Beatles archivist on "Let It Be", Shea film and more

I think the whole mystery surrounding "Let It Be" is waaaaaay overblown. I remember seeing it in a movie theater when it was first released and thinking that it was a good little film. In other words is was nothing great. We only want it because we can't have it. Trust me, those who haven't seen it are not missing much.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

I don't agree with this view at all. I've seen it several times and always enjoy it--I would rather sit down and watch Let It Be again than watch Help! again. And as for being "nothing great", the rooftop concert is my most favorite filmed document of the Beatles from any time period. To have that whole film bright and clean and sounding fantastic is top of my personal wish list (along with lots of outtake footage.)

 

Not great as a work of cinema, but for people who enjoy watching the Beatles actually play music (rather than mime), there are no better examples out there that involve their post-65 repertoire. And it's certainly enlightening as to the vibe between band members that precipitated the break up.

But then, I am one of those nutcases who enjoyed listening to every second of the Nagra tapes from those sessions, editing them into listenable format, and then compiling discs featuring their most noteworthy moments.

I'd like to see all the footage that goes with those Nagra tapes. Was a camera always running when the Nagras were running?

 

Let it Be is mostly very depressing. I own the VHS and watch it from time to time. Good performances overall. And yes every once in a while there is something semi-happy going on. But you just get a real sense of how boring it must have been for those guys to sit in a room together trying to work. They also all appear to be heavily medicated and lethargic. Still they should release that stuff now!

They can repackage this stuff again and again. But it is very annoying that they hold on to material like that so long. Yes I know it does appear to be a long term strategy as they release something new every year just before the holidays. But c'mon!

 

Let It Be may not be "fun", but it is essential for the performances at the end, if for no other reason. If the DVD authors are smart, they will include a menu option to just play those. Just start at the complete "Two Of Us" and play to the end.

I really like the promo film for "Hey Bulldog". Haven't seen many others. The "Strawberry Fields" film is iconic, but boring.

Shea Stadium is a must. People will be knocking each other over to get that one.

I am in total agreement with this.

 

Also the Budokan concert is hysterical. The microphones keep moving! The music is still great and the performances are too. But it never fails to make me laugh at how those microphones keep moving away from the singers and they keep moving them back! Ha.

 

Man, I can't wait until this stuff hits the streets!

 

I too have to disagree with this point of view.

I find "Let It Be" to be quite gripping, but I love watching people in the studio, doing things as they would for REAL. That's the trip with this whole thing: it was REAL. No, George wasn't always happy with things. Yes, Paul seemed overbearing at times. Sure, I'm tired of seeing Yoko all over that film. And yes, it bums me out that John didn't give a rats a$$ about George's songs.

BUT...it was REAL.

I love this movie. They need to release this. Comparatively speaking I'm on the younger side of Beatle fandom (32), but I'm getting there too. I want to see all of this before I depart and I believe that even for ME, I won't see this in my lifetime. Very sad.

 

The interview mentions the 2nd half of the film recorded with 8-track tape and is in stereo. Is he referring to the recordings at Apple on Savile Row (I stood in front of it in 2009) and not the first half, which was at the Twickenham film studio recorded on Nagra mono tape? Can someone clarify this? I certainly don't recall the first half of the film having multitrack recording.

 

Sounds to me like they're doing a lot more than just making sure the originals don't rot.

 

That's the same inclination I had. If the mono issue is the only thing holding this up, again, it's a damn shame. I don't much care. I would just like to see restored video and audio finally on DVD.

 

Isn't it quite weird that the Beatles put it out in the first place in 1970? The film kind of de-mystifies the whole Beatles legend.

Some good performances on there that are worth a re-release, though. Unlike some of the audio from the Nagra reels that have been bootlegged...where you think "this is the world's best band, and they can't play their instruments..."

 

I think we should look at Let It Be as the first "reality show" -- and if Paul and Ringo are still SO unhappy with the film (with Paul in particular wanting to emphasize all the "fun" they had that didn't make the cut), they should treat it as such. Take all the footage and re-cut it as a reality show -- 12 hour-long episodes documenting the events of January 1969. Don't whitewash it, though -- start with the plan for the live show, watch it fall apart, witness the squabbling, the boredom, George quitting, Yoko eating his digestive bisquits -- the whole shebang. You could even have modern-day "confessionals" with Paul, Ringo and Yoko, as they explain or defend what we're watching. Finish with the studio rehearsals and the rooftop concert. If there's fun to be found (as Paul remembers it), it will be there; some episodes will be downers, some will be happy -- at least the rooftop concert guarantees it will END on a rousing note.

Air the whole thing on VH-1 or something, and then release a box set of the whole "season" with the original theatrical film as a "bonus feature." Everybody wins!

 

They were contractually obligated to produce another film, and had no other options. Plus, they were breaking up, and didn't care.

 

Zzzzz.....snore...Zzzzzzz....changing channel

 

The thing is it's not just the cut of the movie most people are bothered about, there's a MASSIVE amount of unreleased footage that could hopefully play a part as future bonus material. These were touted on a possible Let It Be DVD back in 2003 before it was mysteriously never heard of again.

And to everyone who keeps banging on about how miserable all the LIB footage is, I really wish we could burst that myth. There's a ton of material that suggests otherwise with all of them having a great time. See here for remastered previously unseen LIB footage (released as video promos to support Let It Be Naked when it came out):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khwl8OGFCfs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyXaBWFudCw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewp_HbHcK-w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5EJJv9A-rU

And this is not to everyone's taste, but an example of some of the more interesting footage. One of the Beatles jams with Yoko:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8Se-7VAZOM


Watch those then you'll get an idea why so many of us are clamouring for Apple to release this one out the archives and put this great footage out where it deserves to be.

 

To each his own... I'd watch it, and I think it would be the perfect way to present (and re-package) this unpleasant period to a new generation -- in "their language" (reality shows). Paul and Yoko would get something of a chance to re-spin things, we'd get a ton of new footage, and we'd ALL get the original film on the DVD. Who loses in this scenario?

 

I've never seen LIB but I'd buy it on DVD in a heartbeat- preferably with a bunch of bonus footage.

 

I think that was the whole point. This was Johns notion that fuelled the genesis for the whole project. He wanted to burst the Beatles myth that they were demi-gods and he wanted "to film the Beatles with their pants down".

The band all wanted to do everything live like how they used to in the good old days. And someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if I remember John was even quoted as saying to poor George Martin: "we don't want any of your production bull**** on this one".

 

And finally... this is another reason why this great footage deserves to be out. There's a whole generation who have never even seen it. A terrific shame.

I myself only saw it due to the boot*** market as I wasn't around when the film was released and too young to appreciate it when it came out on home video.

Many of the younger generation see the Beatles as harmless loveable mop-tops. I think this more rock and roll, real, honest film would win a lot more people over then Apple think.

 

I'd buy it.

 

Furmanek stated that the Shea concert was recorded in stereo??????? I'll have to cue up Anthology and check that out.

The Budokan performances were "great"?