Why was Let It Be not released as an album until after the breakup of The Beatles? Was there a lack of interest in releasing it, or did the band dislike it so much that they did not want to sell it?

The Background

The Initial Plan

The Beatles began working on the album and its associated movie project in January 1969. Initially, the plan was to release the album alongside the movie. However, as creative differences and personal issues emerged, the project was set aside. Lennon and McCartney entrusted Glyn Johns with the tapes from January 22-31, with the goal of compiling the album. Despite their efforts, the tapes from the rehearsal sessions at Twickenham Studios were not accessible, making the task more challenging.

Recording and Mixing

In April and May, Johns worked on two conceptualizations of the album. However, one track, "Save the Last Dance for Me," sounded unpolished, which likely contributed to the band's rejection of the album. The original idea was to get the album ready by summer to accompany the movie. But on July 20th, the day of the first Moon Landing, Michael Lindsay-Hogg showed a longer, more detailed version of the movie to the Beatles. This made the band reconsider their options.

Post-Abbey Road: Let It Be and Other Projects

After finishing Abbey Road in mid-August, the Beatles resumed work on Let It Be. By this time, John Lennon had quit the band, and Paul McCartney was focusing on his own solo project, McCartney. Let It Be and McCartney both required attention, and the band ultimately decided to prioritize Let It Be to coincide with the film release.

Phil Spector and the Final Mix

In early 1970, Phil Spector was invited to work on the album. Spector chose recordings from the rooftop concert on January 30th, as they sounded better than the ones in the studio. He also decided to remove certain tracks, like the opening and closing of "All I Want Is" from "Dig a Pony" and shortened certain tracks. This work was completed on March 23rd, and Spector assured the band and Allen Klein that the album would be a major success.

The Controversial Overdubs and Revisions

Before the album's final release, Paul and John had a disagreement regarding the overdubs on tracks like "Let It Be" and "The Long and Winding Road." Spector had already completed his work, and the album was in production. The Beatles ultimately agreed on the release date, which was pushed back to May, to coincide with the movie's release. This decision led to delays in both the album and the film release.

Conclusion

The decision to release Let It Be post-breakup was a complex one, influenced by creative differences, personal conflicts, and the shift in priorities for each band member after Abbey Road was complete. The album, with Spector's final touches, captured a poignant moment in the band's history and remains a significant piece of 1970s music.

Key Takeaways:

Initial plans to release the album and film together lead to a series of delays. Brief creative differences and personal conflicts within the band contributed to the decision to set the project aside. The involvement of Phil Spector and his selection of recordings from the rooftop concert contributed to the final mix. Disagreements among band members, particularly Paul and John, delayed the album's final touches and release date.