Peter Jackson Didn’t Mention an Interesting Part of the ‘Let It Be’ Sessions in His Documentary, ‘The Beatles: Get Back’
In November 2021, Peter Jackson released his mammoth three-part, six-plus hour documentary, The Beatles: Get Back. It follows the beloved band during their Let It Be sessions. Finally, fans saw never-before-seen footage and unearthed conversations taken during the making of Michael Lindsay-Hogg‘s original film, Let It Be.
However, Jackson didn’t mention an important part of the Let It Be sessions.
Tensions rose with The Beatles during their ‘Let It Be’ sessions
After their holiday break, The Beatles reconvened at Twickenham Studios in London on Jan. 1, 1968. Filming for Let It Be, a documentary about the making of the album and the band’s planned TV special, was to commence. However, the bickering, which had started while the band recorded The White Album, started up again.
George Harrison had spent Thanksgiving with Bob Dylan and The Band and got a glimpse of what life could be like as a free agent. Initially, George felt positive following his return. However, that quickly changed when Paul McCartney pushed him to the side again and treated him like a glorified session man.
“For me, to come back into the winter of discontent with The Beatles at Twickenham was very unhealthy and unhappy,” George said in Anthology. “I remember being quite optimistic about it. […] But it was soon quite apparent that it was just the same as it had been … and it was going to be painful again.”
While Paul tried to steer The Beatles in a new direction, trying to get them to do a TV special or a grand concert somewhere exotic, George retreated more and more. They had little time to record their new album and were getting nowhere.
Eventually, Paul had micro-managed George one too many times. After fighting with Paul throughout “Two Of Us” and “Get Back,” George quit unexpectedly. “I think I’ll be leaving the band now,” George said. “Get a replacement. Write into the NME and get a few people.” As he left, George told the group off-camera that he’d see them “’round the clubs.”
After a brief stay with his parents in Liverpool, George returned to the group and made them an offer. He’d return, but there would be no more talk of touring or a TV special. The band agreed, and they got back to work. However, frictions returned.
Then, George knew he needed to call in a specialist.
Peter Jackson didn’t mention a key moment during The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ sessions
According to Joshua M. Greene’s book Here Comes The Sun: The Spiritual And Musical Journey Of George Harrison, George invited his friend and member of the Hare Krishna movement, Shyamsundar Das, to the Let It Be sessions.
When Shyamsundar arrived at Twickenham, George said, “We’re having a little break. Can you come along? The boys all want to hear what you’ve got to say.” George introduced Shyamsundar to John, Paul, and Ringo, and they entered a room.
“‘All right,’ said John. ‘What’s it all about then?'” Greene wrote. “George knew bringing his friend to meet John and Paul and Ringo might fail to calm the waters. After the debacle of Rishikesh, it was a wonder they had even agreed to meet another of George’s seeker friends at all. But he trusted Shyamsundar’s native intelligence and natural warmth.
“If anyone could apply some healing glue to the cracks that were opening among them, it was the American. Shyamsundar started from the top. He said that souls enter the material world and get caught up in a struggle of repeated birth and death, and a simple way to escape that cycle of reincarnation is to chant God’s names.
“‘So what about music,’ Paul said, ‘as an expression of consciousness? How does that fit in?’ The right kind of music, the American replied, could link the soul to God. Spiritual music such as mantras penetrated consciousness to awaken the sleeping soul. ‘What about peace then?’ John asked. ‘I mean, you can’t have all these people running around the world killing each other, can you?’
“‘The only way real peace can happen,’ Shyamsundar said, ‘is if people of the world recognize they are all part and parcel of the same one God. If you love the Father, you can love his children.’ We are all children of God, he said, animals as much as people. Don’t animals also suffer? For peace to be widespread and real, it had to include all life. ‘Start at the root, with love of God,’ he said. ‘Then automatically peace will be there for all living creatures.'”
Shyamsundar’s talk with The Beatles placated the group for a bit
Then, John seemed impressed by what Shyamsundar said, and George relaxed.
“On and on the conversation went, late into the afternoon,” Green wrote. “The film producer’s repeated calls to return for shooting went unanswered as the group plowed forward with their talks. They laughed a lot and made fun of Shyamsundar’s dress. ‘Hey, it was the only way I could get you to notice me,’ he shot back.”
Then, The Beatles and their new friend talked about their previous trip to India with the Maharishi and the time George and John chanted “Hare Krishna” all day while sailing through the Adriatic Sea.
“The meeting was a success,” Greene continued. “George left the studio feeling comfortable, even elated. He had taken a risk inviting his friend at a delicate time, and it had paid off. The rest of the world was blowing up, but here, for the moment, there was peace among the Beatles.”
After Shyamsundar left, the rest of the Let It Be sessions went better. However, all four of The Beatles started feeling it in their hearts that the band didn’t have much more time to live.
