Let It Be: The Song: Introduction

The Beatles released their last single together as a band in 1970 called “Let It Be.” So, this article is all about the song. There were other single re-releases by The Beatles, but we had to wait until 1995 for new material from the Fab Four. This was “Free As A Bird,” of course.

There was also a separate album version and documentary film by the same name. Be that as it may, the single release was a number-one record around the world.

In Detail

• Release Date (Single): March 6, 1970
• Format: Vinyl record 7-inch single (A-side) (B-side being “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)”), also album tracks
• Studio And Date Recorded: Apple Studio: January 31, 1969, EMI Studios: April 30, 1969; and January 4, 1970
• Genre: Rock, pop gospel
• Track Duration: 3:50 (single version), 4:03 (album version)
• Record Label: Apple
• Songwriters: Lennon-McCartney
• Producers: George Martin (single version), Phil Spector (album version)
• Engineers: Glyn Johns, Jeff Jarratt, and Phil McDonald

Performers And Instruments

• Paul McCartney: lead and backing vocals, piano, maracas, Hohner Pianet, and also the bass guitar
• John Lennon: backing vocals
• George Harrison: lead guitar, also the backing vocals
• Ringo Starr: drums

Other Performers

• Linda McCartney: backing vocals
• Billy Preston: Hammond organ
• Various Session Musicians: orchestration

Where To Find “Let It Be: The Song”

The song is still available to buy on the following releases:

**The Anthology 3 album does not contain the original recording. Usually, the Anthology albums will contain various takes, etc. However, Beatles enthusiasts will want all versions!

Let It Be (Song): Background

After their manager, Brian Epstein, died on August 27, 1967, The Beatles lost a little direction. While Paul McCartney was desperate to keep it all together, he found it difficult to motivate his bandmates at times.

The idea for the song “Let It Be” came about during the 1968 sessions for the “White Album.”

“One night during this tense time, I had a dream I saw my mum [Mary], who’d been dead 10 years or so. And it was so great to see her because that’s a wonderful thing about dreams: you actually are reunited with that person for a second; there they are, and you appear to both be physically together again. It was so wonderful for me, and she was very reassuring.

In the dream, she said, ‘It’ll be all right.’ I’m not sure if she used the words ‘Let it be’ but that was the gist of her advice; it was, ‘Don’t worry too much, it will turn out OK.’ It was such a sweet dream I woke up thinking, Oh, it was really great to visit with her again.

I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing the song Let It Be. I literally started off ‘Mother Mary’, which was her name, ‘When I find myself in times of trouble’, which I certainly found myself in. The song was based on that dream.”

Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles

John Lennon’s Interpretation

After The Beatles broke up in 1970, the band members went their separate ways, and they said many blunt things:

“That’s Paul. What can you say? Nothing to do with The Beatles. It could’ve been Wings. I don’t know what he’s thinking when he writes Let It Be. I think it was inspired by Bridge Over Troubled Waters. That’s my feeling, although I have nothing to go on. I know he wanted to write a Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”

John Lennon
All We Are Saying, David Sheff

Two Recordings

The Beatles recorded two versions of the song “Let It Be,” and they are both available on various albums too. Therefore, it might be wise to become familiar with them.

Obviously, there were many takes over this turbulent period prior to The Beatles breaking up. The various tracks also had many vocals, guitar solos, piano pieces, and a mixture of other instruments. With all this to choose from, the production teams had a lot of material to work with. So let’s take a basic look at the different versions.

Single Version

When they released the single version, the images on the sleeve were the same as those from the album of the same name. However, both versions differ greatly.

The single version has the only known contribution by Linda McCartney to a Beatles song, albeit on backing vocals. This version was completed on January 4, 1970, with the overdubbing of orchestration and backing vocals. George Martin produced the single version, and the mix has a deliberately lower-sounding orchestration.

Album version

The difference in the album version came about when Phil Spector became involved with producing the “Let It Be” album. As far as we know, neither Paul McCartney nor George Martin were happy about this arrangement. He remixed the album version on March 26th, 1970.

While George Martin lowered the orchestration for the single, Phil Spector raised this sound. It also features Harrison’s second guitar solo overdub, fewer backing vocals, and a delay effect on Starr’s hi-hat. The final chorus differs as well, with “there will be an answer” being repeated twice in contrast to once only on the single.

Of course, Phil Spector is famous for his “Wall Of Sound.” Be that as it may, many people reject the interference from Phil Spector.

Other Versions

Obviously, we have the first commercial releases from 1970, but there are other alternative releases too. For instance, on the 1996 album “Anthology 3,” there is the “take 1” version from January 25, 1969, recorded in the Apple Studio. This includes John Lennon’s inquisitive speech at the beginning, “Are we supposed to giddle [giggle] in the solo?“

Obviously, there are other differences. As well as the opening speech, we hear Lennon at the end say, “I think that was rather grand. I’d take one home with me.” Again, this is just the famous Beatles’ humour!

In 2003, when Paul McCartney looked at the Let It Be/Get Back project again, there was another release of the song. They removed Phil Spector’s echo as well as the maracas and tom tom overdubs. They also raised the profile of Billy Preston’s Lowrey organ towards the end of the song. Together with tweaks to the guitar sounds, the result is striking!

Let It Be: The Song: Chart Success

Meanwhile, behind the Iron Curtain in the Soviet Union, the “Let It Be” EP (1972 Melodiya) was the Beatles’ first release there. That historic EP included the songs “Across The Universe” and “I Me Mine.”

Take A Listen

Finally, take some time out to listen to the song. Once you do that, why not leave a comment or two below?