Get Back. The Beatles

In past six weeks I have been that fly on the proverbial wall in the studio of The Beatles while they were recording for what was to be a live album and practicing what was to be a full, surprise live show, somewhere in London. The band convened in a large studio hall at Twickenham on 2 January, the live show planned for circa 24 January. Assuming that most people reading this post will know enough of the outcome. No real live show but a rooftop concert, stopped by the police. The band breaking up for a short while. The music not seeing the light of day until 'Let It Be' was released in April 1970, finished by Phil Spector. The band convening later in 1969 for a final time to record 'Abbey Road' and breaking up officially in April 1970, in reality in the fall of 1969 when 'Come Together' and 'Abbey Road' were climbing the singles and albums charts around the world. Assuming you know all that, I'm just going to write some observations.

Sparks fly

The main observation is this: When Paul managed to get to John and get him out of passivity or the spell Yoko had on him or better his attention, that were the moments that sparks flew. When brilliance struck and things changed, immediately. Some were so clear on film to see and hear. And, yes, John should have left Yoko at home more often, but I never had the impression, not for one moment, that Yoko was present as the "ugly witch". She was just there, always. The other wives were not, and Patti all but invisible or she did not want to be in the movie.

This togetherness excluded George and Ringo totally. George sometimes is jealous and feels excluded and under-appreciated. Ringo just sits there behind his drumkit, totally passive, not doing anything, not saying anything. It's almost shocking to see. A fun moment is when he is sitting behind the piano playing the beginnings of  'Octopus' Garden' to George. The others are not there then. George helping Ringo with chords, making suggestions, growing the song, that did make it to an album.

Pride

The pride of jack-of-all-trades to The Beatles, Mel Evans when he gets to play on a Beatles song. He plays the anvil in 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' and is nearly bursting at the seams. Just this moment makes the movie worth its while.

He did everything for the Fab Four. Bringing snacks and drinks, buying ciggies (there's endless smoking in the movie), haul in an anvil, write down the lyrics, even making a suggestion at times and is simply present from beginning to end, just in case they need anything.

Chaos

For days on end there's just chaos. Not for one moment there is focus on that end goal: a live show. To the desperation of the director. What is it they want? He never gets that clear, not for a second. Even the rooftop show remained uncertain, even when everything was already up on roof. Get Back, if anything, shows the chaos of creation. The endless stops and starts, bursting into any song that comes to mind, spontaneous dancing, jams (including Yoko's screaming (and little Heather's copying of Yoko!)), all to stray away from a new song that is not there yet, that does not want to reveal it's true nature and form just yet.

Work ethic

The load of songs Paul comes up with or has ready for production. I was totally astonished when on one of the earlier days he starts to crank out one after the other on a piano, waiting for the others to arrive. All his songs were ready to go. George who goes home after a long day in the studio and returns with another brilliant song, all finished or close to it. It's John who seems to be mostly on hold. He just sits there, uninterested even, his mind not in it. It's Paul who mostly his dragging the others onwards, as is shown often in the movie, but that is common knowledge. This is in stark contrast with the fun they also have together and shows the moment when a hobby has become work and because of it is all but work.

Brilliance

To be present when lightning strikes in the studio. When all of a sudden that moment is found that makes a song work, that one riff or break. For 'Get Back' it was Paul with George and not John for once. This is worth watching all the endless chatter I also had to go through. It never bored me for a second though. This is as close one can get to a band. Just like David Mitchell got in his latest novel 'Utopia Avenue'. I just wished that they had filmed the recording of all the albums. When did 'Eleanor Rigby' move from a band song to an orchestra accompaniment? That sort of thing.

George leaving

I totally did not understand that one. There is a scene a few days before when you can see him siting totally turned into himself. Discontented, even angry. The days after they have fun and laugh and at lunchtime he decides to quit. Out of the blue for me, on the basis of the movie. I did not see that one coming, on that day. A few days later the band left Twickenham and moved to a room in their own Apple office. It was okay from then on or mostly. On the final day after the rooftop, George does say, "I'm going to take a break to make my own record. I have enough songs for my quorum for the next 10 Beatles albums". Several of the songs on 'All Things Must Pass' are The Beatles demo's from 1969. On 31 January he was not planning to leave The Beatles, just to record a solo album. The fact that they were discussing the future, met with Allen Klein at the end of the movie, shows no one was thinking about ending The Beatles in January 1969.

George Martin

I always thought Martin was not present here, as they did not want him or he did not want to produce the album. He was there on all days, watching over his four lads. Managing the recordings, making notes, bringing them back to the band when they've lost the bigger picture. And to make a suggestion at the right moment, pushing a song into a certain direction.

Brilliance 2

For all the uncertainty coming with the idea of having to play live and the endless distractions before finishing a song, the rooftop show went fantastic. There stood an incredibly tight five piece who knew exactly what it was doing. If there were doubts up to the final moments, they were all gone on that roof on 30 January 1969. The film clips are epic of course. Not just the performance but everything around it. The filling roofs, the streets, the poor PCs having to maintain order and order The Beatles to stop playing, the entourage on the roof, the filmcrew everywhere. And Billy Preston, who for a few weeks had become a full member of The Beatles and plays these brilliant Fender Rhodes parts. Including a large solo in 'Get Back'. Speaking of highlights in a career. The band was fantastic on that roof in Savile Row and basically ready to go back on the road. It may have saved the band, had they decided to go on tour in 1970 or 1971 after a year long break for solo records.

The movie

Peter Jackson did a marvellous job in recreating something that was originally dismal. I was, I think at the time, 16, when I saw 'Let It Be'. Far too young to appreciate the significance of what I was seeing at the time, but was what remained with me was all the negativity the movie showed and the emptiness of Twickenham. I never bothered to look at 'Let It Be' again since. In 2021/22 I did and was blown away. By the power of the setting, music and the restored images. Perhaps the Get Back storyline was manipulated somewhat to make it look better.

If so, this is how the world would like to remember The Beatles, as the best band in pop ever, deserving the mythical status it now has, while at the same time totally human. Not long from now there are no Beatles left in this world. The original fans are all in their sixties and seventies. So a few decades from now The Beatles have become like all great composers of the past: dead. The one big difference is that anyone coming after us can put on the records, watch clips, look at Get Back and see and hear the real thing. And that is the true power of Get Back.

Wout de Natris