“Thirty Days” – The Ultimate Get Back Collection
The Beatles’ Get Back session have been written about to death so
we’ll keep it brief. The Beatles gathered on January 2, 1969 at Twickenham Studios
with the intention of rehearsing brand new songs for a concert that would be televised
live throughout the world. They also agreed to have the entire process filmed for an
accompanying documentary. When the sessions drew to a close thirty days later, the
spectacular live show had been downgraded to an impromptu concert on the roof of the Apple
building, and the live television broadcast and documentary had been combined and
reconfigured into a single feature film. The Beatles left behind them a half–finished
album and boxes upon boxes of taped rehearsals, performances, arguments and jams. It is
from those boxes that this set is culled.
So what makes this collection ‘ultimate’? First off, everything on
these 17 discs has been digitally transferred with great care from master tapes. So they
sound better than they ever have before! More than 500 rolls of tape were sifted through,
and only the very best and most interesting performances were chosen for inclusion. In
some cases performances have been painstakingly reconstructed from as many as three
original tape sources. Secondly, the dialogue and lengthy stop–and–go rehearsals
that sometimes made listening to Get Back sessions a chore have been bypassed, with only
“takes”, serious run–throughs, oldies and the more interesting structured
jams being presented. All the performances that made up the Let It Be album (except for
those recorded outside the time frame of the Get Back sessions) can be heard in their
original, unadulterated form. And for the very first time the January 30th rooftop concert
has been meticulously reconstructed from ALL existing source material, while the January
31st session that produced “Two of Us”, “The Long and Winding Road”,
and “Let It Be” is presented in a form more complete (and enjoyable!) form than
ever before.
In the track listings that follow, each song is cross–referenced to it’s entry
in ‘Get Back". The Unauthorized Chronicle of The Beatles’ Let It Be
Disaster,” the authoritative work on these
sessions. The prefix of each number represents the day in January 1969 on which the song
was performed, while the suffix places the song in chronological order within that day.
All tracks that weren’t covered in that book have only a day prefix followed by the
word “new”. Even a cursory glance at the track listings (especially those from
January 22nd to 31st Apple sessions) reveals that an avalanche of new and exciting
material is waiting for the listener! And even if the song is “old”, it is most
often in better quality or more complete than it was on any previous issue. You can also
see that in some places the authors of Get Back were incorrect with their datings and
performance placement, so the correct information is presented here. So hit
“play” and enjoy the Get Back sessions like you never have before.
Humphrey Lestouq, M.B.E.
DISC 1 – Playing Time 66.07
The Best of the Twickenham Sessions Part One
Disc 1 joins the sessions just before 11.00am on January 3rd (the January 2nd session
being
bypassed on this set because it was completely documented on Yellow Dog’s
“Ultimate
Collection” series). This disc is highlighted by a trio of early
Lennon–McCartney compositions
(tracks 15 through 18) which are otherwise lost, as well as a slew of enjoyable
“oldies” that the band often used to warm up with. Brand new to CD are early
versions of “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” and
“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” and a rather provocatively worded improvisation
led by Paul, dubbed “You Wear Your Women Out,” for a lack of a more formal
title.
Thursday, January 3
1 – Adagio For Strings (3.20) – 3.1
2 – Adagio For Strings (0.49) – 3.2
Roll 11A? A solo piano performance by Paul, who attempts to play Samuel Barber’s
“Adagio For
Strings” on piano.
3– Let It Be (1.17) – 3.10
Roll 11A? Paul rolls into this unfinished composition. He sings the first verse and a bit
of the
chorus.
4 – Crackin' Up (0.34) – 3.23
Roll 13A? – Paul and George perform a brief duet of the Bo Diddley song.
5 – All Shook Up (1.08) – 3.24
Roll 13A? – George leads the band into another oldie. He and Paul share vocals
remembering
about half of the Elvis Presley classic.
6 – Your True Love (1.44) – 3.25
Roll 13A? – Paul and George continue as the primary vocalists, this time for a Carl
Perkins tune.
Like “All Shook Up,” the performance is a bit loose but spirited.
7 – Blue Suede Shoes (1.30) – 3.26
Roll 13A? – A slightly disjointed, but quite enjoyable performance, with distant
vocals from John,
Paul, and George.
8 – Three Cool Cats (2.19) – 3.27
Roll 13A? – Paul starts off this cover of the Coasters novelty song. George sings
lead vocal with
help from John and Paul.
9 – Lucille (3.27) – 3.29
Roll 14A? – A fairly complete cover of Little Richard’s hit. Paul is quite free
with his vocal.
Nonetheless, the musicianship on everyone’s part is reasonably competent.
10 – I’m So Tired (2.32) – 3.30
Roll 14A? – Paul takes the lead vocal on this Lennon composition. The lyrics are
similar to those
in the version released on The Beatles, except that Paul laughingly interjects a line
about
abstaining from alcohol.
11 – Ob–La–Di, Ob–La–Da (1.30) – 3.31
Roll 14A? – Paul’s Jamaican influenced bass leads off this slightly
off–color version of a song that
originally appeared on The Beatles. John does most of the singing here.
12 – The Third Man Theme (1.50) – 3.35
Roll 14A? – After a few tentative bars, The Beatles play an almost perfect rendition
of this
instrumental favorite.
13 – Don’t Let Me Down (2.47) – 3.NEW
Roll 15A? – A sincere effort from The Beatles.
14 – I’ve Got a Feeling (4.12) – 3.NEW
Roll 15A? – A rather competent run through marred only by a poor guitar solo from
John.
15 – The One After 909 (3.17) – 3.45
Roll 16A? – Paul and John share vocals on a substantially complete but sloppy
performance of
this old Lennon/McCartney number.
16 – “Because I Know You Love Me So” (2.33) – 3.46
Roll 16A? – John leads them into this pleasant, country–influenced number. John
and Paul duet
on this song, although John is a bit off mike.
17 – “I’ll Wait ‘Til Tomorrow” (1.04) – 3.48
Roll 17A? – Paul and John share vocals on another unpublished Lennon/McCartney
original,
which is even more country influenced than “Because I Know You Love Me So”
18 – “Won’t You Please Say Goodbye” (1.01) – 3.51
Roll 17? – Another early Lennon/McCartney tune. John and Paul sing what they can
remember
from this one.
19 – Bring It on Home (1.55) – 3.52
Roll 17A? – Reminded by John of “Bring It On Home,” George begins to sing
it, and Paul and
John join in.
20 – Hitch Hike (2.00) – 3.53
Roll 17A? – George handles the lead vocal on this lively performance. John and Paul
go to
falsetto for the chorus.
21 – You Can’t Do That (2.15) – 3.54
Roll 17A? – John, Paul, and George share vocals on this version of a song from their
A Hard
Day’s Night LP.
22 – Hippy Hippy Shake (2.36) – 3.55
edit of Roll 17A/ roll Slate 40 take 123 – This is a complete performance of this
C???? R????
number. Paul is very enthusiastic, but has trouble remembering how the song goes. Note
that
the soundman’s slate number has been edited out.
23 – Short Fat Fannie (3.03) – 3.60
Roll 19A? – This cover of Larry Williams’ novelty tune is one of the better
performances of this
session. George handles the lead vocal, with occasional help from Paul, and seems to
remember almost all the words.
24 – Midnight Special (2.08) – 3.61
Roll 19A? – John leads the band into this traditional folk tune. Paul sings along and
they have a
great time even though they remember hardly anything but the chorus.
25 – What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For (When They Don’t Mean What
They
Say!) (1.04) – 3.64
Roll 19A? – John, Paul, and George all hop gleefully into this one. George seems to
know all the
words but Paul has them a bit scrambled.
26 – All Things Must Pass (3.26) – 3.80
Roll 23A? – The Beatles launch into a complete performance of the song. They struggle
a bit
when they reach the middle eight, and also have difficulty at the finish, but this is
still a great
improvement over the previous attempts on January 2.
27 – Maxwell’s Silver Hammer (2.26) – 3.NEW
Roll 27A? – Run through with Paul on bass.
Monday, January 6
28 – (Improvisation) (6.02) – 6.12
Roll 23A – Paul plays an original instrumental, struggling a bit on the organ(????).
After two
minutes or so, Ringo takes his spot behind the drums and joins in. Over time John, then
George,
join in as well as the performance mutates into a simplistic jam.
29 – “You Wear Your Women Out” (2.54) – 6.NEW
Roll 33A – A bluesy improvisation.
DISC TWO – 71.22
The Best Of The Twickenham Sessions Part Two
Another disc that intermingles embryonic versions of the Beatles own compositions
(including
some fresh glimpses of “Get Back” right at it’s moment of genesis!) with
excursions from their
rock n roll roots. The admiration that each of the Beatles held for the likes of Gene
Vincent,
Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Larry Williams, and Eddie Cochran couldn’t be more
evident as they
usually had more energy to play song s from their youth than work on their own material.
It
should be noted that tracks 1 and 9, while not necessarily “new,” are far, far
more complete here
than on previous issues.
Monday, January 6 (continued)
01 – “My Imagination” (7.06) – 6.15
edit of 33A/34A/11B – A faster and spirited improvisation. Paul, who has moved from
organ to
bass, improvises a few lines of lyric. Much of this jam has a blues feel to it.
02 – (Improvisation) (5.08) – 6.NEW
Roll 34A – A bluesy improvisation.
03 – I'm Talking About You (0.50) – 6.25
Roll 36A – George gives a brief but competent solo performance of this Chuck Berry
song.
04 – Dizzy Miss Lizzie (2.41) – 6.16
Roll 37A? – The Beatles return to their rock and roll roots with a loose cover
version of this Larry
Williams’ classic.
05 – Money (That's What I Want) (2.24) – 6.17
Roll 37A? – Except for an errant wah pedal, this is a fairly straightforward cover
version of Barrett
Strong’ recording.
06 – Sure To Fall (2.47) – 6.19
Roll 37A? – Once they remember the title, they attempt to play it. This performance
is quite nice.
John and Paul absolutely enjoy harmonizing on this pleasant country tune.
07 – Don't Let Me Down (3.08) – 6.35
Roll 43A – This is a complete run through of the song and it’s a strong take
until the end.
08 – Two of Us (2.48) – 6.56
Roll 44A – This is a complete performance and improvement is evident.
09 – Across The Universe (2.55) – 6.65
Roll 45A – Despite the lack of lyrics, John performs his composition but no one is
particularly
interested.
10 – Hear Me Lord (1.32) – 6.71
Roll 45A – This is basically a George solo performance, except for a few tentative
bars from the
bass.
11 – All Things Must Pass (3.33) – 6.71
Roll 45A – The Beatles take the song from the top and, despite some sloppy
musicianship, turn in
a good performance.
Tuesday, January 7
12 – The Long and Winding Road (4.53) – 7.1
Roll 50A – A solo piano performance from Paul, who is once again playing for the
camera to pass
the time until the other Beatles arrive.
13 – Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight (2.38) – 7.2
Roll 50A – Paul launches into a medley of two more piano based numbers. Paul sounds a
little
bored.
14 – Get Back (1.30) – 7.14
Roll51A – First loose run through of an improvisation that is definitely “Get
Back.”
15 – Get Back (2.08) – 7.NEW
Roll 52A – A second run through.
16 – Get Back (1.54) – 7.NEW
Roll 52A – Third loose run through where Ringo has joined in on drums.
17 – “Woman Where You Been So Long” (1.48) – 7.37
Roll 57A – The band jams as Paul pounds out a boogie–woogie rhythm on the piano
and sings
what is presumably an improvisation.
18 – “Oh Julie, Julia” (2.17) – 7.38
Roll 57A – Paul leads the band into this Little Richard–like number.
19 – A Shot of Rhythm and Blues (1.57) – 7.61
Roll 63A – John leads the band through this very enjoyable performance. He has a
surprisingly
good recollection of the words.
20 – Rock and Roll Music (2.03) – 7.80
Roll 65A – John delivers a very enthusiastic lead vocal, and does far better than one
would
expect at remembering the words.
21 – Lucille (1.20) – 7.81
Roll 65A – George leads in another oldie, this time Little Richard’s hit.
22 – Gone, Gone, Gone (2.08) – 7.84
Roll 65A – The performance is very upbeat, with John having fun on lead vocal and
George
playing a very nice guitar solo.
23 – The One After 909 (1.20) – 7.88
Roll 66A – Paul starts to sing the lyrics in a spirited manner recalling the early
days of the group.
24 – Don't Let Me Down (3.35) – 7.NEW
Roll 66A – Run–though.
25 – Thirty Days (0.59) – 7.101
Roll 67A – John performs an enjoyable bit of this oldie. Paul offers a limited vocal
backing.
26 – Be–Bop–A–Lula (1.51) – 7.104
Roll 67A – John sings this Gene Vincent classic, joined only by Ringo on drums. He
attempts to
play the guitar solo and is clearly enjoying himself.
27 – Lotta Lovin' / Somethin' Else (0.59) – 7.105
Roll 67A – John and Ringo continue their trip through the Gene Vincent songbook with
a stab at
“Lotta Lovin’ ” segueing into Eddie Cochran’s “Somethin’
Else.”
28 – She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (3.03) – 7.111
Roll 68A – A strong and serious performance. They turn in an adequate performance and
Paul
expresses satisfaction.
DISC THREE – 70.12
The Best Of The Twickenham Sessions Part Three
The sometimes miserable Twickenham sessions reached their high point, both in terms of
general mood and performance quality, on January 8th and 9th. The new songs were really
starting to come into focus, as some very lively performances on this disc (tracks 3
through 5, 8,
12 and 13 for example) attest. Paul in particular is flowing with enthusiasm through out
these
performances from his spirited “Good morning” in the middle of “I’ve
Got a Feeling” (track 5) to his
frantic shouts that end a charged, early version of “Get Back” (track 18)
Wednesday, January 8
01 – (Improvisation) (1.47) – 8.NEW
Roll 70A? – John’s piano is captured in the background.
02 – Stand By Me (2.06) – 8.7
Roll 71A – Paul sings most of this song in a mock operatic voice. The refrain reminds
him or
“Figaro, Figaro, Figaro” from Rossini’s comic opera The Barber of Seville
and he breaks into this
several times.
03 – Two of Us (3.12) – 8.11
Roll 71A – Except for a botched beginning this performance is lively and fun,
particularly because
it’s played at a faster tempo than usual. An abridged version of this performance can
be seen in
the film Let It Be.
04 – Don't Let Me Down (3.10) – 8.14
Roll 71A – John counts in for George’s introduction, and screams wildly after
the first line.
Despite occasional lapses in John’s recall of the lyrics, The Beatles turn in a fine
performance.
05 – I've Got a Feeling (3.28) – 8.15
Roll 71A – A very strong, virtually complete performance. The Beatles’ spirits
are up, especially
Paul, who shouts exuberantly after completing the middle eight. This performance was used
in
the film Let It Be.
06 – “Queen Says No to Pot–Smoking F.B.I. Members” (0.09)
Roll 72A – John is referring to a newspaper story concerning penalties for marijuana
use.
07 – Mean Mr. Mustard (1.51) – 8.31
Roll 74A – John plays piano and takes lead vocal on this performance. The song is
unfinished,
as John has written two verses but only a rudimentary chorus.
08 – All Things Must Pass (3.11) – 8.33
Roll 74A – This is a complete performance, although John doesn’t play piano much
better than he
plays organ. John and Paul sing harmony behind George.
09 – Fools Like Me (2.09) – 8.34
Roll 74A – John breaks into this country number. The full band joins in one by one
behind him
and George sings along and provides a well played guitar solo.
10 – You Win Again (0.55) – 8.35
Roll 74A – John leads another country song from Jerry Lee Lewis, singing in a nasal
twang
reminiscent of the song’s author Hank Williams.
11 – She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (2.50) – 8.NEW
Roll 75A – Run through.
12 – Maxwell's Silver Hammer (3.39) – 8.NEW
Roll 77A – Run through.
13 – I Me Mine (1.23) – 8.63
Roll 83A – The band minus John (who waltzes with Yoko) runs through a complete
performance.
The musicianship is exceptionally tight for a brand new song.
Thursday, January 9
14 – For You Blue (2.02) – 9.20
Roll 90A – The band plays a fruity, disjointed version in which George ?? lyrics.
15 – Two of Us (2.57) – 9.25
Roll 91A – A complete up–tempo performance, which features an unusual guitar
accentuation of
the galloping riff. George provides a pleasant harmony vocal, and this performance is
enjoyable
despite the sloppy guitar work.
16 – “Suzy's Parlour” (2.06) – 9.31
Roll 92A – John takes a nasal lead vocal as he kicks off this slightly
off–color, up–tempo song.
An edited version of this performance can be seen in the film Let It Be.
17 – I've Got a Feeling (3.53) –9.57
Roll 92A – A complete and quite good run through. John sings a variant lyric about
getting a face
lift. This performance was used in the film Let It Be.
18 – Get Back (3.54) – 9.57
Roll 97A – A hard and loud run–through. Pakistanis and Puerto Ricans have now
been joined in
the lyrics by Mohicans.
19 – Across The Universe (3.22) – 9.79
Roll 98A? – A complete performance. John and Paul harmonize well, although
Ringo’s
overbearing drums are hardly appropriate to the contemplative nature of the song.
20 – Move It (0.54) – 9.72
Roll 98A? – John takes lead vocal on this cover of a Cliff Richards rocker, though
his recollection
of the lyrics is spotty.
21 – Good Rockin' Tonight (0.51) – 9.73
Roll 98A? – John takes lead on another oldie, with occasional help from Paul. The
musicianship
is fine, but John and Paul’s recollection of the lyrics is sporadic.
22 – Tennessee (2.02) – 9.74
Roll 98A? – A pleasant cover of this oldie. John, Gorge, and Paul all share the
vocals, with
George having the best recollection of the lyrics.
23 – House of the Rising Sun (2.39) – 9.76
Roll 9A – John starts off singing this traditional blues number and Paul joins in,
and they have a
fine time moaning and shooting their way though the song.
24 – “Commonwealth” (3.36) – 9.77
Roll 99A – Paul begins to improvise this enjoyable rock and roll song. A
hyperactivity of John
offers response vocals, and even helps with the words at one point.
25 – “Get Off. (5.59) – 9.79
26 – For You Blue (0.49) – 9.80
27 – “Get Off” (0.52) – 9.81
edit of rolls 98A/10B/100A– John and Paul turn a standard twelve bar blues lead by
George into
another political improvisation.
28 – Honey Hush (2.11) – 9.82
Roll 100A – John and Paul share lead vocals on this fine performance. Unfortunately,
they only
seem to know one verse.
29 – For You Blue (2.08) – 9.84
Roll 100A – A fairly tight run– through, with George singing the first verse and
part of another.
Although the lyrics aren’t finished, the musicianship is quite passable.
DISC FOUR – 68.16
The Best Of The Twickenham Sessions Part Four
George’s abrupt departure from the group on January 10th highlights this disc. While
the master
tape unfortunately cuts out a split second after George announces that he’s leaving
the band (did
a Beatle or Beatle assistant quickly get their finger on the stop button?), for the very
first time we
can actually hear George’s footsteps as he walks away from the group. Note the
incredibly off–
the–wall performances that follow George’s exit (tracks 12 through 20). Also new
here is a
rollicking attempt at “Get Back” by the George–less Threetles, and a
longer, complete look at the
premiere of Paul’s “The Back Seat of My Car”.
January 9 (continued)
01 – “Ramblin' Woman” (2.05) – 9.85
Roll 101A – George begins a string of solo acoustic performances. He’s enjoying
himself and
laughing as he plays the guitar.
02 – I Threw It All Away (2.07) – 9.86
Roll 101A – George moves right into this Dylan song as someone taps along in the
background.
While he knows the song’s middle eight very well, he struggles with the verses.
03 – Mama, You Been on My Mind (2.04) – 9.87
Roll 101A – George’s fine performance of another Dylan song.
04 – That'll Be The Day (1.03) – 9.92
Roll 103A? – Paul picks up some riffs from John and begins a laid back performance of
this song.
Ringo and George don’t participate.
05 – Jenny, Jenny / Slippin' And Slidin' (2.04) – 9.94
Roll 103A? – Once again John’s guitar riffs lead Paul into a performance. As the
song
progresses, first Ringo the George join back in.
06 – Let It Be (2.39) – 9.97
Roll 106A – A complete run–through.
Friday. January 10th
07 – Hi Heel Sneakers (2.03) – 10.4
08 – Hi Heel Sneakers (0.49) – 10.5
edit of Rolls 112A / 113A – John and Paul share the lead vocal on a lively
performance of this
oldie. George provides capable guitar backing, and the whole band is clearly familiar with
the
song.
09 – Get Back (2.05) – 10.3
Roll 114A – The Beatles turn in this rollicking performance. The only major mistake
is John’s, as
he starts to sing the verse about Jo Jo instead of the new verse.
10 – Two Of Us (2.02) – 10.2
Roll 115A – An energetic, if incomplete performance. The Beatles seems to have the
song pretty
much down, but during the second middle eight the performance breaks down.
11 – I'm Talking About You (1.19) – 10.6
Roll? – George calmly announces he is leaving The Beatles immediately.
12 – I've Got a Feeling (3.56) – 10.NEW
Roll 118A – A run–though not taken seriously by John.
13 – Don't Let Me Down (3.40) – 10.NEW
Roll 118A – A messy run–though with John offering a self–parody vocal.
14 – Maxwell's Silver Hammer (0.48) – 10.14
15 – Maxwell's Silver Hammer (1.10) – 10.15
edit of Rolls 118A / 119A – A loose and messy version. John seizes the opportunity to
offer a
parody vocal.
16 – Don't Be Cruel (2.34) – 10.16
Roll 118A – John begins singing the song with a distinctly nasal intonation as Ringo
joins in on
the drums.
17 – “On a Sunny Island” / The Peanut Vendor / Groovin' / I Got Stung
(3.41) – 10.17
Roll 118A – The three Beatles break into this good natured bossa–nova medley
with Ringo
providing a consistent rhythm.
18 – The Peanut Vendor (0.20) – 10.18
Roll 118A – John offers this brief reprise as he begins to play the same rhythm in a
different key.
Paul and Ringo join in as John croons “Brazil”.
19 – It's Only Make Believe (2.44) – 10.19
Roll 118A – John leads the band into this Conway Twitty hit. John manages to do quite
well for
the first verse. Paul chimes in and takes over the lead vocal. The performance degenerates
into
buffoonery.
20– “Through a London Window” (1.08) – 10.20
Roll 118A – Paul’s falsetto rendition of this song. John and Ringo back him with
simple
instrumentation.
Monday, January 13
21 – Get Back (2.42) – 13.NEW
Roll 134A – A run–through by the three remaining Beatles.
22 – Get Back (2.43) – 13.12
Roll 134A – An attempt to play the song straight though but the performance is a
disaster. John
isn’t sure what to sing, or when, and Ringo doesn’t know when to sneak in his
drum fills.
23 – (Improvisation) (1.20) – 14.10
Roll 138A – Paul and Ringo begin a boogie–woogie piano duet. An edited version
of this
performance ended up in the film Let It Be.
24 – The Back Seat of My Car (4.12) – 14.19
25 – The Back Seat of My Car (0.42) – 14.20
edit of Rolls 138A / 121B / 139A – Paul unveils another work in progress on piano.
The lyrics are
unfinished, but the tune is pretty and shows obvious promise.
26 – “Song of Love” (2.32) – 14.22
27 – “Song of Love” (1.04) – 14.23
Roll 139A – Paul plays a complete version of this sentimental love ballad, once again
accompanying himself on piano.
28 – Hello, Dolly (1.30) – 14.25
Roll 139A – Paul delivers a surprisingly straight version of this famous show tune.
Ringo taps out
the song’s rhythm on his tea cup as Paul plays piano.
29 – “Madman” (3.17) – 14.27
Roll 145A – John is on electric piano and leads Paul and Ringo through many mostly
identical
verses of his composition.
30 – Mean Mr. Mustard (1.23) – 14.28
Roll 145B – A run–through from John on electric piano.
31 – Take This Hammer (2.47) – 14.32
Roll 146A – John leads the three Beatles through this traditional American folk song.
Although
the musicianship is pretty shoddy, John seems to be having fun.
32 – Oh! Darling (3.33) – 15.2
Roll 147A – A solo piano performance from Paul, who takes the song from the top but
has
abandoned any attempt to perform the song seriously.
DISC FIVE – 67.12
The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part One
There’s quite a bit of newly available material on this disc, and what isn’t new
is either longer,
presented in better quality, or both. With the move to the Beatle’s studio in the
basement of the
Apple building, the sessions now revolved (somewhat loosely) around recording releasable
takes.
So, after the usual spate of warm–up numbers, rehearsal and generally clowning,
serious
attempts at recording “Dig a Pony”, “I’ve Got a Feeling”, and
“Don’t Let Me Down” begin. Mid–
way through the session Billy Preston arrived and was immediately offered a temporary spot
with
the band (track 24).
Wednesday, January 22
01 – Somethin' Else (1.00) – 22.NEW
Roll 401A – George performs this Eddie Cochran song.
02 – Daydream (0.55) – 22.1
Roll 402A – George, John and Ringo break into this Lovin’ Spoonful hit with
George calling out
the chords for John’s benefit, and both of them harmonizing on the vocal.
03 – You Are My Sunshine (2.00) – 22.2
Roll 402A – A loose and breezy rendition, not very much musically, but quite touching
to hear as
John and George musically mend fences.
04 – Whispering (1.44) – 22.3
Roll 402A – The band breaks into this 20’s standard song.
05 – (Improvisation) (2.34) – 22.NEW
Roll 402A – Bluesy improvisation lead by John.
06 – My Baby Left Me / That's All Right (3.09) –22.27
Roll 404A – John sings this frantic Elvis tribute consisting of two songs written by
Arthur ??. This
performance is quite rough, but it has more life than anything else attempted this
session.
07 – Milk Cow Blues (2.10) – 22.25 22.26
Roll 404A – John takes lead vocal and trades guitar riffs with George.
08 – All I Want is You (1.22) – 22.32
Roll 405A – John improvises an entirely new number, borrowing a few lines from
“Madman”.
09 – In The Middle of an Island / Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The
Sea
(0.56) – 22.33
Roll 405A – John sings the first couple lines from “In the Middle of the
Island”. The tempo
reminds Paul of another song from the 50’s, and he and John harmonize nicely on
“Gilly Gilly…”.
10 – (Improvisation) / Good Rockin' Tonight (2.43) – 22.34
Roll 406A – John takes a phrase from Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over
Beethoven”, wraps a song
around it and then tosses in a half remembered verse from “Good Rockin Tonight”.
11 – Forty Days (1.09) – 22.35
Roll 406A – Paul leads the band into this oldie and attempts to amuse them with his
Elvis voice.
Eventually John sings more lines from “Forty Days”.
12 – Too Bad About Sorrows (1.00) – 22.36
Roll 406A – Paul spontaneously begins belting out this song and the others follow,
although their
backing is rages and off–key.
13 – Dig a Pony (3.51) – 22.37
Roll 406A – A light performance. Paul introduces a falsetto line to cap off the
song’s introduction.
14 – Dig a Pony (3.56) – 22.44
Roll 406A – Although his singing is fine, John is still tinkering with the lyrics.
15 – You've Got Me Thinking (1.06) – 22.41
Roll 407A – Paul takes the lead vocal here, turning in an excellent imitations of
Lomax’s style.
16 – I've Got a Feeling (3.54) – 22.55
Roll 408A – A complete run–through. The descending guitar part is temporarily
replaced by a few
sustained notes.
17 – Don't Let Me Down (2.06) – 22.NEW
Roll 408A – Run–through.
18 – “I Dig a Pygmy” (0.25)
Roll 409A – John utters his comment about Charles Hawtrey which went on the Let It Be
album.
19 – Don't Let Me Down (3.10) – 22.NEW
Roll 410A – Run–though.
Thursday, January 23
20 – Dig a Pony (3.58) – 22.NEW
Roll 416A – Run–through.
21 – Going Up the Country (0.58) – 22.NEW
Roll 416A – Canned Heat Beatles’ style.
22 – Dig a Pony (4.00) – 22.NEW
Roll 417A – Run–through.
23 – I've Got a Feeling (3.09) – 22.NEW
Roll 418A – This pass is aborted in the dueling verse.
24 – “You Want a Session Job?” (1.04)
Roll 1016B – An excerpt is seen in the Anthology video series.
25 – Dig a Pony (3.51) – 22.NEW
Roll 420A – The song is presented to Billy. This version is fairly tight.
26 – Don't Let Me Down (3.09) – 22.NEW
Roll 420A – With accompaniment by Billy, but no electric piano ending.
27 – Don't Let Me Down (3.52) – 22.NEW
Roll 421A – John forgets the lyrics of the first verse. This pass features a piano
ending from Billy
and a short reprise.
28 – Don't Let Me Down (3.54) – 22.54
Roll 423A – The Beatles and Billy make it through a fine, if slightly lackluster
performance. This
one was chosen for inclusion on the aborted Get Back LP.
DISC SIX – 68.10
The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Two
A flood of new material, from multiple attempts to record “I’ve Got a
Feeling”, “Get Back”, and
“Two of Us”, to a fun interlude with “Twenty Flight Rock” (finally
available!). It’s possible that a
minute of the jam heard on track 10 was what Glyn Johns recorded on multi track tape and
named “Blues”. Note the recording dates for the Get Back album versions of
“Dig a Pony” and
“I’ve Got a Feeling” were wrong on BOTH Mark Lewishon’s Recording
Sessions and Get Back.
Thursday, January 23 (continued)
01 – Dig a Pony (3.57) – 22.NEW
Roll 423A – Loose run–though with a very app??? Solo. Paul shout’s
“Get Off” at the end of the
song.
02 – Dig a Pony (4.07) – 23.35
Roll 424A – This performance is marred only by Ringo’s rather plodding drum
part, and ragged
falsetto harmonies from Paul. This take was chosen for the aborted Get Back LP.
03 – I've Got a Feeling (2.47) – 23.36
Roll 424A – An acceptable performance that breaks down as John and Paul reach the
dueling
verse because John’s playing is too loud. This take was chosen for inclusion on the
unreleased
Get Back LP.
04 – I've Got a Feeling (3.34) – 22.NEW
Roll 424A – Rehearsal.
05 – I've Got a Feeling (3.36) – 22.61
Roll 428A – A rehearsal take. George still can’t play the descending guitar
riff.
Friday, January 24
06 – Get Back (2.34) – 23.8
Roll 1022B – Run–through.
07 – Get Back (2.09) – 23.NEW
Roll 434A – The musicianship has improved.
08 – Get Back (2.41) – 23.26
Roll 435A – Another run–through.
09 – Get Back (2.33) – 23. .NEW
Roll 1027B – Paul blows the first verse’s lyrics.
10 – (Improvisation) (4.15) – 23.NEW
Roll 1028B – Bluesy improvisation.
11 – Twenty Flight Rock (2.09) – 23.NEW
Roll 1028B – Paul still remembers the words.
12 – Get Back (2.46) – 23.NEW
Roll 1028B – No reprise.
13 – Oh! Darling (2.14) – 23.NEW
Roll 1030B – Run–through.
14 – Oh! Darling (1.45) – 23.NEW
Roll 1031B – Another run–through.
15 – Get Back (2.49) – 24.NEW
Roll 439A – Piano solo bypassed. No reprise.
16 – On the Road to Marrakesh (1.46) – 24.17
Roll 439A – John’s unenthusiastic?? rendition of his 1969 comp….??. The
band is horribly out of
tune.
17 – Two of Us (2.00) – 24.NEW
Roll 440A – John alone during the first verse, joined by Paul on the second one. No
reprise of
the middle eight.
18 – Two of Us (2.26) – 24.NEW
Roll 442A – Run–through. No reprise of the middle eight.
19 – Two of Us (2.30) – 24.NEW
Roll 442A – Another run–through.
20 – Teddy Boy (4.25) – 24.22
Roll 1043A – A stop and start rehearsal, as Paul teaches the chords to George and
John. It flows
into a full–fledged performance.
21 – Two of Us (3.28) – 24.29
Roll 443A – A complete run–though.
22 – Maggie Mae (0.56) – 24.37
Roll 443A – A charming performance. John and Paul are obviously having fun.
23 – “I Fancy Me Chances” (0.34) – 24.38
Roll 443A – Without missing a beat, they go into this number but they remember very
few of the
lyrics beyond the title.
24 – Two of Us (3.20) – 24.NEW
Roll 443A – Run through.
25 – Maggie Mae (0.38) – 24.41
Roll 444A – Another duel from John and Paul. Although it’s lacking some of the
energy of their
attempts, multiple tried have allowed them to agree on the lyrics. This take was included
on the
album Let It Be.
26 – Her Majesty (2.08) – 24.48
Roll 446A? – Paul backs himself on acoustic guitar. Halfway through the song Ringo
joins in on
drums and John makes very poor effort to follow along on slide guitar.
DISC SEVEN – 68.28
The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Three
This disc shows what The Beatles did in between takes and during equipment changeovers to
enjoy themselves – namely playing songs by Lonnie Donnigan and Chuck Berry. We also
finally
get to hear the complete version of John and Paul harmonizing to the Everly Brother’s
classic
“Bye Bye Love” (up to now we only had a tantalizing two second clip!), as well
as the beginning of
a very comprehensive look at the recording of George’s “For You Blue”. And
what could be more
fun than John singing a version of the very first song Paul ever wrote (track 21)?
Friday, January 24 (continued)
01 – “There You Are, Eddie” (2.28) – 24.49
Roll 446A? – Paul offers up another of his own compositions for acoustic guitar, this
time a gentle
folk tune.
02 – Diggin' My Potatoes (0.52) – 24.61
03 – Hey Liley, Liley–Lo (0.07) – 24.62
04 – Rock Island Line (0.59) – 24.63
Roll 448A – Paul and John share lead vocals as they gleefully rip through a trilogy
of skiffle
classics.
05 – Michael Row the Boat (0.59) – 24.65
06 – Rock–A–Bye Baby (0.15) – 24.66
07 – Singing The Blues (1.54) – 24.67
edit of Rolls 448A / 449A – Paul begins singing, but he can only remember one line,
and
mumbles his way though the forgotten verses. This performance runs right into
“Rock–a–Bye
Baby”. Spurred on by some guitar licks from John, Paul vocalizes a few bars of this
lullaby. Paul
takes the lead vocal for “Singing the Blues”, obviously knowing this song by
heart,
08 – Dig It (4.10) – 24.72
Roll 449A –
09 – Dig It (5.07) – 24.73
Roll 449A – Slightly less ?? than the last performance, this one is distinguished by
Billy’s
participation. It is more of an instrumental than the earlier takes.
10 – Get Back (3.02) – 24.79
Roll 450A – A complete run–through of the song. John continues to have problems
with his
guitar and neglects to play most of his first solo. Billy seems to be struggling a bit
with the song.
11 – Get Back / Little Demon / Maybellene / You Can't Catch Me / Brown–Eyed
Handsome
Man (2.24) – 24.80
Roll 450A – This medley starts out as “Get Back” which continues for the
rest of the performance,
as lyrics from various other songs are grafted on.
12 – Short Fat Fannie (1.29) – 24.81
Roll 450A – John takes the lead vocal on this performance. After completing one verse
he gives
way to Paul and George, who whistle the rest of the song.
13 – Get Back (4.13) – 24.83
edit of Rolls 1051B / 451A – A strong performance as Billy is playing better. John
manages ???
solos?? During his instrumental breaks.
14 – Bad Boy (2.38) – 24.87
Roll 451A – John begins playing this song and actually remembers most of the words.
Along with
Ringo’s drumming, this performance features some inspired accompaniment from Billy
and
occasional vocal contributions from Paul.
15 – Sweet Little Sixteen (1.47) – 24.88
Roll 451A – John begins to sing this cover version of Chuck Berry’s classic.
Ringo and Billy join in
at the second verse, and continue playing throughout the song.
16 – Around and Around (1.07) – 24.89
Roll 451A – The transition between the previous number and “Around and
Around” is
exceptionally smooth. Except for one verse John remembers most of the words.
17 – Almost Grown (1.07) – 24.90
edit of Rolls 451A / 452A – John’s trip through Chuck Berry’s catalogue
continues. Paul and
George offer spirited backing vocals supporting this fine performance.
18 – School Day (1.36) – 24.91
Roll 452A – John leads the band into another Chuck Berry song. He makes it through
the first
verse without a hitch, but begins to stumble on the words when he reaches the second.
19 – Stand By Me / Where Have You Been (2.39) – 24.92
Roll 452A – John starts singing this oldie, accompanied instrumentally by Ringo and
Billy. Paul
sings along during the first chorus.
20 – Get Back (6.12) – 24.95
Roll 452A – This is really two performances rolled into one. In general, the first
pass is relaxed,
assured, and fun. The musicianship is fine. Then, without missing a beat, Paul begins to
sing
from the top which heads into a brief instrumental improvisation, concluding with various
improvised exhortations from Paul.
Saturday, January 25
21 – I Lost My Little Girl (5.09) – 24.55
Roll 459A – John takes the lead vocal, with Paul occasionally prompting him on the
lyrics or
singing backup.
22 – Two of Us (3.40) – 25.NEW
Roll 459A – Run–through.
23 – Two of Us (3.24) – 25.NEW
Roll 1061B – The middle–eight is repeated in this version.
24 – Bye Bye Love (1.00) – 25.8
Roll 1061B – John and Paul harmonize in this Everly Brothers’ song while George
is practicing
his “Two of Us” bass part.
25 – Two of Us (3.25) – 25.9
Roll 461A – A complete run–through.
26 – For You Blue (2.05) – 25.NEW
Roll 463A – Run–through with a nice solo from John.
27 – For You Blue (2.05) – 25.NEW
Roll 464A – George asks John to “just make it one on each solo.”
28 – For You Blue (2.28) – 25.NEW
Roll 466A – And another run–through. Ringo’s drumming is heard more clearly
and Billy joins in
on the piano after John’s solo.
DISC EIGHT – 65.53
The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Four
Multiple takes of “Let It Be”, all never heard before, are the focal point of
Disc 8. An even longer
take than anyone ever knew existed of “Dig It” is here as well, clocking in at
over 15 minutes!
George plays nice acoustic versions of “Isn’t It a Pity” and “Window,
Window” and for the very first
time “Rip It Up” can be heard in it’s complete form.
Saturday, January 25 (continued)
01 – For You Blue (3.02) – 25.25
Roll 467A – This take is prefaced by the sound of someone rattling the ice cubes in
his glass, and
a brief false start. This take was used for the unreleased Get Back LP, and for the Let It
Be
album with a re–recorded vocal.
02 – For You Blue (2.29) – 25.NEW
Roll 468A – A fine performance.
03 – For You Blue (2.37) – 25.22
Roll 468A – Another run–through. George comments that it “felt nice”
at the end of the take.
04 – Let It Be (2.22) – 25.NEW
Roll 470A – Billy Preston is not present. George and John are unsure about what to
play.
05 – Let It Be (2.15) – 25.NEW
Roll 471A – “Psalm 22 Chapter 3” John comments just before the guitar solo
which prompts Paul
into “sermonizing” the rest of his vocal.
06 – I'm Talking About You (1.19) – 26.18
Roll 474A – George sings a bit of this song in the background and John takes over the
vocal.
The backing is quite loose.
07 – Let It Be (3.15) – 25.NEW
Roll 474A – Third verse lyrics partially copied from the first one.
08 – Let It Be (3.48) – 25.NEW
Roll 474A – Another run–through, this time at a slower tempo.
Sunday, January 26
09 – Isn't It a Pity (1.50) – 26.1
Roll 477A – A lovely acoustic performance from George. He sings both of the
song’s verses and
is vocalizing through a third when he stops to engage in conversation.
10 – Window, Window (0.57) – 26.2
Roll 477A – George performs two verses and the chorus of this pleasant original.
11 – Octopus's Garden (1.04) – 26.11
Roll 478A – Ringo and George attempt a run–through.
12 – High School Confidential (1.39) – 26.22
Roll 481A – Paul plays piano and takes lead vocal on this oldie, basically
accompanied only by
Ringo’s drumming. He remembers little more than the chorus, which he repeats a few
times.
13 – Great Balls of Fire (1.28) – 26.23
Roll 481A – The band comes together for a lively performance. Paul begins to sing
with Jerry
Lee in mind, but remembers the recently released Tiny Tim cover version and modifies his
vocal
accordingly.
14 – Great Balls of Fire (0.33) – 26.23
Roll 481A – A short reprise of the previous number.
15 – Let It Be (2.44) – 26.NEW
Roll 483A – After Paul’s introductory lyrics, John comments “that’s
right”. Paul asks John and
George to sing the background vocals quieter.
16 – Let It Be (3.47) – 26.NEW
Roll 484A – The final arrangement of the song has been decided upon with Billy
playing a little
solo before the guitar solo. Paul comments that the instruments shouldn’t “drop
out” for the last
verse.
17 – Let It Be (3.46) – 26.NEW
Roll 484A – A very good take of the song with nice background vocals, a nice organ
solo from
Billy and a pretty good solo from George.
18 – Let It Be (3.56) – 26.NEW
Roll 485A – A looser performance than the previous with Paul throwing some
“Yeah”s over
George’s guitar solo. Paul makes a mistake going into the last verse.
19 – Let It Be (3.40) – 26.NEW
Roll 486A – Paul and John count in. A fairly strong version with a funny last verse
about a “cat”
living in Weybridge and a lavatory?
20 – Dig It (15.05) – 26.27
Edit of rolls 1074B / 487A – John leads the band through this rollicking
improvisation,
extemporizing lyrics around the title phrase. Heather bleats along as John and George
engage in
some call and response vocals. This improvisation was used, with different edits for each,
on the
Get Back album and the Let It Be album and film.
21 – Rip It Up (2.36) – 26.28
Roll 487A – A complete rendition of the Little Richard song.
22 – Shake, Rattle and Roll (1.39) – 26.29
Roll 487A – Paul and John share lead vocal on this exciting performance and everyone
has a
wonderful time with it.
DISC NINE – 71.28
The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Five
Disc 9 features a plethora of never before heard takes of “The Long and Winding
Road”,
culminating with the unadulterated version of the performance that was dressed up for the
Let It
Be album. (Note that the book “Get Back” was WAY off on date of THIS one!) We
also get three
January 26th takes of “Let It Be” (the last of which wound up on the Glyn Johns
acetates that were
broadcast on American radio in 1969, as well as some fine examples of The Beatles jamming
and
enjoying themselves with some oldies.
Sunday, January 26 (continued)
01 – Miss Ann / Kansas City / Lawdy Miss Clawdy (4.06) – 26.30
edit of Rolls 487A / 488A and the Barrett tapes – A fine rock and roll medley. Part
of Lawdy Miss
Clawdy is on a missing Nagra tape and an excerpt from the Barrett tapes version has been
edited
on.
02 – Blue Suede Shoes (2.16) – 26.31
Roll 488A – John leads the band into another oldie and once again shares the lead
vocal with
Paul. This is one song they all know by heart, and the performance is very enjoyable.
03 – You Really Got a Hold on Me (3.26) – 26.32
Roll 488A – George leads the band into yet another oldie, sharing lead vocals with
John, whose
inability to remember the song’s lyrics or structure mars the performance. A portion
of this
performance is seen in the film Let It Be.
04 – (Improvisation) (2.28) – 26.40
Roll 489A – An instrumental boogie–woogie featuring John on slide guitar. Billy
is playing piano
while Paul plays drums and Ringo sits idly behind him.
05 – (Improvisation) (3.29) – 26.NEW
Roll 490A – A very repetitive guitar and drum jam.
06 – Let It Be (3.51) – 26.NEW
Roll 490A – Paul has trouble with some of the lyrics.
07 – Let It Be (3.55) – 26.NEW
edit of Rolls 1078B / 491A – Paul still has yet to settle on the third verse lyrics
and he improvises
here.
08 – Let It Be (3.58) – 26.36
Roll 491A – A complete performance, with Paul singing an impromptu combination of the
first and
second verses in place of the as–yet–unwritten third. It was chosen for
inclusion on the Get Back
LP.
09 – “I Told You Before” (9.25) – 26.42
edit of Rolls 1079B / 492A – A repetitive jam where Billy is playing keyboards and
Paul continues
on drums. John interjects some scat singing and Heather joins along.
10 – “I Told You Before” (6.06) – 26.NEW
edit of Rolls 1080B / 493A – A reprise of this improvisation.
11 – The Long and Winding Road (2.57) – 26.NEW
Roll 493A – Paul plays the piano and sings while John and George work out their
parts.
12 – The Long and Winding Road (3.25) – 26.NEW
Roll 494A – John is still figuring out his part on the bass. Ringo joins in near the
end.
13 – The Long and Winding Road (3.21) – 26.NEW
Roll 494A – John shows improvement.
14 – The Long and Winding Road (1.37) – 26.38
Roll 495A – Paul plays around with the song. He sings and plays it with a Brazilian
flavor.
15 – The Long and Winding Road (3.25) – 26.39
Roll 495A – During this pass, George plays the melody on his guitar. Paul continues
to work out
the song’s arrangement.
16 – The Long and Winding Road (3.20) – 26.NEW
Roll 495A – A very loose version but the song is beginning to take shape.
17 – The Long and Winding Road (4.29) – 31.20
Roll 498A – This is take one with two false starts. Paul recites the middle eight
lyric over the
instrumental break, obscuring Billy’s organ solo and plays a brief coda on the piano
at the song’s
conclusion. This performance was chosen for inclusion on the Let It Be album and on the
unreleased Get Back LP.
Monday, January 27
18 – Strawberry Fields Forever (2.08) – 27.2
Roll 500A – Paul plays piano and sings the first verse softly. He then sings a final
verse on mike.
19 – Let It Be (3.45) – 27.NEW
Roll 1094B – A fairly loose version still without a last verse. Paul requests that
they “slow up
more on the end.”
DISC TEN – 72.21
The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Six
Disc 10 consists almost entirely of never before heard material. While recording “Get
Back” was
clearly the band’s top priority on January 27th, they also found time to work on
“Let It Be”, “The
Long and Winding Road” and George’s new song “Old Brown Shoe”. It
seems possible (likely, in
fact) that track 7 is what Glyn captured on multitrack tape and dubbed “Untitled
Jamming”. Track
20 is the performance that was used for both the single and album versions of “Get
Back”, heard
here in it’s original, undoctored form.
Monday, January 27 (continued)
01 – Let It Be (3.51) – 27.NEW
Roll 505A – A loose rendition though George’s solo is starting to take shape.
02 – The Long and Winding Road (3.34) – 27.NEW
Roll 507A – A good take of the song with John briefly joining in the singing.
03 – Old Brown Shoe (3.23) – 27.NEW
Roll 508A – George plays his new composition on piano. Ringo joins in. John adds
bass. At the
end of the first pass George comments “pianos (are) very difficult, aren’t
they?”
04 – Old Brown Shoe (2.57) – 27.NEW
Roll 508A – George plays the song again while the rest of the lads work on their
parts.
05 – Old Brown Shoe (3.02) – 27.NEW
Roll 1098B – Ringo adds a more steady bead on his snare.
06 – Old Brown Shoe (3.02) – 28.15
Roll 509A – A nice tight version.
07 – (Improvisation) (6.24) – 27.NEW
Roll 510A – Lead by Billy Preston.
08 – “I Told You Before” (5.41) – 27.NEW
edit of Rolls 510A / 1100B – Another improvisation lead by Billy Preston George sings
off mike.
09 – “I Told You Before” (1.58) – 27.NEW
Roll 1100B – A reprise.
10 – Don't Let Me Down (3.39) – 27.NEW
Roll 512A – They return to John’s composition and turn in a very tight version.
11 – Get Back (2.25) – 27.NEW
Roll 513A – A very up–tempo and energetic version with Paul singing parody
Japanese lyrics at
the beginning for fun.
12 – Get Back (3.06) – 27.NEW
Roll 513A – They slow the song back down and come up with a fairly good rendition.
13 – Get Back (2.51) – 27.NEW
Roll 1109B – Another good version.
14 – Get Back (3.05) – 27.NEW
Roll 514A – An even better take.
15 – Get Back (3.31) – 27.NEW
Roll 514A – John joins Paul on the chorus vocals. John’s lead is not as strong
as the previous
two passes. This version has a nice reprise.
16 – Get Back (3.49) – 27.NEW
edit of Rolls 514A / 1104B – Paul comments “nearly” at the end of the pass.
17 – Oh! Darling (6.34) – 27.3
Roll 515A = Pail leads the band into this performance, which starts out slow and bluesy.
Paul
and John share the vocal, with Paul playing bass. A portion of this performance was
released on
Anthology 3.
18 – Get Back (3.19) – 27.NEW
edit of Rolls 515A / 1104B – Another strong performance. Paul throws in some lyrics
from “Rock
Around the Clock” at the end of the reprise.
19 – Get Back (2.57) – 27.NEW
Roll 516A – John’s solo is not very tight but otherwise a good take.
20 – Get Back (3.12) – 27.6
Roll 516A – A superb performance, featuring strong solos from John and Billy. George
provides
a nice choppy rhythm guitar and Paul delivers the lyrics in his usual assured style. This
was the
performance used for the single. As well as for the Get Back and Let It Be albums. For the
later
album, the dialogue preceding the performance has been kept and mixed with the audience
noises from the rooftop concert. For the single, the reprise from a take recorded on
January 28th
has been grafted on to the end.
DISC ELEVEN – 72.45
The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Seven
Interesting items abound, including two unique versions of “I’ve Got a
Feeling” (tracks 10 and 11)
where John sings everything with a little assistance from Billy Preston, as Paul is
temporarily
away from the session. We also get to hear (finally!) the 1969 version of the band’s
first single
“Love Me Do” which is slowed to a blues tempo with the Beatles’ hearts in
the right place, even if
all the notes aren’t. Track 16 is the version of “Get Back” that had
it’s coda appropriated for use
on the single, the “Get Back” album, and the tail end of the “Let It
Be” film. It’s heard in its natural
context for the very first time here. Tracks 17 and 19 were both used for the single
version of
“Don’t Let Me Down”.
Monday, January 27 (continued)
01 – Get Back (3.08) – 27.NEW
Roll 517A – A tight rendition until they reach the reprise.
02 – Get Back (2.50) – 27.5
Roll 1108B – This one is played strictly for laughs. Paul sings through the song in
pseudo–
German, switching to pseudo–French for the final verse.
03 – Get Back (3.47) – 27.NEW
Roll 519A – Another good version. Paul comments “here comes the fudge” at
the end.
04 – Get Back (3.14) – 27.NEW
Roll 519A – They have all but mastered this one. Here John varies his solo slightly.
05 – I've Got a Feeling (3.33) – .NEW
Roll 521A – John suggests once again that they speed up the tempo a bit/ They’re
clearly
uncomfortable with this, however, and Ringo consistently has trouble keeping the beat.
06 – “You Won't Get Me That Way” / The Walk (4.11) – 27.12
Roll 521A – Billy leads the band into a basic blues jam. Paul improvises some generic
blues
lyrics followed by what he can remember of Jimmy McCracklin’s song “The
Walk”. A portion of
“The Walk” was included on an undocumented mix of the Get Back LP that was aired
on east
coast radio stations in September of 1969
07 – I've Got a Feeling (4.31) – 27.13
edit of Rolls 1110B / 111B / Yellow Dog’s Celluloid Rock – As the song almost
breaks down
because of feedback from his guitar, John jokingly apologizes for screwing up again. After
this
amusing moment they start again and turn in a spirited performance. The missing part
hasn’t
been captured on any Nagra tape so an excerpt from Yellow Dog’s Celluloid Rock
version has
been edited on.
08 – “The River Rhine” / The Long and Winding Road (4.21) – 28.10
Roll 525A – Billy leads the band into this blues improvisation. Paul extemporizes
some fitting
lyrics, repeating them a number of times.
Tuesday, January 28
09 – I've Got a Feeling (3.45) – 28.NEW
Roll 525A – Paul sings one of John’s lines.
10 – I've Got a Feeling (2.30) – 28.NEW
Roll 527A – Billy is present but Paul has left the session for half an hour, so John
sings this one
alone.
11 – I've Got a Feeling (3.40) – 28.NEW
Roll 529A – John alone again on this somewhat ragged version. Billy throws in a line
off–mike for
good measure.
12 – Dig a Pony (3.46) – 28.NEW
Roll 532A – A very strong version with a slightly reserved vocal from John
13 – Dig a Pony (3.53) – 28.NEW
Roll 532A – “I think the other one was better, let’s go Get Back” John
sings at the end.
14 – Get Back (4.03) – 28.NEW
Roll 1122B – John emits some nice burps to start this version. A good version with an
extended
reprise.
15 – Love Me Do (2.10) – 28.NEW
Roll 1122B – A complete rendition of their first single. The tempo is slow and
somewhat bluesy.
We have the longest tape here but if Mark Lewishon is correct, twelve seconds are still
missing.
16 – Get Back (3.58) – 28.1
Roll 534A – A complete take with reprise. A portion of the song’s coda has been
grafted on to the
end of a take from January 27 for the single.
17 – Don't Let Me Down (3.39) – 28.4
Roll 1123B – The band comes together perfectly for this take but has some lyric
mistakes from
John. This take was released as the b–side of the “Get Back” single, with
additional vocals
grafted on from track 19.
18 – I've Got a Feeling (3.56) – 27.16
Roll 535A – A half–hearted performance and by the time they reach John’s
solo they’ve given up
any pretense of turning in a serious performance.
19 – Don't Let Me Down (4.02) – 28.2
Roll 535A – This performance bears a reasonable resemblance to the one that was
eventually
released (see track 17), but some off notes can be heard and Paul’s playing is not
quite up to his
usual high standard. Part of the vocals were grafted from this pass onto the track 17
version to
create the single version.
20 – I've Got a Feeling (3.47) – 28.NEW
Roll 536A – John starts the song with a count–in in French.
DISC TWELVE – 72. 06
The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Eight
The Beatles spent most of the latter portion of the January 28th session working on songs
they’d
never get a chance to complete during the “Get Back” period. Early versions of
“Something” and
“I Want You” are especially interesting. Much of the January 29th session heard
on tracks 13
through 21 and all of disc 13 was spent taking inventory of all the perfected songs, and
running
through them once or twice to make certain they could be played at the show the following
day.
Their vocal performance are notable tame during the “rooftop rehearsal” as they
attempt to save
their voices.
Tuesday, January 28 (continued)
01 – One After 909 (3.17) – 28.7
Roll 536A – Paul shouts “yeah, rock and roll” during George’s solo.
John blows the lyrics.
02 – Old Brown Shoe (3.01) – 28.NEW
Roll 537A – George halts the song near the end saying “I’ll probably repeat
the last line on that
verse.” Then they continue the song till the end.
03 – Old Brown Shoe (3.07) – 28.NEW
Roll 538A – Ringo stops playing several times during this take for unknown reasons.
George is
still calling out the chords and instructions.
04 – Old Brown Shoe (4.16) – 28.NEW
Roll 538A – Ringo still experiments with his drum pattern. A spirited take with
interesting guitar
work.
05 – I Want You (She's So Heavy) (5.29) – 28.NEW
Roll 540A – Billy shares the vocal with John. A nice version with a funky spiritual
feel.
06 – Something (1.27) – 28.NEW
Roll 542A – John provides answering vocals to George’s but the song breaks down
amid some
confusion.
07 – Get Back (2.48) – 28.NEW
Roll 542A – Another run–through. Paul’s bass is nearly inaudible until near
the end.
08 – Teddy Boy (3.58) – 28.25
Roll 544A – Paul plays acoustic guitar and sings accompanied by Ringo. John adds an
occasional backup vocal along with some electric guitar fills. A portion of this take is
heard on
Anthology 3.
09 – All Things Must Pass (2.54) – 29.16
Roll 545A – Paul sings the first line, John the second, then George joins in.
“In the beginning was
the word.” John concludes.
10 – All Things Must Pass (3.04) – 28.NEW
Roll 545A – George sings it straight while Paul and John experiment with the backing
vocals.
11 – I Want You (She's So Heavy) (4.44) – 28.NEW
Roll 546A – No Billy vocal but the song maintains a funky feel. A shaker is added to
the
instrumentation.
12 – I Want You (She's So Heavy) (2.42) – 28.28
Roll 547A – We join the song in mid–take. George adds his guitar to the mix.
John comments
“Allen Klein’s here … Look out!”
Wednesday, January 29
13 – Dig a Pony (3.44) – 29.NEW
Roll 550A – Rooftop concert rehearsal. Jon starts to segue into “I’ve Got A
Feeling” but Paul
interrupts with some backing vocals.
14 – I've Got a Feeling (3.31) – 29.NEW
Roll 1135B – Rooftop concert rehearsal.
15 – Don't Let Me Down (4.19) – 29.NEW
Roll 551A – Rooftop concert rehearsal. Paul stops the song midway to figure out the
vocal. John
sings “keep your hands off my baby.”
16 – Get Back (3.30) – 29.NEW
Roll 551A – Rooftop concert rehearsal. John sings the solo he’s supposed to
play. This version
has a longer reprise than most.
17 – One After 909 (2.53) – 29.NEW
Roll 1136A – Apple studio performance rehearsal.
18 – She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (3.08) – 29.NEW
Roll 552A – They perform the song at a slow tempo. John adds nice background vocals.
19 – Two of Us (3.44) – 29.NEW
Roll 552A – Ringo’s tom–tom is prominent in this take.
20 – Let It Be (3.45) – 29.NEW
Roll 552A – Paul calls out “yeah man” to encourage George during the solo.
The piano drops out
during the middle of the song and returns near the end. Paul has yet to settle on a third
verse.
21 – The Long and Winding Road (2.43) – 29.NEW
Roll 553A – Paul vocalizes a solo. “A bit heavy on the bass” he tells John
at the end of the song
and suggests he play with a plectrum (pick).
DISC THIRTEEN – 67.47
The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Nine
After finishing their inventory of live show candidates (tracks 1 through 4), The Beatles
spend
some time experimenting with new songs and enjoying some oldies. John usurps George’s
roll of
lead singer for a loose version of “Something” and Billy Preston trades vocals
with John in a
raucous “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”. The band revisits “Dig
It”, but with a faster tempo, with
John actually recalling a number of the lyrics he had sung on the January 26th version and
singing
the titles of all the line show candidates when he runs out of ideas. A number of
enjoyable Buddy
Holly covers are here as well.
Wednesday, January 29 (continued)
01 – The Long and Winding Road (3.27) – 29.NEW
Roll 553A – Paul is amused by John’s inventive bass playing. “It’s
alright” concludes John.
02 – For You Blue (2.33) – 29.NEW
Roll 554A – Boogie–woogie piano dominates this pass.
03 – All Things Must Pass (2.15) – 29.NEW
Roll 555A – John adds some out of tune slide guitar to the beginning of this
otherwise good pass.
04 – All Things Must Pass (3.02) – 29.2
Roll 555A – A good version though George’s vocal is very low and the drums too
loud.
05 – Let It Down (4.41) – 29.NEW
Roll 1140B – George introduces a new original to the band. John compares the strange
chords
George is playing to come of Chuck Berry’s.
06 – Let it Down (3.04) – 29.4
Roll 1140B – Billy adds some funky organ riffs to this run–through. Paul adds
some repetitive “let
it down” backing vocals.
07 – I Want You (She's So Heavy) (4.39) – 29.NEW
Roll 1141B – John plays the riff over a heavy repetitive backing. Billy adds some
impromptu
vocals.
08 – Something (2.40) – 29.NEW
Roll 556A – George starts playing the melody on his guitar, the rest of the band join
in with John
providing vocals.
09 – Sexy Sadie (1.36) – 29.NEW
Roll 556A – John leads the band through a mostly instrumental pass of this White
Album number.
10 – Dig It (6.51) – 29.5
Roll 1142B – This version is performed at a much faster tempo than previous passes.
Paul
contributes a scat backing vocal.
11 – Besame Mucho (2.29) – 29.12–29.15
edit of Rolls 557A / 1142B – Paul does his best Desi Arnez imitation and belts out
the lyrics as
well as he can remember them. Note that the camera beeps have been edited out.
12 – Three Cool Cats (2.29) – 29.NEW
Roll 557A – A slow version of the Coasters song which obviously was a longtime
favorite of the
band having also been performed at the Decca audition session over seven years earlier.
13 – I Got to Find My Baby (0.47) – 28.12
Roll 557A – Paul shouts out a misremembered lyric. George and John pick up on it, and
the
band runs through a brief and ragged performance. Paul suggests “One After 909”
and is
greeted by a “fuck you” from John who is reluctant to visit the song again.
14 – One After 909 (3.02) – 29.NEW
Roll 557A – Paul gets his way and they run through a perfunctory version with John
playing
around most of the whole way.
15 – One After 909 (3.05) – 29.NEW
Roll 1143B – Another pass with John playing it straight this time.
16 – Vacation Time (0.45) – 29.6
Roll 559A – John takes the lead vocal on this loose cover of an obscure Chuck Berry
number.
This brief performance is not without charm but falls apart, probably because of their
trouble
remembering how the song goes.
17 – Cannonball / Not Fade Away / Hey Little Girl (In the High School Sweater) / Bo
Diddley
(4.25) – 29.7
Roll 559A – This medley begins with Ringo pounding out the drum beat for
“Cannonball” as
George plays along with guitar. After a few bars they segue into “Not Fade Away”
and George
provides a few lines of vocal. John joins in, and sings a bit of “Hey Little
Girl”. Apparently able to
remember nothing more than the song’s catch phrase, he switches to Bo Diddley.
18 – Maybe Baby (2.32) – 29.8
edit Rolls 559A / 1144B – This particular performance is complete, with John taking
the lead. For
once, he has a good recollection of a song’s lyrics. Note that the camera beeps have
been edited
out.
19 – Peggy Sue Got Married / Thinking of Linking (1.52) – 29.9
Roll 559A – John leads the band into another Buddy Holly song, but he has almost no
recollection of the lyrics except the title. After letting the performance lapse to an
instrumental,
John begins singing what words he can remember from “Thinking of Linking”.
20 – Crying, Waiting, Hoping (2.38) – 29.10
Roll 559A – George takes over from John on this one as The Beatles perform another
Buddy
Holly classic. John and Paul provide pleasant backing harmonies, and George plays a fine
guitar
solo.
21 – Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues (1.52) – 29.11
Roll 1144B – John takes the lead vocal on this one with support from George. Again,
it’s obvious
the band knows this one by heard, and John tries his best to duplicate Holly’s vocal
mannerisms.
22 – Teddy Boy (3.34) – 29.NEW
Roll 560A – Paul tries again to get John interested in this song. John responds with
a ?? and
some bad slide guitar fills.
23 – Two of Us (3.27) – 29.NEW
Roll 561A – After a straight forward start John and Paul sing the song using funny
voices.
DISC FOURTEEN – 46.14
The Complete Apple Rooftop Concert
Disc 14 contains as complete a presentation of the January 30th rooftop concert as
we’ll ever
hear. The show has been meticulously reconstructed from all the available material, with
everything (including a loose “I Want You” and the long elusive “God Save
the Queen”) restored
to it’s original chronological order.
Wednesday, January 30
01 – rooftop setup (1.24)
Roll 562A – The Beatles arrive on the rooftop. Excerpts are seen in the film Let It
Be. Ringo
comments “Mal? …You’ve nailed me down in the wrong place.” Michael
Lindsay Hogg calls a
halt to the filming while they make adjustments to the instruments.
02 – Get Back (2.30) – 30.NEW
Roll 1146 slate 1 – This rehearsal was only captured on the tape recorder running
down on the
street in front of the Apple building.
03 – Get Back (3.58) – 30.1
Roll 562A – The group runs through this number as a warm–up. Paul shows his
enthusiasm to
be performing live and gives an impassioned vocal.
04 – I Want You (She's So Heavy) (1.45) – 30.NEW
Roll 1146 slate 1 – Again, this bit of the rooftop concert was only captured on the
tape recorder
running down on the street in front of the Apple building.
05 – Get Back (3.26) – 30.2
Roll 562A – A much tighter performance, with fine musicianship from everyone. This
performance appears in the film Let It Be.
06 – Don't Let Me Down (3.29) – 30.3
Roll 562A – The performance is quite good until John blows the first line of the
second verse,
singing gibberish because he can’t recall the lyrics. This take appears in the film
Let It Be.
07 – I've Got a Feeling (5.14) – 30.4
Roll 562A – Easily the best performance of the song. George plays an intentionally
distorted
guitar and Paul delivers a superb vocal. John fiddles with the lyrics a bit and sings the
title of
Little Richard’s “Oooh! My Soul” as the song comes to an end. This
performance appears in the
film Let It Be and on the LP.
08 – One After909 (0.17) – 30.5
Roll 562A – A false start. The song is halted so the camera can be started.
09 – One After909 (2.45) – 30.6
Roll 562A – Another exceptional performance, again easily the best from these
sessions. The
band rolls smoothly through this song with George inserting some fine guitar licks and
John and
Paul teaming up for a flawless vocal. It was selected for the aborted Get Back album as
well as
the film and LP Let It Be.
10 – Danny Boy (0.09) – 30.7
Roll 62A – John sings one misremembered line as a tag to “One After 909”.
11 – Dig a Pony (1.39) – 30.NEW
Roll ? – Camera C – This recorder located in the reception of the Apple building
was the only one
to capture this rehearsal.
12 – Dig a Pony (4.32) – 30.8
Roll 562A – George counts in but Ringo stops him in order to adjust his hi–hat.
That
accomplished, they turn in a credible if somewhat perfunctory performance, with John
singing the
lyrics from a clipboard. At the end, Michael orders the crew to reload the cameras. This
performance also appears in the film Let It Be. It also appears on the LP with a few
seconds of
lyric edited out of the intro and outro.
13 – God Save the Queen (2.11) – 30.NEW
Roll 1149 – This comes from a tape recorder that was running during a playback of the
rooftop
concert in Apple studios for the Beatles.
14 – I've Got a Feeling (5.29) – 30.9
Roll 563A – Another pass on this song. The performance is inferior in nearly every
way to the
other one. George is a bit experimental with his guitar part and John sings the correct
lyrics this
time.
15 – A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody (0.05) – 30.10
Roll 563A – Once again, John sings a bit of a standard as a tag to a performance.
16 – Get Back (0.06) – 30.11
Roll 563A – George and Paul begin to play this song but John interrupts the
performance and
asks to do the following tune.
17 – Don't Let Me Down (3.31) – 30.12
Roll 563A – Unfortunately, John ruins the take on the very first line of the first
verse this time.
The musicianship gets a bit sloppy the rest of the way.
18 – Get Back (3.42) – 30.13
Roll 563A – The police arrive on the roof along with Mal and George leads the group
into the
closing number. At the end of the first verse Mal has turned off John and George’s
amps and the
performance almost breaks down. Paul and Ringo carry on. George reaches over and turns his
amp back on. John does the same and the performance continues. At the end, Paul
appropriately improvises some lyrics in response to the police. And so ended the
Beatles’ last
public performance.
DISC FIFTEEN – 63.28
The Complete Apple Studio Performance Part One
Remember your excitement when you first saw that the January 31st studio session had come
out
on disc? Remember your disappointment when you found out that it had been chopped into
annoying little pieces? That situation has been righted here in a big way. Disc 15
contains each
and every take of “Two of Us” and “The Long and Winding Road” in
complete forms And there’s
the bonus of warm–up and between song jams and oldies (including a MUCH longer
presentation
of “Lady Madonna”).
Friday, January 31
01 – (Unknown) / Hey, Good Lookin' (1.35) – 31.NEW
Roll 1150B – the group warm up for “Two of Us” with an as yet unidentified
song which leads into
John singing a portion of Hank Williams “Hey, Good Lookin’ ”
02 – Take This Hammer / Lost John / Five Feet High and Rising / "Bear Cat"
/ Black Dog
Blues / Right String, Wrong Yo–Yo / Run For Life (8.40) – 24.59
Roll 1150B – The Beatles have a little fun with this hodge–podge of oldies.
“Take this Hammer”
and “Lost John” are Lonnie Donnegan songs from 1959. George then leads the band
into Johnny
Cash’s “Five Feet High and Rising”. They don’t remember much of that
song so John leads them
into the traditional “Black Dog Blues”. Winding down the medley are a few lines
of “Right String,
Wrong Yo–Yo” from George which leads to John and Paul singing the entire first
verse of “Run
For Your Life”. The medley ends with a brief reprise of “Black Dog Blues”.
03 – Two of Us (Take 10A) (1.04) – 31.1
Roll 564A – This performance breaks down during the introduction because the tempo is
far too
slow.
04 – Two of Us / Friendship (take 10B) (3.38) – 31.2 + 31.3
Roll 564A – John and Paul’s acoustic guitars are very much out of tune. As this
take winds down
John sings a brief obscene parody of “Friendship”, a Cole Porter song from 1945.
05 – Turkey in the Straw (0.41) – 31.4
Roll 564A – John sings amusing lyrics bemoaning his lack of tuning to the tune
“Turkey in the
Straw”.
06 – Step Inside Love (2.02) – 31.NEW
Roll 1150A – Paul sings in pseudo Spanish in the background.
07 – Friendship / Tales of Frankie Rabbit (1.24) – 31.NEW
Roll 1150A – John and Paul have another go at “Friendship” which leads into
“Tales of Frankie
Rabbit”.
08 – Two of Us (Take 11) (3.33) – 31.5
Roll 564A – The Beatles attempt the song at a faster temp and deliver a flawless
performance.
John and Paul sing the third verse twice.
09 – 'Deed I Do / In The Middle of an Island / All Together Now (1.20) – 31.6
Roll 1150B – John and Paul sing this a capella duet. John has his usual lyrical fun
this time with
“All Together Now”
10 – Two of Us (Take 12) (4.06) – 31.7
Roll 564A – This performance is quite similar to take 11, although it’s
intentionally taken a bit
slower.
11 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 13A) (1.17) – 31.8
Roll 564A – This performance breaks down in the first verse as Glyn interrupts
because of
technical problems.
12 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 13B) (3.50) – 31.9 + 31.10
Roll 564A – A complete take. Not a keeper however. Paul is a bit hesitant.
13 – The Long and Winding Road (Non–Take) (0.48) – 31.11
Roll 564a – Just a bit of the song performed between takes.
14 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 14) (1.28) – 31.12
Roll 564A – Abort in the second verse. Paul requests a screwdriver to adjust his
mike.
15 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 15A) (0.15) – 31.NEW
Roll 564A – Abort in the first verse at Paul’s request.
16 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 15B) (3.59) – 31.NEW
Roll 564A – Prefaced by a brief false start, a complete but perfectible take.
17 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 16A) (0.06) – 31.13
Roll 564A – A false start.
18 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 16B) (0.44) – 31.14
Roll 564A – Abort in the first verse because Paul doesn’t like a note from his
piano.
19 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 16C) (3.38) – 31.15
Roll 564A – A run–through then Paul asks Glyn if they should go on with the
takes.
20 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 16D) (3.38) – 31.NEW
Roll 564A – Paul vocalizes through the solo.
21 – Lady Madonna (3.48) – 31.16
Roll 564A – The band take a break from “The Long and Winding Road” and jam
on their 1968
single. This is much longer than the version previously available.
22 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 17A) (3.00) – 31.17
Roll 1152B – Abort in the solo at Paul’s request.
23 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 17B) (0.35) – 31.18 + 31.19
Roll 1152B – A false start and then a quick abort at Glyn’s request.
24 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 18) (4.24) – 31.21
Roll 565A – A complete take. Glyn asks for one more take.
25 – The Long and Winding Road (Take 19) (3.40) – 31.22
Roll 565A – Another fine, complete performance. John remarks he’s satisfied and
Ringo agrees.
DISC SIXTEEN – 50.13
The Complete Apple Studio Performance Part Two
This disc features a comprehensive look at the recording of “Let It Be”. Take
27A was issued
with varying edits and overdubs as a single and on the Let It Be album. Take 27B was shown
in
the Let It Be film. The surprises here are previously undocumented attempts at “I
Want You
(She’s So Heavy)” and “Oh! Darling”.
Friday, January 31 (continued)
01 – I Want You (5.31) – 31.NEW
Roll 1153B – Interestingly, Paul provides the vocal for this version.
02 – Let It Be (rehearsal) (0.07) – 31.23
Roll 565A – A fragment of a rehearsal.
03 – Let It Be (Take 20A) (1.36) – 31.24
Roll 565A – This performance goes along fine until Glyn notices that Paul is singing
too close to
his mike, causing distortion on his vocal. John is annoyed by the interruption.
04 – Let It Be (Take 20B) (0.09) – 31.25
Roll 565A – A breakdown during the introduction.
05 – Let It Be (Take 20C) (4.07) – 31.26
Roll 565A – John blows his bass part and emits an expletive into his microphone.
06 – Let It Be (Take 21) (3.02) – 31.27 + 31.28
Roll 565A – A loose mic cable mars this tape in several places. This performance is
showing
sings of breaking down when Paul begins singing drunkenly, effectively ending the take.
07 – Let It Be (Take 22) (4.33) – 31.NEW
Roll 565A – At the end of this performance, John requests a bathroom break in his
irresistible
manner while George breaks into a riff that sounds like “All Around the
Watchtower”. “Are we
supposed to giggle in the solo?” John asks. “Yeah” Paul answers and they go
into the following
take.
08 – Let It Be (Take 23) (4.17) – 31.29 + 31.30
Roll 565A – A good performance but John “has lost a bass note.” At the end,
Michael Lindsay
Hogg asks for silence from everyone so they can slate the camera for the next take.
09 – Let It Be (Take 24) (3.50) – 31.31
Roll 566A – This performance is falling apart when Paul and Billy turn in into a
unique solo
rendition.
10 – Let It Be (Take 25A) (0.56) – 31.32
Roll 566A – This performance breaks down at the start of the chorus, causing John to
issue a
stream of light–hearted profanity. Paul and John then clown around in mock German.
11 – Let It Be (Take 25B) (3.50) – 31.33 + 31.34
Roll 566A – While the performance sounds passable, Paul has given up. In this version
he sings
“Brother Malcolm” instead of “Mother Mary”.
12 – “OK, let's track it.” (0.32) –
Roll 1155B – An amusing bit of dialogue from John. Much longer than the bit on
Anthology 3.
13 – Let It Be / Twelfth Street Rag (Take 26A) (0.23) – 31.35
Roll 566A – Paul begins playing the song’s introduction but quickly switches to
“Twelfth Street
Rag”. That song was composed in 1914 by Euday Bowman, in case you’re wondering.
14 – Let It Be (Take 26B) (2.59) – 31.36
Roll 566A – The song breaks down in the third verse.
15 – Oh! Darling (3.14) – 31.NEW
Roll 1155B – The band takes a break from recording “Let It Be” so Paul
takes the opportunity to
revisit his new composition. About halfway into the song John sings along with Paul.
16 – Oh! Darling (2.40) – 31.NEW
Roll 1155B – More vocal contributions from John.
17 – Let It Be (Take 27A) (4.22) – 31.38
Roll 566A – A virtually flawless performance, marred only by a mediocre guitar solo
from George.
On April 30th, George will overdub a new solo creating a version chosen for inclusion on
the
aborted Get Back album. More overdubs were done later to create the single and LP
versions.
18 – Let It Be (Take 27B) (4.04) – 31.39
Roll 566A – George laughs over the song’s introduction, but the band turns in
another excellent
performance. This was included in the film Let It Be. This take brought the Get Back
sessions to
a close.
DISC SEVENTEEN – 43.33
Glyn Johns' First Get Back Compilation
01 – The One After 909
Recorded January 30
02 – Rocker
Recorded on January 22
03 – Save The Last Dance For Me
Recorded January 22
04 – Don't Let Me Down
Recorded January 27
05 – Dig A Pony
Recorded January 23
06 – I've Got A Feeling
Recorded January 23
07 – Get Back
Recorded January 27
08 – For You Blue
Recorded January 25
09 – Teddy Boy
Recorded January 24
10 – Two Of Us
Recorded January 24
11 – Maggie Mae
Recorded January 24
12 – Dig It
Recorded January 26
13 – Let It Be
Recorded January 26
14 – The Long And Winding Road
Recorded January 26
15 – Get Back (reprise)
Recorded January 28 |
|
