Let It Be 50th Anniversary -Twickenham Rehearsals: What and how?

My guess on this is nothing from Twickenham will be used by Giles, since those were rehearsal sessions and no proper recordings were made. Having said that, there still are some gems from the Twickenham rehearsals which probably will be forever untouched although some of it probably gets released on Peter Jackson's forthcoming documentary.

 

Well Dave Dexter Jr. could be in this part of ruining Beatles sound, for UK Beatles fans

 

For me, at least 1 disc of the box set will be for Twicknham, even if it's to squeeze what's good on this sessions

 

With the white album box set it was worth it for the esher demos. Abbey rd I will buy but it’s not
Setting the world on fire for me yet. And I’m with Ringo with preference to the original mix over anything but Let it be has the potential to be the best box set ever produced. Spector version and the naked version still don’t do the sessions justice. I genuinely at times prefer those rough glyn Johns mixes. I would actually prefer a new album of takes than the Spector version remixed.
I’ve always thought that Spector mixed Preston way too low in the mix.

 

Basically this! I agree. I feel strongly there will be a Twickenham disc, but I feel equally as strong that it'll be closer to 30 minutes of music than 50-60.

 

He did mix Billy low! I think for the most part the backing vocals are too low on the original also. One of the things that I enjoyed most about LIBN was finally hearing John at a decent volume on "Two of Us" and "I've Got a Feeling," plus Paul's backing vocal on "I Me Mine" really roars, improving that track a lot.

 

It'd be great, but I have my doubts... In fact, I wonder why nothing from those rehearsals was included on Anthology 3, since that was the "right" place to release that kind of recordings, just for their historical relevance and regardless of sound quality...

 

So you don't agree that Billy ruined the "Beatles sound" as it was posted on this thread?

 

Is someone already listening the whole tapes and selecting the best material? It's kinda hard work...

 

I don’t agree, I absolutely love Preston on those Glyn Johns mixes. Helps give the sound more bluesy feel.

 

My feelings exactly, EXCEPT...

I do rather like that incomplete I've Got A Feeling, which has a rawness, urgency and spirit that the (better performed) final version didn't have - the harmonies in particular really gel nicely & you can hear the whole band get into it. Such a shame they didn't make it to the end (though it's possible - I've done it - to edit this to the official take, if you need to hear a proper conclusion).

By the way, someone in The Beatles' camp clearly highly of it too, since this take made it to A3, albeit in a presumably new mix.

 

Record Store Day does fall at the end of April, after all...

 

Probably because one of my first introductions to The Beatles was watching "Let It Be" endlessly on HBO and Cinemax in 1981, this is my favorite period.
There are easily 2 cd's worth of good stuff from Twickenham. Some of the fast versions of "Two Of Us" and "I've Got A Feeling" are pretty great.
Johns made some disturbing choices like that "Save The Last Dance" thing. Terrible. BUT, listen to his mix of "The One After 909" with Paul in one speaker and John in the other. Great mix. For this alone, I would want ANY of his Get Back albums to be part of this project.
Plus I believe every take of "I Me Mine" was only done at Twickenham.

 

The Abbey Road sessions on the box set seem anemic and it's probably because of what they plan to do with releasing with Peter Jackson's documentary - they've struggled to figure out how to release "Let It Be" on home video because it's not exactly a flattering or "fab" time for them, but I think Jackson's going to feature more of the upbeat moments of the sessions, as well as some of the arguments and flareups,plus you have "Some Kind of Monster" to measure it up against. Whether they put all the sessions out as a massive box set or break it up where it might be the covers & jams, the songs that wound up on solo albums, and more "fly on the wall" conversations, some of the bickering (which isn't THAT big of a deal... Geoff Emerick had plenty of Lennon venom hurled his way) and of course George packing up his guitar and leaving will be on it.

 

Wonder if the mix can be improved. Where all the vocals recorded on separate tracks?
Paul's backing vocals on that song are so loud they're hiding much of John's lead, this should be turned around a bit.

Apart of the studio exclusive recording in January 1970 I think that's about right.

 

Easy, compilation #3 aka the only one that was actually scheduled for release which it was in August, November and December 1969.

 

Re Teddy Boy I'm curious to hear the Phil Spector mix(es) he did of the track in early 1970.

Not sure why everyone is so keen to see a release of audio from the Twickenham recordings....we've had all that stuff in perfect quality for years.

What we don't have is all of the Saville Row multi-tracks. Any 'deep dive' of this lot is going to be playing all of the 8T reels from Saville Row. Great alternate takes of Get Back and Don't Let Me Down, I Lost My Little Girl and (part of?) I Want You, etc.

 

I don't see the Glyn Johns mixes making it either.

 

At least you know your Glyn stuff. For me, I prefer the Comp #4, with I Me Mine and Across The Universe (his mix of the later is quite nice). Ron

 

Don't we have those two unused mixes on b00t? Perfect quality Twickenham stuff? We have, at best, multi-generation removed from the source stuff. Most of the tracks have those disturbing beeps from the sync track. I'd love to hear some demixed takes from the actual Nagra masters. They rambled a lot during those 10 days, but there's also some nice stuff here and there. The Apple stuff could be fantastic. Still rough, but more of a purpose and Bill Preston really helped define the sessions. Ron

 

I think the McCartney-directed Let It Be Naked version is now the final verdict on versioning The Long And Winding Road. Sir Paul has had 50 years to think about it and that's how he wants it.

 

Yes, actually. You took great time and care to craft a response.

 

I don't care who is to blame, but the primary reason Let It Be doesn't feel right and doesn't mesh well at all with other songs of the canon is because of Billy Preston's ridiculous electric piano. Tinkle-tinkle everywhere, just doesn't belong at all.

 

And I see it as the opposite. Let It Be is played out already. The original released version was in itself a remix project, not to mention the endless stream of boots from 1975-1995 and ultimately the (tolerable) Naked remix.

Let It Be has been remixed and released to death. And since all these super deluxe boxed sets are destined for groupies like us anyway, we've already heard it, heard too much of it. It would be in everyone's best interest to let the movie be the 'release and spare us any new music. Let It Die.

 

Forgetting whether or not you like tinkle-tinkle electric piano, the bigger issue is that because Preston is so present on the mixes Paul's bass and Ringo's drums and John/George's guitars aren't. It would be like Linda doing harmonies with John and Paul on Don't Let Me Down. Could she have done a good job? Could she have given the band a fresher sound? Perhaps. But it wouldn't have been as good as just leaving the foursome alone. As we've known it. As we've loved it.

Preston, through his playing or not, is too present on many of the songs and becomes a huge sore thumb. If Giles would create a version of Let It Be with every Preston note removed it would be a great service to the band's legacy, perhaps finally fix this turd of an LP and make it into something borderline majestic.