So much of the written history of the Beatles’ 1969 recording sessions focuses on how miserable the band members were while they were together in the studio. Stunning new footage released today by film director Peter Jackson in advance of Get Back, his upcoming documentary inside the studio, shows quite the opposite, with lots of smiles, hijinks and undeniable musical chemistry from the Fab Four.
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The fabled footage, over 56 hours and most of it never seen by the public, is being culled by Jackson into a feature-length film scheduled to open in theaters and digitally on August 27, 2021. This five-minute compilation is certain to whet the appetite of Beatle fanatics, for both the sneak peek into the studio process and the film quality itself, which is stunning.
Jackson notes that he is halfway through the editing process and this clip is not a trailer (“that will come later”), nor a sequence from the film. “It’s a montage of moments that we pulled from throughout the 56 hours of footage that we have. It just gives you a sense of the spirit of the film that we’re making. Hopefully it will put a smile on your face in these rather bleak times we’re living in at the moment.”
A rehearsal version of the song “Get Back” provides the soundtrack for various clips shown. Ever the prankster, John Lennon feigns mock outrage as he reads a newspaper clipping of George Harrison facing potential jail time for allegedly assaulting a photographer at a nightclub. Lennon and Paul McCartney sing “Two Of Us” through clenched teeth while Ringo Starr mugs for the camera. Yoko Ono is present, as is Billy Preston, who was brought in to play keyboard on several of the tracks.
The “Get Back” audio track itself is raw and full of energy, highlighted by aggressive, slightly overdriven guitar tones played through Fender Twin Reverb amps. The most fascinating and revealing part of the footage is watching Lennon slap on his Epiphone Casino guitar with his pick hand during the song’s intro, creating a unique sound that never sounds quite right when played in a conventional pick and strum style.
Director Jackson said he was “thrilled and honoured to have been entrusted with this remarkable footage” of the band’s final recording sessions and quite pleased with what he has found so far.
“I was relieved to discover the reality is very different to the myth,” the Oscar-winning director said. “It’s simply an amazing historical treasure-trove. Sure, there’s moments of drama – but none of the discord this project has long been associated with. Watching John, Paul, George, and Ringo work together, creating now-classic songs from scratch, is not only fascinating – it’s funny, uplifting and surprisingly intimate”.
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