The original concept for 'Let It Be' had been particularly ambitious: to write and rehearse a fresh batch of songs for a live television broadcast - in less than a month. Rehearsals began at Twickenham Film Studios on 2 January 1969, with a film crew capturing every moment while the group worked. The sometimes-stressful circumstances led to George Harrison quitting The Beatles on 10 January 1969. He agreed to return on two conditions. First, rehearsals must be switched from the cold environment at Twickenham to the cozier surroundings of the basement studio in The Beatles' Apple office building at 3, Savile Row in London. Second, the group would not perform in a live television concert.
While at Apple, the group stuck to the initial "back to-basics" idea of recording "as live" - without the studio effects and elaborate overdubbing of instruments and vocals that had distinguished their recent albums. The plan now was to be filmed making a record as simply as when they had first visited Abbey Road. With their old friend Billy Preston joining them on keyboards, half of the tracks on 'Let It Be' were recorded in two days. On 30 January, to give the movie a dramatic final sequence, The Beatles braved the winter weather for an unannounced lunchtime concert on the roof of their Apple building. The open-air versions of "Dig A Pony," "I've Got A Feeling" and "One After 909" are heard on the album. The following day, the cameras rolled for what was called the "Apple Studio Performance". Three songs unsuitable for the rooftop concert were recorded: "Let It Be," "The Long And Winding Road" and "Two Of Us". A studio version of "Get Back" taped a few days earlier was released as a single in April 1969 and reached number one. Apart from its B-side "Don't Let Me Down," everything else from January remained under wraps until 1970.
When the documentary film was near completion, Phil Spector was allowed to "reproduce" the recordings for a soundtrack album. Disregarding the rule of no overdubs, he added lavish orchestral arrangements to three songs, including a recording from February 1968 of "Across The Universe." Spector's freedom to edit, compile and rearrange the material on the album - without ever consulting Paul McCartney - was indicative of how much the group's unity had shattered by now. When 'Let It Be' was finally released in May 1970, The Beatles had effectively disbanded. The dream was over. — Kevin Howlett