Flashback: The Beatles' final recording session
It was on this day 38 years ago (January 3rd, 1970) that the Beatles recorded their final song together. Three of the four Beatles -- Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr along with keyboardist Billy Preston -- gathered at London's Abbey Road studios to complete Harrison's tune "I Me Mine" for the group's Let It Be soundtrack.
While it wasn't publicly known, John Lennon had quit the group the previous September. At the time of the session Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono were vacationing in Denmark, and although aware of the session Lennon declined to take part.
The song "I Me Mine" was written by Harrison in late 1968 about the ongoing personality clashes within the group. Harrison, McCartney, and Starr can be seen running through the song in the Let It Be film while Lennon waltzes around the rehearsal stage with Yoko. "I Me Mine" was never officially recorded during the Let It Be or the Abbey Road sessions from later that year, so when the decision was made that the song was to be included in the Let It Be film, the band re-grouped to record the song.
The January 3rd session lasted from 2:30 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. the following morning. Sixteen takes were laid down of "I Me Mine," featuring Harrison on acoustic guitar and lead vocal, McCartney on bass, Starr on drums, and Billy Preston on Hammond organ. Backing vocals from McCartney and a lead guitar by Harrison were added toward the end of the session.
After the 12th take, Harrison led the group through an impromptu run-through of Buddy Holly's 1959 hit "Peggy Sue Got Married," which has yet to be released.
The original mix of the song topped out at only 1 minute and 34 seconds. When producer Phil Spector was brought in to "re-produce" the Let It Be album, he added a brass ensemble and re-edited it the song to stretch out to 2 minutes and 25 seconds. The original short version of the song can be found on the Beatles' Anthology 3 album.
Although overdubs for the Let It Be album stretched on until March, this was the last time the Beatles entered a recording studio to record new material prior their official breakup on April 10th, 1970.
It wasn't until February 11th, 1994 that Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr regrouped again, when they gathered at McCartney's home studio to begin work on the first Beatles "reunion" song, "Free As A Bird," for their Anthology project.
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While it wasn't publicly known, John Lennon had quit the group the previous September. At the time of the session Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono were vacationing in Denmark, and although aware of the session Lennon declined to take part.
The song "I Me Mine" was written by Harrison in late 1968 about the ongoing personality clashes within the group. Harrison, McCartney, and Starr can be seen running through the song in the Let It Be film while Lennon waltzes around the rehearsal stage with Yoko. "I Me Mine" was never officially recorded during the Let It Be or the Abbey Road sessions from later that year, so when the decision was made that the song was to be included in the Let It Be film, the band re-grouped to record the song.
The January 3rd session lasted from 2:30 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. the following morning. Sixteen takes were laid down of "I Me Mine," featuring Harrison on acoustic guitar and lead vocal, McCartney on bass, Starr on drums, and Billy Preston on Hammond organ. Backing vocals from McCartney and a lead guitar by Harrison were added toward the end of the session.
After the 12th take, Harrison led the group through an impromptu run-through of Buddy Holly's 1959 hit "Peggy Sue Got Married," which has yet to be released.
The original mix of the song topped out at only 1 minute and 34 seconds. When producer Phil Spector was brought in to "re-produce" the Let It Be album, he added a brass ensemble and re-edited it the song to stretch out to 2 minutes and 25 seconds. The original short version of the song can be found on the Beatles' Anthology 3 album.
Although overdubs for the Let It Be album stretched on until March, this was the last time the Beatles entered a recording studio to record new material prior their official breakup on April 10th, 1970.
It wasn't until February 11th, 1994 that Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr regrouped again, when they gathered at McCartney's home studio to begin work on the first Beatles "reunion" song, "Free As A Bird," for their Anthology project.
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