THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD TO LET IT BE
It’s finally happening. A year after the originally scheduled release dates, the 50th anniversary releases commemorating The Beatles’ Let It Be album and film are coming out at last. October 15 saw the reissue of the album, remixed by Giles Martin, and getting usual multi-edition treatment, ranging from single CD and LP editions (including a picture disc) up to Super Deluxe vinyl and CD/Blu-ray box sets. The film itself is being refashioned into a new production, The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson, and debuting on the Disney+ network November 25-27. An accompanying book, also titled The Beatles: Get Back, was also published in October. (And in case you’re wondering, at press time there had been no announcement about the future release of either the original Let It Be or the new Get Back movies on DVD/Blu-ray).
The 1970 Let It Be album and film came from one of the more troubled periods in The Beatles’ career. Three months after completing The Beatles (aka The White Album), the group had reconvened at Twickenham Film Studios on January 2, 1969, to rehearse songs for an upcoming live performance, the rehearsals also filmed for an accompanying documentary. The subsequent 20 days of sessions have been described as the most contentious time in the group’s history. “It was hell making the film Let It Be,” John Lennon told Rolling Stone in 1970. “Even the biggest Beatle fan couldn’t have sat through those six weeks (sic) of misery. It was the most miserable session on earth.” George Harrison called the sessions The Beatles’ “winter of discontent,” and had even walked out at one point.
Nor was the group happy with the end result. Paul McCartney objected to Phil Spector’s production on the final album. George Martin, their regular producer who was involved in the record’s initial stages, was
