Paul’s not part of this conversation, but we do see him in the studio space discussing The Big Show with Michael, who still thinks they need an actual audience to perform at their best, while Ringo kindly informs those assembled that he’s passed gas. Paul still seems hesitant to commit to a rooftop performance, as he’s afraid that once they’ve done that, the group will dissipate into their own corners again. Basically, he doesn’t want it to end—he’d like the performance for the show to be the start of further, similar performances, rather than just churning out albums every year. He even seems to snap at George Martin when the producer tries to mollify him.
Paul keeps bringing up their club days, and the drive they had then. John reiterates that they’ve only got about six songs ready at this point, and that they’d need more time to get up to the fourteen he feels is the ideal number for an album, and enough for a set in a concert setting. George, who has also started smoking cigars, agrees by pointing out that such preparation would “take months”. It’s mentioned for the first time in several days that Ringo will shortly be tied up filming his movie away from the others, so that’s why there’s this deadline for the rooftop show—if they’re really going to do it, that is.
Paul finally confirms that the original idea for the project was to be a TV show promoting the White Album, but somehow it evolved into being filmed rehearsing all new songs. Once again their own ambition has thrust them ahead of themselves.
George asks how many songs are considered “good enough” at this point, to which John replies, “None.” While his oversized sunglasses detract from the gravitas, Glyn insightfully points out that their own approach to the grind of playing the songs over and over clouds the fact that they’ve already done the songs well.
It’s interesting to see that John accepts their differing perspectives as beneficial to the project, and the band, as a whole, while Paul is still itching for some kind of structure to keep them on track. And after all this, Ringo says he’d like to play on the roof, and that’s what incites Paul and George into deciding to do it after all, for now anyway. (John was already keen to play up there.) George Martin hands over a list of the songs they’ve been piling up, and they realize just how much they truly have under their belts—enough for an album already.
We cut to a jam on “Dig It”, where the lyrics consist of the very song titles they’ve amassed. We see Paul’s brother Michael—sometimes known as Mike McGear—reading a copy of Billboard while “playing” the closed lid of the grand piano. The brothers head out for lunch together, but stop in the control room so Mike can hear some of the tunes that have been mixed so far. This means Paul doesn’t hear George float his idea of doing a solo album of the songs he’s piled up, to “get them all out the way” and not try to fob them off for other people to do, so he can continue to contribute to the Beatles without trying cram his songs in. John is all for it; Billy and Yoko agree.
Paul has returned from lunch and is playing the Hawaiian while John and Billy jam on the “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” chords with lyrics around the “I have a dream” theme of racial equality. It’s a fun jam, and Billy switches from electric piano to organ and back while stopping to light cigarettes. “Two Of Us” is rehearsed with John and Paul singing through comically clenched teeth a la bad ventriloquists. (Also performed today but not included in Jackson’s edit were “Besame Mucho”, as seen in the Let It Be film, and a plodding cover of Buddy Holly’s “Mailman Bring Me No More Blues”, which was mixed for the aborted 1985 Sessions LP of Beatles outtakes and officially included on Anthology 3.)
As they pack up to leave, Paul still seems wary about playing on the roof tomorrow. John suggests they play the Albert Hall, which Ringo agrees to. They say goodbye to Mike, who’s looking through one of the cameras, while George chats with Jackie Lomax.
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