My 9 favourite moments from The Beatles' Get Back documentary
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It’s no secret that I’m a Beatles fan and this documentary was just amazing! I highly recommend it to anyone who is remotely interested by the Fab Four!
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0:00 Introduction
0:58 watching Paul write Get Back
2:14 previously unheard Beatles songs
3:05 Yoko Ono's singing
4:34 Heather McCartney
5:08 Ringo's music stand
6:42 the 5th Beatle
8:07 discussing chords
9:17 The Long and Winding Road discussion
10:44 the rooftop concert and the miserable policemen
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How about Nikola Tesla free energy technology of 50+yrs prior
Great insight love it, thank you. Please do a vid on Beatles arrangements. It occurred to me this morning; I Feel Fine has no chorus? The arrangement is mad with musical interludes, guitar motifs. A deep dive on all tracks would be a blast!
@@thesuncollective1475 thank you! Sounds like a good idea! I have done a deep dive on Strawberry Fields so check it out 😃
The climate's going to change with or without human intervention. Don't waste your money on carbon unless you're buying an engagement ring. Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
@@DavidBennettPiano is your last name "piano"?
This documentary evoked a full range of emotions in me, from pure joy to utter sadness. I can't really explain it, but I'm sure many folks understand what I'm talking about.
Frank: Me too bro.
I think it has to do with us knowing what comes after that rooftop concert. It’s also a hell of a documentary, any piece of good art brings out emotions in us, and we were getting both visual and auditory masterpieces at the same time.
I alternated between smiling esr to ear and sometimes sobbing.
For me It isn't sadness... is bittersweet nostalgia knowing that THIS IS PART OF MY LIFE
You should write a song about the experience
The moment little Heather started howling along to the band and John instantly shouts "Yoko!" made me laugh out loud!
Yes. Heather was very cheeky. She was imitating Yoko.
Yeah that little darling absolutely cracked me up!!!😄😄❤❤❤
The moment when even an innocent child is capable of understanding that a certain Japanese "lady" was making a total and utter fool of herself in the company of professional musicians...
She sounds like Yoko and is dressed a lot like Ringo.
@@interestedobserver2582 please go outside
When Paul, sitting next to Ringo, says, "and then there were two" after George and John leave, Paul starts to tear up and has a very morose look on his face. This blew me away! You could actually feel Paul's sadness and pain, like he knew the end was near. And eerily, they are the two surviving Beatles. Wow 😥
on the unedited footage of that they all actually laugh, even Paul. It was edited by Jackson to create a moment that never happened.
Interesting observation!
If 9 hours of the Let It Be sessions could be so utterly riveting just imagine a similar documentary filmed for Revolver or Sgt Peppers
There is a similar fly on the wall documentary of them working on Hey Jude,...the quality isn't great and the audio is very ordinary but if Peter Jackson was able to restore that and any other visual documentation of the Beatles working in the studio going back every year, well, hot diggedy dog, how good would that be? I do know that when they released the remastered albums back in 2009, most or all of the albums had an extra segment telling how they made that particular album, but who knows what's in the archives. Thrilling times ahead.
Any documentary from Rubber Soul onwards would be great
How about the early years and the time in Hamburg. As much for the personalities and lifestyle as the music itself.
@@terrythekittieful I think hoarding this material in such a tightly sealed archive is a crime against humanity at this point. The Beatles supersede music, they _are_ culture. Footage like this should be shared with the world, especially for the generations that lived through Beatlemania in real time, while they are still with us.
@@urbangorilla33 It would be great if those performances in Hamburg (at the Star Club) could be brought to a state of the art sound, but impossible unless an alien with a multi-track recorder comes to earth and goes back in time to record those shows.
I loved Paul's smile when Billy first set his fingers to the keys.
Billy walked in and owned the place.
@@user-otzlixr He wasn’t against Billy coming in. He was against John’s idea to add Billy as an official fifth Beatle.
The best is the click of Heathers laughing( Lächeln, so verschmitzt) wenn yoko is singing. I must looking part3 ,ive I have time..lg Ellen 🥰
Absolutely, that smile was so contagious. Billy was so essential to that album that I’m surprised I’d never heard of him before. I had to look up if he’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he just got inducted this year!
My favorite part of the series
One moment I found moving was George helping Ringo when he was writing/playing Octopus's Garden. It's clear George liked offering help, but it seemed Ringo was the only one really receptive and grateful for George's support and suggestions.
one of my favourite scenes.
Yep, I loved this part, George was fighting his own battle with having his songs heard and it was so cool to see him forming a bond with Ringo over this, a beautiful moment
yes it was lovely.
@@thehighams true. you just made me realise how documentaries have lots of different sub-plots.
George was lucky to have hitched a ride on the coattails of John and Paul. Everyone knew it except George.
I liked how whenever George's ideas weren't being heard, he would come back the next day with " Want to hear the song I wrote last night?"
and that takes a lot of guts.
"...all by myself" he never added. Love George.
It was taxing when Paul and John replied "let me tell you how it will be/there's one for you, nineteen for me"
All Things Must Pass made it all worthwhile.
Billy Prestons impact can never be appreciated enough. Literally brought everything together
Sometimes I wonder what other albums might've been like if he was there the whole time!
They all liked the vibe Preston added. He was a welcome addition to what had become a difficult process even without the pretentiousness of Yoko.
The one thing that stood out to me thru the whole series is just how lovable and sweet Ringo was. Not the “luckiest man in the world”. Reality is that he truly was the glue that kept them together for as long as they lasted. He really was beloved by all of them.
I really like the way you see how present Ringo is. He really listens and seems to be trying to get into the essence of each song before searching for the best way to drum.
Especially the moment after George has quit and left the building. Paul and John say something like "I guess we'd better go talk to him". Ringo says, "I was already going to do that." Because of course he was. Ringo was the peacekeeper and the glue.
You can see the role that Ringo had ring I was told to do where he was told to especially by Paul Paul was kind of telling everyone what to do Anne ringer I believe never played with Paul after The Beatles broke up he did play with George and John para Tom thank you play with pool in the year after the the group broke. It took a few years before
Underrated moment: when they talk about brian epstein you really understand that was the moment the Beatles were gonna go downhill (the band not the music) and it really shows how much respect they had for him and how important it was for them to stay in line. they might've been the greatest band and world class writers/musicians, but they were just kids at the end of the day. none of them were even 30 by this point.
someone had been watching Rick beato
@@wesbeach69 lol was going to say the same thing, but then again, it is a valid point
Agreed, and the fact that they still referred to him as Mr Epstein really underlines what you have said.
It was definitely the beginning of the end when Brian died.
Paul was incredibly insightful when he describes how they would rebel against Epstein, which would act to keep group adhesion. But now that was happening between Paul and George causing a split in the group
The birth of Get Back is historic footage. Paul getting the melody, then working on the lyrics with John. Until now there was no footage of them actually songwriting. A few pictures and that was all. This is such a privilege.
I love his strumming action on the bass. Very unorthodox but effective, as it gives a cross between bass and rhythm guitar
A privilege is the perfect sentiment.
@@sp1midholm was going to comment that they way he plays base there was really odd! He strums like he’s playing rhythm guitar on a violin bass!
What I liked was the patience of George and Ringo listening and letting Paul kind of flail away and struggle but giving him the space to find what he was looking for. It speaks to their mutual respect.
@@jerrysalfi4474 Exactly. Genius at work - just get out of the way.
John Lennon's conversation with little 6-year-old Heather is hilarious, and her facial expression in response to Yoko Ono's screeching is priceless.
"They have little black spots" "You don't eat them if they have black spots" "And one of them looks like a tiger" "Don't eat them if they look like tigers, either" Meanwhile Paul's rolling her with his foot, it's great
@@EngineerLume Paul is just playing along with her pretending to be a cat. I pet my cats with my foot like that all the time.
@@willdwyer6782 I know but I was drunk when I wrote this, leave me be!
@@EngineerLume One of my favorite moments. I was laughing so hard!
I love that right after Heather plays drums with Ringo, Paul stops the music, turns to Ringo and starts asking him to play a little less heavy. It's obvious he can't see Heather from his vantage point, and doesn't know she had been banging on the cymbals. And Ringo just sits there, nodding.
Heather was playing so perfectly in time with Ringo on the hi-hat that it was easy to understand why Paul didn't suspect that she was back there making it too heavy. Ringo's non response is priceless.
@@globalmonkey007 I was impressed with how well she was keeping time!
Loved how Heather and Ringo were dressed so alike too 😂
It is funny, as you guys point out, that Heather keeps some good time. I'd don't know how she did this without Ringo drilling her first.
I showed my 9 year-old son about 30 min of the second episode. The next day he started playing guitar. Their creativity is contagious.
It’s a miracle.
They made us all want to be in a band!
is he still playing?
And then everyone clapped
I think my favorite thing about Get Back was just how John and Paul interacted. Even during the strenuous times, they still made each other laugh and very clearly cared about each other a lot. It was kinda precious to see.
Totally agree it was so obvious that they both had that special bond between them
Mine too overall. The musical stuff was amazing obviously, but seeing those two and how they clearly still loved each other was the heart of the film for me.
I think John even comments at one time that he and Paul must be lovers. But, truly, they were the iconic creative partnership, each balancing the other. When Paul got too saccharine, John snapped him back with some vinegar. When John got a Jesus complex, Paul would cut him back down. Too bad either Paul or John (or both) couldn't develop an equally productive partnership with George. They had some influence on George's songs, but they didn't give them equal time to theirs.
@@MrKelleyzinho yeah, i felt for George. It did seem like there just wasn't enough room for him at times, which was unfair. I really enjoyed when John encouraged him to pursue a solo album, which of course ultimately became All Things Must Pass.
Their chemistry was amazing! I still feel completely blown away by it. And it is heart-breaking to know it all ended so soon.
7:50 Paul has such a spontaneous, joyful smile when he hears Billy playing. They're the biggest pop stars of the world and yet completely accepting of what a new musician can bring to the band. Admirably open-minded.
Oh man you just stole my line.. that was actually 7:54 jajajajaj...... but yes.... Was precious.......Ed. Correcting... After seeing the first takes of Ive got the feeling ( sounded nice but hey that keyybard put the song in another level) I think was not a joyful smile Paul actually had his mind blew off.
You are right - there is such a joy and relief in his eyes. I love it. Billy did great work.
They were kids together with Billy way back pre-fame in Hamburg. Preston was 16 years old backing Little Richard whom Beatles hero worshipped. They befriended Richard and he taught them a vast amount, eg arriving at venue, talking to the staff, knowing sight lines and most strategic parts of auditorium to focus on - where most responsive audience would gather and infect rest of crowd with enthusiasm. BP was very much part of getting back to their roots
@@cuebj Never knew that ! Thank you
John: You're in the group!
My favorite moment was George shooting down the idea that they might receive access to the QE2 for free when "we can't even get a free amp from Fender."
These were all great moments, but my favorite was George Harrison helping Ringo with composing "Octopus's Garden."
I loved that too!
LOVED that part
YES!!!
Get Back made me fall in love w Ringo, especially the day he and Heather were wearing identical outfits
Same here! And yeah I noticed those matching outfits and I wondered whether that was intentional!
Billy Preston coming on board was my favourite moment. He nails those classic lines IMMEDIATELY and the energy he brings to the others is palpable
His albums were great .
Yep....and the Beatles were really so happy to see Billy, their old Hamburg buddy. I know they were rich, famous rock stars, but the genuine joy they showed at seeing Billy was my favorite part.
My favourite things were a) just seeing the creativity pouring out of Paul - the birth of Get Back, Let It Be... b) John struggling with a tune that would eventually be Jealous Guy and c) George casually switching his amp back on when the tour manager switched it off on the roof due to the police pressure, resulting in him just giving in an switching John's back on as well.
George turning his amp back on is hilarious. My favorite moment.
@@Beelzybud Yes, and the glance he gave the policemen after turning it back on.
@@Sesamox "Go ahead, make my day"
"On the road to Marakesh" is clearly "jealous guy". Note: I just read it was previously "mothers nature's son"
@@alba-k 'Child Of Nature' I think it was.
One of THE best moments was when Paul turned around and saw the police. The look of sheer joy was something to behold. Recall that back in earlier discussions, Paul wanted to be busted by the police.
That moment Paul pulls "Get Back" out of the ether is just pure magic. Alchemy.
How do you think songs actually get written? 99% of the time it is exactly like that.
It's almost unbelievable that he just kind of came up with it on the spot like that
@@jimyeomans6373but witnessing it from the best song writers of the world is completely different!!!
Just finished watching it today and the joy on Paul's face when they finally get on that rooftop and start playing for an audience again is so palpable. All these endless looping discussions where you don't even know what you're talking about at the end of it anymore, tensions in the band, just sitting in the studio and hashing out the same couple of songs over and over...All of that melts away for a moment and the guys remember again that they are a band and WHY they are a band. I think they themselves didn't realize before how much they missed just playing their music live, especially Paul. Sadly, as we all know, that moment was incredibly short-lived. My elation during the concert quickly transitioned into sadness when it was over and the words "This was The Beatles' last live performance" appeared on the screen. It was the last public demonstration of why they were the greatest band the world has ever seen.
It's hard now to comprehend the absolutely Philistine attitudes of the policemen just trying to shut them down (even though you know they were just trying to do their job....but you think "come on guys this is the BEATLES - their LAST LIVE PERFORMANCE!!!") (of course people didn't know that at the time).....
Paul had way too much energy to stay happy in a studio-only band whereas the others were content never to tour again. On the roof that amazing nostalgic feeling of their youth in Hamburg (and playing live without the crazy girls screaming) must have felt WONDERFUL for them ☺️
It's also precious as a document for being one of the few examples of a live Beatles performance that can actually be heard. And what a tight unit they were!
I'm sure it helped that they were isolated on a rooftop and didn't have to try and play over 135 decibels of screaming teenage girls.
One of my favourite moments is when John is criticising “I me mine” and Paul just goes to John later and politely tells him to start writing his own stuff before criticising George. I think he says have you written anything lately, or something along the lines of this. Pretty interesting.
I lost some respect for John after watching the film. George is performing "I Me Mine" in front of John for the first time and as George is playing and singing, John pats his head and says "Run along son... this is a rock n roll band ya know." George responds, "I don't care if you don't want it. I don't give a f*ck. It can go in me musical." Later, John comes back to him and says "George, do ya have any idea what we play?"
@@ZaveAres they treated george like that the whole time.
Yeah I picked up on that too they he patted him on the head and told him to 'run along boy' because they were a "rock band" and it was to soft and infantile......this coming from the man that wrote hold youre hand. Realy got to me that and John went down in my estimation
kzhead.info/sun/hbWvZJxvnoudgnk/bejne.html
The link to George showing "I Me Mine" to the others for the first time ^^^
I loved that little segment in episode 2 with Heather McCartney. The chemistry she had with everyone was adorable, and it really showed off that Beatles humor. That look she gave when she heard Yoko singing was hilarious
Yoko had no time for that little girl 👧
"AAAAAaaaaAAAAAaaaaaah!" - Heather McCartney
It’s my favourite scene!
Her and Ringo were adorable, especially the day where they matched outfits by accident
It's probably how most people think and feel when they first hear it, but just don't get the opportunity to show it - comes from the innocence of a child!!!.....
I loved George Martin's "Don't worry, boys. I'll fix you." moment a lot after Paul had given up on trying to record the Long & Winding Road. Martin was largely non existent during these few weeks, so it was really lovely to see him jump into action like a parent, as soon as he saw his boys in distress.
True. they were lucky to be surrounded by really loyal and devoted people, like George Martin, Mal Evans, Neil, and of course Brian until his passing. It's really exceptional if you think about it.
Wonderfully said.
The unadorned version is lacking so why didn't they get Martin to add strings instead of Spector?
@@gaspersignorelli3724 John Lennon made a unilateral decision to send the band's recording of the Long and Winding Road to Phil Spector, with whom he was beginning to work outside The Beatles. Both Paul and George Martin were very unhappy with the move and result. George Martin later said Let It Be credits should have read "Produced by George Martin, Over-Produced by Phil Spector." It's very evident in the documentary that Paul felt he/they had not yet discovered how that song needed to be performed. He hated what Spector did to it.
@@meganh3880Overproduced by Spector, that's funny. Thanks
A thing I loved about this documentary is how it shows that a project usually doesn’t end up like it was supposed to. Not even for the freaking Beatles. The plans to record a full album on a cruise eventually became a simple rooftop gig with a few songs. Nothing less than one of the most iconic performances ever. It is really a lesson to all types of creative people, not only musicians. But it doubles if you also happen to be one.
It’s mostly a crappy record. And despite being the biggest/best funded band at the time, the live recording is shit.
@@newagain9964 I think the recording captures the moment really well. Not everything should be hi fi.
@@newagain9964 I recently started listen to Let It Be...Naked and I love it. Ohh yes it is rough. Ohh yes, they could do with more rehearsals and live performance bits. But I just love raw Beatles from it. Raw love of rock'n'roll and blues. Are they biggest band live? Not by close. But this kinda shows if they would wanted to come back to stage, I think they could achieve some good stuff there.
Gotta be honest: I've been waiting nearly 2 weeks to finally hear your take on this. And... your 1st favorite moment was my favorite moment. I keep going back to watch Paul create Get Back from nothing. It still blows me away
Glad i wasn't the only one blown away. It gave me the goose bumps.
That moment plus the moment Paul realizes Billy has brought the magic are the two best IMHO
I love the moment when George is asking Billy about piano chords and then says "piano is hard". Fast forward a couple of minutes and now Billy is playing the piano and George is just singing...lol. Also love when Ringo starts showing Octopus' Garden to George and he gets a little excited and starts to help followed by George Martin coming over and singing a little melody.
I’ve never been in love with The Beatles, but this documentary has made me appreciate them like I never have before. It’s really amazing.
without the beatles, music as we know it today would not exist.
Hope the people I've recommended this too feel similarly
This is good, Tim. I love this for you : ),
@@alexanderschiano2441 ikr. There wouldn’t be any boy bands and mindless pop music, had there been no Beatles.
@@newagain9964 🤦♂️ The Beatles are the GOAT and that’s not even an opinion, it’s an objective fact. Boy bands are created by record company execs. They write nothing. They don’t play their instruments. Some of them even lip-sync. The Beatles ground it out playing 6-7 nights a week for 8 hours a night with barely any pay for YEARS starting in high-school, working tirelessly on their craft. They finally got discovered after meeting the right person, and went on to write and record some of the most iconic and well-composed music in history. They were actually one of the very first acts to ever write their own songs, let alone some of the most cherished pieces of all time. They’re still topping the charts 50 years after they broke up. Not only could a boy band never accomplish anything approaching that level of enduring success, but most of the other best artists in history can’t even do it. Beatles = 🐐
The most surprising moment in Get Back for me was watching Yoko and Linda chatting away. History has turned Yoko into such a pariah, a talentless leech that wedged herself between the lads, but here she is with Paul's girl, gabbing it up while the boys were playing. It was an endearing moment that made Yoko seem a little less cold and a little more human.
Totally agree it opened my eyes up to the fact that Yoko wasn't the monster she's made out to be and that she's no more responsible for their breakup than I am.
And how tolerant and gracious Linda was
I will say though, she barely cracks a smile the entire film, even when John is the one joking around. You'd think at a minimum she might laugh at his jokes and nobody else's but no, she just never laughs or smiles. That's ultimately the most offputting thing about her for me. I don't trust people with no sense of humour
I’ve never thought that Yoko caused the breakup, I just didn’t see the point of her being in the Let It Be film (I have the DVD of that film). And why is she screeching down the mike? It’s not that she’s in the way - she’s just ‘there’ which is bad enough.
Also Yoko isn't talentless. Yeah her screeching thing is off-putting, but if you listen to her vocal work on Double Fantasy or listen to her song Walking On Thin Ice, she has some chops too. And Sean Lennon has said many times she knows her stuff in the recording studio.
The ending of the first part with Harrison's Isn't It A Pity sent chills down my spine. Nearly teared up the first time, such a horribly tense time for the Beatles.
That shot at 7:50 of Paul's reaction to Billy's keyboards is just... gold and love.
My favorite moment was Paul playing the beginnings of Long and Winding Road. Mal Evans is writing down Paul’s ideas for lyrics and discussing what to make the second verse. Linda McCartney is watching and then taking photos. Ringo is watching from several feet away. Mal, Linda and Ringo look stunned at how beautiful the song is. Linda wipes away a tear.
Wanna watch again for this
Was that the point where someone asked Ringo what he wanted to do in the future, and he said something like "I just want to sit here and enjoy him"? That was one of my favorite bits.
Mal was the creative process
Thank you for supporting mal. He was a huge part of it all but the big names don’t mention him for legal reasons. I wouldn’t be surprised if all the footage in the documentary was obtained in a dodgy way as I’m sure he organised and recorded all the footage on that documentary. He did everything for them including writing down all there lyrical ideas and also contributed to them. They left out hours more footage probably because it showed mal contributing more with that book. If he didn’t have the initiative to take those notes they wouldn’t have made those songs. The only time I saw Paul happy was when he was jamming with mal. The rest just seemed like performers not writers
The great joy for me was watching that profound connection between John and Paul come back to life. The sheer joy they took in creating and performing together in the last 2 parts was so moving to me. The most amazing was getting to watch Billy Preston light a fire among them. And the funniest was watching George plug his amp back in after poor Mal unplugged it to satisfy the police. No one was going to be allowed to turn down George's sound!
I read the transcription of the brainstorming session of Raiders with Spielberg, George Lucas and Kasdan. I loved how much they hated to say "no" or "this is bad". If someone didn't liked something, they just put another better idea on the table. And I found on this doc, that the Beatles worked the same. A constant flow of good and bad ideas until they find the right one. It reassured what I always thought of the Beatles, they have good taste. They had the right feeling for what would've touch their audience. Great doc.
I did actually consider transcribing “Half a pound of greasepaint”
@@DavidBennettPiano I wish we had better official versions of these unreleased minor songs just like Suicide from Paul, one of my favorite tunes from him, that has a demo as a bonus track
It’s wild how many silly ideas Spielberg threw out during that session
@@DavidBennettPiano Sounds like Les Claypool singing
Good comment.
LMAO David, you politely saying 'signature singing' and mentioning your cats review has me in stitches
Watch also Heather's face when she hears Yoko 'singing'. Cats and kids are very honest reviewers 😁
@@luisdaumas I thought that was a cute moment too, Heather talking about her kittens and John just teasing her. Her face when Yoko was “singing” will forever stay in my brain. Heather’s expression was the exact expression we all made when listening to Yoko’s “vocals”
I have been a working musician, on and off, most of my life. I began performing when I was about nine and have been a member of many bands over the decades (I'm 60 now and retired). I thought it was quite awesome for musicians of their caliber to allow themselves to be seen and heard _not-perfect._ You don't see imperfect music being played often in film, not many performers would want to be seen or heard at less than 100%. Every young music student should watch this to understand that even for top tier musicians aren't perfect until they practice and polish the piece a bit and work out all the kinks.
And that in the creative process you have to be “bad ”before you can get to “ good”.
Their taste was impeccable. It shows that they invariably made the correct creative decision - apart from a handful of lapses.
Watching this Doc was riveting and very emotional for a geezer like me. Watching songs (that are part of my DNA) being imagined and created was transporting. Like discovering lost home movies it brought me straight back to childhood as an 8-year-old boy listening to the newly released album with my father on a Sunday afternoon. There were moments I wept openly. Bittersweet memories with overwhelming joy.
I love that Heather gets such good attention there. She seems so happy!
Paul acted like a father to her and she was fond of him.
@@MarciaMatthews I wonder why, maybe it was because he was
This documentary made me go back and re-record a number of songs I recorded a few years ago but lost the project files to before I got to mix them and make them shine. Was just dragging my feet for years but after this I sat down and did them in a week. That’s the definition of inspiring!
I love when Paul talks about a chord being "passe"... George is like... it's just a chord 🙄... 🤣🤣 That made me laugh! Great moment!
Paul had a few of those almost tantrum moments and I think the rest of the band handled it very well
Real scouser was George..
"When Yoko does her signature singing"....you could almost hear the air quotes around the word "singing" from your tone of voice!
The rooftop concert always hits hard with me. That legend inspired my college band back in the 90s to play a show on the roof of our dorm. Naturally, despite weeks of prep, nobody actually talked to the dorm supervisor, who shut it down... in the middle of us covering Helter Skelter.
Thanks for taking time to share your impressions, David. It was a long documentary. Nonetheless, it’s something Beatle geeks like me will forever cherish. It was unflinchingly, often painfully, honest. How rare is that among super stars? I also was struck by each Beatle’s humanity. I saw normal people … admittedly doing abnormally amazing things … but normal people. Not gods or buddhas or masters of the universe. People. What a gift to history. Wow.
Best part in my opinion: Paul: It’s jazz. George: No. It’s Eric.
George: You want Eric Clapton...😢 John: We want George Harrison!
George goes on to use Ray Charles as an example of jazz and that Clapton wasn't doing that. This is because George doesn't really understand the difference between what Ray was playing in his band with horns and actual jazz music. He just assumes that because there's horns that means its jazz. Paul was right in that the kind of improvisation that George was attributing to Clapton was the type of improvisation (though not on the same technical or harmonic level as jazz players) that was the hallmark of jazz music. Ray Charles had jazz musicians in his band, but the music Ray played was his own mix of gospel and R&B that at the time was labeled soul music. It wasn't jazz nor was it what Paul was referring to.
Paul: That chord is out of fashion. George: It's just a chord....
The way this footage looked, The camaraderie between them, The way they created a song out of nothing, etc was just amazing. Gave me such an overall feeling of joy and at moments brought a tear to my eye. Never again will there be a group like this.
The most interesting part of the writing of Get Back to me is that it was only 2 chords (D and A) until a couple weeks into the sessions when George suggested adding the thing at the end of each verse/chorus that adds a third chord: G.
right? the fabled third chord lol. such beauty in the simplicity!
I loved the moment when Paul is playing piano as a young guy from the camera crew sits beside him and watches Paul's hands on the keys. After playing some old tunes, Paul casually launches into Martha My Dear. The smile and irrepressible chuckle of joy on the young man's face at the moment he recognizes the song and seemingly processes the fact that he's watching Paul McCartney of The Beatles playing it right next to him is priceless.
My view on the invention of Get Back is that slightly earlier in the documentary Paul is talking about seeing Canned Heat play Going up the Country on TV the night before and trys to play some of it (badly). Hence, I think there is a lot of Canned Heat, vocals, blues/rock heritage that permeate into Get Back.
Paul: Like Canned Heat. John: But better than Canned Heat.
my favorite parts of the movie were when we got to see the guys practicing and working out songs that ended up being on their solo albums. seeing george play around with all things must pass and getting the other's opinions and advise on it was so amazing! sad it never ended up on a beatles album, but glad it led to george's greatest solo record ever!
I loved how Debbie and Jimmy stalled the PCs at the front desk, they literally saved the rooftop concert.
Ha! At first read, I thought you wrote that they "installed the PC at the front desk"!
@@Peter-pb8jg as always the Beatles (ot their staff) ahead of their time 😀
It took four cops to break up that concert which is pretty rock n roll.
If it wasn't The Beatles the cops would have been tougher about it.
Big little moment for me: Maureen as Superfan on the roof. I love seeing her respond to the band, her family. She comes off a big winner, and I wish she'd lived to see it. Thanks, Mo.
Without question my favorite moment is when Billy Preston just shows up to say hi, after the Beatles had been considering a keyboardist for several days already, and John brings up the idea to Billy of maybe sticking around to help them out, and he's like, sure, cool. And it's so great that George was talking up Billy's skills on like the first or second day, hardly able to know how much he would really make this album what it was. But for funniest bit, it was John with his reoccurring joke, "Hello, I'm your host tonight..."
They did it all. They were there then and we won't see them like that ever again. Their intent was to show them building songs from the begining, developing them, and then performing them live...and they did what they set out to do...and they saved it all for us to experience...just beautifully marvelous.
I agree with how inspirational this doco is. It's got me itching to get back to songwriting myself... no pun intended.
do it man!
Sorry, I musta missed the pun. Where is it?
@@ianhowarth2656 'Get back' to songwriting!
The Rooftop Concert is amazing to see. The Beatles have not played live as a band in 4 yrs, but once they get going you see the utter joy they feel performing together. Above all, they were really a rock and roll band and that formed the basis of their career. When they stopped touring and playing live in 1966-totally understandable, by the way-they ceased being what they always had been: a live and extremely accomplished band. They loved each other as brothers and loved playing together. And make no mistake: The Beatles were a GREAT live band in every way. I think when they stopped playing live and became a recording band only, that’s when they all went their separate ways and the bond they’d formed from years of traveling and playing together became less. They became four individual musicians more than a group, or band of brothers … But, that’s just me …
Paul was the driver and a genius …. And he had some of the most creative best friends ever
'Driver' at this point in time maybe but John was the leader of The Beatles.
@@gazrev7671 sure kinda was he was the oldest and it was his band they joined ..but the actual work and output was driven by Paul as Ringo says we wouldn’t have put out a quarter as much music as we did with out the workaholic Paul .pushing the pace .
I was totally mesmerized watching this documentary . They were just simply pulling a song out of thin air and formulating them...I couldn't help screaming the words of the songs to them as they were trying to figure the lines out !
The main thing i loved from Get Back is hearing them all play and develop songs that would be used in their solo clips, songs they'd never play together again. It gives a nice glimpse into what could have been!
I gained a new found respect George Harrison even though he was not the defacto leader like Paul (John at times) he still asserted himself in big ways because he knew they where going in the wrong direction. This is a guy you really want on your team.
Ringo’s musicianship is really on display as well. The tagline for Ringo is always “he knew when to step back” but you see that it was so much more than just being understated. He understood what each song was intended to be, as it was developing. With unlimited stylistic flexibility, he served the exact rhythm track that elevated basic “hits” into the realized classics that made them worthy of the Beatles. I know he got lots of direction from Paul and John (Dig a Pony is a great example in the doc.) but the counter example is how how he instantly grooves on Let It Be as Paul is sharing it. This documentary proves that the Beatles were really a four man band, and Ringo was a necessary ingredient in the chemistry.
Yeah 'nuff respect to George!! - a good man👍👍❤
In what ways did George know they were going in the wrong direction?
@@analogblues shooting at Twickenham studios and doing a tv special. It was cold and there was bad sound and you can see once they went to Apple Studios they were much happier plus I think they knew they were going to break up soon and they had a three-picture deal with United Artists and they had one more picture they need to make so if they could use this to make a feature film it would be better for the whole band rather to avoid another lawsuit if you watch the whole movie things start getting a lot better after George Harrison's demands for coming back to the band are met.
George was a cry baby, even something, John n Paul had to fix it for him,he spent the rest of his life whining about Paul, he was asking Paul how he wanted it played n Paul said you play it your way, how horrible of Paul, what a control freak
I have been a Beatles fan for so long that I know all of their songs frontwards and backwards but I still keep coming back for more, not as much (I think) for the familiar music but because I am so fascinated by the personalities and the interaction. By the way, this documentary confirms it....Paul McCartney is an absolute musical genius - with a drive like no other!
Best part is Paul’s smile when he sees the copper on the roof and the band spontaneously going straight into the next song before they can interrupt
The Beatles have been a part of my life since I was thirteen. They’ve always been there either as the group or as individuals. I’ve always loved their music as a group or as solo artists. There’s something about the Beatles that appeals to everybody in a very deep way. It’s like they fill an emotional void as significant as a mother’s love.
Great review format. For each favourite moment you summed up the whole of it perfectly... the only moment I think you missed was the "then there were 2" McCartney moment where you could almost see into his soul as he contemplated what had happened... what I think this brought home for me was how easily lost he was without the rest, but then seeing them together at Apple, you could really understand the love and mutual respect they had for each other. For me the film was a love story.
Agreed. John said as much - something along the lines of "it's like you and me are lovers" - to Paul.
As a fan I though I was gonna love it no matter what, but I was truly surprised at how much it genuinely surprised me and moved me to actual tears
By far the best MUSIC doc i have ever seen!
@@derrellthomas239 couldn’t agree more! Loved seeing the amount of iterations that they go through just to get it right; but also the contradiction of them working so quickly through the album in general . So much food for thought
Billy Preston's first sessions, I was weeping with joy seeing that all come together.
Love watching younger people like you who discuss the Beatles. Great to have a fresh perspective on stuff I've listened to since it came out 50+ years ago. Thanks for your video!!
Fascinating documentary. Now if only there was footage of revolver or pepper sessions!
Pepper sessions 😱 that would be nuts
@BillyFreethought yea it would imagine seeing a day in the life and Lucy in the sky being made 🤯
Let’s see the rest of the Abbey Road sessions. Got too much of a taste in Get Back.
Rubber Soul. For a taste of what that was like, watch the video for the Think For Yourself session. It's just audio but it's hysterical 🤣
I'd kill for a similar film on the band's 1965-7 output. Or, come to think of it, everything they ever did.
Brilliant job by Jackson and his colleagues! Two moments I loved were John throwing his arm around Ringo on their way to the studio. Also John's face lighting up when Paul sings a harmony to " I dig a Pony " on the word " ...because..."
It's not really a "moment," but I love their absurd sense of humor. I love how much time they spent messing around and entertaining themselves.
One of the most revealing moments is actually when they are working on George’s “Old Brown Shoe.” There are several segments where he is playing piano, and Paul can be seen playing George’s rosewood Telecaster. That is a right-handed guitar, strung right-handed for George. Paul is left-handed, and there he is playing it. Left-handed. Not just noodling around, he is playing it. It takes an incredibly complex and musical brain to do that. Everything is upside down and backwards. That’s like lying on your back at a piano keyboard, and reaching over your head to play they keyboard.
When all of this was happening, I was busy being 5. This restored footage brings to life an era that we previously only saw in dim, grainy, multi-generation VHS copies and snippets. I watched the whole thing, and will watch it again. These guys were doing, while I was a little kid, what I've done multiple times in my own recording and watched other bands while recording them. You start with a chord progression, then think about what the song is about, then work on lyrics while developing the structure of the song, all the while playing 50s songs, having tea, joking around, playing a round of Unreal Tournament, texting someone, etc. Out of the chaos can come magic. Or not. The difference is the Beatles made the magic more often than not.
My favourite was the part where we focus on John and George talking to the director about where there big concert will be, while in the background Paul is noodling around on the piano, playing chords, and all of a sudden you hear him find the famous intro chords of "Let It Be."
The day after watching all three parts, I picked up the guitar to write a song. When it came the time to write lyrics I found myself pretending to be Paul and John discussing in my mind what to write down. Accents included.
One of the things I didn't realize was how young they all were. John and Ringo were 28. Paul was 26, and George was 25 when they did the roof top concert.
08:04 - "YOU´RE IN THE GROUP" -Goosebump moment!
My favorite moment is seeing Paul - and also Ringo - with that little girl. You can tell a lot about someone by how they interact with a child.
The get back movie literally dragged me back to my 14 year old self who was overly obsessed with the Beatles, just seeing so much fresh stuff was like a soul uplift I never knew was possible
Hit the nail on the head with Billy Preston … he came and the Beatles came alive! But one thing I noticed was Harrison’s need for an input to his music. He was asking the rest to complete “Something” but I felt he was brushed aside. :( Harrison too says that his token songs will not see all his works published in a 100 albums … that was the emergence of his unhappiness in the Beatles. Sadly. But he was a brilliant musician - RIP George Harrison.
The bits with Heather playing with Ringo wearing the same outfit are absolutely adorable, and you see Paul being a dad. Just lovely. Also, Yoko Ono does for singing what John Wayne Gacy did for clowns.
haha!
I spit out my coffee reading that.🤣😂
I call her Hiroshima’s Revenge
Let’s not forget they had just finished recording the White Album barely 3 months before going into the studio for the Get Back project… What an amazing force of nature they were!
I love that you pointed out George asking about the chords! I smiled so much at that. What floors me all the time is how spectacular they were with such limited knowledge of music theory. I think I love that aspect of them so much because I play piano and guitar with just as little knowledge! When my brother tries to play with me he'll ask, "What chord is that you're playing?" No idea. "Can you move your finger playing the F down one fret?" Which one is playing an F? "The one on the D string." Yeah, gimme a second... E, A, D. Got it. Look, just play the song and I'll copy what I hear.😆
Love that brief moment when Paul is looking at Billy and his eyes light up. Yes.
My favorite “film making” moment was how they edited the intro montage, building and getting more intense… and specifically, how they combine the final sustained piano chord from the end of “a day in the life” with the newspaper headline announcing Epstein’s death, it sets the stage and adds immediate weight, and darkness… it gave me goosebumps.
I’m seeing more than a few reactions saying Yoko rarely said a word in these sessions. I want to point out that Yoko was one of the producers for this series, and probably well aware of her reputation. But then there were a few allusions and jokes in the footage referring to Yoko being vocal and present in the group - e.g. when George was temporarily gone and Lennon had not showed up the group talked about her. Another example is when they joked Linda Eastman was being Yoko when she offered an opinion. I’m not out to say Yoko broke up the Beatles or anything like that. Just simply saying the conclusion that Yoko was quiet in these sessions based on this documentary partly produced by Yoko is probably incorrect. There’s other footage available showing Yoko to be VERY involved.
One point overlooked is the fact that NOT ONE Beatles song sounds like the next. Despite literally 100s tunes recorded and workshopped over the years they never ever repeat a sound or style of song.
They did before
The documentary is what drove me here to discover David Bennett! After watching it twice I just needed more, and these videos are just a great way to continue this Beatles binge/geek-out that I'm having along with everyone else here. This favorite moments included but I started with the one about music theory, also excellent.
What surprised me is how inarticulate Paul is compared to the other three. Throughout the documentary, he seemed to have trouble communicating his thoughts. And then he sits down and writes an amazing song. What I found funny, though, is the seemingly countless ideas for a show/concert/tv special that a bunch of them had, none of which happened. I also liked George saying, "I don't want to go on a rooftop, but I guess I'll do it."
I can relate to Paul’s occasional inability to articulate his thoughts. It’s called “being left-handed”.
Paul was probably stoned…
I agree with David Wonpu. The look on Paul’s face suggests that he didn’t like All things Must Pass and I think another one of George’s songs but he didn’t say anything. Can’t understand why he didn’t like All Things Must Pass, by the way.
I like how Ringo was the opposite. Willing to do anything
cause he blew his mind out in a car
At the very beginning of part one when they show the shot of that Harre krishna Guy sitting in the corner somebody ask”Who’s that little old man” somebody answers. Then Paul says “He’s clean though” with a smile on his face. It was just like that scene in a hard days night when Paul had his grandfather with him on the train. That was really cool! I love that little reference to hard days night movie.
One great moment was when Mal Evans procured anvil, and was given the job of "maxwell's" noise making tool. His smile was so good!
i loved the moment when linda said how everyone felt so calm around ringo. He really was the glue of the group
The moments you mentioned were some of my favorites as well. I was blown away watching Get Back emerge right before my eyes! Heather was so cute - I loved John teasing her about them "eating" the kittens. Hilarious. John was so funny, which I already knew but this documentary reminded me of just how funny he could be. Billy Preston absolutely saved those sessions in my opinion. That first day he could NOT stop smiling - so sweet, and so talented. I think he took a lot of the pressure off - the difference in mood from before he arrived and after is obvious to me. Another moment I really loved was George helping Ringo at the piano working on Octopus's Garden. Mal, and the woman downstairs whose name I've forgotten, giving the bobbies the run around acting like they were going to unplug things or turn them down was cracking me up. And finally - Alan Parsons was the tape operator! - must have been before he learned to operate a "laser." I need to watch it through again - I really loved it. Thanks for the video!
Been looking forward to your take on this!
Thanks!
I was a teen in the 80s and there is one fleeting scene you may not quite have appreciated. Before KZhead tutorials and excellent people like yourself, all we had was one book called The Complete Beatles. This had every song and each guitar chord plotted out for you. Many indie bands learned guitar with this song, and we see Yoko holding the first edition of the book in part 2. Obviously future editions added the extra songs as the final two albums were published. That was great to see as the book was the main way in which I really came to appreciate their songs in that era. This may seem trivial to younger fans but people my age may be able to relate :)
I enjoyed all the moments you described but the one amazing one you didn't mention was George Harrison trying to work out the lyrics to "Something". I found myself screaming at the screen trying to send the completed lyrics back in time. It's so amazing that beautiful lyrics like that song and others that seem to flow so naturally as if they just poured out of you were actually the result of tedious craftsmanship. Even the lyrics to "Let It Be" seem to come with a struggle but now they flow so easily off your tongue you can't imagine a time when those phrases didn't exist.
This is a 'must-see' documentary for every new musician who want to make their own music.
Watching "Get Back" develop was remarkable. I always think of these songs as having been plucked from the ether, fully formed. To see that they actually had to sit down, write them, and then work on them over and over was really enlightening.
As the saying goes: 5% inspiration, 95% perspiration.
I never cried during the show but I did shed a tear twice, ironically they were the two times it was just Paul and Ringo playing piano. My favorite members on my favorite instrument. The show was great.