Absolutely awesome video and insightful analysis. I really appreciate the video Mr. Smith. Can you scan and post your notes? Paul playing his bass and coming up with Get Back was worth the price of admission for me. Cool to see the early development of Octopus's Garden and Something. I had always thought Another Day was written after the break up but it is apparent that some of the songs the boys worked on during this period made it onto their solo albums. I love when Ringo said he farted-too funny. It was so nice to see the love between the Fab 4 when they were creating music. I think all of the video and all of the audio should be released for historical purposes because it provides insight into the genius of the greatest band that has ever been or will be. Thank you for your walk about videos. I'll be sure to refer to them when I cross the pond to visit the UK's significant Fab 4 landmarks. Hi from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and the University of Winnipeg. I teach physics, mathematics, and science to high school teachers in the Faculty of Education. Everyone on the planet should remember these words of wisdom during the pandemic "and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make".
They had actually played together as a group many times since 1966 - not just in the studio at times, but at each other's homes - notably at George's home for a complete dry run of what they had for the White Album.
Ringo did say his favourite memory of making The White Album is the recording of Yer Blues. They recorded it live and it showed how fantastic they were as a band. All the BS went out the window he added. I feel this Get Back film is what they were trying to capture. Stripped down R&R album with the BS removed....and they succeeded. My love of The Beatles has only deepened because of this gift to us. When I started collecting Beatles music 40 years ago I could never have imagined something as wonderful as this.
The documentary has been a real revelation hasn’t it. Yet Blues - I’ve only appreciated it more as I’ve gotten older. Such and amazing and I guess musically liberating song for the boys. I love the tempo shift in the middle and Johns guitar 🎸 ❤️
John dominated the songwriting through to about "Rubber Soul"/"Revolver". "Sgt. Pepper's" was Paul's project, "Magical Mystery tour" was Paul's repackaged "Sgt. Pepper's" project, and "Get Back" was Paul's project.
Get Back is the first reality show. They were way ahead of their time. I loved just watching them jam. Having been in a band and recorded music it was too cool to see exactly what the boys did when they were playing together.
One thing I would really love is an edit of the rooftop performance that shows just the musicians, no street shots, police, etc. Just The Beatles performing uninterrupted. Also, I would love the warm- up songs and jams in their entirety. We see snippets, so hopefully more of that kind of content exists.
Agree. I want to see just the performance. No split screen, no cops or street scenes For me, that performance the best 42 mins in rock history and I would love to see it uninterrupted.
I was just disappointed with the Rooftop concert because it was interrupted too much with talk while they're performing, we didn't need that much of the police in the Apple Studios while they're on the roof because we got the point why they're there, and the part while they're performing "I've got a feeling "the police are knocking on the door and you hear it so loud while they were performing the song unnecessary, I don't mind seeing that stuff but not while the concerts going on, I hope they'll be a version maybe in the IMAX theaters uninterrupted
There is lots more to the documentary. The original film included full versions in rehearsal of Let It Be, I Me Mine, Long and Winding Road, I Dig A Pony, For You Blue and so on. These are sadly missed and should have been in the film. My guess is they are going to sell us another documentary soon.
You’re probably right. I wonder if Peter Jackson felt to cover a different angle wherever he could and including full versions of songs that were in the original film didn’t factor for him? 🤷🏻♂️
Thanks for sharing this. I was shouting at the screen too! I'm still processing the doc and planning to watch it again next weekend. Seeing these songs which have been part of my life for decades being constructed in real time is so incredible. My wife thinks I'm nuts, she crashed out 20 minutes into episode 2.
@@TudorSmith yea. Life in a bubble shows the natural maters of each of then. Except John Paul’s abilities one on a 10 billion. So much for billly shears
Very much liked your review! On the length of Get Back: there's an interesting recent four hour zoom-cast (for lack of a better word) with Peter Jackson here on UA-cam. In it Jackson explains we owe this particular Get Back to covid. The initial idea for which Jackson was hired was for a movie of about two hours. But as the deadline of 2020 was lifted due to covid he took the opportunity to cut it to his own ideas: a chronological representation of every (!) session day as truthfully/objectively as possible from the 60 hours of footage - for prosperity! Because the tapes were going to be locked in the vault again, and it might not be for a long time before there might be another opportunity to look at them again. His initial cut was 18 hours... he cut it down to less than 9 hours. It's meant to be a historical record - hence no voice over or narration. In his eyes one couldn't suffice with a minute of two or less of screentime for each session day, just to make for a shorter movie to please a broader public. It's this base concept of a chronological, historical record that determined the length of Jackson's Bet Back. Here's the link for said zoom-cast: ua-cam.com/video/QSLb7cpHy00/v-deo.html As a Beatle fan and a recording musician I thought Peter Jackson's Get Back was too short! ;-)
I really enjoyed your thoughts on the video. "Let it Be" came with bad news attached from the very minute it was aired on the radio. Right after I heard the song finish playing for the very first time, the DJ announced that the Beatles were breaking up. Imagine hearing a brand new song coupled with the worst thing you could imagine as a kid into that lived for RocknRoll; the group that took RocknRoll where it could never otherwise have gone was leaving us. When Peter Jackson's Let it Be came out it was like getting a letter from a long lost love or deceased parent. It allowed us to see the original "Let It Be" movie through different eyes, the album with different ears. After so many years of feeling that sting, it was nice to know it was all for a good reason; as you pointed out, they all were able to stand on their own.
I love the opening monologue! This is the first time I have heard in a GB review mentioning the fact that there is a massive amount of film we have not seen. We do not know if it’s rubbish or something extraordinary or something that if put together by a different producer Director would have generated an altogether different movie trilogy than what was presented by Peter Jackson. I have seen far too many people jump on the bandwagon that, “the Beatles let it be sessions we’re not argumentative and depressing but rather, this was the fab four and these were amazing fun filled happy yoko loving recording sessions “. Like most things, the truth is always somewhere in the middle. Superb video. Loved the revelations
Thanks so much for leaving your comment. I guess the whole PJ production is subjective but we can't assume it shows the Beatles as you say, "were amazing fun filled happy" etc. Perhaps PJ has provided the very best footage but I think if there was 60 hrs of footage, then that probably has to include the different cameras used. Someone already commented about a directors cut of 18 hrs. Maybe that will appear one day!
Based on what I've read they would lay down their tracks individually a lot of the time during those albums and be each other's "Session players" but playing together live, day after day after day was something they hadn't done in a while.
Ha I’ve been accused of not being a fan because I didn’t want to watch the endless takes of the jamming. To be honest that’s only because I’ve been a band member and I know how frustrating those jam sessions can be. But yeah, maybe I’m an average fan 😂
My take is that I’m incredibly happy that the film is as long and in depth as it is; needless to say I’m a huge Beatles fan (not my favorite band ever, but probably in the top five), but still, I take no issue with the length. If you get bored of the “mindless” jamming, or something like that during the first or second parts, then just skipping ahead to episode three where they were wrapping up the record and performing in the rooftop, and you really wouldn’t miss any of the overarching story of the series. You will get all you need to know just from watching part of the first and/or second episodes and just skipping to the last episode. No need to make it shorter than it is; why remove what is basically pure gold to a big beatles fan? Let us have our fun and enjoy this gift lol. I, for one, feel like every minute of the doc is pure gold, even the slow or repetitive parts, and I am so so so happy that Peter Jackson was able to stretch it out as long as he did. If you ever asked me, “hey man, wanna see some super high-quality videos of the beatles goofing off and playing/covering other songs in the studio during the Let It Be sessions??” I would say YES every single time. Parts of it almost feels like a never-before-heard live Beatles album finally unveiled. I eat that stuff up lol.
George was typically told what to play as solos, even by George Martin. Certainly whoever wrote a song directed the others. That is normal. Paul, though, began trying to arrange a John song "for" John.
Mal Evans was the unsung hero. He contributed so much to the group's music (recall the alarm clock in A day in the life?) . John even made a cruel quip on hearing of his death. I'm glad he got a nice mention on this video.
I'm currently on my third time through the documentary. I sit in front of the screen with my guitar in hand and play along with their jams: great fun, and it makes me feel like a part of the scene. Old Brown Shoe is a favorite; I wish they'd included it, or at least one other George song, in the rooftop concert.
Third run-through. I need to catch up 🤣 yeah old brown shoe is a great tune and George was really coming into his own wasn’t he? Cool that you sit there with your guitar! My cats meow at me when I pick up mine - perhaps they’re joining in 😽😺
We are now finally watching this in August 2022, after visiting Liverpool in June. Freda Kelly spoke lovingly about Ritchie and his family in her documentary, so not using the name Ringo. The Beatles story is so robust that it is difficult to know everything.
Truly remarkable documentary. Well done review. Shortly planning-on re-watching. This changed some of my opinions and perceptions. Many of the negative comments by popular book authors were destroyed. These four your men grew-up before our eyes.
The truth will out - as Shakespeare once said. I guess the many authors based their theories on the original film, without know the full context of things. I’m grateful that Peter Jackson had access to and used so much more material 👍
@@TudorSmith Finally, able to watch for second-time, and I believe that I fell asleep or was distracted the first run-through because I didn't remember some notable things. The day before the rooftop concert John said that they should all "sleep at George's so that they would get in the mood." Strange thing to say. George was very ready to play, although he was not in-favor of the rooftop. I did buy the hardbound book titled, "Get Back" and this is a good addition to help with some dialogue, and still-photos are amazing. Next chapter is to watch the original Let It Be. Thank you Tudor for the inspiration.
Alan parsons project were members of pilot,the scottish band.eric faulkner from the bay city rollers,after Eric left,woody from the rollers.mel Evans listened to badfinger on stage,and told the Beatles.
This doc. is beatle heaven for me, say in a years time a great way to come back to this is to watch it in 10 or 20 mins parts. I would watch all 60 hours if i could over 6 months.😩
I'm all FOR watching "Lord of the Ringo" because I'm a huge Beatles (and hobbit) nerd... but I'D watch an extended 20- hour director's cut while I'm pretty sure your average casual fan could probably do with a pared down 90-minute doc. Love this video!
One could argue the song “Get Back” is about one person, a guy named JoJo, whose drag persona is Sweet Loretta, who moves to California for more freedom and better weed.
Heather McCartney sneering at Yoko - we'd all seen her make that face in Let it Be with no context, but since Get Back came out, it's like "Aw, hell we get it now". There was different audio over the shot in Let it Be.
A few things I noticed that one is mentioning.… 1. Why so little screen-time was given to the recording of Across The Universe? This is one of Lennons best songs. And Jackson chooses to disregard it relative to Pauls songs. Relative to "Get Back" or "Let it Be" for example, repeated endlessly. 2. People are forgetting - for the first time the Beatles had serious MONEY. This state of affairs was relatively new to them, look at Ringos house for example. How did this factor influence their competitiveness and antagonism between them? Lennon was clearly paranoid and had developed negative feelings for example, hence his attachment to Allen Klein. 3. The weird skulking and inconsequential presence of Yoko Ono: Peter Jackson does his best to present the good side of her. But to my eyes, completely objectively, never having had any opinion over this, her body-language and demeanour betrays that she's got a plan. Just after the rooftop concert she looks crestfallen, and resentful it's succeeding. Jackson chooses his portrayal, but is it the correct one?
Some great observations there. I personally wonder if the influences of McCartney/Starr/Ono in the release of the footage were perhaps biased. I did find it weird that after the rooftop concert we see Lennon unzipping his jumper, only to have Ono zipping it back up again. Lennon appears mildly upset by this but goes along with it. I’m pretty sure there is a lot more to be read into it all!
And Peter Jackson left out January 31st when all the great songs were performed its entirety you only get Snippets it would have been nice to see more of that day just hopeful bonus features at some point
I’ve still not seen it and I’m thinking that because I know the gist of it, I actually don’t/won’t need to see it either. Having now seen PJs epic, I now have the story firmly placed in the old memory banks 😊👍
My humble suggestion is that you never see the movie. It was horrible. Thanks for the great review. I'd love to see The Beatles go out with a laugh. Abbey Road is my fav also❤️ Thanks again !
Excellent review! I'm about to watch the Peter Jackson magnum opus a third time! By the way, Linda was not related to the Eastman involved with Kodak. Her father was a prominent New York attorney. She grew up in Scarsdale, NY which is quite a well-to-do town whose residents have a distinguishable 'upper crust' accent. In films and video, listening to Linda speak, you can hear her Scarsdale accent very well. If Paul had not made it big in the music biz, and had he always been just a Liverpool local with a pub band, he would have married up in class to Linda. She always had access to loads of money, before meeting and falling in love with a Beatle. It's possible that among other attributes that attracted Paul to her was the fact that she wasn't in it for the money. Keeping things in perspective. In the Get Back docu-series, Linda, to me, is smashingly beautiful and sexy, every man's 'dream girlfriend.' Most people think 'Dear Boy' is a put down of John Lennon, but in fact, Paul has said that it was about Linda's first husband, who didn't have the good sense to hang on to her. You took your lucky break (marrying Linda) and broke it in two (splitting with Linda). And just so people understand, Heather is the daughter of Linda and her first husband.
Wow you’re on a third run! I feel I need to leave it a while for now 😊 That moment the camera shows us Linda watching Paul at the piano is quite moving for me. Just seeing her transfixed on Paul!
Billy Preston by far the coolest in the room....and he was George's friend... This was a (much shorter) music documentary played at the midnight theaters in America in the late 70's so it was great to see it again. The Beatles, like all other bands, I prefer to listen to the naked versions of their music. All manufactured noises which are layered into so many British bands of that era are unnecessary, but I love Glyn Johns and his library of work. I only wish EC would have dropped by for a solo or two...
I don't agree at all that they were no/annoyed with yoko. Look at Paul and Ringo when that thing decides to just start screaming into the mic during rehearsals. Lennon is smiling like he's so proud of her. Paul is looking down like he's trying to control his anger and Ringo is drumming as loud as possible like he's trying to drown her out. She wasn't the soul reason the Beatles broke up because they shouldn't be expected to stay together forever and wouldn't be able to keep turning out hits forever but she sure didn't help being a constant presence.
20 mins: George had just been hanging out with The Band and Dylan and others who totally respected him. Return to being patronised little brother with loads of material that heavy duty musicians had validated must have been galling. I just read a good newspaper essay about the series as a fascinating examination of family relationships and dynamics. I don't have access to Disney Channel so not seen the shows, only read and watched reviews. Very interesting to see the range and depth and quality of many reviews from many perspectives: documentary film makers, musicologists, song writers, band members, relationship behaviour analysts, etc. Looks like the series will keep Beatles prominent for decades to come in academic circles as much as pop music. Time to search for sites where people have put together ideas for post Abbey Road Beatles albums from their early solo material. Age 66, oldest of 4, no TV till late teens, I just missed them and too cool for school to get back to them as into Who, Mott the Hoople, punk. But, about 1999, 12-year old daughter heard Pepper and early albums and seized on them. Son also dived deep into 1950s and 1960s music. So, my children got me into Beatles aged 44
Indeed. I think the series shows us how George (and the others frankly) had outgrown the Beatles as an entity. They were certainly ready to move on. It's great the Gearoge and Bob Dylan would later work together in the Travelling Wilburys. I'd love for there to be some kind of documentary about Abbey Road too!
@@TudorSmith I think George FELT as if he'd outgrown the Beatles, but I don't think he really had. I mean, in a sense they all had, or the band wouldn't have fallen apart, but I think George wanted it both ways. When he went solo, he didn't much enjoy the front-man role. Perhaps it was an impossible arrangement in the long run.
@@TudorSmith yeah-so many people, especially on this side of the pond, only think of the Beatles as an entity starting in '64. But John, Paul & George began hanging out & playing together since '56 - so by '70 I think they were all burned out & ready for a break - just a shame they didn't take a sabbatical to recharge/regroup... and, fyi, the intro track to All Things Must Pass, I'll Have You Anytime, was a George-Dylan collaboration... 🙂
@@anthonyodonnell6105 "didn't want to be a start, wanted just to play guitar in this cockamamie business..." great line/tune from George that aptly summed it up for him.
You state that The Beatles hadnt played live together since 1966, but they actually played live in the studio for Hey Bulldog and most of the White Album sessions.
I agree with all your analysis except one part, but first - the recording in the canteen was done from a mic hidden in a plant pot - it was in the subtitles. The bit I disagreed with I sympathise with and actually had the same thing during the latter part of the Two Towers, viz, "This Could Have Been Shorter!" - what would you rather have been doing? Having finished it I'd like nothing better than to get back in.
Yeah I think in retrospect, the length is only too long when you revisit it. On first viewing, one can be so comsumed, you don't realise how long it is!
Regrading Linda Eastman's photography, she has no relation with the Eastman Kodak enterprise. Her family name is actually Epstein. Her brother and father were well-known corporate lawyers in New York City and it was for them that Paul McCartney lobbied to manage the band in lieu of Allen Klein. As Ringo said many years ago, "Of course, Paul was right...". Not unlike millions of other immigrant families to the U.S., presumably the family changed its name to hide its ethnic or religious origins.
You say George Martin "took a back seat". I think there was more to it than that. I got the distinct impression that they - and particularly Paul - didn't want him to be there at all. There was very little interaction between Martin and the band, especially when you consider how closely involved he had been with them a few years earlier, and how much they'd relied on him for ideas, arrangements etc. There is one scene, for example, where Paul is leaving the studio, and he says "See you all", or words to that effect, but he avoids looking in George Martin's direction. And then, in another scene, Paul and John are talking and Martin offers a suggestion. Paul looks at him and says, curtly: "I know. That's why I'm talking to John". You could see that George Martin was stung by the comment, which came across as "I wasn't talking to you, so butt out". There was definitely a touch of frost in the air between McCartney and Martin.
You’re spot on. I noticed that too (the “I was talking to John” bit). In fact I felt for GM at that moment. I wonder if this had any bearing (and I’ve heard GM say this in an interview) on the fact that when it came to Abbey Road and Paul asked George to produce it, that he said he would but on the condition that they did it like the old days, or like they used to.
And don't forget Martin only agreed to produce Abbey Road on the condition that he be allowed to work with them "like I used to". But whatever was going on at that time between Paul & Martin must have been put to bed relatively quickly, as he went on to produce several of Paul's solo LP's.
Wow was it? I know sometimes a song gets mulled around for a long time. I wonder if there’s an actually copy of the full song and not just the snippet on the Abbey Road medley!
@@TudorSmith Indeed. Someone thought Across the Universe was something John brought in fresh when it was actually recording before the trip to India and lended to the Wildlife Fund for a fundraiser LP and was actually never re-recorded. The Let It Be version is the same original recording. The most intriguing song floating around that never emerges again is that Madman song of John's we hear in this documentary. I'd never even heard of it before and it sounds pretty darn good!
I'm a bit late in commenting this video. The reason for that is that I haven't watched the Get Back documentary until now, because I had to wait for the Blu-ray to come out since I didn't want to pay for that Mickey Mouse channel. I agree with you on most things you say. They could have cut half an hour of it without losing any important stuff. All that jamming isn't that fun to watch. But as a whole it is a very fascinating historical document. I think it's the first time I have ever heard the voice of Mal Evans, though I have seen him moving in the background on hundreds of clips over the years. I have watched the infamous Let it Be film a couple of times, on a very poor DVD-copy and it's just boring to watch. Now when I know what Michael Lindsey Hogg could have included on his original film I can't help wondering what his agenda was. He seems to have cut all the funny parts in favour of scenes with a darker atmosphere.
You’ll have to agree the wait was worth it. I wonder if you’ve seen extra footage on the DVD that wasn’t on Disney+? Yeah I also wonder what might have been MLHs agenda on that original release. I may have to set 8hrs aside and watch it all again 👍
@@TudorSmith Sadly there are no bonus features on the Blu-ray. I would have loved to have an extended interview with Peter Jackson and a behind the scenes documentary about his work on the documentary. I would also have liked fresh interviews with those people involved in the project back in 1969 who are still with us; Paul, Ringo, Glyn Johns and Michael Lindsey Hogg.
Because they just become a recording band with multi track and overdubs and very rarely spent time together prior, I found they lost the ability to be what they were previously and that was a bloody good tight band. Seeing history in front of our eyes with the songs being created was amazing, but apart from that I saw a fractured group trying to find what they once had, that they couldn’t get back (pun intended) I saw a band going through a breakup..
Their development as a studio band I think is prevelant and also the fact that they make a call out to needing a piano/keys player further shows their inability to create their newer sounds live. I guess they had progressed from being becoming a four piece band. Good observations Paul :)
When they talk about 60 hours of footage, I presume that the number includes footage from different cameras shooting the same scenes. 4 Cameras can shoot one our of action and you have 4 hours of footage.
That makes good sense to me. If they were to produce a longer version we’d probably see the same scene but from different angles. I’m pretty sure Peter Jackson has given us the best of everything 👍
I was surprised quite so much time was spent on the tabloid story about John and George fighting. But I've watched it three times by now, so the length is clearly not much of a problem for me!
You have to wonder if Peter Jackson edited out anything but it seems to be over as soon as it’s begun. Still, George did say goodbye at the end of episode one right?
@@TudorSmith Yeah because if it's just conversation that was captured it wouldn't make much sense, but we don't know what's on the rest of the footage that's the thing
yeah I think I've watched it 3.5 times (that half time was when I had friends over and they watched the start and the whole of pt 3 on the roof!)... I especially loved that drop into London 1969 when they talked with the people on the street... some characters there! As a musician myself I could have watched another 2.5 hours of that but I am clearly insane... I believe there was a lot of the Let It Be film missed... can't grumble though as I genuinely felt I was a fly on the wall at times...
@@TudorSmith it just filled me with so much joy.. Paul playing Long and Winding Road, She Came in Through The Bathroom Window especially... then seeing Linda Eastman as a young woman and all the 60s fashions.... the AI just brought it all out... my only gripe was not seeing enough Billy Preston on the roof... what was that all about?
Me too. All that footage really left me emotional. I bet there was more footage of Billy Preston on the roof top but maybe Peter Jackson felt it wasn't pertinent enough to show? 🤷♂️
One can tell a lot of cutting (down to 8 hours) occurred in verbatim quotes of song rehearsals: the camera very frequently cuts away after a few bars of a song that had already been quoted in an earlier scene, etc. Jackson's first cut was about 18 hours, he should release it in a special Blu-ray edition and just be done with it.
@@TudorSmith And I had no idea Anthony Richmond was the DP. Just few years later he photographed Nicolas Roeg's masterpieces: _Don't Look Now_ and _The Man Who Fell to Earth_ (with David Bowie). He never mentions his work with the Beatles in the video commentaries to Roeg's films. Speaking of weird film connections: the guy who played the main ape (Moon Watcher) in Kubrick's _2001_ became John Lennon's assistant later. Small world :-)
What do you think about how the other Beatles treat or feel about Paul? It doesn’t sound like they were raised together with this person from my perspective, not that they feel all together negative about him. About them being unprofessional. They were really just kids given a position they didn’t necessarily know how to fill. The relationship with Paul would eventually lead to the break up of the Beatles. They could never say exactly what happened in the Beatles and that is sort of the allure til this day.
My opinion is that as teenagers, they started their rollercoaster journey all on the same footing. All bonded well and developed more or less at the same time. As the years went by though, it was clear to me that each of them was developing at a fast rate and you point this out nicely with your comment about a position they didn’t necessarily know how to fill. I think that in their journey of discovery they may have realised that they didn't really need each other. I suppose they pacified Paul particularly as he seemed to be the driving force of the band musically and directionally. In the end though, they just wanted to do their own thing and The Beatles as an entity was all played out. Was it John that is quoted as saying "We don't want to be playing She Loves You for the rest of our lives"? Just my thoughts.
It amazes me, given the great footage...how dreary Let It Be(movie) was. I mean, why not include Paul writing Get Back ?! I agree , a lot of the jamming and going over the same song, could have been chopped. I even found myself getting a bit annoyed by Johns mucking around...I enjoyed yr opinions and hearing about bits of conversations I missed, cheers....I always thought he was singing "Sweet Loretta Modern" but acc to the internet it is "Martin"...I prefer my version. 😇
Sweet Loretta Modern. You can have that (misheardlyrics right?) Yeah on first viewing of the documentary it's probably quite endearing watching them build camaraderie again but I personally found it tedious....as did George and even Ringo if you watch his face sometimes 😉
@@TudorSmith Yes, I noticed them both with pained expressions at times, w Paul & Johns showing off. You could see that Paul wasn't listening to George often..the old, "young" guy in the band, thing...I'm sure Paul would have regretted that, looking at the doco. I've watched it 3 times now. To buy on Blue Ray in Australia, it's $95.00. Have to contend w watching it on my computer, as my 4K TV isn't hi tech enough for Disney Plus.
Re: your critique of the run time and the inclusion of so much jamming and goofing around, I think one problem is that there should have been more of that as it led to the songs from the album. We get very little of any of the quieter songs, a little too much of Two Of Us, and not enough of Get Back, Let It Be or I Me Mine. Perhaps that footage didn't exist.
I think on reflection I’d have really liked to see more song development. I made the video days after watching parts 1, 2 & 3. I’ve had more time to think about it now lol!
Do you understand and respect the concept of the album let it be now more? Because the original version by Glyn Johns represented probably more the live idea of the album, but was rejected by John, George and Ringo, so Phil Spector made it.
How the hell is Brian Epstein a fifth Beatle? At the end of the day, The Beatles are about MUSIC. George Martin shaped their music in a way that no other producer would have (and even played on some tracks) Epstein was a business man, NOTHING to do with the music. Without Brian however, it is likely nothing would have happened I'll grant you.
@@spockboy There's no Beatles without Brian Epstein. Of course he wasn't a musician, but he shaped their image, which is a huge part of what they became as a cultural phenomenon. More importantly, Epstein was the glue that held the band together as an enterprise, as a project with direction. Epstein is painfully present in his absence in the documentary. Once he died, the band was doomed. Possibly his influence would have still have waned, but his loss was catastrophic.
@@nightwingtt Stu Sutcliffe was an influential member of the band, though not terribly well integrated because he wasn't really a musician. Pete Best was an anti-Beatle. They really couldn't be the Beatles as long as he was around.
One of the songs that made the film from their jamming sessions was "The Third Man Theme". John may have been busting Michael Lindsay-Hogg's balls a bit because he claims to be Orson Welles' illegitimate son.
I don't know why they couldn't release the 18 hours ... I watched documentaries on serial killers that were longer on Netflix... In these days 18 hours I S NOTHING I think it had to do with their insecurities of possible boredom...
I think when I wrote that (December was it) I recall the 8 hrs being long but I just wanted the conclusion - like reading the last page of a book to see who did it 🤣 I think it’s time to revisit all 3 episodes and immerse myself in it again. 👍
Surely the 'Get Back' message was a tongue-in-cheek parody of right-wing conservatism? Even the final lyrics seemed to be a dig at transphobia ('Sweet Loretta Martin thought she was a woman but she was another man')
Absolutely awesome video and insightful analysis. I really appreciate the video Mr. Smith. Can you scan and post your notes? Paul playing his bass and coming up with Get Back was worth the price of admission for me. Cool to see the early development of Octopus's Garden and Something. I had always thought Another Day was written after the break up but it is apparent that some of the songs the boys worked on during this period made it onto their solo albums. I love when Ringo said he farted-too funny. It was so nice to see the love between the Fab 4 when they were creating music. I think all of the video and all of the audio should be released for historical purposes because it provides insight into the genius of the greatest band that has ever been or will be. Thank you for your walk about videos. I'll be sure to refer to them when I cross the pond to visit the UK's significant Fab 4 landmarks. Hi from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and the University of Winnipeg. I teach physics, mathematics, and science to high school teachers in the Faculty of Education. Everyone on the planet should remember these words of wisdom during the pandemic "and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make".
There was so much to see especially on a second viewing. I’d missed the “I’ve just farted” bit the first time around 🤣
@@TudorSmith petty cool my friends
It is my contention that there was no greater Beatle fan than Mal Evans. RIP, Sir.
They had actually played together as a group many times since 1966 - not just in the studio at times, but at each other's homes - notably at George's home for a complete dry run of what they had for the White Album.
Ringo did say his favourite memory of making The White Album is the recording of Yer Blues. They recorded it live and it showed how fantastic they were as a band. All the BS went out the window he added. I feel this Get Back film is what they were trying to capture. Stripped down R&R album with the BS removed....and they succeeded. My love of The Beatles has only deepened because of this gift to us. When I started collecting Beatles music 40 years ago I could never have imagined something as wonderful as this.
The documentary has been a real revelation hasn’t it. Yet Blues - I’ve only appreciated it more as I’ve gotten older. Such and amazing and I guess musically liberating song for the boys. I love the tempo shift in the middle and Johns guitar 🎸 ❤️
@@TudorSmith can’t lose with the blues
@@TudorSmith they basically recorded Yer Blues in a broom closet at Abbey Road hehe
John dominated the songwriting through to about "Rubber Soul"/"Revolver". "Sgt. Pepper's" was Paul's project, "Magical Mystery tour" was Paul's repackaged "Sgt. Pepper's" project, and "Get Back" was Paul's project.
Get Back is the first reality show. They were way ahead of their time. I loved just watching them jam. Having been in a band and recorded music it was too cool to see exactly what the boys did when they were playing together.
It was a bit cool wasn’t it? I know I felt like I was actually there!
One thing I would really love is an edit of the rooftop performance that shows just the musicians, no street shots, police, etc. Just The Beatles performing uninterrupted. Also, I would love the warm- up songs and jams in their entirety. We see snippets, so hopefully more of that kind of content exists.
That would be something eh? A full run through of the practice sessions followed by the rooftop concert!
Agree. I want to see just the performance. No split screen, no cops or street scenes
For me, that performance the best 42 mins in rock history and I would love to see it uninterrupted.
I was just disappointed with the Rooftop concert because it was interrupted too much with talk while they're performing, we didn't need that much of the police in the Apple Studios while they're on the roof because we got the point why they're there, and the part while they're performing "I've got a feeling "the police are knocking on the door and you hear it so loud while they were performing the song unnecessary, I don't mind seeing that stuff but not while the concerts going on, I hope they'll be a version maybe in the IMAX theaters uninterrupted
There is lots more to the documentary. The original film included full versions in rehearsal of Let It Be, I Me Mine, Long and Winding Road, I Dig A Pony, For You Blue and so on. These are sadly missed and should have been in the film. My guess is they are going to sell us another documentary soon.
You’re probably right. I wonder if Peter Jackson felt to cover a different angle wherever he could and including full versions of songs that were in the original film didn’t factor for him? 🤷🏻♂️
Tudor, thank you for your great Beatles videos. The walkabouts are fantastic!
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching 🙏
Thanks for sharing this. I was shouting at the screen too! I'm still processing the doc and planning to watch it again next weekend. Seeing these songs which have been part of my life for decades being constructed in real time is so incredible. My wife thinks I'm nuts, she crashed out 20 minutes into episode 2.
Ha you were shouting too! A second watch is definitely worth it as you’ll know what to except the second time 👍
@@TudorSmith yea. Life in a bubble shows the natural maters of each of then.
Except John
Paul’s abilities one on a 10 billion.
So much for billly shears
Very much liked your review!
On the length of Get Back: there's an interesting recent four hour zoom-cast (for lack of a better word) with Peter Jackson here on UA-cam. In it Jackson explains we owe this particular Get Back to covid. The initial idea for which Jackson was hired was for a movie of about two hours. But as the deadline of 2020 was lifted due to covid he took the opportunity to cut it to his own ideas: a chronological representation of every (!) session day as truthfully/objectively as possible from the 60 hours of footage - for prosperity! Because the tapes were going to be locked in the vault again, and it might not be for a long time before there might be another opportunity to look at them again. His initial cut was 18 hours... he cut it down to less than 9 hours. It's meant to be a historical record - hence no voice over or narration. In his eyes one couldn't suffice with a minute of two or less of screentime for each session day, just to make for a shorter movie to please a broader public. It's this base concept of a chronological, historical record that determined the length of Jackson's Bet Back.
Here's the link for said zoom-cast: ua-cam.com/video/QSLb7cpHy00/v-deo.html
As a Beatle fan and a recording musician I thought Peter Jackson's Get Back was too short! ;-)
I really enjoyed your thoughts on the video. "Let it Be" came with bad news attached from the very minute it was aired on the radio. Right after I heard the song finish playing for the very first time, the DJ announced that the Beatles were breaking up. Imagine hearing a brand new song coupled with the worst thing you could imagine as a kid into that lived for RocknRoll; the group that took RocknRoll where it could never otherwise have gone was leaving us. When Peter Jackson's Let it Be came out it was like getting a letter from a long lost love or deceased parent. It allowed us to see the original "Let It Be" movie through different eyes, the album with different ears. After so many years of feeling that sting, it was nice to know it was all for a good reason; as you pointed out, they all were able to stand on their own.
The creative process is "messy": it isn't only about finding what works, but also finding what to reject.
I love the opening monologue! This is the first time I have heard in a GB review mentioning the fact that there is a massive amount of film we have not seen. We do not know if it’s rubbish or something extraordinary or something that if put together by a different producer Director would have generated an altogether different movie trilogy than what was presented by Peter Jackson.
I have seen far too many people jump on the bandwagon that, “the Beatles let it be sessions we’re not argumentative and depressing but rather, this was the fab four and these were amazing fun filled happy yoko loving recording sessions “. Like most things, the truth is always somewhere in the middle. Superb video. Loved the revelations
Thanks so much for leaving your comment. I guess the whole PJ production is subjective but we can't assume it shows the Beatles as you say, "were amazing fun filled happy" etc. Perhaps PJ has provided the very best footage but I think if there was 60 hrs of footage, then that probably has to include the different cameras used. Someone already commented about a directors cut of 18 hrs. Maybe that will appear one day!
The film has a complete Commonwealth jam so yeah it’s a keeper. As a huge Beatle fan I really appreciate your assessment of the film. Thanks
They recorded the "White" LP in 1968. So, yes, they had played together. Same with "Hey Jude" and "Revolution".
Based on what I've read they would lay down their tracks individually a lot of the time during those albums and be each other's "Session players" but playing together live, day after day after day was something they hadn't done in a while.
I thoroughly agree with your take on the endless jamming! Even one three hour version of this film would be what the ‘average’ fan could take in!
Ha I’ve been accused of not being a fan because I didn’t want to watch the endless takes of the jamming. To be honest that’s only because I’ve been a band member and I know how frustrating those jam sessions can be. But yeah, maybe I’m an average fan 😂
My take is that I’m incredibly happy that the film is as long and in depth as it is; needless to say I’m a huge Beatles fan (not my favorite band ever, but probably in the top five), but still, I take no issue with the length. If you get bored of the “mindless” jamming, or something like that during the first or second parts, then just skipping ahead to episode three where they were wrapping up the record and performing in the rooftop, and you really wouldn’t miss any of the overarching story of the series. You will get all you need to know just from watching part of the first and/or second episodes and just skipping to the last episode. No need to make it shorter than it is; why remove what is basically pure gold to a big beatles fan? Let us have our fun and enjoy this gift lol.
I, for one, feel like every minute of the doc is pure gold, even the slow or repetitive parts, and I am so so so happy that Peter Jackson was able to stretch it out as long as he did. If you ever asked me, “hey man, wanna see some super high-quality videos of the beatles goofing off and playing/covering other songs in the studio during the Let It Be sessions??” I would say YES every single time. Parts of it almost feels like a never-before-heard live Beatles album finally unveiled. I eat that stuff up lol.
George was typically told what to play as solos, even by George Martin.
Certainly whoever wrote a song directed the others. That is normal. Paul, though, began trying to arrange a John song "for" John.
Mal Evans was the unsung hero. He contributed so much to the group's music (recall the alarm clock in A day in the life?) . John even made a cruel quip on hearing of his death. I'm glad he got a nice mention on this video.
John had a habit of coming out with nasty quips. I wonder if it was his way of dealing with grief
Hey dear Mr. Tudor - you've done A very good job on this review. Thank you.
Hey thank you so much 🙏
I'm currently on my third time through the documentary. I sit in front of the screen with my guitar in hand and play along with their jams: great fun, and it makes me feel like a part of the scene. Old Brown Shoe is a favorite; I wish they'd included it, or at least one other George song, in the rooftop concert.
Third run-through. I need to catch up 🤣 yeah old brown shoe is a great tune and George was really coming into his own wasn’t he? Cool that you sit there with your guitar! My cats meow at me when I pick up mine - perhaps they’re joining in 😽😺
We are now finally watching this in August 2022, after visiting Liverpool in June. Freda Kelly spoke lovingly about Ritchie and his family in her documentary, so not using the name Ringo. The Beatles story is so robust that it is difficult to know everything.
All 8 hrs of that documentary are a brilliant watch. Nice the Freda talked about Ritchie too!
Truly remarkable documentary. Well done review. Shortly planning-on re-watching. This changed some of my opinions and perceptions. Many of the negative comments by popular book authors were destroyed. These four your men grew-up before our eyes.
The truth will out - as Shakespeare once said. I guess the many authors based their theories on the original film, without know the full context of things. I’m grateful that Peter Jackson had access to and used so much more material 👍
@@TudorSmith Finally, able to watch for second-time, and I believe that I fell asleep or was distracted the first run-through because I didn't remember some notable things. The day before the rooftop concert John said that they should all "sleep at George's so that they would get in the mood." Strange thing to say. George was very ready to play, although he was not in-favor of the rooftop. I did buy the hardbound book titled, "Get Back" and this is a good addition to help with some dialogue, and still-photos are amazing. Next chapter is to watch the original Let It Be. Thank you Tudor for the inspiration.
Excellent, detailed Review! You got every bit of minutiae! I agree with most of what you said. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Alan parsons project were members of pilot,the scottish band.eric faulkner from the bay city rollers,after Eric left,woody from the rollers.mel Evans listened to badfinger on stage,and told the Beatles.
I admire your patience and tenacity. Well done to you 👏
Thank you. It did seem a little arduous at times 🤣
This doc. is beatle heaven for me, say in a years time a great way to come back to this is to watch it in 10 or 20 mins parts. I would watch all 60 hours if i could over 6 months.😩
Sounds like a great plan to me!
I'm all FOR watching "Lord of the Ringo" because I'm a huge Beatles (and hobbit) nerd... but I'D watch an extended 20- hour director's cut while I'm pretty sure your average casual fan could probably do with a pared down 90-minute doc.
Love this video!
It is a long watch for the average fan eh? But a true aficionado will lap it all up and then some!
I like listening to you, very relaxed.
Ps: They also performed All You Need Is Love half live.
Thanks. Yes i failed to mention All You Need is Love. Good catch :-)
One could argue the song “Get Back” is about one person, a guy named JoJo, whose drag persona is Sweet Loretta, who moves to California for more freedom and better weed.
Now that’s an interesting take on the song. I’ll be thinking differently when I play it next 👍
Heather McCartney sneering at Yoko - we'd all seen her make that face in Let it Be with no context, but since Get Back came out, it's like "Aw, hell we get it now". There was different audio over the shot in Let it Be.
And now Disney+ are releasing Lindsey-Hoggs’ version. Is that just a cash-cow exercise? Peter Jackson’s version is far more insightful.
A few things I noticed that one is mentioning.…
1. Why so little screen-time was given to the recording of Across The Universe? This is one of Lennons best songs. And Jackson chooses to disregard it relative to Pauls songs. Relative to "Get Back" or "Let it Be" for example, repeated endlessly.
2. People are forgetting - for the first time the Beatles had serious MONEY. This state of affairs was relatively new to them, look at Ringos house for example. How did this factor influence their competitiveness and antagonism between them? Lennon was clearly paranoid and had developed negative feelings for example, hence his attachment to Allen Klein.
3. The weird skulking and inconsequential presence of Yoko Ono: Peter Jackson does his best to present the good side of her. But to my eyes, completely objectively, never having had any opinion over this, her body-language and demeanour betrays that she's got a plan. Just after the rooftop concert she looks crestfallen, and resentful it's succeeding. Jackson chooses his portrayal, but is it the correct one?
Some great observations there. I personally wonder if the influences of McCartney/Starr/Ono in the release of the footage were perhaps biased. I did find it weird that after the rooftop concert we see Lennon unzipping his jumper, only to have Ono zipping it back up again. Lennon appears mildly upset by this but goes along with it. I’m pretty sure there is a lot more to be read into it all!
And Peter Jackson left out January 31st when all the great songs were performed its entirety you only get Snippets it would have been nice to see more of that day just hopeful bonus features at some point
Brilliant overview. Apart from the idea that Linda was a part of the Kodak empire
Eastman kodak
@@christophertalbot9064 Linda's father was a lawyer I used to think that also about Linda but who is she related to in the Kodak empire.
Since Mel was always behind Paul telling him the answers to people's questions, because Paul didn't know.
I think that the embarrassment of riches The Beatle had, is something no other band had!
I brought this out in MY review! Very good review!
We all see different things eh? I’ll check out your review 👍
@@TudorSmith
Thanx, hope you enjoy!
We did go to the premier of this at the imax and it was a great night listening to peter Jackson on the screen love the Poster and lanyard
It must have been amazing seeing it on the iMax
There's a clip of Billy Preston at 10- or 11-years-old singing "Blueberry Hill" with Nat King Cole.
Love your videos ..keep them coming ..
Thank you very much 🙏 I’ll certainly try 👍
If you had seen the movie Let It Be you would have hated it. It was so sad. No laughter. Awful. So this is a joy. Can't wait to see it.
I’ve still not seen it and I’m thinking that because I know the gist of it, I actually don’t/won’t need to see it either. Having now seen PJs epic, I now have the story firmly placed in the old memory banks 😊👍
My humble suggestion is that you never see the movie. It was horrible. Thanks for the great review. I'd love to see The Beatles go out with a laugh. Abbey Road is my fav also❤️ Thanks again !
Excellent review! I'm about to watch the Peter Jackson magnum opus a third time! By the way, Linda was not related to the Eastman involved with Kodak. Her father was a prominent New York attorney. She grew up in Scarsdale, NY which is quite a well-to-do town whose residents have a distinguishable 'upper crust' accent. In films and video, listening to Linda speak, you can hear her Scarsdale accent very well. If Paul had not made it big in the music biz, and had he always been just a Liverpool local with a pub band, he would have married up in class to Linda. She always had access to loads of money, before meeting and falling in love with a Beatle. It's possible that among other attributes that attracted Paul to her was the fact that she wasn't in it for the money. Keeping things in perspective. In the Get Back docu-series, Linda, to me, is smashingly beautiful and sexy, every man's 'dream girlfriend.' Most people think 'Dear Boy' is a put down of John Lennon, but in fact, Paul has said that it was about Linda's first husband, who didn't have the good sense to hang on to her. You took your lucky break (marrying Linda) and broke it in two (splitting with Linda). And just so people understand, Heather is the daughter of Linda and her first husband.
Wow you’re on a third run! I feel I need to leave it a while for now 😊
That moment the camera shows us Linda watching Paul at the piano is quite moving for me. Just seeing her transfixed on Paul!
Billy Preston by far the coolest in the room....and he was George's friend...
This was a (much shorter) music documentary played at the midnight theaters in America in the late 70's so it was great to see it again.
The Beatles, like all other bands, I prefer to listen to the naked versions of their music.
All manufactured noises which are layered into so many British bands of that era are unnecessary, but I love Glyn Johns and his library of work.
I only wish EC would have dropped by for a solo or two...
That would have been amazing to see EC. The style of music of the era was all pretty similar eh? I blame the wall of sound. That never worked for me 🤣
The original "final cut" was 18 hours.
In interview, he says he'd like to do a "Director's Cut".
That could be interesting especially, as I mention, I wonder what's missing!
@@TudorSmith For one he'd like to include the uncut "Dig It".
See the (LONG) interview with him by "Things We Said Today".
More of that footage should come out it must be so much to see
It would be interesting to see if any further footage is actually released.
I don't agree at all that they were no/annoyed with yoko. Look at Paul and Ringo when that thing decides to just start screaming into the mic during rehearsals. Lennon is smiling like he's so proud of her. Paul is looking down like he's trying to control his anger and Ringo is drumming as loud as possible like he's trying to drown her out. She wasn't the soul reason the Beatles broke up because they shouldn't be expected to stay together forever and wouldn't be able to keep turning out hits forever but she sure didn't help being a constant presence.
20 mins: George had just been hanging out with The Band and Dylan and others who totally respected him. Return to being patronised little brother with loads of material that heavy duty musicians had validated must have been galling.
I just read a good newspaper essay about the series as a fascinating examination of family relationships and dynamics.
I don't have access to Disney Channel so not seen the shows, only read and watched reviews. Very interesting to see the range and depth and quality of many reviews from many perspectives: documentary film makers, musicologists, song writers, band members, relationship behaviour analysts, etc. Looks like the series will keep Beatles prominent for decades to come in academic circles as much as pop music.
Time to search for sites where people have put together ideas for post Abbey Road Beatles albums from their early solo material. Age 66, oldest of 4, no TV till late teens, I just missed them and too cool for school to get back to them as into Who, Mott the Hoople, punk. But, about 1999, 12-year old daughter heard Pepper and early albums and seized on them. Son also dived deep into 1950s and 1960s music. So, my children got me into Beatles aged 44
Indeed. I think the series shows us how George (and the others frankly) had outgrown the Beatles as an entity. They were certainly ready to move on. It's great the Gearoge and Bob Dylan would later work together in the Travelling Wilburys. I'd love for there to be some kind of documentary about Abbey Road too!
@@TudorSmith I think George FELT as if he'd outgrown the Beatles, but I don't think he really had. I mean, in a sense they all had, or the band wouldn't have fallen apart, but I think George wanted it both ways. When he went solo, he didn't much enjoy the front-man role. Perhaps it was an impossible arrangement in the long run.
@@TudorSmith yeah-so many people, especially on this side of the pond, only think of the Beatles as an entity starting in '64.
But John, Paul & George began hanging out & playing together since '56 - so by '70 I think they were all burned out & ready for a break - just a shame they didn't take a sabbatical to recharge/regroup...
and, fyi, the intro track to All Things Must Pass, I'll Have You Anytime, was a George-Dylan collaboration... 🙂
@@anthonyodonnell6105 "didn't want to be a start, wanted just to play guitar in this cockamamie business..." great line/tune from George that aptly summed it up for him.
You state that The Beatles hadnt played live together since 1966, but they actually played live in the studio for Hey Bulldog and most of the White Album sessions.
Indeed they did. It’s been a while since I made that wee video that I’ve almost forgotten what I said 🤣
@@TudorSmith btw, your videos are some of my favorite on youtube! Cheers!
Thanks so much! I appreciate that :)
I agree with all your analysis except one part, but first - the recording in the canteen was done from a mic hidden in a plant pot - it was in the subtitles. The bit I disagreed with I sympathise with and actually had the same thing during the latter part of the Two Towers, viz, "This Could Have Been Shorter!" - what would you rather have been doing? Having finished it I'd like nothing better than to get back in.
Yeah I think in retrospect, the length is only too long when you revisit it. On first viewing, one can be so comsumed, you don't realise how long it is!
Cool you are in synch now!!
Yeah I got there in the end!
I saw the original "Let it Be" in the theater.
Regrading Linda Eastman's photography, she has no relation with the Eastman Kodak enterprise. Her family name is actually Epstein. Her brother and father were well-known corporate lawyers in New York City and it was for them that Paul McCartney lobbied to manage the band in lieu of Allen Klein. As Ringo said many years ago, "Of course, Paul was right...". Not unlike millions of other immigrant families to the U.S., presumably the family changed its name to hide its ethnic or religious origins.
Yeah I kind of knew in the back of my mind that there was no direct connection. Nice bit of information there Michael, which fills in some blanks 👍
You say George Martin "took a back seat". I think there was more to it than that. I got the distinct impression that they - and particularly Paul - didn't want him to be there at all. There was very little interaction between Martin and the band, especially when you consider how closely involved he had been with them a few years earlier, and how much they'd relied on him for ideas, arrangements etc. There is one scene, for example, where Paul is leaving the studio, and he says "See you all", or words to that effect, but he avoids looking in George Martin's direction. And then, in another scene, Paul and John are talking and Martin offers a suggestion. Paul looks at him and says, curtly: "I know. That's why I'm talking to John". You could see that George Martin was stung by the comment, which came across as "I wasn't talking to you, so butt out". There was definitely a touch of frost in the air between McCartney and Martin.
You’re spot on. I noticed that too (the “I was talking to John” bit). In fact I felt for GM at that moment. I wonder if this had any bearing (and I’ve heard GM say this in an interview) on the fact that when it came to Abbey Road and Paul asked George to produce it, that he said he would but on the condition that they did it like the old days, or like they used to.
And don't forget Martin only agreed to produce Abbey Road on the condition that he be allowed to work with them "like I used to".
But whatever was going on at that time between Paul & Martin must have been put to bed relatively quickly, as he went on to produce several of Paul's solo LP's.
As a lifelong musician myself I would have to agree that it could have, and still could be edited... Especially for the easily bored.
I do agree. Perhaps it’s the musician in us that just wants to get on with things 🎸
Mean Mr. Mustard is from the Escher Demos going into the White Album.
Wow was it? I know sometimes a song gets mulled around for a long time. I wonder if there’s an actually copy of the full song and not just the snippet on the Abbey Road medley!
@@TudorSmith Indeed. Someone thought Across the Universe was something John brought in fresh when it was actually recording before the trip to India and lended to the Wildlife Fund for a fundraiser LP and was actually never re-recorded. The Let It Be version is the same original recording. The most intriguing song floating around that never emerges again is that Madman song of John's we hear in this documentary. I'd never even heard of it before and it sounds pretty darn good!
I'm a bit late in commenting this video. The reason for that is that I haven't watched the Get Back documentary until now, because I had to wait for the Blu-ray to come out since I didn't want to pay for that Mickey Mouse channel. I agree with you on most things you say. They could have cut half an hour of it without losing any important stuff. All that jamming isn't that fun to watch. But as a whole it is a very fascinating historical document. I think it's the first time I have ever heard the voice of Mal Evans, though I have seen him moving in the background on hundreds of clips over the years. I have watched the infamous Let it Be film a couple of times, on a very poor DVD-copy and it's just boring to watch. Now when I know what Michael Lindsey Hogg could have included on his original film I can't help wondering what his agenda was. He seems to have cut all the funny parts in favour of scenes with a darker atmosphere.
You’ll have to agree the wait was worth it. I wonder if you’ve seen extra footage on the DVD that wasn’t on Disney+? Yeah I also wonder what might have been MLHs agenda on that original release.
I may have to set 8hrs aside and watch it all again 👍
@@TudorSmith Sadly there are no bonus features on the Blu-ray. I would have loved to have an extended interview with Peter Jackson and a behind the scenes documentary about his work on the documentary. I would also have liked fresh interviews with those people involved in the project back in 1969 who are still with us; Paul, Ringo, Glyn Johns and Michael Lindsey Hogg.
Shame. Those extras would have been good to see!
Because they just become a recording band with multi track and overdubs and very rarely spent time together prior, I found they lost the ability to be what they were previously and that was a bloody good tight band. Seeing history in front of our eyes with the songs being created was amazing, but apart from that I saw a fractured group trying to find what they once had, that they couldn’t get back (pun intended) I saw a band going through a breakup..
Their development as a studio band I think is prevelant and also the fact that they make a call out to needing a piano/keys player further shows their inability to create their newer sounds live. I guess they had progressed from being becoming a four piece band. Good observations Paul :)
When they talk about 60 hours of footage, I presume that the number includes footage from different cameras shooting the same scenes. 4 Cameras can shoot one our of action and you have 4 hours of footage.
That makes good sense to me. If they were to produce a longer version we’d probably see the same scene but from different angles. I’m pretty sure Peter Jackson has given us the best of everything 👍
I could watch all 60 hours!
It’s worth it - despite my moaning about the amount of footage!
I was surprised quite so much time was spent on the tabloid story about John and George fighting. But I've watched it three times by now, so the length is clearly not much of a problem for me!
You have to wonder if Peter Jackson edited out anything but it seems to be over as soon as it’s begun. Still, George did say goodbye at the end of episode one right?
Thanks Tudor.
You’re very welcome 🙏
I would have liked to see more of the full songs completed especially at Apple
I wonder if the original footage captured all the songs in their entirety or if it was more the conversations that were captured!
@@TudorSmith Yeah because if it's just conversation that was captured it wouldn't make much sense, but we don't know what's on the rest of the footage that's the thing
Release ALL the footage. Let us decide what we want to see
Now there’s a thought!
yeah I think I've watched it 3.5 times (that half time was when I had friends over and they watched the start and the whole of pt 3 on the roof!)... I especially loved that drop into London 1969 when they talked with the people on the street... some characters there! As a musician myself I could have watched another 2.5 hours of that but I am clearly insane... I believe there was a lot of the Let It Be film missed... can't grumble though as I genuinely felt I was a fly on the wall at times...
It feels like a couple of years since I saw it. Time for a rewatch I reckon 👍
@@TudorSmith it just filled me with so much joy.. Paul playing Long and Winding Road, She Came in Through The Bathroom Window especially... then seeing Linda Eastman as a young woman and all the 60s fashions.... the AI just brought it all out... my only gripe was not seeing enough Billy Preston on the roof... what was that all about?
Me too. All that footage really left me emotional. I bet there was more footage of Billy Preston on the roof top but maybe Peter Jackson felt it wasn't pertinent enough to show? 🤷♂️
One can tell a lot of cutting (down to 8 hours) occurred in verbatim quotes of song rehearsals: the camera very frequently cuts away after a few bars of a song that had already been quoted in an earlier scene, etc. Jackson's first cut was about 18 hours, he should release it in a special Blu-ray edition and just be done with it.
You never know, that might still happen.
@@TudorSmith And I had no idea Anthony Richmond was the DP. Just few years later he photographed Nicolas Roeg's masterpieces: _Don't Look Now_ and _The Man Who Fell to Earth_ (with David Bowie). He never mentions his work with the Beatles in the video commentaries to Roeg's films. Speaking of weird film connections: the guy who played the main ape (Moon Watcher) in Kubrick's _2001_ became John Lennon's assistant later. Small world :-)
You sometimes never know about all of these connections eh?
What do you think about how the other Beatles treat or feel about Paul? It doesn’t sound like they were raised together with this person from my perspective, not that they feel all together negative about him.
About them being unprofessional. They were really just kids given a position they didn’t necessarily know how to fill.
The relationship with Paul would eventually lead to the break up of the Beatles. They could never say exactly what happened in the Beatles and that is sort of the allure til this day.
My opinion is that as teenagers, they started their rollercoaster journey all on the same footing. All bonded well and developed more or less at the same time. As the years went by though, it was clear to me that each of them was developing at a fast rate and you point this out nicely with your comment about a position they didn’t necessarily know how to fill.
I think that in their journey of discovery they may have realised that they didn't really need each other. I suppose they pacified Paul particularly as he seemed to be the driving force of the band musically and directionally. In the end though, they just wanted to do their own thing and The Beatles as an entity was all played out. Was it John that is quoted as saying "We don't want to be playing She Loves You for the rest of our lives"? Just my thoughts.
It amazes me, given the great footage...how dreary Let It Be(movie) was. I mean, why not include Paul writing Get Back ?! I agree , a lot of the jamming and going over the same song, could have been chopped. I even found myself getting a bit annoyed by Johns mucking around...I enjoyed yr opinions and hearing about bits of conversations I missed, cheers....I always thought he was singing "Sweet Loretta Modern" but acc to the internet it is "Martin"...I prefer my version. 😇
Sweet Loretta Modern. You can have that (misheardlyrics right?)
Yeah on first viewing of the documentary it's probably quite endearing watching them build camaraderie again but I personally found it tedious....as did George and even Ringo if you watch his face sometimes 😉
@@TudorSmith Yes, I noticed them both with pained expressions at times, w Paul & Johns showing off. You could see that Paul wasn't listening to George often..the old, "young" guy in the band, thing...I'm sure Paul would have regretted that, looking at the doco. I've watched it 3 times now. To buy on Blue Ray in Australia, it's $95.00. Have to contend w watching it on my computer, as my 4K TV isn't hi tech enough for Disney Plus.
Re: your critique of the run time and the inclusion of so much jamming and goofing around, I think one problem is that there should have been more of that as it led to the songs from the album. We get very little of any of the quieter songs, a little too much of Two Of Us, and not enough of Get Back, Let It Be or I Me Mine. Perhaps that footage didn't exist.
I think on reflection I’d have really liked to see more song development. I made the video days after watching parts 1, 2 & 3. I’ve had more time to think about it now lol!
Great video! 👍🏼
I ❤️ your comment 👍
FYI, Linda was not connected to Eastman Kodak family.
Thanks. I suspected that she wasn’t 👍📷
I read one version of lyric was supposed to be an Alf GARNETT rant ,but they scrapped it because they thought racists might take it seriously .
Do you understand and respect the concept of the album let it be now more? Because the original version by Glyn Johns represented probably more the live idea of the album, but was rejected by John, George and Ringo, so Phil Spector made it.
I certainly do. I think I’d always dismissed it but now having seen the purpose and actual creation, it’s a very interesting album.
There were several "fifth Beatles". Brian was one, George Martin was one.
How the hell is Brian Epstein a fifth Beatle? At the end of the day, The Beatles are about MUSIC. George Martin shaped their music in a way that no other producer would have (and even played on some tracks) Epstein was a business man, NOTHING to do with the music. Without Brian however, it is likely nothing would have happened I'll grant you.
Stuart sutcliff Was one, pete best was one...
@@spockboy There's no Beatles without Brian Epstein. Of course he wasn't a musician, but he shaped their image, which is a huge part of what they became as a cultural phenomenon. More importantly, Epstein was the glue that held the band together as an enterprise, as a project with direction. Epstein is painfully present in his absence in the documentary. Once he died, the band was doomed. Possibly his influence would have still have waned, but his loss was catastrophic.
@@nightwingtt Stu Sutcliffe was an influential member of the band, though not terribly well integrated because he wasn't really a musician. Pete Best was an anti-Beatle. They really couldn't be the Beatles as long as he was around.
5th Beatles, in order: Stu Sutcliffe, Brian Epstein, George Martin, Billy Preston….
A lot of the other footage is the same thing but from a different camera angle!
With so many cameras deployed at the same time most of the footage would be the same scene but possible trained on a different Beatle eh?
One of the songs that made the film from their jamming sessions was "The Third Man Theme". John may have been busting Michael Lindsay-Hogg's balls a bit because he claims to be Orson Welles' illegitimate son.
I’d read about the orson wells connection but I was reluctant to mention it 😊
Creative process: from nothing something. Writing is rewriting.
The dark and windy night? I thought it was the wild and windy night.
It was (and still is) lol! Good catch 👍
Watch the Let It Be movie too.
I'll be checking it out.
I don't know why they couldn't release the 18 hours ... I watched documentaries on serial killers that were longer on Netflix... In these days 18 hours I S NOTHING I think it had to do with their insecurities of possible boredom...
Perhaps they are hoping to release further footage at a later date?
Epic
Cheers
Repost ?
I had to unfortunately- the previous version was out of sync on the audio 👎
@@TudorSmith yes, I noticed. Thought you would 😊👌
After George left, I think they all got high. Including Yoko. Look how much fkd around. No wonder it took 5 months to record Sargent Pepper.
I find it hard to work out. Perhaps PJ hides it well - or not if others are seeing it?
Ono did want to be involved,she's not a Beatles.
Sorry Tudor, Get Back was Perfect I could have watched 8 more hours!
I think when I wrote that (December was it) I recall the 8 hrs being long but I just wanted the conclusion - like reading the last page of a book to see who did it 🤣
I think it’s time to revisit all 3 episodes and immerse myself in it again. 👍
@@TudorSmith Me too brother!
Surely the 'Get Back' message was a tongue-in-cheek parody of right-wing conservatism? Even the final lyrics seemed to be a dig at transphobia ('Sweet Loretta Martin thought she was a woman but she was another man')
That's some truly moronic revisionism.
His Grace Shyamasundar dasa 15:05, god friend of George's