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11.27am
20 April 2017
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Hey folks, it’s me again.
Let it be was a mighty fine album to close The Beatles’ career, but it left the biggest band in history on a bitter note. Ever since Sgt Pepper , The Beatles were slowly drifting apart, With John taking going off with Yoko and Heroin, George with his emergence as a songwriter and his passions for Indian music, Paul wanting to go back to old times and Ringo just sitting there quietly. By 1969, A split in the band was looking inevitable, with George and Ringo leaving numerous times. Although Let it be was without a doubt what pulled the group apart. The boys were not what they once were, and Paul tried all he could to try and get them back to what they were in the golden era, such as arranging concerts (Apple Rooftop) and getting other musicians to try and help bring them back, such as Billy Preston, who played the E-Piano in getting Back. George Martin was fed up of the nonsence, so for Let it be, Phil Spector took his place as The Beatles’ producer.
Now, as Beatles fans, There is no name as controversial as Phil Spector, With tensions already sky high, they didn’t need somebody to “significantly improve” the album as John would say or “Destroy and ruin” the album as Paul would say.
Well, I thought I better ask you lot
What do you think about how Phil did on the boys’ last released album.
Do you think his heavenly choirs and distant orchestral backings were a thing of wonders or something that McCartney was right on in saying they ruined the album?
Let’s see!
[sp_show_poll id=”228″]
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SgtPeppersBulldog9.49pm
14 May 2015
Offline Wasn’t Abbey Road recorded after Let It Be ? I believe so, and they decided to hold off on Let It Be and make it the last. If I’m correct, that timeline kind of throws a monkey wrench into some of crazyyorkshireman’s argument…
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10.15pm
5 November 2011
Offline isn’t phil spector a murderer?
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10.15am
20 April 2017
Offline Pineapple Records said
Wasn’t Abbey Road recorded after Let It Be ? I believe so, and they decided to hold off on Let It Be and make it the last. If I’m correct, that timeline kind of throws a monkey wrench into some of crazyyorkshireman’s argument…
Abbey Road was indeed recorded last and Let it be halted, so you’re correct! Paul hated what Spector did to Let it be, so went back to Martin as one last attempt to pull the band back together, but it obviously didn’t quite work out. I was just telling a bit of background information! 
Little Piggy Dragonguy said
isn’t phil spector a murderer?
He was!
Wikipedia says:
“On February 3, 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was found dead in the mansion belonging to record producer Phil Spector. … Spector was tried for the murder of Clarkson in 2007. On September 26, 2007, a mistrial was declared due to a hung jury ten to two for conviction.“
11.41am
26 January 2017
Offline Can we add an option for “I liked some of his production elements, but it was all a bit over the top”?
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1.16pm
26 January 2017
Offline I’m in the middle. Some of his arranements on ATMP detract from the song, while some are simply stunning. Its weird for a producer to be inconsistent like that. I do love the way his harmonies explode on his early sixties records with the Ronettes. It massively impacted Brian Wilson’s work in the studio.
Let It Be in my opinion should have been produced with minimal oberdubs and session players. I wish Spector had Let It Be on that album.
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1.33pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline To know know know him, is to loathe loathe loathe him…
What a difference one word makes. To answer the question though, I am somewhere in the middle. While it’s not one of my favorite albums, I do enjoy it, Spectorization or not. But what are we comparing it to? Many folks compare and contrast this to Let It Be …Naked which I think is a mistake. Just because Paul says …Naked is the way it was supposed to be, that doesn’t make it so. Closer to what they envisioned, yes, but hardly exact. I say this because there are so many variables that could have gone so many different ways between the decades of the two releases. And, in my opinion, the …Naked version of ‘The Long And Winding Road ‘ is even more of a snooze without the Spector elements.
I am eternally grateful that Spector did not produce more Beatles albums as the “wall of sound” thing just isn’t Beatlesque. But for this album, I say Let Phil Be.
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5.24pm
22 December 2013
Offline I “Loathe Him” for the murder rap but am a fan of his work… His version of the ‘Let It Be ‘ album is the definitive version… Virtually every song is an improvement over any others out there, especially ‘Across The Universe ‘, ‘Let It Be ‘ & ‘The Long & Winding Road’… His work on John & George’s earlier solo albums vindicates his appointment to clean up the ‘Get Back ‘ project… As a human being, he’s no better than the unmentionable who shot John Lennon …:-)
5.36pm
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1 May 2011
Offline I like some of his production work but i’m not a fan of the person.
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6.22pm
9 March 2017
Offline I love what he did with other artists like The Beach Boys but I think they should’ve had George Martin produce it and release it on the same day as the Get Back single. By the way Abbey Road was recorded in between the Get Back /Let It Be sessions as I Me Mine and a few other things weren’t recorded until 1970. As a person however, this may seem cruel but I wish that cop just left him to die instead of saving his life back in 1974 when he was in a near fatal car wreck.
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2.20am
10 November 2010
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3.19am
1 December 2009
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And The Wrecking Crew were around it all too…
Was it Phil who isolated and interspersed those little Lennon ad-libs throughout the album? I like that. But I can’t think of much else I like. I don’t think the purity of the original no-overdubs/no editing should’ve been abandoned. But even allowing that, the eventual horns and strings and choirs are just plain too loud and obnoxious. Why no rooftop take of “Don’t Let Me Down ” w/vocal flub? Why try to pass off the studio “Get Back ” as live? Why not, at the relevant session, suggest that George repeat the second verse to make the song more complete (something that producers like George Martin do!) instead of deciding after the fact to just copy and paste? No, based mostly on his production, I have to call this album a failure. (Still like it a lot, solid 8/10 from me, but it still fails.)
As for Phil himself, he’s in prison with a degenerative brain disorder, I believe, and I think he’s lost the power to speak. He’ll be dead someday, leaving all his lasting work. All of it.
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions, Marvin Gaye. PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
6.47am
9 March 2017
Offline Necko said
Dark Overlord said
I love what he did with other artists like The Beach Boys …Phil Spector never worked with the Beach Boys . Brian Wilson was heavily influenced by him and Spector definitely met the Beach Boys , but Spector and the Beach Boys never actually worked together.
Thanks for pointing that out, I always assumed that Phil worked with them because they often used The Wrecking Crew on their songs.
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3.02pm
26 January 2017
Offline Dark Overlord said
I love what he did with other artists like The Beach Boys but I think they should’ve had George Martin produce it and release it on the same day as the Get Back single.
The one time he sat in on a Beach Boys session, he was very rude and contemptuous towards Brian. Most likely it was fueled by jealousy, but either way it hurt Brian’s feelings because he wanted to connect with and talk to his idol but he only got bitterness.
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20 August 2013
Offline There’s a new book out about Phil Spector.
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5.13pm
25 December 2017
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I don’t mind what Philly Boy did. Let It Be was my introduction to The Beatles and i always hold that album higher than most people.
I love his musicality, I loathe what he did to Lana Clarkson
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1 May 2011
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PurplishRain said
I don’t mind what Philly Boy did. Let It Be was my introduction to The Beatles and i always hold that album higher than most people.
I love his musicality, I loathe what he did to Lana Clarkson
I would think no one would be anything but horrified at the murder of Clarkson (is that too many negatives in the sentence?). The more I hear Spector’s production the less I like it it – only his work with John, George, the ‘Let It Be ‘ album and a few random songs warranting repeated listens.
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5.14am
14 June 2016
Offline meanmistermustard said
I like some of his production work but i’m not a fan of the person.
Agree. John wouldn’t be impressed with how he turned out. For one album I don’t mind his version of Let It Be , especially now we have Let It Be …Naked. But George Martin is the king and the true fifth Beatle.
1.The Beatles 2.Sgt. Pepper 3.Abbey Road 4.Magical Mystery Tour 5.Rubber Soul 6.Revolver 7.Help! 8.Let It Be
9.A Hard Day’s Night 10.Please Please Me 11.Beatles For Sale 12.With The Beatles 13.Yellow Submarine
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11.19am
26 January 2017
Offline I’ll say that his work on Instant Karma is fantastic. The speed and ingenuity of those sessions is remarkable. It also just sounds really damn cool. 
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