Previous album Oct 10, 1969 • "Brave New World" by The Steve Miller Band released in the UK
Article December 1969 • The Beatles reject offers to perform live
Article December 1969 • The Beatles Monthly Book magazine ceases publication
Album Dec 01, 1969 • "Kum Back" by The Beatles released globally
Session Dec 02, 1969 • Mixing "Lady Madonna", "Rain", "Octopus's Garden"
Session Dec 05, 1969 • Mixing "Hey Jude", "Revolution"
Next album Dec 12, 1969 • "No One's Gonna Change Our World" by Various Artists released in the UK
This album was recorded during the following studio sessions:
US radio WBCN broadcasts the “Get Back” LP
Sep 22, 1969
DDSI.23.79 • 2:51 • Studio version
Session Recording: Jan 23, 1969 • Studio Apple offices, 3 Savile Row • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 24, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 30, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Written by Jimmy McCracklin, Bob Garlic
DDSI.27.83 • 0:59 • Studio version
Session Recording: Jan 27, 1969 • Studio Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London
Session Mixing: Jan 27, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 30, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
DDSI.26.74 • 4:06 • Studio version
Session Recording: Jan 26, 1969 • Studio Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London
Session Mixing: Jan 26, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 30, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Written by Paul McCartney
DDSI.24.33 • 5:56 • Studio version
Session Recording: Jan 24, 1969 • Studio Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London
Session Mixing: Jan 24, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 30, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
DDSI.24.69 • 3:58 • Studio version
Session Recording: Jan 24, 1969 • Studio Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London
Session Mixing: Jan 24, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 30, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
DDSI.22.60 • 3:55 • Studio version
Session Recording: Jan 22, 1969 • Studio Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London
Session Mixing: Jan 26, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 30, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
DDSI.22.71 • 3:01 • Studio version
Session Recording: Jan 23, 1969 • Studio Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London
Session Mixing: Jan 24, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 30, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
DDSI.26.91 • 3:47 • Studio version
Session Recording: Jan 26, 1969 • Studio Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London
Session Mixing: Jan 26, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 30, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Written by George Harrison
DDSI.25.46 • 3:06 • Studio version
Session Recording: Jan 25, 1969 • Studio Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London
Session Mixing: Jan 27, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 30, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
DDSI.23.66 • 4:06 • Studio version
Session Recording: Jan 23, 1969 • Studio Apple Studios, 3 Savile Row, London
Session Mixing: Jan 24, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 30, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
DDSI.27.63 • 3:01 • Studio version
Session Recording: Jan 27, 1969 • Studio Apple offices, 3 Savile Row • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 27, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
Session Mixing: Jan 30, 1969 • Studio Olympic Sound Studios • London • UK
In January 1969, towards the end of the “Get Back” sessions, engineer Glyn Johns began mixing tracks and, on January 30, completed a first version of the “Get Back” LP. He also prepared acetates for The Beatles to review.
Beatles press officer Derek Taylor obtained one of the acetates — or a copy of it — and passed it along to his friend, San Francisco-based DJ Tom Donahue. Donahue, in turn, shared it with DJ Steven Segal, then working at the underground Boston radio station WBCN-FM. It was likely understood by both DJs that the recordings were not intended for broadcast.
From March to May 1969, Glyn Johns resumed more formal work on assembling a “Get Back” album.
On September 12, 1969, John Lennon, along with the Plastic Ono Band, travelled to Canada to perform at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival. It was rumoured that John gave an acetate or tape copy of the album to Toronto-based journalist Ritchie Yorke. Another version of the story suggests that John handed over the acetate during an interview with Yorke at Apple’s London offices on September 17, shortly after returning from Toronto.
Back in Toronto, Yorke reportedly made a tape copy of the acetate — capturing only the left stereo channel — and sold it to local station CHUM-FM. CHUM then supplied tape dubs to Windsor’s CKLW and Niagara Falls’ CJRN. The three stations began broadcasting the songs. WKBW-AM in Buffalo obtained a copy from a Canadian source and started airing the tracks on September 20.
In its September 20 edition, Rolling Stone magazine published a review of this leak.
Upon hearing that “Get Back” tracks were being aired by WKBW-AM, Steven Segal decided to broadcast his copy of the album. He began doing so on September 22.
The January 1969 version of the “Get Back” LP, broadcast by WKBW-AM, led to the release of the first Beatles bootlegs, titled “Kum Back.”
Source: article “Let It Bootleg” by Scott “Belmo” Belmer, in “The Beatles Finally Let It Be,” by Bruce Spizer, 2020
From Wikipedia:
The first copies of the LP appeared in record stores in January 1970. 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.
Legacy
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.[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.”[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.”[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.
Official releases
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. The second of three iterations of 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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Martin • Jan 13, 2025 • 4 months ago
I have this album. Mine is the red ink version and I bought it for $20.00 in 1970 when I was 14 yrs old from a hippy shop in my town called Free Spirt. It was my Christmas money from my Grandma, when my Mom found out what I spent on an album she was incredibly angry and she briefly confiscated it because of the title. LOL Good memories……
The PaulMcCartney Project • Jan 15, 2025 • 4 months ago
Wow, great memories indeed ! One of the first bootlegs ever ! I didn't know there was a red-ink version of it.
