Paul McCartney On Old Beatles Footage: ‘All Things Are Good’

Paul McCartney spoke about Peter Jackson's upcoming documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, with great anticipation. The eagerly awaited new film, culled from outtakes from the Beatles' January 1969 Let It Be movie, has been pushed back nearly a full calendar year, and been rescheduled to open in theaters on August 27th, 2021.

McCartney spoke about the long-buried footage of the Beatles at work that Jackson has mined for the upcoming film, telling Uncut, “I'm glad it exists. I'm glad any film of the Beatles exists, because it's these wonderful, handsome, young boys, all being wonderful. Immaculately dressed. All Beatles things are good, period — it's a body of work. I love seeing the stuff.”

Neil Richmond, who served as the second engineer on Let It Be under the legendary Glyn Johns, spoke about the vibe of the January 1969 sessions: “I guess they wanted to do something more fundamental. They would play like they were doing a set. There would be some chat. There would be a take, then they would move on to the next tune. Like a live album, but in the studio. Paul was the vocal energy. . . a kind of conductor. There was never any argument — it seemed as if Paul was directing.”

During a recent chat with Connie Martinson, Let It Be director Michael Lindsey-Hogg spoke about the highlights of his original film: “The movie ends, of course, with the famous roof concert, which is the last time the Beatles ever played to any kind of public. We didn't know at the time it was going to be the last time — but it was. So, it really was. . . We did get the farewell performance. But, as I've been looking at it recently when we've been working on the re-release; the movie has a real poignancy to it now. And so, you look at these young men — full of talent, having conquered the world — losing their first love for each other.”