The release
In the US, Let It Be was preceded by a single, ‘The Long And Winding Road’/‘For You Blue’.By the time the single was issued on 11 May 1970, news of The Beatles’ split had broken. The release was one result of Allen Klein’s plan to rapidly increase The Beatles’ income: 1.2m copies were sold in its first two days on sale, and it became The Beatles’ 20th and final number one single in the US.
Let It Be had its US release on 18 May 1970. More than 3,700,000 advance orders had been placed, which at the time was the highest for any album in the history of the US recording industry.
In the UK, Let It Be was initially released on 8 May 1970 as a box set, with a 168-page book, titled Get Back, containing stills and dialogue from the Let It Be film. The package retailed at £2 19s 11d, one pound more than the normal selling price of an album, and on 6 November 1970 it was withdrawn and replaced by a conventional album release.
The Let It Be film had its world première in New York City on 13 May 1970. On 20 May UK premieres were held at Liverpool’s Gaumont Cinema and the London Pavilion. Tellingly, none of The Beatles attended any of the events.
The film was taken over by Allen Klein, who actually got The Beatles much later, after Let It Be was all recorded, and that was when the rot set in. Klein saw a rough-cut of it and said he didn’t want anyone else in the film but The Beatles, so everyone else who was in any shot at any time was taken out, the net result being that it got a bit difficult to watch after a while. Also, some of the stuff that I know was in there originally, and was extremely interesting, was conversations with other people, members of the film crew, people who were just around, people visiting, like Billy Preston – but Klein said that only The Beatles could be in the film and that was it.
The Record Producers
Cover artwork
The Beatles’ albums had been treated to a wealth of iconic images during the 1960s, from Robert Freeman’s photography on With The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night, Beatles For Sale, Help!, and Rubber Soul, to the artworks by Klaus Voormann, Peter Blake and Richard Hamilton on their 1966-68 releases.
Let It Be, when it eventually emerged, featured portraits of each of The Beatles, taken during the recording sessions, separated by thick black bars. The meaning was clear: the group was no longer together. They were not named on the cover, and the words “Let It Be” starkly underlined that it was the group’s epitaph. On the cover of the UK box set, the album title did not even appear.
On the back cover there were four more black and white portraits, along with a few words attempting to preserve the myth that Let It Be showed The Beatles warts and all:
This is a new phase BEATLES album…
Essential to the content of the film, LET IT BE was that they performed live for many of the tracks; in comes the warmth and the freshness of a live performance; as reproduced for disc by Phil Spector.
In a November 1971 interview with Melody Maker, Paul McCartney spoke of his disapproval of the words, which he felt masked a greater truth.
There was a bit of hype on the back of the sleeve for the first time ever on a Beatles album. At the time, the Beatles were very strained with each other and it wasn’t a happy time. It said it was a ‘new-phase Beatles album’ and there was nothing further from the truth. That was the last Beatles album and everybody knew it.
Melody Maker, November 1971
His comments prompted a letter of reply from John Lennon, who requested that his version of events be given equal prominence to McCartney’s. The result was an unseemly public row between the two, which, although mostly focused on wider issues, effectively trampled the reputation of Let It Be further into the ground.
One other little lie in your “It’s only Paulie” MM bit: Let It Be was not the first bit of hype on a Beatle album. Remember Tony Barrow? And his wonderful writing on “Please Please Me” etc. etc. The early Beatle Xmas records!And you gotta admit it was a ‘new-phase’ Beatle album, incidentally written in the style of the great Barrow himself! By the way, what happened to my idea of putting the parody of our first album cover on the Let It Be cover?
Also, we were intending to parody Barrow originally, so it was hype. But what is your LIFE article? Tony Barrow couldn’t have done it better. (And your writing inside of the Wings album [Wild Life] isn’t exactly the realist is it?) Anyway, enough of this petty bourgeois fun.
Melody Maker, November 1971
Critical reception
Let It Be won an Oscar for Best Original Song Score at the 43rd Annual Academy Awards in 1971. The statuette was accepted on their behalf by Quincy Jones. The soundtrack was also awarded a Grammy for Best Original Score.
Music critics were generally positive in their appraisals of Let It Be, though responses were mixed. In the Times newspaper, William Mann wrote: “Let us attend the funeral when life is pronounced extinct; at the moment the corporate vitality of The Beatles, to judge from Let It Be, is pulsating as strongly as ever.” Similarly, Robert Christgau in the Village Voice said: “Though this is a little lightweight, it makes up in charm what it lacks in dramatic brilliance.”
Conversely, New Musical Express critic Alan Smith wrote: “If the new Beatles soundtrack is to be their last then it will stand as a cheapskate epitaph, a cardboard tombstone, a sad and tatty end to a musical fusion which wiped clean and drew again the face of pop.” Rolling Stone magazine identified Phil Spector’s production as the album’s weakness: “Musically, boys, you passed the audition. In terms of having the judgment to avoid either over-producing yourselves or casting the fate of your get-back statement to the most notorious of all over-producers, you didn’t.”
Although most Beatles fans were aware that the group was no more by the time of Let It Be’s release, it was still hoped that their final musical word would be a suitable epitaph, one as creative as Abbey Road had been, and with the drama and gravitas that might be expected of a final word. Instead, many listeners considered the songs lightweight, half-hearted, and several steps down from The Beatles’ earlier heady heights.
In the years since then, the album has been embraced by newer generations of fans, many of whom remain unaware of the difficulties surrounding its gestation. Although few would claim that ‘For You Blue’, ‘Dig It’, or ‘Maggie Mae’ are among The Beatles’ best, the likes of ‘Across The Universe’, ‘Let It Be’, and ‘One After 909’ show the range of styles to which they could turn their hands to. And, let us not forget, even if the collection wasn’t The Beatles’ best, for many lesser bands these songs would have constituted a career peak.
Let It Be, Naked or Not has two of Paul’s most long winded and nail scrapes aganst the blacboard. After seeing Anthology this past week, i forgot how he was the most annoying of the Beatles. Let It Be and Long and Winding Road could have ended a lot soone, but no, the camera’s were rolling. Let It Be was a recording of the breakup of a band and these two songs were the blueprint.
If you don’t like Paul McCartney then you don’t like the Beatles. Let it Be and Long and Winding Road are too of Paul’s masterpieces -as well as being two of the best songs on the Album. Really silly post..
Right on, Beatlesguru !!!
Agreed
I like Paul McCartney as a musician, and he’s written some great stuff, but I don’t like Let it Be or The Long and Winding Road. Not saying they’re bad songs, I just don’t like them.
An astonishing comment. Let It Be and The Long and Winding Road are both beautiful songs that showcase two of McCartney’s best vocal ballad performances. It’s true that the latter piece suffers somewhat from Phil Spector’s arrangement taking things a little too far. He should have left off the choir and harp; the other orchestral parts would have sufficed. But it’s still a great number nonetheless.
As for being long winded, both songs clock in at under four minutes, which is a very typical length for a pop/rock song.
No, Antoni’s right. Echoed my thoughts exactly. The one time in fifteen years Paul actually impresses me with songs like Two Of Us and I’ve Got A Feeling, and all everyone wants to talk about is the overrated Long & Winding Road and the even more overrated Let It Be. This isn’t even to mention that two 40 second “songs” we’re included for seemingly no reason other than to say they had more tracks, that John’s incredible Don’t Let Me Down was excluded, and no one even mentions Across the Universe, one of the best on the album. What a mess. This is why I prefer the older albums
No, Antoni is not “right”. YOU may agree, but that only means his opinion is “right” for you.
And his opinion is right for me too. The Long and Winding Road may be under 4 minutes but it feels like 10 minutes. Very overrated with a forced emotion and phony feel. Let it Be blows it away.
George Michael, a man of taste, obviously didn’t think TLAWR overrated and phony. He performed his own beautiful version of the song. He wasn’t the only one either.
Don’t Let Me Down was only “incredible” because Paul and to a lesser extent George put it together. On the Get Back tapes you can hear them putting together Don’t Let Me Down because John was too stoned to get anything together.
And Long and Winding Road and Let It Be are incredible beautiful heartfelt songs, the only problem with LWR is Spector’s ridiculous orchestrations and choir.
What you said seems to have made no sense. You literally said that, AFTER seeing Anthology, you forgot how Paul was the most annoying of the group. So then, you HAD been thinking that Paul was the most annoying UNTIL you saw Anthology, and THEN you forgot how annoying he was. Perhaps his charm won you over?
To a certain degree I agree with Antoni, I’ve always despised the Spector TLWR. I liked LIB when I was a kid, it was, and still is, considered the prototypical Beatles song here in Italy, where the general public thought that the Beatles were the gentle and melodic soul of pop, that they apparently stopped at Rubber Soul and then got it again with Let It Be and Michelle was their greatest triumph. Then, of course, I listened to 1966-1969 and, well, I simply grew up. I like the naked version of TLWR better, but it remains one of my least favoured Beatles song, and I don’t find McCartney a particurlarly enticing charachter, but this doesn’t mean that I don’t think he’s a genius and an incredible singer, and nobody can DARE say that I don’t like the Beatles.
‘The Long & Winding Road’ is the only Beatles song I’ve never liked.
‘The Long & Boring Song, that goes on & on…”
Yup!!
This is so true. In the doc, everyone in the studio (including Linda and Heather) falls asleep when Paul plays these.
Being brand spanking new to this particular Beatles site, I was just fixing a whole wear the rain gets in, when I suddenly found meself wonderin’, In 2003 there was mention that the Let It Be film was about to be released. This film was last screened on British BBC2, Television in about 1982. A Saturday, If I recall… But is it any closer to being released. Any ideas???
Engineers started remastering the film a while back but decided the film was too “controversial”. Paul and Ringo do not want it released either. I doubt it will be released any time soon, especially during Paul, Ringo, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison’s lifetimes.
I’ve got a dvd of the movie. It’s great!
The whole album and sessions and film and all is so polemic!
Here’s why LIB doesn’t work for me – and this may be picky but here goes: because it is supposed to be the soundtrack to a movie and was intended to replicate the feel of live performances, the problem I have is this – listen through head phones and notice how many times John’s voice is on one side and his guitar is on the other side.
This completely wrecks the feel of a live performance. At least for me.
Sorry I can’t help but notice it.
Does anyone know if Paul fixed this on LIBN – I don’t have that CD.
It shouldn’t really make a difference. With multitrack recording, a live performance can be taped with simultaneously-played instruments routed to different tracks, which can then be mixed to different parts of the stereo spectrum. Of course, that’s not to say that all of the LIB performances were live – there were a number of overdubs added once they’d thrown the ‘live’ concept out of the window.
There are the overdubs done by spector onto three songs, the overdubs done by paul, ringo and george onto the song let it be and of course I Me Mine was recorded as though it were on the white album or abbey road (which was in fact a very good idea, they should have recorded the whole album in that way and it should have been produced by George Martin). Are there any other overdubs?
“marked a move away from The Beatles’ elaborate studio experimentation of 1966 and 1967, with a return to more straightforward rock and roll, and the White Album and much of the Yellow Submarine soundtrack had followed in a similar vein.”
I wouldn’t say much of the Yellow Submarine soundtrack was back to basics. There were 13 songs: 2 were repeats from previous albums/singles, 7 were George Martin’s orchestra songs, 2 were George Harrison’s songs neither of which sound back to basics, so that leaves 2 new Lennon-McCartney songs which could be called back to basics.
And certainly not all the White Albums was back to basics – Revolution 9, Wild Honey Pie.
I was referring to the ‘new’ songs on the YS soundtrack, though it probably needs clarifying. Certainly Hey Bulldog and All Together Now were a step away from their sound of 1967, though the George Harrison songs clearly aren’t.
As for the White Album, you’re right that there were some complex recordings on there, but nothing like to the same degree of Sgt Pepper or Strawberry Fields Forever. Much of it is fairly straightforward, thought with liberal doses of Beatles magic.
“And, let us not forget, even if the collection wasn’t The Beatles’ best, for many lesser bands these songs would have constituted a career peak.”
Couldn’t agree more. When fans always talk about this isn’t good or whatever, what we really mean is compared to The Beatles’ other stuff it isn’t as good, but it is still amazing.
Sorry Joe, but it does matter whether lennon’s voalcs and guitar are on the same stereo pan.
of course multitracking makes it possible to put an instrument and/or vocal anywhere in the spectrum, but that doesn’t make it “work”.
Even though the beatles abandoned the actual “live” recording technique, they still marketed and presented the album as a live experience – to go with the movie.
The intended feel of the record is to experience a live beatles performance (even if it wasn’t). So it’s an anomaly to have a musician’s voice separated from his instrument.
Of course perhaps I’m just too sensitive.
The blurb on the back of the album states “…played live for _many_ of the tracks…” so as such was not false advertising. Even though they had the original concept of a no-overdub, live, etc. album, after they were done the fraught sessions of Jan. ’69, they were just sick and tired of the whole thing and wanted it done with. They themselves no longer cared about the project or the original concept. Spector’s flourishes, whether or not you like them, were not done on the rock-oriented pieces anyway, so as such didn’t disrupt the core of tunes that we would have most benefitted from the live sound (with the exception of I Me Mine, but the additions there were not as pronounced). Now for my 2 cents on Spector – I think the worst part of the Spector songs was not LAWR, but Let It Be. Compared to the great George Martin produced single, this one had the orchestra come BLASTING in mid-song, with a raucous and blaring solo, both of which were sloppily slammed in there, but also too loud for the more reverential mood of the song.
I might add that multitrack recording does not preclude recording several things onto the same track.
A vocal and an instrument might be recorded onto a single track together, and there doesn’t have to necessarily be any rhyme or reason to it. LIB was recorded on 8-track and I would believe that there were multiple occasions of “doubling-up” (or more).
With electric instruments and microphones and amplifiers, modern live music often features “a musician’s voice separated from his instrument”; it is not anomalous.
Even though this LP features my least favorite Beatles song, I still enjoy the heck out of it – Spectorized or not. In fact, I wish all of the songs on it were recorded “live” on the roof top. It would have been very refreshing to hear a live Beatles recording without the screaming.
As an aside, I get a kick out of the Spector quote on page 5 of this article. I’m by no means a fan of his, but it’s the first time I’ve seen his defense in print. It’s actually pretty funny.
Yes, I love that quote. I used it on the Phil Spector profile as well.
Personally, I prefer Glyn John’s quote on page 4. Bitingly accurate with no punches pulled.
Spector’s defense of his orchestral arrangement for The Long and Winding Road is indeed funny. It would be even better if it were actually true.
I’ve seen McCartney perform it live a couple of times within that 25-year span that Spector mentions. I’ve never heard any choir or harp, which were the major offenders for McCartney, as I recall.
The ’76 live version has a very spare brass arrangement, minus strings, that bears no resemblance at all to Spector’s work on the Let It Be album. It actually sounds much closer to the Let It Be…Naked version than to the Let It Be album.
The later performances in the late 80s and into the 90s have a bigger orchestral background. Those performances do borrow a few phrases here and there of the Spector arrangement, take some of the brass from the ’76 version, and add in some new wrinkles—but still no harps or choir.
An example of that can be heard on Tripping the Live Fantastic (1990). The net effect is a somewhat scaled back version that is far from being a copy of the Spector arrangement. I would call it slightly reminiscent of the original but smaller and less epic sounding. In other words, it’s closer in style to George Martin than Phil Spector.
So Spector’s claim and defense sounds good, but it’s way off the mark–unless McCartney has taken lately to performing it fully Spector style, which seems unlikely.
I believe Paul made a mistake. He did allow female voices in their records. Yoko sang in The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill, and Yoko again along with Patti Harrison in Birthday. His wife Linda provided background vocals for Let It Be.
Yeah, and there was also the female choir in “Walrus” – and howbout those two Apple scruffs that Paul himself invited to sing on “Across The Universe”! He was either being wilfully obtuse, or exaggerating, or he had a terrible memory. (And the amount of dope he smoked would suggest the latter.) 🙂
Pretty sure Paul meant a female singing lead
and wasn’t there an entire choir on Good Night?
Ooh right, good catch!
LIB is both fantastic and disappointing. Eventhough substandard by usual Beatle standards, the songs are worthy and hold up against anything other artists put out at the same time (hell, for the next 40 years for that matter!). It was a disappointment in that it actually could have been far, far better. The Beatles are openly apathetic on LIB. Also, George’s growth as a songwriter could have (had he been allowed to contribute more songs)partly made-up for John’s growing indifference, dwindling song contributions and a seeming drop in the quality of his contributions. All Things Must Pass absolutely deserved to have been properly recorded and included on LIB (and NOT in place of, but in addition to, For You Blue and I Me Mine). It is no wonder why George walked out during these sessions and became hesitant to work as a Beatle ever again. What a pity (which reminds us that Harrison’s brilliant song Isn’t It A Pity was another in a list of George composed tunes rejected for Beatle records by John, Paul and/or George Martin). Thankfully, George recorded these on his own after the group’s dissoluion.
It is funny that people think of John towards end as not writing much but he was actually very creative and writing a ton. He just did not want to write for the beatles. Look at his first two solo albums Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, they are full fledged releases. Paul’s first solo albums while they are charming and having their bits (and the masterpiece ‘Maybe Im Amazed) are bit rough and incomplete.
I have always thought that “McCartney” was Paul’s attempt to complete the vision of the Get Back sessions: simple and back to basics.
There is nothing incomplete about Ram, it still sounds like a really well produced album even today. And McCartney was supposed to be “home made” and back to basics. I mean he did most of it in his living room on a 4 track. He wasn’t going for polished. He was going for rough.
Perhaps they were referring to “McCartney” and “Wild Life”, both very basic. Even Red Rose has a kind-of incomplete sound. I agree that Ram is another story altogether.
This is not a Beatle album, is just a Spector work… A Spector album, soloist, taking the tapes and the band’s name…
Adding orchestra to a quarter of an album, while not doing anything else of his typical way isn’t bad. It’s called doing what you’re asked.
I think Phil Spector is treated unfairly when it comes to LIB. He had the unenviable task of wading through hours of recordings and make something of it–all with virtually no input for the band. The only sin Spector committed was not being George Martin. Martin is tasteful and understated; Spector (on all his works) is melodramatic and over-the-top. Spector simply delivered a Spector production. Lennon was reportedly happy with it. I have little patience for McCartney’s complaints. A bit like crying over spilt milk.
Actually I don’t think Spector did wade through that many hours of tapes. Most of the selection and filtering was done by Glyn Johns prior to Spector arriving.
When Spector began work he hit the ground running, completing his work in a matter of days (he needed just seven recording and mixing sessions in March and April 1970), with George Harrison and Allen Klein apparently present for most of the sessions. Ringo Starr even played on one.
I know this question might exasperate those who know the story well, but please indulge someone who doesn’t know every detail, but is rediscovering the band that he revered as a child: Why didn’t George Martin see GB / LIB over the finish line? Given that Glyn Johns had no fewer than 4 attempts rejected, and that someone as unsuitable as Spector was brought in, I’ve read the entire article and not quite understood why George Martin wasn’t allowed to complete the production of the album. I understand he was the producer initially. Can anyone tell me what changed?
ps – absolutely love the site. Great work.
I alway wondered why george was at most (or all) of the Spector sessions, but didn’t do the guitar overdubs which were probably done by some session guitarists. Maybe it was him on guitar but then we would know it (we also know that ringo did the drum overdubs). I really wonder who these guitarists were, maybe it was someone famous like eric clapton or so. But probably it will always be a secret who did the guitar overdubs on the long and winding road (and maybe on the other two songs)
What the hell are you talking about? There were NO “session” musicians doing guitar work overdubs. It’s not even in question.
I find this album to be sort of like that lost piece that you would love to retrieve, and it should be possible, yet, you can’t grasp it. What should this album really sound like? How should I hear it? Can I ever just enjoy it for what it is (the music is not terrible)? Aren;t the Beatles even apathetic, still worthy of that mystique that John says is gone? Should I listen to which version? Was perhaps the Glyns Get Back first or second version the way it should have been? Did Paul have the chance to save some of it in Naked, yet even he didn’t quite get it right?
As to defending or attacking Spector… I like his work from the 50’s for sure. But don’t see him as a producer for the Beatles. The thing is, he did what he thought was good, and I can stomach much of it (haven;t tried the winding road lately though). But I love Across the Universe. What bothers me, is that he adds such elaborate stiff to Beatle’s songs without Paul’s approval. In fact, Paul can not even change it after complaining. As an artist, this truly bothers me. I do not like the idea of hearing Beatle’s tracks with significant changes made by outside people that some of them would not have even preferred to work with.
Yet, if the group had been more coherent and civil by then, and perhaps less lazy, they could have seen it through. But maybe mistakes are what they are for a reason. Maybe it is better that the album is what it is and tells the story it tells. Maybe seeing a group like the Beatle’s not realize something is dramatic and powerful in a sense. Maybe if John wasn’t on ‘H’ he could have been more willing to be workable. Maybe Paul forced the idea on the others way too much. Why does money and business get such a say in determining art. So what if they needed another money. I would rather violate the contract and lose money (easy for me to say) than compromise the well being of the band and make an unenthusiastic project.
So much to say about all this… now how to listen?
This album is seriously underrated. The ‘naked’ version is by far and away my favorite Beatles album
There is a great and amazing album in there, but it’s never come out – not Glyn Johns, not Spector, not Paul’s. It’s like there’s a dullness to the sound – like a mask over the sound – it’s almost muffled. The crystal quality of their earlier recordings is missing. Was it their lousy attitude, bad recording equipment and set up at Apple versus Abbey Road, George Martin’s apathy from being told by Lennon “none of your production crap” – something’s missing – Lennon was right when he called it “lifeless” and it’s a shame because there is a great magnificent album in there.
Any chance that the movie would see the light of day again? This may sound crazy, but Let It Be is one of my favorite Beatles albums; despite some studio chicanery by Phil “Capitol Murder” Spector, the songs sound fresh, as if they listened to “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and enjoyed it.
Why did Paul McCartney leave the Get Back/Let It Be session tapes sitting around for over a year? He supervised the Get Back/Don’t Let Me Down single release, why didn’t he complete the album for release? How would Beatles history have been different if the album had come out in April 1969?
Side 1 could have been the rooftop performance – Get Back/Don’t Let Me Down/Dig A Pony/I’ve Got A Feeling/One After 909/Get Back reprise. Side 2 studio performance – Let It Be/For You Blue/Across The Universe/Two Of Us/Dig It/Long and Winding Road.
i just downloaded LIB – Naked and I’ve been listening to it constantly. I have always contended that, when all is said and done, The Beatles were just a rock band. And LIB Naked lets them be a rock band. The guitars come through – it’s clean, it cooks, it’s great. Even though they were done with each other, you don’t get that from the album. Paul and John singing together on Two of Us is magic. One After 909 is pure joy. I Dig a Pony is Lennon at his cheeky best. My only criticism is Long and Winding Road, which I’ve never liked. I listened to this version with great anticipation, thinking now I would finally get to appreciate it. But no. It’s still a crappy song. Maybe with just vocal and an acoustic guitar it might work better. Sorry, Paul.
Many people are trying to “remake” this album into something else – something they wish it to be. “Let it be naked” is that album. The original is simply… what it is. It is a documentary put to music. In early ’69 the group was falling apart. Let It Be is a sad epitaph for a dying rock band. Adding or removing songs from their “Last album” is fruitless. ( Abbey Road was the last recorded with a few minor additions to Let it Be).
A better exercise would be to take the best songs from their individual albums and single releases from ’70 and ’71 and create a double album – ala “White Album”. Between the four, their is enough “Beatle” sound to compile a really good album. Much like the White album, it would reflect individual styles and still retain a familiar, distinct sound. I would stop after December ’71 due to placing a time limit of music release, and distinct drop in quality of solo material in general from the members after ’71. I would not include any thing from “Wings Wildlife” or Lennon’s other albums.
Songs could be from the following Albums:
McCartney
Ram
Plastic Ono Band
Plastic Ono Band – Live In Peace Toronto
Imagine
All Things Must Pass
Singles could include:
HI, HI, HI
Another Day
Don’t Come Easy
Back Off Bugaloo
Instant Karma
Cold Turkey (if not from Live in Peace Toronto)
Come and Get It* – sorry Bad Finger, we’ll keep this one to ourselves
Could still be a fun exercise to compile these songs into a double album and wonder “What if?”.
Just a few thoughts.
I agree. If you’re in the audience, unless you’re sitting extremely close to the group, you would not hear voice on one side, guitar on the other. It would all be in the mix. Sounding more separated than a mono recording, but definitely nowhere near hard or even medium panned.
Hi Joe, setting aside the debate that Ringo actually played the svaramandal on an early take of “Across The Universe,” the instrument is not used on the final version, and therefore doesn’t appear on the Let It Be LP. Shouldn’t it be deleted from the album credits (otherwise Lizzie Bravo and Gayleen Pease deserve credit for backing vocals?). I only mention this because students in my class visit your site regularly and this tripped a few of them up. Keep up the good work!
Are you sure it’s not in the Spector mix? I thought I heard it in a few places, particularly towards the end. Lizzie and Gayleen are included on the Across The Universe article, but they don’t feature on this album.
Despite the controversies surrounding this album I love it, having got it back in 1978 as a 12 year old.John Lennons Across The Universe is beautiful and one of his best. Let It Be is a great song and one of Paul McCartneys finest. As is The Long and Winding Road, though McCartney hated Phil Spectors production of it which is fair enough. Get Back is a great rock song and I love The Two Of Us, I Me Mine, Dig A Pony and the One After 909, which Lennon and McCartney wrote back in the early days in Liverpool.
I always wondered why the US did not release this in a box set like the UK & Canada did????
While this album contains a certain dullness of sound there are none the less some hidden, if not totally underrated classsics such as I, me, mine and don’t let me down. If you count lib…naked that is.
Lennon always so negative calling the music junk, he’s the cookie monster in the trash can!!!
Let it be was my first Beatles single and LP. I can’t really listen to it any longer as I remember spending whole nights listening to this album! I’ve got the movie too now, plus “naked” and various bootlegs from the same sessions. Stand out songs are “two of us”, “across the universe”, One after 909 and “for you blue”. I can’t be rational when it comes to this album, too much of my teen age in it!
I saw the LIB movie as an impressionable teen. It was amazing to me to see the Beatles sounding so great while looking so casual! I knew that the album was considered their worst by those who knew such things. In fact the album was out of print during the first part of the 70’s. I bought it in the late 70’s and I loved it for the same reason that I loved the movie. It struck me that, hell, if this is their worst, wow, these guys are truly an amazing band. I don’t mind the Spector enhancements. To the contrary, the violins in The Long the Winding Road are terrific. I confess, I can understand how Paul might have objected to the chorus at the end. But even that sounds magic to me, even now. I particularly like the snippets of John making cracks between songs (maybe a poke at Paul preceding the title track), the false start on Dig a Pony, and the two odd throwaways, Dig It and Maggie Mae. My only complaints: Don’t Let Me Down belongs on that album; John sounds awfully tired and hoarse in Dig a Pony – so it drags; One After Nine O Nine is filler, possibly my least favorite Beatles song. The album is flawed, but it is an integral part of the Beatles history. McCartney’s revision with “….Naked” was not an improvement in my opinion.
I think that if one leaves aside the background story behind LIB, the album, and listens to the collection of songs in it, it’s a pretty good album. Perhaps not their best, specially if we considered it was their last release, but even with Phil Spector production values, there’s great music in it. As to Spector’s production, In think he did the right thing with LIB and TLAWR with the arrengements, except for the female choir on the latter, which makes it sound cheesy. That song lends itself to that kind of treatment. Its version on LIB Naked sounds, well, a little naked, though the song LIB on LIBN sounds awsome. One can hear Billy Preston’s organ more upfront and clear. He certainly added so much in the songs he recorded with The Beatles.
Ringo said, “And Yoko jumped in, of course; she was there.” Does anyone know if there is recorded audio of this statement? Or was it a written statement on Anthology? (I haven’t seen the film and don’t have the albums.) Changing the punctuation and inflection would give it a whole new meaning. “And Yoko jumped in. _Of course_, she was there.”
Being born in 1975, I was exposed to all of the Beatles music at about the same time (the early 80s) so I don’t have any prejudice against any album or song like some appear to have against LIB. If I were to make a top 20 playlist of my favorite Beatles songs, Dig a Pony, Get Back, One after 909, I’ve Got a Feeling, and Two of Us would definitely be included. And even though it wasn’t included in the original album but is on LIB…Naked, Don’t Let Me Down would be on my list too. And I like Let it Be and Long and Winding Road too, but just not enough to be top 20.
Most of the songs on this album are just great song along songs. IMO, they had to have been doing something right to get that many great songs on an album while the band is disintegrating.
Beatles album if they didn’t split
Late 1970
All things must pass
Maybe I’m amazed
Isolation
It don’t come easy
Look at me
Backseat of my car
Apple scruffs
That would be something
I found out
Every night
Love
Man we was lonely
If not for you
Hold on
I didn’t notice any statement of this article when and why “Get Back” has turned to “Let it be”, who decided about the change of the title and the album cover. am I blind or something?
That’s because it wasn’t answered in this article. I hope these questions are answered in the upcoming 50th Anniversary releases.
The story long-told is that “Get Back” had been released as a single in the spring of ’69, about a year before the album and movie were finally released. Since “Let It Be” was being released as the initial single, nearly coinciding with both album and movie, the name was changed. Promotion. Nothing more.
As much as I like both Let It Be and the Naked version I think the Naked version was better for obvious reasons. It sounded closer to what the group originally wanted. That’s not to say the original’s bad but you can tell they’ve had enough of each other. Personally, I thought Get Back, Don’t Let Me Down and The Long and Winding Road sound better on the Naked version.
Is there any listing from which I can see which song on Let It Be was recorded where? Like… “Get Back” roof version, “Let It Be” Twickenham version, “Two Of Us” Savile Row version..
Usually, the album Let It Be is not highly rated, even by the fans of the band. But objectively judging, it is a kind of revelation. Here are some reasons:
1. As many as three songs are number one on the US charts, and two of them are also number one and two on the UK charts. Nice result.
2. As many as three songs are recordings from a live performance. A situation not found on any other album of the group. If at the time anyone thought the Beatles couldn’t rock live anymore, they were wrong.
3. The album features one of the most wonderful songs the band has ever recorded, ie Across The Universe.
4. The album features the last track recorded by the group before their breakup, ie I Me Mine. It is the band’s only song that was recorded entirely in 1970. Strong, definitely rock number.
5. One of George’s best guitar solos (Let It Be song) was recorded on this album. There is also quite a rare thing here, John’s great guitar solo (Get Back).
6. Finally here’s Two Of Us – a wonderful, charming and fresh vocal duo from John and Paul. Just like the old days.
I have to improve myself: as many as 4 (!) songs from the album Let It Be are number 1 hits on the American Billboard charts. This fourth track is obviously For You Blue, and the single with double A-side: TLAWR / FYB for two consecutive weeks was at the top of that list in June 1970: https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1970-06-13, https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1970-06-20. That fact is obvious, so omitting this track from compilation album 1 is highly unclear. In any case, as many as 4 number one hits (in US) undoubtedly indicate the uniqueness of the Let It Be album.
It would be better never to mention John Remembers interview. John himself told to Rollling Stone magazin in the last interview for them that he had told lies at that time and was not responsible because he was full of heroine. When they wanted to released that s**t in a book format John was against it for this reason. He had regretted the things he said. But as soon as he died they released it with Yoko’s approval. She even wrote something for the book in total disrespect to his late husband. If they had included his last one where he informed he told lies in the first time that could be acceptable. But they didn’t. Rolling Stone and Yoko wants his lies to prevail. And every time people reproduce it is like hitting John’s spirit.
JOHN’s spirit? Well, yes, I guess that too. Beatles spirit, mainly.
The Curse of Let it Be states that it’s content will never be released officially.
Just look at how it got delayed multiple times.
On stills of the rooftop concert, as well as in the movie, I notice there is a painting standing on the ground behind Ringo Starr on his right-hand side. The painting has kind of red stripes/flashes on a black background. Does anyone has more info about that painting? Whose painting is it? Why was it there on the roof? Who painted it? Thanks
Recorded from Feb 1968? How so?
Because that’s when Across The Universe was mostly recorded.
The first time I heard “The Long and Winding Road” was on my sister’s copy of “Wings Over America”. I thought it was a really good song.
When I heard the Phil Spector version years later, I was pretty unimpressed.
Fast forward to the release of “Let It Be Naked”. I was reminded why I thought this was a good song to begin with.
I actually have “Let It Be” playing as I’m typing this. It’s not necessarily sad that the Beatles broke up. It seems that the guys were all pretty tired of it all.
But it is pretty sad that things were so acrimonious between them for so long.
Due to my age, I got into Beatles in their later era, psychedelica and later but by ‘69 I began to collect on them, records, mags, memorabilia. I saw LIB at the theater and read that the album was a return to roots attempt, a style popular then. I had to get much older and on social media to read comments from folks downing the album and its biggest hits and hating LIB and TLAWR songs. I don’t remember this theme in music mags, reviews or my social circle.
I wonder if anyone noticed that the amazing black and white photo of a bearded John with his guitar on the back cover of the Let it Be album was taken not in January but in February 1969? Another great shot of John from the day at: https://www.facebook.com/BeatlesRecording/photos/a.1482175891902613/1965004953619702/?type=3
I love what Spector did, he saved that album, pure genius!