The Beatles’ troubled Let It Be album can be heard in a variety of ways, giving fans different perspectives on these initially shelved early 1969 sessions.
There was the re-produced original take, issued on May 8, 1970 after producer Phil Spector finally completed it. Let It Be can also be experienced in scattershot fashion, as the Anthology series returned to a project that had once been called Get Back. Or in a totally re-imagined form on the stripped-down Let It Be … Naked reissue, overseen by Paul McCartney.
Which version of is superior — the original, Anthology, or Naked versions? That question remains open for many, as these takes often possess great qualities. In the end, however, it all speaks to the difficulty the Beatles had in completing this project – and a continuing uneasiness with some of Spector’s last-minute additions.
Of course, Specter had his defenders. As John Lennon memorably described the situation in a 1971 interview with Rolling Stone: “He was given the shittiest load of badly recorded shit, with a lousy feeling toward it, ever – and he made something out of it.” Meanwhile, the album itself produced two chart-topping McCartney singles, the two-times platinum title track and “The Long and Winding Road,” another million seller released as the Beatles announced their inevitable breakup. “Don’t Let Me Down,” Lennon’s deeply moving b-side, also emerged from these sessions.
So, we thought we’d dig a little deeper in Let It Be – specifically into five of its more intriguing lesser-known songs – to get a better understanding of this album’s complicated legacy. Kit O’Toole, author of Deep Beatles, serves as our guide. Click through for more detailed discussions:
‘TWO OF US’
“You and I have memories / Longer than the road that stretches out ahead.”
Paul McCartney may have intended the Beatles’ “Two of Us” to celebrate his blooming romance with Linda Eastman, but those words also summarized his friendship and creative partnership with John Lennon. Recorded during the Beatles’ turbulent Get Back sessions, “Two of Us” remains a tender ode to love and friendship.
As McCartney told biographer Barry Miles, he and Eastman enjoyed going for country drives together, often getting lost on purpose. Once she moved permanently to London, the couple would frequently bundle McCartney’s sheepdog Martha into the car, pick up a picnic lunch, and drive out to a remote rural area. Eastman would then take photographs as McCartney strummed his guitar.
It was during one of those adventures that McCartney composed what he originally titled “On Our Way Home.” “We’d just enjoy sitting out in nature, and this song was about that: doing nothing, trying to get lost,” McCartney told Miles. “It’s a favorite of mine because it reminds me of that period, getting together with Linda, and the wonderfully free attitude we were able to have.”
Assembling at Apple Studios, the Beatles first rehearsed “On Our Way Home” from January 24-25, 1969; by January 31, they were ready to record. Judging from initial outtakes, the early versions relied heavily on electric guitar, sported a faster tempo, and included silly Elvis Presley-esque vocals by McCartney.
According to Kenneth Womack’s The Beatles Encyclopedia, Lennon suggested during the rehearsal stage that an acoustic arrangement would be a more appropriate accompaniment for the lyrics. Once that issue was settled, Lennon and McCartney harmonized into the same microphone.
The middle eight remains the most poignant line, as it seems to address McCartney’s long friendship with Lennon: “You and I have memories / Longer than the road that stretches out ahead.” Since Eastman had not begun dating McCartney until May 1968, it can be assumed that these lines describe his relationship with his writing partner.
The lyrics contrast his past with his present; in sum, Lennon was no longer the sole influence in McCartney’s life. Obviously those memories would never be forgotten, and McCartney renders those words highly personal by singing most of them alone.
CLICK HERE for more on Paul McCartney’s ‘Two of Us’ from the Deep Beatles series.
‘DIG A PONY’
A classic example of John Lennon’s love of wordplay, “Dig a Pony” features some mysterious lyrics, raw Paul McCartney-Lennon harmonies, and crunching guitars.
Interestingly, the song divides fans. A sampling of comments on music blogs and YouTube reveals how fans either love or hate this track. Alan Pollack’s “Notes On” series refers to this division: “An admittedly non-scientific poll of my acquaintances reveals that some people just don’t like this song because of this sloppy, while over-the-top intensity,” he writes. Typical of Lennon’s harsh assessments of his work, he dismissed it as “another piece of garbage” in a 1980 interview.
Is “Dig A Pony” deserving of such scorn?
Lennon’s only major contribution to Let It Be, “Dig a Pony” was one of the earliest tracks recorded during the Get Back sessions. The version that was released, however, originates from the rooftop concert. Lennon first brought his new composition (originally titled “All I Want Is You”) to Twickenham Studios on January 2, 1969, when the Beatles were rehearsing material for a planned concert. As the group worked on arrangements on January 7 and 13, a film crew documented their every move for a planned film.
The story is well known: The cameras exacerbated existing tensions, leading to George Harrison temporarily quitting the group. He eventually returned, but only after asking his bandmates to agree to certain terms, including recording at Apple Studios rather than the sterile movie set.
The Beatles resumed work on “Dig a Pony” on January 22, recording several versions (one of which surfaced on Anthology 3). Two days later they revisited the song, playing it several more times. This time they selected a take for the planned Get Back album. Still making adjustments on January 28, they ran through it yet again in preparation for the planned concert.
Finally, “Dig a Pony” made its public debut on January 30; after a brief rehearsal and a false start, the Beatles performed the entire song live. As McCartney stated in Anthology, “We decided to go through all the stuff we’d been rehearsing and record it. If we got a good take on it then that would be the recording; if not, we’d use one of the earlier takes that we’d done downstairs in the basement.” Originally produced by George Martin, an edited Phil Spector-produced version would ultimately appear on Let It Be a year later.
CLICK HERE for more on John Lennon’s ‘I Dig a Pony’ from the Deep Beatles series.
‘I’VE GOT A FEELING’
Volumes have been written on the Lennon/McCartney dynamic after point/counterpoint exchanges graced “We Can Work It Out,” “Getting Better,” and “She’s Leaving Home.” One of their finest moments as a duo occurred during the troubled Get Back sessions.
Like many of the tracks that would surface on Let It Be, “I’ve Got a Feeling” has a complicated history, but its sheer power and engaging blending of Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s perspectives makes it an unforgettable moment in the band’s catalog.
“I’ve Got a Feeling” actually consists of two separate songs combined: McCartney penned the section referring to the title, while Lennon contributed a song initially dubbed “Everyone Had a Hard Year,” a track he previously brought to the White Album sessions. The lyrics could refer to the turmoil in Lennon’s life, as he was recovering from a divorce, heroin addiction, Yoko Ono’s miscarriage, and an infamous drug bust. Clearly, Lennon originally intended the song to be a tender ballad, very much in the vein of “Julia.”
Meanwhile, McCartney used his own life experience for his composition, as he was in the throes of his relationship with future spouse Linda Eastman. He and Lennon thus interwove all these songs, completing the writing at McCartney’s home on Cavendish Avenue. They took a brief stab at rehearsing the song on January 10, but tensions were too high after Harrison stormed out of the Twickenham Studios sessions.
Recording commenced on January 22 at Apple Studios; by this time Harrison had returned to the group, and he had invited Billy Preston as a guest artist. They recorded an astonishing 29 versions of “I’ve Got a Feeling” that day; for the next four days they would continue refining the track. A take from January 23 would later emerge on Anthology 3, while a version from the 24th was originally pegged for inclusion on the eventually aborted Get Back album. Finally the moment of truth arrived on January 30, 1969: the day that the Beatles performed in public for the last time, on top of the Apple building’s rooftop.
On a bitterly cold day, the Beatles (plus Preston) performed some of their new tracks for 42 minutes. Deep in the basement studio, producer George Martin, engineer Glyn Johns and tape operator Alan Parsons were recording the concert. As with “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” and “Dig a Pony,” the Beatles performed “I’ve Got a Feeling” twice; the first take appeared on the Let It Be album and in the film, while a combination of the two versions surfaced on the Let It Be … Naked disc.
CLICK HERE for more on ‘I’ve Got a Feeling’ from the Deep Beatles series.
‘FOR YOU BLUE’
Unlike many bands, the Beatles’ B-sides were often just as good, if not better, than the A-side single. Case in point: “For You Blue,” which was paired with the hit single “The Long and Winding Road.”
While “Long and Winding” certainly contained great emotion, “For You Blue” represents pure George Harrison, a man who enjoyed blues and country just as much as rock. His many asides and chuckles during the track demonstrate how much fun he was experiencing while recording it. This optimism is remarkable considering the origins of “For You Blue”: the infamous Get Back sessions.
Reportedly then-wife Patti Boyd once again served as Harrison’s muse, with him penning lyrics such as “Because you’re sweet and lovely girl, I love you” in her honor. After writing the song in late 1968, Harrison presented it to the Beatles in January 1969; the Beatles rehearsed the track 15 times at Twickenham Studios. Unlike other tracks, “For You Blue” did not vary greatly from take to take, except for Harrison later substituting “it’s true” to avoid repeating “I love you” and “I do” too many times.
“For You Blue” contains what would become a trademark of Harrison’s songs: slide guitar. Therefore, many listeners assume that Harrison plays lead throughout the track. Surprisingly, it was John Lennon who performed the solos on lap steel guitar, using a shotgun shell as a slide. (Harrison can be heard encouraging Lennon in the endeavor, yelling “Go, Johnny, go!”) While a blues track, Harrison sings in falsetto, his voice floating over the guitar, piano, and shuffling drum beat. One gets the sense of the four sitting in a living room, just jamming for fun.
As is well-known, the Beatles would soon abandon these sessions, later regrouping for the Abbey Road album. At Lennon’s urging, the band turned over the Get Back session tapes to producer Phil Spector, who would salvage the best tracks, add more production (or overproduction, depending on one’s opinion), and release the album as Let It Be.
To further refine “For You Blue,” Spector called in Harrison to contribute a new lead vocal, which he did over January 4 and 8, 1970. In true eccentric Spector fashion, he experimented with the track by creating a 16-second loop of the instrumental break, inserting snippets of dialogue from the Let It Be movie. Wisely, he later abandoned the idea.
CLICK HERE for more on George Harrison’s ‘For You Blue’ from the Deep Beatles series.
‘ONE AFTER 909’
Written by John Lennon (with probable assistance from Paul McCartney) when he a teenager, “One After 909” reflects his earliest influences, namely skiffle and rock. The song actually dated back to when the Beatles were still called the Quarrymen, and was included in their 1960-era sets; one bootleg version can be heard in the Anthology documentary. In addition, 1962 audio exists of the Beatles rehearsing the song twice at the Cavern.
One year later, the Beatles were at Abbey Road Studios recording their newest single “From Me To You” and its b-side, “Thank You Girl.” Next the group resurrected “One After 909,” laying down four takes and an edit piece that lasted from the guitar solo until the ending. They labored through the session, with McCartney struggling to keep up on bass, George Harrison flubbing the guitar solo, and Lennon sounding increasingly frustrated and missing cues. Takes three and four finally surfaced on 1995’s Anthology 1; a complete version of the song was created by combining takes four and five.
The Beatles then set aside “One After 909” until 1969, when they tackled the song once more during the Get Back sessions. Again featuring Preston on electric piano, the song was recorded numerous times from January 28-30. By then, the song had taken on an R&B flavor in addition to old fashioned rock and roll; “One After 909” was then included as part of the rooftop concert on January 30. Phil Spector remixed the track, which ultimately appeared on Let It Be.
In comparing the versions, the Let It Be rendition sounds looser than the 1963 version. Since “One After 909” was recorded live in concert, in effect, the vocals are not perfect. When Lennon and McCartney harmonize on the line “I begged her not to go and I begged her on my bended knees,” the latter’s voice suddenly drops out, only to rejoin Lennon on the words “begged her.” These imperfections enhance the song’s straight-ahead rock sound, one that harkens back slightly to rockabilly and the Sun Studio sound.
After the guitar solo, Lennon sings alone; when he utters the line “run right home,” McCartney enthusiastically yells “run right home!” as if to egg him on. Harrison’s guitar solo is, not surprisingly, a vast improvement over the 1963 attempt. Preston’s gospel-tinged electric piano lends a soulful edge, giving the 1969 rendition added punch and soul. As usual, Ringo Starr lays down a flawless and subtle beat with tasteful fills.
When Lennon suddenly launches into “Danny Boy” at the end, one senses that the group had just undertaken a journey back to their childhood and musical roots.
CLICK HERE for more on ‘One After 909’ from the Deep Beatles series.
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