Mixing, master compilation: Let It Be, Get Back album – 28 May 1969
Wednesday 28 May 1969 | Let It Be, Studio
Studio One, Olympic Sound Studios, London
Producer: George Martin | Engineer: Glyn Johns
On Wednesday 28 May 1969, engineer Glyn Johns completed one of the most significant — and most overlooked — chapters in Beatles recording history: the compilation of the master tape for the Get Back album. Working at Studio One, Olympic Sound Studios in Barnes, London, Johns also created a stereo mix of Let It Be during the same session. It was the culmination of several days of work that Johns had undertaken largely without the involvement of the Beatles themselves.
The Get Back Project
The Get Back album had its origins in the most turbulent recording period of the Beatles’ career. In January 1969, the group convened at Twickenham Film Studios — and later at their Apple Corps basement studio in Savile Row — with the stated intention of returning to their roots: writing and recording new material live, without overdubs, in a way that could be filmed and documented. The idea was simplicity. The reality was considerably more complicated.
The January sessions were marked by tension and arguments, including the temporary departure of George Harrison on 10 January. They were also the source of some extraordinary performances: the rooftop concert on 30 January 1969 — the last time the Beatles performed live in public — produced some of the most vital recordings of their final years. The sessions at Apple’s basement studio, with keyboard player Billy Preston brought in to ease the atmosphere, yielded further strong material.
By spring 1969, the question of what to do with the recordings had become pressing. Glyn Johns — a highly respected engineer who had worked with the Rolling Stones, the Who, and Led Zeppelin, and who had been present throughout the January sessions — was tasked with assembling the raw recordings into a releasable album. The brief: no overdubs, no studio polish, just the Beatles playing live.
Glyn Johns’ Approach
Johns worked largely without input from the Beatles, who were consumed by the business chaos surrounding Apple Corps and the bitter management disputes that would eventually tear the group apart. His aesthetic was clear: the album should sound like a document, not a production. Rough edges preserved. Studio chatter included. The listener present in the room. It was a bold and coherent vision — whether it was what the Beatles wanted was another matter entirely.
The Tracklisting
The master tape compiled by Johns on 28 May 1969 contained fifteen tracks, with January 1969 recording dates in brackets:
- One After 909 (30 January — rooftop concert)
- I’m Ready (22 January)
- Save The Last Dance For Me (22 January)
- Don’t Let Me Down (22 January)
- Dig A Pony (23 January)
- I’ve Got A Feeling (22 January)
- Get Back (single edit; 27/28 January)
- For You Blue (25 January)
- Teddy Boy (24 January)
- Two Of Us (24 January)
- Maggie Mae (24 January)
- Dig It (24 January)
- Let It Be (31 January)
- The Long And Winding Road (26 January)
- Get Back (reprise; 28 January)
Several songs that would eventually appear on the released Let It Be album are present here in rawer, less produced forms. Two tracks — I’m Ready and Save The Last Dance For Me — were covers, reflecting the ‘back to basics’ spirit of the sessions. Teddy Boy, a McCartney composition, was dropped from the eventual Let It Be release and later appeared on his 1970 solo debut. The inclusion of One After 909 from the rooftop is particularly resonant: one of the oldest songs in the Beatles’ repertoire, dating to Lennon and McCartney’s late-1950s collaborations, performed live on a London rooftop with joy and abandon.
What Happened to the Get Back Album?
The album was never released in this form. The Beatles heard the acetate and were dissatisfied. Johns made a second attempt in January 1970 with a revised tracklisting — also rejected. In March 1970, the tapes were handed to Phil Spector, who applied his ‘Wall of Sound’ production to several tracks, most controversially to The Long And Winding Road — which McCartney later described as having been “ruined” by Spector’s orchestral overdubs. The resulting album, retitled Let It Be, was released on 8 May 1970, three days after the Beatles announced their dissolution.
In 2003, Let It Be… Naked stripped away Spector’s production. And in 2024, Johns’ Get Back compilation was finally released officially as part of the Let It Be super deluxe box set — more than 50 years after it was assembled in this room.
Olympic Sound Studios
Olympic Sound Studios on Church Road in Barnes, south-west London, was one of the premier recording facilities in Britain during the late 1960s. The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Traffic all recorded there. The studio closed in 2009 and the building was converted into a cinema.
Key Facts: 28 May 1969
- Session: Mixing and master compilation
- Studio: Studio One, Olympic Sound Studios, Barnes, London
- Producer: George Martin
- Engineer: Glyn Johns
- Output: Stereo mix of Let It Be; master tape of the Get Back album (15 tracks)
- Album status: Rejected; not officially released until 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Get Back album?
An unreleased version of what became Let It Be, compiled by Glyn Johns from the January 1969 sessions. The master tape was completed on 28 May 1969 but rejected by the Beatles and not officially released until 2024.
Who was Glyn Johns?
One of Britain’s most respected recording engineers, known for his work with the Rolling Stones, the Who, Led Zeppelin, and the Eagles. He was present throughout the January 1969 sessions and compiled the Get Back album largely without Beatles involvement.
Why was the Get Back album never released?
The Beatles heard Johns’ compilation and were dissatisfied. A second attempt in January 1970 was also rejected. The tapes were then handed to Phil Spector, whose heavily produced version was released as Let It Be in May 1970.
What happened to Teddy Boy?
A McCartney composition recorded 24 January 1969, included on Johns’ compilation but dropped from Let It Be. McCartney re-recorded it for his 1970 solo debut McCartney.
Was the Get Back album ever officially released?
Yes — in 2024, as part of the Let It Be super deluxe box set, more than 50 years after it was assembled.
What is Olympic Sound Studios?
A premier recording facility in Barnes, south-west London, used by the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and others. The Beatles used it for the final stages of the Get Back project. It closed in 2009.
→ The Beatles Get Back / Let It Be Sessions – Day Four, 7 January 1969
Shop Beatles Merch: Beatles T-Shirts & Tops | Shop by Era
0 comments