“Get Back” by the Beatles - A True Original

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by John B, Feb 21, 2018.

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  1. Price.pittsburgh

    Price.pittsburgh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
  2. ModernDayWarrior

    ModernDayWarrior Senior Member

    One of my favorite Beatles songs.
     
  3. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    "Back In The USSR" has a fairly quick tempo too
     
  4. Rose River Bear

    Rose River Bear Senior Member

    Paul can sing over one chord and it will sound like a symphony.
     
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  5. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Can't say it gets much play. My similar comp of versions of Dig It and related jams is far more engaging.

    Not going to search out and copy list at the moment, sorry. But I have a whole thread here analyzing all the Jan 69 sessions, and my comments there would be the ideal guide to use to compile this.
    43 years later: Semi-Annual Beatles Nagra Tape Replay

    May have to revisit if for the 50th anniversary, hopefully in an official release
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2018
  6. Drifter

    Drifter AAD survivor

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC, CA
    "Help!" and "Slow Down" have a pretty quick tempo.
     
  7. Detroit Music Fan

    Detroit Music Fan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    The keys are fantastic on the song. Billy brought his A game for the "Get Back" sessions. Aside from what chords and rhythms are played, it also sounds great -- well recorded, with such nice mid- and low-frequency tones. It's so pleasing to the ear. It might be Phil Spector's alleged production, but it was Glynn Johns who got this one down -- no orchestral overdubs on this track! I don't know how anyone could dislike "Get Back." It might not be their very best song, but it surely is the best tune off this LP and maybe even their last two LPs.
     
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  8. DTK

    DTK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Europe
    Thinly veiled message to Yoko? It started life as No Pakistanis...
     
  9. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    The "Get Back/Don't Let Me Down" single had George Martin's name on it as producer, but it was mostly all handled by Glyn Johns. Interestingly, "Don't Let Me Down" does have some added overdubbed vocals (I think there is a thread on this topic elsewhere), which probably took place at some mystery sessions in February 1969. So at least for the B-side of the single, the band did try to polish it up a bit.
     
  10. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    ^^^For example, with regard to "Don't Let Me Down":

     
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  11. slane

    slane Forum Resident

    Location:
    Merrie England
    Actually, the GB/DLMD single had no producer credit at all (as Lewisohn says, possibly down to the confused roles of those involved).

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2018
  12. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Thank you!
     
  13. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Another question: I know that Paul worked very closely with Glyn Johns in getting the sound and mix right for the A-side "Get Back". I recall that Lewisohn (and others) relate various stories of Paul and Glyn working on the song "Get Back", and there is one story where Paul played an acetate in his car to make sure it would sound good in a car. But there is much less info with regard to "Don't Let Me Down", and some of it is more mysterious (especially with regard to the overdubbed vocals).

    If you know, was John heavily involved in getting "Don't Let Me Down" to sound right, or did John just leave it up to Glyn and Paul to finalize it?
     
  14. Olompali

    Olompali Forum Resident

    It's April 1969 and The Beatles are singing about California grass....
    :cool:;)
     
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  15. slane

    slane Forum Resident

    Location:
    Merrie England
    Both songs were originally mixed to stereo and mono at the same session, IIRC. Only the mono mix of Get Back was subsequently redone by Paul and Glyn.

    In fact, comparing the stereo and mono mixes of Don't Let Me Down, it seems like they just set the faders and recorded one mix to stereo and then centered everything for the mono mix (as a folddown of the stereo mix is extremely close to the mono mix). Possibly the original mono mix of Get Back was similar, but the redone mix had the vocals considerably lowered in volume compared to the stereo.

    I haven't listened to it for a while, but my recollection is that the take of DLMD eventually chosen for the single was virtually unusable in its original state, as the vocals don't start well. But sometimes when you think that the take is not destined to be the master, a looseness can set in that actually benefits the feel of the song. I think this possibly happened with DLMD, and only on playing it back did they realise that the music had a great feel, but the vocals would need fixing (I also think that the master take of The Long And Winding Road exhibits a similar 'not going to be the master' looseness during the performance - with Paul talking through the second middle eight - that happened to give that take a loose but soulful feel that was maybe only realised when they heard it back).
     
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  16. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Interesting. Thanks for reminding me of these things.

    I still am very fascinated by that February through Early April 1969 period of time, which is when the Get Back/Don't Let Me Down 45 was finalized. It is much less documented, especially compared to the overload of info of what they were doing daily in January 1969.
     
  17. slane

    slane Forum Resident

    Location:
    Merrie England
    Yes, documentation is sketchy.

    But there's this clip of them listening to takes of Get Back at Apple in January where they are enthusiastic about Get Back being the next single, with John even suggesting that a 'Part Two' could possibly go on the B-side. George also mentions 'you can overdub the vocals later if you want' (not done for Get Back, but later done for Don't Let Me Down).

    A very upbeat atmosphere.

     
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  18. Folknik

    Folknik Forum Resident

    I always liked "Get Back" but always preferred the killer B-side "Don't Let Me Down." Billy Preston's electric piano on that one sounds like someone going crazy on a rooftop at 3:00 in the morning.
     
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  19. Price.pittsburgh

    Price.pittsburgh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    Yeah, John said Paul would often look at Yoko while singing Get back to where you once belong.
    Always thought it was funny that Jojo rhymed with Yoko.
     
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  20. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I always thought it funny that the gender-confused main character has the last name of "Martin":
    "Sweet Loretta Martin thought she was a woman, But she was another man..."

    I wonder what George Martin thought about this.
     
    Last edited: Feb 24, 2018
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  21. Price.pittsburgh

    Price.pittsburgh Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    How about John once singing to Epstein Baby Your A Rich F-a-g Jew
     
  22. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Considering that Yoko typically would be sitting almost on top of John, without any space between the two of them, it is possible that Paul was actually looking at John. And John, with his poor eyesight, couldn't "see" the difference and thought Paul was looking at Yoko ... ;)
     
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  23. Kim Olesen

    Kim Olesen Gently weeping guitarist.

    Location:
    Odense Denmark.
    Well John was using his glasses by that point though ;-)
     
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  24. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    True.
     
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  25. slane

    slane Forum Resident

    Location:
    Merrie England
    Or Billy Martin... ;)
     
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