Monday, January 6, 1969
The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions • Day 3
For The Beatles
Last updated on March 26, 2025
Monday, January 6, 1969
For The Beatles
Last updated on March 26, 2025
The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions
January 1969 • Songs recorded during this session appear on Let It Be (Limited Edition)
Recording studio: Twickenham Film Studios, London, UK
Session January 1969 • The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions
Session Jan 03, 1969 • The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions • Day 2
Session Jan 06, 1969 • The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions • Day 3
Session Jan 07, 1969 • The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions • Day 4
Session Jan 08, 1969 • The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions • Day 5
AlbumSome of the songs worked on during this session were first released on the "Let It Be (50th anniversary boxset)" Official album
I’m scared of me being the boss. And I have been for a couple of years. I always feel as though I’m trying to put you down and stop you playing. But I’m not. I’m trying to stop us all playing, until we know what we’re playing.
Paul McCartney to George Harrison
The Beatles returned to Twickenham Studios on January 6, 1969, for the third day of the “Get Back” sessions, but progress remained elusive. George Harrison, perhaps only half-joking, suggested scrapping the idea of a live show. Ringo Starr wasn’t feeling well, John Lennon remained largely silent, and even Paul McCartney, usually the project’s driving force, seemed uncertain about its direction.
The morning session was largely unfocused, consisting mostly of jamming, and going through oldies. Among the improvisations were “The Palace Of The King Of The Birds“, a McCartney instrumental recorded years later for the unreleased “Rupert The Bear” soundtrack, “You Wear Your Women Out“, a blues jam, and “My Imagination“, which featured Paul experimenting with Primal Therapy-style screaming.
Despite the lack of structure, the morning did see the introduction of several new songs. George debuted “Hear Me Lord” and “For You Blue,” while Ringo tried out “Octopus’s Garden.” Paul introduced “Carry That Weight,” and John revisited the 1968 track “Across the Universe.”
After lunch, discussions about the live show dragged on without resolution. When they finally got to work, attempts at “Don’t Let Me Down” lacked energy, with various arrangements failing to take shape. Rehearsals for “Two of Us” were equally frustrating, culminating in an exchange where George, frustrated, told Paul: “I’ll play whatever you want me to play. Or I won’t play at all if you don’t want me to play. Now, whatever it is that will please you, I’ll do it.”
George also tried to interest the band in “All Things Must Pass,” but the others showed little enthusiasm. The session ended with Paul introducing “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window,” guiding the band through its first run-throughs.
The Beatles returned to Twickenham the following day.
George Harrison: I wrote a gospel song over the weekend, lads.
John Lennon: According to Saint Who?
George Harrison: According to the Lord. ‘Hear Me Lord’.
From Peter Jackson’s film “The Beatles: Get Back“, 2021
Early in the session, George Harrison introduced “Hear Me Lord” for the first time. Throughout the day, he returned to the song, first playing it on acoustic guitar and later on electric guitar with a wah-wah pedal. However, the rest of the band showed little interest, and George ultimately abandoned it for the remainder of the “Get Back” sessions. The song would later find a home on his 1970 solo album, “All Things Must Pass.”
George also introduced “For You Blue” during this session, though at this stage, it was purely instrumental and had no name. He would work on it again in the following Twickenham sessions, on January 7 and January 9.
Shortly after George introduced “For You Blue,” Paul brought in a new song of his own, “Carry That Weight.” He explained:
I have a bit that I might finish. It might interest him. I was thinking it was a song for Ringo.
Paul McCartney
Paul’s concept for the song at this point was for it to become a country-and-western-style song for Ringo to sing, George being briefly instructed as to what the chords were. Four attempts at playing the song were made, with Paul on organ and vocals, John on electric guitar and periodic backing vocals, and George making attempts at joining in on piano.
From beatlesebooks.com
The following day, January 7, Paul changed his mind and began merging “Carry That Weight” with another song, “Golden Slumbers,” foreshadowing the medley that would later appear on the “Abbey Road” album later in 1969.
Ringo also introduced his new composition, “Octopus’ Garden“, though only a brief, incomplete version was performed. The Beatles would return to the song later in the sessions on January 23.
John didn’t introduce any new songs that day but chose to revisit “Across the Universe,” a track the band had recorded in February 1968 but had yet to release.
They ran through two rough rehearsals of the song with John on electric guitar and lead vocals (flubbing the lyrics here and there), Paul on bass and harmony vocals (sung throughout some of the verses as well as the choruses), George on electric guitar through a wah-wah pedal, and Ringo tapping out the beat on tom toms as he had done on the original recording. The song was then dropped for the time being, much attention being given to “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Two Of Us” before the rehearsal ended.
From beatlesebooks.com
The Beatles returned to “Across The Universe” on the following day, January 7.
“Don’t Let Me Down” was rehearsed on January 2 and 3, and work on the song continued into this third day of the sessions:
They worked extensively on “Don’t Let Me Down,” performing 28 versions of the song, nailing down the guitar introduction John was to eventually perform on the finished recording. They attempted many harmonies, lyrical changes, falsetto voices and call and response vocals on this day, some of which are heard on the “Fly On The Wall” disc on the “Let It Be…Naked” release. Much of this was dropped, but discussion ensued as to the presence of a keyboard on the finished song. George said he would move to bass to allow for Paul to play keyboard if necessary, but John insisted that he wanted two guitars in the arrangement. Keeping to the agreed-upon “no overdubs” policy for this project, a keyboardist needed to be enlisted to fulfill Lennon’s desire. To differentiate the two guitarists, George used a wah-wah effect on many of the rehearsals of the song on this day.
From beatlesebooks.com
The Beatles continued working on “Don’t Let Me Down” the following day, January 7.
Like “Don’t Let Me Down,” “Two Of Us” was rehearsed on January 2 and 3, and work on the song continued into this day:
After a weekend off, however, they met again at Twickenham for their January 6th session which saw the group work extensively on the song once again, playing it with the rhythmic feel that they would eventually use on the song “Get Back,” although this song hadn’t been written yet. They ran through twenty rehearsals of “Two Of Us” which, at this point, was arranged as a straight ahead rocker with electric guitars, as can be witnessed early in the “Let It Be” movie as filmed on this day. It was during the rehearsals of this song that tempers flared between George and Paul, the guitarist being told that his complicated guitar riffs need to be simplified
From beatlesebooks.com
The Beatles continued rehearsing “Two Of Us,” briefly, on January 8.
To close out the day, Paul introduced “She Came In Through the Bathroom Window” to the band. Bringing it in on just the third day of rehearsals suggests he saw it as a potential contender for the live show. The Beatles ran through the song seven times that day and would revisit it with four more rehearsals on January 7.
Overall, this day’s rehearsals were largely unproductive. A lot of time was spent in discussions and disagreements. For instance, shortly after arriving, George Harrison suggested that they should drop the idea of a live show:
Michael Lindsay-Hogg: We ought to think this week sometime about the show.
Paul McCartney: But we are thinking about the show.
John Lennon: We never stop thinking about it. […]
Michael Lindsay-Hogg: Wouldn’t it be nice if we did this show with a big audience?
Paul McCartney: Yes
George Harrison: I think we should forget the whole idea of this show.
Paul McCartney: Yeah, just, that’s it. Okay… I’ll go along with that.
Michael Lindsay-Hogg: We’re back…
Paul McCartney: We’re back to square one.
From Peter Jackson’s film “The Beatles: Get Back“, 2021
The day’s lowest point came during a tense exchange between Paul and George over the band’s working dynamics and creative roles. This fraught moment, captured during rehearsals for “Two Of Us,” was featured in Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s film “Let It Be”:
Paul McCartney: See, look. Listen, now. We’re gonna have to sort of bring it together, ’cause we’re all at odds. We’re doing that thing we did on “The Beatles”. Like, in this verse, it’s two harmonies singing, trying to say some words, right?
John Lennon: I’m not that bothered. I’m just trying to sing it.
Paul McCartney: It’s not sounding together.
George Harrison: And so we can only play until we find the bit.
Paul McCartney: Or we can stop and say it’s not together.
George Harrison: Yes, then you’ve got to carry on until it gets together.
John Lennon: These are the hard ones to do, aren’t they?
Paul McCartney: No, not really, it’s just… We’ve got to be imaginative. You know, it’s complicated now. See, if we can get it simpler and then complicate it where it needs complication, but it’s complicated in the bit…
George Harrison: It’s not complicated. I’ll play just the chords, if you like.
Paul McCartney: No, no, come on. You always get annoyed when I say that. I’m trying to help, you know. But I always hear myself annoying you, and I’m trying…
George Harrison: No, you’re not annoying me. You don’t annoy me anymore.
Paul McCartney: But you see what I mean. We do this then… Then I don’t know. […]
Paul McCartney: I’m scared of me being the boss. And I have been for a couple of years. I always feel as though I’m trying to put you down and stop you playing. But I’m not. I’m trying to stop us all playing, until we know what we’re playing.
George Harrison: But you’ve got to play in order to find which fits and which doesn’t. You see that’s all we can do.
Paul McCartney: I don’t wanna say it, ’cause I really just hear myself as being the only one saying it, always. And like, the three of you just sort of sit there, like “Oh, he’s saying that one again, is he?” And I never get any support, or anything. So I just think, “Oh, well. Fuck it”. And I know it’s right, and you know it’s right.
George Harrison: Yes, all right. I just don’t know what to do about it.
Paul McCartney: But doesn’t everyone agree that it’s confused at the moment. So, all I’m trying to say is, we’ve only got 12 more days, so we’ve really got to do this methodically, this one.
George Harrison: I’ll wait until you get all your bits and then work my part out, if you like. It’s like a matter of working it out with you, while you’re working your bit out. You know, have you got your bass bit?
Paul McCartney: You’re doing it again as though I’m trying to say that. And what we said the other day, you know, I’m not trying to get you. What I really am trying to just say, “Look lads, the band, shall we try it like this, you know?”
George Harrison: It’s funny how it only occurs when the…
Paul McCartney: It’s like “shall we play guitar all through Hey Jude? Well, I don’t think we should”.
George Harrison: Okay, well, I don’t mind. I’ll play whatever you want me to play. Or I won’t play at all if you don’t want me to play. Now, whatever it is that will please you, I’ll do it. But I don’t think you really know what that one is. […]
From Peter Jackson’s film “The Beatles: Get Back“, 2021
Paul McCartney: Look, you know, the… [sighs] No, it’s not like that. You see, that’s it, it’s like, we can’t do this. We’ve really got to sort out this, ’cause we’re – this is – we’re like – this is the one, you know. Now we’re rehearsing, and we’re trying to like get it together for a TV show, so we really – like you said, we’ve only been through four numbers, you know.
George Harrison: Mm.
John Lennon: Well…
Paul McCartney: So we’ve probably got to get some system to get through like twenty, or thirty, and no more, and have learnt them. And it’s probably going to be like sculpture. So that we get all the chords. So we can all vamp and all. Then we can all play, like, every solo we need. But like… You know what I mean? It’s got to sound as though it’s improving.
George Harrison: [careful] Yeah, well, it actually – it sounded to me, that for me, it was a waste of me time playing, when we started it today. I mean, I just started remembering then what it could get into the other day, after playing for around an hour, an hour and a half. And suddenly, you know, I just don’t find that my – that what I’m doing is starting to have something, you know. Have some structure to it. [pause] You know, that’s the thing.
Paul McCartney: Yeah, I know, I know what you mean, you know. ’Cause it’s like—
George Harrison: You know, I mean—
Paul McCartney: It’s just that that way of doing it, you know, puts me off the way I’m trying to do it, and—
George Harrison: [resigned] Well, that’s – you know. That’s all, then. I can only do me, in that one way, however I do it, you know. [long pause]
Paul McCartney: [resigned] Let’s do another song.
George Harrison: [commiserating] No, come on, we just have to learn this—
Paul McCartney: No, no, it’s – let’s just do something else.
George Harrison: Do you want to do… ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’?
John Lennon: [encouraging] Well, let’s do this, ’cause then we – we’re gonna come to this, or whatever it is. And the thing is just try and think what – the stage we’ve got to be in then.
Paul McCartney: You just have to know that. I think we’ve wasted a lot of time, I think. I think we do like waste, physically waste a heck of a lot of time, you know, when the four of us are together.
From a moral to this song
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.
Recording • DDSI.6.01 • 1:39
Written by L. Russell Brown, Raymond Bloodworth
Recording • DDSI.6.02 • 1:58
Recording • DDSI.6.03 • 1:44
Recording • DDSI.6.04 • 1:07
High School Confidential
Recording • DDSI.6.05 • 0:28 • George Harrison only
Recording • DDSI.6.06 • 0:50
Hear Me Lord
Recording • DDSI.6.07 • 0:49 • George Harrison only
Hear Me Lord
Recording • DDSI.6.08 • 2:26 • George Harrison only
Written by George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.09 • 3:44 • George Harrison only - First known performance of the song.
Written by George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.10 • 3:11 • George Harrison only
Written by George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.11 • 0:32 • George Harrison only
Recording • DDSI.6.12 • 1:32
Written by Ringo Starr
Recording • DDSI.6.13 • 0:43 • Medley with "Carry That Weight" - Ringo Starr only - First known performance of the song.
Recording • DDSI.6.13 • 0:43 • Medley with "Octopus's Garden"
Recording • DDSI.6.14 • 2:22
The Palace Of The King Of The Birds
Written by Paul McCartney
Recording • DDSI.6.15 • 14:00
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.16 • 0:06
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.17 • 9:02
Recording • DDSI.6.18 • 3:08
Film Included in Peter Jackson's film "The Beatles: Get Back", 2021
Written by Bob Dylan
Recording • DDSI.6.19 • 3:16
Performed by : Paul McCartney • Ringo Starr • John Lennon • George Harrison
Unknown
Recording • DDSI.6.20 • 1:54
Unknown
Recording • DDSI.6.21 • 0:35
Unknown
Recording • DDSI.6.22 • 1:40
Written by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.23 • 6:42
Film Included in Peter Jackson's film "The Beatles: Get Back", 2021
Recording • DDSI.6.24 • 6:03
Written by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.25 • 3:22
Film Included in Peter Jackson's film "The Beatles: Get Back", 2021
Written by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.26 • 4:13
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.27 • 5:55
"I'm Gonna Pay For His Ride"
Recording • DDSI.6.28 • 4:40
Recording • DDSI.6.29 • 0:52
Recording • DDSI.6.30 • 2:24
Recording • DDSI.6.31 • 2:59
Recording • DDSI.6.32 • 2:05
"They Call Me Fuzz Face"
Recording • DDSI.6.33 • 1:19
Recording • DDSI.6.34 • 1:43
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.35 • 1:38
Written by Arthur Crudup
Recording • DDSI.6.36 • 0:53
Thirty Days
Recording • DDSI.6.37 • 0:25 • John Lennon only
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.38 • 2:42
Hear Me Lord
Recording • DDSI.6.39 • 4:36 • George Harrison only
Hear Me Lord
Recording • DDSI.6.40 • 3:20 • George Harrison only
Hear Me Lord
Recording • DDSI.6.41 • 7:12 • George Harrison only
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.42 • 0:26
Hear Me Lord
Recording • DDSI.6.43 • 0:41 • George Harrison only
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.44 • 0:04
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.45 • 0:23
Written by Noel Gay
Recording • DDSI.6.46 • 1:37
Performed by : Paul McCartney • John Lennon • George Harrison
Written by John Lennon
Recording • DDSI.6.47 • 0:29
Performed by : Paul McCartney • John Lennon
Written by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.48 • 2:18
I'm Talking About You
Recording • DDSI.6.49 • 1:24 • George Harrison only
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.50 • 5:37
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.51 • 0:39
Written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, Marv Tarplin
Recording • DDSI.6.52 • 2:27
Performed by : Paul McCartney • Ringo Starr • John Lennon • George Harrison
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.53 • 0:25
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.54 • 0:09
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.55 • 0:06
Improvisation
Recording • DDSI.6.56 • 0:16
Written by Larry Williams
Recording • DDSI.6.57 • 3:01
Performed by : Paul McCartney • Ringo Starr • John Lennon • George Harrison
Written by Janie Bradford, Berry Gordy
Recording • DDSI.6.58 • 2:44
Performed by : Paul McCartney • Ringo Starr • John Lennon • George Harrison
Written by Jack Clement, Murphy Maddux
Recording • DDSI.6.59 • 3:43
Performed by : Paul McCartney • Ringo Starr • John Lennon • George Harrison
Sure to Fall (In Love with You)
Written by Carl Perkins, Bill Cantrell, Quinton Claunch
Recording • DDSI.6.60 • 2:45
Performed by : Paul McCartney • Ringo Starr • John Lennon • George Harrison
Written by William Lee Perryman
Recording • DDSI.6.61 • 3:32
Performed by : Paul McCartney • George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.62 • 15:53
Recording • DDSI.6.63 • 0:23
Recording • DDSI.6.64 • 0:27
Recording • DDSI.6.65 • 4:06
Recording • DDSI.6.66 • 4:25
Recording • DDSI.6.67 • 3:41
Recording • DDSI.6.68 • 4:44
Recording • DDSI.6.69 • 1:35
Recording • DDSI.6.70 • 1:04
Recording • DDSI.6.71 • 0:04
Recording • DDSI.6.72 • 9:57
Recording • DDSI.6.73 • 5:08
Recording • DDSI.6.74 • 0:56
Recording • DDSI.6.75 • 4:28
Recording • DDSI.6.76 • 0:22
Recording • DDSI.6.77 • 0:04
Recording • DDSI.6.78 • 0:35
Recording • DDSI.6.79 • 0:10
Recording • DDSI.6.80 • 0:34
Recording • DDSI.6.81 • 7:12
Recording • DDSI.6.82 • 3:02
Send Me Some Loving
Recording • DDSI.6.87 • 0:41 • John Lennon only
Recording • DDSI.6.88 • 0:39
Recording • DDSI.6.89 • 0:08
Recording • DDSI.6.90 • 3:40
Recording • DDSI.6.91 • 1:06
Recording • DDSI.6.92 • 4:51
Recording • DDSI.6.93 • 0:47
Recording • DDSI.6.94 • 0:38
Recording • DDSI.6.95 • 2:34
Recording • DDSI.6.96 • 1:47
Recording • DDSI.6.97 • 0:21
Recording • DDSI.6.98 • 2:33
Recording • DDSI.6.99 • 4:09
Recording • DDSI.6.100 • 1:17
Recording • DDSI.6.101 • 1:11
Recording • DDSI.6.102 • 8:21
Recording • DDSI.6.103 • 2:10
Recording • DDSI.6.104 • 1:26
Recording • DDSI.6.105 • 3:10
Written by Traditional
Recording • DDSI.6.106 • 0:42
Written by Bob Dylan
Recording • DDSI.6.107 • 0:38
Performed by : Paul McCartney • George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.108 • 5:06
Recording • DDSI.6.109 • 2:55
Recording • DDSI.6.110 • 1:12
Recording • DDSI.6.111 • 1:35
Recording • DDSI.6.112 • 2:48
Recording • DDSI.6.113 • 1:29
The Saints (When the Saints Go Marching In)
Written by Traditional
Recording • DDSI.6.114 • 0:06
Performed by : Paul McCartney
Loop De Loop
Recording • DDSI.6.115 • 0:27 • George only
Performed by : George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.116 • 2:53
Hear Me Lord
Recording • DDSI.6.117 • 0:09
Performed by : George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.118 • 3:53
Hear Me Lord
Recording • DDSI.6.119 • 2:39 • George only
Performed by : George Harrison
Written by George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.120 • 0:18
Written by George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.121 • 6:05
Written by George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.122 • 3:35
Written by Jim Lee
Recording • DDSI.6.123 • 0:59
Written by George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.124 • 3:40
Written by George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.125 • 1:44
Written by George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.126 • 0:24
Written by George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.127 • 0:45
Written by George Harrison
Recording • DDSI.6.128 • 4:08
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Recording • DDSI.6.129 • 4:06
Film Included in Peter Jackson's film "The Beatles: Get Back", 2021
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Recording • DDSI.6.130 • 3:10
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Recording • DDSI.6.131 • 2:08
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Recording • DDSI.6.132 • 2:48
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Recording • DDSI.6.133 • 0:04
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Recording • DDSI.6.134 • 0:07
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Recording • DDSI.6.135 • 3:00
Recording • DDSI.6.136 • 1:27
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
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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