The Beatles Let It Be Restored - Better Than Get Back?
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- Finally, after so many years of stalling, this Peter Jackson directed restoration gives Michael Lindsay-Hogg's original's film the treatment is deserves which, at the time of writing, it is only available via streaming on Disney +. In this video, we look at the differences between the original and restored film and compare both its sound and picture quality to Get Back with some surprising results.
Check out our Let It Be/Get Back playlist for more videos about this amazing album: • Let It Be Album & Get ...
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Thank you!
I went to a late night screening of Let It Be at a local theater with a group of friends in 1978. For some reason, I decided to take my cassette recorder (much like Andrew’s) with me. I taped the entire film with audience reaction. I still have that cassette, and I really should digitize it and upload it to the internet.
Also, around 1990 my local video store was liquidating its entire Betamax stock. Everything was a dollar each and I grabbed around a dozen movies. So glad I got a copy of Let It Be on Beta!
Please do
Contact Apple or Abbey Road... that material will be gold
Please digitize that tape, it deserves to be seen by everyone!
Thoughts, life, etc., that lead to their reactions, from people nearly half a century ago. If you decide to archive it, I hope it's cherished.
I’m still hoping a stand alone rooftop concert Blu ray will be released. One with no cutaways and only Beatles.
For all the expense and trouble to go through restoring Let It Be, there should be no excuse for not making it available on Blu-ray and DVD, It's The Beatles after all! Thanks for the review Andrew.
Agree 100%!
Greg in the Bronx, NYC
Let It Be should certainly be released.
It's most certainly getting issued on physical media later this year
They need to release . The restored version had hit the bootleg Blu-ray market already .
Incredible intro by 12 year old Andrew haha thanks for sharing
Glad you enjoyed it
A remarkably large child fot a 12 yr old
It was amazing to hear - a podcast from 1979!
@@beyondvisiblefilms he was already predicting his future hehe
"Be quiet, I'm taping The Beatles".
What is nice about the new edition of “Let It Be” is the full 4:3 ratio of the original 16mm elements. 35mm theatrical prints were hard matte cropped to 1.85:1, and it was one of these prints that was used for the home video releases on tape and laserdisc back in the day, being left/right cropped further to fit standard 4:3 CRT television screens, with opening and closing credits anamorphically squeezed in to fit the format, so a lot of film frame real estate was lost in the original home video releases.
You are absolutely right
So THAT'S why the old DVD I have of it looks like that, had no idea
@@doctorrobert1339 And the DVD is a bootleg.
@@doctorrobert1339 The DVD is a bootleg. It was shot on 16mm film (instead of the usual 35mm or sometimes 70mm) because it was originally intended for TV. And 16mm has a lot less quality than 35mm. And then they cropped it and blew it up for the theatrical release, and the initial video cropped and blew up again - really causing a lot of grain, etc.
Glad to see someone mention the LaserDisc release of Let It Be, it was the best looking and sounding version available up until now, and the source for most of the pirate copies, either directly or through copies of digital files made from transfers of it. The unfortunate thing is, like most MVC (Magnetic Video Company) LaserDiscs, it was prone to "laser rot" and many copies developed interference in the form of coloured speckles, or became unplayable altogether, due to corrosion of the metal disc inside the outer acrylic layer. Occasionally you'd hear stories of people paying huge sums of money for sealed copies, only to discover the disc had "gone bad" in the interim. The first time I saw a copy was around 1990 at a record show in Baltimore, and even then it was priced at $300.
Even at a young age, you were "reporting" before your recording, rather than just taping it. A harbinger of things to come.
I was thinking that very same thing!!
“SSH everyone, I’m recording this” 😊😊. I still remember when we got our first VHS and my parents wouldn’t talk when they were recording something in case it came out on the tape 🤦♀️😬. Thanks Andrew ❤
The entire rooftop gig really should have had its own disc in the LIB super deluxe edition. After all, all the other sets have contained extensive recording sessions, and in the context of LIB, that's exactly what the rooftop gig was.
Andrew, after seeing so many other Beatles-centric UA-cam channels, yours is the only one I have subscribed to and enjoy, watching always from beginning to end. You always give me what I want - a discussion of sound and/or visual quality, remaster and other improvements, along with comparisons to the originals. Being a Beatles fanatic, I enjoy your sharing of background information, which is never a re-telling of old stories or anecdotes that most true Beatles fans would already know, but mostly fascinating details that have rarely been mentioned. I am massively happy that "Let It Be" has finally been restored and re-released, and hope that Apple/Disney realize that a blu-ray release will not only give millions of Beatles fans something they've wanted for more than half a century, but will make them (the studios) a lot more money. Thank you for another enjoyable and enlightening video.
Thank you so much!
@@andy57167 If you don't like it, don't watch it.
@Parlogram - I don't think they were intending to come across as impolite. That said, great video and I love this channel!
I saw the film at a theater with a friend when it was released in 1970. I was 13. I remember being depressed because the news that The Beatles had broken up was already out and the theater in Trenton, New Jersey, where I saw the film was run down and closed only a few years later. Also, only a few people were in the theater, which made things even more depressing. I did enjoy the rooftop concert at the end, but my memory of the movie in general was that it was confusing and left me longing for the joy I always got from the group before. However, I really enjoyed the Get Back documentary and will give Let It Be a second chance. Thanks for another excellent video Andrew.
Glad you enjoyed it David and thanks for sharing your memories.
I've got to say that it was a joy to watch. I do not have Disney+ but watched it last Saturday at a friend of mine's house, it was our escape from all things Eurovision. I loved the restoration, PJ has done a fantastic job with it. Though I do like this movie, with the passage of time, I last saw it on the Beeb that Saturday afternoon in May '82 I have to say I do enjoy Get Back more, that was more in the documentary style, a kind of Documentary about a Documentary of the Beatles writing and rehearsing their next album/proposed stage show. I have this on DVD and watch it most Bank Holiday weekends, and I always spot something new with each viewing. But it is great to Have Let It Be here all restored to watch and enjoy. I do hope it get's a DVD/Blu-ray release (I'll buy it) But I really do think that Universal have missed a trick here and should consider a Cinema release, after all that's where it was originally seen in 1970, and I for one would love to see it up on the Silver Screen.
I saw Let It Be the week it came out in theaters, and then again in the eighties at a local film festival. I’ve never considered it a downer or sad. Quite the contrary, as the rooftop concert was the only thing we could talk about afterwards. That was a revelation.
I love the remastered film and hope it receives a physical release. But the highlight of your video was hearing your cassette tape recording. Thanks for sharing that with us. And yes; I wish they had left the original ending.
I haven't seen the newly restored version of Let It Be yet, but I'm very disappointed to learn that they did away with Paul's vocal adlib of Get Back at the end of the movie. That was actually the part of the song where it faded out on the 45, so it was always nice to get that little extra glimpse of where the song was going. That was a nice little introduction on the cassette tape. Even as a child, you sounded very professional. Well done!
Yes. I've always thought that one of the Beatle's finest moments was when Ringo comes in to start the reprise of Get Back - on the single.
I've been waiting for this release for years. I was waiting for the "Let It Be" lp to be released in 1970 with anticipation after "Abbey Road" had been such a smash but had to wait till the autumn of that year as I couldn't afford the box set. This release on Disney+ really does fill the hole. They should release a DVD and/or Blu-ray or I'm certain the counterfeiters will, just as they did with the "Rooftop Concert" LP.
I've also been looking forward to your slant on the reissued film and I've not been disappointed. Thank you.
Cheers Steve. Glad you enjoyed it!
the smile on your face as you talk about your young self recording the telly is really lovely
Thanks, Andrew, for another superb mini-doc from Parlogram. Sorry for the late comment, everyone, but I am eagerly awaiting buying the inevitable Blu-ray release of Michael Lindsay-Hogg's original Let It Be. Let It Be was hard for us Yanks to screen throughout the decades as well. I don't recall any network or syndicated broadcasts of Let It Be in the USA during the 1970s or 1980s (If I am wrong, I hope and expect other Beatlesologists will correct me in the replies.). I first saw the film as a university student in 1993/1994 by renting the sole VHS edition that was released in the USA in the early eighties. I visited the oldest video rental store in town, which luckily rented out their copy without a cash deposit (because Let It Be received only one VHS release in the USA, store rental copies were frequently reported "lost" or "stolen."). The VHS transfer was poor, but the appeal of watching The Beatles make music together, warts and all, was still a thrill. And those late '60s fashions!
I finally saw a 35-milimeter print of Let It Be at The Mary Pickford Theater at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, in the late 2000s or early 2010s. The Mary Pickford Theater is just a small screening room, but I felt privileged to catch a view of a 35mil cinema print. Unfortunately, the sound system in the Pickford Theater is only adequate, and the dialogue was just as hard to hear as the VHS print. But the music sounded fine. I have no idea how the Library of Congress obtained the print: I wonder if the Library made a direct plea to Apple Corps. Ltd., who perhaps decided they could not refuse such a prestigious institution? Anyway, we Beatles fans can rejoice at the remastering of such a fascinating visual document of The Beatles making one of their last and best albums.
The production value on this channel is awesome.
Thank you! Much appreciated!
I signed up for Disney+ specifically to watch "Let It Be". And then to my complete surprise found out that Disney+ also has "Get Back", which I had never seen before and am in the middle of watching right how. So it's a win/win for me I'm having a lot of fun.
You have to see them both.
@@judmccHi! I have a question for you if you don’t mind. Seeing as you’ve seen both, Get Back and Let It Be, is there a particular order that I should watch these films?
Thank you and I’m looking forward to hearing your opinion
Robert
@@robertshapiro-xu9di That's hard to answer - I could make a case for either order. I'm tempted to say LiB first and then GB for more of the background, but alternatively, you could watch GB first because it leads up to LiB as the final product.
@@robertshapiro-xu9di PS, I saw LiB in the theater in 1970 and have seen it several times since.
@@robertshapiro-xu9di Thinking about it longer, I think I'd go with LiB first. I think it is better to see it the first time before you've seen GB.
Thanks for that Andrew.I recall back when Let It Be the movie was first released back in 1970,that it was quickly promoted again by a U.K.cinema chain and showings were then as a double bill with "A Hard Days Night" film from 1964,Ian
Engaging and informative as always - thanks Andrew. On the "waxy vs grainy" point, you're right but I'm keen not to lose sight of the wonder we all felt when we saw the restored footage in "Get Back" and I bow to no-one in my admiration and thanks for Peter Jackson's (and his team!) work on that and the joy he brought us. Had we not now got this wonderful further restoration I doubt I'd be bothered by the smoothing process.
It is amazing how you have kept so much cool stuff from your life as a fan. Makes me regretful about how much I've simply lost over the years. Great video yet again.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video. I saw 'Let It Be' in the a cinema in Chichchester in July 1970 on a double bill with 'Yellow Submarine'. I was over here on holiday from Canada and made the mistake of not buying the 'Let It Be' boxed set.
I took a cassette recorder to a showing at a lecture hall at my college back in March 1981. When John comes on the screen for the first time the place really cheers. Obviously Let It Be is a vital part of the Beatles filmography and history. And of course Michael Lindsay Hogg could not have anticipated Get Back in 2021. So I appreciate that he shot all the footage and Apple kept it. No doubt there were things out of his control like his four boss’s suggestions and the timing of the film’s release right after the breakup. Still, with all that footage there we now know of, at least the eight hours from Get Back, I do have to question some of his editing choices. But having it restored, with hopefully a blu ray in the future, can only be a plus.
@@elmerseiscientos they might have booed in the past. But since this was three months after the murder there was none.
Brilliant review Andrew
I saw let it be on its release in 1970. I was 11. Saw it three times in the one day. It was double feature with yellow submarine. Obviously in 1970 I never knew the whole story or noticed or cared about the editing of the film. The Beatles start a song in one set of clothes and finish in another lol. I loved it then and still love it today
Thanks for showing that Radio Times cutting from xmas 1979... that was the exact time i recall recording the audio to my then new cassette recorder also! That was quite a xmas to be able to watch all the Beatles films in sequence.
thank you, Andrew, for announcing some of your upcoming schedule. I look forward to hearing you speak on other bands and your archives are great. it'll take me a long time to finish watching these !
1:27 These are the kind of details that make me appreciate your videos even more, the appreciation and emotional connection you have with these things is genuine. LOVE THAT❗❗
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your memories and tape recording with us. As a child I would do the same thing. Recording the audio from TV shows and movies.
Now onto Let It Be. I was very pleased with the remastering and restoration of the film. This has been a long wait for Beatles fans being that LIB hasn’t been available since the days of VHS, Betamax and laser disc in 1981. And all those years of terrible copies from the Internet and eBay.
The new restoration sounds and looks great ! FaB!
And Andrea agree with you they should have left the original ending in with the new release. Including the drop T letters The End. And in the end, love you take is equal to the love you make.
Great video Andrew ! Many thanks!
Many thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Andrew, I'm glad you mentioned the grain!
It just amazes me how much objectively better it looks.
I didn't know there were some small changes in the edit of the film. To be fair it's my first ever seeing it.
Generally speaking, I don't really have a problem with directors re-editing their films (even if small changes) AS LONG AS the original IS always EASILY accessible.
What happened to preserving films as they WERE, as a product of their time?
Having said that, I'm still happy that the film has been finally re-released even though it's not 100% the same film from 1970.
I first saw Let It Be through a bootleg DVD bought on eBay in early 2005 that eventually stopped working. I fell in love with it's randomness, and it's great to see it again - I really missed the full basement performances of Two of Us etc in Get Back. And for what it's worth, I really like the long version of Dig It with Paul doing the counter-melody. They're all vibing.
Remarkably I did almost exactly the same thing. I wore out the tape listening to it on a loop as I fell asleep. Wonderful!
Another perfect little gem from you Andrew.
I never miss your videos. If I’m not mistaken I don’t think I’ve commented on your videos til now, so it’s about time I do!
It’s always a good day when I see a new Parlogram video has dropped. Respect, and Thanks for all you do for us Fabs fans out here.
I’m from over the pond. I’m a little older than you, I did get to see Let It Be in its theatrical run, and while the film was grainy, I loved every moment of the film. Back in 1970, you couldn’t just click on UA-cam and see The Beatles.
I was 12… almost 13 when I saw Let It Be in the movie theater:
…Wish I’d thought to bring my little Sony cassette recorder there! Good on your young self for thinking of doing that!
But, like your good self, I did figure out the tape record/TV thing, 1971… And I did record John and Yoko’s week of shows on Dick Cavett! I think it came to 6 cassettes I recorded, and I listened to them over and over.
HELP! was replayed on American television that same year… yes, I recorded it off TV with my little cassette recorder as well, I pretty much memorized the dialogue from that movie (“Go to the window… Go tooo the window…”).
It’s good to see M L Hogg’s film out again, finally. Is it Get Back? Hell no.
But is it good?
Heck yes!
Great video as always Andrew, thanks for the great content. We appreciate you!
Nice nice touch putting that tag on the end
I am grateful for this re-release/restoration of Let It Be! Please release it on DVD, Apple and Disney! As for the visual quality of Get Back, I can report feeling like I was there with The Beatles and most of the people with whom I’ve discussed Get Back - especially kids and young adults - agree, enthusiastically! Another fab effort, Andrew, to which the inclusion of your audible - younger self - lent great charm. Thanks lad and man!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
If you haven't seen it in 4K with HDR your missing out on a amazing experience. a DVD would be a very poor drinks coaster.
Andrew, you've covered this very well !! I last saw the movie as a teenager in the mid 1970s. Looking forward to seeing this restored version.
And I'm still waiting for an extended edition of "Get Back".
Well, I think Get Back is too long. How many minutes of Paul reading the newspaper aloud? I could do without any of that.
@judmcc - I see where you're coming from, but I'm such a deranged Beatles fanatic that I could watch 60+ hours of the Beatles putting their shoes on, and still be mad that they still haven't release the full 120 hours of it, haha.
@@BugRib Yes, I understand that. At one time, decades ago, I wanted to hear all of the Nagra tapes from January 1969. When the complete bootleg did come out, I thought "well, that is just too much" and I haven't gotten it.
@@BugRib One thing though, about Paul reading the newspaper aloud, I do like it when he reads the part about John and George getting into a fight, and they act like they are having one!
@@judmcc Well, you don't have to buy or watch it 🙂The fact is that many people would love to watch as much of this stuff as possible (for many reasons).
I've had Let It Be in my collection for decades and have watched it probably once a decade, and it's been a good 10 years since I'd seen it last. The new version really surprised me still at being not a band breaking up but a band taking on a difficult project. I loved it. Great video!
Many thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
I clearly remember that season of Beatles films at Christmas 1979. I was 16 years old and I'd seen all of the films before as they were often screened during school holidays in the '70's. However, I didn't get to see 'Magical Mystery Tour' until 1979, when it was shown for the first time in 11 years. It was so exciting and yes, I recorded everything on one of those cassette recorders too. Another great video, Andrew!
Thanks Glenn! Glad you enjoyed it!
After seeing LIB in the theaters in '70, on VHS many times, hearing rumors of work being done for a DVD release several years back with nothing forthcoming, then Get Back and now hearing they did this (7 mo. back!!, yikes - I've been living under a rock AND I don't have 'rich man's TV' - that would be cable to you normal folks out there); what a wealth of experience. My younger son gave me Get Back on DVD and I digitized my VHS copy of LIB several years back so it was fun to watch both.
Honestly, I like them both. I feel like each fills in holes that the other left out. I was surprised by how much Jackson used as I was expecting no footage from LIB in Get Back. Again, Andrew, I think you're spot on. What may seem like minor changes, while not major, it would have made it a "Why did they do that?" type of thing when it could have been left alone/in. Leaving a bit more of the film feel (grain), as you showed, is a plus to me. Also, I didn't feel LIB was all that much of a downer. Maybe it's because I knew though magazine articles what the band were going through. The most intense part was where George and Paul have their exchange along with a totally disinterested John listening to Paul's 'pep talk'. As George sang, "All things must pass." Thanks for the video and the work put toward 'putting it all together'!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Great review of Let it Be! I have been enjoying watching it and glad it’s finally restored. I do miss the original ending though but I understand the need for new credits to acknowledge all the people that worked on it…..they should have done something similar to what they did for Yellow Submarine but leaving the original film intact and adding on new credits afterwards……looking forward to future videos…. I am hoping to hear your thoughts on the new Rolling Stones singles box 1966-1971….thanks so much Andrew!
Thanks Bill. Glad you enjoyed the review.
Thanks Andrew! I especially liked your cassette recording as a kid of your voice and the audio from TV speakers via a microphone - you were very professional for your age! I also did that in the mid 60s, but it was with a small Japanese 3-inch open-reel recorder (before Philips cassettes became popular), and the programming wasn't The Beatles but rather original "Star Trek" episodes. Unfortunately, none of my tapes or that recorder survived our frequent moves during those years. Sorry to hear about some of the edits done to this restored version - glad I have a pseudo-bootleg (Russian?) VHS copy of the original (dubbed to DVD), which DOES include the unforgettable McCartney singing at the very end of his "whooping" version of the last part of "Get Back".
You and I both saw the movie in 1979 ( before I was a fan) and in1982 (when I was a fan and luckily my girlfriend's family had a VHS recorder). Thanks for the review. Looking forward to my Disney+ time next week.
I had a tape recorder and mic to the TV just like that in the US. So happy for UA-cam today. 🎬
The Beatles are my favorite group of all time, but it’s so cool seeing you branch off and cover other groups. It was your Hollies video that introduced me to them and have since gone onto become one of my all time favorites.
Always welcoming everything Beatles related. Hope to see this version of Let It Be somehow in the future
Great episode Andrew!
The one thing that stood out to me was that the Let It Be film had no cohesion before the Rooftop performance. I’m sure it was difficult to make any thing cohesive, at that time, as the end seemed eminent. Not really a documentary but “live” snapshots which was alright since it had been years since we had seen a “movie” with them at all. Only the Ed Sullivan shows gave us glimpses of what they were up to at that time.
I remember walking out of the movie gathering with friends and they were confused. In honesty so was I. Except for the rooftop performance. That was the sun breaking through the dark clouds.
The band were immediately in their element. Paul was right pushing them to perform live one more time. Their smiles showed everything!
Luckily I have a boot of the film that was reformatted, cleaned up pretty well and lovely audio with the original ending.
Good to hear your take on it!
And I got great joy out of your ending to the episode.
Thanks for posting your memories, Brian. Glad you enjoyed the review!
I hope I can get this "Let It Be" performance on disc. I've enjoyed "Get Back" a number of times on Blu-Ray. What a thing!
This film was hard to find in the U.S. as well. Yeah, it may officially have been released on VHS but that doesn't mean you could walk into your local Blockbuster & rent it anytime you wanted. I did see it one time in a mom & pop video store but for the most part, finding a copy was very rare.
Hi Andrew. I recorded "Let It Be" onto VHS in 1982, and thanks for providing the exact date ! Around 2003 I bought a DVD player with a hard drive so I could transfer my VHS copy to DVD; and I still have it today ! No comparison though with the new fully restored version which is very impressive. Interestingly, there seems to be more audio in the new version (inc George's F bombs) which I assume has arisen because of the clean up of the audio tracks. When I play the '82 version now, it serves as a testament to the development of televisions from the old square box to the magnificent wide screen TVs of today, hence why I'll be retiring my old DVD copy to the archives ! One thing that struck me when I watched the restored version was the amount of completed takes in it; Jackson's Get back docuseries emphasised the chatter although I felt he could have included some alternate takes from 31/1/69 sessions, but Jackson's remarks emphasising that he tried to avoid duplication with the "Let It Be" film has now paid dividends ! Cheers Tim
Cheers Tim!
Get Back and now Let It Be were both simply fascinating to me as a new fan of The Beatles. Given the privilege of a look behind the genius of these four is something we should all be thankful for. I purchased Get Back on bluray and I plan on watching Let It Be again soon. There is a hint of sadness for me as I watched these two incredible documentaries... that this talented group only recorded together for (slightly less) than 8 short years. One can only imagine what might have been had they continued to work together. But getting back to the topic at hand, I loved the renewed film and I look forward to seeing it again. Thanks for your review, Andrew.
Hi again Andrew & greetings from sunny Scotland. Thanks again for another great video.
Ah, 08 May 1982 - I remember my Mum & I watching Let It Be on BBC, & taping it on my newly acquired rented Betamax. At the time, my Mum who is only a casual Beatles fan asked who the keyboard player who suddenly appeared was, plus who's the hammer guy, who's the little girl with Ringo? (She did know who Yoko & George Martin were).
One thing you DIDN'T mention was the complete lack of Who? & When? in the original film.
The ONLY date given is copyright 1970. There is NOTHING that states everything we see was filmed during January 1969. No-one is introduced. It wasn't until Peter Jackson's Get Back docu that I could finally put names to several of the "fringe" players like Kevin Harrington.
For those of us around in May 1970, remember. The Beatles Monthly Book had ceased publication in Dec '69. In Feb 1970 we saw John with cropped hair + Mal Evans in TOTP's studio singing Instant Karma, then in April on film doing backing to Let It Be with long hair, then Paul looking identical with his solo album. So, the impression given when the film was released was that it was all filmed fairly recently, & NOT back in Jan '69 BEFORE Abbey Road.
Best wishes, & could you maybe cover The Monkees? I saw ALL 4 in-concert x
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll add it to my list!
The lower third graphic at the beginning of Let It Be show that Jackson was in New Zealand Lindsay-Hogh was in New York City. I had to rewind to check it myself. Great job, Andrews 1979 and 2024.
It's great to hear you at twelve years old, Andrew. You certainly had your chops as a presenter even then. I first saw "Let It Be" in a movie theatre, when it fist came out, and I was nine years old, and had been a Beatles fan about four years. I saw "Get Back", and found it hard to sit through. It was way too long, I got bored. The thing could have used a good editor. Which would have destroyed the purpose of the film, I know. Even a hardcore, longtime Beatles fan like me found it hard to endure. I dropped my free trial of Disney+ after watching it, although I may have to sign up again, to watch "Doctor Who". There are a lot of other connections between Disney and The Beatles you could have mentioned.
The 1970 film was never meant to be a straightforward documentary, in the traditional sense, as far as I know. Although I never did like the edits you spoke of.
Wonderful review as usual.
I will wait for the physical media... if any or not.
Great memories.
Barty
I borrowed a Let It Be Betamax tape and watched it when I was in grade school back in the late 1980s. I recall I was bored at some parts of Let It Be. But some parts I got very curious seeing how a professional music artist (my favorite band ever even at that time) record songs from scratch and the process of making an album. But I love the rooftop performance and I watched that part many times. I guess The Beatles made so many firsts or reached many milestone in the music industry as live audience performing band and later as recording artists. 54 years after they disbanded and yet they are still making many first in the advent age of AI and in the current music and movie technology.
Thanks to artist like Peter Jackson for giving life to new Beatles projects. Thank you to all Beatles youtubers specially the best Beatles youtube content, Parlogram.
Excellent Andrew, I still have a VHS copy that I got in the early 90s, which curiously contains an hour and a half of black and white footage and unsynchronized audio (It's from "Let it be", but they don't match the images ).
Needless to say, the quality was bad, but for years and before internet access, that's what I had.
Comparing "Let it be" with "Get Back" is inevitable, but you have to see each thing in its context.
Let's continue enjoying the Beatle legacy.
Greetings Beatlepeople.
Another great video! Thank you, sir 🙏🏻 The Beatles Films podcast seemed confident in saying that Peter Jackson and MLH were indeed NOT in the same room for that interview.
I like you did some home recording. I used a cable which gave me a direct line from the tv to the tape recorder and recorded a number of the tracks. You really got a hold on me, Shake rattle and roll, Kansas City, Dig it, Two of us, Let it Be, The Long and Winding Road, Get Back, Don't Let me Down, I've got a feeling, One after 909, Dig a Pony and Get Back. This Bush SF60 has been a treasure for years. I saw it like you at Xmas 1978 for the first time. I think I recorded all this is 1982 but I did record it.
Absolutely spot on Andrew. I have nothing to add and you've made all the points I was going to. At 63, I also remember those BBC screenings before it was vetoed by the surviving three Beatles. The remaster is a triumph indeed and I found it refreshing to not have the prospect of enduring 8+ hours, regardless of my obsession with the greatest band ever.
Thanks Ian. Glad you enjoyed it!
After watching Get Back documentary, and now having seen the Let It Be movie properly restored I understand much better the project and I appreciate the album much more. Even what Spector did back in 1970. After so many years listening to this album, watching my early 90's VHS film copy thounsand of times, now I really appreciate their initial idea and I find it absolutely challenging by 1969. Great description of everything as always! Joan
Thank you, Joan. Glad you enjoyed it!
I first saw Let It Be on cable TV in the US in the early 1980's , I think I watched it twice. And hadn't seen it again until last week when I watched it on Disney Plus. Though I had seen the rooftop concert portion many times over the years on UA-cam. And while I watching Get Back I was thinking to myself that many of the clips I remembered from Let It Be were missing. I really enjoyed seeing the film again, after all these years. And it looked great, much better than the version I saw in the 80's, and it sounded great as well. Great video, and thanks for sharing
Thank you Ronald. Glad you enjoyed it!
This channel keeps getting better and better. Looking forward to more sixties band stuff!
Loved the 12 year old Andrew snippet. I've watched the film last night and I found it amazing. Cheers, Andrew, thanks for your labour of love.
I first Let it Be at a late night cinema showing in 1972 and was disappointed by both the sound and picture quality. However, this restored version looks very good so thank you for your honest appraisal of it, Andrew!
Many thanks, Nick! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Andrew, I look forward to watching both Get Back and Let it Be!
OFF TOPIC: Glad to hear that you are going to do videos about other 60s bands. If you take suggestions, I'd like to hear you talking about my other favorite beat groups: The Hollies, Gerry And The Pacemakers, Dave Clark Five, Herman's Hermits, Buffalo Springfield... Thank you for these great Beatles video-series Andrew. You always let us wanting to hear and learn more.
Thanks for the suggestions, Paul!
Another informative vid, Thanks Andrew. Now knowing what footage MLH had to work with and what was not used in "Let It Be", I find difficult to ignore in 2024. Footage of McCartney seemingly writing "Get Back" on the spot was left on the shelf to perhaps never see the light of day ? In hindsight, this seems unforgivable. Thank goodness for Peter Jackson.
Good point!
12 year old Andrew proves that he was always organized, well spoken and talented at hosting and presenting his Beatles treasures. Well, I suppose his mother should know.
I saw Lat It Be in 1979 along with the others as a 13yo and was originally underwhelmed but watching it again I was amazed how much I loved it. I think it was the lack of context and quality of film.
I recorded them in cassette tape too, but not with any commentary and presence of mind like you.
Wow, thank you so much for this video! Had I not been subscribed to your channel, I would’ve completely missed this awesome release of Beatles history on DP. I guess I’ve been living under a rock with so much work lately hahaha. Thank you sir, so much! 🥰
Thank you, Sir! 😊
I remember watching the Beatles movies on BBC when I was 9 years old in 1979! Yellow Submarine was my favourite, but still loved Let It Be. Seem to recall watching Let It Be in 1982 on a Saturday afternoon, possibly on BBC2. Great to see it in restored quality.
This is another good video. I'm glad that you included the audio of the original end of the film.
Great review. Thanks for sharing the old cassette tape of yourself!
I saw this movie in college after a friend gave me a copy. It is an incomplete story that really needed a reedit. But the restoration puts the old copy I used to have to shame. Great as always Andrew
Many thanks, Michael!
Thanks Andrew. I have always loved the Let it Be movie and like you I taped the soundtrack off BBC TV on a visit to England in 1979. The restoration is superb. I see the Let it Be movie as primarily showing the Beatles perform songs whereas Get Back has a lot more dialogue and storyline. I saw the film in a local theatre theatre in the 1980s and also have DVD and BluRay bootlegs. I hadn't noticed that transitions were missing from the restoration but certainly miss the 'chattering' Get Back reprise in the credits and like you don't understand why it has been removed. Maybe a physical release could include this as bonus material.
I hope you still mainly focus on The Beatles but I can enjoy an occasional detour in top groups like The Rolling Stones. I would like to see a video about some of the rare solo Beatles releases. eg. John Lennon Roots, Soundtrack to Destiny Vol1 and rare Demo 45 Releases. Thanks again. I enjoy watching your videos each week.
Many thanks Peter! Glad you enjoyed them!
Great episode as usual, Andrew! Let it Be should absolutely be released on DVD/BluRay. I really prefer physical product. And like you mentioned, it would be a waste to not release the extra material recorded and filmed for such a release.
I thought the film looked great, but not sure why some changes were done. The original wipes, the “made of wood” after George gets zapped and Get Back reprise and other aspects are missed. - Roger
Concur with all your observations about the new restoration - very welcome since for years I've been getting by with the really lousy video disk version in common circulation. Huge, huge improvement over that at the very least. Should Apple/Disney decide to release a physical media version, one thing that would be super cool is to include Michael Lindsey Hogg's original extended cut of the film if in fact it still exists.
I absolutely love how nitpicky you are about the smallest, most insignificant details...shows you are a true hyper fan. You are simply the authority on all things Beatles. Brilliant channel, don't change!
Thanks.I appreciate that!
You Have Absolutely Brilliant Channel Andrew Thank you for Your Awesome Honest Input and Opinions
Andrew, great information as always. Thank you for your content and information. I very much enjoyed your childhood tape.
Glad you enjoyed it, Chris!
Having a physical release of this restoration is an absolute must in my opinion. It is definitely the gaping hole in their filmography that you say it is. I’d also add the Shea Stadium performance to that list. They’ve had a full 4K restoration ready to go since 2016, but it’s stuck in the vaults because Apple can’t come to an agreement with Ed Sullivan’s production company (who owns the footage and distribution rights). Hopefully one day… maybe pair it with a restoration of “The Beatles Come To Town” too?
When I was 12 in 1979, I made a tape of the first time I heard Wings' Goodnight Tonight on the radio. Instead of the formal introduction that Andrew had, mine started "Shhhhh...QUIET!!" as my mom started knocking on my bedroom door the second I started taping. She didn't know I was taping anything. Ah, recording as a youth.
Great job as usual, Andrew!
Thank you!
thank you, andrew! yes, as another comment mentioned! your 13th-old- year recording is truly revealing of the adult you became!! a great filmic moment!! yes, more Stones and other bands!! Thank you for your analysis of this film! Accurate to a t!
Many thanks, Antonio! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for your insights into the picture quality differences between the Get Back and the Let It Be film; I had not noticed that before. I remember seeing the 1970 Let It Be film for the first time in 1984 when my local college in Tennessee featured it in a Friday night film series (it was on theater reel to reel film, as I recall, though the film was out on VHS by then). If I'm correct, Capitol Records had released the Let It Be album in 1979 or so, after getting the rights back from United Artists, without the gatefold sleeve, but with those photos reproduced on a slick inner sleeve. I read somewhere that just after the 1970 film release John and Yoko took in the film at an almost deserted San Francisco theater with Jann Wenner. I can't help thinking there must have been at least one other patron in that theater, who wasn't aware who was watching with them. Funnily enough, my wife is not a Beatles fan - some how we've stayed married all these years - but the one Beatles album she likes is Let It Be. Loved your memories of recording the Beatles on cassette tape!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Baby Andrew is remarkable! Amazing that you were even so organized so young
Hi, Andrew.
I remember going to the premiere of LIB here in Torino; the cinema was empty apart from 2 elderly (or so they seemed to the young myself) who had parked their Rolls Royce in front of the cinema and left before the end. I suppose they where Apple’s employees who were there to test the reaction of the public. However, I enjoyed the film a lot and it became a matter of discussion with my friends for a long time. Now, I appreciated the restored version as much as I enjoyed your video. Moving, your introduction as a child. I’m sure your Stones videos will be as interesting as the Beatles ones.
Great story!
Great review Andrew! I wonder if one reason for the smoothed look of Get Back is that it was widened to 16:9, which would make the film grain more visible. Maybe that grain would have been more distracting than it appears in Let it Be so they thought more smoothing was justified.
Edit: I just read an interview with Michael Lindsay Hogg in Variety (May 8th) and he says that he and Peter Jackson talked about Let it Be having “maybe a little more cinematic sense to it, a little more grain in it” than Get Back.
Thanks for the info. Glad you enjoyed it!
I still didn't see the Get Back documental only bits here on UA-cam, i have the Let It Be film in a bootleg DVD, i didn't have Disney+ but i'd love to see the new remastered Let It Be movie, you are amazing Andrew.
Greetings from Mexico.✌️🇲🇽
I love this movie. Always have since I was a little kid. I have the VHS tape and a bootleg DVD. I hope this new version gets released on BR or DVD because I would enjoy checking it out. Great video!
Thanks Bill. Glad you enjoyed it!
Another great video.
I laughed when you said you taped a hard days night & let it be on casette in '79 , cuz I got a reel to reel for Christmas in '67/'68 and used it to tape. A hard days night when it was first shown on tv. I used my casette player in the '70s to tape everything Beatles , or Beach Boys in the '70s & early '80s.
As far as physical media , if its not officially released the boots will have another money maker just like the original release has been for years.
Many thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
I'm hoping if and when the physical release of Let It Be comes out maybe a bonus feature of the full rooftop performance will be added... and yes they should have left the Get Back reprise at the end.....thanks again for another great watch
I hope so too!
Amazing you still have that tape!
I remember that 79 Beatles Xmas No internet or video recording it was Xmas heaven.
I watched it on Disney+ and I am quite impressed with the visual and audio quality, never got to see the original so I have nothing to compare it with, well done to Peter Jackson and his team for their hard work with this restoration.
Another wonderful video, Andrew, and I especially enjoy the little personal moments you include of yourself. I have to vote "significantly jarring" on the ending credits change, though. And as much as I enjoyed Get Back, it still seems incomplete without the original film. Finally, greatly looking forward to future Stones videos. Cheers!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Back in the early to mid 2000's, there was a trend of bands releasing a 20 to 30 minute video, called EPK, a few weeks before a new album comes out. An EPK usually combines some casual Making-Of type of footage with some in-studio performances of the new songs, that's what Let It Be felt like to me as a new viewer and a new fan of The Beatles thats only been on the wagon since Now & Then came out.
Nice to see that old cassette deck. I had one and recorded Where Eagles Dare one Christmas. probably 1981.
Great detailed and informative review. It's a good thing Peter Jackson is not only a film making genius in my opinion but a huge Beatles fan. I like that Gerard 301 turntable behind you. I have owned one of those over the years with an FR 64S tonearm.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I'd love to see your coverage of the Zombies' Odessey & Oracle! Great video, as always 🙏🏻
Great review and video as always. I’m glad you reminded everyone that Apple already has “VAM” or bonus features ready for any LIB deluxe release. We can’t let them forget how easy it will be to put together a nice set that fans will love! Unlike “Get Back”…😮
Btw: bring on the Stones videos! I’d also love it if you took a look at Badfingers career. It’s both amazing and heartbreaking, as I’m sure you know quite well.