Kum Back: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|1970 bootleg studio album by The Beatles}} |
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{{More citations needed|date=October 2020}} |
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{{Infobox album |
{{Infobox album |
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| name = Kum Back |
| name = Kum Back |
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| type = Studio |
| type = Studio |
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| longtype = ([[ |
| longtype = ([[Bootleg recording|bootleg]]) |
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| artist = [[the Beatles]] |
| artist = [[the Beatles]] |
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| cover = Kum_Back.jpg |
| cover = Kum_Back.jpg |
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| alt = |
| alt = |
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| released = January 1970 |
| released = January 1970 |
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| recorded = January 1969 |
| recorded = 22–28 January 1969 |
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| venue = |
| venue = |
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| studio = [[Apple Studios]] |
| studio = [[Apple Studios (recording studio)|Apple]], London |
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| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]] |
| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]] |
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| length = 38:33 |
| length = 38:33 |
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}} |
}} |
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'''''Kum Back''''' is the first [[ |
'''''Kum Back''''' is the first [[Bootleg recording|bootleg]] album by [[the Beatles]], released in January 1970. The album is an early version of what would become ''[[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]'', sourced from a [[Reel-to-reel audio tape recording|tape recording]] of an [[Acetate disc|acetate]] prepared by the band's [[Audio engineer|engineer]], [[Glyn Johns]]. It is one of the earliest commercial [[Rock music|rock]] bootlegs, the first being ''[[Great White Wonder]]'' by [[Bob Dylan]] which was released several months earlier. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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In January 1969, the Beatles began rehearsing new songs at [[Twickenham Film Studios]] for a planned concert to be recorded and released as a television special and album. From the start, the project was hindered by disagreements, indecision and tensions within the group, culminating in [[George Harrison]]'s temporary departure from the band. Harrison returned after a few days and rehearsals were moved to their new studio located in the basement of [[Apple Corps|Apple]] headquarters at [[ |
In January 1969, the Beatles began rehearsing new songs at [[Twickenham Film Studios]] for a planned concert to be recorded and released as a television special and album. From the start, the project was hindered by disagreements, indecision and tensions within the group, culminating in [[George Harrison]]'s temporary departure from the band. Harrison returned after a few days and rehearsals were moved to their new studio located in the basement of [[Apple Corps|Apple]] headquarters at 3 [[Savile Row]]. Unlike Twickenham, these sessions were recorded on [[multitrack tape recorder]]s. After the first week of rehearsals at Apple, [[Glyn Johns]] had an idea for an album giving the listener a "[[fly on the wall]]" insight into the Beatles at work in the studio. He mixed several tracks and made [[Acetate disc|acetates]] for each Beatle to listen to and the response to his idea was a "resounding no".<ref name="Tobler">{{cite book |last1=Tobler |first1=John |last2=Grundy |first2=Stuart |date=1982 |title=The Record Producers |location=New York |publisher=St. Martin's Press |isbn=0-312-66594-6}}</ref> |
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In early March, John Lennon and Paul McCartney asked Johns to assemble an album from the tapes. Johns stayed with his earlier "fly on the wall" idea, selecting several early rehearsal takes of some songs for the album. |
In early March, John Lennon and Paul McCartney asked Johns to assemble an album from the tapes. Johns stayed with his earlier "fly on the wall" idea, selecting several early rehearsal takes of some songs for the album. Johns completed mixing and assembling the album, to be titled ''Get Back'', in May 1969. The album was scheduled for release that July; but with their next album, ''Abbey Road'', already underway and the accompanying film unfinished, it was pushed back until December.<ref>"Beatles 'Get Back' LP Due in July", ''Rolling Stone'', 12 July 1969</ref>{{Verify source|date=October 2020}}<ref name="RS42">"Beatles Get Back, Track by Track", ''Rolling Stone'', 20 September 1969</ref>{{Verify source|date=October 2020}} |
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==Sources== |
==Sources== |
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On 12 September 1969, John Lennon, along with the [[Plastic Ono Band]], |
On 12 September 1969, John Lennon, along with the [[Plastic Ono Band]], travelled to Canada to perform at the [[Toronto Rock and Roll Revival]]. Later that month several radio stations in the U.S. began broadcasting recordings of the Beatles' unreleased ''Get Back'' album. It was rumored at the time that Lennon had given an acetate or tape copy to a reporter who in turn gave it to a disc jockey.<ref name="Belmo">{{cite book |last1=Berkenstadt |first1=Jim |last2=Belmer |first2=Scott |title=Black Market Beatles |publisher=Collector's Guide Publishing |location=Burlington, ON |date=1995 |pages=76–82 |isbn=0-9695736-9-3}}</ref> Lennon later said: "They say it came from an acetate that I gave to someone who then went and broadcast it as being an advance pressing or something."<ref>{{cite book |last=Unterberger |first=Ritchie |author-link=Ritchie Unterberger |title=The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film |publisher=BookBaby |location=Pennsauken, NJ |date=2014 |isbn=978-0991589265 }}</ref>{{Self-published source|date=October 2020}} |
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[[WBCN (FM)|WBCN]] in Boston was one of the first radio stations to air the recording. The station obtained a [[reel-to-reel]] copy of Johns' January acetate and broadcast it in its entirety on 22 September 1969. A recording of the WBCN broadcast became the source for the ''Kum Back'' bootleg LP.<ref name="Belmo" /> |
[[WBCN (FM)|WBCN]] in Boston was one of the first radio stations to air the recording. The station obtained a [[reel-to-reel]] copy of Johns' January acetate and broadcast it in its entirety on 22 September 1969. A recording of the WBCN broadcast became the source for the ''Kum Back'' bootleg LP.<ref name="Belmo" /> |
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However, WBCN was not the first station to air the unreleased recordings. [[WWKB|WKBW]] in [[Buffalo, New York]] broadcast a recording of Johns' May 1969 ''Get Back'' compilation in its entirety on 20 September 1969. Another broadcast of the ''Get Back'' recordings was done by CKLW [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]], which featured only the song "Let It Be |
However, WBCN was not the first station to air the unreleased recordings. [[WWKB|WKBW]] in [[Buffalo, New York]], broadcast a recording of Johns' May 1969 ''Get Back'' compilation in its entirety on 20 September 1969. Another broadcast of the ''Get Back'' recordings was done by CKLW [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]], which featured only the song "Let It Be". [[WCCR (AM)|WIXY]] in Cleveland also aired the tape in September.<ref>{{cite news |last=Scott |first=Jane |title=The Beatles are back |work=The Plain Dealer |location=Cleveland, OH |date=26 September 1969 |page=18}}</ref>{{Verify source|date=October 2020}} |
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==Release== |
==Release== |
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The first copies of the LP appeared in record stores in January 1970.<ref>{{cite news |last=Scott |first=Jane |date=23 January 1970 |title=Disc-o-takes |
The first copies of the LP appeared in record stores in January 1970.<ref>{{cite news |last=Scott |first=Jane |date=23 January 1970 |title=Disc-o-takes |work=The Plain Dealer |location=Cleveland, OH |page=22 |quote=Newest comes in a plain white cover, with only two-inch high words stamped on it in ink, "Kum Back." This is sold as the contraband Beatle album popping up in record stores a few days ago for $6.98. We heard a few cuts from this tape at WIXY last year.}}</ref> The LP was packaged in a plain white jacket with "Kum Back" rubber-stamped in blue or red ink. Similarly, the record labels are plain white, with no artist or title. The only indication as to which is side one and side two is scratched into the space of the play-out grooves on either side. |
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Following the release of ''Kum Back'', other bootleg versions of the Beatles unreleased ''Get Back'' album appeared on the market, notably ''Get Back to Toronto'' on I.P.F. Records and ''Get Back'' on Lemon Records. Sales estimates of ''Kum Back'' and related bootlegs were between 7,500 and 15,000 copies.<ref name="Belmo" /> |
Following the release of ''Kum Back'', other bootleg versions of the Beatles' unreleased ''Get Back'' album appeared on the market, notably ''Get Back to Toronto'' on I.P.F. Records and ''Get Back'' on Lemon Records. Sales estimates of ''Kum Back'' and related bootlegs were between 7,500 and 15,000 copies.<ref name="Belmo" /> |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | By the time the Beatles' ''[[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]]'' album was released in May 1970, remixed and overdubbed by Phil Spector, the original ''Get Back'' album was a known commodity. In addition to the bootleg LP and other audio recordings in circulation, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' had published a preview of ''Get Back'' in its 20 September 1969 issue, describing the band's back-to-basics, no-overdubs approach, including the ''[[Please Please Me]]''-style album cover.<ref name="RS42" />{{Verify source|date=October 2020}} Generally negative reviews of ''Let It Be'' often noted the contrast between the original album and Spector's lavish orchestration. ''[[New Musical Express]]'' wrote: "the tragedy is that what little remains of the original album is some of the best straight rock the Beatles have recorded in years" and that "almost all of the fun and raw feel has been taken away or polished up by Phil Spector."<ref name="Smith">{{cite magazine |last=Smith |first=Alan |date=9 May 1970 |title=New LP Shows They Couldn't Care Less |magazine=New Musical Express |location=London}}</ref>{{Verify source|date=October 2020}} ''Rolling Stone'' complained that Spector "whipped out his orchestra and choir and proceeded to turn several of the rough gems on the best Beatle album in ages into costume jewelry."<ref name="Mendelsohn">{{cite magazine |last=Mendelsohn |first=John |date=11 June 1970 |title=Let It Be |magazine=Rolling Stone |location=San Francisco, CA}}</ref>{{Verify source|date=October 2020}} |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | Several tracks included on ''Kum Back'' appeared on official releases. "Get Back" was released as a single and on the ''Let It Be'' album. "The Long and Winding Road" appeared on ''Let It Be'' but with orchestral and choir overdubs added by Phil Spector. The original recording, without overdubs, appeared on the ''[[Anthology 3]]'' album released in 1996. "Teddy Boy" and "I've Got a Feeling" also appeared on ''Anthology 3''.<ref name="Sulpy" /> The original Glyn Johns mix of ''Let it Be'' was officially released in full as part of the 2021 compilation album ''[[Let It Be: Special Edition]]''. |
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==Track listing== |
==Track listing== |
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{{Track listing |
{{Track listing |
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| collapsed = no |
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| headline = Side one |
| headline = Side one |
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| extra_column = Recording date<ref name="Sulpy">{{cite book |last1=Sulpy |first1=Doug |last2=Schweighardt |first2=Ray |date=1997 |title=Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of the Beatles' Let It Be Disaster |
| extra_column = Recording date<ref name="Sulpy">{{cite book |last1=Sulpy |first1=Doug |last2=Schweighardt |first2=Ray |date=1997 |title=Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of the Beatles' Let It Be Disaster |location=New York |publisher=St. Martin's Press |pages=217–287 |isbn=0-312-15534-4}}</ref> |
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| all_writing = [[Lennon–McCartney]] unless otherwise noted |
| all_writing = [[Lennon–McCartney]] unless otherwise noted |
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| title1 = [[Get Back]] |
| title1 = [[Get Back]] |
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| extra1 = 27 January |
| extra1 = 27 January |
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| length1 = 2:51 |
| length1 = 2:51 |
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| title2 = The Walk |
| title2 = [[The Walk (Jimmy McCracklin song)|The Walk]] |
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| note2 = [[Jimmy McCracklin]] |
| note2 = [[Jimmy McCracklin]] |
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| extra2 = 27 January |
| extra2 = 27 January |
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| length2 = 0:59 |
| length2 = 0:59 |
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| title3 = [[Let It Be ( |
| title3 = [[Let It Be (song)|Let It Be]] |
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| extra3 = 26 January |
| extra3 = 26 January |
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| length3 = 4:06 |
| length3 = 4:06 |
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| title4 = [[Teddy Boy (song)|Teddy Boy]] |
| title4 = [[Teddy Boy (song)|Teddy Boy]] |
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| note4 = [[Paul McCartney]] |
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| extra4 = 24 January |
| extra4 = 24 January |
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| length4 = 5:56 |
| length4 = 5:56 |
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| length11 = 3:01 |
| length11 = 3:01 |
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}} |
}} |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | By the time the Beatles' ''[[Let It Be ( |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | Several tracks included on ''Kum Back'' appeared on official releases. "Get Back" was released as a single and on the ''Let It Be'' album. "The Long and Winding Road" appeared on ''Let It Be'' but with orchestral and choir overdubs added by Phil Spector. The original recording, without overdubs, appeared on the ''[[Anthology 3]]'' album released in 1996. "Teddy Boy" and "I've Got a Feeling" also appeared on ''Anthology 3''.<ref name="Sulpy" /> |
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==Personnel== |
==Personnel== |
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* [[George Harrison]]: [[Lead guitar]], rhythm guitar, lead vocal |
* [[George Harrison]]: [[Lead guitar]], rhythm guitar, lead vocal |
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* [[Ringo Starr]]: [[Drum kit|Drums]] |
* [[Ringo Starr]]: [[Drum kit|Drums]] |
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* [[Billy Preston]]: [[Electric |
* [[Billy Preston]]: [[Electric piano]] |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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* [[The Beatles' bootleg recordings]] |
* [[The Beatles' bootleg recordings]] |
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* [[The Beatles' recording sessions#Get Back Sessions]] |
* [[The Beatles' recording sessions#Get Back Sessions|The Beatles' recording sessions § Get Back Sessions]] |
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* [[Let It Be ( |
* [[Let It Be (album)|Let It Be]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.bootlegzone.com/album.php?name=kb10§ion=1 Bootleg Zone] |
* [http://www.bootlegzone.com/album.php?name=kb10§ion=1 Bootleg Zone] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502113455/http://www.bootlegzone.com/album.php?name=kb10§ion=1 |date=2 May 2012}} |
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* [http://www.beatlesource.com/bs/mains/audio/kumback/kumback.html Kum Back: The Beatles Source] |
* [http://www.beatlesource.com/bs/mains/audio/kumback/kumback.html Kum Back: The Beatles Source] |
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{{Let It Be}} |
{{Let It Be}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kum Back}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kum Back}} |
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[[Category:Albums produced by Glyn Johns]] |
[[Category:Albums produced by Glyn Johns]] |
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[[Category:Trademark of Quality albums]] |
[[Category:Trademark of Quality albums]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:1970s demo albums]] |
Latest revision as of 22:19, 3 October 2024
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2020) |
Kum Back | |
---|---|
Studio album (bootleg) by | |
Released | January 1970 |
Recorded | 22–28 January 1969 |
Studio | Apple, London |
Genre | Rock |
Length | 38:33 |
Kum Back is the first bootleg album by the Beatles, released in January 1970. The album is an early version of what would become Let It Be, sourced from a tape recording of an acetate prepared by the band's engineer, Glyn Johns. It is one of the earliest commercial rock bootlegs, the first being Great White Wonder by Bob Dylan which was released several months earlier.
Background
[edit]In January 1969, the Beatles began rehearsing new songs at Twickenham Film Studios for a planned concert to be recorded and released as a television special and album. From the start, the project was hindered by disagreements, indecision and tensions within the group, culminating in George Harrison's temporary departure from the band. Harrison returned after a few days and rehearsals were moved to their new studio located in the basement of Apple headquarters at 3 Savile Row. Unlike Twickenham, these sessions were recorded on multitrack tape recorders. After the first week of rehearsals at Apple, Glyn Johns had an idea for an album giving the listener a "fly on the wall" insight into the Beatles at work in the studio. He mixed several tracks and made acetates for each Beatle to listen to and the response to his idea was a "resounding no".[1]
In early March, John Lennon and Paul McCartney asked Johns to assemble an album from the tapes. Johns stayed with his earlier "fly on the wall" idea, selecting several early rehearsal takes of some songs for the album. Johns completed mixing and assembling the album, to be titled Get Back, in May 1969. The album was scheduled for release that July; but with their next album, Abbey Road, already underway and the accompanying film unfinished, it was pushed back until December.[2][verification needed][3][verification needed]
Sources
[edit]On 12 September 1969, John Lennon, along with the Plastic Ono Band, travelled to Canada to perform at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival. Later that month several radio stations in the U.S. began broadcasting recordings of the Beatles' unreleased Get Back album. It was rumored at the time that Lennon had given an acetate or tape copy to a reporter who in turn gave it to a disc jockey.[4] Lennon later said: "They say it came from an acetate that I gave to someone who then went and broadcast it as being an advance pressing or something."[5][self-published source]
WBCN in Boston was one of the first radio stations to air the recording. The station obtained a reel-to-reel copy of Johns' January acetate and broadcast it in its entirety on 22 September 1969. A recording of the WBCN broadcast became the source for the Kum Back bootleg LP.[4]
However, WBCN was not the first station to air the unreleased recordings. WKBW in Buffalo, New York, broadcast a recording of Johns' May 1969 Get Back compilation in its entirety on 20 September 1969. Another broadcast of the Get Back recordings was done by CKLW Windsor, which featured only the song "Let It Be". WIXY in Cleveland also aired the tape in September.[6][verification needed]
Release
[edit]The first copies of the LP appeared in record stores in January 1970.[7] The LP was packaged in a plain white jacket with "Kum Back" rubber-stamped in blue or red ink. Similarly, the record labels are plain white, with no artist or title. The only indication as to which is side one and side two is scratched into the space of the play-out grooves on either side.
Following the release of Kum Back, other bootleg versions of the Beatles' unreleased Get Back album appeared on the market, notably Get Back to Toronto on I.P.F. Records and Get Back on Lemon Records. Sales estimates of Kum Back and related bootlegs were between 7,500 and 15,000 copies.[4]
Legacy
[edit]By the time the Beatles' Let It Be album was released in May 1970, remixed and overdubbed by Phil Spector, the original Get Back album was a known commodity. In addition to the bootleg LP and other audio recordings in circulation, Rolling Stone had published a preview of Get Back in its 20 September 1969 issue, describing the band's back-to-basics, no-overdubs approach, including the Please Please Me-style album cover.[3][verification needed] Generally negative reviews of Let It Be often noted the contrast between the original album and Spector's lavish orchestration. New Musical Express wrote: "the tragedy is that what little remains of the original album is some of the best straight rock the Beatles have recorded in years" and that "almost all of the fun and raw feel has been taken away or polished up by Phil Spector."[8][verification needed] Rolling Stone complained that Spector "whipped out his orchestra and choir and proceeded to turn several of the rough gems on the best Beatle album in ages into costume jewelry."[9][verification needed]
The release of Kum Back spurred great interest in previously unreleased Beatles recordings among fans and led to the release of hundreds of bootleg LPs throughout the 1970s.[4]
Official releases
[edit]Several tracks included on Kum Back appeared on official releases. "Get Back" was released as a single and on the Let It Be album. "The Long and Winding Road" appeared on Let It Be but with orchestral and choir overdubs added by Phil Spector. The original recording, without overdubs, appeared on the Anthology 3 album released in 1996. "Teddy Boy" and "I've Got a Feeling" also appeared on Anthology 3.[10] The original Glyn Johns mix of Let it Be was officially released in full as part of the 2021 compilation album Let It Be: Special Edition.
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Lennon–McCartney unless otherwise noted
No. | Title | Recording date[10] | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Get Back" | 27 January | 2:51 |
2. | "The Walk" (Jimmy McCracklin) | 27 January | 0:59 |
3. | "Let It Be" | 26 January | 4:06 |
4. | "Teddy Boy" (Paul McCartney) | 24 January | 5:56 |
5. | "Two of Us" | 24 January | 3:58 |
No. | Title | Recording date[10] | Length |
---|---|---|---|
6. | "Don't Let Me Down" | 22 January | 3:55 |
7. | "I've Got a Feeling" | 23 January | 3:01 |
8. | "The Long and Winding Road" | 26 January | 3:47 |
9. | "For You Blue" (George Harrison) | 25 January | 3:06 |
10. | "Dig a Pony" | 23 January | 4:06 |
11. | "Get Back (Reprise)" | 28 January | 3:01 |
Personnel
[edit]- John Lennon: Rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, bass guitar, lap steel guitar, harmony vocal, lead vocal
- Paul McCartney: Bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, lead vocal, harmony vocal
- George Harrison: Lead guitar, rhythm guitar, lead vocal
- Ringo Starr: Drums
- Billy Preston: Electric piano
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Tobler, John; Grundy, Stuart (1982). The Record Producers. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-66594-6.
- ^ "Beatles 'Get Back' LP Due in July", Rolling Stone, 12 July 1969
- ^ a b "Beatles Get Back, Track by Track", Rolling Stone, 20 September 1969
- ^ a b c d Berkenstadt, Jim; Belmer, Scott (1995). Black Market Beatles. Burlington, ON: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 76–82. ISBN 0-9695736-9-3.
- ^ Unterberger, Ritchie (2014). The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film. Pennsauken, NJ: BookBaby. ISBN 978-0991589265.
- ^ Scott, Jane (26 September 1969). "The Beatles are back". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, OH. p. 18.
- ^ Scott, Jane (23 January 1970). "Disc-o-takes". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland, OH. p. 22.
Newest comes in a plain white cover, with only two-inch high words stamped on it in ink, "Kum Back." This is sold as the contraband Beatle album popping up in record stores a few days ago for $6.98. We heard a few cuts from this tape at WIXY last year.
- ^ Smith, Alan (9 May 1970). "New LP Shows They Couldn't Care Less". New Musical Express. London.
- ^ Mendelsohn, John (11 June 1970). "Let It Be". Rolling Stone. San Francisco, CA.
- ^ a b c Sulpy, Doug; Schweighardt, Ray (1997). Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of the Beatles' Let It Be Disaster. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 217–287. ISBN 0-312-15534-4.
External links
[edit]- Bootleg Zone Archived 2 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- Kum Back: The Beatles Source