Let It Be
Song by The Beatles • McCartney
Let It Be (1969–70) — Rooftop chill, gold-on-black valedictions.
★ Marquee entry — extended editorial essay
Background
McCartney later recounted that the song came to him during the Get Back sessions in early 1969, during a period of severe band-tension and personal stress, in the form of a dream of his late mother Mary (who had died of cancer when Paul was 14). The line 'Mother Mary comes to me' was both literal and a Catholic-resonant invocation that critics could not resist mistaking for the Virgin.
What's distinctive
At 4:03 it sits in the top fifth by length. One of 65 UK songs led primarily by Paul. Recorded approximately 6 of 8 into the Let It Be (1969–70) sessions. Carries the unique tag 'mother-mary-dream' — no other UK song shares it.Opening line — "When I find myself in times of trouble…" (brief identification excerpt; full lyrics © Sony Music Publishing — see Genius link in References.)
Recording
Cut 31 January 1969 at Apple Studios on the day after the rooftop concert. Glyn Johns engineered. Billy Preston played the gospel-flavoured electric piano that gives the song its hymn quality. George Harrison overdubbed his guitar solo on 30 April 1969. The 1970 Phil Spector album version added strings, choir and brass; the 1970 single mix (mixed by Glyn Johns) was the simpler, drier reading. McCartney's 2003 Naked re-edit removed Spector's overdubs.
| 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
The last UK single released while The Beatles still officially existed (6 March 1970, three weeks before Paul's announcement). UK number two; US number one. Along with Hey Jude one of the band's two most-played live songs by other artists. Aretha Franklin's 1970 cover predated the Beatles single by a few months and reset the song as gospel.
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
Cross-references
Other songs sharing themes (mother-mary-dream, gospel, classic, phil-spector-and-not)
Other songs led by the same vocalist
Other songs from this era
mother-mary-dreamgospelclassicphil-spector-and-not