Writer: Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin/Phil Spector
Recorded: January 25th, 1969, at Abbey Road Studios in London
Released: May 1970
| Players: | Mark Farner–vocals, guitar Don Brewer–drums, vocals Mel Schacher–bass Band Member |
| Album: | Let It Be (Apple, 1970) |
The Beatles' 16th Number One hit in the U.S., “Let It Be” was written by Paul McCartney and was inspired by the death of his mother when he was young.
Explaining the song, McCartney said, “I had a lot of bad times in the '60s. We used to lie in bed and wonder what was going on and feel quite paranoid. Probably all the drugs. I had a dream one night about my mother. She died when I was 14, so I hadn't really heard from her in quite a while, and it was very good. It gave me some strength.”
The “Let It Be” single sold more than two million copies in the United States alone.
It peaked at Number Three on the U.K. singles chart.
Two versions of “Let It Be” were released. The single was produced entirely by longtime Beatles producer George Martin, while the album version doesn't have guest organist Billy Preston and includes orchestral backing dubbed in by producer Phil Spector.
The Let It Be album was the most turbulent in the Beatles' history. Conceived as a film project about the making of an album, it was marred by creative and personal disagreements. Martin eventually divorced himself from the project, which was finished by Spector.
The group battled over the release date of the album, as it conflicted with McCartney's plans for his first solo album. The McCartney album wound up coming out in April 1970, a month before Let It Be.
Let It Be reached Number One on both the U.S. and U.K. album charts.