Kum Back
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(October 2020) |
| Kum Back | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio album(bootleg) by | |
| Released | January 1970 |
| Recorded | 22–28 January 1969 |
| Studio | Apple,London |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 38:33 |
Kum Backis the firstbootlegalbum bythe Beatles,released in January 1970. The album is an early version of what would becomeLet It Be,sourced from atape recordingof anacetateprepared by the band'sengineer,Glyn Johns.It is one of the earliest commercialrockbootlegs, the first beingGreat White WonderbyBob Dylanwhich was released several months earlier.
Background[edit]
In January 1969, the Beatles began rehearsing new songs atTwickenham Film Studiosfor a planned concert to be recorded and released as a television special and album. From the start, the project was hindered by disagreements, indecision and tensions within the group, culminating inGeorge Harrison's temporary departure from the band. Harrison returned after a few days and rehearsals were moved to their new studio located in the basement ofAppleheadquarters at 3Savile Row.Unlike Twickenham, these sessions were recorded onmultitrack tape recorders.After the first week of rehearsals at Apple,Glyn Johnshad an idea for an album giving the listener a "fly on the wall"insight into the Beatles at work in the studio. He mixed several tracks and madeacetatesfor each Beatle to listen to and the response to his idea was a "resounding no".[1]
In early March, John Lennon and Paul McCartney asked Johns to assemble an album from the tapes. Johns stayed with his earlier "fly on the wall" idea, selecting several early rehearsal takes of some songs for the album. Johns completed mixing and assembling the album, to be titledGet Back,in May 1969. The album was scheduled for release that July; but with their next album,Abbey Road,already underway and the accompanying film unfinished, it was pushed back until December.[2][verification needed][3][verification needed]
Sources[edit]
On 12 September 1969, John Lennon, along with thePlastic Ono Band,travelled to Canada to perform at theToronto Rock and Roll Revival.Later that month several radio stations in the U.S. began broadcasting recordings of the Beatles' unreleasedGet Backalbum. It was rumored at the time that Lennon had given an acetate or tape copy to a reporter who in turn gave it to a disc jockey.[4]Lennon later said: "They say it came from an acetate that I gave to someone who then went and broadcast it as being an advance pressing or something."[5][self-published source]
WBCNin Boston was one of the first radio stations to air the recording. The station obtained areel-to-reelcopy of Johns' January acetate and broadcast it in its entirety on 22 September 1969. A recording of the WBCN broadcast became the source for theKum Backbootleg LP.[4]
However, WBCN was not the first station to air the unreleased recordings.WKBWinBuffalo, New York,broadcast a recording of Johns' May 1969Get Backcompilation in its entirety on 20 September 1969. Another broadcast of theGet Backrecordings was done by CKLWWindsor,which featured only the song "Let It Be".WIXYin Cleveland also aired the tape in September.[6][verification needed]
Release[edit]
The first copies of the LP appeared in record stores in January 1970.[7][verification needed]The LP was packaged in a plain white jacket with "Kum Back" rubber-stamped in blue or red ink. Similarly, the record labels are plain white, with no artist or title. The only indication as to which is side one and side two is scratched into the space of the play-out grooves on either side.
Following the release ofKum Back,other bootleg versions of the Beatles' unreleasedGet Backalbum appeared on the market, notablyGet Back to Torontoon I.P.F. Records andGet Backon Lemon Records. Sales estimates ofKum Backand related bootlegs were between 7,500 and 15,000 copies.[4]
Legacy[edit]
By the time the Beatles'Let It Bealbum was released in May 1970, remixed and overdubbed by Phil Spector, the originalGet Backalbum was a known commodity. In addition to the bootleg LP and other audio recordings in circulation,Rolling Stonehad published a preview ofGet Backin its 20 September 1969 issue, describing the band's back-to-basics, no-overdubs approach, including thePlease Please Me-style album cover.[3][verification needed]Generally negative reviews ofLet It Beoften noted the contrast between the original album and Spector's lavish orchestration.New Musical Expresswrote: "the tragedy is that what little remains of the original album is some of the best straight rock the Beatles have recorded in years" and that "almost all of the fun and raw feel has been taken away or polished up by Phil Spector."[8][verification needed]Rolling Stonecomplained that Spector "whipped out his orchestra and choir and proceeded to turn several of the rough gems on the best Beatle album in ages into costume jewelry."[9][verification needed]
The release ofKum Backspurred great interest in previously unreleased Beatles recordings among fans and led to the release of hundreds of bootleg LPs throughout the 1970s.[4]
Official releases[edit]
Several tracks included onKum Backappeared on official releases. "Get Back" was released as a single and on theLet It Bealbum. "The Long and Winding Road" appeared onLet It Bebut with orchestral and choir overdubs added by Phil Spector. The original recording, without overdubs, appeared on theAnthology 3album released in 1996. "Teddy Boy" and "I've Got a Feeling" also appeared onAnthology 3.[10]The original Glyn Johns mix ofLet it Bewas officially released in full as part of the 2021 compilation albumLet It Be: Special Edition.
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written byLennon–McCartneyunless otherwise noted
| No. | Title | Recording date[10] | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Get Back" | 27 January | 2:51 |
| 2. | "The Walk"(Jimmy McCracklin) | 27 January | 0:59 |
| 3. | "Let It Be" | 26 January | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Teddy Boy"(Paul McCartney) | 24 January | 5:56 |
| 5. | "Two of Us" | 24 January | 3:58 |
| No. | Title | Recording date[10] | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Don't Let Me Down" | 22 January | 3:55 |
| 7. | "I've Got a Feeling" | 23 January | 3:01 |
| 8. | "The Long and Winding Road" | 26 January | 3:47 |
| 9. | "For You Blue"(George Harrison) | 25 January | 3:06 |
| 10. | "Dig a Pony" | 23 January | 4:06 |
| 11. | "Get Back (Reprise)" | 28 January | 3:01 |
Personnel[edit]
- John Lennon:Rhythm guitar,acoustic guitar,lead guitar,bass guitar,lap steel guitar,harmony vocal, lead vocal
- Paul McCartney:Bass guitar,acoustic guitar,piano,lead vocal, harmony vocal
- George Harrison:Lead guitar,rhythm guitar, lead vocal
- Ringo Starr:Drums
- Billy Preston:Electric piano
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Tobler, John; Grundy, Stuart (1982).The Record Producers.New York: St. Martin's Press.ISBN0-312-66594-6.
- ^"Beatles 'Get Back' LP Due in July",Rolling Stone,12 July 1969
- ^ab"Beatles Get Back, Track by Track",Rolling Stone,20 September 1969
- ^abcdBerkenstadt, Jim; Belmer, Scott (1995).Black Market Beatles.Burlington, ON: Collector's Guide Publishing. pp. 76–82.ISBN0-9695736-9-3.
- ^Unterberger, Ritchie(2014).The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film.Pennsauken, NJ: BookBaby.ISBN978-0991589265.
- ^Scott, Jane (26 September 1969). "The Beatles are back".The Plain Dealer.Cleveland, OH. p. 18.
- ^Scott, Jane (23 January 1970). "Disc-o-takes".The Plain Dealer.Cleveland, OH. p. 22.
Newest comes in a plain white cover, with only two-inch high words stamped on it in ink, "Kum Back." This is sold as the contraband Beatle album popping up in record stores a few days ago for $6.98. We heard a few cuts from this tape at WIXY last year.
- ^Smith, Alan (9 May 1970). "New LP Shows They Couldn't Care Less".New Musical Express.London.
- ^Mendelsohn, John (11 June 1970). "Let It Be".Rolling Stone.San Francisco, CA.
- ^abcSulpy, Doug; Schweighardt, Ray (1997).Get Back: The Unauthorized Chronicle of the Beatles' Let It Be Disaster.New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 217–287.ISBN0-312-15534-4.
External links[edit]
- Bootleg ZoneArchived2 May 2012 at theWayback Machine
- Kum Back: The Beatles Source