Let It Be: History, analysis, and comparison of the song's different mixes
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- čas přidán 9. 09. 2024
- In this video, I take a close look at the various mixes of the song Let It Be. I go over the recording history of the album and the song, its lyrical origins, and explain why different mixes exist. We then compare several mixes to each other and note the differences between them. I also play snippets from my "ultimate" mix of Let It Be. A link to that mix can be found below. The purpose of this video is to educate, so if you learned something and/or enjoyed the video, let me know!
Link to the Let It Be (Ultimate Mix): whyp.it/tracks...
Link to the You Can't Unhear This video: • Let It Be’s Ghost Guit...
Update 11/21/23: I had to post a new link to my ultimate mix due to running out of space on clyp.it. This new upload is a little different than the original. After making this video, I went back and redid my ultimate mix. It is mostly based off the album version, but I inserted the backing vocals from the single version. It is much simpler than my initial take, but I think it works better. Let me know your thoughts.
I just always assumed Let It Be was a way to tell everyone this is the last Beatles albums and for fans to enjoy everything they had done up to that point but now it was time to just let it be
Abbey Road was recorded after this though.
That’s true, but did they know they would be recording Abbey Road when they recorded Let It Be?
Abbey Road was the last "real" Beatles album even though Let It Be was recorded prior to Abbey Road. The tracks that make up Let It Be were songs from the Get Back sessions the band had more or less given up on ever being up to their standards. After the band had disintegrated they gave the tapes to Phil Spector who cobbled together the Let It Be album from the Get Back material. I do believe you're right about the name Let It Be referring to the end of the band and for everyone to accept what had happened. The sessions the songs came from weren't called Let It Be although of course they did include the appropriately named titular track. If I'm incorrect on any of this please do correct me, I'm still learning about the Beatles.
Yeah the organ from Billy Preston is there but the other “organ” you hear is actually a Wurlitzer electric piano overdubbed by Paul. Who knows why but I think it’s a nice touch
You just gave me EXACTLY what I was looking for Pier Dude... Notably - the different Harrison solos on this iconic piece of music. I have had a devil of time trying to find the original compilation (original 'Blue Album' ) version of the distorted solos...
The 2003 remix does not include that take present on the origninal compilation containing Let It Be...
However, your 'Ultimate Mix' - which is EXCELLENT - includes that fuzzed-up solo. THanks so much! Excellent research and documentation of the multitude of multitrack takes that went into making this song.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video and my ultimate mix! It was a lot of fun to make.
Thanks for the great analysis and comparison. and the ultimate mix. Personally I prefer the Single or the Naked one more, but I love how you go through all the dfferent solos that Harrison made. Recently watching the Get Back series, I love that part when McCartney comes in one day and sits down at the piano and lays out those chords...
I believe that is an electric piano you're referring to in 10:20 rather than an organ. You've already mentioned at around 10:00 that the organ varies in volume in the different mixes. Billy Preston played the organ part live during the Get Back sessions (specifically for the Takes 27A and B that were featured in the Let It Be movie) while Paul played the electric piano as an overdub during the January 1970 sessions (there are some pics of him playing the electric piano during that time)
Very interesting and well done video. Let It Be is one of the greatest songs of all time. I've been listening to it over these past 50 years and it still fills me with joy .
Damn!!!...and to think that I thought I was the only one obsessed with looking for differences in music, especially that of The Beatles... thanks for the video, it's great...❤️🙏🏻
Absolutely fantastic analysis. Really enjoyed this
This video is amazing
Glynn Jones is really underrated for this project. It was because of him that the further production of Phil Spector was able to be that he made the floor plans for these things. I really do have admiration for his original mix even though I can see why the labels in the band didn't like all the banter got it's just very interesting though the guy had so much material to produce and attend to for all of this stuff it's not like either regular studio situation where you go in for a few hours and get this and that done I mean he was literally having to do this on the fly. So thanks for bringing that out in your video. Very very cool. I don't know what else you have on your channel. Either way I agree this is my favorite Beatles album 2 for many reasons. Most people disagree with us. That's the thing not everybody has a right to be wrong if they want to.
Please do more of these!
Fascinating!
My favorite official mix is the Single. There's too much orchestra and stuff in the Spectorized album version for my taste, and the Naked version feels kinda empty to me. However, I definitely dig the take 27b solo from the Naked mix more than all others. Therefore, my personal ultimate mix is the Single version with the Naked solo flown in. I've made it myself, and it sounds awesome.
Glad you enjoyed the video. While I would say that the album version is my favorite, each version of the song has something to offer. I can pretty much listen to any version at this point and enjoy it. The naked solo is fantastic, definitely my second favorite below the album version. I also hope that one day the original solo from take 27A will get properly released.
Thank god I've found somebody else who prefers the single version. I don't like distortion & after all, this is a gentle song. Not Revolution or Birthday.
Great video! It's great to watch this after the Get Back documentary and seing how much they really tried to get it to perfection
I'm an album version diehard. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I don't like the single version or the Naked version. George's guitar solo from the January 1970 session is far superior to the single version solo (which I find too mellow) and I really like the Phil Spector horn arrangement on the album version.
I listened to your ultimate mix and I thought it was excellent. As far as I could tell it was mostly like the album version with the addition of the choral background voices of Paul, George and Linda, which was really neat.
Thank you for your comment, I always enjoy reading them. I am definitely of the same opinion; the album version is my go-to version. I think it has the best solo and mix overall. The only thing it doesn't have is the backing vocals of Paul, George, and Linda, which is why I made my ultimate mix. Since making this video, I've actually updated my mix using better AI separation technology. Maybe one day I'll upload it.
I like the album version better for George’s beautiful distorted guitar and Ringo’s drums. And ofcourse the Echo used by Spectar.
Just listened to the mix! Awesome job! I love it!!
Your Ultimate Mix link in the description is amazing.
Mesmerizing!!! I came to love this song more after watching it. Thanks a lot!
tbh i like the drum echo that phil spektor added, i feel it's more iconic to me
What a great analysis!
Really, really awesome video you made here.
great work!
R.I.P. Phil Spector. The album version is my favorite version of the song. I love the echo/delay on the cymbals and the more distorted guitar solo used. (I also prefer that Harrison take)
AMAZING video. You deserve way more than sub 100 views and 46 subscribers. I got more than than for a low-effort Star Wars video. THIS video is well researched, brilliantly presented, and clearly took a lot of work and dedication. Thanks for the amazing video.
Subscribed. Looking forward to listening to your mix too! :D
Hey man, really appreciate the comment. This video took awhile to get right, but the song deserved it. I hope to make some more Beatles videos eventually, and maybe this one will get some more views along the way.
I think I'd have to agree that the album version is my favorite too. If you like the album version, I would definitely recommend checking out my mix. It's based off the album version (solo, orchestra), but uses the naked drums and also incorporates in the backing vocals and extra guitar pieces.
spectacular
George's Jan 4 1970 new guitar solo was THE one.
What take is that ? I want to know
Great work, look forward to more. Care to redo this and include the Glynn Johns Version ?
To my knowledge, Glyn John's version of Let It Be is more or less the same as the single version.
Fantastic work detailing and putting it together for us in an easy to hear form. I have more questions. Has the solo from 27A been released in any capacity in that 2021 deluxe album? I'm diving into this rabbit hole and am trying to wrap my head around it all. It's timely that it was just released after your video came out.
So much to wrap a timeline around. The Anthology 3 came before Takes 27 I think? I cant tell whats different in the 2021 release of Take 28 from the Naked Version. I think im getting tone deaf procesing all this but i thini they both use 27B unless i am mistaken. Those are neat, and seem of interest being alternate versions, yet im unable to find even a complete audio of 27A apart from what you've shown. im invested in this iceberg theory thing surrounded this song and seek to learn and understand it all
Thanks for your kind words, I'm glad to see people are still enjoying this video. I had high hopes for the Get Back documentary, but unfortunately they did not release the complete take 27A solo on the 2021 release. That was a huge disappointment to me.
The Anthology 3 solo came before takes 27A and 27B. The Naked version uses the guitar solo from take 28 (which in this video I call 27B), but everything else is from 27A. There is a complete version of take 27A out there from the Nagra Reels, but the audio quality is not terrific. I'm hoping maybe one day they'll release an extended cut of the Get Back documentary which will have the full version of take 27A.
I think as I prefer this version it would be the single mix but with the overdriven Epi from the album version, and the extra chorus.
I am curious about 2 things: First, when Paul sang "there will be no sorrow" in take 27B (28 on the Apple Jams) which rhymes with "shine until tomorrow" - was that the intended line? I love that. And second, the bass was also changed - I assume it was Paul, but did John redo it since he did the original live take while he was singing backing vocals simultaneously?
John Denver released an album with a cover of Let it Be on it less than a year after the Beatles released the album. He sang "there will be no sadness" in his version. He also covered Junk from McCartney's first solo album, and the James Taylor hit Fire and Rain on the same LP. He released two singles from that album, although the second single came two years after the album release because it was used in an NBC made-for-TV movie. The first single was Take Me Home, Country Roads, which peaked at #2 on the hot 100 near the end of August 1971. The second single was Sunshine on My Shoulders, which became his first of four #1 hits on the hot 100 on March 3, 1974.
That's great - I will try to find that! Thanks very much!
I am not sure of the answer to your first question about the intended line. However, I do know that Paul overdubbed his bass part on January 4, 1970, the same session in which they recorded the new backing vocals. John was not present at these sessions and since his bass part was overdubbed, he technically does not appear on the finished song.
Jan 3 1970 solo is one of best guitar solos of all time!! It should have been on single.
Which take ?
@@dawsonrose8489 from the Let it be album
This is incredible done! I go back and forth on which mix to listen to... your mix is awesome man!!! What do you think of the newest Giles Martin mix?
Thank you so much for your kind words! Now that the new documentary/box set is out, this video is a little out-of-date. I do like my mix, but I think there a couple things I could improve in it. I don't mind the new Giles Martin mix, though I think I prefer the 2009 remaster over it. The guitar is a bit too loud in my opinion, though I do like that it brings out the piano more.
yessss
Interesting to hear it's the narrator's favorite Beatles album. I like a few songs from it, but I consider it the only weak Beatles album post 1965. It's all a matter of opinion though. I recently posted a comment to the effect that the White album ended up being great despite the turmoil within the band at the time, only to have comments rain down about how terrible the White album is. It's interesting that with art one person can see or hear something either pleasurable or dislikable while another person will have a totally opposite reaction to the same piece.
what audio elements did use Glynn Johns for producing his version of the song Let it Be included on the Get Back album ?
To my knowledge, Glyn John's version of Let It Be is more or less the same as the single version. So he used the April 30, 1969 guitar solo and take 27A of Let It Be.
Dear friend
I wonder what John Lennon on bass sounded like?
The link no longer works :(
I ended up having to remove some stuff from clyp.it. I will reupload soon using another site.
while I appreciate the work that has gone into the ultimate mix, it contains everything I dislike about Phil Spectors overproducing. Just too much of everything. Too much meet and gravy, too much veg amd cranberry and afterwards you feel bloated and tired..... The single mix just stands out for me, it is the one I grew up with
I can understand that, Spector's version isn't for everyone. I do like the orchestra on Let It Be, whereas if I listen to The Long and Winding Road, I prefer the Naked version. At the end of the day, it's all about personal preference. Each mix of Let It Be has something to offer!
it annoys me that let it be is one of the most known beatles songs, it is essentially a McCartney solo song and a load of dreary dross in my opinion. Lennons mocking of it at the end of the let it be film sums it up.
Do you mean like many most known 'solo' McCartney songs he recorded whilst a Beatle?