Beatles: Let It Be Revisits Historic Session with the Fab Four

Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s original 1970 film about The Beatles, which has been meticulously restored by Peter Jackson, is the first time the film is available in over 50 years. Originally released as a feature film doc in May 1970 amidst the swirl of The Beatles’ breakup, “Let It Be,” once viewed through a darker lens, this docuseries showcases the iconic foursome’s warmth and camaraderie, capturing a pivotal moment in music history.

Containing footage not featured in the “Get Back” docu-series, viewers are brought into the studio and onto Apple Corps’ London rooftop in January 1969 as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, with a special appearance with the 5th Beatle – Billy Preston put together in real time their iconic Grammy award winning album.

Let it Be is documentary in the same sense folks considered ‘Amazing Grace’ to be a documentary, where the veil is pulled back for fans to witness the quartet working out kinks with equipment and musical arrangements during the session providing some light and very poignant moments all at once.

Moments like messing around singing ‘Besame Mucho,’ Paul and John purposely messing up lyrics to “We’re Going Home, ”  John and Yoko dancing to a waltz or Heather McCartney using the recording studio as her personal playground.  We even see Ringo playing the piano (who knew)!

Hearing the massive influence American music ultimately had on their sound ranging from blues cuts like the Lieber and Stoller hit ‘Kansas City to the Smokey Robinson and The Miracles classic “You Really Got a Hold on Me’ is fascinating.  However, the session if far from light and fluffy when Paul and George have a slight schism over the arrangements for ‘Across The Universe.’

Watching history in the making is always cool.  In this instance, knowing what we do now, one can only wonder what type of music this awesome four would have been able to churn out if circumstances had beed different.