I'm kind of a revisionist regarding Beatles compilations, but not regarding the original albums. A compilation tells or summarizes the story, but the original albums are the story.
My dream Let It Be album would be the one where they tossed all the work they did during the early January ‘69 sessions, called George Martin to ask him to record them as they used to, essentially the Abbey Road sessions, bringing the best material to the project, and creating a super Abbey Road album (hard to imagine one better). I know many people hate Maxwell’s Silver Hammer, etc. So imagine the hybrid containing those songs (not recordings) on Let It Be that are better than what is on Abbey Road, only recorded with the better studio and discipline to make more polished warmer versions (without goofball Lennon comments) of what was done before.
Dream version: in 1970 they all go in the studio and spend more time polishing it up as a whole. If being together in a studio for all of them was problematic at that point for one reason or another, have a few one-off sessions with only couple/few of them present to finish the job. Sort of like George had idea to do their own things but still "keep the Beatle bit", at least for that one album. Selecting perhaps better takes/fragments, some more overdubs, rerecord/replace some elements. By the time of Let It Be single they did it anyway, I think even earlier than that they rerecorded vocals for Don't Let Me Down that was released as B-side? Include George Martin in for some production, too. Maybe record a new tune for Ringo as well. But all that of course was not to be and circumstances and situation were not for it. In reality: I'm fine with original album, but with some changes of various "difficulty": 1) include Don't Let Me Down; 2) remove Dig It; 3) remove Maggie Mae (well maybe leave this one somewhere as a hidden track or "link" segment like Can You Take Me Back); 4) remove most of the "humorous" talk except the audition bit at the end of Get Back, that one works well I think; 5) lower the orchestration volume in a few tracks; 6) shift Across the Universe to original pitch and speed; 7) since it's shorter compared to white album and Abbey Road, shove in Old Brown Shoe and Ballad of John and Yoko in the middle, why not.
I've always wanted a more polished version of the great songs recorded in January 1969 that later appeared on the Let it Be album. I like everything on "Abbey Road" including Maxwell, but part of what made that album so great was the extraordinary production and engineering. But yes, that would have been quite a double album if they had re-recorded the Let it Be songs in the same Abbey Road sessions.
I’m fine with the Spector version plus Don’t Let Me Down. But, I understand why it wasn’t included. Chief regrets - that they did not achieve releasable versions of All Things Must Pass, Across The Universe, and Teddy Boy. But, I love the candid spoken bits, and Maggie May is like Her Majesty - a happy accident.
Agreed 100%. I also always liked Maxwell. In fact, it was my favorite track on the album when it was released. If they HAD brought the Let It Be material into the Abbey Road sessions, I'm not sure what that would have meant for the medley. Most of that was unfinished bits. So if not a double album (hard to imagine them doing another one right after the White Album), most likely a lot of that (e.g Mean Mr. Mustard, Her Majesty, etc.) would have been left off in favor of the more complete songs from Let It Be. So, as much as I am not crazy about Let It Be, I LOVE Abbey Road just as it is. So maybe things turned out for the best, in true Beatles magic timing fashion.
It wouldn't be Let It Be — there'd be no Wall-of sounding overdubs, for one — and it wouldn't quite be Get Back either. So I call it Let Back and it'd go something like this… [opening live sounds from 2nd Get Back configuration] > One After 909 —•— rooftop 30 January 1969 —•— ["Oh Danny boy, the…"] > Dig A Pony —•— rooftop 30 January 1969 —•— ["Thank you brothers… hands are gettin' too cold…"] > I've Got A Feeling —•— rooftop 30 January 1969 {composite take} —•— ["We've had a request from Martin and Luther…] ["Are you ready Ringo… "] ["1 2 3 4 —"] > I Me Mine —•— studio 3 January 1970 —•— {extended/repeated edit} [chatter; yelping] > Two of Us —•— studio 31 January 1969 —•— ["So we leave the little town of London, England…"] ["Okay" ; "Quiet please!"] > All Things Must Pass —•— {ideally composite of } studio demo 25 February 1969 {with band backing flown in from Fly on the Wall snippet or best source(s); get Preston in there if possible. Perfection seems unlikely but that's okay — approximating a nearly faltering Music From Big Pink feel would be perfectly appropriate} —•— ["Are we supposed to giggle in the solo…" ; "This'll, this is gonna knock you out…"] > The Long and Winding Road —•— studio 31 January 1969 —•— > Across The Universe —•— studio 4 & 8 February 1969 —•— {at correct speed/pitch, with the backup vocals including the ladies as on Wildlife Fund version mixed fairly prominently, and sans the bird effects; perhaps this describes the February 1968 mono mix} > Dig It —•— studio 31 January 1969 —•— {1969 Glyn Johns ~4:10 Get Back edit} ["That was 'Can You Dig It?' by…"] > Let It Be —•— studio 31 January 1969 with 4 January 1970 guitar solo —•— > Maggie Mae —•— studio 24 January 1969 —•— {~39 second edit} ["Queen Says 'No' …"] > For You Blue —•— studio 25 January 1969, 8 January 1970 (overdubs) —•— > Don't Let Me Down —•— studio 27–28 January 1969 —•— > Get Back —•— rooftop 30 January 1969 {composite, takes 1 & 3} —•— [cheers; "Thanks, Mo,"] ["I'd like to say thank you on behalf…"]
It’s mostly an exercise in turd polishing since John only contributed one song of value in Don’t Let Me Down, and while George had a myriad of great songs at his disposal no one cared enough about them to record any of them properly and we got two throwaways instead. So we’re left with three standout McCartney tracks in Get Back and the two piano numbers; and a bunch of filler. Might as well throw on Going To Carolina by Ritchie Starkey. Doubly frustrating when they had stuff like Gimme Some Truth, Every Night and All Things Must Pass and they just got forgotten about instead of worked on. Even Palace of the King of the Birds, that should have been finished up.
I'd like to have Beseme Mucho and Commonwealth if there is enough parts recorded to make them into 2 minute songs.
I like the Let It Be album as it is.... For me Old Brown Shoe and You Know My Name are rubbish, and wouldn't even get released. Two Of Us I Me Mine Across The Universe Dig A Pony Dig It Ballad Of John And Yoko Let It Be Don't Let Me Down I've Got Feeling One After 909 Maggie May For You Blue Long And Winding Road Get Back I still haven't gotten around to listening to the extra tracks on the SDE, so at this stage, this would possibly tweak the album a little, for me
I've recently updated my version of it, which became a blog post over at The Reconstructor: THE BEATLES - GET BACK (1969) One After 909 (1969 Glyn Johns Mix) I'm Ready/Save the Last Dance for Me (1969 Glyn Johns Mix) Don't Let Me Down (Original Single Version) Dig a Pony (The Rooftop Performance) I've Got a Feeling (The Rooftop Performance) I Me Mine (1970 Glyn Johns Mix) Get Back (1969 Glyn Johns Mix) - For You Blue (1969 Glyn Johns Mix) Two of Us (Let it Be... Naked) Maggie Mae (1969 Glyn Johns Mix) Dig It (1969 Glyn Johns Mix) Let it Be (Take 28) Oh My Love (Raw Studio Mix) The Long and Winding Road (Let it Be... Naked) Get Back [Reprise] (1969 Glyn Johns Mix)
Side A: 1. Get Back (45 version found on Past Masters Vol. 2 - also added the "I dig a pygmy" intro heard on Let It Be) 2. I Dig a Pony (Let It Be) 3. For You Blue (Let It Be) 4. The Long and Winding Road (Anthology 3 - I actually replaced the semi-spoken part with Billy Preston's solo from Let It Be...Naked) 5. Two of Us (Let It Be, minus the "I dig a pygmy" intro) 6. I Got a Feeling (Let It Be) Side B: 7. One After 909 (Let It Be) 8. Don't Let Me Down (45 version found on Past Masters Vol. 2) 9. I Me Mine (Anthology 3 - everywhere else, I've been leaving in the studio chatter, but in this case, I'd remove it) 10. All Things Must Pass (Anthology 3 - a cheat, it may be a studio demo but I love hearing it here) 11. Across the Universe (Anthology 2) 12. Let It Be (45 version found on Past Masters Vol. 2) 13. Get Back (Anthology 3, final rooftop performance but John's closing remarks would need to be grabbed from Let It Be)
Probably because I’m so used to it, I wouldn’t change it too much. I would leave all the intro/outright fiddly bits to help maintain the original concept. But, something like this… Two Of Us - as is I’m Ready/Save The Last Dance - I like this as a link track Don’t Let Me Down - single version or an edit of the roof takes Dig A Pony - as is, keeping the two edits I Me Mine - keep the extended edit, maybe with George’s 1970 intro (Dig It) - omit it, I’ve never liked it, find it boring Let It Be - I’d keep the heavier lead to differentiate it from the single Maggie Mae - I like it as a nice little side closer I’ve Got A Feeling - as is Across The Universe - no orchestra, one of the earlier stripped down mixes with the “Richie” intro One After 909 - as is Long And Winding Road - lower the orchestra way down, bring up keyboards. For You Blue - as is Get Back - as is but return the coda, perhaps even the full coda to bring the song to a non faded end
My version is short and sweet. All versions are from the Spector album, except for The Long and Boring Song. Side 1: Rooftop One After 909 Don’t Let Me Down I’ve Got A Feeling Dig A Pony Get Back Side Two: Apple Studios I Me Mine Two of Us Dig It Let It Be For You Blue The Long and Winding Road (Anthology)
My dream album would not include any tracks from the Rooftop. That would be an album itself. My dream album. Not sure if it would fit, but it’s my dream. Two of Us - LIB Dig A Pony - Anthology Across The Universe - Take 6 from White Album SDE Old Brown Shoe -Single Dig It - 8 min cut Let It Be - Album version with out the GM embellishments. Maggie Mae/Fancy Me Chances I’ve Got A Feeling - I’m so ashamed I goof again version One After 909 - Billy on piano All Things Must Pass - demo Without A Song - Billy singing Oh Darling - LIB SDE She Cane in through the Bathroom Window - Anthology For You Blue - LIB SDE Get Back - Single - with full coda.
Whatever the version; wouldn't you prefer that Let it Be excised the idolatrous preoccupation with Mother Mary?
My ideal is the 1970 release with the inclusion of Don't Let Me Down. I listened to the Naked version of Across The Universe and it reminded me of how sterile I found the album.
Add Don't Let Me Down, more specifically the rooftop version, to the beginning of side 2. My only other change would be use the single mix of Let It Be but I'm fine with the album mix as well. edit: remembered the Glyn Johns mix of Dig It existed, have to figure out how to integrate that now, maybe as a B-side?
My dream Let It Be album is really a Let It Be single and no album. That whole thing, save for the title track, was a hodgepodge of outtakes and discarded ideas that should have either been heavily re-worked, or stayed buried forever. Lennon was right about it. It had no business coming out. Abby Road should have been their send-off, not Let It Be.
A more polished sounding, studio production containing the following tracks... Two Of Us Dig A Pony Across The Universe I Me Mine Let It Be I've Got A Feeling One After 909 The Long And Winding Road For You Blue Get Back (full with coda) Don't Let Me Down Old Brown Shoe You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
Re-amended my Let It Be/Get Back reconfiguration that I posted on another thread months ago, so I figured this would be the best place to put it. 01. Get Back - 1969 single mix (Get Back) 02. Dig A Pony - 1970 Spector mix (Let It Be) 03. For You Blue - 1969 Johns mix (Get Back) 04. The Long And Winding Road - 1969 Johns mix (Get Back) 05. Two Of Us - 1970 Spector mix (Let It Be) 06. I've Got A Feeling - 1970 Spector mix (Let It Be) 07. One After 909 - 1970 Spector mix (Let It Be) 08. Don't Let Me Down - 1969 single mix (Past Masters)* 09. I Me Mine - edit of 1970 Johns mix (Get Back) 10. Across The Universe - 2003 Naked remix (Naked) 11. Dig It - edit of 1969 Johns mix (Get Back) 12. Let It Be - 1970 single mix (Past Masters) [Maggie Mae - 1970 Spector mix (Let It Be)] *I haven't been able to find a good source of the rooftop performance from the original film, I (stupidly) passed on a VHS copy before I started this project and I haven't found one since. I'm mainly looking to use that version of Don't Let Me Down so it'll match the quality of the other rooftop tracks. Until then, I'm using the single version as a substitution. My interpretation follows the Naked release but with vintage mixes (most of it, anyway, I wasn't as satisfied with the Johns mix of ATU), and like that it's also stripped of the Spector orchestration. Let It Be is the exception, but the orchestra is so low in the mix you don't really notice it. Some other notes: - No reprise on Get Back, but I might add it on for fun if I want to. - For You Blue is the proper 1969 mix from the Japanese Super Deluxe. - I Me Mine is extended to match the later Spector mix. - Dig It is cut down from 4 minutes to about 2 and a half minutes to keep it a bit more consise. - Most tracks are banded, but transition between Dig It and Let It Be was kept (or rather recreated).
