The Beatles: LET IT BE
As the 1960s wound down, so did the Beatles. The symmetry was perfect: youthful energy, optimism, and camaraderie had given over to cynicism, discord, and looking out for number one. As the decade's final year began, the White Album was still riding high on the charts and the Yellow Submarine soundtrack was days away from release. But the Beatles were in serious trouble. Nothing about being in the band was enjoyable or easy. The power vacuum left by the death of manager Brian Epstein a year and a half earlier had never been satisfactorily filled; Apple Corps, the multi-media company started by the band a year earlier, was bleeding money; and toughest of all, the once-Fab Four didn't generally enjoy being in the same room together. All were either married or close to it, closing in on 30, and tremendously weary of all they'd been through. Recorded without joy, set aside for months while a better album was assembled, and finally remixed in a way that enraged one of the band's principals, Let It Be finally saw release in May 1970. But by that point, the Beatles break-up had been official for several weeks.
Tracklist:
1.Two Of Us 2.Dig A Pony 3.Across The Universe 4.I Me Mine 5.Dig It 6.Let It Be 7.Maggie Mae 8.I've Got A Feeling 9.One After 909 10.The Long And Winding Road 11.For You Blue 12.Get Back
Lineup:
John Lennon - lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Get Back", lap steel guitar on "For You Blue", acoustic guitar on "Two Of Us", "Across The Universe" and "Maggie Mae", six-string bass guitar on "Dig It", "Let It Be" and "The Long And Winding Road", whistling on "Two Of Us", Paul McCartney - lead and backing vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar on "Two Of Us" and "Maggie Mae", piano on "Dig It", "Across The Universe", "Let It Be", "The Long And Winding Road", and "For You Blue", Hammond organ on "I Me Mine", electric piano on "I Me Mine" and "Let It Be", maracas on "Let It Be", George Harrison - lead and rhythm guitars, acoustic guitar on "For You Blue" and "I Me Mine", tambura on "Across The Universe", lead vocals on "I Me Mine" and "For You Blue", backing vocals, Ringo Starr - drums, percussion on "Across The Universe". Additional musicians: Richard Anthony Hewson - string and brass arrangements on "I Me Mine" and "The Long And Winding Road", John Barham - choral arrangements on "Across The Universe", "I Me Mine" and "The Long And Winding Road", George Martin - Hammond organ on "Across The Universe", shaker on "Dig It", string and brass arrangements on "Let It Be", production, Linda McCartney - backing vocals on "Let It Be", Billy Preston - electric piano on "Dig A Pony", "I've Got A Feeling", "One After 909", "The Long And Winding Road" and "Get Back", Hammond organ on "Dig It" and "Let It Be", Brian Rogers - string and brass arrangements on "Across The Universe"