Beatles Get Back 14: January 23

Paul is back behind the drums while Yoko wails into a microphone and John coaxes feedback from his guitar. George and Ringo arrive while John talks excitedly about the jam, and how he’d like it to go on her next album, or even theirs. (Luckily, this does not happen.)
Michael is still hoping some kind of public performance will happen in a week’s time, and the band agrees to rehearse through the weekend to keep the momentum going. (Today is Thursday.)

Billy has arrived, and they’re already in good spirits, joking about what to play next. George is equally chuffed about getting some bow ties he’s asked Mal to procure. “Across The Universe” is scratched because it’s due to go out on an EP (which will be cancelled) and they joke about “Mal’s anvil” in case they want to try “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”. They choose “Oh! Darling”, then George leads them into “Get Back”; even though they still haven’t figured out what to do with the verses, now Billy can take one of the solos. (We’ve never understood why it’s John soloing on this song and not George.) The three guitarists all contribute to the arrangement, and then Billy finds his descending part that ends each chorus. George notices the similarity to the Temptations’ “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)”, and we learn that Paul isn’t playing his Rickenbacker bass, despite its better sound, because the Hofner weighs less. They even try playing the song standing, instead of all sitting, leading to a wonderful sequence of F-words never before broadcast on a Disney platform.

The development of the “Get Back” arrangement dominates the day’s work, with only occasional detours into other songs, including “I’ll Get You”, “Help!”, and “Please Please Me”. During one break they’re talking about the tour where Jimmy Nicol sat in for Ringo, who was out with a tonsillectomy, and John keeps trying to get something out of his coat, but stops every time he sees the camera on him. We see Denis O’Dell enjoying the music; art dealer Robert Fraser is hovering on the sidelines as well. George suggests that “Get Back” be their next single ASAP, since it’s been months since their last one, and that way The Big Show could promote it.

Much of the drama that defined the first week is long past, so there’s not much extra to say about this segment. The focus is on their music, which was the original point of the project. Most of all, they’re all having fun, which was the original point of Jackson’s edit.