STILL FAB …
The Beatles’ “Let It Be” album tops Billboard’s Rock Albums Chart this week after the premier of the Peter Jackson film “Get Back” on Disney+ over the Thanksgiving Weekend. It also jumps from #80 to #19 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums Chart. “Abbey Road,” “1” and “The White Album” also make impressive chart moves on the Rock Album Chart, charting at #3, #26 and #45 respectively.
I
wouldn’t go so far as to call the “Get Back” film “boring” … but it was
considerably longer than it needed to be.
Still, the fact that we are finally able to see this footage after being
locked in a vault for 50+ years … and the fact of who it is and what it is …
makes it not only impossible to ignore, but also impossible not to get excited
about.
Yes,
there were times when my attention may have waned … and yes, I will agree with
you that there was much more repetition than necessary … but the very idea that
we could sit, watch, listen to and enjoy the beautifully restored audio and video after
all this time easily outweighs any negative commentary that may be circulating.
I’d
watch it again … and plan to.
Sherry
I agree with most of what you said. I can even accept the fact that Jackson fought hard to show his "director's cut" right from the start ... the scary part is that I'm also hearing that his REAL director's cut may run sixteen hours when it is finally released next year on DVD! My true, honest opinion is that Peter Jackson simply had too much time to work on this film ... and that's really what caused him to think, "Well, we've got to have THIS" ... and "We've got to have THAT" ... were it not for Covid delaying its intended release by almost two years (and changing it from a theatrical release to a television movie ... the exact OPPOSITE result of what happened with the original film), it NEVER would have run this long and we would have been treated to the very best bits in a 2 to 2 1/2 hour film, leaving the nearly 8 hour cut we all sat thru instead for the DVD release ... which I personally would have found far more enjoyable. (kk)
Hi Kent!
Just wanted to throw my two cents in ...
I'd been very excited to watch Peter Jackson's
"Get Back," so this weekend I tuned in and ... Well, I thought I was
missing something until I read your review and other readers' comments. I don't
know quite what I was expecting but I wasn't exactly hooked.
I only made it halfway through the first part
before I decided to do something else. I will finish the entire documentary
eventually, if nothing else because I'm intrigued to see video of The Beatles
in the studio that hasn't been shown before. Peter Jackson is certainly
proficient in long-form story-telling - his Lord of the Rings movie trilogy is
among my favorite film series ever - but maybe we didn't need six hours of
this?
To piggyback off other comments, I really do
respect your reviews in Forgotten Hits, whether they be of movies like this, or
albums or concerts, because you're upfront, honest and always constructive with
any criticisms - and that's the whole point. At the end of the day, everybody
on the site has one thing in common. We all love and appreciate the music.
Colin Donahue
Thanks, Colin … having
heard from or spoken to a few dozen readers now, the general consensus seems to
agree with our analysis … too much material and more than we needed, making even the
most loyal fans scratching their heads … but still agreeing how great it was to
see ANYTHING new show up on The Fabs after so many years. (Another commonly repeated phrase: “The previews were SO exciting and offered so
much hope of what was to come … who knew that they would end up being the
highlights of the film and that nearly everything else would pale in
comparison.”)
I am FAR more
disappointed by the treatment of the loyal fans who have waited 50+ years for
the release of “Let It Be” bonus tracks by way of the new anniversary deluxe CD
box set … which offers up virtually NOTHING new, instead offering at least four
versions of the same tracks we’ve already had for the past 50 years. As the documentary clearly shows, there are
literally HUNDREDS of other tracks and takes that COULD have been shared … yet
still remain locked away and kept from the fans, many of whom have suffered
thru low-quality bootlegs for the past five decades instead, WAITING for some
pristine tracks to appear at last.
What a shame … and what
a disappointment. (kk)
*****
And finally, as
promised, an in-depth review by frequent Forgotten Hits contributor Clark Besch
(with some commentary from me where I felt it appropriate to chime in, either
because I have some vivid memories of my own on these topics … or my fear that
waiting all the way to the end would cause readers to have to backtrack to
figure out what the heck I was even talking about!!! Lol)
Clark prefaced his
piece by saying:
Kent,
I have several reviews of the film including your long one,
but have not read any of these yet, as I just finished watching the Get Back
film yesterday morning and wanted to make my unbiased assessment before reading
yours or any of these others, which I look forward to reading now.
My commentary is now done and I will send it to you in my
next email. Please know that I will NOT
be changing my comments, even after reading yours … but yours will be fun read,
I’m sure.
Clark
Here goes …
I just
finished watching all three parts of the Beatles ‘Get Back’ shows. What a
wild thing to see.
When I
think about the timing of this all in January, 1969, I think about my personal
charts that week and what was on the radio that month. Here we see the
Beatles going into the studio to record a film (after the animated Yellow Sub
movie was only a few months old, too) and new soundtrack record on the
airwaves, and my personal chart has Hey Bulldog / It’s All Too Much in week nine
on my chart as taped off WLS as an exclusive months earlier.
Tracks
from the White Album were being played like crazy as well at that time.
So it’s odd to think that the Yellow Submarine SOUNDTRACK was finally released
during the filming of this NEW song and film work. It was released
January 13th, 1969, the 8th day of the new ‘Get Back’ film sessions! Hard
to think of them already doing 15 takes of their April released 45 'Get Back"
that early in ‘69. They talk of releasing it the next week, but it does
not come until April. That day, Paul sits and sings a bit of "Build Me
Up, Buttercup" which is now heard daily 50 times as often as ANY Beatles
song!
In
reflecting on this whole set, it was often like pulling teeth to get thru Part 2.
Part 1 was INTERESTING and inventive, while Part 2 at times seemed to drag along
as much as the fabs thought it did, too.
[I found Part 1 to be the most tedious – and felt
that each subsequent chapter improved – although there were some very slow,
dragging moments within each one. – kk]
Yet,
you get rewarded greatly in Part 3. The rooftop concert was
fascinating. The boys could play together as a rock n roll band and have
a great time, even in the cold. I wish there was a Part 4 with all of the
last day recording session filmed. I'm about 100% sure that The Ed
Sullivan Show that premiered some of the songs at the start of April was from
that last day of recordings.
[In the original “Let It Be” film, other than the
rooftop concert finale, the big payoff was seeing the professionally staged and
shot music videos created for “Two Of Us,” “Let It Be” and “The Long And
Winding Road.” At the time I could only
envision these as being the pre-selected singles they intended to release in
conjunction with the album. A HUGE
disappointment in the new film is that NONE of these amazing videos are shown
in their entirety, but rather teased in one minute previews, explaining that
“this was the version included on the ‘Let It Be’ album … which, as we both
know, wasn’t really the case for ANY of these three tracks! Those clips did, however, air on the Ed Sullivan program you are referring to ... kind of a "sneak peek" of the "Let It Be" movie to come. – kk]
I taped
the Beatles segment of that show. My brother had taped Glyn Johns' LP
version of "Get Back" on November 19, 1969, off KEYN-FM in Wichita,
Kansas. They, like others, had to pull the tape from broadcast
immediately, but DID get the whole thing broadcast, much to we Besch Boys'
delight. (In Dodge City, we knew nothing
of bootleg LPs then, so this tape was the way.
I know the date for our Get Back tape because of my personal surveys,
which mentions the LP as an exclusive for ME. I have liked the Glyn Johns
versions of the songs better than any of the other versions, even with
warts. “Teddy Boy” sounds superior on “Get Back,” even with flubs and
such.)
[I find that, in most cases, we
end up liking the version we heard FIRST … and I know that I much
prefer my earlier bootleg / outtake copies of “For You Blue” and “Dig A Pony” to the ones
commercially released. Likewise, the
studio version of “I’ve Got A Feeling,” which I thought would have made for an
interesting contrast to the rooftop performance, had they released both. In fact, ALL of the rooftop tracks were also
created “in studio” (even "The One After 909") and would have made for FAR more interesting bonus tracks
on the “Let It Be” anniversary box than much of what they used. – kk]
And to
think that we had these songs just a month after "Abbey Road" had
been issued and the "Hey Jude" LP was still a few months away, ALL
before the DIFFERENT versions "Let It Be" LP actually first
containing these songs finally came SIX MONTHS later! I know I knew every
song by heart by then. Imagine the people who heard the rooftop concert
that London day -- they would not hear some of those songs again for over a
year!
The
biggest reflection I have now is that the later-released "Abbey Road"
album may be so honored these days because it was possibly a "Greatest
Hits" of Beatles tracks from two albums of material. Keep
in mind that the "Get Back" sessions were still shelved at that time and
George Martin had been there for those sessions, but not been producing
them. I count at least 11 songs on "Abbey Road" that were at
least started and worked on (some quite a lot) during the "Get Back"
sessions, so I am thinking that those 11 were deemed as more usable for a new
George Martin produced record under MUCH better circumstances than the songs
NOT used from the earlier sessions. No wonder "Abbey Road" gets
more praise than many Beatles LPs. As I see it, it COULD have been a
double LP like "The White Album" which included both sessions!
Imagine that!
[The tracks that ultimately became "Let It Be" and "Abbey Road" were all recorded within months of each other ... a VERY fertile period of creativity within the band. More than half of what was released as "Abbey Road" was already being rehearsed and considered for the "Get Back" LP. Whereas many fans ... and quite often, The Beatles themselves ... often lump "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" together as almost being one ... and it certainly was another long, extended creative period ... "Let It Be" / "Abbey Road" truly were. The fact that both LPs recently celebrated their 50th anniversaries with deluxe box set releases only drives the point home even harder of what could have been ... and SHOULD have been ... when it comes to the "Let It Be" box set release. - kk]
Another
thing about the "Get Back" sessions is how when they moved to the NEW
Apple studios, they really enjoyed the feel of being there and playing as a
band. Seeing John and Paul dancing with each other near the end of the sessions
was great to see. The end did not seem
near at all. The public was getting LOTS
of their music that year in many ways. The end did not seem near.
[None of The Beatles really seemed comfortable
filming and recording on the huge Twickenham soundstage … not to mention having
to adhere to a very strict filming schedule.
Creating quality music really isn’t the kind of thing that even the best
bands could just switch on, simply because the cameras were rolling. As such, they were used to a more
intimate recording studio scenario and felt much more relaxed and at home once
they relocated to their own Apple Records studios. I still find it amazing to think that George
Harrison had more sophisticated equipment in his home studio, by way of things like 8-track
recorders, than EMI had to offer to, as Clark goes on to say, their all-time
biggest selling act! – kk]
One
thing noticeable was George telling the band that HE was not on a nearly level
playing field and had stockpiled so many songs that he NEEDED to get a solo LP
out and still do Beatles songs. John agreed. The story lines behind the
WRITING of George's songs in the film were the best, IMO. George was so
into doing his own music that if not for moving HIS personal 8 track recording
machine from place to place, who knows if we would have had a "Get
Back" sessions that would have had good sonics at all! A bit of
jealousy over the Beach Boys getting 8 tracks and EMI offering only 4 track to
their biggest band??? What the ...? How funny was that?
There are
so many things I made notes on that I won't elaborate on here, but this was a fascinating
program and likely well done to be cut to just 6 hours (altho Part 2 seemed
like 6 hours alone!)
Being a
record collector, I loved seeing George flipping thru Smokey Robinson & the
Miracles LPs. Note that Paul walks in one morning with a new Atco 45 and
I wonder if it could have been the recent Atco release of their own "Ob-La-Di,
Ob-La-Da" by Arthur Conley (Paul seemed to enjoy playing around with a reggae
sound then) or maybe "Crossroads" by Cream (as Eric was a big part of
their friendship.) Those seem most
likely (???) There's certainly a good chance that the UK Pye 45 might be the
Foundations' then recent "Build Me Up, Buttercup," as Paul had been
singing it earlier in the filming.
CERTAINLY
the oft suggested idea of an additional pianist/organist came up a lot before
Billy Preston entered. Little doubt that Billy would NOT have become
Beatle #5 were not for Paul saying
"It's bad enough with four!" Maybe Paul didn't want to share
more songs on their albums … OR the money, too. Had Billy been added to
the band permanently, it could have pumped more interest into future
plans. His addition to the song "Get Back" is exceptional AND
this song, of all those performed, seemed to not only be the film title, but
the most IMPORTANT song of the whole bunch. I was amazed when George gave
the idea of using the sound of "Reach Out, I'll Be There" in that
major song. How cool was that? George didn't say much about it, but
it did seem like he was a bit uneasy whenever a joke about India or the
religion were joked about.
[There was no question that The Beatles had a hard
time disciplining themselves and staying on task for the first two weeks of
filming … this only contributed to things dragging on so slowly in the
film. There was also no doubt that they
were never going to be able to present an acceptable sound with just the four
of them and no overdubbing, which was their credo going into these sessions … so Billy Preston being added to the equation was a Godsend. While virtually nothing acceptable or useable was
created during those first two weeks, EVERYTHING fell into place once Billy was
on the scene, filling in all the little gaps and breathing new life into the
songs they were already becoming bored with. – kk]
The TV
film makers always seem to be at odds with the fabs -- especially in Part
1. The film guys keep explaining that this HAS to be the greatest because
the public wants to see their biggest idols doing great stuff. Then,
stodgy Dick James comes in like he is Murray Wilson and pushes his publishing
stuff in front of them that they just bought rights to, I guess. He
mainly talks to Paul because most of the guys don't really want to talk with
Dick or even be there, I think. The film guys keep pushing ideas in front
of them all -- often things the fabs immediately throw out from having already
done them! Sure, the film guys are on a tight schedule, but WHY even try
this in two weeks anyway without expecting major headaches for everyone?
Ringo doesn't want to go anywhere because the place they are in is really for
his movie, which is due to start filming the next week. He may not show
it, but he had to be thinking about that at the beginning. It was
interesting that as time waned and George quit and returned and time was short,
two extra weeks (I think) were added to the whole thing by moving to Abbey Road
along with miles of wires. HOW they got it all up to the roof AND
recorded in the basement with cops all around them and all is
astonishing. The results DID justify the means.
[I still think George quitting right in the middle of
something that they had all committed to was extremely bad form. Hash it out and figure out a way to please
everybody … The Beatles always prided themselves by stating that ALL decisions
were made by way of an “all or nothing” vote … clearly George was EXTREMELY
unhappy from the git-go … and something should have been worked out. Capturing all of this on film makes it all seem even more petty ... although I do believe that George was genuinely hurt by the repeated dismissal of his material ... and deservedly so. Still, once you give your word to do something, you SHOULD honor it. Any lesser band likely would have been sued for their actions ... but then again The Beatles ALSO owned the company!!! (lol) ... so who you gonna go after in a case like this??? As such, they were able to push the original schedule back a few days here and there and again, once they made the move to the more comfortable and
familiar surroundings of the studio (and the addition of Billy Preston), it made
all the difference in the world ... and the whole album ... and film project ... came together. – kk]
I was
worn down after Part 2 and Part 3 showed me how great it all ended. YET,
Paul, the visionary, wanted something EPIC, not just films and albums.
It's
very strange that John decided to bring Allan Klein into the story at one of
the band's VERY busiest points. Yoko and Linda were still just
girlfriends (Yoko gets her divorce during the sessions) and if ANYONE caused
problems of the two, it would have been Linda's kids running around in the
studio during a recording visit. Yoko DID seem interested at Linda's daughter
doing a perfect rendition of Yoko's "Freakout Jam." Haha. SO
funny also when Paul reasons that Ringo is worried they will bring in Jimmy
Nichols (who is brought up TWICE in the film). He certainly DID play as
Paul motioned when you view the footage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxifNJChWZ0&t=5s
Also funny was
when they made fun of the Beatles magazine, too. We all have some of
those, I am guessing (?) Seeing them put an LP on and play "Across
the Universe" was interesting. I am guessing that they were playing the
Wildlife LP, so THAT song was already DONE basically.
"I Me
Mine" has a great "night before writing" story and then gets
roasted for being too non-rock when it was still without the rocking
break. Yet, they grovel about "Don't Let Me Down"’s lyrics
being too corny. Noting that "I Me Mine" was NOT a song they
returned to for "Abbey Road" tells me they did not think much of it
still until it became their last group recording in January, 1970.
Hearing Paul self-describe "Let it Be” and "The Long And Winding
Road" as being too slow and plodding made me think it a reason for NOT
being a part of 'Abbey Road" either. The former is now a sports
phenom growing weekly at sporting events. This fall, at a Nebraska game I
attended with 96,000 fans, I witnessed them all singing along to the song while
referees were determining a call review. Same for a full house of 8000
for Nebraska volleyball this winter. Hard to believe this "slow and
plodding" song is going strong 50+ years later.
It’s amazing to see and hear the
songs they dig up from their Quarrymen days and then start on songs that would
appear NOT on Get Back, but on Abbey Road and even into the solo LPs in ‘71!!!
"One After 909" seems to work out of the early ones, yet George
"doesn't get it" and John and Paul try to explain and he still
doesn't get it. Yet, John and Paul both laugh and KNOW the great memories
they are thinking of that period. They band did SO many Rock and Roll
classics from their childhood -- even on last day when recording was a
must. You could tell the VERY early Lennon-McCartney songs were still in
their heads.
[It still cracks me up that Paul brought in their original
notebook … “A Lennon and McCartney Original” … I can’t imagine for a minute
that they consulted these ten year old tracks while recording their albums “Rubber Soul,”
“Revolver” or “Sgt. Pepper,” trying to rekindle some new songwriting ideas!!! –
kk]
Then,
on future songs, we hear "Gimme Some Truth" (great story in Colbert
interview on this one), "All Things Must Pass," "Another
Day" "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," "I Want You (She’s So
Heavy),” "Oh Darling," "Bathroom Window," "Carry That
Weight" (FOR RINGO!!!!), "Octopus' Garden," "Old Brown
Shoe," "For You Blue," "Something," "Isn’t It A
Pity," "Back Seat Of My Car," "Mean Mr. Mustard," "Maggie
May," "Polythene Pam," "Her Majesty" and possibly
others. I started thinking, "You guys are wasting time on songs you
will not be recording for this event!" I loved it when George
suggests they try "Every Little Thing" from my fave Beatles LP “Beatles
VI."
[It shows you how many times … and how many different
arrangements … they would consider for any given song, trying to find the right
feel. So many times, it happened purely
by accident, like John banging on the piano to kick-off “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” or
changing Mean Mr. Mustard’s sister’s name from Shirley to Pam so they could run
it into “Polythene Pam” once they came up with the medley idea for Side Two of
“Abbey Road!” – kk]
Paul is
obviously the driving force, while John just goes along and George is
overlooked, despite having a treasure trove of songs saved up. Paul TRIES
to give John the high part on "I’ve Got a Feeling," but he can’t
reach that high. John only has 40 seconds of "Don't Let Me
Down" and they make an incredible song out of it with Billy Preston aboard. "Two of Us" was stressful to watch
... yet, by the end, it is considered as the choice for the B side of the "Get
Back" single! Instead, they chose the "corny" "Don't
Let Me Down???" John makes a slight
statement to the camera when during "Across The Universe" he sings,
"Nothing’s gonna change my world" … and then quickly adds "I
wish it fucking would!" (I also wonder if Ringo ever completed "I’ve
Been To Carolina???")
The
playing of the 1966 Japan footage of “Rock and Roll Music” back and forth with
1969 shows an exuberant group on their last tour compared to their bored
current state. Nice contrast. While we get Paul playing "Let It
Be” and "The Long And Winding Road" on piano, Ringo makes me think
about how important Brian Epstein REALLY, was even at his death. Ringo
flat out says the band has been grumpy for 18 months now -- dating to exactly
Brian's death. Then, John talks of
Elvis' 34th birthday … and me thinking how John himself would die at 40 and
Elvis at 42.
There
was just so MUCH of EVERYTHING from fighting to making up to last minute
choices. Just seeing all four of them sit in a circle, writing and
singing and recording, when today, everyone is so separated by booths and music
recorded separate from vocals SEEMS so important. Then, the awesome
rooftop concert when the boards holding everything could be moved with foot
pressure! It was all priceless to see.
FEATURED
TRACKS:
#1 –
The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, 1970 – This is from a tape we made of their 3-1-70
appearance (on film) on The Ed Sullivan Show
(also see newspaper clipping, same date)
[These videos are from the “Let It Be” film, as
mentioned above, still 2 ½ months away from commercial release, but tying in
with “Let It Be” being released as a single at the time. – kk]
The Get Back reprise is part of the album played 11/19/69, from a tape my brother made off KEYN-FM
1-23-69 is a national story that WCFL's Jim Stagg was involved with!
[Ah, yes ... the John and George "fisticuffs" incident! lol - kk]
1-31-69 clipping is how the rooftop concert was reported in England
[I remember reading about the impromptu rooftop after
it happened – but at the time I didn’t realize that it had been filmed … and
somewhat intentionally staged for inclusion in their new documentary, which
evolved from a television special to a theatrical film release – kk]
5-7-69 clipping of a TV show called "Best on Record," showcasing years best songs. It featured the "Hey Jude" film again.
4-29-69 and 5-9-69 show that Glen Campbell's Good Time Hour television program was probably the first to publicly showcase the first videos of "Get Back" and "Don’t Let Me Down," both from the rooftop video!
[This is the thing that never ceased to amaze
me. By this point, The Beatles had
already walked away from the music and the filming that made up what ultimately
became known as “Let It Be.” (Don’t
forget that in May of 1969, NOBODY knew what “Let It Be” even was yet!) But the boys had a new single to promote … so
they dug back into the footage from January and put out a clip that aired on,
of all things, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour … most likely because the year before
they had shown their “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” clips on the hippest show on
television, “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” … and Glen’s program acted as
sort of a “summer replacement series” until it was launched on its own. I guess they figured they’d still reach their
audience, even tho Glen was essentially just as much a country singer as he was
a pop star at the time! The very fact
that they gave this enough thought to dig thru the four month old tapes has
always blown me away. Of course at the
time, NONE of us knew what this was or what it was from … other than super fans
like me “supposing” that “this must have come from that rooftop concert that I
read about!!!” – kk]
10-17-69 is a national story in Detroit paper reviewing the tape we recorded a month later!
[Poor Mike Gormley ... he hasn't got a clue! "Abbey Road" is "the worst album they ever did" and "Let It Be" was no better. Boy, history certainly has proven THIS guy right!!! lol What a genius! - kk]
LASTLY:
This
never bugged me until last couple years when I realized what a big deal it was
that the Beatles never allowed their songs to be licensed for commercials until
these recent years.
Attached
is a Certs commercial I taped on an aircheck that included (to my memory) a
normal ABC national newscast in 1970 or ‘71. It is a direct ripoff of
"Get Back." HOW could this be
a national commercial for a national brand name and be allowed by Apple in
1971??? WAS IT???
I have
found nothing about this ad or any lawsuit to stop it, yet I have heard it
nowhere but on my old cassette. Any clues???
Clark Besch
