LET IT BE
Let it Be is a 1970 British documentary film starring the Beatles and directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. The film documents the group rehearsing and recording songs for their twelfth and final studio album Let it Be, in January 1969. The film includes an unannounced rooftop concert by the group, their last public performance. Released just after the album in May 1970, Let it Be is the final original Beatles release. The film was originally planned as a television documentary which would accompany a concert broadcast. When plans for a broadcast were dropped, the project became a feature film. Although the film does not dwell on the dissension within the group at the time, it provides some glimpses into the dynamics that would lead to their break-up. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr collectively won an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film. (More from Wikipedia)
Two of the earliest Lennon/McCartney songs are “One After 909” and “Hello Little Girl”, both written primarily by John Lennon; Wikipedia says that they date from 1957. “One After 909” was included on the Beatles’ very last album, Let it Be and was also performed during the famous rooftop concert that is included in the film, Let it Be.
(June 2015)
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A tape of this early acetate of Let it Be made its way to America and was played on several US radio stations; it was later pressed into the bootleg album called Kum Back – as with The Greatest Group on Earth by the Rolling Stones, there are multiple editions of the album, though the title Kum Back is used consistently throughout as far as I know. While live concerts are almost always performed after the studio album comes out, Kum Back was made available many months before either the rooftop concert film called Let it Be was broadcast or Let it Be the album was released (they came out a few days apart in May 1970).
(September 2017)
