Post 2: The "Let It Be" Album

On May 8, 1970 the Beatles released “Let It Be”, which was to be their 12th and final studio album.  Due to the increasing tension between the band members, the rehearsals and recording sessions were tension filled occasions.

Let It Be T-Shirt

The songs on the Beatles Let It Be Album were:

Side #1

1. “Two of Us”  (composed by Lennon/McCartney).  John Lennon played acoustic guitar.  Paul McCartney played the acoustic guitar.  George Harrison played the six-string bass guitar.
2. “Dig a Pony”  (composed by Lennon/McCartney)
3. “Across the Universe”  (composed by Lennon/McCartney).  John Lennon played acoustic guitar.  George Harrison played the tamboura.
4. “I Me Mine”  (composed by Harrison).  Paul McCartney played the Hammond organ and electric piano.  George Harrison played the acoustic guitar.
5. “Dig It”  (composed by Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey).  John Lennon played the six-string bass guitar.  Paul McCartney played the piano.
6. “Let It Be”  (composed by Lennon/McCartney).  John Lennon played the six-string bass guitar.  Paul McCartney played the piano.
7. “Maggie Mae”  (arrangement by Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey).  John Lennon played acoustic guitar.  Paul McCartney played the acoustic guitar.  George Harrison played the six-string bass guitar.

And on…

Side #2

1. “I’ve Got a Feeling”  (composed by Lennon/McCartney)
2. “One After 909”  (composed by Lennon/McCartney)
3. “The Long and Winding Road”  (composed by Lennon/McCartney).  John Lennon played the six-string bass guitar.  Paul McCartney played the piano.
4. “For You Blue”  (composed by Harrison).  John Lennon played lap steel guitar.  Paul McCartney played the piano.  George Harrison played the acoustic guitar.
5. “Get Back”  (composed by Lennon/McCartney).  John Lennon played lead guitar.

Additional Musicians were also used on the record.  They included Richard Anthony Hewson, George Martin, and Billy Preston.  Linda McCartney was also singing backing vocals on the song “Let It Be”, but it was uncredited on the album sleeve.

Background

By late 1968 Paul McCartney was feeling that the group should get back into the recording studio and develop an album that made little or no use of “studio magic”.  He felt that this would allow the group to get back to their roots and lessen tensions within the band.  Sadly, this was not to be…

Beatles Fleece Throw

Finishing Touches

In March, 1970 the session tapes of the recordings were given to Phil Spector, the American record producer who had a reputation for inventing the “Wall of Sound”.  When he was done, the album was released on May 8, 1970, but the Beatles had already broken up by that time.

McCartney was very unhappy with the version that Spector had released.  In particular, “The Long and Winding Road”, which McCartney had intended to be a simple ballad on the piano, had grown into a complex song with orchestral and choral accompaniment.  He tried to halt the release of this version of the song, but was unsuccessful.

Reception

“Let It Be” met with mixed reviews when it was released, but this reaction has “mellowed” over the years.