6th March 1970: The Beatles Release Their Final UK Single – "Let It Be"

On 6th March 1970, The Beatles released Let It Be as a single in the United Kingdom.

Issued by Apple Records as Apple R 5833, the record featured You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) on the B-side.

The single would become the final original UK single released during the band's career, not counting later reissues or the Anthology releases decades later.

A Single From a Band Already Drifting Apart

By the time the record reached shops in March 1970, The Beatles were essentially no longer functioning as a band.

Each member was increasingly focused on solo work or outside projects:

• Paul McCartney was preparing his first solo album
• John Lennon was recording with the Plastic Ono Band
• George Harrison was writing material that would soon appear on All Things Must Pass
• Ringo Starr had just completed his debut solo LP

In reality, the last time all four Beatles had worked together in the studio was around seven months earlier.

Older Recordings Behind the Single

Although "Let It Be" appeared in 1970, the recording itself dated back to the Get Back sessions in January 1969.

The B-side was even older.

"You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" had originally been started during sessions in May 1967, around the time the band were working on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The track had been left unfinished for years before finally being completed for release.

Phil Spector and the Let It Be Album

While the single itself was relatively straightforward, the accompanying album would prove far more controversial. Producer Phil Spector was brought in to finish the Let It Be tapes, adding sweeping orchestration and choral arrangements that Paul McCartney protested in writing — a dispute that would simmer for over three decades until the release of Let It Be…Naked in 2003.

Chart Performance

Despite the song's later reputation as one of the band's most iconic recordings, the single did not reach number one in the UK.

Chart peak: No. 2

Entered charts: 14th March 1970

Time on chart: 9 weeks (plus one further week in October 1970)

In the United States, however, the song would become a number one hit.

Another Apple Release the Same Day

Also released on 6th March 1970 was the single:

Govinda / Govinda Jai Jai

The record was credited to the Radha Krishna Temple and produced by George Harrison, who had taken a keen interest in promoting the group through Apple Records.

A Snapshot of the Beatles' Final Chapter

The release of "Let It Be" captured a strange moment in Beatles history. Publicly, the band still appeared active, but behind the scenes the members were already moving in separate directions.

Just two months later, the Let It Be LP would follow — accompanied by the band's final feature film of the same name.

While it wasn't their last single ever released, 6th March 1970 marked the final time a brand-new Beatles single arrived in the UK while the group still technically existed.