The 2021 docuseries The Beatles: Get Back was enjoyed by millions of Beatles fans, and won multiple Emmy Awards. The three-part presentation featured hours of previously unseen footage of the Fab Four recording their 1970 album Let It Be, and the general consensus was that, for the most part, it captured the band members harmoniously working together at a time when the group was heading toward its eventual breakup.
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Longtime Pink Floyd singer/guitarist David Gilmour, said he also enjoyed Get Back, although he admitted that he didn’t find it a completely comfortable viewing experience. In a new interview with Uncut (according to Guitar.com), he explained that he thought the series was a “difficult watch,” and was surprised that Paul McCartney agreed to let it be released.
“Paul being domineering and John [Lennon] ducking back because of the moment he was in at the time and George [Harrison] leaving and coming back,” Gilmour noted. “Horrible, really. I mean it’s lovely for us to watch, but I’m surprised Paul allowed it.”
More About Get Back and the Let It Be Film
The footage used in Get Back documented The Beatles’ January 1969 recording sessions, and also included the band’s historic final concert on the roof of Apple headquarters in London. Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg was hired by the group to film the band members as they worked on brand-new music, and the initial plan was to use the footage for a TV special.
Lindsay-Hogg eventually put together the Let It Be documentary, which was released in April 1970, shortly after The Beatles announced their breakup. The movie generally painted a negative portrait of the band at the time, and captured a lot of the tensions present between the group’s members.
Several years ago, the unused footage shot by Lindsay-Hogg was handed over to Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, who created The Beatles: Get Back docuseries. The docuseries presented a day-by-day look at the sessions, and featured a lot of footage of the band happily collaborating.
That being said, the program also featured segments that focused on some of the intra-band conflicts, including the time when an angry Harrison temporarily quit the group. Meanwhile, McCartney undoubtedly appeared to be the driving force behind the sessions.
As previously reported, a restored version of the Let It Be film will premiere May 8 on Disney+.
About Gilmour’s Upcoming Album, Luck and Strange
Also in the Uncut interview, Gilmour discusses his upcoming solo album, Luck and Strange, which will be released on September 6.
Luck and Strange features eight new original songs, plus a reworking of British dream-pop duo The Montgolfier Brothers’ 1999 tune “Between Two Points.” The title track features keyboard parts by late Pink Floyd co-founder Richard Wright that were originally recorded in 2007 during a jam session inside a barn at Gilmour’s home.
You can check out a music video for the album’s lead single, “The Piper’s Call,” now at Gilmour’s official YouTube channel. The song features harmony vocals by Gilmour’s daughter, Romany.
Luck and Strange is available for pre-order now.
