There is a clip from an interview of Ringo by Howard Stern in the last couple of years during which Ringo says "we have Paul to thank for all the music. John and I would be sitting in John's garden and hear the phone ring, we would know it was Paul wanting us to come to the studio and work." It is easy to find on youtube.
Thanks for the video. I don't get to have in depth Beatles discussions with anyone in real life so I really enjoy hearing you two getting into the nitty gritty. Keep it coming!
About the roof, I think they (esp George) were concerned about whether they could play live in front of fans competently. But when they got out there the talent and magic kicked in. I liked seeing them peek over the edge at the audience in the street. It was kind of a 'the people still love us' moment we assumed they knew but maybe they weren't as sure as we thought.
I love this channel. You guys are both great. In 1979 I met John & Yoko in Tokyo. I talked to him a little and they watched my band play for 3 hours. My overall impression was that John loved Yoko very much. He lived in the moment and seemed kind of hyperactive. I was blown away because he was my musical hero. He was surprisingly curious and sometimes had expressions of innocence like a young child.
Interesting point you made regarding Lindsay Hogg's involvement with both Rock & Roll Circus and Let It Be. As we now know, the Circus project got shelved by the Stones. Imagine how Lindsay Hogg would have felt if the Let It Be project also turned up a bust? Even though the Beatles filming was only one month after the Circus filming, I wonder if Hogg already had some sense from Mick & Keith that what was in the can was not up to their vision of the Circus which in turn caused Hogg to really panic when it looked like the Beatles were going round in circles with no big finale for Let it Be?
You guys hit on some more interesting topics in this part. The discussion of the different leadership capacities of each Beatle was something I haven't heard anywhere else, and really enjoyed. I haven't reached any kind of Get Back fatigue yet.... looking very much forward to the next instalment!
January of 69’ with the Beatles could be a college course in perspective, discourse, group think, goals, etc. There’s evidence to support all of the spin that has been placed at history’s doorstep. However, nothing happens in a vacuum and this story must be told in its entirety to be truly understood. Even then, the truth is in the distillation of the beholder. “You can syndicate any boat you row.”
The film will probably be the subject of college classes. The technology alone -- my friends who regularly work with 16mm are blown away. Yes, it has its downsides, but it was better big.
I attended the IMAX presentation last Sunday and it was pretty thrilling, especially the sound, which Peter Jackson told us was a special Giles Martin mix for IMAX. Peter also pointed out that ironically, that IMAX mix was done at Twickenham, which has the only IMAX sound mix facility in the UK. In this rooftop audio mix, one hears beautiful separation, clarity, and appropriate loudness. We hear powerful bass lines and meticulous guitar work from George and Ringo forcefully pounding the drums (something you don't get in the TV sound). A bit disappointing was Peter Jackson's continued insistence on including the man-on-the-street interviews, the cops entering Apple, and all that, when die hard fans like myself were really hoping that the IMAX Rooftop edition would only show the rooftop cameras during the performances. I suspect that because cameramen were pausing to reload their magazines, there are gaps in the rooftop visual coverage that must always be filled with the man-on-the-street stuff. What impressed me most was the tightness of the band on the rooftop. The Beatles got their tight sound in Hamburg and at The Cavern and the craftsmen skill set of that never left them.
Wow, lucky you. The tickets ran out in about 45 seconds in England haha. Glad you enjoyed it but definitely a shame that they didn't just have a camera directly on the band. I guess if they clean up 'Let It Be', we'll get it there
The AMC ticketing system in LA crashed with the demand. I finally got a ticket through a Fandango Theatre - at the old Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. I'm planning to go again during the mid-February run with better seats. I was looking up Beatle nostrils!
I was also a bit disappointed that the IMAX rooftop was just the Get Back docu edit with (much enjoyed!) better sound. OTOH there are videos here on YT, for the moment anyway, showing many of the performances in 4:3 aspect ratio, clearly from a high quality source, without any of the cop stuff or street interviews. Makes me wonder if there was a plan to present only music & visuals in IMAX that for whatever reason got rejected.
I don't believe it was done in IMAX. Probably technologically impossible; it didn't look 3D, and the tickets for the current shows are very clear that it is 2D. That said, we did see 6 screens sometimes, not just 3.
I’ve read that Eric Clayton’s wife had left him and moved in with George and Patti; then George said she had to leave; and Patti left with her. And this happened during the first week, only days before he walked out of Twickenham. If this is accurate, this is hugely important, could have been noted by Jackson, and should be included in the analysis.
Charlotte Martin was Clapton's girlfriend and she broke up with him and moved in with George and Pattie on the 2nd. Pattie left on the 6th and George kicked out Marin on the 10th and went to collect Pattie. This outlined in Pattie's book _Wonderful Tonight_ . I covered this in my video _All Things Must Pass Was Not Rejected_ . Check it out if you have a moment.
Great work Matt & Antony, you two really have a great way of keeping listeners wanting more about this time of the GREATEST BAND l think we will ever see !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love these conversations! Thank you for them! I was wondering if anyone knows why there was such hatred between John Lennon and Paul McCartney after they finished recording in 1969? They seemed on good terms after this documentary was made. Why would John start writing songs with jabs toward a Paul, then Paul writing songs with jabs toward John in return? It was more than the break-up of a band. It was deeply personal.
I think it got difficult after the December 31, 1970 lawsuit was filed against the other three Beatles. I I liken their breakup to a divorce, where in the end, both people may still love each other, but the situation has gotten very personal, as you suggest, and there are things that can't easily be resolved so it ends.
I feel two things can be true at the same time. Peter Jackson did produce a magnificent movie. But I also feel the final day of filming did get short changed and I would love to see many alternate takes of Two of Us, Let it Be and Long and a winding road.
I also find it interesting that either through drug use or romance or exhaustion, or maybe all 3, that John seems to have given up leadership of the band and has let Paul take it on to some extenet. There must be part of him thinking - my band that I've been leading is now out of my control. Can't help wondering whether an efficient manager could have kept things going any longer or with any more success than no manager. Ref. Daddys not here anymore from the film
Just saying thanks for all the videos, Matt. I had my initial Beatles dive in college in the 90s, but Get Back started me down a whole new rabbit hole. They’re just fascinating!
At first, I really liked Jackson's rooftop version, then I saw comments about it distracting from the band and particularly the officers talking over I've Got A Feeling, and I sort of agreed which made me feel worse about it. Now, I just watched it again and I absolutely love it and realized it's brilliant because we'd have never gotten things like three angles of John at the same time, or all the other simultaneous Beatles shots we got without a split-screen effect like that, he effectively gave us a few versions at the same time, since he knew it was the once chance he had to get the material out. In Jackson's appearance on the Things We Said Today podcast, he showed the raw state of the footage, which shows the camera shots simultaneously like that. I feel that's likely where he got the inspiration, watching with all the different shots at once, not wanting to cut much at all, and thinking "I could show it like this, but just trimmed up a little bit". As far as the officers and I've Got A Feeling, we've got that rooftop recording, just play the song over the footage and you don't have to deal with the officers talking. Easy.
Hey Matt, love the content, real good quality, just wanted to express my thankfulness for this channel, inspired me to start creating my own beatle content.
The photo that Antony refers to is something that I noticed immediately when seeing the Jackson film as a grievous example of misinterpretation. That photo had been labelled as an example of the band listenimg to playbacks in the midst of frustration and boredom, a snapshot of the band falling apart. However, Antony is completely correct that the studio in the picture was at Apple, not Twickenham. Even more screamingly obvious, in Jackson's film we see the actually scene that the picture captured and in that scene the band is listening to playbacks and are extremely pleased with them! It's the utter opposite of what the picture has been for a long time said to be conveying! Just to add, calling those January sessions a "disaster" is sensationalist and from a selling stand-point is understandable. It's not an appropriately precise adjective, but also it's not wholly incorrect. A lot of the music in the sessions was far from a disaster, and certainly the rooftop performance was spirited and fun, but the intent of those sessions, i.e., to make either a TV program or film was unquestionably a failure, and the relationships between the band members were if not a disaster but certainly a near-disaster or disaster narrowly averted.
Hey Matt, thanks for another very interesting video with Antony, some really good insights here. I agree with you about Hogg, I developed a new appreciation for his work with this film, particularly with the camera setup outside towards the end.
I read the Sulphy & Schweighardt book over Xmas. My copy has the control room shot of the four Beatles (John's shoes up on the console with Yoko behind him). The shot is slightly distorted (stretched) but, yes, they look like they're either concentrating or terribly bored. I enjoyed the book and found it a great supplement to Jackson's documentary. Ultimately, the "disaster" is that The Beatles didn't achieve their goal of working up a full set of songs to play live. Although many applaud the Rooftop session, for me it's bittersweet: they only had 5 songs ready to perform for their very last concert together. So much wasted time and effort. That they were able to salvage some hit singles, an album, a film, and muster the energy for a final Swanson (ABBEY ROAD) is some compensation. Great discussion, Matt & Antony!
I like your point about George not stepping up. The whole series felt to me like one big opportunity for him to shine because John is nowhere near his creative best. And Paul is listening to George's songs and seems to be willing to work on them (Old brown shoes, i me mine, etc.). But him never wanting to play his material in the live show didn't help I suppose.
I agree with your sentiments, considering they didn’t have a current ‘live’ set i think the roof top ‘gig’ works well ! If they had wanted they could have played an hour of the old cavern Hamburg stuff ? Lennon did a great version of yer blues on the rock and roll circus ! The roof top was just a way to play to an ending? Remember for much of the ‘touring’ years they played 18-30 mins? I liked how Jackson created the multi shots ! Perfect ! Other thing to note perhaps is Yoko being miserable or quiet? Hadn’t she suffered a miscarriage? Drugs surely played a part in Johns state of mind but he’s much more into the sessions as far as i can see ! It’s true yoko created lots but john played on most of the tracks and made 4 albums 1970-73 not including rock and roll ! He was never as prolific as Paul or perhaps less inclined to put all things out ? He knocks Abbey road in that he says just half finished, Pauls genius was to make it work ? In there is the breakdown i guess ? All very young ! Yoko perhaps being 6 years older is another consideration? And perhaps saw boys squabbling? Another thought provoking post !
Always the highlight of my day when "Pop Goes the 60's" has a new video. In listening to your comments (and having watched "Get Back" almost twice), one thing that I was not expecting, but very apparent, is how much this documentary is time capsule for a rather unique period of western culture. A few examples: - Your drug use comments made me realize that by Jan 1969 the "psychedelic sixties" were already over - not only had the clothes changed from the Sgt Pepper days (not withstanding Glyn Johns's outfits), but the days of LSD trips had moved on to much more serious stuff. - The amount of tobacco smoking must have been at an all time high. Everyone smoked, and smoked a lot - I recall Linda Eastman lighting up and she was pregnant at the time (although pretty early on). - A minor, but not unnoticed, reference to whether Ringo had the "Hong Kong Flu" - a global pandemic of sorts at the time. I had this flu and was bedridden for 2 weeks that winter. Looking forward to part 3!
Thanks for the comments, Scott. I found it hilarious (and ridiculous) that a disclaimer was put at the front of the doc warning of the excessive smoking in the film. I wasn't sure if Jackson was taking the piss out of the politically correct or if he was serious.
One thing I have found after experiencing Get Back is when you look at all the other session photos going back to 62. You can almost hear the chatter and instruments now. It’s as if the photos have more life in them. Or is that just me 🤔😆
I thought John Lennon was out of order in two important moments in Get Back. The scene where he tried to manipulate George & Ringo into liking Klein in Paul's absence, "I didn't mean to say all this, but...Also not sharing George Harrison's idea for the Beatles to make solo albums and help to extend the life of the Beatles as a band... Two low points for me in an incredible documentary. Looking forward to part three...Cheers
I listened to a body language "expert" and he said crossing your arms it a kind of self comforting. And that you seldom do it at home, this I have found to be true in my case. And yawning, boredom can sometimes be a temporary state where you check out for a moment and has plagued me the whole of my life, as well as embarrassing at times. George was a kid really, and I have to keep telling myself that because I think of him as older than me, but he was a very young man here.
Yes, these guys were so young and used to interacting with each other. I think some of the commentary has over emphasized the meaning of a yawn or even a look. There is a lot of context surrounding these actions that should be considered when discussing the topic. Thank you for the comment, James!
What does Matt say at 21:54 (concerning heroin use), at 28:10 (concerning McCartney's saying "and then there were two"), and at 31:10? Due either to crosstalk or to my bad ears I am unable to make it out. Thanks.
At the IMAX Q&A, Peter Jackson said there is another 3 - 4 hours ready for release - and asked that we email Disney to ask for it, which is easy to do. The suits will decide based on potential revenue.
The Simpson spoofed that famous “bored” control room shot. It’s a famous shit that is definitely misunderstood because when most musicians are listening to their tracks played back I’m the control room, there is often a concentrated look that can be seen as bored but it’s not. Another example is Charlie Watrs listening back to “Wild Horses” in the “Gimme Shelter” film.
I acquired the Sulpy & Schweighardt book several times since the mid 90s - I bought the UK version which (I think) was called "Get Back : The Beatles' Let It Be Disaster" with the infamous control room picture of the group all looking bored and uninterested (as you both mention the power of capturing a certain pose which appears to convey a certain mood !!); I've now got a downloadable version (available on Sulpy's website - well not sure if it still is !) which is great. What the book succeeded in doing was creating an near accurate template of the January 1969 sessions which we did not have until its publication. I mean I didn't realise that George left on the Friday (10/01) because all the books up til that time said George left after his argument with Paul which is clearly wrong ! Also, I always thought the Rooftop concert was on the last day, but it was on the penultimate day. I do think the book is indispensable but suffers from a few problems such as the authors have chosen to infuse the text with a dour tone and they are not musicians as their descriptions of some of the takes are laughable - any musician who's rehearsed with a band will know that there's a myriad of moods in the human condition which can negatively impact playability on any given day ! Ultimately, if you want a real deep dive into this period of the Beatles, then Sulpy's book plus copies of the Nagra reels plus Jackson's docuseries and the Let It Be film should be enough, although I still wanna see Jackson's 18 hour cut please ! Interesting point you raise as well, Matt, about the so called "60 hours of video" as I was telling anyone who listened (which wasn't many !) that 60 hours includes the, eg, same scene from 2 maybe 3 angles. Looking forward to Part 3. Cheers
I also read in the same piece what seemed like confirmation that a Let It Be Bluray will be arriving shortly, one reason (no doubt) why we won't get complete performances of Two of Us etc with the Get Back Bluray
I think you guys are being a little harsh on George and hIs leadership qualities. It was his suggestion to get them out of Twickenham and into Apple studios. He also brought in his equipment and Billy Preston! Plus yes he invited his friends to the Bangladesh Concert but that is what a leader does brings people together to focus on a common goal. That aside, still fascinating discussion , very enjoyable and can't wait for part 3.
Great moment on the roof top for me was when Mal Evans turned off George's amp and then George went over and switched it back on, he couldn't careless about the police presence. I thought there was to much Micheal Lindsay-Hogg in the doco as well even Ringo has commented on that.
George was such a punk doing that, and I love that about him! I have come to the conclusion that George was the GUTS of the Beatles. Ringo was the heart. Paul was the spirit (he still holds it high). And John was the soul.
Re: 10 cameras @ the Roof Top concert... Hopefully there are some camera angles showing more of Billy Preston, and if there is hopefully they will be worked into an expanded Roof Top video. Just a few shots of him contributing those great keyboard parts would be great.
The Doors went four ways and I think that was one of the their strengths as a band. Morrison being the leader of that rule, which is quite amazing really.
Interestingly...did you notice that the original songs, previously unreleased, officially, prior to Get Back (and not recorded since 1970 on any of their solo records) are all credited as Lennon / McCartney / Harrison / Starkey ? That is, if Ringo was playing on them. And the jams with Yoko were credited as Lennon / McCartney / Ono.
Going to sign up for Antony's channel. Interesting he is researching Nick Drake. That will be fascinating. Pop goes the 60s is my fav RUclips, straight forward and interesting. Covers my wonderbread years as a kid growing up in the 60s. Was such a Beatles fan but even as the kid I absolutely hated the Beatles cartoon. It was not the soul or wit of The Beatles. Watched Get Back Episode 2 and 3 a 2nd time. Episode 1 was interesting but didn’t want to watch a 2nd time.
George was the leader in the Wilburys. At least that's what Tom Petty always said. Perhaps the recent success of Cloud Nine gave him a confidence boost. Or perhaps-Petty's commentary notwithstanding-it was more the case that George and Jeff Lynne were co-leaders.
The point to make about Jackson's choice for presenting the roof top is that the integrity of the performance is lost. Which may be okay... But that is what has been left on the cutting room floor. It's a little bit like you're watching a movie and people keep interrupting, walking in and asking a question. So, yes, I am fascinated by seeing the scene on the street, and even more on the adjacent rooftops. The wives and the staff. The cinematographers with their ten cameras. The Bobbies (cops), Mal, everything. Yet, at the center of it all, at the core, is the continuity of the performance. So let's hope that we get the Let It Be movie restored. Let's hope we get the performance in one piece. Greek drama had the concept of the unity of time on the stage. Whatever was going on, it took place at a 1:1 time scale with the audience. No flashbacks, no leaps forwards to the next day, etc. The play happened continuously, in one piece, from start to finish. I would very much enjoy seeing the performance that way, cut from the first note to the last. Even if it means sitting through three takes on Get Back and two of Down Let Me Down.
Did John use drugs? They have that audio when he says "Mal do you have any Pep Pills, give me a couple" that was right before they were gonna go to Georges house the second time before they find out he was on holiday.
Aye Matt great job. I have a question and statement. Everything we want to know about the Beatles has been written in a books. Except from what I’ve seen,,is the Beatles cookbook. Is there anything documented on what they ate on tour. What there individual tastes were when it came to meal time. Lunch or dinner. The only thing I ever heard was they ate cornflakes in Hamburg and then veggie diet in India. I know it’s sounds ridiculous but I am curious. Is there a book out there already written I don’t know about?? Thanks Matt. Shows just keep getting better and better. 👍
That is one book I don't believe has been written yet! I don't know too much about their diet... I know a little bit about what they drank, alcohol-wise but other than some basics, they didn't talk much about their diet.
about Harrison's friendship with the Band and Clapton: the chunky guitar chords of Sgt Pepper title song seem to be inspired by Eric Clapton's Blues Breakers album. Or was that McCartney on guitar? Sorry, I'm being off topic, but I've been obsessed with this, and you and your audience are very knowledgeable
Yes, that guitar work on Pepper is very crunchy like Mayall's stuff. I don't think Harrison was hanging with Clapton at that point however... not sure.
@@popgoesthe60s52 It's long been my understanding that the heavy guitar intro on Sgt. Pepper is Paul inspired by Jimi Hendrix. I've always loved that intro. As it happens, the track was begun on Feb. 1st -- today's date as I type this. Anyway, I have a bit of a theory about George, based on some interviews with him that I've read or heard. He had a period when he more or less abdicated his role as "lead guitarist for the Beatles," when his self-identity as Beatle George waned and his interest in studying Indian philosophy and practicing sitar was much more important to him. I think this was largely throughout 1967 but started in 1966 and was still a factor even in 1968. To an extent he was really only interested in Indian inspired drones, often on organ. Within You Without You, Only A Northern Song, It's All Too Much, Blue Jay Way, The Inner Light and the entire Wonderwall soundtrack plus the unreleased Circles. He plays organ on nearly all of them. On It's All Too Much for sure, while letting (I believe) Paul play the rather Hendrix-sounding guitar part -- although some claim it's Lennon on guitar, but I'm skeptical about that. I think being a Beatle mattered less to George than the others for a variety of reasons right up to the end of the band.
@@syater The idea that George's "switch to the sitar" was solely because of his love for indian philosophy and classical indian music I don't buy 100%. I think he may have been intimidated by the up-and-coming guitarists (Hendrix, Beck, Page, Clapton) and the shift in the rock world to the virtuoso lead guitar player. One can pursue other music and interests and not abandon their very important role in their "day job." Instead he hid behind the organ and sitar. No wonder he fell behind in his song writing after his promising offering on Revolver! I appreciate the comment, syater.
@@mattwilliamson4065 All good points, Matt. I didn't mean to suggest George wanted to abandon the Beatles in 1967, more a shifting of priorities now that they were done with touring and finally had time to pursue personal interests. But also, George no longer needed to be the lead guitarist, as such. He could be the organ player if he wanted. I don't think he actually played sitar as a Beatle beyond Norwegian Wood, maybe a bit of tambura here or there. He was in the studio for Sgt. Pepper, to be sure, but musically, none of the four needed to fill any particular role for their "day job" which was to finish and release albums and singles in any manner that occurred to them. I can see and accept your point about Harrison's anxiety with regard to the ascendant guitar virtuosos, but I can't say I know if, or to what extent, virtuosity may have mattered to him, or if he may have even found Paul playing lead guitar intimidating. My guess is probably not so much. I think it is possible his interest in learning sitar and Indian philosophy, grew together, since the classical music of India is couched within Hindustani thought. His trip to India in 1966 to study sitar, his tendency to quote from various Vedic texts, his exclusive choice to have yogis represented on the cover of Sgt. Pepper, and of course Within You, Without You, more Indian than anything on Revolver. And then of course there was Rishikesh, after which he seems to have returned to the guitar -- possibly given up on the sitar?
@@popgoesthe60s52 Clapton/Mayall came out summer of '66, a full year before Pepper, which is an eternity. so friendship not necessary for influence. Though, I think it is McCartney' guitar
Do you think Get Back under played George Martin's involvement in the recording? I just listened to an interview with him from 1993 and he talked about how HE had to move in all of this equipment and how HE decided to mix the album like a documentary including the 1,2, 3 intros and little snippets of dialogue and did mention Glynn Johns almost as an assistant where the film made it look more like Glynn was in charge and George was just doing a little something here and there.
I believe Get Back most certainly did NOT underplay Martin's involvement. Martin himself has overplayed his involvement, and in a few interviews, even calling the album, "Produced by George Martin. Over-produced by Phil Spector." The fact of the matter is that Glyn Johns was the producer of record and Martin was at Twickenham officially to build a sound booth for a potential concert at Twickenham. Johns took no pay in exchange for a producer's credit, which he did not receive. Johns gave Martin every courtesy once at Apple and deferred to him out of respect. They actually made a fine team but Johns was really in no position to direct Martin and Martin was in no position to tell the Beatles what to do at this point. So this, like much of these proceedings, was convoluted.
Endless pontification about the breakup is interesting but in the end the Beatles owe us nothing and only gave us great work. They broke up at the right point and had nothing left to prove. It is interesting that most of George’s and Paul’s best solo stuff was probably written whilst still in the Beatles.
Great discussion. Think it's fair to say that if we had Nagra tapes of them recording Pepper or Revolver there would have been plenty of dull passages & sequences of boredom and irritation. Any working band (or any creative process) has to involve such frustration, so the narrative surrounding Let It Be was always nonsense by trying to describe the sessions as being uniquely chaotic. Even the Anthology interviews took the "winter of discontent" line.
Exactly and I think George did a bit of revisionism with the "winter of discontent" line all while never mentioning his wife walked out on him on January 4, 1969 which quite probably added to the disharmony and his foul mood.
@@RockandRollWoman They are available only as bootlegs but they are available, sometimes on multi cd sets. • A guy on RUclips (AdamBound) posted day-by-day 7-hour+ recordings but they were taken down. • Here is a website where much is available for download: archive.org/details/A_B_Road • Also, there are multi cd sets occsionally on ebay available but they are pricy
@@RockandRollWoman This link gets you to the main website. It's a bit cumbersome but you may find some great stuff here: www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/collection/ab-road-complete-get-back-sessions/ Also, here is one full day that is posted on RUclips. Get it before it disappears: ruclips.net/video/UQrx_ZGKRGQ/видео.html
I enjoy this as much or more than anybody, but if I stand back and look at it, it's a little odd how we do amateur psychology on these people that we've never met. :) Well I guess there's something for everyone: some people obscess over stamp collecting, some people collect old guns, so I guess all this Fab analysis is no different. Everyone got's their bag. Like I say, I've been immersed in it the last coupla months like everyone else, and today it's striking me as slightly odd. :)
Boy's When you read about this time The Beatles were supposed to be hoovering up drugs to get through this time but apart from John ( a bit, maybe) the rest of the group looked remarkedly normal. Peter Jackson, has said, " From all the books he'd read about this time he was worried what he might find and if it was so bad he didn't want to find it." " Before we even cleaned the film up I had one of the can's of film made ready to show in the screening room. I went down to the canteen and made a cup of tea. I suddenly thought I'm following in George Martin's footsteps, both sitting here with our cups of tea and we've got the Beatles for the first time in the next room." I have to say my tea and toast consumption has gone up 10 fold. Funny how all these new music Doco's are coming out now. Like they've had a film crew with them for years. Janet Jackson is the latest one. Cheers, Chris Perry.
I wish there was film of the white album sessions, it seemed there was some previous animosity over the initial introduction of yoko (the comment regarding "breaking up over yoko sitting on an amp" For example - of course, this may be well documented and I just don't know .. But it seem s , based on some John Lennon later interviews, he seemed deeply hurt by the lack of yoko's acceptance.
Giles Martin heard all the White Album tapes when putting together the 50th anniversary release and said that he didn’t hear all the animosity on the tapes. He said they appeared to be having a great time. We do know that Geoff Emerick walked out of these sessions because he felt they they so contentious.
Two things: 1) Speaking of drug use, I couldn't help but see McCartney (a known lover of pot - he wrote a song about it for god's sake! [Got To Get You Into My Life]) as being stoned throughout Get Back. Look at his eyes! They're red a lot of the time. 2) Regarding your comment on George not being a leader. One thing that really struck me in Lewisohn's "Tune In" was how much a leader Harrison was. He joined the band at age 14 and within a month was telling John and Paul to get rid of the other guitar players. He was the first to have his hair done "Beatle style" that the others copied. He was the first to wear leathers, which the others copied. He pushed for Ringo to be in the band. He'd buy guitars and Lennon would buy the same one. And at any rate, he often put his two cents in during rehearsals of songs (in Get Back).
Those are good points re: George. He certainly was the fashion leader of the group as well. However by 1969, he seemed lost in his own band. At a time when leadership was needed (1969-1970) he didn't provide much unfortunately.
@@popgoesthe60s52 True. But still. He was working with two extreme Type A people with "massive egos" (or whatever the John Lennon quote was). He was working against the Lennon-McCartney "team" (to quote George Martin). So I can't blame him. But I'm reminded of yet other circumstances. The whole Maharishi-India thing was driven by George. And when Epstein died and the Beatles returned to London (from Wales), it was Harrison who became the spokesman for the group. Look at the interview in the train station: Lennon is just stunned (hysterically portrayed in The Rutles) while George does the talking. And Harrison, in my opinion, delivers the best quote in all 8 hours of Get Back. Alluding to India/Maharishi/spirituality he says "And if you were REALLY yourself you wouldn't be any of who we are now."
@@Cuverville93 Appreciate your comments re George. After watching pt. 2 of Get Back yesterday, I was struck by John and Paul's take on the Maharishi vs. George's. Paul says, "It was like school!" and John agrees, and also makes a face like he was sucking up to the Maharishi and they both know it. But George is annoyed. He has invested way more of himself in meditation, whereas for Paul and John, it was an episode in their lives, but not the core of who they are (unlike George). What did George mean by that comment that they wouldn't be who they are now if they were really themselves? Who would they be, meaning if they weren't famous? Who will ever know? Btw, after Brian died, the Maharishi had told them something along the lines of "don't worry, be happy." John says, years later, "Fuckin idiot."
@@pennyparkin George was certainly referring to the spiritual process of finding one's true nature. And that whoever/whatever we are now, in our un-enlightened states of being, is merely a facade masking that true nature. (That is, it had nothing to do with their possibly having other professions if they weren't The Beatles...)
My takeaway on George's "...we wouldn't be any of who we are now," is basically that it's a putdown of Paul's opinion that they were playing roles while in India, not being honestly themselves as he saw it. Paul didn't reply but rolled his eyes a bit and appeared hurt or frustrated at George's dig. I think John and Paul both felt that they gained wisdom in the practice of meditation, but George somehow saw the India experience as the be all/end all of life as they knew it and did not think that Paul at least passed his litmus test. Of course it wasn't too long before Paul was living in a simple Scottish cottage and George was enjoying spiritual bliss in his spectacular mansion and landscaped grounds. Just an observation.
Yeah, it's too bad more couldn't be made of it. If they were around the microphones, they could have had Sellers sign something or had a bit of fun with it. Sellers, I think, was known for party crashing, so maybe they were already used to giving him the 'bums rush.'
Cheapest copy of the book I can find is almost $60 - fortunately the City of Los Angeles Library has it. Beatles book recommendations, anyone? There are so many Beatles books - I'd have to sell my car to buy them all, and much of what I've read is garbage and not worth fifty cents.
Peter Jackson didn't "create" conflict. There was conflict. Conflict is an ingredient in drama if your writing fiction, but in real life it is natural part of our endeavors. Jackson put it in context. Michael Lindsey Hogg exhibited it by including in a 90-minute presentation out of 60 odd hours over 21 days. For 50 years, because of this for the Beatles and the world at large Let It Be was characterized by conflict and nothing else. Now with 8 plus hour version we know and understand the conflicts of the project but have a broader picture. While there were prevailing forces threatening the demise of the Beatles it was not inevitable.
Why do you think George Harrison, after the band listens to the rooftop concert playback, misunderstands Paul as saying possibly that they'll knock off the rest of the tunes the next day (he means in the studio, but George understands him to say again on the rooftop), (George) says, "No more rooftops - it was *really bad*"? Do you think he felt they played poorly, or something else? I feel like George's playing in particular was outstanding, and he makes it look so effortless and doesn't play like a showy "rock star".
The thing about the drugs in Rock is it was mor obvious than in other music genres. I am more into country and they did as much, if not more, drugs than the Rock groups but they did not talk much about it until much later in life. Waylon Jennings had a $1,500 a day cocaine hobbit. Roger Miller carried around a large suitcase full of every kind of upper or downer he could get his hands on. I have heard many country artist from the 70s say they did those drugs because they wanted to stay awake. There was so much happining in the music world at the time and they did not want to miss it. I have often wondered if Waylon Jennings could have done half of what he did without coke. I do know it ruined his voice, his health, his career and he died too young because of the toll it took on him. That was a poor trade-off.
Based what I already knew of that period and with the facts showed in the Peter Jackson's documentary, I have now a better point of view about those days. First, about Ringo Starr, there's a scene where he tried to show the others in piano, a composition he was working, but the interest was almost absent. In other occasion, George gave some attention, but that's all. It's a discouraging fact, no doubt. Second, with George Harrison, it's clear that with his personal problems with his marriage; the growing freedom as composer, including, per example, writing songs with Eric Clapton, like "Badge" that was recorded by the power trio Cream; and the crescent quality volume and quality of his own composition; facing the little interest and space for your creations (the case of "All Things Must Pass" is a good example) and an inappropriate treatment gave to him specially by Paul; reinforced his desire of liberty of the limitations of a band and begins his own solo career (what he showed clearly when he said to John and Yoko that he would record a solo album, and they stimulated him). Third, with John, it's clear in the documentary, that one of the happiest moments to him in those days was when he received the notice about the definitive Yoko's divorce, what gave the oportunity, finally, of a marriage with her. In other words, it seems that in most of that time, the John's thoughts were in another place. Moreover, it seems that his own musical production was, in my opinion, somewhat reduced. I think that the only two John's compositions completed and recorded in those sessions were "Don't Let Me Down" and "Dig A Pony" ("Across The Universe" came from the "White Album" sessions). Finally, with Paul, it seems, for me, that he was living a very prolific and creative phase in that moment, composing many good songs like "I've Got A Feeling"; "Two Of Us"; "The Long And Winding Road"; "Let It Be"; "Get Back" (not forgeting songs recorded in the future in Paul's solo career, like "Another Day"). Equally, his interests in production and arrangements were clearly growing (it's important remember that few months ahead he recordsd his first solo album, playing all the instruments, doing almost all the voices and producing and doing himself the arrangements). In my opinion, is obvious that facing the less involvement from the other three, he tried to control the sessions. And the result was not so good. The conclusion of all this narrative about different spaces and interests from the band members, for me, is clearly showed in the rooftop show, with only two John's composition (one of them with a little help from a friend to sing the lyrics), none from George and Ringo; one Lennon-McCartney song, but from the older days ("One After 909") and all the others composed by Paul. The differences between them was leading the band to a situation where was becoming so hard to keep a work together. That's why I think that it can be called the "Abbey Road" sessions an authentic and fascinanting "swan song". Could it be possible a return years ahead? Who knows, but sadly it didn't happen.
Jackson was adamant about using different takes and scenes from LET IT BE, so we see new images and angles, which is good, but also motivated by Jackson's ambition for a director's credit, which is bad. Michael Lindsay-Hogg's cameras spy a pipe-smoking Homburg-hatted light-raincoated Harold-Wilson lookalike (Britain's current Prime Minister). Hands in pocket he's casually strolling along through the most historic gig of the 20th century like a Sunday stroll in the park....except this old guy is 3 floors up strolling along a roof. As majestically surreal as Magritte. So Jackson can't ignore that priceless moment, but there's only ONE camera on this man, no alternate angle to turn to, and it's only a glimpse to begin with....so Jackson trims it down to something less than a second. The moment is taken away from us. And that's a triumph of ego over artistic sensibility. When JAckson comes across a moment that is iconic, Lindsay-Hogg's musical sequence tracking the Apple arrival by 4 Beatles, it's too cool to ignore, but he wants his own stamp on it....so he breaks up the rhythm and removes the music and lets the scene run without accompaniment and duplicates arrivals of 2 or 3 Beatles arriving twice on different days in the reformed sequence. The rhythm of this cut stutters and drags. It doesn't work anything like as fluently as Lindsay-Hogg's sequence. There are a few instances where avoidance makes GET BACK less than LET IT BE. Any good writer realises along the way that more words can dilute meaning instead of adding something. Jackson has not learned this as a filmmaker. He is from the two-fisted Blockbuster era where more is more, and more and more is moreso.
Excellent points. I feel that you hit on something with the 'triumph of ego.' He did avoid some great moments such as the John-Paul singing Two of Us around a mic. There may be another video on just these points! Thank you, sir.
I feel the truth is somewhere in between the book and Jackson’s get back doc. I mean on one hand there is no way that Jackson’s project would have got official apple approval if they were going to include all the really nasty stuff that is in sulphys book. Excluding all of yokos dialogue was a big mistake considering the role she played in the dynamic of the band at that time. There is definitely a bit of a white washing of history going on here . Same with ignoring what was going on in George’s home personal life at that time . However on the other hand the book does take a lot of liberties and misconstrues some things like yawning etc ,,but you can see why they done it. The truth maybe somewhere in between the two ?
Example of Jackson's "creative license" would be editing to show Paul nearly in tears after saying "And then there were two". In actuality, that was a joke and everyone around him laughed. The scene with Paul welling up is a bit later. Is this an attempt to make a more dramatic scene and not necessarily a deception OR is Jackson making edits to fit an agenda? Either way, its misleading and does not represent the truth. Get Back has to be taken with a grain of salt. What gets left OUT is nearly as important as what gets put in.
Exactly. Jackson took some editorial license and your "then were two" altered what really was going on. Like the news, what gets left out is as important as what is put in and not showing the "yoko issues' is a perfect example of this.
Also, we are led to believe that ONLY John and Paul were having the Hidden microphone conversation in the cafeteria when in reality Linda was there Yoko was there and Ringo was there and maybe other people. I was really surprised when I found that out. Made me wonder how much other editing was done. (I do, however,love Peter Jackson and am grateful to him for Get Back!)
Well Disney didn't make either film, they only distributed Get Back. If you're a Beatle fan, I think you'd like Get Back. You can probably buy a used dvd.
Again I have such a good time watching it. Except the end...Really? Both being so smart in all your comments, showing how you can pay attention and even read body languages and also knowing how people make mistakes saying they were bored...Talking things nobody said before in such an intelligent way...and suddenly say yoko was a good rock n roller? Help! Is that the so called yoko effect? Because only Heather reacted well listening to Yoko. Just like the kid screaming the Emperor is Naked in tale about the Emperor new clothes. But what a powerful lady for sure. She still makes a fool of everyone. I have to imagine you were only...joking. Matt.. no, nobody makes a fool of Matt. He is brilliant. He was not serious at all. It is not possible. In Brazil there is the expression wooden face. Cara de Pau. Hard to explain because it is more than having the nerve for something. Maybe cheeky. I found this exemple here while looking for how to say it in English. He just got what he got because he was cheeky for this. We can change he for she. But even so I don't think it is really correct. "She is got what she got because she is a wooden face" is better. And when I saw her sitting there without expression on her face I see she is exactly a wooden face woman. Shameless. But it works! She is right to act like that because it works! LOL Apart from the end...how delicious it was to sit here in from of my lap top listening to you. Good to see you noticed John looked dirty...not washed hair. Because I thought only me had noticed that. Paul also but not all the time. What amazes me is that nobody talks about Paul presenting Oh Darling alone in the studio. I have always listened to him singing Oh Johnny, not oh darling. But in Get Back he pronounces darling clearly....and then he adds something like Believe me, john! No more doubts about it. He wrote that song for John. Later, singing it again with the others, John answers..." I do!" And yet, nobody comments about it. Another moment I love totally is Paul singing Commonwealth ...and John says Yes...in a very funny voice. He keeps on saying yes answering to Paul and even suggested a new word for the lyrics. Paul don't stop it...but then he changes for the word John had suggested. For me that proofs how they belonged to each other musically speaking. Genius.
Hello Virginia - I often give Yoko a hard time because she deserves it. I get some hate when I do it and some people simply have no sense of humor. As an artist she is good - not great, but good. Some of her solo recordings are interesting, but I do feel her presence had a negative impact on the band. Thank you for that observation of Oh! Darling. I didn't put that together that it was for John, but that makes total sense! John and Paul certainly had a way of working together that even Yoko wasn't a part of!
Too much of Lindsey-Hogg. He acts like the Beatles are players in his film. He was to document what the Beatles were doing - Lindsey-Hogg thinks that he is the boss.
To be fair, he is the director and I don't think he is even present in the Let It Be film - the project he assembled. It was Peter Jackson who added the scenes of Michael Lindsey-Hogg as they are contextually significant.
The shot of MLH being dragged onto the roof in his bespoke suit - then seeing his cigar still in place when he raised his head - was a laugh out loud moment for me. Thank you, Peter Jackson, for giving us that gem.
Telling a 6 year old to eat her kittens is 'humanising Lennon?'. I have heard people saying, 'Ah but this is John's sense of humour'. For God's sake, you are condoning a man telling a child to eat her kittens.
I always thought the "Let it Be" album was cool, but the movie never made sense. I may be off here, but I think Paul and George's relationship broke up the Beatles. I think the breaking point for Paul was "Something" and "Here comes the Sun." I don't think Paul wanted to share any of his fame with George. He barely was able to share it with John. "Yesterday" was the beginning of the end. I think if Yoko had not come on the scene, they might have made a couple more albums.
There is a clip from an interview of Ringo by Howard Stern in the last couple of years during which Ringo says "we have Paul to thank for all the music. John and I would be sitting in John's garden and hear the phone ring, we would know it was Paul wanting us to come to the studio and work." It is easy to find on youtube.
Thanks for the video. I don't get to have in depth Beatles discussions with anyone in real life so I really enjoy hearing you two getting into the nitty gritty. Keep it coming!
I started this channel so I could have the in depth conversions so you are in the right place!
About the roof, I think they (esp George) were concerned about whether they could play live in front of fans competently. But when they got out there the talent and magic kicked in.
I liked seeing them peek over the edge at the audience in the street. It was kind of a 'the people still love us' moment we assumed they knew but maybe they weren't as sure as we thought.
And the sensations of live performance seems to have tickled some nerves for them.
They all went on to do performances with other people.
I love this channel. You guys are both great. In 1979 I met John & Yoko in Tokyo. I talked to him a little and they watched my band play for 3 hours. My overall impression was that John loved Yoko very much. He lived in the moment and seemed kind of hyperactive. I was blown away because he was my musical hero. He was surprisingly curious and sometimes had expressions of innocence like a young child.
Wow thank you for sharing that great encounter!
Interesting point you made regarding Lindsay Hogg's involvement with both Rock & Roll Circus and Let It Be. As we now know, the Circus project got shelved by the Stones. Imagine how Lindsay Hogg would have felt if the Let It Be project also turned up a bust? Even though the Beatles filming was only one month after the Circus filming, I wonder if Hogg already had some sense from Mick & Keith that what was in the can was not up to their vision of the Circus which in turn caused Hogg to really panic when it looked like the Beatles were going round in circles with no big finale for Let it Be?
You guys hit on some more interesting topics in this part. The discussion of the different leadership capacities of each Beatle was something I haven't heard anywhere else, and really enjoyed. I haven't reached any kind of Get Back fatigue yet.... looking very much forward to the next instalment!
January of 69’ with the Beatles could be a college course in perspective, discourse, group think, goals, etc. There’s evidence to support all of the spin that has been placed at history’s doorstep. However, nothing happens in a vacuum and this story must be told in its entirety to be truly understood. Even then, the truth is in the distillation of the beholder. “You can syndicate any boat you row.”
The film will probably be the subject of college classes. The technology alone -- my friends who regularly work with 16mm are blown away. Yes, it has its downsides, but it was better big.
Second post, "Ringo a silent leader" excellent insight, excellent Matt!
@Pop Goes The 60s
I find the three parts of this conversation almost as enjoyable as the eight hours of the Get Back series. Great work!
That is high praise Gerry, thank you!
I attended the IMAX presentation last Sunday and it was pretty thrilling, especially the sound, which Peter Jackson told us was a special Giles Martin mix for IMAX. Peter also pointed out that ironically, that IMAX mix was done at Twickenham, which has the only IMAX sound mix facility in the UK. In this rooftop audio mix, one hears beautiful separation, clarity, and appropriate loudness. We hear powerful bass lines and meticulous guitar work from George and Ringo forcefully pounding the drums (something you don't get in the TV sound). A bit disappointing was Peter Jackson's continued insistence on including the man-on-the-street interviews, the cops entering Apple, and all that, when die hard fans like myself were really hoping that the IMAX Rooftop edition would only show the rooftop cameras during the performances. I suspect that because cameramen were pausing to reload their magazines, there are gaps in the rooftop visual coverage that must always be filled with the man-on-the-street stuff. What impressed me most was the tightness of the band on the rooftop. The Beatles got their tight sound in Hamburg and at The Cavern and the craftsmen skill set of that never left them.
Thanks for the recap. I haven't seen it yet.
Wow, lucky you. The tickets ran out in about 45 seconds in England haha. Glad you enjoyed it but definitely a shame that they didn't just have a camera directly on the band. I guess if they clean up 'Let It Be', we'll get it there
The AMC ticketing system in LA crashed with the demand. I finally got a ticket through a Fandango Theatre - at the old Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. I'm planning to go again during the mid-February run with better seats. I was looking up Beatle nostrils!
I was also a bit disappointed that the IMAX rooftop was just the Get Back docu edit with (much enjoyed!) better sound.
OTOH there are videos here on YT, for the moment anyway, showing many of the performances in 4:3 aspect ratio, clearly from a high quality source, without any of the cop stuff or street interviews. Makes me wonder if there was a plan to present only music & visuals in IMAX that for whatever reason got rejected.
I don't believe it was done in IMAX. Probably technologically impossible; it didn't look 3D, and the tickets for the current shows are very clear that it is 2D.
That said, we did see 6 screens sometimes, not just 3.
i highly recommend Jackson's Get Back book.
I’ve read that Eric Clayton’s wife had left him and moved in with George and Patti; then George said she had to leave; and Patti left with her. And this happened during the first week, only days before he walked out of Twickenham. If this is accurate, this is hugely important, could have been noted by Jackson, and should be included in the analysis.
Charlotte Martin was Clapton's girlfriend and she broke up with him and moved in with George and Pattie on the 2nd. Pattie left on the 6th and George kicked out Marin on the 10th and went to collect Pattie. This outlined in Pattie's book _Wonderful Tonight_ . I covered this in my video _All Things Must Pass Was Not Rejected_ . Check it out if you have a moment.
Went into the episode waiting for the rooftop concert and was happy to find myself enjoying many of the scenes that lead up to it.
I love these discussions, they are very informative and entertaining. I can't wait for the third part.
Thank you, Onio!
Great to see Antony on the show!
Great work Matt & Antony, you two really have a great way of keeping listeners wanting more about this time of the GREATEST BAND l think we will ever see !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, Jesse!
I love these conversations! Thank you for them! I was wondering if anyone knows why there was such hatred between John Lennon and Paul McCartney after they finished recording in 1969? They seemed on good terms after this documentary was made. Why would John start writing songs with jabs toward a Paul, then Paul writing songs with jabs toward John in return? It was more than the break-up of a band. It was deeply personal.
I think it got difficult after the December 31, 1970 lawsuit was filed against the other three Beatles. I I liken their breakup to a divorce, where in the end, both people may still love each other, but the situation has gotten very personal, as you suggest, and there are things that can't easily be resolved so it ends.
I feel two things can be true at the same time. Peter Jackson did produce a magnificent movie. But I also feel the final day of filming did get short changed and I would love to see many alternate takes of Two of Us, Let it Be and Long and a winding road.
I also find it interesting that either through drug use or romance or exhaustion, or maybe all 3, that John seems to have given up leadership of the band and has let Paul take it on to some extenet. There must be part of him thinking - my band that I've been leading is now out of my control.
Can't help wondering whether an efficient manager could have kept things going any longer or with any more success than no manager.
Ref. Daddys not here anymore from the film
This is really inciteful. You both speak so fluently and knowledgeably with a bit of humour thrown in too.
Just saying thanks for all the videos, Matt. I had my initial Beatles dive in college in the 90s, but Get Back started me down a whole new rabbit hole. They’re just fascinating!
I agree! They just never get old.
At first, I really liked Jackson's rooftop version, then I saw comments about it distracting from the band and particularly the officers talking over I've Got A Feeling, and I sort of agreed which made me feel worse about it. Now, I just watched it again and I absolutely love it and realized it's brilliant because we'd have never gotten things like three angles of John at the same time, or all the other simultaneous Beatles shots we got without a split-screen effect like that, he effectively gave us a few versions at the same time, since he knew it was the once chance he had to get the material out.
In Jackson's appearance on the Things We Said Today podcast, he showed the raw state of the footage, which shows the camera shots simultaneously like that. I feel that's likely where he got the inspiration, watching with all the different shots at once, not wanting to cut much at all, and thinking "I could show it like this, but just trimmed up a little bit".
As far as the officers and I've Got A Feeling, we've got that rooftop recording, just play the song over the footage and you don't have to deal with the officers talking. Easy.
Hey Matt, love the content, real good quality, just wanted to express my thankfulness for this channel, inspired me to start creating my own beatle content.
Thank you for the support - Best of luck to you with your channel!
Anyone remember when an 8 hour Let It Be+ movie went around the country in small theaters in the late 70's? Theater was packed.
The photo that Antony refers to is something that I noticed immediately when seeing the Jackson film as a grievous example of misinterpretation. That photo had been labelled as an example of the band listenimg to playbacks in the midst of frustration and boredom, a snapshot of the band falling apart. However, Antony is completely correct that the studio in the picture was at Apple, not Twickenham. Even more screamingly obvious, in Jackson's film we see the actually scene that the picture captured and in that scene the band is listening to playbacks and are extremely pleased with them! It's the utter opposite of what the picture has been for a long time said to be conveying! Just to add, calling those January sessions a "disaster" is sensationalist and from a selling stand-point is understandable. It's not an appropriately precise adjective, but also it's not wholly incorrect. A lot of the music in the sessions was far from a disaster, and certainly the rooftop performance was spirited and fun, but the intent of those sessions, i.e., to make either a TV program or film was unquestionably a failure, and the relationships between the band members were if not a disaster but certainly a near-disaster or disaster narrowly averted.
Hey Matt, thanks for another very interesting video with Antony, some really good insights here. I agree with you about Hogg, I developed a new appreciation for his work with this film, particularly with the camera setup outside towards the end.
Another Great discussion ….so much to go through….looking forward to part 3. Thanks so much for sharing!
I read the Sulphy & Schweighardt book over Xmas. My copy has the control room shot of the four Beatles (John's shoes up on the console with Yoko behind him). The shot is slightly distorted (stretched) but, yes, they look like they're either concentrating or terribly bored.
I enjoyed the book and found it a great supplement to Jackson's documentary.
Ultimately, the "disaster" is that The Beatles didn't achieve their goal of working up a full set of songs to play live. Although many applaud the Rooftop session, for me it's bittersweet: they only had 5 songs ready to perform for their very last concert together. So much wasted time and effort. That they were able to salvage some hit singles, an album, a film, and muster the energy for a final Swanson (ABBEY ROAD) is some compensation.
Great discussion, Matt & Antony!
I like your point about George not stepping up. The whole series felt to me like one big opportunity for him to shine because John is nowhere near his creative best. And Paul is listening to George's songs and seems to be willing to work on them (Old brown shoes, i me mine, etc.). But him never wanting to play his material in the live show didn't help I suppose.
I agree with your sentiments, considering they didn’t have a current ‘live’ set i think the roof top ‘gig’ works well ! If they had wanted they could have played an hour of the old cavern Hamburg stuff ? Lennon did a great version of yer blues on the rock and roll circus ! The roof top was just a way to play to an ending? Remember for much of the ‘touring’ years they played 18-30 mins?
I liked how Jackson created the multi shots ! Perfect !
Other thing to note perhaps is Yoko being miserable or quiet? Hadn’t she suffered a miscarriage? Drugs surely played a part in Johns state of mind but he’s much more into the sessions as far as i can see ! It’s true yoko created lots but john played on most of the tracks and made 4 albums 1970-73 not including rock and roll ! He was never as prolific as Paul or perhaps less inclined to put all things out ? He knocks Abbey road in that he says just half finished, Pauls genius was to make it work ? In there is the breakdown i guess ? All very young ! Yoko perhaps being 6 years older is another consideration? And perhaps saw boys squabbling?
Another thought provoking post !
Always the highlight of my day when "Pop Goes the 60's" has a new video. In listening to your comments (and having watched "Get Back" almost twice), one thing that I was not expecting, but very apparent, is how much this documentary is time capsule for a rather unique period of western culture.
A few examples:
- Your drug use comments made me realize that by Jan 1969 the "psychedelic sixties" were already over - not only had the clothes changed from the Sgt Pepper days (not withstanding Glyn Johns's outfits), but the days of LSD trips had moved on to much more serious stuff.
- The amount of tobacco smoking must have been at an all time high. Everyone smoked, and smoked a lot - I recall Linda Eastman lighting up and she was pregnant at the time (although pretty early on).
- A minor, but not unnoticed, reference to whether Ringo had the "Hong Kong Flu" - a global pandemic of sorts at the time. I had this flu and was bedridden for 2 weeks that winter.
Looking forward to part 3!
Thanks for the comments, Scott. I found it hilarious (and ridiculous) that a disclaimer was put at the front of the doc warning of the excessive smoking in the film. I wasn't sure if Jackson was taking the piss out of the politically correct or if he was serious.
One thing I have found after experiencing Get Back is when you look at all the other session photos going back to 62. You can almost hear the chatter and instruments now. It’s as if the photos have more life in them. Or is that just me 🤔😆
I agree. Get Back suggests so much when looking at other sessions photos.
Thanks for the interesting discussion!
Great 2 part follow-up!!! Love the deep dive from 2 knowledgeable guys.. unlike many of the other reviewers
Thank you, Steve - much appreciated!
Great discussion guys.
I thought John Lennon was out of order in two important moments in Get Back. The scene where he tried to manipulate George & Ringo into liking Klein in Paul's absence, "I didn't mean to say all this, but...Also not sharing George Harrison's idea for the Beatles to make solo albums and help to extend the life of the Beatles as a band... Two low points for me in an incredible documentary. Looking forward to part three...Cheers
I listened to a body language "expert" and he said crossing your arms it a kind of self comforting. And that you seldom do it at home, this I have found to be true in my case. And yawning, boredom can sometimes be a temporary state where you check out for a moment and has plagued me the whole of my life, as well as embarrassing at times. George was a kid really, and I have to keep telling myself that because I think of him as older than me, but he was a very young man here.
Yes, these guys were so young and used to interacting with each other. I think some of the commentary has over emphasized the meaning of a yawn or even a look. There is a lot of context surrounding these actions that should be considered when discussing the topic. Thank you for the comment, James!
What does Matt say at 21:54 (concerning heroin use), at 28:10 (concerning McCartney's saying "and then there were two"), and at 31:10? Due either to crosstalk or to my bad ears I am unable to make it out. Thanks.
I could watch this stuff for hours. Keep it coming guys :)
At the IMAX Q&A, Peter Jackson said there is another 3 - 4 hours ready for release - and asked that we email Disney to ask for it, which is easy to do. The suits will decide based on potential revenue.
More to come!
The Simpson spoofed that famous “bored” control room shot. It’s a famous shit that is definitely misunderstood because when most musicians are listening to their tracks played back I’m the control room, there is often a concentrated look that can be seen as bored but it’s not. Another example is Charlie Watrs listening back to “Wild Horses” in the “Gimme Shelter” film.
Drop "Oh Darling" from Abbey Road? Shirley Eugeste.
Glad you mentioned George's guitar work on One After 909...not praised enough.
I acquired the Sulpy & Schweighardt book several times since the mid 90s - I bought the UK version which (I think) was called "Get Back : The Beatles' Let It Be Disaster" with the infamous control room picture of the group all looking bored and uninterested (as you both mention the power of capturing a certain pose which appears to convey a certain mood !!); I've now got a downloadable version (available on Sulpy's website - well not sure if it still is !) which is great. What the book succeeded in doing was creating an near accurate template of the January 1969 sessions which we did not have until its publication. I mean I didn't realise that George left on the Friday (10/01) because all the books up til that time said George left after his argument with Paul which is clearly wrong ! Also, I always thought the Rooftop concert was on the last day, but it was on the penultimate day. I do think the book is indispensable but suffers from a few problems such as the authors have chosen to infuse the text with a dour tone and they are not musicians as their descriptions of some of the takes are laughable - any musician who's rehearsed with a band will know that there's a myriad of moods in the human condition which can negatively impact playability on any given day ! Ultimately, if you want a real deep dive into this period of the Beatles, then Sulpy's book plus copies of the Nagra reels plus Jackson's docuseries and the Let It Be film should be enough, although I still wanna see Jackson's 18 hour cut please ! Interesting point you raise as well, Matt, about the so called "60 hours of video" as I was telling anyone who listened (which wasn't many !) that 60 hours includes the, eg, same scene from 2 maybe 3 angles. Looking forward to Part 3. Cheers
Hey Bassman, I appreciated the comments! More to come.
I read Peter Jackson saying re the rooftop concert that it's not Shea Stadium Beatles but the Beatles of the Cavern. Of course! So, full circle.
I also read in the same piece what seemed like confirmation that a Let It Be Bluray will be arriving shortly, one reason (no doubt) why we won't get complete performances of Two of Us etc with the Get Back Bluray
I think you guys are being a little harsh on George and hIs leadership qualities. It was his suggestion to get them out of Twickenham and into Apple studios. He also brought in his equipment and Billy Preston! Plus yes he invited his friends to the Bangladesh Concert but that is what a leader does brings people together to focus on a common goal. That aside, still fascinating discussion , very enjoyable and can't wait for part 3.
Great moment on the roof top for me was when Mal Evans turned off George's amp and then George went over and switched it back on, he couldn't careless about the police presence. I thought there was to much Micheal Lindsay-Hogg in the doco as well even Ringo has commented on that.
George was such a punk doing that, and I love that about him! I have come to the conclusion that George was the GUTS of the Beatles. Ringo was the heart. Paul was the spirit (he still holds it high). And John was the soul.
Re: 10 cameras @ the Roof Top concert... Hopefully there are some camera angles showing more of Billy Preston, and if there is hopefully they will be worked into an expanded Roof Top video. Just a few shots of him contributing those great keyboard parts would be great.
The Doors went four ways and I think that was one of the their strengths as a band. Morrison being the leader of that rule, which is quite amazing really.
Interestingly...did you notice that the original songs, previously unreleased, officially, prior to Get Back (and not recorded since 1970 on any of their solo records) are all credited as Lennon / McCartney / Harrison / Starkey ? That is, if Ringo was playing on them. And the jams with Yoko were credited as Lennon / McCartney / Ono.
I think they did that simply to secure a copyright for some of those nameless songs, many of which I didn't recognize.
Going to sign up for Antony's channel. Interesting he is researching Nick Drake. That will be fascinating. Pop goes the 60s is my fav RUclips, straight forward and interesting. Covers my wonderbread years as a kid growing up in the 60s. Was such a Beatles fan but even as the kid I absolutely hated the Beatles cartoon. It was not the soul or wit of The Beatles. Watched Get Back Episode 2 and 3 a 2nd time. Episode 1 was interesting but didn’t want to watch a 2nd time.
I know Antony will appreciated that. He has some great topics that I think you'll enjoy. Thanks for the comment, Lori!
I did not yawn while watching this video. 😀
Thanks, Larry - I wouldn't hold it against you if you did!
Did you fold your arms in a defensive posture at any point? 😀
@@glassoniononjohnlennon6696 Yes, but that's top secret!
Loving your vids Matt.
Did I see something being added to the wine in one of the scenes in Get Back ? 🤔
I missed that - I will have to rewatch it now!
What does Antony say at 40:22 during his Glyn Johns impression (ending with "strange")? Thanks.
I said GJ was like a posh hippy
@@glassoniononjohnlennon6696 thanks
Hadn't they finished the White Album only a few months before? Jan, 1969, they are still in 'off season' mode, which could explain the sluggish start.
Exactly. The White Album was only out for 6 weeks when they convened at Twickenham.
Superb discussion thanks. Agreed - All Things Must Pass on Abbey Road would've been great. (Instead of Her Majesty I reckon).
George was the leader in the Wilburys. At least that's what Tom Petty always said. Perhaps the recent success of Cloud Nine gave him a confidence boost. Or perhaps-Petty's commentary notwithstanding-it was more the case that George and Jeff Lynne were co-leaders.
The point to make about Jackson's choice for presenting the roof top is that the integrity of the performance is lost. Which may be okay... But that is what has been left on the cutting room floor.
It's a little bit like you're watching a movie and people keep interrupting, walking in and asking a question. So, yes, I am fascinated by seeing the scene on the street, and even more on the adjacent rooftops. The wives and the staff. The cinematographers with their ten cameras. The Bobbies (cops), Mal, everything. Yet, at the center of it all, at the core, is the continuity of the performance.
So let's hope that we get the Let It Be movie restored. Let's hope we get the performance in one piece. Greek drama had the concept of the unity of time on the stage. Whatever was going on, it took place at a 1:1 time scale with the audience. No flashbacks, no leaps forwards to the next day, etc. The play happened continuously, in one piece, from start to finish. I would very much enjoy seeing the performance that way, cut from the first note to the last. Even if it means sitting through three takes on Get Back and two of Down Let Me Down.
Did John use drugs? They have that audio when he says "Mal do you have any Pep Pills, give me a couple" that was right before they were gonna go to Georges house the second time before they find out he was on holiday.
Aye Matt great job. I have a question and statement. Everything we want to know about the Beatles has been written in a books. Except from what I’ve seen,,is the Beatles cookbook. Is there anything documented on what they ate on tour. What there individual tastes were when it came to meal time. Lunch or dinner. The only thing I ever heard was they ate cornflakes in Hamburg and then veggie diet in India. I know it’s sounds ridiculous but I am curious. Is there a book out there already written I don’t know about?? Thanks Matt. Shows just keep getting better and better. 👍
That is one book I don't believe has been written yet! I don't know too much about their diet... I know a little bit about what they drank, alcohol-wise but other than some basics, they didn't talk much about their diet.
@@popgoesthe60s52 I wonder if they had a private chef on tour. Lol. Now that guy should write the book. Ha.
about Harrison's friendship with the Band and Clapton: the chunky guitar chords of Sgt Pepper title song seem to be inspired by Eric Clapton's Blues Breakers album. Or was that McCartney on guitar?
Sorry, I'm being off topic, but I've been obsessed with this, and you and your audience are very knowledgeable
Yes, that guitar work on Pepper is very crunchy like Mayall's stuff. I don't think Harrison was hanging with Clapton at that point however... not sure.
@@popgoesthe60s52 It's long been my understanding that the heavy guitar intro on Sgt. Pepper is Paul inspired by Jimi Hendrix. I've always loved that intro. As it happens, the track was begun on Feb. 1st -- today's date as I type this. Anyway, I have a bit of a theory about George, based on some interviews with him that I've read or heard. He had a period when he more or less abdicated his role as "lead guitarist for the Beatles," when his self-identity as Beatle George waned and his interest in studying Indian philosophy and practicing sitar was much more important to him. I think this was largely throughout 1967 but started in 1966 and was still a factor even in 1968. To an extent he was really only interested in Indian inspired drones, often on organ. Within You Without You, Only A Northern Song, It's All Too Much, Blue Jay Way, The Inner Light and the entire Wonderwall soundtrack plus the unreleased Circles. He plays organ on nearly all of them. On It's All Too Much for sure, while letting (I believe) Paul play the rather Hendrix-sounding guitar part -- although some claim it's Lennon on guitar, but I'm skeptical about that. I think being a Beatle mattered less to George than the others for a variety of reasons right up to the end of the band.
@@syater The idea that George's "switch to the sitar" was solely because of his love for indian philosophy and classical indian music I don't buy 100%. I think he may have been intimidated by the up-and-coming guitarists (Hendrix, Beck, Page, Clapton) and the shift in the rock world to the virtuoso lead guitar player. One can pursue other music and interests and not abandon their very important role in their "day job." Instead he hid behind the organ and sitar. No wonder he fell behind in his song writing after his promising offering on Revolver! I appreciate the comment, syater.
@@mattwilliamson4065 All good points, Matt. I didn't mean to suggest George wanted to abandon the Beatles in 1967, more a shifting of priorities now that they were done with touring and finally had time to pursue personal interests. But also, George no longer needed to be the lead guitarist, as such. He could be the organ player if he wanted. I don't think he actually played sitar as a Beatle beyond Norwegian Wood, maybe a bit of tambura here or there. He was in the studio for Sgt. Pepper, to be sure, but musically, none of the four needed to fill any particular role for their "day job" which was to finish and release albums and singles in any manner that occurred to them. I can see and accept your point about Harrison's anxiety with regard to the ascendant guitar virtuosos, but I can't say I know if, or to what extent, virtuosity may have mattered to him, or if he may have even found Paul playing lead guitar intimidating. My guess is probably not so much. I think it is possible his interest in learning sitar and Indian philosophy, grew together, since the classical music of India is couched within Hindustani thought. His trip to India in 1966 to study sitar, his tendency to quote from various Vedic texts, his exclusive choice to have yogis represented on the cover of Sgt. Pepper, and of course Within You, Without You, more Indian than anything on Revolver. And then of course there was Rishikesh, after which he seems to have returned to the guitar -- possibly given up on the sitar?
@@popgoesthe60s52 Clapton/Mayall came out summer of '66, a full year before Pepper, which is an eternity. so friendship not necessary for influence. Though, I think it is McCartney' guitar
I felt John shaped up a bit during Apple sessions to impress Alan Klein who was circling John/Yoko's orbit at the time.
Do you think Get Back under played George Martin's involvement in the recording? I just listened to an interview with him from 1993 and he talked about how HE had to move in all of this equipment and how HE decided to mix the album like a documentary including the 1,2, 3 intros and little snippets of dialogue and did mention Glynn Johns almost as an assistant where the film made it look more like Glynn was in charge and George was just doing a little something here and there.
I believe Get Back most certainly did NOT underplay Martin's involvement. Martin himself has overplayed his involvement, and in a few interviews, even calling the album, "Produced by George Martin. Over-produced by Phil Spector." The fact of the matter is that Glyn Johns was the producer of record and Martin was at Twickenham officially to build a sound booth for a potential concert at Twickenham. Johns took no pay in exchange for a producer's credit, which he did not receive. Johns gave Martin every courtesy once at Apple and deferred to him out of respect. They actually made a fine team but Johns was really in no position to direct Martin and Martin was in no position to tell the Beatles what to do at this point. So this, like much of these proceedings, was convoluted.
@@popgoesthe60s52 Thanks for your answer.
Endless pontification about the breakup is interesting but in the end the Beatles owe us nothing and only gave us great work. They broke up at the right point and had nothing left to prove. It is interesting that most of George’s and Paul’s best solo stuff was probably written whilst still in the Beatles.
Great discussion. Think it's fair to say that if we had Nagra tapes of them recording Pepper or Revolver there would have been plenty of dull passages & sequences of boredom and irritation. Any working band (or any creative process) has to involve such frustration, so the narrative surrounding Let It Be was always nonsense by trying to describe the sessions as being uniquely chaotic. Even the Anthology interviews took the "winter of discontent" line.
Exactly and I think George did a bit of revisionism with the "winter of discontent" line all while never mentioning his wife walked out on him on January 4, 1969 which quite probably added to the disharmony and his foul mood.
Is it possible to get the Nagra tapes now?
@@RockandRollWoman They are available only as bootlegs but they are available, sometimes on multi cd sets.
• A guy on RUclips (AdamBound) posted day-by-day 7-hour+ recordings but they were taken down.
• Here is a website where much is available for download: archive.org/details/A_B_Road
• Also, there are multi cd sets occsionally on ebay available but they are pricy
@@popgoesthe60s52 The website is down already, no surprise. What are they called?
@@RockandRollWoman This link gets you to the main website. It's a bit cumbersome but you may find some great stuff here:
www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/collection/ab-road-complete-get-back-sessions/
Also, here is one full day that is posted on RUclips. Get it before it disappears:
ruclips.net/video/UQrx_ZGKRGQ/видео.html
Not anymore, it's allowed, fold your arms and be comfortable and warm, it's so comfortable!
I enjoy this as much or more than anybody, but if I stand back and look at it, it's a little odd how we do amateur psychology on these people that we've never met. :)
Well I guess there's something for everyone: some people obscess over stamp collecting, some people collect old guns, so I guess all this Fab analysis is no different. Everyone got's their bag. Like I say, I've been immersed in it the last coupla months like everyone else, and today it's striking me as slightly odd. :)
The All Things Must Pass demo is classic and better than the album version
Boy's When you read about this time The Beatles were supposed to be hoovering up drugs to get through this time but apart from John ( a bit, maybe) the rest of the group looked remarkedly normal. Peter Jackson, has said, " From all the books he'd read about this time he was worried what he might find and if it was so bad he didn't want to find it." " Before we even cleaned the film up I had one of the can's of film made ready to show in the screening room. I went down to the canteen and made a cup of tea. I suddenly thought I'm following in George Martin's footsteps, both sitting here with our cups of tea and we've got the Beatles for the first time in the next room." I have to say my tea and toast consumption has gone up 10 fold. Funny how all these new music Doco's are coming out now. Like they've had a film crew with them for years. Janet Jackson is the latest one. Cheers, Chris Perry.
Thanks for the comment, Chris!
I can only wish my “disasters “ (first marriage) was as devastating as this project was.
I wish there was film of the white album sessions, it seemed there was some previous animosity over the initial introduction of yoko (the comment regarding "breaking up over yoko sitting on an amp" For example - of course, this may be well documented and I just don't know .. But it seem s , based on some John Lennon later interviews, he seemed deeply hurt by the lack of yoko's acceptance.
Yoko's presence did cause some issues during the White Album sessions but there isn't much if any film. We just have recollections by band members.
Peter Jackson was saying just recently that there is about 3 hours worth of White Album film footage.
Giles Martin heard all the White Album tapes when putting together the 50th anniversary release and said that he didn’t hear all the animosity on the tapes. He said they appeared to be having a great time. We do know that Geoff Emerick walked out of these sessions because he felt they they so contentious.
Two things: 1) Speaking of drug use, I couldn't help but see McCartney (a known lover of pot - he wrote a song about it for god's sake! [Got To Get You Into My Life]) as being stoned throughout Get Back. Look at his eyes! They're red a lot of the time. 2) Regarding your comment on George not being a leader. One thing that really struck me in Lewisohn's "Tune In" was how much a leader Harrison was. He joined the band at age 14 and within a month was telling John and Paul to get rid of the other guitar players. He was the first to have his hair done "Beatle style" that the others copied. He was the first to wear leathers, which the others copied. He pushed for Ringo to be in the band. He'd buy guitars and Lennon would buy the same one. And at any rate, he often put his two cents in during rehearsals of songs (in Get Back).
Those are good points re: George. He certainly was the fashion leader of the group as well. However by 1969, he seemed lost in his own band. At a time when leadership was needed (1969-1970) he didn't provide much unfortunately.
@@popgoesthe60s52 True. But still. He was working with two extreme Type A people with "massive egos" (or whatever the John Lennon quote was). He was working against the Lennon-McCartney "team" (to quote George Martin). So I can't blame him. But I'm reminded of yet other circumstances. The whole Maharishi-India thing was driven by George. And when Epstein died and the Beatles returned to London (from Wales), it was Harrison who became the spokesman for the group. Look at the interview in the train station: Lennon is just stunned (hysterically portrayed in The Rutles) while George does the talking. And Harrison, in my opinion, delivers the best quote in all 8 hours of Get Back. Alluding to India/Maharishi/spirituality he says "And if you were REALLY yourself you wouldn't be any of who we are now."
@@Cuverville93 Appreciate your comments re George. After watching pt. 2 of Get Back yesterday, I was struck by John and Paul's take on the Maharishi vs. George's. Paul says, "It was like school!" and John agrees, and also makes a face like he was sucking up to the Maharishi and they both know it. But George is annoyed. He has invested way more of himself in meditation, whereas for Paul and John, it was an episode in their lives, but not the core of who they are (unlike George). What did George mean by that comment that they wouldn't be who they are now if they were really themselves? Who would they be, meaning if they weren't famous? Who will ever know? Btw, after Brian died, the Maharishi had told them something along the lines of "don't worry, be happy." John says, years later, "Fuckin idiot."
@@pennyparkin George was certainly referring to the spiritual process of finding one's true nature. And that whoever/whatever we are now, in our un-enlightened states of being, is merely a facade masking that true nature. (That is, it had nothing to do with their possibly having other professions if they weren't The Beatles...)
My takeaway on George's "...we wouldn't be any of who we are now," is basically that it's a putdown of Paul's opinion that they were playing roles while in India, not being honestly themselves as he saw it. Paul didn't reply but rolled his eyes a bit and appeared hurt or frustrated at George's dig. I think John and Paul both felt that they gained wisdom in the practice of meditation, but George somehow saw the India experience as the be all/end all of life as they knew it and did not think that Paul at least passed his litmus test. Of course it wasn't too long before Paul was living in a simple Scottish cottage and George was enjoying spiritual bliss in his spectacular mansion and landscaped grounds. Just an observation.
John: "I'm totally baked today, Oh boy..."
Paul: "Oh! Here's a new song, it's called Maxwell Silver Hammer!"
George: "See you at the clubs..."
jazz musicians in the 50s did praise the effects of cannabis
I kinda felt a little bad for Peter Sellers when John was giving him a hard time.
Even Yoko piled on.
Yeah, it's too bad more couldn't be made of it. If they were around the microphones, they could have had Sellers sign something or had a bit of fun with it. Sellers, I think, was known for party crashing, so maybe they were already used to giving him the 'bums rush.'
Cheapest copy of the book I can find is almost $60 - fortunately the City of Los Angeles Library has it.
Beatles book recommendations, anyone?
There are so many Beatles books - I'd have to sell my car to buy them all, and much of what I've read is garbage and not worth fifty cents.
Peter Jackson didn't "create" conflict. There was conflict. Conflict is an ingredient in drama if your writing fiction, but in real life it is natural part of our endeavors. Jackson put it in context. Michael Lindsey Hogg exhibited it by including in a 90-minute presentation out of 60 odd hours over 21 days. For 50 years, because of this for the Beatles and the world at large Let It Be was characterized by conflict and nothing else. Now with 8 plus hour version we know and understand the conflicts of the project but have a broader picture. While there were prevailing forces threatening the demise of the Beatles it was not inevitable.
Why do you think George Harrison, after the band listens to the rooftop concert playback, misunderstands Paul as saying possibly that they'll knock off the rest of the tunes the next day (he means in the studio, but George understands him to say again on the rooftop), (George) says, "No more rooftops - it was *really bad*"? Do you think he felt they played poorly, or something else? I feel like George's playing in particular was outstanding, and he makes it look so effortless and doesn't play like a showy "rock star".
The thing about the drugs in Rock is it was mor obvious than in other music genres. I am more into country and they did as much, if not more, drugs than the Rock groups but they did not talk much about it until much later in life. Waylon Jennings had a $1,500 a day cocaine hobbit. Roger Miller carried around a large suitcase full of every kind of upper or downer he could get his hands on. I have heard many country artist from the 70s say they did those drugs because they wanted to stay awake. There was so much happining in the music world at the time and they did not want to miss it. I have often wondered if Waylon Jennings could have done half of what he did without coke. I do know it ruined his voice, his health, his career and he died too young because of the toll it took on him. That was a poor trade-off.
Some drugs enhance or inspire and then others are a crutch.
Based what I already knew of that period and with the facts showed in the Peter Jackson's documentary, I have now a better point of view about those days. First, about Ringo Starr, there's a scene where he tried to show the others in piano, a composition he was working, but the interest was almost absent. In other occasion, George gave some attention, but that's all. It's a discouraging fact, no doubt. Second, with George Harrison, it's clear that with his personal problems with his marriage; the growing freedom as composer, including, per example, writing songs with Eric Clapton, like "Badge" that was recorded by the power trio Cream; and the crescent quality volume and quality of his own composition; facing the little interest and space for your creations (the case of "All Things Must Pass" is a good example) and an inappropriate treatment gave to him specially by Paul; reinforced his desire of liberty of the limitations of a band and begins his own solo career (what he showed clearly when he said to John and Yoko that he would record a solo album, and they stimulated him). Third, with John, it's clear in the documentary, that one of the happiest moments to him in those days was when he received the notice about the definitive Yoko's divorce, what gave the oportunity, finally, of a marriage with her. In other words, it seems that in most of that time, the John's thoughts were in another place. Moreover, it seems that his own musical production was, in my opinion, somewhat reduced. I think that the only two John's compositions completed and recorded in those sessions were "Don't Let Me Down" and "Dig A Pony" ("Across The Universe" came from the "White Album" sessions). Finally, with Paul, it seems, for me, that he was living a very prolific and creative phase in that moment, composing many good songs like "I've Got A Feeling"; "Two Of Us"; "The Long And Winding Road"; "Let It Be"; "Get Back" (not forgeting songs recorded in the future in Paul's solo career, like "Another Day"). Equally, his interests in production and arrangements were clearly growing (it's important remember that few months ahead he recordsd his first solo album, playing all the instruments, doing almost all the voices and producing and doing himself the arrangements). In my opinion, is obvious that facing the less involvement from the other three, he tried to control the sessions. And the result was not so good. The conclusion of all this narrative about different spaces and interests from the band members, for me, is clearly showed in the rooftop show, with only two John's composition (one of them with a little help from a friend to sing the lyrics), none from George and Ringo; one Lennon-McCartney song, but from the older days ("One After 909") and all the others composed by Paul. The differences between them was leading the band to a situation where was becoming so hard to keep a work together. That's why I think that it can be called the "Abbey Road" sessions an authentic and fascinanting "swan song". Could it be possible a return years ahead? Who knows, but sadly it didn't happen.
If Kubrick should do Let it be instead of L. H. , Beatles may be still in Twickenham by the end of 69.
Jackson was adamant about using different takes and scenes from LET IT BE, so we see new images and angles, which is good, but also motivated by Jackson's ambition for a director's credit, which is bad. Michael Lindsay-Hogg's cameras spy a pipe-smoking Homburg-hatted light-raincoated Harold-Wilson lookalike (Britain's current Prime Minister). Hands in pocket he's casually strolling along through the most historic gig of the 20th century like a Sunday stroll in the park....except this old guy is 3 floors up strolling along a roof. As majestically surreal as Magritte. So Jackson can't ignore that priceless moment, but there's only ONE camera on this man, no alternate angle to turn to, and it's only a glimpse to begin with....so Jackson trims it down to something less than a second. The moment is taken away from us. And that's a triumph of ego over artistic sensibility.
When JAckson comes across a moment that is iconic, Lindsay-Hogg's musical sequence tracking the Apple arrival by 4 Beatles, it's too cool to ignore, but he wants his own stamp on it....so he breaks up the rhythm and removes the music and lets the scene run without accompaniment and duplicates arrivals of 2 or 3 Beatles arriving twice on different days in the reformed sequence. The rhythm of this cut stutters and drags. It doesn't work anything like as fluently as Lindsay-Hogg's sequence. There are a few instances where avoidance makes GET BACK less than LET IT BE. Any good writer realises along the way that more words can dilute meaning instead of adding something. Jackson has not learned this as a filmmaker. He is from the two-fisted Blockbuster era where more is more, and more and more is moreso.
Excellent points. I feel that you hit on something with the 'triumph of ego.' He did avoid some great moments such as the John-Paul singing Two of Us around a mic. There may be another video on just these points! Thank you, sir.
Lose "Oh, Darling" from Abbey Road?!?! Sacrilege!!!
I feel the truth is somewhere in between the book and Jackson’s get back doc. I mean on one hand there is no way that Jackson’s project would have got official apple approval if they were going to include all the really nasty stuff that is in sulphys book. Excluding all of yokos dialogue was a big mistake considering the role she played in the dynamic of the band at that time. There is definitely a bit of a white washing of history going on here . Same with ignoring what was going on in George’s home personal life at that time . However on the other hand the book does take a lot of liberties and misconstrues some things like yawning etc ,,but you can see why they done it. The truth maybe somewhere in between the two ?
Yoko ! Really ! Too each his own.
Example of Jackson's "creative license" would be editing to show Paul nearly in tears after saying "And then there were two". In actuality, that was a joke and everyone around him laughed. The scene with Paul welling up is a bit later. Is this an attempt to make a more dramatic scene and not necessarily a deception OR is Jackson making edits to fit an agenda? Either way, its misleading and does not represent the truth. Get Back has to be taken with a grain of salt. What gets left OUT is nearly as important as what gets put in.
Exactly. Jackson took some editorial license and your "then were two" altered what really was going on. Like the news, what gets left out is as important as what is put in and not showing the "yoko issues' is a perfect example of this.
Also, we are led to believe that ONLY John and Paul were having the Hidden microphone conversation in the cafeteria when in reality Linda was there Yoko was there and Ringo was there and maybe other people. I was really surprised when I found that out. Made me wonder how much other editing was done. (I do, however,love Peter Jackson and am grateful to him for Get Back!)
I am 70 years old and I have never seen Let It Be or Get Back. I don’t like the Disney Co .
Well Disney didn't make either film, they only distributed Get Back. If you're a Beatle fan, I think you'd like Get Back. You can probably buy a used dvd.
Again I have such a good time watching it. Except the end...Really? Both being so smart in all your comments, showing how you can pay attention and even read body languages and also knowing how people make mistakes saying they were bored...Talking things nobody said before in such an intelligent way...and suddenly say yoko was a good rock n roller? Help! Is that the so called yoko effect? Because only Heather reacted well listening to Yoko. Just like the kid screaming the Emperor is Naked in tale about the Emperor new clothes.
But what a powerful lady for sure. She still makes a fool of everyone. I have to imagine you were only...joking. Matt.. no, nobody makes a fool of Matt. He is brilliant. He was not serious at all. It is not possible.
In Brazil there is the expression wooden face. Cara de Pau. Hard to explain because it is more than having the nerve for something. Maybe cheeky. I found this exemple here while looking for how to say it in English. He just got what he got because he was cheeky for this. We can change he for she. But even so I don't think it is really correct. "She is got what she got because she is a wooden face" is better. And when I saw her sitting there without expression on her face I see she is exactly a wooden face woman. Shameless. But it works! She is right to act like that because it works! LOL
Apart from the end...how delicious it was to sit here in from of my lap top listening to you. Good to see you noticed John looked dirty...not washed hair. Because I thought only me had noticed that. Paul also but not all the time.
What amazes me is that nobody talks about Paul presenting Oh Darling alone in the studio. I have always listened to him singing Oh Johnny, not oh darling. But in Get Back he pronounces darling clearly....and then he adds something like Believe me, john! No more doubts about it. He wrote that song for John. Later, singing it again with the others, John answers..." I do!" And yet, nobody comments about it.
Another moment I love totally is Paul singing Commonwealth ...and John says Yes...in a very funny voice. He keeps on saying yes answering to Paul and even suggested a new word for the lyrics. Paul don't stop it...but then he changes for the word John had suggested. For me that proofs how they belonged to each other musically speaking. Genius.
Hello Virginia - I often give Yoko a hard time because she deserves it. I get some hate when I do it and some people simply have no sense of humor. As an artist she is good - not great, but good. Some of her solo recordings are interesting, but I do feel her presence had a negative impact on the band.
Thank you for that observation of Oh! Darling. I didn't put that together that it was for John, but that makes total sense! John and Paul certainly had a way of working together that even Yoko wasn't a part of!
I think they may have matured faster like people in combat with the Beatlemania, but their daddy issues make them seem much younger.
Antony, get a coat hanger
Too much of Lindsey-Hogg. He acts like the Beatles are players in his film. He was to document what the Beatles were doing - Lindsey-Hogg thinks that he is the boss.
To be fair, he is the director and I don't think he is even present in the Let It Be film - the project he assembled. It was Peter Jackson who added the scenes of Michael Lindsey-Hogg as they are contextually significant.
The shot of MLH being dragged onto the roof in his bespoke suit - then seeing his cigar still in place when he raised his head - was a laugh out loud moment for me. Thank you, Peter Jackson, for giving us that gem.
Telling a 6 year old to eat her kittens is 'humanising Lennon?'. I have heard people saying, 'Ah but this is John's sense of humour'. For God's sake, you are condoning a man telling a child to eat her kittens.
He isn't forcing her to eat them. It was a joke and only intended as a joke. Do I have to mention that he was a cat lover as well?
umm. well. Heather seemed to have taken the joke better than you.
I always thought the "Let it Be" album was cool, but the movie never made sense. I may be off here, but I think Paul and George's relationship broke up the Beatles. I think the breaking point for Paul was "Something" and "Here comes the Sun." I don't think Paul wanted to share any of his fame with George. He barely was able to share it with John. "Yesterday" was the beginning of the end. I think if Yoko had not come on the scene, they might have made a couple more albums.