment in itself is an empty, resentful exercise in condescension towards McCartney. How did a song about one’s mother become a genre anyway?
This a Beatles’ message board, not ‘let’s bash McCartney board,’ so do us all a favour yeh?
Does anyone know exactly _when_ George Martin produced the single version of the song? Was it prior to Spector doing anything? I much prefer the single version. The guitar solo is quiet and reverential as befitting the song, The rest of the production is also very reverential; certain elements of what Spector would do later, but more subdued and blending into the composition more smoothly, with I think more grace and beauty. Also, along the same lines – were there any other songs from the project that Martin was similarly able to produce in his own way that have not been released?
Yes, the Martin single version was mixed before Spector’s mix. They are actually the same version of the song, but very differently mixed. Harrison overdubbed two guitar solos, and obviously Martin and Spector chose different solos (originally the idea was to have both solos playing at once, but obviously that was abandoned). Martin also added the choir-like backing vocals and the orchestration, but Spector chose to turn up the orchestra and turn down the backing vocals, while Martin did the opposite.
I personally like elements from both mixes, but my favorite version is now the Giles Martin remix–he bases it on the Spector version (including the more forceful guitar solo), but turns down the orchestra and turns up some of the live elements, including Billy Preston’s organ. To me, it kind of combines the best aspects of the previous mixes, though if you don’t like the the louder guitar solo, you might not like it as much as I do.
I don’t know why many people prefer the sloppy sounding solo Specter chose for the Let It Be album version. It comes in so loud in the mix it seems like a mistake. It’s rhythm is weak and overall destroys the vibe of this heartfelt ballad. George’s solo for the single is absolute perfection because it has no ego. it complements the song with its tone, rhythm and the emotion of the performance. George Martin always presented class in his mixes and arrangements which this solo has. The Specter solo was only created to make Get Back sound different from the single so the buying public didn’t feel ripped off. That was its only function.
I’m not a Macca-hater, but certain of his Beatle songs have just never done anything for me, and this is one of them, total pseudo-profundity. It sounds like it’s supposed to be about something deep, but it’s all surface. And let WHAT be, anyway?
Whatever is troubling you, don’t take it to heart, let it be and go on and enjoy your life, as like most songs, it’s over before you know it.
I’m not sure what Joe thinks of me linking to other websites here, but personally I found this interesting, although I’m not a religious man.
https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2012/12/let-it-be-marys-radical-declaration-of-consent/266616/
I interprete Let It Be to be some sort of Amen. Or just an acceptance of one’s fate. It’s certainly doesn’t mean ‘Don’t do it!’
I watched the ten-part 2017 PBS documentary about Vietnam this autumn. I think the penultimate episode ended with Bridge Over Troubles Waters over the credits, so I did start to wonder which song would end the tenth and last. When the opening piano chords to Let It Be followed Tim O’Brien’s poem The Things They Carried it felt powerful, even if I had been beginning to suspect which song would arrive.
You’ve made your point. Not particularly well. Definitely more than once. Noted, I’m sure.
It was this song that made me interested in the Beatles’ music, when I was about 11 years old, 18 years after the song was released.
I am hoping for Watching Rainbows, Madman, Commonwealth, No Pakistanis and More on the 50th
Having listened to the sessions of this song, I can’t say the atmosphere is hostile or unfriendly, rather the band members are relaxed, maybe a bit bored.
In one of the versions from January 25 they can be heard joking about the lyrics:
George: “Captain Marvel goes to me”
Paul: “Brother Malcolm ”
John: “Bloody Mary comes to me” ?
Why Paul dont use lyric ” there will be no sorrow”, “shine until tomorrow” as a release record? It’s sound great actualy
I think to song is saying not to hang on bad thoughts and to hold grudges as my Husband just watched the series on Vietnam and they played Let it be as the last episode ended I think the message is that it is history learn from it but don’t let it poison you
Let it be!!
Anybody else notice, on the Naked remaster 2016 version, a different take of Macca’s vocal is used beginning with the final verse until the end?
The whole sonic quality of his voice is superior on this version
thats way too many takes. i think all those takes and working so many hours on the same material over and over must have got them very tired which probably got them less patient and led to some disputes in the band and made it harder to finally agree on the song lyrics and music. recording the same song 28 times in a day makes no sense.
I am not a George fan. The Indian music does nothing for me nor does his guitar playing. I think the Beatles would have been fine without him. He didn’t want to tour anymore so they stopped. He didn’t want this or that. He was a baby. He stole the melody to write my sweet lord. Ringo didn’t really matter. It was John and Paul. Then Yoko f****d it all up. To see her sitting there during the Get back sessions sickens me. If it wasn’t for Paul there would be no Get Back. Ringo got a free ride. It’s amazing how John kept it together enough to be in a studio, considering he was on heroin. I have found throughout my life that all musicians are POS.
What’s the point of this dramatic statement in this particular place (Let It Be song)?
Paul started writing “Let it be” in 1968, then they recorded it in January of 1969. “Bridge over troubled water was released in January of 1970. So Paul did not copy “Bridge over troubled water”. In this article John was only credited with back ground vocles. John played bass on it in the movie and I’ve heard John played lead guitar on the album version. Anyway it’s an absolute masterpiece!
That they went back in January 1970 to add some orchestral instruments and replace the bass shows the slight flaws of the Get Back project, where the original idea of a back to basics “band” recording only worked on the simple rock numbers.
Maybe the Get Back album should have been the rockier numbers and a few covers, with songs like Let it Be and Long and Winding Road kept back for a more “produced” album such as what became Abbey Road.
I recently came across a video interview with Mal Evans who recounts his version of the creation of Let it Be. He said that Paul was meditating one day, and Mal appeared to him in a vision saying “Let it be, let it be”. Paul told Mal he was going to change the lyric so people didn’t get “the wrong idea”. I’m inclined to believe Mal’s telling because he seemed quite sincere, and there’s the fact that Paul does sing “Brother Malcolm comes to me” in an early take of the song. Thoughts?
It seems to me a little presumptious of Mal Evans to imply Let it Be was all down to him. Evans was awash in drugs and alcohol at the the time so I don’t see why his version is necessarily any more accurate or sincere. Mal also said the meditation episode took place in India, but unlike many songs written in India, Let it Be wasn’t. It was written months later when Paul was in personal and professional turmoil. I see no reason why Paul has been untruthful about his mother coming to him in a dream reassuring him. It was theme of his lyrics. If it possibly triggered his memory of that ‘let it be’ episode with Mal, then there’s nothing untoward about that. Hence the Brother Malcolm line sung in jest along with the others as noted in an earlier comment. Mal says Paul wanted to change the lyric to avoid giving the wrong impression. It’s possible Paul also said that in jest because it wasn’t about Mal in the first place. Many young men at that time were probably hesitant about singing about their mothers. It wasn’t the done thing in the sixties. The implication from his detractors that Paul lies about everything is tiresome and underhanded. Remember he was right about Blackbird. Egg on faces all round there.
Mal never said the dream took place in India – not sure where you got that from. He said that Paul told him about this dream or “vision”. Are you saying Mal completely made that up? Because it’s certainly odd that we also have Paul singing the very same words – “Brother Malcom”. Mal’s story makes sense and is backed up by actual recorded evidence. In the 2018 White Album anniversary edition, you can hear a very early take of Let it Be – and Brother Malcom is sang twice – Mother Mary, never.
That was probably a piss-takes demo, with Paul probably adding in filler words for blocking (as he typically did, particularly on his classic “Scrambled Eggs”).
More than likely, Mal happened to walk in the room, and Paul gave him a shout-out on a rough demo that was never going to be released.
All in all, I have no doubt the muse for that song was Paul’s late mother. Nothing more than that. And it wasn’t a religious thing – Paul was never really into organized religion (his mom and dad belonged to different faiths, and his wife was Jewish), outside of acknowledging the possibility of “a higher power,” and leaving it at that.
I think this is one of Paul’s finest, and it has very much to do with The Beatles, one of the stylistic most versatile bands in history. Also, this is one of the late songs where George truly nails the guitar solo and makes a composition beyond.
Why does the ‘Did You Know?’ feature today say that Let It Be was the first track to be released in the USSR? That was Girl, on the 1967 Melodiya L.P. ‘Musical Kaleidoscope’.