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Post by superhans on Nov 1, 2008 7:55:57 GMT -5
Johns did include Don't Let Me Down -- it's the great version with the intro of John asking Ringo for a cymbal crash so he "can come screaming in." You're absolutely right. I stand corrected. Having had a proper look at the Glyn Johns final, January 1970 attempt, the opening three tracks are as follows: 1. One after 909 2. Rocker (instrumental) 3. Save the last dance for me What a weak opening and what terrible judgement! I honestly think Johns has a lot to answer for in the whole sorry 'Let it be' saga. It's almost like he's saying, 'Look, this isn't a terribly strong album, so let's play on the fact that it's supposed to be spontaneous and have lots of rough edges and let's throw in lots of filler to pad it all out.' He didn't need to - and the 'LIB...N' track listing demonstrates that. Although Glyn John's final pass boasted 'Don't let me down' and the freshly-minted 'I me mine', the track listing still has an unbalanced and cobbled-together feel about it with far too much clutter thrown into the fray... Even so, what was required at this juncture was just a bit of juducious pruning and the odd tweak here and there to the running order -- rather than the importation of massed choirs and a fourty-one-piece orchestra. Cue Phil Spector.....
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Post by superhans on Nov 1, 2008 10:11:13 GMT -5
....just while I'm still in mid-rant, here is the complete track listing for Glyn Johns' final attempt at 'Let it Be', January 1970... Side A: 1. One After 909 (3:03) 2. Rocker (0:34) 3. Save the Last Dance for Me (0:20) 4. Don't Let Me Down (4:40) 5. Dig a Pony (4:04) 6. I've Got a Feeling (2:45) 7. Get Back (3:14) 8. Let It Be (4:02) Side B:1. For You Blue (2:45) 2. Two of Us (3:26) 3. Maggie Mae (0:37) 4. Dig It (4:06) 5. The Long and Winding Road (3:39) 6. I Me Mine (1:45) 7. Across the Universe (3:27) 8. Get Back (reprise) (0:40) The first thing that strikes me is how back-loaded the album is. It's four tracks in before any strong material is presented ('Don't let me down'). This bizarre arrangement is compounded by the fact that tracks two and three last a combined total of fifty-four seconds. Pointless. D'you know what? I reckon in listening to the acetates, even by this early stage, the Beatles were probably blowing raspberries and switching off their tape machines in disgust. With this ham-fisted opening, Johns had already dug his own grave and lost the argument. In retrospect, Spector's subsequent production flourishes and 'commercial' arrangements were probably besides the point. He just elbowed the really weak stuff and sequenced what was left in a more appealing manner. Just by sticking 'Get Back' at the top of the Johns' running order and removing tracks 2 and 3 - this would have sharpened up the whole piece and produced a presentable album. The ridiculous and frustrating thing is - it wasn't rocket science.
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nine
Very Clean
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Post by nine on Nov 1, 2008 10:22:21 GMT -5
....just while I'm still in mid-rant, here is the complete track listing for Glyn Johns' final attempt at 'Let it Be', January 1970... Side A: 1. One After 909 (3:03) 2. Rocker (0:34) 3. Save the Last Dance for Me (0:20) 4. Don't Let Me Down (4:40) 5. Dig a Pony (4:04) 6. I've Got a Feeling (2:45) 7. Get Back (3:14) 8. Let It Be (4:02) Side B:1. For You Blue (2:45) 2. Two of Us (3:26) 3. Maggie Mae (0:37) 4. Dig It (4:06) 5. The Long and Winding Road (3:39) 6. I Me Mine (1:45) 7. Across the Universe (3:27) 8. Get Back (reprise) (0:40) The first thing that strikes me is how back-loaded the album is. It's four tracks in before any strong material is presented ('Don't let me down'). This bizarre arrangement is compounded by the fact that tracks two and three last a combined total of fifty-four seconds. Pointless. D'you know what? I reckon in listening to the acetates, even by this early stage, the Beatles were probably blowing raspberries and switching off their tape machines in disgust. With this ham-fisted opening, Johns had already dug his own grave and lost the argument. In retrospect, Spector's subsequent production flourishes and 'commercial' arrangements were probably besides the point. He just elbowed the really weak stuff and arranged what was left in a more appealing manner. Just by sticking 'Get Back' at the top of the Johns' running order and removing tracks 2 and 3 - this would have sharpened up the whole piece and produced a presentable album. The ridiculous and frustrating thing is - it wasn't rocket science. I don't know much about Glyn - though I know about his brother's story with the Stones..... George Martin didn't want anything to do with it. Phil was just chucked into it and at the time I don't know if he'd even had any real producing experience. No offence Mr Hans but I as far as I know there is no formula for track selection/running order and if there was then Glyn baby at least was trying to bust that.
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Post by beatleroadie on Nov 2, 2008 11:25:49 GMT -5
Here's the track list of my own "Get Back" mix CD. I like this sequence and think it offers the best flow between Paul and John songs and more balance between the sessions polished and rough edges....John and Paul singing together at the end of I've Got a Feeling is the climax of the record and its transition to the quiet piano chords of Let It Be is really really nice. All tracks are LIBN except where noted....What do you think? Try it!
SIDE ONE 1. Get Back 2. One After 909 3. Don't Let Me Down 4. Maggie Mae (LIB '70) 5. For You Blue 6. The Long and Winding Road (Anthology 3) 7. Across the Universe
SIDE TWO 8. I Me Mine 9. Two of Us 10. Dig It (LIB '70) 11. Dig a Pony 12. I've Got a Feeling 13. Let It Be *hidden track "Fancy Me Chances With You" (LIBN Fly-on-the-Wall)
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Post by superhans on Nov 2, 2008 14:19:26 GMT -5
Here's the track list of my own "Get Back" mix CD. I like this sequence and think it offers the best flow between Paul and John songs and more balance between the sessions polished and rough edges....John and Paul singing together at the end of I've Got a Feeling is the climax of the record and its transition to the quiet piano chords of Let It Be is really really nice. All tracks are LIBN except where noted....What do you think? Try it! SIDE ONE 1. Get Back 2. One After 909 3. Don't Let Me Down 4. Maggie Mae (LIB '70) 5. For You Blue 6. The Long and Winding Road (Anthology 3) 7. Across the Universe SIDE TWO 8. I Me Mine 9. Two of Us 10. Dig It (LIB '70) 11. Dig a Pony 12. I've Got a Feeling 13. Let It Be *hidden track "Fancy Me Chances With You" (LIBN Fly-on-the-Wall) Good list. I like the fact that your album is book-ended by its two pivotal songs - 'Get Back' and 'Let it Be'. Putting plenty of distance between 'Maggie Mae' and 'Dig it' is no bad thing either....in fact I'd be tempted to miss them out altogether. Really the rest of the album picks itself. Pity Glyn Johns didn't see it that way!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2008 16:57:02 GMT -5
I recently got a copy of glyn Johns 1st get back mix...
Glyn Johns's First Mix, May 28, 1969
Side A
1. One After 909 (3:03) Recorded live on the rooftop of Apple studios on January 30, 1969 2. Rocker (0:45) Recorded January 22, 1969 3. Save the Last Dance for Me (1:38) Recorded January 22, 1969 4. Don't Let Me Down (4:09) Recorded January 22, 1969 5. Dig a Pony (3:48) Recorded January 24, 1969 6. I've Got a Feeling (3:00) Recorded January 24, 1969 7. Get Back (3:14) Recorded January 28, 1969
Side B
1. For You Blue (2:45) Recorded January 25, 1969 2. Teddy Boy (3:43) Recorded January 24, 1969. "Teddy Boy" was omitted from Glyn Johns's second version of Get Back. Paul re-recorded this song for his first solo album McCartney. 3. Two of Us (3:31) Recorded January 24, 1969 4. Maggie Mae (0:41) Recorded January 24, 1969 5. Dig It (4:26) Recorded January 26, 1969 6. Let It Be (3:58) Recorded January 31, 1969 with overdubs recorded April 30, 1969 7. The Long and Winding Road (3:42) Recorded January 31, 1969 8. Get Back (reprise) (0:40) Recorded January 28, 1969
The 2nd Glyn Johns get back mix is harder to get but i'll keep searching...
Glyn Johns's Second Mix, January 5, 1970
Side A
1. One After 909 (3:03) Recorded live on the rooftop of Apple studios on January 30, 1969 2. Rocker (0:34) Recorded January 22, 1969 3. Save the Last Dance for Me (0:20) Recorded January 22, 1969 4. Don't Let Me Down (4:40) Recorded January 22, 1969 5. Dig a Pony (4:04) Recorded January 24, 1969 6. I've Got a Feeling (2:45) Recorded January 24, 1969 7. Get Back (3:14) Recorded January 28, 1969 - The single release version 8. Let It Be (4:02) Recorded January 31, 1969 with overdubs recorded April 30, 1969
Side B
1. For You Blue (2:45) Recorded January 25, 1969 2. Two of Us (3:26) Recorded January 24, 1969 3. Maggie Mae (0:37) Recorded January 24, 1969 4. Dig It (4:06) Recorded January 26, 1969 5. The Long and Winding Road (3:39) Recorded January 31, 1969 6. I Me Mine (1:45) Recorded January 3, 1970 by George, Paul and Ringo. John was on vacation at that time. 7. Across the Universe (3:27) Recorded February 4 and 8, 1968 8. Get Back (reprise) (0:40) Recorded January 28, 1969
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2008 0:19:48 GMT -5
I was searching through my Beatles stuff and i found the 2nd Glyn Johns Get Back mix... I didn't realise i had them both.....
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Post by superhans on Nov 4, 2008 3:30:52 GMT -5
The thing that strikes me about Glyn John's two attempts is how similar they are.
The second attempt benefits from the inclusion of 'Across the Universe' and 'I me mine', but the running order is strikingly similar. It's as if Johns thought the basic format of the original was sound and all that was needed was a bit of minor tweaking.
The only track to disappear completely from the fisrt version was a half-baked recording of McCartney's 'Teddy Boy' (at the specific request of McCartney). No fewer than four knockabout jams remain in the line-up (Maggie, Dig it, Last dance and Rocker).
The second attempt seems to show GJ defiantly sticking to his guns, despite what must have been pretty negative feedback from the band.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2008 3:55:16 GMT -5
The thing that strikes me about Glyn John's two attempts is how similar they are. The second attempt benefits from the inclusion of 'Across the Universe' and 'I me mine', but the running order is strikingly similar. It's as if Johns thought the basic format of the original was sound and all that was needed was a bit of minor tweaking. The only track to disappear completely from the fisrt version was a half-baked recording of McCartney's 'Teddy Boy' (at the specific request of McCartney). No fewer than four knockabout jams remain in the line-up (Maggie, Dig it, Last dance and Rocker). The second attempt seems to show GJ defiantly sticking to his guns, despite what must have been pretty negative feedback from the band. Yes it's a bit hard to fathom why they were so similar these mixes.. Where was George Martin when these mixes were being put together,wasn't he with Johns for some of the time,maybe George M. was happy with Glyn's intent.... Phil did a good job..i think...
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kc
Beatle Freak
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Post by kc on Nov 4, 2008 4:14:38 GMT -5
Hey, why doesn't Apple just combine the two versions together in a 2 CD set one day? Then you can play one, or the other, or mix them up a little, whatever you want to do.
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Post by superhans on Nov 4, 2008 4:29:44 GMT -5
Hey, why doesn't Apple just combine the two versions together in a 2 CD set one day? Then you can play one, or the other, or mix them up a little, whatever you want to do. I reckon apple probably washed its hands of the Glyn Johns' mixes for good back in January 1970. Not having heard the mixes myself, I'm interested in reader's opinions of how they sound. How well do they represent the 'Get Back' sessions? Are the Spector / LIBN versions better? What are your favourite bits? Are there any particularly good versions of songs or snippets that should never have been edited out?
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Post by superhans on Nov 4, 2008 13:53:16 GMT -5
...just on the subject of 'Let it be', here's a youtube clip I'd not seen before of the Beatles in very 'up' mood at Saville Row (January 23rd 1969) reviewing a playback of 'Get Back' with George, of all people, already talking about it as the 'next single'. Enjoy... uk.youtube.com/watch?v=-c7wX2Dfk1A
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Post by stavros on Nov 4, 2008 19:41:05 GMT -5
I don't mind LIBN at all. In fact I don't share what is many fans opinion that Let it Be (the original LP) is the Beatles poorest album. Maybe due to the fact that I am from the generation who doesn't remember them at their peak ? However it would have been a nice bonus to include a full rooftop concert on the 2nd CD . the original outtakes would have fitted on the first CD for god sakes.
Lastly I never realised that one of the LIBN producers Guy Massey was actually the 'Guy Massey' in my best mates class at school (back in the 80s - he is originally from Wallasey just across the Mersey from Liverpool) and he now works at Abbey Road. Apparently he has, along with others, re-mastered all of the Beatles back catalogue for the 21st century. And it is now up to Apple to get it out there on sale.
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Post by vectisfabber on Nov 5, 2008 5:01:20 GMT -5
Lastly I never realised that one of the LIBN producers Guy Massey was actually the 'Guy Massey' in my best mates class at school (back in the 80s - he is originally from Wallasey just across the Mersey from Liverpool) and he now works at Abbey Road. Apparently he has, along with others, re-mastered all of the Beatles back catalogue for the 21st century. And, over a quiet pint.... (old boys network and all that...?)
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Post by superhans on Nov 5, 2008 5:34:23 GMT -5
Lastly I never realised that one of the LIBN producers Guy Massey was actually the 'Guy Massey' in my best mates class at school (back in the 80s - he is originally from Wallasey just across the Mersey from Liverpool) and he now works at Abbey Road. Blimey! You're gonna tell us he's a Tranmere Rovers supporter next.
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