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"Let It Be" is a song written by Lennon & McCartney (although thought to be the sole work of Paul McCartney). The song was first recorded by The Beatles and released as a single in March 1970 and later the same year as the title track of their acclaimed album Let It Be.
Origins Although the song's lyrics are interpreted by some as being a hymn to the Virgin Mary, the song was written as a tribute by McCartney after he had a dream about his mother, Mary, who died when he was fourteen. (John Lennon was allegedly critical of the song upon McCartney's introduction, assuming that 'Mother Mary' was merely an allusion to Christianity.) However, whether consciously or not, the words 'let it be' quote Mary’s words to Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke 1:38...depending on the translation, some versions of the bible read "may it be" (New American Standard Bible) while others are simply "be it unto me" (American Standard Version)but the message is the same. Recording and version history The master take was recorded on 31 January 1969 as part of the 'Apple studio performance' for the project Get Back. Paul played the piano (a Blüthner Flügel from Leipzig/former East Germany), John played the bass, Billy Preston played the organ and George Harrison and Ringo Starr assumed their conventional roles. Paul's lead vocal was backed by John and George (as seen in the film Let It Be). The master take included a quieter guitar solo by George (which can also be seen in Let It Be). The track was mixed by Glyn Johns for inclusion on the first (unreleased) Get Back album in April, but it was decided a new guitar solo was needed to bring the track up to standard. George recorded an overdub on April 30 1969. This second solo is the one heard on the single version. There are four recordings of the song that have been 'officially' released. Single version It was originally released as a single in 1970, backed by "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)" and produced by George Martin. This version includes orchestration and backing vocals overdubbed in 1970 under the supervision of Paul McCartney. The backing vocals include the only known contribution by Linda McCartney to a Beatles song . In these sessions George Harrison recorded a third guitar solo as an overdub. The intention at one point was to have the two solos (April 1969 and January 1970) playing together. However, this idea was dropped for the final mix and only the April 69 solo is used. The final mix tones down the orchestration as well; possibly to tie in more with the 'live sound' concept and the film version. Album version In April 1970 Phil Spector remixed the song for the album Let It Be. This version features the more stinging January guitar solo and more prominent orchestration. Anthology version An early version of the song also appears on the third Anthology volume 3. "Let It Be...Naked" version Finally, another retooled version of the song appears on the 2003 album Let It Be... Naked. Ringo's drumming was augmented by echo effects added by Phil Spector on the album version. Ringo disliked this mix, so Let It Be...Naked features his original drumming. The guitar solo used in this version was taken from the subsequent take as seen in the film Let It Be. The "Final" Song During Linda McCartney's funeral in 1998, the three remaining Beatles played this song for the last time together. Anomalies and quirks 2 minutes and 59 seconds into the song, a 'wrong' chord is played on the piano. Cover versions Parodies | ||||||||
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