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Overview
"Let It Be" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 6 March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney, and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single version of the song, produced by George Martin, features a softer guitar solo and the orchestral section mixed low, compared with the album version, produced by Phil Spector, featuring a more aggressive guitar solo and the orchestral sections mixed higher. [Wikipedia]
Background
McCartney later recounted that the song came to him during the Get Back sessions in early 1969, during a period of severe band-tension and personal stress, in the form of a dream of his late mother Mary (who had died of cancer when Paul was 14). The line 'Mother Mary comes to me' was both literal and a Catholic-resonant invocation that critics could not resist mistaking for the Virgin. Paul McCartney's most enduring composition emerged from a dream featuring his deceased mother Mary, providing the song with profound emotional resonance and spiritual dimensions. The piece exemplified gospel-influenced songwriting drawn from American soul traditions while maintaining its identity as a Beatles recording. Lewisohn documents Paul running through the song between takes during White Album sessions, suggesting compositional work predated formal studio recording by several months. The most heavily reworked track in Spector's Let It Be treatments, becoming the focal point of later debates over production choices versus artistic intent. (Kozinn 1995, p.211)
What's distinctive
At 4:03 it sits in the top fifth by length. One of 65 songs led primarily by Paul. Recorded approximately 6 of 8 into the Let It Be (1969–70) sessions. Carries the unique tag 'mother-mary-dream' — no other song shares it. Take count: 30 (highest take number documented in Lewisohn (1988)).Opening line — "When I find myself in times of trouble…" (brief identification excerpt; full lyrics © Sony Music Publishing — see Genius link in References.)
Pattern analysis
Recording
Cut 31 January 1969 at Apple Studios on the day after the rooftop concert. Glyn Johns engineered. Billy Preston played the gospel-flavoured electric piano that gives the song its hymn quality. George Harrison overdubbed his guitar solo on 30 April 1969. The 1970 Phil Spector album version added strings, choir and brass; the 1970 single mix (mixed by Glyn Johns) was the simpler, drier reading. McCartney's 2003 Naked re-edit removed Spector's overdubs. Recorded on 31 January 1969 during the Apple Studio Performance sequence alongside other piano-based material unsuitable for rooftop broadcast. Seven takes were recorded using film clapperboard numbering; Paul's vocal delivery conveyed spiritual conviction while maintaining pop accessibility. Later Phil Spector overdubs added orchestral arrangements without Paul's full approval, a decision that contributed to McCartney's later legal action against the band. The original versions captured pure emotional expression before production-layer expansion (Lewisohn 1988, p.170).
MacDonald analyzes the harmonic development of McCartney's composition, emphasizing its classical structure and emotional restraint. (MacDonald 1994, p.139)
| Studio | Twickenham Film Stages (Jan 1969) — 'Get Back' rehearsals; Apple Studio basement, 3 Savile Row (Jan 1969 sessions, rooftop concert 30 Jan); EMI Studios (early 1970 fixes) |
|---|---|
| Tape machine | 3M M23 8-track at Apple |
| Console | Custom Apple/Helios console (heavily problematic), later EMI TG12345 |
| Microphones | U47, U67, AKG C12, AKG D19, AKG D20 |
| Outboard / effects | Apple's hand-built outboard (faulty), then EMI standard kit; Spector added strings/choir at EMI March 1970 |
| Guitars | Fender Rosewood Telecaster (Harrison), Gibson Les Paul 'Lucy' (Harrison), Hofner 500/1 (McCartney returned), Epiphone Casino (Lennon), Höfner Hofner Beatle bass + Fender VI bass (Lennon on rooftop) |
| Amplifiers | Fender Twin Reverb, Fender Bassman, Vox UL730, Hammond C3 / Fender Rhodes (Billy Preston) |
| Producer | George Martin (sessions); Phil Spector (post-production overdubs March/April 1970) |
| Engineer / 2nd | Glyn Johns, Phil McDonald (sessions); Peter Bown, Phil Spector engineers (post) • Alan Parsons (2nd, sessions) |
| Estimated takes | 30 (highest take number documented in Lewisohn (1988)) |
Mix variants & recording techniques
The released history of Let It Be is unusual in the Beatles catalogue for carrying two different lead-guitar solos on the same multitrack tape, both audible across the canonical UK releases — one mixed in for the single, the other mixed in for the album. The two solos sit side-by-side on the 8-track Apple master and the difference between single and LP is, primarily, a mixing decision (Lewisohn 1988, p. 195). Phil Spector’s additional 26 March 1970 album remix layered heavy tape echo on Ringo’s hi-hat, edited a repeat verse into the close to extend the song, and lifted the brass and cello overdubs that the single had buried (Lewisohn p. 198). Every released version of Let It Be derives from the same 31 January 1969 take 27 master; what changes is which 1969/1970 overdub is mixed in and how loudly.
Documented mix variants
- The 1970 single (6 March 1970, Apple/Parlophone R 5833) — Remix stereo 2 made on 4 January 1970 by George Martin / Phil McDonald, before Phil Spector entered the project. Carries George’s 30 April 1969 lead-guitar solo in the middle eight; the 4 January 1970 solo (also on the 8-track tape) is mixed out. Brass and cellos from the same 4 January overdub stage are present but mixed very low (Lewisohn 1988, p. 195). A #1 in the US and #2 in Britain.
- The Glyn Johns second Get Back compile (5 January 1970, unreleased) — Johns deliberately did not tamper further with the 4 January 1970 tape and refused to use the 4 January overdubs (Lewisohn 1988, p. 195); the second Get Back master kept the 30 April 1969 guitar solo and moved Let It Be from side B to the end of side A (Lewisohn 1988, p. 196). The album was rejected by the Beatles, like the first Johns compile from May 1969; both remain officially unreleased.
- The Let It Be LP (8 May 1970, Apple/Parlophone PCS 7096, stereo only) — Phil Spector’s stereo remixes 1–4 of take 30, edited together as remix stereo 1, made on 26 March 1970 in Abbey Road Room 4 with Peter Bown engineering (Lewisohn 1988, p. 198). Spector’s mix uses the 4 January 1970 guitar solo (mixing out the 30 April 1969 solo, the opposite of the single’s choice); adds “such a degree of tape echo to Ringo’s hi-hat that this instrument becomes virtually the sole focus of attention” (Lewisohn p. 198, quoted directly); and edits a repeat verse into the end of the song to extend the duration. The brass (two trumpets, two trombones, tenor sax) and cellos overdubbed on 4 January are given prominence rather than being buried as on the single.
- Anthology 3 (28 October 1996, Apple) — Post-Lewisohn release. The Anthology 3 inclusion of Let It Be is documented in the official compilation’s liner notes rather than in the Lewisohn (1988) primary-source canon. Lewisohn’s 1988 text predates the Anthology series by eight years; per the site’s less-specific-when-uncertain principle, this entry flags the variant’s existence without making claims beyond what Anthology 3’s own documentation establishes.
- Let It Be... Naked (17 November 2003, Apple/Parlophone) — The Allan Rouse / Paul Hicks treatment that strips Phil Spector’s 26 March 1970 album-only overdubs (the tape-echo hi-hat sharpening, the repeat-verse edit extending the song) and returns the released mix closer in feel to the pre-Spector single. Post-Lewisohn (1988); documented in the album’s official liner notes rather than in the primary-source canon.
- 2009 stereo remaster — Let It Be (9 September 2009, Apple/EMI) — a 24-bit remaster of the 1970 album master (Allan Rouse / Guy Massey / Steve Rooke / Sean Magee); Let It Be was not part of the 2009 mono box (it has no 1960s mono mix). Per §1 less-specific-when-uncertain, this reissue post-dates the Lewisohn 1988 / Kehew & Ryan 2006 primary-source canon and is documented in official Apple/EMI release metadata.
- 2021 — Let It Be Special Edition (15 October 2021, Apple/UMe) — a new stereo remix by Giles Martin and Sam Okell, the Super Deluxe edition restoring Glyn Johns’s 1969 Get Back compiles and additional session takes. Same §1 caveat (post-2006 official release; documented in the box’s liner notes).
Recording techniques
- 31 January 1969 — the “Apple Studio Performance” — Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row. P: George Martin. E: Glyn Johns. 2E: Alan Parsons. Recorded the day after the rooftop concert as the final recording of those numbers unsuitable for the rooftop show: two piano songs (Let It Be and The Long and Winding Road) and one acoustic number (Two of Us). Take numbers came from the film clapperboard rather than the tape box. Nine takes of Let It Be were recorded (numbered 20–27, with take 27 consisting of two audio takes) (Lewisohn 1988, p. 170). The Beatles and Billy Preston arranged themselves into stage formation on and around a platform; Paul was the focus of attention throughout, as can be seen in the Let It Be film.
- Take 27 — the film-slate “best” — Glyn Johns used take 27 for his first Get Back compile; every released version of Let It Be derives from this same take (Lewisohn 1988, p. 170; first-compile completed Olympic 28 May 1969, Lewisohn p. 176). After an excellent take of Let It Be (take 25), John announced “OK, let’s track it,” then sharply drew in his breath and added, in a sarcastic, slap-my-wrist fashion, “You bounder, you cheat!” (Lewisohn p. 170).
- 30 April 1969 — the first lead-guitar overdub (the “single” solo) — Studio Three, 7.15pm–2.00am. P: Chris Thomas. E: Jeff Jarratt. 2E: Nick Webb. George Harrison overdubbed lead guitar onto take 27 (still called take 27 because that was the film slate take number). This is the solo Glyn Johns used for both Get Back compiles and the solo that appears on the 6 March 1970 single (Lewisohn 1988, pp. 175, 195–196). Per Lewisohn this was the only deviation from the original live premise that Johns made.
- 4 January 1970 — the second overdub stage (Lennon in Denmark) — Studio Two, 2.30pm–4.00am. P: George Martin. E: Phil McDonald. 2E: Richard Langham. With John Lennon in Denmark on holiday, Paul, George and Ringo gathered at Abbey Road for the last Beatles-as-a-band recording session (Lewisohn 1988, p. 195). The session structure: SI onto take 27 (Harrison/McCartney harmonised backing vocals first), then three tape reductions of take 27 into takes 28–30 with simultaneous SI of brass scored by George Martin (two trumpets, two trombones, tenor saxophone), then a final SI onto take 30 of a second — “more stinging” per Lewisohn — Harrison lead guitar solo, Ringo drums, Paul maracas, and cellos at the end (also scored by George Martin). George Martin and Phil McDonald then made remix stereo 1–2 from take 30; remix stereo 2 is the version released as the 6 March 1970 single.
- The two-solo 8-track master — one tape, two singles’ worth of solo — By the end of the 4 January 1970 session the 8-track tape carried both guitar solos sitting side-by-side: the 30 April 1969 overdub and the 4 January 1970 overdub. Lewisohn (1988, p. 195) is explicit that the single and LP are “one and the same version” — derived from the same tape — with the difference resolved in mixing: remix stereo 2 (single) mixes out the 4 January 1970 solo, leaving the 30 April 1969 solo audible; Spector’s 26 March 1970 LP remix does the opposite, mixing out the 30 April 1969 solo and leaving the 4 January 1970 solo audible. No commercially released version carries both solos playing simultaneously.
- Glyn Johns’ refusal to use the 4 January overdubs — Glyn Johns attended the 4 January 1970 session and took away all of the tapes, but for the 5 January 1970 second Get Back compile he refused to use the revamped Let It Be — remaining as faithful as possible to the no-overdub Get Back principle (Lewisohn 1988, p. 195). The compile that ultimately reached the public as the Let It Be LP was not Johns’ work; it was Phil Spector’s.
- 26 March 1970 — Spector at Abbey Road Room 4 — P: Phil Spector. E: Peter Bown. 2E: Roger Ferris. Four stereo remixes of take 30 (remixes 1–4) edited into remix stereo 1 (Lewisohn 1988, p. 198). Lewisohn: “Phil Spector’s sharpening of the Beatles’ percussion sound came to a head with his remixes of Let It Be, adding such a degree of tape echo to Ringo’s hi-hat that this instrument becomes virtually the sole focus of attention.” Spector also edited a repeat verse into the end of the song to extend the duration, and chose the 4 January 1970 overdubbed lead guitar solo (omitting the 30 April 1969 recording — “falsely intimating that his mix was from a different take to the single released in March”).
- Apple Studios 8-track tape — seven music tracks plus one film-sync pulse — Peter Bown (Lewisohn 1988, p. 197) on the original Apple session tapes: “The tapes had seven tracks of music and one sync pulse track for the film camera.” This 7-music-track ceiling constrained both the 4 January 1970 reduction-with-simultaneous-SI sequence (multiple tape reductions needed to free up space for the brass and second guitar solo) and Spector’s subsequent remix choices.
- Spector wanted to hear everything wet — Brian Gibson (technical engineer, 1 April 1970 orchestral session for the other three Spector overdubs, but reflecting on Spector’s working method generally): “On Let It Be, Spector worked in the completely opposite way [to other producers]. He wanted to hear it, while it was being recorded, exactly the way it would sound when finished: with all the tape echo, plate echo, chamber echo, all the effects” (Lewisohn 1988, p. 198). This is consistent with Peter Bown’s p. 197 recollection that “Spector wanted tape echo on everything” on Room 4 during the Easter 1970 remix sessions.
Legacy & release history
The last UK single released while The Beatles still officially existed (6 March 1970, three weeks before Paul's announcement). UK number two; US number one. Along with Hey Jude one of the band's two most-played live songs by other artists. Aretha Franklin's 1970 cover predated the Beatles single by a few months and reset the song as gospel. Duration at 4m 03s places it at 94th percentile canonically and 100th percentile within Let It Be era, making it among the longest tracks in this period. Paul McCartney lead vocals appear in 65 canon songs (2 in Let It Be era). C major key is shared by 28 canon songs (1 in era). The track became the title song for the final Beatles album and single, achieving number one chart positions globally and establishing McCartney as gifted ballad composer capable of universal emotional appeal (Lewisohn 1988, p.156-170). Documented in multiple variants: original Get Back version, Spector-orchestrated 1970 release, and austere Let It Be… Naked restoration emphasizing the piano-vocal core.
Mono & stereo
- Stereo only on UK release — the band's last three LPs were mixed for stereo; no UK mono LPs were issued.
Documented alternate versions
- Anthology 3 (1996) — alternate take or demo
- Let It Be… Naked (2003) — Spector overdubs removed
- 2009 Stereo Remasters — Allan Rouse / Guy Massey remaster
- Let It Be 50th Anniversary (2021) — Giles Martin stereo remix
Released on
Cross-references
Other songs sharing themes (mother-mary-dream, gospel, classic, phil-spector-and-not)
Other songs led by the same vocalist
Other songs from this era
mother-mary-dreamgospelclassicphil-spector-and-not
References & external databases
Cultural appearances
- Let It Be (1970 film), a documentary about the Beatles album
- Let It Be (2004 film), a Taiwanese documentary about peasant farmers
- "Let It Be" (Grey's Anatomy), a 2005 episode of Grey's Anatomy
- "Let It Be" (Instant Star), a 2007 episode of Instant Star
Extracted from the ‘In popular culture’ / ‘Legacy’ section of the corresponding Wikipedia article. Verify against the linked article before quoting.
Frequently asked
Who wrote Let It Be?
“Let It Be” is credited to Paul McCartney (Lennon–McCartney).
Who sings lead on Let It Be?
The lead vocal on “Let It Be” is by Paul McCartney.
When was Let It Be recorded?
“Let It Be” was recorded 31 Jan 1969 at EMI Studios, Abbey Road.
How many takes did Let It Be require?
Mark Lewisohn's session log documents up to 30 numbered takes for “Let It Be”.