Let It Be… Naked

Infobox Album
Name = Let It Be… Naked
Type = remix
Artist = The Beatles


Released = November 17 2003
Recorded = Abbey Road Studios
Twickenham Film Studios
Savile Row
February 4 1968
January 2–January 31 1969
January 3–January 4 1970
Genre = Rock and roll
Length = 35:00
43:42 (including "Fly on the Wall")
Label = Apple
Producer = George Martin, The Beatles, Paul Hicks, Guy Massey, Allan Rouse
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3jd7gjyr46in~T1 link]
*Pitchfork Media (7.0/10) [http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/b/beatles/let-it-be-naked.shtml 11/20/03]
Last album = "1"
(2000)
This album = "Let It Be… Naked"
(2003)
Next album = "The Capitol Albums, Volume 1"
(2004)
Misc =

"Let It Be… Naked" is a remixed and remastered version of the original session tapes from the 1970 "Let It Be" album by The Beatles, first released in November 2003.

History

The album is presented in a form which is purported to be closer to The Beatles' original artistic vision: to "get back" to the rock 'n' roll sound of their early yearsMatt Hurwitz (01 Jan 2004) [http://mixonline.com/recording/interviews/audio_naked_truth_beatles/ The Naked Truth About The Beatles' Let It Be Naked.] www.mixonline.com] rather than the orchestral overdubs and embellishments which were added by Phil Spector in the production of the final "Let It Be" album. Paul McCartney in particular was always dissatisfied with the "Wall of Sound" production techniques that had been employed on the Phil Spector remixes, especially for his song "The Long and Winding Road," which he believed was ruined by the process. George Harrison gave his approval for the "...Naked" project before he died."Rediff" article: " [http://ushome.rediff.com/entertai/2003/sep/19music.htm It's a Bad Day on CNN] ."] McCartney's attitude contrasted with Lennon's from over two decades earlier. In his September 1980 "Playboy" interview, Lennon had defended Spector's work, saying Spector had taken the shelved recordings and "made something of it."

In January of 1969, The Beatles had decided to go back into the studio to rehearse and record new songs and have the project filmed for a documentary. The project's original working title was "Get Back", and an album and film were to be the end products of these sessions. Being older and more independent, the individual Beatles' tolerances for each other's quirks had decreased: for instance, on January 10th, George Harrison walked out of the sessions after being harassed by Paul McCartney about his playing style on a take of "Two of Us". [YouTube: " [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7t_YlUl1PI paul mccartney & george harrison argue in front of the camera] " from "Let It Be".] By the time the Beatles had decided the project was completed, all parties involved were so aggrieved that all of the resultant recordings and film were left on the shelf for close to a year, with no one wanting to face the gruelling editing process. (In the meantime, that summer, they recorded and released "Abbey Road"³--with sessions running smoothly and tensions largely abated. Also issued was the single "The Ballad of John and Yoko"/"Old Brown Shoe," recorded in April and released in May.)

After nearly a year, with some parties at EMI wanting more of a return on the early 1969 sessions besides just the "Get Back"/"Don't Let Me Down" single (released in April of 1969), Phil Spector was brought in by John Lennon and George Harrison and given the task of going through the hundreds of hours of audio tape and film and coming up with a marketable product to tie in with the impending film release. The end result was the album "Let It Be", released May 8, 1970. (The movie of the same name was released later that month.)

Genesis of the Naked Project

One of the biggest complaints about the "Let It Be" album throughout the years has centred on Spector's "Wall of Sound" technique, with many critics claiming the quality of the music was diminished by his orchestration and use of choirs. The Beatles' original intent in the early 1969 sessions had been to keep the music simple, both to remain true to their rock 'n' roll roots and to enable them to easily replicate the songs in possible future live performances.

The origin of the "Let It Be...Naked" project arose during a chance reunion of Paul McCartney and "Let It Be" film director Michael Lindsay-Hogg on an airplane flight in the early 2000s. McCartney and Lindsay-Hogg discussed the unavailability of the film on both VHS and DVD, which led to discussion of a possible remixed "soundtrack" to accompany a proposed future DVD release. In early 2002, McCartney recruited Abbey Road in-house engineers Paul Hicks, Guy Massey and Allan Rouse to go back into the vaults and assemble a brand new studio album from the 30 reels of tape recorded during the January 1969 sessions. Since much of the "Let It Be" material had been recorded live, many sound anomalies existed on the tapes. Hicks, Massey and Rouse did extensive work digitally cleaning up each individual track of every song before remixing it. Some takes were edited together to come up with the best possible final version. In the case of one song--"Dig a Pony"--one errant note sung by John Lennon was even digitally pitch-corrected.

Notable differences

Two songs that had been included on the original "Let It Be" album—"Maggie Mae" and "Dig It"—were both excised, as they were essentially studio improvisations ("Maggie Mae" being a traditional Liverpool folk song) and thought to be too weak for inclusion. A version of Lennon's "Don't Let Me Down" (a composite edit of the two versions from the rooftop concert) was added in their place. "I've Got a Feeling" was also presented in a new composite edit of its two rooftop concert takes. "Across the Universe" (which actually dates from February 1968, nearly a year before the rest of the album was recorded) was retained, although stripped of almost all of its overdubs.

Another striking difference is in McCartney's "The Long and Winding Road". The last recorded take (which also appears in the film) was chosen over the rough early take Phil Spector had chosen for the original album. (The unadorned take from the "Let It Be" album can be found on the compilation album "Anthology 3".) Naturally, the "...Naked" version is devoid of Phil Spector's orchestral and choral overdubs. In addition, one line from the song reads, in the studio version, "anyway, you'll never know, the many ways I've tried". In "Naked," the line reads, "anyway, you've always known, the many ways I've tried".

The studio dialogue from the original album was removed, as was the dialogue from the January 30, 1969 rooftop concert that had originally closed the album. Additionally, the running order is quite different from the "Let It Be" album.

After the release of "Let It Be...Naked" in 2003, many referred to this CD—with its simpler song versions—as being the "de-Spectorized" version of the original "Let It Be" album.

The album received mixed reviews from the music press. Some objected strongly to the removal of the dialogue between songs, as it was originally intended to be part of the "Get Back" and subsequent "Let It Be" album.

The cover image of the album is a monochrome negative of the original cover picture, although George Harrison's photograph has been replaced with a new one for reasons undisclosed.

The first copies to be released were shipped with a 21-minute "Fly on the Wall" bonus disc, consisting of excerpts of songs and dialogue from the countless hours of tapes from the "Let It Be" sessions.

Track listing

All tracks written by Lennon/McCartney, except where noted.
#"Get Back" - 2:34
#"Dig a Pony" - 3:38
#"For You Blue" (Harrison) - 2:27
#"The Long and Winding Road" - 3:34
#"Two of Us" - 3:21
#"I've Got a Feeling" - 3:30
#"One After 909" - 2:44
#"Don't Let Me Down" - 3:18
#"I Me Mine" (Harrison) - 2:21
#"Across the Universe" - 3:38
#"Let It Be" - 3:55

Bonus disc: "Fly on the Wall"

Compiled and edited by Kevin Howlett. All tracks written by Lennon/McCartney, except "Child of Nature," and "John's Piano Piece" written by Lennon, "All Things Must Pass" written by Harrison, "Don't Pass Me By" and "Taking a Trip to Carolina" written by Starkey, and "Maggie Mae" a traditional song arranged by Lennon-McCartney-Harrison-Starkey.

*Conversation
*"Sun King" – 0:17
*"Don't Let Me Down" – 0:35
*Conversation
*"One After 909" – 0:09
*Conversation
*"Because I Know You Love Me So" – 1:32
*Conversation
*"Don't Pass Me By" – 0:03
*"Taking a Trip to Carolina" – 0:19
*"John's Piano Piece" – 0:18
*Conversation
*"Child of Nature" – 0:24
*"Back in the U.S.S.R." – 0:09
*Conversation
*"Every Little Thing" – 0:09
*"Don't Let Me Down" – 1:01
*Conversation
*"All Things Must Pass" – 0:21
*Conversation
*"She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" – 0:05
*Conversation
*"Paul's Piano Piece" – 1:01
*Conversation
*"Get Back" – 0:15
*Conversation
*"Two of Us" – 0:22
*"Maggie Mae" – 0:22
*"Fancy My Chances with You" – 0:27
*Conversation
*"Can You Dig It?" – 0:31
*Conversation
*"Get Back" – 0:32
*Conversation

Personnel

*John Lennon - guitars, vocals, bass, lap steel guitar
*Paul McCartney - vocals, bass, acoustic guitars, piano (acoustic), organ, electric piano
*George Harrison - guitars, vocals, sitar, tambura.
*Ringo Starr - drums
*Billy Preston - organ, piano (electric)
*George Martin - organ, percussion

References and notes

Release details

The album was released in various countries in November 2003.

Charts