History Music / LetItBe

[/numlist]

''Let It Be'' is the thirteenth and final studio album by Music/TheBeatles, released through Apple Records in 1970, almost a month after the group's breakup. However, it was mostly recorded early 1969 before ''Music/AbbeyRoad'', which got a release later on in the year and was the actual final album recorded during the band's lifetime.

''Let It Be'' is the thirteenth and final studio album by Music/TheBeatles, released through Apple Records in 1970, almost a month after the group's breakup. However, it was mostly recorded before ''Music/AbbeyRoad'', which got a release in 1969 and was the actual final album recorded during the band's lifetime.

It is also the only Beatles album not produced by George Martin, instead being produced by Music/PhilSpector, who incorporated his trademark "Wall of Sound" production techniques by adding prominent orchestral embellishments throughout the album, as well as their only album to be partially recorded at Twickenham Film Studios rather than EMI (now Abbey Road) Studios. Most of the album, however, was recorded at the band's own Apple Studio, including three tracks ("Dig a Pony", "I've Got a Feeling", "One After 909") from a famous rooftop concert which marked the band's final live performance before an audience.[[note]]The band also performed "Get Back" and "Don't Let Me Down" at the rooftop concert; the ''Let It Be... Naked'' version of "Don't Let Me Down" is a splice of the two rooftop performances, while the version released as the B-side to "Get Back" was recorded in the studio two days earlier. "Get Back" itself, both on the album and in its single release, are an earlier studio performance, though Spector spliced in some applause and chatter from the end of the rooftop concert at the end of the album.[[/note]] Only one track, Music/GeorgeHarrison's "I Me Mine", was recorded after ''Abbey Road'', by then Music/JohnLennon had departed the band in late 1969.

It is also the only Beatles album not produced by George Martin, instead being produced by Music/PhilSpector, who incorporated his trademark "Wall of Sound" production techniques by adding prominent orchestral embellishments throughout the album, as well as their only album to be partially recorded at Twickenham Film Studios rather than EMI (now Abbey Road) Studios. Most of the album, however, was recorded at the band's own Apple Studio, including three tracks ("Dig a Pony", "I've Got a Feeling", "One After 909") from a famous rooftop concert which marked the band's final live performance before an audience.[[note]]The band also performed "Get Back" and "Don't Let Me Down" at the rooftop concert; the ''Let It Be... Naked'' version of "Don't Let Me Down" is a splice of the two rooftop performances, while the version released as the B-side to "Get Back" was recorded in the studio two days earlier. "Get Back" itself, both on the album and in its single release, are an earlier studio performance, though Spector spliced in some applause and chatter from the end of the rooftop concert at the end of the album.[[/note]] Only one track, Music/GeorgeHarrison's "I Me Mine", was recorded after ''Abbey Road'', and after Lennon's departure in late 1969.

Music/PaulMcCartney hated what Spector did to their final album, having intended for it to be a "[[RevisitingTheRoots back-to-basics]]" BluesRock approach for the Beatles rather than the ChamberPop record Spector turned it into. Music/JohnLennon, for his part, felt completely different, crediting Spector for crafting something listenable out of what Lennon called "badly recorded" tracks.

It is also the only Beatles album not produced by George Martin, instead being produced by Music/PhilSpector, who incorporated his trademark "Wall of Sound" production techniques by adding prominent orchestral embellishments throughout the album, as well as their only album to be partially recorded at Twickenham Film Studios rather than EMI (now Abbey Road) Studios. Most of the album, however, was recorded at the band's own Apple Studio, including three tracks ("Dig a Pony", "I've Got a Feeling", "One After 909") from a famous rooftop concert which marked the band's final live performance before an audience.[[note]]The band also performed "Get Back" and "Don't Let Me Down" at the rooftop concert; the ''Let It Be... Naked'' version of "Don't Let Me Down" is a splice of the two rooftop performances, while the version released as the B-side to "Get Back" was recorded in the studio two days earlier. "Get Back" itself, both on the album and in its single release, are an earlier studio performance, though Spector spliced in some applause and chatter from the end of the rooftop concert at the end of the album.[[/note]]

The making of the album was documented in a film, also titled ''Film/LetItBe'', was released in 1970. ''Series/TheBeatlesGetBack'', a three-part miniseries produced by Creator/PeterJackson and comprised of six out of 57 hours worth of footage shot at Twickenham, was released on Creator/DisneyPlus in November 2021. The miniseries serves as a corrective to some longstanding myths about the sessions: contrary to her reputation, Music/YokoOno does not influence the band's creative process at all, and despite Harrison's brief departure, the sessions weren't as acrimonious as they were reputed to have been, particularly once they moved from Twickenham to Apple Headquarters; the band are mostly cordial with one another, joking around and having fun playing covers of old rock tunes.

In 2003, a totally new version of the album was released, named ''Let It Be... Naked'', where Paul's original vision could finally be heard. All the material on this album was devoid of Spector's production and showcased a simple rock sound in-line with the pre-''Music/RubberSoul'' era, with its originally intended track listing in place. (Lennon's "Dig It" jam and the brief cover of "Maggie Mae" were both deleted and replaced with "Don't Let Me Down".) As a bonus CD, a [[LeaveTheCameraRunning Leave the Microphone Running]] recording from the Beatles in their studio was released too, which is more chatting and clowning about than actual recording.

''Let It Be'' is the thirteenth and final studio album by Music/TheBeatles, released in 1970 through Apple Records, almost a month after the group's breakup. However, it was mostly recorded before ''Music/AbbeyRoad'', which got a release in 1969 and was the actual final album recorded during the band's lifetime.

''Let It Be'' is the thirteenth and final studio album by Music/TheBeatles, released in 1970, almost a month after the group's breakup. However, it was mostly recorded before ''Music/AbbeyRoad'', which got a release in 1969 and was the actual final album recorded during the band's lifetime.

''Let It Be'' is the thirteenth and final studio album by Music/TheBeatles, released in 1970, almost a month after the group's break up. However, it was mostly recorded before ''Music/AbbeyRoad'', which got a release in 1969 and was the actual final album released during the band's lifetime.

Music/PaulMcCartney hated what Spector did to their final album, having intended for it to be a "[[RevisitingTheRoots back-to-basics]]" BluesRock approach for the Beatles rather than the ChamberPop record Spector turned it into. Music/JohnLennon for his part felt completely different, crediting Spector for crafting something listenable out of what Lennon called "badly recorded" tracks. To this day it ranks as the most divisive Beatles album among fans, who argue as to whether it's an underrated masterpiece or an overblown mess emblematic of just how far the band had fallen on a personal level.

However, that difference in opinion did not stop the album from winning numerous awards such as the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song Score and the Grammy for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special.

The making of the album was documented in a film, also titled ''Film/LetItBe'', also released in 1970. ''Series/TheBeatlesGetBack'', a three-part miniseries produced by Creator/PeterJackson and comprised of six out of 57 hours worth of footage shot at Twickenham, was released on Creator/DisneyPlus in November 2021. The miniseries serves as a corrective to some longstanding myths about the sessions: contrary to her reputation, Music/YokoOno does not influence the band's creative process at all, and despite Harrison's brief departure, the sessions weren't as acrimonious as they were reputed to have been, particularly once they moved from Twickenham to Apple Headquarters; the band are mostly cordial with one another, joking around and having fun playing covers of old rock tunes.

** Going in the opposite direction, Music/DavidBowie covered "Across the Universe" five years later for his album ''Music/YoungAmericans'', featuring Lennon on guitar and backing vocals; Lennon would also co-write and perform guitar and backing vocals on that album's closing track, "Fame".

* RefrainFromAssuming: Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}} album ''Music/LetItBleed'' was released in 1969, so their title was not a PunBasedTitle on ''Let It Be''. Theirs appeared first.

** "Maggie May", at forty-one seconds.

* RefrainFromAssuming: Music/TheRollingStones album ''Music/LetItBleed'' was released in 1969, so their title was not a PunBasedTitle on ''Let It Be''. Theirs appeared first.

Music/PaulMcCartney hated what Spector did to their final album, having intended for it to be a "back-to-basics" BluesRock approach for the Beatles rather than the ChamberPop record Spector turned it into. Music/JohnLennon for his part felt completely different, crediting Spector for crafting something listenable out of what Lennon called "badly recorded" tracks. To this day it ranks as the most divisive Beatles album among fans, who argue as to whether it's an underrated masterpiece or an overblown mess emblematic of just how far the band had fallen on a personal level.

-->''I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we passed the audition.''

* ReCut: Music/PaulMcCartney (who was the main advocate of the "back to the roots" approach in the first place) wasn't happy with Music/PhilSpector's production. Decades later, when opportunity arose to re-edit the album, Paul jumped at it. This new version (titled ''Let It Be... Naked'') stripped away Phil Spector's overdubs, featured a different song selection and track order, and used different takes of some of the songs. Naked also used digital editing (which obviously hadn't been available when the album was originally released) to remove tape noises and to pitch-correct a few of the vocals.

* AbsenteeActor:
** John doesn't appear on "I Me Mine". They hadn't recorded a completed version in January 1969, but a scene showing the band rehearsing the song was included in the film, so they decided to do a polished version from scratch for the album, scheduling the session for the 3rd of January in 1970. John was visiting Denmark with Yoko at the time, and thus was not available, leaving George, Paul and Ringo to complete the song, the final one the group would record before the breakup.[[note]]Since John had informally declared himself finished with The Beatles after they completed ''Abbey Road'', odds are he wouldn't have participated even if he'd been in England[[/note]]
** Ringo was the only Beatle to play on any of Phil Spector's overdubbed material.