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Tuesday, January 28, 1969

Get Back sessions - January 28, 1969 - Day 17

For The Beatles

Last updated on January 31, 2022

Overview

In the evening, The Beatles met American businessman Allen Klein. John and Yoko Ono had met him the previous day and John had made him his personal adviser.

From Doug Sulpy:

In spite of the greater-than-usual number of songs rehearsed, this was basically an
unproductive day. Most of their works-in-progress have now been perfected, and with so
little time remaining in the sessions, they don’t want to tackle any new numbers.
The morning is not without success, as they record what will ultimately be the
released version of “Don’t Let Me Down,” but their rehearsals of the other new numbers
offer little progress.
In spite of their lethargy, three numbers are given their session premieres
– George’s new composition “Old Brown Shoe” (which is extensively rehearsed),
“Something,” and John’s “I Want You” (which evidently grows out of an improvisation).
The band is even desperate enough for something to do that in the afternoon they
return to “All Things Must Pass,” “On The Road To Marrakesh” and “Teddy Boy” – all
songs that were performed earlier in the sessions, which had evidently been abandoned.

From 28 January 1969: Get Back/Let It Be sessions: day 17 (beatlesbible.com):

The 17th day of the Get Back/Let It Be sessions saw The Beatles further refine most of the songs which would end up on the Let It Be album.

The first song to receive significant attention was ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’, one take of which featured a three-chord coda lasting a full 15 minutes, and others which had John Lennon on lead vocals.

The single version of ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ was recorded on this day, although further backing vocals were later added at Abbey Road prior to its release. Also taped during this session were seven versions of ‘Get Back’, the coda from one of which was used on the single.

George Harrison had introduced ‘Old Brown Shoe’ during the previous day’s session. It had further work on this day, and after one of the takes The Beatles and Preston began experimenting with a stylophone. This is The Beatles’ only known use of the instrument popularised by Rolf Harris.

Another Harrisong, the future chart-topping single ‘Something’, made its debut during this session. Five versions were taped of the song, which still lacked some lyrics and final chords, and Harrison can be heard on the tapes asking for help finishing it off. “Just say what comes into your head each time,” Lennon tells him. “‘Attracts me like a cauliflower’. Until you get the word.”

Although Lennon and Paul McCartney seemed willing to help Harrison with the song, there was less enthusiasm for ‘All Things Must Pass’, which had last been played on 8 January. The Beatles performed it one more time the following day, before giving up on it completely.

John Lennon introduced a new song, ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’, which would eventually be recorded for Abbey Road. The first of four versions from this day was instrumental, and featured the main guitar riffs that made it to the final recording, although it was little more than a jam at this stage.

Two versions of ‘Teddy Boy’ were performed, one of which was combined with a take from 24 January and released on 1996’s Anthology 3. Similarly, Lennon revived ‘Child Of Nature’ – here known as ‘On The Road To Marrakesh’ – although it was clear that the song wasn’t working for The Beatles.

The group also delved back into their old songbooks, with mixed results. A version of ‘The Inner Light’ lasted for less than a minute, while a slow arrangement of ‘Love Me Do’ failed to ignite any sparks. More successful was ‘One After 909’, which was performed on the Apple rooftop on 30 January.

From Facebook – 28 January 1969 Photo by Linda McCartney / Linda Enterprises Ltd. © Paul McCartney (https://www.lindamccartney.com/)

From “Postcards from the boys” by Ringo Starr, 2004

Session activities

The performances are sequentially numbered using the nomenclature from the book "Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image" by Doug Sulpy. DDSI 2.01 is, for example, the first performance from January 2nd, while DDSI 31.65 is the sixty-fifth performance from January 31st. This numbering is at times different from the DDSI numbers used on the bootleg collection "A/B Road Complete Get Back Sessions", likely because "Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image" was updated since the release of this collection.


  1. Shazam!

    Written by Duane Eddy, Lee Hazlewood

    RecordingDDSI.28.01 2:23

  2. Improvision

    RecordingDDSI.28.02 0:32

  3. The River Rhine

    RecordingDDSI.28.03 5:21

  4. The Long And Winding Road

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.25 5:21

  5. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.04 17:00

  6. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.05 3:20

  7. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.06 19:41

  8. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.07 7:27

  9. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.08 4:48

  10. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.09 3:22

  11. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.10 2:19

  12. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.11 1:46

  13. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.12 1:19

  14. Rainy Day Women #’s 12 & 35

    RecordingDDSI.28.13 1:13

  15. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.14 13:43

  16. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.15 2:31

  17. The Inner Light

    RecordingDDSI.28.16 0:35

  18. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.17 9:42

  19. Blue Yodel No 1 (T for Texas)

    RecordingDDSI.28.18 0:16

  20. Tea For Two

    RecordingDDSI.28.19 0:24

  21. Dig It

    Written by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.20 8:14

  22. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.21 5:38

  23. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.22 1:55

  24. On The Road To Marrakesh

    RecordingDDSI.28.23 3:51

  25. On The Road To Marrakesh

    RecordingDDSI.28.24 2:54

  26. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.25 2:21

  27. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.26 3:56

  28. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.27 3:32

  29. I Will Always Look For You

    Written by Paul McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.28 2:57

  30. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.29 5:02

  31. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.30 0:37

  32. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.31 2:49

  33. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.32 6:21

  34. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.33 0:49

  35. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.34 2:39

  36. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.35 2:44

  37. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.36 0:40

  38. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.37 4:03

  39. Get Back

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.38 5:25

  40. Get Back

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.39 0:59

  41. Love Me Do

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.40 2:42

  42. Dig A Pony

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.41 0:16

  43. Teddy Boy

    Written by Paul McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.42 0:52

  44. Get Back

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.43 4:25

  45. Don't Let Me Down

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.44 2:06

  46. Don't Let Me Down

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.45 3:45

  47. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.46 4:09

  48. Don't Let Me Down

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.47 3:01

  49. Don't Let Me Down

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.48 3:45

  50. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.49 1:33

  51. One After 909

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.50 4:48

  52. I've Got A Feeling

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.51 4:07

  53. One After 909

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.52 1:35

  54. One After 909

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.53 3:18

  55. One After 909

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.54 2:27

  56. Old Brown Shoe

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.55 9:47

  57. Old Brown Shoe

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.56 4:31

  58. Old Brown Shoe

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.57 3:58

  59. Old Brown Shoe

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.58 2:52

  60. Old Brown Shoe

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.59 2:48

  61. Old Brown Shoe

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.60 16:41

  62. Old Brown Shoe

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.61 5:03

  63. Improvisation

    RecordingDDSI.28.62 3:11

  64. Old Brown Shoe

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.63 2:19

  65. I Want You (She's So Heavy)

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.64 3:52

  66. I Want You (She's So Heavy)

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.65 5:54

  67. Unless He Has A Song

    RecordingDDSI.28.66 3:51

  68. Sticks And Stones

    RecordingDDSI.28.67 2:33

  69. Something

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.68 0:52

  70. Something

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.69 3:27

  71. Something

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.70 15:33

  72. Something

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.71 4:19

  73. Something

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.72 9:15

  74. Get Back

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.73 3:13

  75. Get Back

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.74 1:28

  76. Get Back

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.75 2:06

  77. Get Back

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.76 1:19

  78. Bo Diddley

    RecordingDDSI.28.77 2:20

  79. Two Of Us

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.78 2:38

  80. Two Of Us

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.79 4:07

  81. Two Of Us

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.80 4:33

  82. Two Of Us

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.81 2:12

  83. Two Of Us

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.82 3:53

  84. Teddy Boy

    Written by Paul McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.83 9:21

  85. All Things Must Pass

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.84 1:00

  86. All Things Must Pass

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.85 1:54

  87. All Things Must Pass

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.86 4:30

  88. All Things Must Pass

    Written by George Harrison

    RecordingDDSI.28.87 5:06

  89. How Do You Tell Someone

    RecordingDDSI.28.88 2:19

  90. Greasepaint On Your Face

    RecordingDDSI.28.89 1:36

  91. Positively 4th Street

    RecordingDDSI.28.90 0:08

  92. Positively 4th Street

    RecordingDDSI.28.91 1:51

  93. I Want You (She's So Heavy)

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.92 14:21

  94. I Want You (She's So Heavy)

    Written by Lennon - McCartney

    RecordingDDSI.28.93 9:07


Going further

Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image - The Complete, Unauthorized Story of The Beatles' 'Get Back' Sessions

The definitive guide to the Get Back sessions, released in 1994 and updated in 2007. In the author's own words:

New, completely revised edition! This new volume isn t just a compilation of material from the 1994 book Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image (also later published as 'Get Back') and 'The 910's Guide To The Beatles Outtakes Part Two: The Complete Get Back Sessions' (2001). I've re-listened to the entire canon of available Get Back session tapes, come up with a bunch of new conclusions (and even a handful of new identifications!), and pretty much re-written half the book from scratch. In addition, great effort has been made to improve readability of the book. Songs have now been put into groups (generally by Nagra reel, or series of them), rather than describing each performance separately, as was done in the original. In every way, this is the book we wished we could have written in 1994.

As the paperback version is out of print, you can buy a PDF version on the author's website

Buy on Amazon

If we modestly consider the Paul McCartney Project to be the premier online resource for all things Paul McCartney, it is undeniable that The Beatles Bible stands as the definitive online site dedicated to the Beatles. While there is some overlap in content between the two sites, they differ significantly in their approach.

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ivan • 3 years ago

Possible setlist for this day:

Shazam (Duane Eddy)

‘The Long And Winding Road’

‘I’ve Got A Feeling’ (17 versions)

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Bob Dylan)

‘The Inner Light’

Blue Yodel No. 1 (T For Texas) (Jimmie Rodgers)

Tea For Two Cha-Cha (Tommy Dorsey)

‘Dig It’

‘Child Of Nature’ (Lennon; two versions)

‘Dig A Pony’ (12 versions)

‘Get Back’ (seven versions)

‘Love Me Do’

‘Teddy Boy’ (McCartney; two versions)

‘Don’t Let Me Down’ (four versions)

‘One After 909’ (four versions)


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