The Beatles' February 1969 "mystery recording session" with Peter Jackson
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- Опубліковано 14 гру 2021
- As heard in episode 224B of the Something About The Beatles podcast, Peter Jackson discussed with Dan Rivkin (They May Be Parted blog) and I the photos seen in the original Let It Be book of Ethan Russell's photography, showing the February 1969 "mystery session," after work on the film had wrapped up on January 31.
There were visuals that Peter presented - now you can see 'em.
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Cool that Peter is still looking to put the remaining pieces of the puzzle together
God bless Peter Jackson!!! Hopefully, he follows his Beatles obsession, which so many of us share, for many years. And, using his extraordinary film and research skills, produces the best history of the group we're likely to ever have.
It's hilarious. This discussion on when and where the pictures we're taken is for Beatles super fans. I am one, and proud of it.
It’s alls scam
Paul got replaced. Wake up and smelll the coffee. On hey Jude. He’s got green eyes. ???????
@@JUNIORVONWONDERLICK Wake up and take your meds.
@@JUNIORVONWONDERLICK get a life.
I agree Gloria, I could listen to Peter Jackson all day long.
My guess is that PJ is right. They went back into Apple in February to try & come up with some more songs for Get Back. But then they realized these songs would sound better recorded as tracks with overdubs rather than recorded live. At which point they moved to Trident & started recording the songs that would eventually become Abbey Road. It's conjecture but it's a pretty good educated guess.
Maybe someone should ask McCartney?
@@ScottygthreethousandHe's has proved to be quite unreliable 😄
One of my favorite scenes is when Ringo and friends are sitting there in the doldrums, the morning after George quit the band, and it's all heavy, and then as if on cue, in comes a florist's delivery man and he says in a tone as if someone just died, 'These are for George Harrison,' and Ringo burst out laughing because the comedic timing of that is just priceless. I loved it, like right then I knew that Ringo was thinking, 'Oh, George will be back, don't worry, we're too close as brothers for this to be the end.' And I thought any of them would've had the same reaction no matter who quit the band, they were that close.
John gave interviews where he said they had more tracks to record for the album they started in January and in the footage John does say “ we will record 7 songs now on the rooftop and 7 more after Ringo gets back from making the movie.”
1. Get Back
2. Don't Let Me Down
3. I've Got A Feeling
5. One After 909
6. Dig A Pony
7. Two Of Us
8. The Long And Winding Road
9. Let It Be
10. For You Blue
11. Old Brown Shoe
12. Octopus's Garden
13. I Want You
14. Maxwell's Silver Hammer
@@Zholobov1 That makes sense although I would say that track 14 is a toss up between Maxwell's Silver Hammer and Oh! Darling.
I love how deep you guys dive into this. Mariana Trench deep.
There were sessions all the way through April with the intention to finish get back. Songs that were considered for Get Back were: I Want You, Something, Oh! Darling, Octopus’ Garden, The Ballad of John & Yoko, Old Brown Shoe. The last two to be the single.
It wasn’t until later they decided to use the songs for Abbey Road.
This is fantastic, I love the deep digging.
There is an upright piano behind the Bluthner from the first day the cameras are in Apple, day 12; at 44 minutes into ep2.
Fascinating.....I love this kinda stuff ....music sleuthing..!
Very compelling conversation! Thanks
Hi Robert. I attened Mark Lewishon's Hornsey Road talk a couple of years ago and he claims there's evidence that The Beatles continued working on Get Back/Let It Be into Feb '69. There's interviews Lennon gave in Montreal where he says they need more songs to finish the album and that he'd be recording with The Beatles on his return to London. Basically, the tail end of Get Back became the start of Abbey Road. That's why Billy Preston is on a couple of Abbey Road tracks. I'm sure you can find a more detailed account from Mark somewhere online.
Thanks John!
It looks that on this day they were rehearsing "I Want You (She's So Heavy" and probably "Old Brown Shoe".
I love this discussion.
Us Beatles fans really think like thid. ☮️💟
Having just watched the UA-cam video covering the mystery February 1969 sessions, I have seen a copy of an Invoice for a session on 22/02/69 at Trident for the recording of "I Want You"; it states "Time : 8pm - 5am" which would match the entry in Glyn Johns' February "diary" that Peter Jackson sowed us on that video. Earlier the same day, I think it states "APPLE 3pm" on Glyn's "diary". In terms of the pictures that were discussed, I agree with Jackson that they were taken at Apple and not Trident. That's not to say that they went over to Trident to continue recording. As for the picture of Glyn Johns at Apple in February, which was again shown to the camera by Jackson, I did wonder if this was Nicky Hopkins (the session pianist who was mentioned during Beatle discussions in January 1969; it wouldn't be the first time that I have heard people mix up Glyn and Nicky (see Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth" video to see Nicky in full flow).
it looks slightly different to me - what if they took some 'green carpet' to trident, if that is the only defining feature for Apple studio? If it is Apple, the new presence of a piano to me indicates they were doing Old Brown Shoe for sure.
Isn’t this the She’s So Heavy session with Billy on organ solo?
Maybe the upright piano was for Old Brown Shoe. It has an upright in it.
But there is an upright piano at Saville Row in January - look at the first shot on Day 12 (Episode 2) Minute 44:07...
TELL PETER JACKSON, to do something with the White Album recording footage and also he can use all the INDIA TRIP footage, after all, the ending of the beatles started with the death of Brian Epstein and the trilogy White Album, Let it Be and Abby Road had songs that were all written in India
He should be on staff permanently
Excellent discussion. I love it. I wish they would finally ask someone (RIngo, Paul, Yoko, camera person or Glynn if they recall what that session was). I also always get happy when a new episode of SATB drops.
According to Peter Jackson, the two living ex-Beatles don't remember January 1969 at all.
@@robertrodriguez1891 thank you for that clarification
No one remembers anything in their life from 50 years before, unless it was a major event like a wedding, getting drafted, first car, etc.
Going to the recording studio wasn't a major event for any one of the people involved. They were just going to work.
@@charlie-obrien this is so true. For us Beatles fans we remember most of their details but you are right for them it was just a normal life activity. I first realized this when in the anthology extra’s George, Paul and Ringo were listening to Golden Slumbers and they couldn’t remember who played what. Same with some songs on the recent McCartney 321 he couldn’t remember who was playing what.
@@robertrodriguez1891 In one of the many Beatles documentaries made in the 80s or 90s, someone says that George (then still living) was the most important Beatle to talk to about Beatles history because Paul lies and Ringo doesn't remember. I wouldn't say Paul "lies", but I would say that he probably does a lot of embellishing with his memories. And like they say, "It's not a lie if you believe it."
Clearly they had fish and chips on the 23rd
hahahahaha!
lol
Time for another feature film, then
So will PJ work on a Get Back epilogue where he talks about the February sessions ;)
Funny to see Peter out nerding the nerds.
He’s keeping pace with them! Of course having spent ~4 years (so far) on the Get Back project, how could he not? But isn’t it refreshing, 50+ years later, to still encounter such deep levels of Beatles nerdery? Almost like they were good or something 😉
Very cool!!! I enjoyed that.
Per Ian MacDonald (Revolution in the Head) Get Back, the song, was completed at Apple on February 5th. Old Brown Shoe, Something and All Things Must Pass were demoed by Harrison at Apple on February 25th. The former was then recorded at Abbey Road on April 16th and 18th. Something was recorded during half a dozen sessions between the 16th of April and the 15th of August, mostly at Abbey Road, but a session on the 5th of May was at Olympic.
rev in the head is wrong about a lot of things. throw that book out
they could have been just rehearsing/ hashing out I want You (She's so Heavy). that upright might be for George's Old Brown Shoe. (just saw peter mention this after finishing typing that)... they probably worked on a paul song... in preparation for the trident recording. their practice spot was obviously 🍏.
Wasn't the eight-track machine they'd been using at Savile Row borrowed by George Martin from Abbey Road? It's possible that that had already gone back even if the room itself was still set up. It seems very likely that calling Glyn Johns back so soon was about trying to complete the Let It Be album that the film was supposed (they'd decided late in the day) to show them recording. But they evidently knew that there was going to be another album. Maybe they were exploring the possibility of having Glyn Johns produce that?
One thing that hadn't really occurred to me before is that with I Want You (She's So Heavy) coming so soon after the big Get Back argument, is that song maybe a reflection on that? It's kind of the band who sing "Heavy".
On March 10th, 1969 - John & Paul asked Glyn Johns to make an album out of the material that had been recorded in the ten days of recording from January. Glyn Johns finished his work of compiling all that material into what he considered a workable album - and presented it on May 28th, 1969. Glyn's version of the LP contained ONLY tracks that were recorded in JANUARY of 1969. The lone exception was a Harrison guitar solo overdub (recorded in April 30th, 1969) which was added to the January 31st recording of "Let It Be". So... on May 28th of 1969, when Glyn Johns presented his version of the "Get Back" album for consideration to be released... NONE of the songs that had been worked on in February, March, April or May of 1969 (after January 1969) were a part of his finished (at that time) "Get Back" project.
When John & Paul asked Glyn Johns to make an album out of the material... they gave him the tapes from the January 1969 "Get Back" material. And THAT is what he used to make the album. Everything done after the end of January 1969... was considered - as being developed for their next project (which would become the Abbey Road album). That decision was made on March 10th, 1969 by John & Paul... and then adhered to by Glyn Johns when he put his version of the "Get Back" album together in the spring of 1969.
The only track that The Beatles had recorded by March 10th, 1969 - that they hadn't recorded in January of 1969... was "I Want You". And it is obvious that John & Paul did not want it included with the "Get Back" material for the album that Glyn John's was putting together... nor anything else that they had worked on after January of 1969.
Is that the Glynn Johns e.p. that is in the deluxe lp set? With the photo similar to please, please me?
The LIB LP had 12 tracks : “Across The Universe” was the 1968 recording and George, Paul and Ringo came together in early 1970 to record “I Me Mine”; of the remaining 10 tracks, “Dig It” and “Maggie Mae” were (in my opinion) throwaways, so, in the final analysis, there were really only 8 tracks that were proper January 1969 songs. The Get Back sessions finished at the end of that month is my contention. I think they did “I Want You” because Lennon probably wanted to record the track for consideration as a single for later in the year and took advantage of the recording of the new vocal for “Don’t Let Me Down” to do this. For me, Get Back (later Let It Be) finished at the end of January 1969 in terms of recording songs for that project. Any new recordings after that would eventually turn up on the Abbey Road album. Well, that’s what I think !
”… in the final analysis, there were really only 8 tracks that were proper January 1969 songs”. There were 9 tracks, 8 + ’Don’t Let Me Down’. Of course, one may ask why ’Across the Universe’ is not the proper song when it has been written 1968; it was however practiced in 1969. Often the time between composing and publishing Beatles songs was long (think about e.g. ’Yesterday’). And John was 19 when he wrote ’One After 909’…
@@olavirannisto3552 Yeah, I realised after I'd posted the comment that I'd missed "Don't Let Me Down" ! Apologies.
That is some "down in the weeds" discussion. If anybody can piece it together it would be Peter Jackson. Keep fishing guys. Mu guess, John hated his vocal and went to Trident and would have with or without Johns. So yes, a February 22, 1969 date could have been special for a variety of reasons.
Very interesting video , go to source boys, Macca or Ringo ???
they wouldn't know
11:56 this is my impression as well, they tried to work on one of the unfinished songs, found out it wouldn’t work at Saville Row and said “sod it, let’s book Trident.” or they perhaps even tried Abbey Road but weren’t able to get it on such short notice.
The quality is a bit fuzzy on screen but the photo at about 6:28 in that Peter Jackson shows on his Ipad which he says looks like Glyn Johns actually looks more like Nicky Hopkins to me, from the pictures I've seen of him before now! Was Nicky involved in Abbey Road at all? If so, could this help to nail things down a bit more?
I think Nicky's only contribution to a Beatles record was Revolution.
@@julianuary Yes, that's what I thought. But the photo definitely looks exactly like Nicky Hopkins, rather than Glyn Johns (regardless of whether he played on anything or not)! Maybe he was visiting the studio? It's just another avenue worth checking, just to be on the safe side.
@@laurencepiper6575 I think the clothing matches the photo at 6:08 and both photos look like Glyn to me.
@@julianuary Well, Peter Jackson seemed to think the clothes were different too. It's just a possibiity anyway as, from every photo of Nicky I've ever seen, that looks ike him. Just throwing it out there.
@@laurencepiper6575 Peter said that Glyn's clothes in the photos were different to what he was wearing in January.
Maybe Glyn and Nicky just look similar. And the webcam quality might distort things.
I kinda love how you cant just ask Paul and Ringo these questions. Why would they remember such minor dates? It was their day job lol
Mmmmmm ... they have no idea. Do you remember what you did in February 1969 or February 1986, 1993, or 2003? No, no you don't without a significant event around it, say a death or birth in the family. No way they remember. When I hear Paul or Ringo reminisce I know they are coached or at least well read on their histories. I never believe them on face value.
I don't know if it's mentioned in the vid or comments but I wonder if the upright piano in the studio was merely brought in for everyone to tune their instruments to? it would make sense if they were writing stuff with future overdubs in mind, particularly brass or anything that requires 'true' notage to accompany
One of the street cameras of the rooftop concert on bootleg also have the Beatles warming up with a short jam of I Want You She's So Heavy. We also know Bathroom Window was well rehearsed during the Get Back sessions. where as Maxwel's Hammer was not really liked by the group. But with Old Brown Shoe and Octopus and I Want You....14 songs and none which were part of the Abbey Road medley. Billy Preston was still there for the I Want You She's So Heavy sessions and Something Ssessions which most likely replaced Old Brown Shoe. I would guess it was Paul and George Martin that shifted things to Abbey Road at the point where the medley idea began. George Martin's version of Abbey Road was always that Paul called him a few monthsafter Get Back and said he wanted to record an album like they used to record.
When the Beatles got back together for their one recording date in February of 1969 (recording the basic track for "I Want You" in 35 takes), they were in Trident Studios.
When George Harrison recorded his three song demos on his 26rth birthday (Feb. 25th, 1969)... he was back in EMI Abbey Road studios.
All of their April 14th through May 6th recording sessions were back at EMI Abbey Road studios.
Did you watch the video? There are photos of the Beatles recording at Saville Row in February 1969 but the session was never documented.
George Harrison was in the hospital between February 7th to February 15th of 1969 for the removal of his tonsils. The first time that the four Beatles got back together to record again after January of 1969 - was on February 22nd, 1969, when they recorded 35 takes of "I Want You" . They had to wait for George's recovery from his tonsils removal... and they also chose to wait for for the return of both Billy Preston and Glyn Johns, who had been in the USA, and came back to London to contribute to this recording session on February 22. This was the ONLY date in February of 1969 that the four Beatles recorded together. The next date that all four Beatles got together to record a new song was about EIGHT weeks later - on April 16th, 1969 when they recorded 13 takes of "Old Brown Shoe".
John & Paul had recorded "The Ballad Of John and Yoko" on April 14th by themselves (both George & Ringo were not in town and John did not want to wait for them to get back). This would be the group's next single - and the full group recorded "Old Brown Shoe" two days later (when George & Ringo had returned) to be the B side for the new single.
So the idea that The Beatles were back at it, hard at work in the recording studio - right after the January "Get Back" sessions had ended... is not correct. The four Beatles were together recording on just TWO dates in the next ELEVEN weeks that came right after January 1969 (Feb. 22 and April 16, 1969).
In that case, what accounts for Glyn Johns' 6 days of studio bookings for "the Beatles" in February?
Well, the "mystery session" is a mystery. They're clearly at Apple, and John's stubble puts it before March. Now, they might not be recording, maybe the mics were just still set up since January. But if that is indeed Glyn Johns on the pictures from this session, why is he there if they're not recording?
Yes, that is indeed the story we've all been told. But the photos clearly show that there is more to the story. It is a clear fact that the four Beatles were together at Saville Row shortly after 1969 and the photos PROVE that. We can only theorize as to what they were doing but to simply splurt out widely available information (that the video itself acknowledges) and ignore the photographic evidence that has been presented to you seems pretty ignorant in my opinion.
PJ has proven that Feb 22 was not the the 1st time. they got back together. He has photos and documentation to prove otherwise, now. if you are only quoting Mark Lewisohn's book,even he admits, there is new information that he has learned since 1988.
You need to always be right, don't you?
This is very interesting to know the February rehearsals all of feb were for Get Back Abbey Rd didn’t start till August
No they finished Abbey Road in August.
Finally, we get to the bottom of this.
If only, but he has provided more information to the puzzle.
When do we hear Paul and Ringo comment on some questions??? Am I the only one wondering this? Or is there a reason I am not understanding?
I don't think they remember
@@keriford54 indeed... they're octogenaries with so so so many memories of their amazingly intense lives!
@@keriford54 I think you're right. There's footage of both of them (at different times) speaking, having seen the Peter Jackson film/footage, saying they'd forgotten it had been as happy as that. Remember they'd absorbed fifty years of hearing about how awful a time it had been and having the reminder 'evidence' of the Let It Be Film, not to mention numerous interviews over the years which started off with the premise that it was an awful time.
Men with beards discussing the lengths of beards of other men with beards
There were a number of songs on the two 1969-70 bootlegs (summer 69 and Jan 70) I bought which weren't included on any GET BACK version, or in the film, but there they are. THE WALK was interesting. DIG IT and DIG A PONY had significant additions on the bootlegs and even the Anthologies didn't cover them. And don't forget about George's NOT GUILTY, which is also included on the second bootleg. All of those were recorded during the Jan 1969, or earlier, or Feb so that they were compiled into the (now I presume) Glyn Johns 'bootlegs'. Or are those Paul's as a way for him to release HIS un-shit-upon versions of TWO OF US, LET IT BE and LONG & WINDING. Someone needs to ask Glyn and Paul about those bootlegs. SOMEONE released them - someone took tapes away and had pressings done. I've heard "in Boston" for the second bootleg.
Good ol’ Jimmy McCracklin 😎 Oaktown REPRESENT!
In regard to Glyn Johns' diary listing for February 1969... there is only ONE date where he writes "Beatles" and that is Feb. 22, 1969 at Trident. None of the other dates list "Beatles" at all. And there is NO listing of The Beatles having any recording dates in February other than Feb. 22 when they were all there along with Billy Preston (and Feb. 25 when it was just George Harrison).
The dates where it says "To Town APPLE" do not indicate that there were any recording sessions with the Beatles. He may have been there to try and help get the recording studio in decent working order. Or maybe for other business reasons. But there is ZERO record of any recording being done on any of those dates from Feb. 14th through Feb. 21st of 1969.
You have a good point, no mention of Beatles, just Apple.
There is an entry in his diary about testing, which aligns with this undated tape in the EMI tape library.
Perhaps there is more on the tape ?
4T E65786 Feb 1969
New Mixer Tape
90% TEST TONE - A LITTLE OF “I WANT YOU”
• This mysterious reel, logged in at Abbey Road February 24th, was probably used by The Beatles to test out the new mixing board installed
in the Apple basement studio. There are some photos of The Beatles recording (or at least rehearsing) at Apple in mid-February -
Paul has shaved his beard - which may come from this session. Most likely they were rehearsing
February was when they recorded I Want You.
Lewisohn says Lady Madonna "jam" run through on 1/31 was mixed by Glyn Johns as potential LP track (p. 170). That would explain an upright piano in February.
But Lady Madonna had already been released as a single in 1968.
@@noahhenson1669 Of course. I'm only repeating what Lewisohn says. Apparently was being considered for the album.
This conversation with Glyn Johns seems to lay this out exactly "We carried on and did Abbey Road, or what was to become Abbey Road, we were just doing sessions" ua-cam.com/video/s3N-3ByVLu0/v-deo.html
Paul really looks like two different people with and without the beard. Cooler with the beard and 10 years younger without the beard.
The reason it looks like 2 pauls it is the real paul mccartney died in 1966. Faul is living as paul the creep
.Joel please do your research, we cannot forget paul, we have to not forget him.
@Roseanne.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Pitiful.
Enjoying the good obsession In 2021/22
Beatles '69. Active
Glynn’ s diary is on display currently at the rock hall of fame in Cleveland. Glynn is scheduled to be there very soon for an appearance…..
Glyn Johns talks about the february 69 session in this interview (ca. 1.04.30)
ua-cam.com/video/yQFHnGVm6sI/v-deo.html
There is no album called 'Get Back'. Does he mean 'Let It Be'?
There is now as of Oct 15 2021
I agree with Peter Jackson the Beatles at Trident was probably another Get Back rehearsal date or possibly a serious attempt at George’s “Old Brown Shoe” ? Why they went to Trident for that one time? Apple not available or did not have upright piano? I also can agree that they might have been going over “I want you”(She’s so heavy) and other future Abbey Road songs but then as stated did want to use those later over produced songs for stripped the down “Get Back” LP after discussing w/ Glyn John’s ? The serious rehearsals for “Abbey Road” didn’t start till much later. Possibly Phil Spector for who worked on “Let it Be” film Soundtrack or is my timeline off? Thanks for Beatles hard core discussion guys!
I Me Mine was the only Beatles recording made in the '70s and John wasn't on it... another mystery
Paul and Ringo never spoke about recording Abbey Road?
His pronouning of "Teddy Boy" sounded rather obscene lol.
Why not talk to Paul, Peter must be able to speak with him about this.
Rambling man comes to mind 😂😜
The murder is always the gardener, is this a forensic investigation on a murder case or what? Why bother, I enjoyed the docu very much, thanks Peter.
I don’t want to sound like a dork. Um, news flash.
Why does Peter Jackson always look so disheveled as if he he just got off the crapper?
I like that look, like the homey professor
Because he can.
@@mozart9991 Perfect answer!! Lol! And I'd imagine he's very comfortable in his skin🙂
Honestly who cares. Let it be. -U10
All a bunch of Satanic Magick…
Paul is dead and William played the part almost flawlessly…
Oh look! There's another one😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂