Get Back

This article is about the song by the Beatles. For other uses, see Get Back (disambiguation).
For the 2021 television documentary, see The Beatles: Get Back.

"Get Back"
Picture sleeve for 1989 UK reissue
Single by the Beatles with Billy Preston
from the album Let It Be
B-side"Don't Let Me Down"
Released11 April 1969 (1969-04-11)
Recorded27–28 January 1969
StudioApple, London
Genre
Length3:09 (album version)
3:13 (single version)
LabelApple
Songwriter(s)Lennon–McCartney
Producer(s)Glyn Johns and George Martin (single version)
Phil Spector (album version)
The Beatles singles chronology
"Hey Jude"
(1968) 		"Get Back"
(1969) 		"The Ballad of John and Yoko"
(1969)
Billy Preston singles chronology
"Hey Brother"
(1968) 		"Get Back"
(1969) 		"That's the Way God Planned It"
(1969)
Audio sample
"Get Back"

"Get Back" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Beatles and Billy Preston, written by Paul McCartney, and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. It was originally released as a single on 11 April 1969 and credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston".[4] The song is one of the few examples of John Lennon featuring prominently as lead guitarist. The album version of this song contains a different mix that features a studio chat between Paul McCartney and John Lennon at the beginning, which lasts for 20 seconds before the song begins, also omitting the coda featured in the single version, and with a final dialogue taken from the Beatles' rooftop concert. This version became the closing track of Let It Be (1970), which was released just after the group split up. The single version was later issued on the compilation albums 1967–1970, 20 Greatest Hits, Past Masters, and 1.

The single reached number one in the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Australia, France, West Germany, Mexico, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, and Belgium. It was the Beatles' only single that credited another artist at their request. "Get Back" was the Beatles' first single release in true stereo in the US. In the UK, the Beatles' singles remained monaural until the following release, "The Ballad of John and Yoko". It was also the only Beatles single to debut on the UK singles charts at number one.

  1. ^ Kutner, Jon; Leigh, Spencer (2010). 1,000 UK Number One Hits. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857123602.
  2. ^ Alan W. Pollack's Notes on "Get Back"
  3. ^ "All 214 Beatles Songs, Ranked from Worst to Best". 2 November 2023.
  4. ^ Lewisohn 1988, p. 172.