The new Let It Be film

A new edit of "Let It Be" directed by Peter Jackson has been announced today.

The Beatles today announced a new collaboration between The Beatles and the acclaimed Academy Award winning director Sir Peter Jackson. The new film will be based around 55 hours of never-released footage of The Beatles in the studio, shot between January 2nd and January 31st, 1969. The film will be accompanied by a restored version of the original "Let It Be" film, as directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. 

London – January 30, 2019 - Apple Corps Ltd. and WingNut Films Ltd. are proud to announce an exciting new collaboration between The Beatles and the acclaimed Academy Award winning director Sir Peter Jackson. The new film will be based around 55 hours of never-released footage of The Beatles in the studio, shot between January 2nd and January 31st, 1969. These studio sessions produced The Beatles’ Grammy Award winning album Let It Be, with its Academy Award winning title song. The album was eventually released 18 months later in May 1970, several months after the band had broken up.

The filming was originally intended for a planned TV special, but organically turned into something completely different, climaxing with The Beatles’ legendary performance on the roof of Apple's Savile Row London office — which took place exactly 50 years ago today.

Peter Jackson said, "The 55 hours of never-before-seen footage and 140 hours of audio made available to us, ensures this movie will be the ultimate ‘fly on the wall’ experience that Beatles fans have long dreamt about - it’s like a time machine transports us back to 1969, and we get to sit in the studio watching these four friends make great music together.”

Although The Beatles were filmed extensively during the 1960s - in concerts, interviews and movies - this is the only footage of any note that documents them at work in the studio.

The Let It Be album and movie, having been released in the months following The Beatles’ breakup, have often been viewed in the context of the struggle the band was going through at that time.

"I was relieved to discover the reality is very different to the myth," continues Jackson, "After reviewing all the footage and audio that Michael Lindsay-Hogg shot 18 months before they broke up, it’s simply an amazing historical treasure-trove. Sure, there’s moments of drama - but none of the discord this project has long been associated with. Watching John, Paul, George, and Ringo work together, creating now-classic songs from scratch, is not only fascinating - it’s funny, uplifting and surprisingly intimate". 

"I’m thrilled and honoured to have been entrusted with this remarkable footage - making the movie will be a sheer joy.”

Jackson will be working with his They Shall Not Grow Old partners, Producer Clare Olssen and Editor Jabez Olssen. The footage will be restored by Park Road Post of Wellington, New Zealand, to a pristine standard, using techniques developed for the WW1 documentary film which has been nominated for a BAFTA for best documentary.

The untitled film is currently in production and the release date will be announced in due course. This film is being made with the full co-operation of Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon, and Olivia Harrison.

The Executive Producers are Ken Kamins for WingNut Films and Jeff Jones and Jonathan Clyde for Apple Corps.

Following the release of this new film, a restored version of the original Let It Be movie directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg will also be made available.

TIMELINE: LET IT BE (movie)

1969: 16mm footage of the Beatles filmed in January for proposed TV Special and album, "Get Back".
1969: Film and album shelved for now, new album Abbey Road recorded and released.
1969-70: Footage reworked for movie screening, to fulfill 3 film contract with United Artists.
1970: Theatrical release. Film has been blown up to 35mm, sound is in mono, retitled "Let It Be".

UK premiere at the London Pavilion

1970s: Televised in several markets globally, occasionally shows up in cinemas.
1975: BBC2 shows Let It Be for the first time on December 26. Mono.
1976: BBC1 shows Let It Be on August 24. Mono.
1978: The first screening on HBO in USA, July 29. Ran another six times the following month.
1979: BBC2 shows all Beatles films during Christmas season, again Let It Be on Dec 26.
1980: John Lennon is killed.
1980: As a tribute to John Lennon, Australian Channel 10 shows Let It Be. Simulcast. The film may also have been shown elsewhere in the world at this traumatic time, but the Australian screening is the one we know about.
1981: Home Video release (USA) of 35mm film pan-and-scan: VHS, Betamax, Laserdisc and Videodisc by 20th Century Fox/Magnetic Video Corporation. Mono. Betamax may have been even earlier.
1981: Aired in USA on "The Movie Channel" in November and on "Cinemax" in December.
1982: BBC2 shows Let It Be for the fourth and last time on May 8. 16mm version, mono.
1983: Südwest III local TV screening (south-west part of West Germany) on Dec 26. 16mm, mono. Subtitled in German.
1984: Home Video Release (Holland) by Warner Home Video. 16mm, mono.
1984: Home Video Release (West Germany) of 16mm version: VHS, Betamax by Warner Home Video. Mono. Subtitled in German.
1985: Another Channel 10 TV screening in Australia, Sunday 14 July at midday, after the Live Aid concert finished.
1992: Original 16mm film restored by Ron Furmanek, remastered sound, stereo when available.
1995: Restored footage from film and outtakes shown on The Beatles Anthology TV series.
1997: VCI (UK) announces plans to release the 1992 restoration of the film on VHS. It doesn't happen.
2001: George Harrison succumbs to cancer. Before he dies, he agrees to several upcoming projects, including reworking the Let It Be album to "Let It Be...Naked" and a Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, "Love".
2002: Paul McCartney says there are plans for a DVD release of the film alongside the upcoming new album, "Let It Be...Naked".
2003: Original 16mm film plus outtakes restored by Bob Smeaton.
2003: "Let It Be...Naked" is released. Newly restored outtakes footage used to promote the album. No DVD.
2003: Movie director Lindsay-Hogg says 2 DVDs with the film and outtakes ready for 2004.
2004: A review of a 3 disc version appears online.
2005: "The Toronto Sun" features interview with Bob Smeaton who says a DVD will come out that year.
2006: In a US radio show, Bob Smeaton gives three possible release dates in 2006 for the DVD.
2007: Apple Corps Ltd register the domain name letitbemovie.com.
2007: Neil Aspinall says the film is still too controversial for release.
2008: Yoko Ono says the DVD will not be released yet.
2008: "The Daily Express" (UK) says DVD was cancelled by Paul and Ringo.
2009: Unidentified "insider" claims Yoko Ono is the one blocking the release.
2009: Theatrical screening at a film club in Philadelphia, PA. Good print, poor mono sound.
2010: BBC radio show says DVD is still considered for release at a future date.
2011: Original film and outtakes re-transferred again in higher resolution for future release.
2012: Film due out for 50th anniversary of "Love Me Do", but plans are again scrapped.
2012: Richard Porter learns from insider that the film may be released in 2014 or 2015.
2012: Ringo says: "One day that will come out, but we're not thinking about it right now".
2013: "Help!", "Magical Mystery Tour" and "Yellow Submarine" released on Blu-ray.
2014: "A Hard Day's Night" released on Blu-ray.
2015: Ringo confirms that it will eventually be released, just not this year.
2015: The last 34 minutes of Furmanek's unpublished 1992 restoration uploaded on YouTube
2015: Apple releases a collection of The Beatles' promotional films on Blu-ray and DVD. The material from "Let It Be" looks unrestored. This triggers speculation that Apple saves the restored version for a later stand-alone release.
2016: Bootleg company HMC releases the 1992 restoration of the film on a DVD+CD package in NTSC and an aspect ratio of 4:3. The lower part of the picture is cropped.
2016: Paul tells Rolling Stone that he keeps promoting a release of the film internally.
2016: "Don't Let Me Down" (partial) and "I've Got A Feeling" (partial) from the rooftop concert included in the "Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years" film. The latter song is edited differently with other camera angles than in the "Let It Be" film.
2017: Cinematographer Tony Richmond reveals in an interview that the official DVD release is held up by Yoko Ono and the estate of George Harrison.
2018: Paul McCartney said in an interview with a Canadian radio station that a re-edited version of the film may come out "in a year or two".
2019: On January 30th, in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the rooftop concert, The Beatles announced that a new film will be made, culled from the 55 hours of Get Back film footage available. The new film will be directed by Sir Peter Jackson. A release date is not announced, but a restored original "Let It Be" film will also be made available in conjunction with the new film. Let's hope it's not just a theatrical release, like Shea Stadium was.

The only mention of a release date in the press release, is that it will be announced "in due course". There's speculation that the film will be released on the fiftieth anniversary of the premiere of the original "Let It Be" film, which will make it May, 2020. The film premiered on May 13 in the USA and May 20 in the UK.

There's a slight discrepancy in the press release regarding when the Beatles broke up. Early on it says: "The album was eventually released 18 months later in May 1970, several months after the band had broken up" but later, Sir Peter Jackson says that "After reviewing all the footage and audio that Michael Lindsay-Hogg shot 18 months before they broke up, ...". So did they brake up 18 months after filming "Let It Be" or several months earlier?

The rooftop concert: Fiftieth anniversary

It was 50 years ago today: The Beatles' final concert.

"One after 909" - the rooftop performance was used as a music video by the Beatles several years ago, aired very sparingly on television and then forgotten about. But someone managed to save it before it disappeared:

This was one of four "new" songs the Beatles performed January 30, 1969 - fifty years ago today - on the roof of their Apple Records headquarters, in what turned out to be their final public performance. It was meant to be the triumphant conclusion of a film which documented the Beatles at work in the studio creating the album that was at first going to be called "Get Back" but ended up shelved for a year and then retitled "Let it Be". Upon release, the Beatles had effectively broken up and were pursuing their separate solo careers.

An audience with The Beatles: Some of the lucky people who were on the rooftop that day.

But "One after 909" wasn't really a new song - it was just never before released by the group, although they had made several attempts to record it as far back as 1963. The song's origin goes even further back, rumour has it that Paul and John wrote it together the year they met, in 1957.

It was actually quite crowded on the rooftop during the concert.

Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg: "One day after lunch, (...) — Paul, Ringo, myself and a few camera guys went up and looked at the roof. That was the embryonic idea on the Saturday before we filmed (the rooftop concert).

Inspecting the roof the Saturday before. Photo: © Apple Corps Ltd.

In a 42-minute set (cut down to half that size in the movie), the Beatles played nine takes of five songs, before they were interrupted by the Metropolitan police and had to finish playing. By then, they had played three takes of "Get Back", two takes each of "Don't Let Me Down" and "I've Got a Feeling" and one take each of "One After 909" and "Dig a Pony." The set was performed in the following order:

1. "Get Back" (take one)
2. "Get Back" (take two)
3. "Don't Let Me Down" (take one)
4. "I've Got a Feeling" (take one)
5. "One After 909"
6. "Dig a Pony"
7. "I've Got a Feeling" (take two)
8. "Don't Let Me Down" (take two)
9. "Get Back" (take three)

A short impromptu "God Save The Queen" was briefly heard while the tape operator was changing tapes.

Rooftop versions on official records
From the rooftop gig, the first performance of "I've Got a Feeling" and the recordings of "One After 909" and "Dig a Pony" were later used on the album "Let It Be". Also, dialogue from the rooftop was used between tracks to create a live atmosphere on the album, and John Lennon's famous "I hope we passed the audition" speech was tacked on to a studio version of the song "Get Back".
In 1996, a live version of "Get Back" from the rooftop was included on the album "Anthology 3".
Then in 2003, an edit of the two takes of "Don't Let Me Down" from the rooftop concert was included on the revisionist album "Let It Be... Naked".

Yesterday, Fab Four Archivist uploaded part 1 of a 2-part special about the rooftop concert. Here's part 1:

I'm sure part 2 is imminent. Meanwhile:

The New York Post has a new interview with the director of "Let It Be", Michael Lindsay-Hogg on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the rooftop concert.

Also, a big announcement is expected later today. Stay tuned in!

Update from Ringo

Monday, January 28, 2019  – Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band today revealed additional tour dates for this year.  2019 marks the 30th Anniversary of Ringo and his All Starr Band, who played their first show on July 23, 1989 at the Park Central Ampitheatre in Dallas, Texas. The first leg of 2019 tour dates will begin with one US show at Harrah’s Resort Southern California on March 21st before the band head to Japan. The Japanese tour will launch in Fukuoka on March 27th and wrap up April 11th in Osaka.
 
Then on August 1, 2019 the band resume at Harrahs in Windsor and they will conclude September 1st at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California, nearly 30 years to the day when the inaugural All Starrs completed their first tour on September 3, 1989.

The 2019 All Starr Band feature Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Gregg Rolie, Warren Ham, Gregg Bissonette and the return of All Starr alum Hamish Stuart.
 
“My dream has always been, and still is, to play great music with great musicians - and I’ve been blessed to have so many incredible ones in my All Starr Bands,” Ringo reflected.  “We can’t wait to get out there and share the joy with you – every show is always such a wonderful Peace & Love fest between us and our audiences.” 
 
The current itinerary for their 2019 30th Anniversary celebratory tour is listed below, with additional dates to be announced soon:  
 
Ringo and His All Starr Band Tour -- Japan 2019 Tour Dates:
 
March 27 Sun Palace Hall, Fukuoka, Japan 
March 29 Uenogakuen, Hiroshima, Japan
April 1 Tokyo Electron Hall Miyagi Sendai Japan
April 2 Shimin Center, Koriyama, Japan
April 3 Hitomi Kinen Kodo, Tokyo, Japan
April 5 Dome City Hall, Tokyo, Japan
April 9 Zepp, Nagoya, Japan
April 10 Archaic Hall, Japan, Osaka
April 11 Orix Theatre, Osaka, Japan
 
North American 2019 Tour Dates:
 
August 1 The Colosseum at Caesars, Windsor, Ontario
August 3 & 4 Ravinia, Highland Park, IL
August 6 DPAC, Durham, NC
August 7 & 8 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
August 10 & 11 Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA
August 13 Berglund Center Coliseum, Roanoke, VA
August 14 The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
August 20 State Farm Center, Champaign, IL
August 22 Mystic Lake Casino, Prior Lake, MN
August 23 Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino, Council Bluffs, IA
August 25 Santa Fe Opera House, Santa Fe, NM
August 26 Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
August 28 Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
August 30 Thunder Valley Casino Resort, Lincoln, CA
August 31 Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Paso Robles, CA
September 1 The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
 
This July 7, 2019 Ringo will return to Capitol Records Tower in Los Angeles for his annual Peace & Love Birthday Celebration, where he joins gathered fans and invites anyone anywhere around the world to think, say or post #peaceandlove at Noon their local time. This creates a wave of Peace & Love across the planet, starting in New Zealand and ending in Hawaii. Ringo began these in 2008 at the Hard Rock Café Chicago and last year he celebrated the 10th Anniversary at the Hard Rock Café Nice. In the ensuing years it has grown enormously and in 2018 there were Peace & Love events in over 60 countries. Details for the 2019 event will be announced in the coming months.
 
Shipping now is Ringo's signed, limited edition book, Another Day In The Life. The third in Ringo's series of books with Genesis Publications, following the sell-out success of Postcards From The Boys (2003) and Photograph (2013), Another Day In The Life presents a previously unpublished collection of his photographs, captioned with his own thoughts and anecdotes.
 
Reflecting his love of music, travel and nature, Another Day In The Life shows us the world as seen through Ringo's eyes. From Los Angeles to Tokyo and everywhere in between, many of Ringo's observational images celebrate the quirkiness of life. Other photographs are taken behind the scenes during historic events, such as Ringo's acceptance of a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and his return to New York's Plaza Hotel, 50 years after The Beatles first visited the USA. Joined by Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh and a host of All-Starr friends, in Another Day In The Life Ringo Starr shares personal moments from a legendary life in music, and offers a unique and inspiring look at the world around us. Proceeds from the sale will go to Ringo's Lotus Foundation charity. For more information go to www.ringobook.com.

Vaginal Apple label

The offending B-side label from Apple Records.

A recent story in the Daily Mail reveals that there were some doubt among executives at Capitol Records as they were about to distribute the first records bearing the newly designed Apple label. In a letter from Capitol Record's President Stan Gortikov to Ron Kass of Apple, Stan writes that one of their "rack jabbers" has noted that he felt the new Apple label was completely pornographic and actually depicted a vagina. He stated that the graphic similarity was immediately noticed by all of his key employees.

"Graphic" parts not on display in USA. 

In Australia, however....

As the letter was written a couple of days after the launch of bort "Hey Jude" and "Those Were The Days" in the USA, there was nothing to do about it, although since both of these records were 45's with big centre holes, the offending bits weren't on display. And of course, later when albums started to appear - we never heard people making this connection at all.

Letter - page 1

Letter - part 2, with post script.

Still, Stan seems to have gotten a chuckle from this, as he added a handwritten message to Kass, which was probably for his eyes only - at the time.

Source: the Daily Mail

Backbeat Blu-ray extras

Finally on Blu-ray (USA A1 region coded)

Shout Factory has detailed its upcoming Blu-ray release of Iain Softley's film Backbeat (1994). The release will be available for purchase on February 19.

Synopsis: From the director of K-PAX, Hackers, and Skeleton Key, and starring Sheryl Lee (Twin Peaks), Stephen Dorff (Blade, Cold Creek Manor), and Ian Hart (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) BACKBEAT is an energetic musical drama chronicling the pre-fame Beatles as they head to Hamburg in search of success. As they gain popularity, the "fifth Beatle," bass guitarist Stuart Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorff), falls in love and ultimately must choose between his best friend John Lennon (Ian Hart), his new love Astrid Kirchherr (Sheryl Lee) – and the greatest rock-and-roll band in the world.

 Winner of the London Film Critics Circle's British Newcomer of the Year Award and a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award for Best Film Music, the 1993 film features a soundtrack that includes music from Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), David Pirner (Soul Asylum) and Mike Mills (R.E.M.).

Special Features and Technical Specs:

• A Conversation with Astrid Kirchherr
• Deleted Scenes
• Interviews with Iain Softley and actor Ian Hart
• Iain Softley interview for the Sundance Channel
• Audio commentary with Iain Softley, Ian Hart, and Stephen Dorff
• TV Featurette
• Casting Session
• Optional English subtitles for the main feature

Source: Blu-ray.com
Amazon.com

Pete takes a year off

Pete Best and the rest of the Beatles at the Iron Door, Liverpool, 1961. Colourised.

Roag Best, Pete Best's brother announced earlier today that Pete is taking the year off from rock'n'roll and the Beatles. This means that he will give no interviews, no personal appearances, no audience, and no concerts. The latter has one excepttion and that's the annual Best Fest. This year's do will be the 11th such event. So, if you want to see Pete Best this year it's Best Fest 11 or nothing.

Best Fest 11 details and tickets available at www.petebest.com.

Beatles lyrics, mapped

The people at Vanity Fair have published a video which are using Google maps to take the viewer on a Beatles voyage without leaving their couch. On the 20th of December last year, they published "Every Place in Beatles Lyrics, Mapped" on YouTube. While this is a bit of an exaggeration, it's still an enjoyable 12+ minutes long film which will take you to several spots around the globe.

"Take yourself on a tour of lyric locations in The Beatles songs. From Eleanor Rigby's gravestone in Liverpool to Abbey Road in North London, see the locations behind The Beatles lyrics throughout England, France, Russia, India, the United States, and more countries, covering 25,510 miles around the world."

Of course, there are several mistakes in the video, which you will notice if you're well versed in Beatles history. For instance, the video claims that Paul McCartney was inspired by Eleanor Rigby's tombstone when he wrote that song, whereas he has never acknowledged this himself, attributing "Eleanor" to actress Eleanor Bron from the "Help!" film. "Rigby" supposedly comes from a shop, "Rigby's" in Bristol which McCartney happened to drive by while trying to come up with a name for the song. Still, "Eleanor Rigby" from the tombstone may have lurked in his subconsciousness and made the two names click in his mind.

No "Norwegian woods" in this video, though!

The Bruce McMouse Show gets website

Bruce McMouse gets big screen debut. © Copyright MPL

The Bruce McMouse Show now has it's own website! Shelved in 1977, this "Wings Over Europe 1972" tour film mixes a story about animated mice with a selection of complete songs from Paul McCartney & Wings. The film will now get limited screenings in Australia, Canada, U.K. and USA, starting January 21. It's also available on Blu-ray/DVD in the Super DeLuxe edition of "Red Rose Speedway", which was released in December 2018.

When the film was finally completed in 1977, there was another film in the works, "Rockshow" from Wings' 1976 tour of the USA. And even that film got outdated when Joe English and Jimmy McCullough departed from the group in 1977.

Paul has the mouse in the palm of his hand © Copyright MPL

The Bruce McMouse Show was directed by Barry Chattington and produced by Roger Cherrill with the live elements taken from four shows in Holland and Germany in 1972. As often is with Paul McCartney's concert films, each song features footage from several shows with Paul wearing different outfits. The songs have also been sweetened for the soundtrack, all the guitars and vocals are in tune and all instruments are audible. Scenes of Paul and the band interacting with the mice on stage were shot without the audiences.

Prior to the European tour Paul had the idea of a family of mice and sketched the characters. Picking up the idea, Eric Wylam took Paul’s sketches and created the final McMouse family. This storyline was incorporated and used as a linking theme within the concert footage. The voice-overs for the animated mice took place at the end of 1973, recorded by Paul and Linda McCartney, Deryck Guyler, Pat Coombs and Derek Nimmo.

Production stretched from 1972 through to 1977 when the film was complete, however with changes in the band’s line-up and music scene, the project was shelved. The Bruce McMouse Show has been fully restored in 2018 at Final Frame Post alongside a brand-new audio mix (stereo and 5.1) created at AIR Studios where it was also mastered.

Website: www.brucemcmouse.com

Quarrymen concert poster discovered

An original Quarrymen concert poster from 1959 has been discovered

An original Quarrymen concert poster from 1959 has been discovered by Pete Howard at Postercentral.com. The poster was recently acknowledged by Roag Best as genuine. The poster is for Saturday appearances of the band at the Casbah Club, which opened in 1959. The group had by then shed all of John Lennon's gang of childhood friends from his neighbourhood and was now made up by the core of what was to become the Beatles - John Lennon, George Harrison and Paul McCartney, with additional member Ken Brown.

Pete Howard was the publisher of ICE magazine from 1987 to 2006 and was a contributing editor of Rolling Stone magazine, 1988-1995.

Here's Howard's video blog with his recent discovery:

Surprise song from McCartney

Get Enough - a new song from Paul

As we entered the New Year, Paul McCartney surprised us by releasing a new song on various streaming services, including Spotify and YouTube Music.
It has been receiving mixed feelings from fans, but it still grown on you the more you hear it. Much of the controversy stems from McCartney employing the "Cher effect", which is extreme use of the auto-tune tool, as pioneered by Cher in her 1998 song "Believe". McCartney starts singing without the effect, but it is used more and more as the song progresses. The song then takes a new, orchestral direction before it ends.

The song comes from the recording sessions for "Egypt Station" and is co-composed with Ryan Tedder, who also acted as co-producer together with Zach Skelton and Paul himself.
It's possibly slated for the DeLuxe boxed set of "Egypt Station" which was originally going to be available in October 2018, but which has been postponed. Here is the song, from YouTube Music:

℗ Capitol Records; ℗ 2019 MPL Communications Ltd, under exclusive license to UMG Recordings, Inc.

Released on: 2019-01-01

Producer, Associated  Performer, Programming, Background  Vocalist: Ryan Tedder
Producer, Studio  Personnel, Editor, Associated  Performer, Programming: Zach Skelton
Producer, Co- Producer, Associated  Performer, Vocals, Bass  Guitar, Piano, Acoustic  Guitar, Harpsichord, Synthesizer, Synth  Bass: Paul McCartney
Studio  Personnel, Engineer: Steve Orchard
Studio  Personnel, Engineer: Rich Rich
Studio  Personnel, Asst.  Recording  Engineer: Keith Smith
Studio  Personnel, Asst.  Recording  Engineer: Jamie Kirkham
Studio  Personnel, Mixer: Mark Stent
Studio  Personnel, Assistant  Mixer: Michael Freeman
Studio  Personnel, Mastering  Engineer: Randy Merrill
Composer  Lyricist: Paul McCartney
Composer  Lyricist: Ryan Tedder