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Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
A previously unreleased version by The Beatles.
Video from 1969.
Video from 1969.
Jun 21, 2005 1:22 PM
Re: Don't Let Me Down
Here's a Beatles oddball fact for ya... Of the 21 Beatles albums, 11 of them were released after they had broken up.
By: spam_vigilante
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
This link is not working. Is anyone else having problems. Maybe it is because I am on a Mac?
By: Chenz
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
This whole site is developed and tested on Macs, so that's not the issue. It works for us.
This file is ~10 megs and appears not to have been encoded for progressive downloading. So you just need to wait for the whole file to download before it will play.
Also, make sure you have the latest version of Windows Media Player for Macintosh. ;)
This file is ~10 megs and appears not to have been encoded for progressive downloading. So you just need to wait for the whole file to download before it will play.
Also, make sure you have the latest version of Windows Media Player for Macintosh. ;)
By: jaxon
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
It would be pretty ironic if an Apple Films media file didn't work on a Mac, don't you think? ;)
By: Geist
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down, who's the black guy
I momentarily saw a black dude on keyboards?
By: ConradKilroy
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down, who's the black guy
I don't remember who he is but he played all the keyboards on Let It Be. I saw something about him on a documentary.
By: RussellK
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down, who's the black guy
If I remember my Beatles trivia correctly, it was Billy Preston on keyboards for Let It Be. Having him on the set (they were filming the sessions) eased some of the bickering between the members.
By: allenu
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
the beatles are definently without a doubt the greatset band of all time, i really liked this video and the quality was really good
By: beatlesfan
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
We do know that this is copyrighted material, correct?
By: jtkremer89
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
How do we know this? Is it possible that the clip is public domain?
By: spam_vigilante
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
I don't get this. The credits say that this is the original studio version of the song, but the video shows them on the rooftop. Judging from the visual cuts, it looks like they edited the rooftop performance video to match a studio tape.
Kinda seems like cheating to me.
Kinda seems like cheating to me.
By: tsackett
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
Doubt it. It's probably just the way the song was originally done in the studio, the same lyrics, the same way its played. I don't think they would sync up that. But if it was, it was a damn good sync up.
By: kickinits7
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
an "okay" song by the Beatles... they have a ton better ones. But, hey! It was the Beatles and thats good enough for me......
During the bridge of the song, it seemed as if there was some inside joke to it. All the band members were giving eachother sidelong glances and grinning.
During the bridge of the song, it seemed as if there was some inside joke to it. All the band members were giving eachother sidelong glances and grinning.
By: random
Re: The Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
I've seen this slick clip before, and it's disappointing if not heartbreaking. The audio is imported ie not source. In the true rooftop performance, John flubs the lyrics, notably, and they all laugh.
It's a spirited take (in the original) and a rare moment during these sessions in which the Fabs are the Fabs again -- having not, not miserable and tetchy.
The camera cuts were re-edited to mask the audio import.
It's a spirited take (in the original) and a rare moment during these sessions in which the Fabs are the Fabs again -- having not, not miserable and tetchy.
The camera cuts were re-edited to mask the audio import.
By: Banes
Re: Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
As mentioned earlier, this is a sync... a very good one. It could be one of the television spots released by Apple in 1970 to promote the Get Back/Don't Let Me Down single--the spots were set to footage from the rooftop performance but the audio was from the original twickenham studios recordings, much like this.
The "inside joke" that everyone seems to be having a laugh about: in the real rooftop performance, instead of singing his usual line ("and for the first time that she really done me...") John adlibs a series of random, exaggerated syllables.
Incidentally, the card at the beginning of the clip is incorrect; the rooftop performance took place at the Apple Corps building, and the song was recorded at Twickenham studios, not Abbey Road.
It's a real shame that there isn't a copy of the original rooftop video circulating instead--it's a lot more fun :3
The "inside joke" that everyone seems to be having a laugh about: in the real rooftop performance, instead of singing his usual line ("and for the first time that she really done me...") John adlibs a series of random, exaggerated syllables.
Incidentally, the card at the beginning of the clip is incorrect; the rooftop performance took place at the Apple Corps building, and the song was recorded at Twickenham studios, not Abbey Road.
It's a real shame that there isn't a copy of the original rooftop video circulating instead--it's a lot more fun :3
By: bagshotrow
Re: Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
Actually, the reason one would think it is a very good sync is because it isn't a sync at all. The audio is not from a Twickenham studios recording. It is from the "real" rooftop performance as seen in the production release of "Let It Be", it is just from different angles. The only thing that has been edited (added) is the last verse.
You are correct, John does flub the lyrics in the last verse (in the production film). The version that is presented in this video clip, has the last verse "pasted" from a previous performance of the song. Not many people know this, but The Beatles performed most of the songs twice on that day in January.
Another bit of trivia...the folks who put together the Let It Be..Naked CD did the very same thing...they took the audio from the first verse, the second verse, and the bridge, then added the first few lines of the last verse (the lines that don't have John's exaggerated syllables) from an earlier performance of the song, then back to the version that people are acustomed to hearing from the Let It Be movie. I know this because I have the Let It Be movie on VHS (yuck) and have watched it many times.
Having heard this version of "Don't Let Me Down" a zillion times, I immediately recognized it, when I first heard the Let It Be...Naked CD, as the same version (with the exception of the obvious omission of the Lennon adlib) from the Let It Be movie.
I have converted this performance from the Let It Be VHS to digital format. When you play the clip and the track from the "Naked" CD together, they sync up perfectly; until the corrected verse is inserted. After the insert, it resumes syncing (with a little help) up with the clip.
Doing a side by side comparison of my converted clip and the clip in question, it is apparent the performances are the same (again...minus the insert of John singing the corrected verse) they are just from different angles. As an example of this, the version from the Let It Be movie opens the song with John and Paul from the front. The clip in question opens the song from the side (looking left). Close examination reveals that head movements and other gestures are occuring at the exact same time in both clips.
Another clue is in the chorus that follows bridge. With the clip in question, we get to see Lennon sing the bridge ("I'm in love for the first time"). Right after the bridge they go into the chorus ("Don't let me down"). During this chorus John lets out a high pitched "pleeease". In the Let It Be movie we don't get to see Lennon sing the bridge because the scene switches to footage of people's reaction on the street below (which has always annoyed the crap out of me). While we are tortured by having to watch these idiots walking about and looking up at the rooftop, the bridge and chorus can be heard in the background. The same high pitched "pleeease" can be heard.
This clip is very cool as we finally get to see Lennon sing the bridge. I agree it's a shame they didn't leave the vocal adlib in (as it makes more sense when we see Paul and
George's reaction to it). In the performance from the Let It Be movie, you only see Ringo's reaction (because he is visible behind John). I'm sure the insertion of the corrected verse was to make it match the track from the Let It Be...Naked CD.
Hopefully, as soon as Apple gets off it's ass and releases the Let It Be DVD, we will get to see all of the rooftop performances without all the annoying cuts to the "action" (sic) on the street down below.
You are correct, John does flub the lyrics in the last verse (in the production film). The version that is presented in this video clip, has the last verse "pasted" from a previous performance of the song. Not many people know this, but The Beatles performed most of the songs twice on that day in January.
Another bit of trivia...the folks who put together the Let It Be..Naked CD did the very same thing...they took the audio from the first verse, the second verse, and the bridge, then added the first few lines of the last verse (the lines that don't have John's exaggerated syllables) from an earlier performance of the song, then back to the version that people are acustomed to hearing from the Let It Be movie. I know this because I have the Let It Be movie on VHS (yuck) and have watched it many times.
Having heard this version of "Don't Let Me Down" a zillion times, I immediately recognized it, when I first heard the Let It Be...Naked CD, as the same version (with the exception of the obvious omission of the Lennon adlib) from the Let It Be movie.
I have converted this performance from the Let It Be VHS to digital format. When you play the clip and the track from the "Naked" CD together, they sync up perfectly; until the corrected verse is inserted. After the insert, it resumes syncing (with a little help) up with the clip.
Doing a side by side comparison of my converted clip and the clip in question, it is apparent the performances are the same (again...minus the insert of John singing the corrected verse) they are just from different angles. As an example of this, the version from the Let It Be movie opens the song with John and Paul from the front. The clip in question opens the song from the side (looking left). Close examination reveals that head movements and other gestures are occuring at the exact same time in both clips.
Another clue is in the chorus that follows bridge. With the clip in question, we get to see Lennon sing the bridge ("I'm in love for the first time"). Right after the bridge they go into the chorus ("Don't let me down"). During this chorus John lets out a high pitched "pleeease". In the Let It Be movie we don't get to see Lennon sing the bridge because the scene switches to footage of people's reaction on the street below (which has always annoyed the crap out of me). While we are tortured by having to watch these idiots walking about and looking up at the rooftop, the bridge and chorus can be heard in the background. The same high pitched "pleeease" can be heard.
This clip is very cool as we finally get to see Lennon sing the bridge. I agree it's a shame they didn't leave the vocal adlib in (as it makes more sense when we see Paul and
George's reaction to it). In the performance from the Let It Be movie, you only see Ringo's reaction (because he is visible behind John). I'm sure the insertion of the corrected verse was to make it match the track from the Let It Be...Naked CD.
Hopefully, as soon as Apple gets off it's ass and releases the Let It Be DVD, we will get to see all of the rooftop performances without all the annoying cuts to the "action" (sic) on the street down below.
By: dragonjo8
Re: Beatles: Don't Let Me Down
This was my class song for the 8th grade class in 1970. "Let it Be" had just been released, though it was recorded earlier than "Abbey Road," which had been released some months before. The Beatles had announced their breakup, though they hadn't played together for some months already. Phil Spector thought that "Don't Let Me Down" was not good enough for the album. (What did he know?) Thus, the song was released only on the flipside of the single "Get Back." A GREAT song. Please, Don't Let Me Down!
By: ClassDunce
