I Me Mine
Song by The Beatles • Harrison
Let It Be (1969–70) — Rooftop chill, gold-on-black valedictions.
Background
I Me Mine is a song by The Beatles, written by Harrison and led on vocal by George Harrison. Last song the Beatles ever recorded as a band (John was in Denmark).
What's distinctive
One of 28 UK songs led primarily by George. One of 22 solely Harrison-credited compositions in the canon. Recorded approximately 8 of 8 into the Let It Be (1969–70) sessions. Carries the unique tag 'last-recording' — no other UK song shares it.Opening line — "All through the day, I me mine…" (brief identification excerpt; full lyrics © Sony Music Publishing — see Genius link in References.)
Recording
The session work falls within the band's Let It Be (1969–70) period, recorded 3 Jan 1970 at Twickenham Film Stages (Jan 1969. George Martin (sessions); Phil Spector (post-production overdubs March/April 1970) produced; Glyn Johns, Phil McDonald (sessions); Peter Bown, Phil Spector engineers (post) engineered. The track was committed to Studer J37 8-track at Apple via the Custom Apple/Helios console (heavily problematic), later EMI TG12345, with the era's standard signal chain — Apple's hand-built outboard (faulty), then EMI standard kit; Spector added strings/choir at EMI March 1970. Likely instrumental setup followed the era's working kit: Fender Rosewood Telecaster (Harrison), Gibson Les Paul 'Lucy' (Harrison), Hofner 500/1 (McCartney returned), Epiphone Casino (Lennon), Höfner Hofner Beatle bass + Fender VI bass (Lennon on rooftop), amplified through Fender Twin Reverb, Fender Bassman, Vox UL730, Hammond C3 / Fender Rhodes (Billy Preston). For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.171 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below).
| Studio | Twickenham Film Stages (Jan 1969 — 'Get Back' rehearsals); Apple Studio basement, 3 Savile Row (Jan 1969 sessions, rooftop concert 30 Jan); EMI Studios (early 1970 fixes) |
|---|---|
| Tape machine | Studer J37 8-track at Apple |
| Console | Custom Apple/Helios console (heavily problematic), later EMI TG12345 |
| Microphones | U47, U67, AKG C12, AKG D19, AKG D20 |
| Outboard / effects | Apple's hand-built outboard (faulty), then EMI standard kit; Spector added strings/choir at EMI March 1970 |
| Guitars | Fender Rosewood Telecaster (Harrison), Gibson Les Paul 'Lucy' (Harrison), Hofner 500/1 (McCartney returned), Epiphone Casino (Lennon), Höfner Hofner Beatle bass + Fender VI bass (Lennon on rooftop) |
| Amplifiers | Fender Twin Reverb, Fender Bassman, Vox UL730, Hammond C3 / Fender Rhodes (Billy Preston) |
| Producer | George Martin (sessions); Phil Spector (post-production overdubs March/April 1970) |
| Engineer / 2nd | Glyn Johns, Phil McDonald (sessions); Peter Bown, Phil Spector engineers (post) • Alan Parsons (2nd, sessions) |
Pattern analysis
Legacy & release history
In the UK canonical discography it appears on the LP Let It Be. Documented alternate versions include Anthology 3 (1996), Let It Be… Naked (2003), 2009 Stereo Remasters, Let It Be 50th Anniversary (2021). Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below.
Mono & stereo
- Stereo only on UK release — the band's last three LPs were mixed for stereo; no UK mono LPs were issued.
Documented alternate versions
- Anthology 3 (1996) — alternate take or demo
- Let It Be… Naked (2003) — Spector overdubs removed
- 2009 Stereo Remasters — Allan Rouse / Guy Massey remaster
- Let It Be 50th Anniversary (2021) — Giles Martin stereo remix
Released on
- Let It Be — LP, 8 May 1970
Cross-references
Other songs sharing themes (last-recording, no-john, waltz-rocker, ego-critique)
Other songs led by the same vocalist
Other songs from this era
last-recordingno-johnwaltz-rockerego-critique