The Beatles have released a brand new restored video for ‘Let It Be’.
- READ MORE: ‘Let It Be’ review: The Beatles dust off their spellbinding 1970 break-up doc
The video features clips from the newly released and restored 1970 film Let It Be, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, and uses rarely-seen alternate camera angles of the Fab Four and Billy Preston as they were recording the song.
The meticulous restoration was done by Park Road Post Production from the original 16mm negative. According to the video’s description on YouTube, it was “filmed on the day after the January 30 rooftop concert” in 1969.
The Let It Be film is now streaming on Disney+, marking the first time the documentary has been available in over 50 years.
In a four-star review of the film, NME shared: “There may not be a more punk rock bit of film on earth than George being told the police were on the roof to shut them down, and casually turning his amp back on. For that alone, for all its whitewashing and line-toeing, Let It Be remains a staggering watch.”
The documentary was first released in cinemas 54 years ago and has been difficult to obtain since primarily because the original master tapes were stolen from Apple Corps shortly after the film was made.
Speaking in a Q&A hosted by former Radio 1 DJ Edith Bowman, Jonathan Clyde, producer of the film and director of production at Apple Corps, explained how Peter Jackson’s Get Back documentary “became the trigger that liberated Let It Be to be re-released”.
“Compared with the transcripts of the old version you’re hearing so much more, there’s more dialogue, there’s more snippets of music and the picture restoration is extraordinary,” he said.
The producer also revealed that The Beatles’ iconic rooftop gig at Apple Corps at Savile Row almost never got off the ground.
“They’d set up the day before the gig, all the crew were ready, all the equipment was there and the band were like, ‘Yeah not today’ and Michael Lindsay-Hogg was pulling his hair out because he as the director had to find some climax to this, this period of filming,” said Clyde. “He felt some responsibility.”
In other news, Paul McCartney recently replied to a declaration of love from a Beatles fan named Adrienne – just 61 years after her original message.
