Let It Be / You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)

Track list

Side 1

1. Let It Be

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   3:52 • Studio version • A • Stereo

   Paul McCartney : Backing vocals, Bass guitar, Maracas, Piano, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Backing vocals Ringo Starr : Drums George Harrison : Backing vocals, Lead guitar George Martin : Producer Phil McDonald : Recording engineer Jeff Jarratt : Recording engineer Glyn Johns : Recording engineer Billy Preston : Electric piano, Organ Unknown musician(s) : Cellos, One baritone saxophone, Trombone, Two tenor saxophones, Two trumpets

   Session Recording: Jan 31, 1969 • Studio Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London

   Session Overdubs: Apr 30, 1969 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road

   Session Mixing: Jan 04, 1970 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road

Side 2

1. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)

   Written by Lennon - McCartney

   4:19 • Studio version • A

   Paul McCartney : Bass, Handclaps, Piano, Vocals Ringo Starr : Bongos, Drums, Handclaps, Vocals John Lennon : Guitar, Handclaps, Harmonica, Maracas, Vocals George Harrison : Backing vocals, Guitar, Handclaps, Vibes George Martin : Producer Geoff Emerick : Recording engineer Mal Evans : Spade in gravel Brian Jones : Alto saxophone

   Session Recording: May 17, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road

   Session Recording: June 7-8, 1967 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road

   Session Recording: April 30, 1969 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Three, Abbey Road

   Session Mixing: November 26, 1969 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road

From Wikipedia:

The single used the same cover photographs as the Let It Be album, and was originally released on 6 March 1970, backed by “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)“, with a production credit for George Martin. This version includes orchestration and backing vocals overdubbed on 4 January 1970, under the supervision of Martin and McCartney, with backing vocals that included the only known contribution by Linda McCartney to a Beatles song. It was during this same session that Harrison recorded the second overdubbed guitar solo. The intention at one point was to have the two overdub solos playing together. This idea was dropped for the final mix of the single, and only the 30 April solo was used, although the 4 January overdub can be heard faintly during the final verse. Martin mixed the orchestration very low in this version.

The single mix made its album debut on the Beatles’ 1967–1970 compilation album. Original pressings erroneously show the running time of 4:01 (from the Let It Be album), and not the single version’s running time of 3:52. This version was also included on 20 Greatest Hits, Past Masters Volume 2 and 1.

James Paul McCartney is home and baby and Linda and ballads and rock’n’roll ravers, and Fair Isle sweaters and dad and brother and the Friday train to Lime Street. John Lennon is Yoko and Peace and Plastic fantastic; X and Sex; and bang the gong for right and wrong.

The new Beatles single, ‘Let It Be’, is released within the next fortnight and, in the light of these differences, it would have been a personal pleasure to report an imminent ‘Come Together’ between the worlds of old Fair Isle McCartney and Plastic Lennon fantastic!

Sadly – no such luck. The void between them seems as wide as ever. And a close look at the label credit for John’s own new single ‘Instant Karma’, seems to be evidence that even the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership credit may now about to be dropped. The publishing line plays it straight: ‘Composed: Lennon.’ […]

There were problems and arguments as a result of the Northern Songs’ take-over bid; further disagreements about other business affairs; and a general air of sourness over there at Apple’s Savile Row HQ.

Having turned off the charm, however, I now suspect that Paul would find it something of a personal discomfort to begin interviews again, even if he wanted to. It’s a bit tricky when you’ve kicked the habit.

Until such time as he chooses to jump into the limelight again, though, Paul’s firm-minded wife, Linda, seems to have taken over as a kind of barrier between him and the rest of the world. Callers to their St John’s Wood house either meet Linda or a member of the staff, and Paul is “not available” or “out” or “busy”.

Students of astrology may well recognise a typical Gemini reaction in this ‘McCartney mystique’ … outward and sociable at one minute; a hermit the next; good friendly guy one minute; distant guy the next.

As Ringo puts it, “Paul’s fine. Maureen and I went over to dinner with him last week and we had a good time. He’s writing songs and he’s doing things. He’s happy. He’s just fed up doing interviews, that’s all. I don’t think he’d care if he never did another interview in all his life.”

From New Musical Express – February 21, 1970

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