Act One Scene One: Roll 1-A

Act One Scene One
The Morning of Thursday, January 2nd, 1969

One by one the Beatles arrive on the Twickenham film studio sound stage to begin both a new year (1969) and to begin the new project that they have each signed onto. Their collective understanding of the project being the following:

1. Write a batch of new songs meant to be performed and recorded live without any overdubs

2. Film every step of the creative process capturing the writing and perfecting the batch of new songs for a television documentary

3. Perform the new numbers live before an audience in some sort of grand show.

They each arrive on the set with their own virtual sack of potential candidate songs in various states of completion.

Press to Play

Tape Roll	CD Track	Time	Title	Description
1A	1	00:21	"And Now We're Gonna Tape The Beatles"	Before the Beatles arrived on the Twickenham sound stage, filmmaker Michael Lindsey Hogg shot various filler scenes including several takes of the drum kit with the Beatles logo being carried across empty soundstage by Beatles road manager Mal Evans. One of the takes from this series of shots was used to open the film Let It Be. This cut is an edit of several of the opening shot elements including : Michael's officially starting off the project with his comment "And now we're gonna tape the Beatles so I'll be quiet" (a promise he fails to live up to) Brand Recognition is Everything Mal Evans walking across the sound stage carrying the drum kit logo. Mal and a stage hand pushing the piano into place
1A	2	00:29	John Tuning Up	John arrives, starts to tune his guitar, and to warm up. You hear the film technician announce "slate four take one" to help with the synchronization of film and sound during post production.
1A	3	00:43	George Arrives, Tuning Up, All Things Must Pass (001)	This cut is an edit of several elements including: George's arrival and greeting the set with "Hello, Hari Krishna" to which John responds "Hi". George beginning to tune up with John George slipping under the radar to sneak in the first official song of Let It Be: a short passage from his memorable composition All Things Must Pass. All during this project, new George compositions are usually introduced by him in such an informal and unannounced manner.
1A	4	03:22	Don't Let Me Down (001), Ringo Arrives, "I Like Simple Tunes"	George and John run through this new John song for the first time. Ringo arrives, and he starts drumming about 1:18 into the song. Obviously, even from a single listen of this new composition, George already likes the number as he happily sings along. At the end of the song (more of a break down than a proper musical ending) they both greet Ringo and wish him a Happy New Year. Having just arrived, Ringo promptly ducks out of sight and vanishes from the set. John and George discuss the song, John stating that this song is the most finished one he has to which George responds "That's a good one: I like simple tunes".
1A	5	03:00	Dig a Pony (001)	George lights up a ciggie and mumbles a few lines of Don't Let Me Down. Then the two of them engage in a bit of conversation regarding the disadvantages of rehearsing on a voluminous movie sound stage. John: "I think it's probably better to rehearse in a small room" George: "It would be nice for the acoustics in a cozy dressing room". This topic is to be revisited many more times in the following days and become a source of growing irritation. John then starts another of his new compositions: Dig a Pony. George stops him mid song, asking him if the phrase is "dig a pony" to which John answers in the affirmative.