Let It Be (1970)
Buy Let It Be on CD, or on Vinyl
Listen to Let It Be on Apple Music or on Spotify
Although released in 1970 and thought by many as the Beatles’ last album, Let It Be was actually recorded in January of 1969; before Abbey Road. Recorded under the working title Get Back, the project was originally a project intended to capture the making of an album, capturing the rehearsals of the songs and with the intent of being performed in a historic location. But the film has been viewed as a documentary of a band breaking up, with George leaving the band and the final concert taking place on the roof of the Beatles’ offices on Saville Row. Because this was in the midst of a business district, the concert was interrupted when neighbors complained of the noise. The songs on Let It Be were recorded live, with some being taken from that rooftop concert. The original sessions were produced by George Martin, but the tapes were given to Phil Spector (who had just produced John’s first solo album) by John just after the group’s breakup for reworking. Paul became infuriated with the results, which included orchestration and female backing vocals, and wrote to John to suggest the breakup of the band’s legal partnership. The album was released in a box with a special picture book in some countries, and the US version featured a red apple on the disc. Taken out of print from 1975-1978. Let It Be was nominated for the 1970 Grammy for Record Of The Year. It won the 1970 Grammy for Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or TV Special.
Quotes
“The tape ended up like the bootleg version. We let Glyn Johns remix it, we didn’t want to know. We just left it to him and said, ‘Here, do it.’ It’s the first time since the first album that we didn’t have anything to do with it. None of us could be bothered going in. Everybody was probably thinking, ‘Well, I’m not going to work on it.’ Nobody could face looking at it. I thought it would be great to go out – the shitty version – because it would break The Beatles. It would break the myth: ‘That’s us, with no trousers on and no glossy paint over the cover and no sort of hope. This is what we are like with our trousers off, so would you please end the game now.” – John Lennon
“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?” – John Lennon, Melody Maker, 1971
Track list
Side A
Side B
Release history
- Apple PXS 1 (with book), released May 8, 1970
- Apple AR 34001, released May 18, 1970
- Apple PCS 7096 (without book), released November 6, 1970
- Parlophone PCS 7096 (White Vinyl), released 1979
- Capitol SW-11922, released March 12, 1979
- Mobile Fidelity MFSL 1-109, released November 1986
- Parlophone CDP 7 46447 2 (stereo CD), released October 19, 1987
- Apple 0946 3 82472 2 7 (remastered stereo CD), released September 9, 2009
