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Monday, January 20, 1969

The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions • Day 11

For The Beatles

Last updated on March 23, 2025

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Previous session Jan 16, 1969 • The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions • Day 10

Album Jan 17, 1969 • "Yellow Submarine (Mono)" by The Beatles released in the UK

Album Jan 17, 1969 • "Yellow Submarine (Stereo)" by The Beatles released in the UK

Session Jan 20, 1969 • The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions • Day 11

Article Jan 21, 1969 • Paul McCartney's 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass is last seen

Session Jan 21, 1969 • The "Get Back / Let It Be" sessions • Day 12

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On January 10, 1969, George Harrison walked out of the “Get Back” sessions at Twickenham Film Studios, no longer able to endure the growing tensions within the group. A meeting between the four Beatles on January 12 failed to resolve the issues, as George left early without committing to rejoining.

On January 15, the four Beatles met again. George outlined his conditions for returning: the planned live TV special would have to be scrapped, and rehearsals for the new album relocated from Twickenham to Apple’s basement studio, then under construction by Alexis “Magic Alex” Mardas. Despite these demands, George agreed to continue being filmed while making the new album. The other Beatles accepted George’s terms.

On January 16, the set at Twickenham Film Studios was dismantled, and the equipment relocated to Apple Corps’ headquarters at 3 Savile Row. However, the basement studio constructed by Magic Alex was found to be unfit for The Beatles’ needs. Glyn Johns promptly contacted George Martin for assistance, and EMI agreed to provide the necessary equipment to ensure the band could continue their work in a functional recording environment. The installation of the new EMI equipment at Apple Studios took place over three days, from January 17 to January 19.

On this day, January 20, the studio was still not fully operational. The Beatles resumed their rehearsals, but no recordings or filming took place that day.

The following day, the rehearsals continued at Apple’s basement studio.

From Peter Jackson’s film “The Beatles: Get Back“, 2021

Unfortunately, no songs are listed for this session. Help us complete the track list by leaving a comment!

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Going further

Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image - The Complete, Unauthorized Story of The Beatles' 'Get Back' Sessions

Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image - The Complete, Unauthorized Story of The Beatles' 'Get Back' Sessions

The definitive guide to the Get Back sessions, released in 1994 and updated in 2007. In the author's own words:

New, completely revised edition! This new volume isn t just a compilation of material from the 1994 book Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image (also later published as 'Get Back') and 'The 910's Guide To The Beatles Outtakes Part Two: The Complete Get Back Sessions' (2001). I've re-listened to the entire canon of available Get Back session tapes, come up with a bunch of new conclusions (and even a handful of new identifications!), and pretty much re-written half the book from scratch. In addition, great effort has been made to improve readability of the book. Songs have now been put into groups (generally by Nagra reel, or series of them), rather than describing each performance separately, as was done in the original. In every way, this is the book we wished we could have written in 1994.
As the paperback version is out of print, you can buy a PDF version on the author's website

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The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions • Mark Lewisohn

The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions • Mark Lewisohn

The definitive guide for every Beatles recording sessions from 1962 to 1970. We owe a lot to Mark Lewisohn for the creation of those session pages, but you really have to buy this book to get all the details - the number of takes for each song, who contributed what, a description of the context and how each session went, various photographies... And an introductory interview with Paul McCartney!

Buy on Amazon

The Beatles Recording Reference Manual: Volume 5: Let It Be through Abbey Road (1969 - 1970)

The Beatles Recording Reference Manual: Volume 5: Let It Be through Abbey Road (1969 - 1970)

The fifth and final book of this critically acclaimed series, "The Beatles Recording Reference Manual: Volume 5: Let It Be through Abbey Road (1969 - 1970)" follows The Beatles as they "get back to where they once belonged...". Not once, but twice. With "Let It Be", they attempted to recapture the spontaneity of their early years and recordings, while "Abbey Road" was a different kind of return - to the complexity, finish and polish that they had applied to their work beginning with "Revolver" and through to "The Beatles".

Buy on Amazon

If we modestly consider the Paul McCartney Project to be the premier online resource for all things Paul McCartney, it is undeniable that The Beatles Bible stands as the definitive online site dedicated to the Beatles. While there is some overlap in content between the two sites, they differ significantly in their approach.

Read more on The Beatles Bible

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