First book by the Fab Four in over 20 years
The Beatles will release a new book next year called Get Back, which focuses on the sessions for their 1970 album Let It Be and will coincide with the release of Peter Jackson’s much anticipated documentary film The Beatles: Get Back.
The 240-page hardcover book tells the story of Let It Be, in the band’s own words, by presenting transcribed conversations drawn from over 120 recorded hours of the band’s studio sessions, as edited by John Harris.
Get Back will also feature hundreds of previously unpublished images, including photos by Ethan A. Russell and Linda McCartney and includes a foreword written by Peter Jackson and an introduction by Hanif Kureishi.
The bad news is that you have to wait nearly a year for it. It’s due to be published by Callaway Arts & Entertainment on 31 August 2021, although had originally be planned for this year until circumstances intervened.
In a similar vein, Thames and Hudson will issue a John & Yoko/Plastic Ono band book in October, despite there apparently being no music box set for it to be a companion for.
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The Beatles
The Beatles: Get Back
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In times where the lives of us all are even more uncertain than usual, announcing a book to be launched in roughly one year seems almost a bad taste trick. Particularly for a band where a large part of their fans are in their seventies. I hope not only to live to be able to get what seems to be an amazing book but also that others much older than me have that opportunity.
Talk about a long wait. Where is Parr 2 of Lewisohn’s trilogy?
@Jeff D;
Part 2 is still mostly in his very fertile brain. I saw a YouTube interview recently where he seemed to imply that we shouldn’t expect it until “maybe 2022 or 2023”. As for Part 3, bah….I won’t live to ever see it, and I’m just 60. I just hope HE does.
Am I the only one that thinks Apple lost its class when it lost Neil Aspinall? The now discovered Spotify incident was nothing short of taking the piss out of Fabs fans. Of course I mean the ‘list’ of 1969 tracks that were ‘released’ for copyright preservation in December 2019. Well, my guess is it always was just a list and nothing more. Either that or the songs were available for about half an hour. Because nobody knew about this. Steve Hoffman also only found out a week or two ago and many renowned Beatles fansites and bootleggers I know of also have next to no info about this. Did you hear anything at the time about a Beatles copyright dump. Paul? Because it seems nobody else did. Even ABKCO gave fans a chance to hear the unissued Stones stuff. If it was just a stunt, then Apple/UMG have been pretty snide.
The more comments I read, the sicker I find those collector guys.
You know what ? Go and do your own music !
When I saw The Beatles Get Back in my inbox I thought it was gonna be the LIB 50th after all. But of a disappointment when I saw what it was, but I’m sure those in the market for this boom will love it.
Actually pre ordered this back in March when it was supposed to be released in October at the same time as Plastic Ono Band book. My pre order price was only £33.96.
I wonder if the pages will fall out just like they do in the original Get Back book.
Lol!!!!
The original book was part of the album, comsumer cost was minimal. This is a very expensive book with a lot of very small pictures, so: why not? You can buy another one…
BTW: I found a book on flea market some months ago (1€, lucky me) – not in best shape (quite OK), but still nothing falling out.
I know Beatles, Inc. wants the biggest splash possible with a huge theatrical release throughout the world but I should hope we can have a nice JL/POB box this year. These are still dark days and we need things to look forward to that are also close enough to happening that we can savor them while we are sequestered. Waiting until end of summer 2021 for Let It Be seems cruel to me.
What? No no dust jacket. No paperback option. Will there be a digital version? This tomfoolery is why I stopped reading years ago…my time is now reserved for just listening.
But will Tony Visconti be doing an alternate mix of the album…?
Perhaps original (“re”) producer Spector could remix the songs in the nick? Having been found guilty of fatally blasting a model in the face with a shotgun, his association is rather embarrassing these days for the Fabs. I wonder if he’ll get royalties from the re-released LET IT BE LP? I would imagine so. Luckily he wasn’t around for the recordings so her won’t have to get a mention in the book. At least it won’t have a forward written by Jimmy Savile like their lyrics paperback from the 70’s.
My wife and I visited the Linda McCartney exhibition when it was in Glasgow. Pretty awesome. I ended up buying a t-shirt with Paul on the front and we also bought a few prints. I heartily recommend the exhibition
Glad I pre-ordered this back in April. Price at the time was CDN$49. It’s going to be a long wait but a great deal!
Not sure why people are moaning about the book. You don’t need to pre-order it now – no-one is forcing you to place an order now. Wait a few months if you wish.
I have Uriah Heep tickets for shows moved to November 2021 from February 2020 but don’t feel the need to moan about it – life’s too short for some of the negativity on the site.
My pre-order for the book is in via Amazon any way.
As a couple have said the Linda McCartney exhibition in Liverpool is well worth a visit. I saw it in Glasgow last year.
Who wants to see Uriah Heep in 2021? To me real Uriah Heep was between 1970-74 and first seven albums!
errrm David maybe? And, presumably several thousand others.
David – you must be reconsidering your rash decision now that you’ve been told it’ll be a waste of time, no?
Jarmo – it might be helpful to the rest of us if you could provide us with a list of acts that you consider worth seeing these days. Might prevent more people falling into David’s trap of ‘doing what you want’.
If only Apple hadn’t given the film to Disney. It’s no different to ABKCO and the original Let It Be. Klein demanded the film be re-edited, as he wanted only the Beatles in it. He then had the print blown up for cinema release and that’s why the film wasn’t released until 1970.
Quite unbelievable that the Beatles have placed their work into the clutches of another corporate monster. Disney have control over this ‘Get Back’ project. Isn’t that why Paul McCartney took Klein and his bandmates to court? To stop the Beatles legacy falling into grasping hands?
The Beatles still have ultimate control and retain the rights. For a film they need the help of an external company just for the distribution and promotion of the project. Eight days a week was done through Ron Howard’s company Imagine. The likelihood is that the situation would be the same whoever was doing the distribution.
Disney wanted to stream it this fall. Apple insisted on a theatrical release.
No Beatles box set, No bowir box set, not sure if Dylan will release another bootleg volume… at least we will the kinks lola 50th anniversary
fall to long for a preorder. take your money and run. if its already printed why not release it now.
Not released until 31 August 2021 – does this win some sort of award for the longest pre-order on record ?Looks good though but utter nonsense from the publishers putting it out this far in advance.
They were expecting to release it this year, so I imagine they’ve half-grudgingly decided to announce even though it’s far from perfect.
I pre-ordered this back in January. It will definitely be my longest pre-order on record.
You’ve apparently never pre-ordered a video game. I’ve had a pre-order in for Dying Light 2 for over two years now, and it still doesn’t have an actual release date.
No – the Longest ever pre order has got to be Gary Numans New LP – Intruder i pre ordered back on 22nd March 2019 and still no sign of it at all!!!
Does anybody know when this is ever going to be released?
Do we still nokt know if there’s a 50th anniversary edition of the Let It Be album yet? It’s getting close to the festive season and it might be cutting it fine now.
We don’t know officially. But there’s not going to be one.
There WON’T be a Let It Be reissue?!? That’s surprising. Maybe a remixed version eoul be too similar to Let It Be Naked?
This year…
It seems quite odd to me that the formidable Beatles (and Disney) marketing machines have apparently been thwarted by the pandemic when there’s so much other stuff coming out: two new boxsets just from the Stones this month, and even cinema releases are still going ahead.
Still, a pleasure deferred and all that…
If Disney didn’t want a Theatrical release for the film then the schedules wouldn’t have changed. Since they paid $$$$ for it, I don’t blame them for waiting tbh.
This is wicked not in any order GetBack/Let it be sessions day 1 times 2:34:25 part 2
1:08:07 beatles discuss Abbey Rd/Let It be 40:39 early sessions Jan’69 45:05 get back/let it be day 7 George Quits Beatles 3:07 Beatles Nagra Tapes/Reels 5:11:10 Beatles Let It be long rehearsal 17:03 Long & Winding road session 22:35 Get back/Let It be recording sessions Jan’69 1:17;53 Let It be rare & unreleased 41:43 & 31:33 also rare & unseen 53 minutes, John Lennon pissed off recording Oh Yoko 3:44 beatles playing Bob Dylan songs 36:12 George harrison on hearing led zeppelin 57 seconds best of Get back/Let It be 54:20 Something get back sessions 9:04 Beatles break up & talk cause of Yoko sat on amp 5:43
You should stock the Beatles book through the shop and see if you can get Macca to sign a few copies ;)
Bit of an early announcement?!! This looks like an expanded version of the original book in the original let it be album?
I’m guessing a paperback / condensed version of this will be in the let it be box set?
Yay.! Very Cool…!!! There’s a LOT to look forward to in 2021..!! Just wait until this world rebounds and starts embracing life again..!! And The Beatles shall show us the way..!!
It’s no risk. Hey it’s the beatles.
Preordered.
And I thought I had to wait a long time between purchasing and receiving the Jethro Tull book last year.
Wonder if this means there will be no book in the expected SDE Let It Be box set, as this looks similar (although definitely larger) than what was included with the previous ones. Any chance this would be included with said set? I’d like to think they wouldn’t be that nefarious.
@Erik….What Jethro Tull book…??????? Did I miss it…?? Anyone got a link? Cheers.
@George This one (if I can post a link, apologies if not): https://jethrotullbook.com
It’s quite wonderful.
OK, here is a prior link? – https://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/peter-jacksons-let-it-be-restoration-will-be-called-the-beatles-get-back/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+superdeluxeedition+%28SuperDeluxeEdition%29
I had a March pre-order in place w/Amazon.uk until I received a “delay in shipping” email. Amazon.de’s listing of Order, rather than Pre-Order, says “This title has not yet been released.” I assume this book is one and the same as the prior listing?
Yeah, same book!
Back in the day, they released a Get Back book that still could be founf on ebay for about 50 USD. It has plenty of photos and I think a bit of transcriptions from the film. I suposed this is some kind of “reimagination” of that book since it’ll have more pictures and transcripts from the new Peter Jackson doc.
More people are smiling in the new book, perhaps ;)
Im in…it lools great, however it is too bad its nearly a year away!
Thanks COVID sor making this a 51st anniversary celebration instead…
All the Best – Jeff
Just been to Linda McCartneys photo exhibition at the Walker Gallery in Liverpool, Highly recommended. Re Get Back book – Jan 10th should be interesting reading. Are we going to find out if John tried to punch George?
Thanks Craig, I’ll check it out when I next visit my son in Liverpool. It seems an obvious thing to say, but Liverpool is an amazing place to visit to see all things Beatles related. Each time I go I come across more things to view.
My uncle recently told me he saw The Quarrymen play live, but he was so casual about it, I came away doubting this was true!
Linda McCartney’s exhibition is fabulous. Beautiful, warm images.
Pre-orders for a book that’s 49 weeks away from publication! I’m still not back to a point where I’d risk buying a green banana!
Hahahaha! Thanks for the chuckle Caroline! You made my day!
Great news for us Beatle fans… now we play the waiting game!