Thoughtwax

If I should die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music. — Kurt Vonnegut

For me, the Beatles are proof of the existence of God. — Rick Rubin

I say in speeches that a plausible mission of artists is to make people appreciate being alive at least a little bit. I am then asked if I know of any artists who pulled that off. I reply, ‘The Beatles did’. — Kurt Vonnegut

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Unless you are a certain type of person, the prospect of an eight hour documentary of restored archival footage of a band rehearsing is an understandably hard sell. Even if the band is The Beatles.

However if you are that certain type of person then you immediately binged the entirety of Get Back on release day. What a gift. But, you were then perhaps also left in kind of a daze afterwards.

It turns out that listening to an album pretty intently for your entire life (again, you are this type of person in this scenario) and then getting to watch an excruciatingly detailed documentary revealing the entire process of creation is (for you, this type of person) Tutankhamun-level stuff. It’s almost too much information to take in at once. And so, for this wretched creature, even one eight-hour viewing is somehow still not enough.

Nonetheless an eight-hour rewatch remains an intimidating prospect, even for the faithful. Fear not: one bite at a time. The documentary covers the whole month of January 1969, from the band first assembling to kick around new ideas on the 2nd to the complete rooftop concert and conclusion on the 31st. Follow along with this phenonmenal creative achievement in real time for about 30 mins a day.

Also, the days of the week line up in 2025. When it’s the weekend for the Beatles, it’s the weekend for you too.

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Daily timestamps, created by my digtial serf using this excellent fan page.

January 2, 1969
Part 1: 00:00:00–00:27:16 (27 mins)
The project begins; Paul introduces the idea of a live show; Early rehearsals of “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Two of Us.”

January 3, 1969
Part 1: 00:27:17–00:50:13 (23 mins)
Continued rehearsals at Twickenham; Development of “I’ve Got a Feeling” and “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window”; First signs of creative tensions.

January 6, 1969
Part 1: 00:50:14–01:16:42 (26 mins)
The group returns after a weekend break; George works on “I Me Mine”; Tensions between George and Paul escalate.

January 7, 1969
Part 1: 01:16:43–01:44:30 (28 mins)
Paul pushes for more structure; George becomes increasingly frustrated; Experimentation with “Get Back.”

January 8, 1969
Part 1: 01:44:31–02:12:18 (28 mins)
Paul and John harmonize on “Two of Us”; George distances himself creatively; Mood improves briefly with collective improvisations.

January 9, 1969
Part 1: 02:12:19–02:30:00 (18 mins)
Further work on “Get Back”; Tensions remain high; Discussions about the project’s direction.

January 10, 1969
Part 1: 02:30:01–02:36:25 (6 mins)
George Harrison leaves the band; Paul, John, and Ringo continue rehearsals without him.

January 13, 1969
Part 2: 00:00:00–00:33:42 (34 mins)
The band meets to reconcile with George; Move to Apple Studios is finalized.

January 14, 1969
Part 2: 00:33:43–01:01:16 (28 mins)
Rehearsals resume at Apple Studios; Billy Preston is introduced to the sessions.

January 15, 1969
Part 2: 01:01:17–01:30:29 (29 mins)
Billy Preston officially joins the sessions; Mood improves significantly; Work on “Don’t Let Me Down” and “I’ve Got a Feeling.”

January 16–20, 1969
Part 2: 01:30:30–02:53:17 (83 mins)
Intense studio sessions; Progress on “Let It Be,” “The Long and Winding Road,” and “Get Back”; Early discussions about the rooftop concert.

January 21–28, 1969
Part 3: 00:00:00–01:30:00 (90 mins)
Recording of album tracks continues; Final preparations for the rooftop concert; Refinement of performances for the live show.

January 30, 1969
Part 3: 01:30:01–02:18:35 (48 mins)
The iconic rooftop concert; The Beatles perform “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” and others live.

January 31, 1969
Part 3: 02:18:36–End (18 mins)
Final studio recordings for “Let It Be” and “The Long and Winding Road”; The project concludes.